Photo courtesy of Bard Coffee

Bob Garver is a coffee connoisseur. The owner of Wicked Joe’s Coffee, a wholesale roasting company based in Brunswick, Garver decided to explore the retail side of life and opened Bard Coffee on Middle Street in Portland in April. [To read more about the coffee scene in Portland, see this article in the Portland Press Herald.]

Last night, Rob Evans of Portland's Hugo’s won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Northeast. Here’s a look at the night from his perspective:

“We’re still high as a kite. Last night we were on cloud nine for sure. It’s like we entered an exclusive club or something. It’s really exciting.