Not that we couldn’t see it coming, but it was thrilling nonetheless to see Portland, Maine get its due from the venerable New York Times. And on the front page of today’s Dining & Wine section, no less. While avoiding the usual homage to the iconic chefs we all know and love on our home turf, writer Julia Moskin gives well-deserved nods to our lesser known but very worthy culinary talents, many of whom we have profiled in the pages of Maine Food & Lifestyle. We expect to see these chefs catapulted to fame, and it’s about time.

So the verdict is in: “Portland has become one of the best places to eat in the Northeast.”

Merrill Williams is the publisher of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.