For the Love of Cookbooks

Have you heard of Rabelais - the cook book store located on Middle St., right next to Hugo's? It's dedicated to new, used, out of print and rare books on food, wine, farming and gardening. They opened during spring of 07. It's a wonderfully inviting place. I ask because I listened to an NPR story this week about a jewel like Rabelais closing in LA. (I've included a link to that story below).

Rabelais has been mentioned on WMPG, WCLZ and MPBN. I've also read about them in the Boston Globe, Press Herald, Switch and the Phoenix. I've seen posters in the Old Port announcing upcoming author appearances. I have even seen emails describing the art hanging on their walls.

And yet I keep running into folks I know, folks who love to eat, who have not been to Rabelais.

I'm suggesting September be called "Buy A Cook Book Month" and Rabelais is the place to treat yourself or someone you know to a cook book. Let me tell you about my first experience in the store. I had been at a dinner at the James Beard House and made a new friend. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and agreed to stay in touch. Shortly after arriving home I walked into Rabelais and asked for help picking out a book for this new friend in NYC. Samatha, one of the owners, was friendly and eager to help. She asked me a few questions about this person and then recommended "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," Ina Garten's first cookbook -- it was exactly what I was looking for. This was my first of many Rabelais experiences. I was treated to the sort of service available only at boutiques like Rabelais -- the likes of which Borders and Barnes and Nobles dream of providing to its customers.

More Rabelais Suggestions
1) If you have shopped there, please go again and again and help this great store survive and thrive.
2) If you've heard but not been, make time soon to go and experience this special store.
3) Regardless of how you answered A and B, tell some friends about Rabelais. (You could, for instance, forward this blog.)

I could go on about titles on the shelves and the art on the walls, how much fun it is talking to the owners, Samatha and Don. But I won't. Instead I leave you with a link to the NPR story mentioned above, by Kenneth Turan. It's about the closing of an independent bookstore called "Other Times." This story is what made me think of telling you about Rabelais in the first place. I offer you this link because stores like Rabelais are too few and too special for us to ignore.

NPR : Independent Movies Take Back Seat to Sequels
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14075161&ft=1&f=1008

Include Rabelais in your "Buy Local" mindset and get there soon.

Cheers, Jim

(Here's where to find Rabelais on the web -- rabelaisbooks.com)