Dates Announced for Restaurant Week Portsmouth

Restaurant Week Portsmouth, Nov. 10-16, 2008, is underway, and area chefs are getting creative with seasonal and local ingredients, whipping up everything from butternut squash bisque and beet salads, to roasted root vegetables, pumpkin risotto and warm apple crisp. Fall comfort cuisine, like french onion soup, New England clam chowder, roasted chicken, and hand made pastas are also making appearances on menus. Many chefs have sourced local ingredients, like organic produce from Meadow's Mirth Farm in Stratham, N.H.; goat cheeses from Heart Song Farm in Gilmonton, N.H.; and organic meats from Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport, Maine.

We fully support Restaurant Week's Buy Local' and Eat Local' connections, said Karen Marzloff, vice president of Seacoast Local, Inc., a non-profit that promotes locally-owned independent businesses, and which will receive part of the proceeds from Restaurant Week Portsmouth 2008. Our aim is to build a strong local economy and a vibrant community, she said.

Dates have also been set for the 2009 edition of Restaurant Week Portsmouth, March 22-29, 2009. The event will be a collaborative culinary event organized by the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce and area restaurateurs and highlight the area's draw as a culinary destination. Portsmouth hosts 252 restaurants and a vibrant arts and culture scene.

Portsmouth was recently ranked on National Geographic Traveler's list of Historic Places #28 in the world, #6 in the U.S. and it boasts 400 years of history, art and culture, including monthly Art Round Town gallery walks, Strawbery Banke Museum, The Music Hall, and more.. The city also hosts live music every night of the year. For details, visit www.seacoastmusicscene.com The city was also named fourth place on Outside magazine's Top 20 Towns in America.

Culinary tourism is the fastest-growing trend in travel, according to the International Culinary Tourism Association, which defines culinary tourism as the pursuit of unique and memorable culinary experiences of all kinds, often while traveling, but one can also be a culinary tourist at home.

I hope Restaurant Week will draw residents and tourists alike, both to long-standing area establishments and newly-opened restaurants in Portsmouth, said Nicki Noble, Portsmouth Chamber tourism manager. With all of the creativity and choices, the event will offer lots of opportunities for food, drink, conversation and memorable experiences.