If you are a lover of quality food and are curious about what the latest trends in the culinary world are, a visit to the small city of Portland, Maine provides an enticing glimpse.

Portland has a uniquely strong farm-to-table movement and is considered the epicenter for the concept on the East Coast.  It has been nationally recognized as a “hub of innovative cuisine,” and referred to as a “gastro-tourism paradise.”

For years, talented chefs such as Sam Hayward of Fore Street Grill (opened 1996 and designated as a Top 50 Restaurant in the U.S. by Gourmet Magazine in 2001 and 2006), have been making their way north from Boston and New York City to Portland where they find a wealth of resources from farmers, fishermen, and artisans that provide for year round seasonal cooking and a more welcoming (i.e. less cut-throat) and supportive environment. Read more