A group of Baltimore coffee pros are starting an organization that will encourage local baristas to take their latte art and brewing skills to the next level.

David Anderson, previously the coffee director at Artifact Coffee and Woodberry Kitchen, has teamed up with other coffee industry leaders to launch the Baltimore Coffee Alliance.

Anderson said he's watched the local coffee scene ebb and flow over the years. After he talked with fellow coffee professionals like 3 Bean Coffee general manager Philip Glenn and Jared Cate of Ceremony Coffee Roasters, they decided to create a more formal group to bolster the professional development of local baristas and elevate Baltimore's coffee reputation.

“I got to the point where I was like, I should really be trying to help accelerate things more,” Anderson said.

The alliance will host a public kickoff event at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 at Artifact Coffee, where the founders will discuss its mission and host a team latte art competition. After the launch, the group will aim to host monthly competitions and workshops for coffee professionals and customers interested in learning more about craft coffee. The alliance also plans to publish podcasts with topics including coffee sourcing and taste profiles.

“There's just a lot of talent in the coffee scene,” Anderson said. “And I think that to keep people here and to keep things growing, we need to create a reason for more businesses to open up and bring more diversity within the coffee industry as a whole into Baltimore.”

In terms of professional development, the Baltimore Coffee Alliance will focus on competition-style training to improve baristas' brewing choices, latte art, palate development and presentation skills.

Anderson said the group will host three competitions between the October kickoff and next spring. The goal is to send local coffee pros to national events, such as the annual U.S. Barista Championship and the Barista Guild of America's Barista Camp.

Ultimately, he expects the new organization to offer memberships that come with more exclusive training opportunities, in addition to those open to the public.

In brief

Starlite Diner has opened its doors in the former Shoo-Fly Diner space at Belvedere Square.

Owner Leonard Clarke, who previously owned Red Maple in Mount Vernon, renovated and refurbished the space after Spike Gjerde closed Shoo-Fly last May.

The new restaurant offers a menu of upscale comfort food with influences from the South, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic. Arim Isabel is Starlite's executive chef.

Located at 510 E. Belvedere Ave., the diner is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner starting at 7 a.m. during the week and 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

R. House food hall has added something sweet to its lineup. Krystal Mack, who owns the local dessert mobiles PieCycle and KarmaPop, is partnering with Philadelphia-based ice cream maker Little Baby's to open a dessert shop at the food emporium.

It's Mack's first permanent location under a new brand, BLK // SUGAR. The stall will feature Mack's baked goods and pastries, as well as her KarmaPop ice pops during warmer months. Mack's offerings will be sold alongside Little Baby's dairy and nondairy ice creams and milkshakes, with eight to 10 rotating flavors like everything bagel, vanilla cardamom cream and chocolate salt malt.

In addition to sweets, the stand will offer savory items throughout the day, including tea eggs and croissants, Woot! granola, local yogurt and teas from Wight Tea Co.

The stall is among 11 opening at R. House, including the arepas bar White Envelope, fried chicken stand BRD, Mediterranean street food vendor ARBA and breakfast spot Ground & Griddled.

Dining dates

Sept. 30: September Date Night featuring five courses of wine and pizza pairings, with pizza from Well Crafted Pizza; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Great Frogs Winery (3218 Harness Creek Road, Annapolis); $75.

Oct. 1: 2016 Fall Ale festival featuring local brews, hors d'oeuvres and live music; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pratt Street Ale House (206 W. Pratt St., Baltimore); $40-$60.

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smeehan@baltsun.com

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