86 Middle Street
Portland, ME
I was standing outside Rabelais looking in., not even realizing what I was looking at. The books were all about food. After Mom pointed out what was really going on, I asked out loud, "What the hell are we doing out here?" and entered with kiddie enthusiasm.
Inside was a foodie's dream: books categorized by what kind of food they are about. From coffee to snacks to French cooking, this place has it all, including a selection of used books and collectors' items.
Apparently there are only four stores like it in the country: New York city, San Francisco, and somewhere in South Carolina, each kind of modeled after the store in Portland. The couple that owns this little shop specialize, as far as I can tell, in everything with possibly a focus on collecting. Not only new or used, but books that date waayyy back.
I ventured in already excited about what I was going to find. I asked the man, Don, if he had any books about organic urban gardening, part memoir, part cookbook, part pictures, and was lead to the the far corner of the store where he pointed out four books, all with beautiful photos.
After much deliberation, the purple book in the bottom photo in the top right corner wound up in my hands. I showed my choice to Don he said "Ah, I knew I should have showed that to you," maybe only hesitant because it had already been in my hands three or four times.
Anyway, it is a bookstore that might make a trip to Portland worth it. Amazing in every way, Rabelais has got it going on.
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