Jan. 9—Imbibe magazine included Old Port bar and restaurant Lucky Cheetah and Papi co-founder and Beverage Director LyAnna Sanabria in their annual list of 75 people and places most likely to influence the beverage world in the coming year. (As of Jan. 9 at 11 a.m., the list was not yet live online.)
The magazine applauds Lucky Cheetah for its striking design, which Press Herald restaurant critic Andrew Ross praised as “Asian-inflected midcentury Mediterranean-coast maximalism” in a review that called it perhaps the most exciting Maine restaurant to open 2024.
“Opposite the storied cobblestone way of Portland, Maine’s Wharf Street, a modest staircase leads to an unlikely subterranean world ensconced in cheetah carpeting, scarlet millwork, and Slim Aarons’ high-society artwork,” the Imbibe writeup reads in part. “This is Lucky Cheetah, a fusion of Victorian-era Hong Kong dim sum houses and 1950s Monte Carlo grandeur, with a Champagne and dumpling menu to match.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Lucky Cheetah co-owners Jared Dinsmore and Wills Dowd tell Imbibe that Champagne’s high acidity complements the restaurant’s umami-rich food. Imbibe writer Jillian Dara notes that the venue’s beverage program also includes Asian-inspired cocktails and spirits, such as a shiso cordial, sesame-infused vodka, and lemongrass-infused tequila.
The Imbibe 75 list also includes Sanabria’s mentoring program at Papi. “LyAnna Sanabria created a unique mentoring opportunity in an unlikely place… Soon after Papi’s opening in March 2023, Puerto Rican bartenders began making pilgrimages to Portland, the largest city in statistically the country’s whitest state,” the writeup states, noting that when the bartenders would ask for jobs, Sanabria took the opportunity to launch her initiative, unofficially called TiTi, Spanish for “Auntie.”
“The seasonal program focuses on giving active Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and Latino bartenders the chance to upskill their abilities within Papi’s high-volume environment rather than building new bartenders from the ground up,” the piece continues. “Sanabria also intends to use the still-evolving program to promote greater inclusivity within the bar community.”
In 2023, Punch magazine listed Sanabria among 20 semifinalists for its Best New Bartenders awards.
Copy the Story Link
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
