[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14289-14290]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           RECOGNIZING HUGO'S

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, the city of Portland, ME, is quickly 
becoming one of America's most recognized locations for five-star 
dining experiences. Recognized as the 2009 ``Foodiest Small Town in 
America'' by Bon Appetit, it has been reported that visitors and 
residents alike spend more money in Portland restaurants per capita 
than in any other U.S. city, with the exception of San Francisco and 
New York. The demand for delicious, well-prepared food has drawn a 
plethora of culinary artists to the city, inspired by both the 
challenge of cooking for an avid audience and incorporating the bounty 
of Maine's natural resources into their recipes. Using native 
ingredients such as corn, blueberries, fiddleheads, and off-the-dock 
seafood, Portland restaurants have transformed even casual dining into 
something brilliant. As such, today I wish to recognize Hugo's, one of 
the many restaurants that has been an integral part of this lively 
city's culinary renaissance.
  Hugo's is among the restaurants that stay true to the Portland 
tradition of local and organic food. As a member of the Maine Organic 
Farmers and Gardeners Association, Hugo's is active in increasing local 
food production and simultaneously supporting other Maine small 
businesses. Working with these organic ingredients, Hugo's puts a 
modern twist on American cuisine with various international influences. 
They produce imaginative dishes that make the restaurant not only a 
favorite to the locals, but also to out-of-town ``foodies'' looking for 
an elegant meal as well.
  Chef Rob Evans, the driving force behind Hugo's turned his restaurant 
job into a career after he landed positions at the famed Inn at Little 
Washington in Virginia and French Laundry in California, studying under 
some of the best chefs in the world. In 2000, Chef Evans took over the 
former Hugo's Portland Bistro with his wife, Nancy Pugh. Soon Hugo's 
became distinguished as one of the top restaurants in Maine, as well as 
throughout New England.
  Indeed, Chef Evans's culinary creativity has not gone unnoticed by 
both his peers and others in the industry. In 2004 Food & Wine Magazine 
recognized him with the ``Best New Chef Award.'' Hugo's has also been 
given the Four-Diamond title by the American Automobile Association, or 
AAA, for the past 5 years. Most notably, Chef Evans was named the 
recipient last year of the James Beard Award, arguably one

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of the most coveted honors in the culinary world, as the best chef in 
the Northeast.
  Since receiving the award, traffic at Hugo's has significantly 
increased, with more locals intrigued by what Chef Evans can do with 
the resources that make Maine the unique place that it is. But even 
with an uptick in new patrons, Chef Evans insists that Hugo's will stay 
the same and not forget its humble origins.
  Additionally, Chef Evans and his wife Nancy are also the proud owners 
of Duckfat, another popular restaurant situated just down the street 
from Hugo's serving European fries and sandwiches. Duckfat, whose name 
derives from the manner in which they cook their fries, is yet another 
example of Evans' and Pugh's efforts to promote all that Maine's 
restaurant industry has to offer.
  Hugo's is an excellent representative of a trend in Maine's dining 
culture that showcases a wide variety of exciting, creative chefs and 
restaurants eager to put Maine on the map when it comes to food. The 
initiatives of Rob Evans and Nancy Pugh have helped foster a 
revitalization of Portland's restaurant scene, and I commend them for 
their outstanding work. I thank everyone at both Hugo's and Duckfat, 
and wish them much success in their future endeavors.

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