Local History: Culinary Legacies

Culinary Legacies: How Portsmouth’s Iconic Restaurants and Historic Foodways Created Today’s Vibrant Culinary Scene

We love to talk about “the old days” in Portsmouth and for many, those conversations turn to the city’s iconic restaurants. We fondly recall the heyday of The Rosa, tales of Jarvis’ Tea Room or that dinner at the Blue Strawbery and while many of the community’s beloved restaurants are gone, they live on in the hands of today’s talented chefs and restaurateurs.

“Culinary Legacies” takes us back to those iconic restaurants, but also to the New England and Seacoast food traditions that created Portsmouth’s restaurant scene. We’ll look at how the past has influenced today’s chefs and how they honor and preserve the region’s culinary and hospitality traditions in a decidedly modern way.

Registration is required. This event is free and open to all.

Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner who started her career as a food journalist in the Seacoast area in 2002. A former restaurant critic for The Portsmouth Herald, she continues to cover food and restaurant news for Seacoast Media Group and is a freelance food writer for magazines and cookbooks. ​