Kelly Fitzpatrick is reporting in her comprehensive Last Call blog that Crooked Bayou will have, um, a last call on Dec. 23. The sort-of New Orleans style restaurant has been serving food and, more importantly, drinks since 2003. The owner of the restaurant, however, has been in that space for much longer. As Fitzpatrick reports, owner Susan Buttery -- how can you not go into the restaurant business if your name is Buttery? -- was a co-owner of the Po’Boys Creole Cafe, which somehow - miraculously - managed to remain in that space across the street from Heritage Square from 1995 to 2003, when Buttery bought out her partners and changed the name to Crooked Bayou. I remember remarking at the time that I thought I should double check by bill from a place with Crooked in its name, but the Bayou managed to keep its regulars happy for seven-plus years.

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Anne Valdez, vice president of coffee and tea for Barnie's, demonstrates the proper technique for the pour over.

Everyone knows about wine and food pairings. And you may even be aware of beer dinners that match specific ales and lagers with appropriate foods. Heck, there’s even a dinner coming up with the food paired (and in some cases prepared) with vodka. But here’s a new twist: coffee and dessert pairings.

That was the premise of a tasting I had recently at the Barnie’s Coffee & Tea Company in Baldwin Park. It was the Orlando-based company’s way of announcing its new filtered coffee program that will be part of a planned remodeling of all the company owned Barnie’s coffee shops. The process -- which is not new but is new to the Barnie’s operation -- involves slowly pouring boiled water over grounds in a paper filter into a small carafe. Actually, Barnie’s is calling it the “pour over” coffee; you can’t get much more straightforward than that. According to Anne Valdez, vice president of coffee and tea (now there’s a title for you), who conducted the tasting for me, it’s a technique that takes a lot of training to perfect. But the result, she says, is a more robust cup of coffee.

Ready, set, brew.

January 28 has been set for the grand opening of Shipyard Brewery & Emporium, the brewpub/cafe from the Maine-based beer maker. You can expect a soft opening before that date, but no decision has been made as to when customers will be accepted.

Shipyard Emporium will be at 200 W. Fairbanks Ave. in Winter Park in the building that most recently held Strollo’s Cucina Due. It was also the site of the original Dexter’s of Winter Park. Shipyard will brew its own beers on the premises, but only in small batches.

The cuisine part of the operation will be under the direction of Joslyn Tusa, a graduate of Southeastern Culinary Academy. No menu has been set, according to Shipyard spokeswoman Tami Kennedy, but the official logo, seen here, refers to the Emporium as a "market, bakery & brew pub." Tony Adams of Big Wheel Provisions had previously been attached to the project but is no longer.

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