8/31/2009 - According to the article on line today at bonappetit.com and posted by Andrew Knowlton:

"This year, it's all about the sea. In our second annual report on the nation's top food towns, Portland, Maine, takes the prize thanks to its fresh seafood, local beers, artisanal bakeries, and the best breakfasts in country. You can read the entire story here.

You may be wondering how we made our decision: We ate our way there. My scouting (aka eating) trips to Portland, Maine resulted in some of the best meals of my life. And after much deliberation with the Bon AppA©tit staff, we decided that Portland was the choice for this year's honor.

Naturally I have much more to share with you than what was printed in our new October issue (my editor does her job well)--starting with exclusive recipes for some of the great food I had on my trips.

Tomorrow I'll share the essential itinerary to Portland, Maine including my favorite restaurants and the best place to stay. Wednesday, I'll tell you more about three things that Portland does amazingly well--beer, bread, and seafood. I'll also post the cities that were runners up in this year's competition. On Thursday, I'll share some of my personal photos from my visits. And on Friday, well, I'm off to Maine for the last weekend of the summer and as many lobster rolls as I can possibly eat.

Recipes from America's Foodiest Small Town

--Cod with mussels, chorizo, fried croutons, and saffron mayonnaise from Hugo's.

--Corned beef hash from Hot Suppa!

--Mascarpone polenta with wild mushrooms and smoked ricotta from Bresca

--Pan roasted scallops with roasted sweet potatoes from Caiola's

--Pumpkin whoopie pies with maple marshmallow cream filling from Two Fat Cats Bakery"