Portland coffee roaster among Maine’s 10 James Beard Award semifinalists [Video]

The James Beard Foundation has revealed the semifinalists for its 2025 awards, including seven restaurateurs and three restaurants from Maine.The James Beard Awards are known as the Oscars for restaurants, honoring achievements in the culinary arts, hospitality, media and broader food system.This year’s awards have expanded with a focus on beverages and the James Beard Foundation has three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.Maine has semifinalists in each of those new categories, including Mary Allen Lindemann of Coffee By Design for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service.Lindemann is the co-owner of the Portland roastery that has grown from a single store to a major wholesale provider. While speaking with Maine’s Total Coverage, she thanked her staff and customers for making this dream come true.”So what it means for me is the work we do matters. Small business matters. Independently-owned business matters, …