The Purple House
Cafe · North Yarmouth ·
Wood-fired Montreal-style bagels, creative sandwiches, pastries
Wood-fired Montreal-style bagels, creative sandwiches, pastries
"Located in Maine, this business asked customers to consider paying with credit card or Mobilepay to avoid cash handling as a means of protecting the community." - Jaya Saxena
"About 20 minutes north of Portland is the Purple House, a wood-fired bakery from Krista Desjarlais where everything that comes out of the tiny cottage feels otherworldly. You can’t miss the bagels — wood-fired Montreal-style that vary in flavors each day — and beyond the bagels there are pizzas, breads, and desserts that none of which should be missed. There’s a reason even Portlanders are weekly regulars here, and once you go you’ll be dreaming about everything you’ve eaten until you make it back." - Briana Volk
"The Purple House (378 Walnut Hill Rd.) will close for the season, starting on May 12, as chef and owner Krista Desjarlais refocuses." - Dana Hatic
"Operated by longtime Portland chef Krista Kern Desjarlais, this tiny converted house functions as a creative workshop centered on Montreal-style bagels baked in a wood-fired oven; the crusty, satisfyingly dense bagels come in classic and adventurous varieties (plain, poppy, sesame, everything, plus za'atar, kombu, and maple sugar). Sandwiches such as the Smoked Salmon Plus (scallion cream cheese, trout roe, pickled radish) and the Just Right Right Now (sherry-soaked raisins, apple confit, and cream cheese spiked with ras el hanout) highlight bright, warming flavors, while rotating projects—orange-blossom brioche, Roman-rectangle pizza sold by weight, smoked brisket specials, and green walnut gelato—demonstrate a restless, creative spirit; the chef sometimes closes for summer breaks but reliably draws loyal locals and visitors when she reopens." - Bill Addison
"A small operation producing spectacular Montreal-style bagels baked in a wood-fired oven; limited Thursday–Sunday hours (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) make the short drive from Portland well worth it for wood-fired, chewy, authentic bagels." - Bill Addison