Culinary Community Is Behind Portsmouth's Food

Anyone who is from the seacoast area knows what type of a city Portsmouth is; classic, historical and cultural. However, some people who are not from the area may not know these things about our great city. They may not know what it’s like to see Market Square shine bright during the Christmas season, or what a night in Prescott Park feels like when the warm August winds blow off the waters of the Piscataqua River.

As the city continues to go through this transformation from historical to cultural icon, it has taken on an identity as an exceptional center for culinary boldness. It’s no secret that the local restaurants in the city are beyond incredible, and thanks to a recent article in the Boston Globe things are about to heat up.

The article is titled “Chefs cooking up a food revolution in Portsmouth, N.H.” and it sheds a lot of light on the quality of the flourishing restaurant scene that has taken root in our city. The article, published just last week, highlights a few local restaurants like Moxy, Cava, Black Trumpet Bistro, and more. One of the main points that is made in this article is the attention grabbing innovation that the chefs of Portsmouth have been bringing to the table. Matt Louis, of Moxy, is an example of one of these chefs when it is mentioned that he was under consideration for the 2015 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Northeast. The article cites that winning one of these awards is the culinary world’s equivalent to an Oscar.

The “in-city” talent is well documented in the article, but it also talks about restaurant owners from Boston, M.A. and Portland, M.E. that are looking to expand their markets into Portsmouth. The reason behind this is cited by Rachel Forrest, the restaurant critic for the Portsmouth Herald, who says that “it feels like Portsmouth is just about to come into its own. It’s getting better and people are coming.” However, there was one thing mentioned in the article that will make any Portsmouth resident proud.

The Black Trumpet Bistro, owned by Evan Mallett. (Picture courtesy ofBoomerang Dining)

Evan Mallett, the owner of the Black Trumpet Bistro (above), has been one of the pioneers of this culinary movement. Mallett is a three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and has created a fantastic menu of local and unorthodox ingredients. Mallett gave some insight into the main reason for this culinary explosion, and it starts with the group of chefs who wanted to see a change together. “The deeper story is that we all care about something much more than our own bottom line or coverage of magazines and who gets what awards,” Mallet said. “The success up to this point has had to do with a sense of community.”

Now, take a second and read that again. There isn’t a better way to describe this culinary movement, or a better way to describe this city. There is something special about a group of people that come together looking to change something, and looking to do it as one mind. They’re not necessarily looking for a major economic change, but they’re wanting to make a change together, and they’re seeing that through. Community is evident in this city; so much so that it’s even being expressed in our food.

As a city we should be proud of not only the quality of the food that graces our plates, but also of the people who worked hard so we as a city can enjoy what is going on. We get to be a part of this as a community because these chefs have made it that way. Get ready Portsmouth, the kitchen is about to heat up.