Due to the work of some remarkably creative people, a dose of good luck, and a very supportive community, Cambridge has risen to the top of the Eastern Shore food chain of good eating in a remarkable way over the last ten years.
Starting with the Thomas Keller-trained Ian Campbell setting the bar with the opening of Poplar Bistro, followed by places like Jimmie and Sooks, the High Spot, and Cranium at the Beach, among quite a number of others, the momentum continues to grow.
And one person behind this big “mo” is Patrick Fanning.
Fanning, a native of a Fall River Massachusetts, and armed with a culinary degree from Portland’s Western Culinary Institute, and a resume that includes being the former executive chef at Salisbury’s Sobo’s Wine Beerstro, quickly realized how strong the Cambridge restaurant market had become. Starting with The High Spot in 2011, and then Stoked on Muir Street, and more recently adding Black Water Coffee and Bakery, Patrick has started to build a small empire of popular and extremely well-received dining venues.
In his Spy interview (the first of a Spy series on the Cambridge food scene), Fanning makes it clear that he is not done yet with Cambridge. In the months ahead, he plans to open at least one more restaurant in downtown, in addition to new retail gift shop with his wife. He also envisions a steak place with butcher store as well as a pub with a focus on specialty food found in American sports stadiums.
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