Rabelais

So bummed!
Stopped by last Saturday (⁹⁄₅) wanting to check out the store based on all the Unilocal reviews and first had some trouble figuring out where the store was (it’s in a big industrial looking warehouse building that’s been converted into residential and retail space) and then found that it was closed! So strange because there weren’t any website or phone messages clarifying the hours were different, and they even had a sign out in the hallway saying they were open. Maybe just bad timing?

i have been in leading cookbook stores from California, New York to London. They don’t hold a candle to Rabelais in terms of both selection and knowledge. And if they don’t have it, they will find it.

I first heard about Rabelais a few years ago and it was here on Unilocal.Rabelais was frequently the highest rated business in the area and I thought it was a pretty amazing feat for a bookstore that was open just one day a week and sold books on just one subject. The store is actually in the building next to my studio and I finally got a chance to check it out and see what all the fuss was about today.
Oh god. Now I understand and I’m a convert. Rabelais might just have every book ever written on food, cooking, drinking, or any combination of the above. Looking for a book about apples that some guy has eaten? Want to check out the fungus section? African cooking? Whiskey distilling? Nothing to it.
Did you want a new or used book? In English or another language? Maybe a rare book from the display case or a framed copy of an old menu from a restaurant in Paris? It’s insane how far a simple theme can go.
And that’s why Rabelais is a five star business. This is obviously not a big corporate endeavor. This is what happens when someone loves a particular thing, takes it as far as it can go, and has enough customers that it turns from a dream into a viable business.
The location is amazing too, and not just because I can walk there in about a minute. This location is within walking distance of the Saco, ME train station on the line from Boston to Portland. If you want to make a day trip out of it, come on up. And then maybe grab a bowl of Phở or some sushi while you’re in downtown Biddeford. Do you have a friend who’s into vinyl LPs? Bring them along, there’s a store for that too just down the street.
I have to go back because my head exploded from the sensory overload on my first visit and I’ll be better prepared next time. Now you’ll have to excuse me, I’m going to go cook something.

This shop is no longer located in downtown Portland; see their new address above.
Rabelais, welcome to your new home, see you soon!

A bookstore dedicated to books about food, cooking, and wine & spirits?
Yes.
Amazing selection and a great collection of older, used books.
Also, Duck Fat is just down the street.

I thought the staff here was going to be stuffy, but they were in fact friendly and helpful. It really makes me wish I had more money to spend on cookbooks and books on food history. Someday I will have a food library that will be the envy of the world and Rabelais will supply it. Until then I will buy $ 5 dollar stocking stuffers and weep as I leave.

I can’t even begin to explain the amazingness of Rabeliais.
If you have an interest in cooking, cookbooks, extremely knowledgeable & enthusiastic independent shop owners, and cute dogs you need to go here.
The cookbook selection can not be beat, including lots of hard to find and out of print books. I had a great conversation with one of the owners about how amazon is screwing independent shops by selling modernist cuisine ($ 600 book series) at such a low price they can’t even offer it. She was also extremely helpful in suggesting some fun books from the 50’s for a wedding gift. The icing on the cake is Raleigh, the scruffy little dog you get to hang out while you browse the books.
Can’t wait to come back!

Some girls have a shoe habit, I have a cookbook habit. I absolutely love this store and it’s a necessary stop in Portland. I tend to become overwhelmed and can’t pick a book to buy but my guy helps bring my feet to earth, pick one, and support a local business in the process. Love, love, love Rabelais.

Rabelais is the best place in Portland to buy books about food. The extensive inventory easily supplies a well stocked cook book collector with multiple new additions at each visit. Old and new books abound. Don and Samantha are very knowledgeable and wonderful to talk to. This place is magical.

This place always makes me feel so happy. the owners and their dog might have something to do with it, or the really well-​done book displays (always changing). I always get turned on to something new and wonderful, whether it’s a british encyclo-​series about canning or a big glossy from phaidon.

A store JUST selling books on FOOD? Count me in!
~
If you’re a food coin-​asseur, like myself, then check out this place. Cookbooks and books on food just overwhelm the place. It’s great. Not like you don’t own enough cookbooks — so what’s one more? Or 2 or 10…

One is left to wonder why I have to take a train 2+ hours to find such a delight as Rabelais. It’s the cookbook mecca. Where else can you sit and consume food porn, listen in on foodie conversations, and not feel rushed to make a decision about what to purchase?
As there are only two chairs (watch the rickety one), I sprawled out on the floor. The selection of current and collector cookbooks is amazing. I wished there were more Southern titles, but I found enough others to keep me interested.
No dog was there (as has been mentioned in previous reviews), though, but the woman working in the shop was friendly and gave us some great dinner suggestions.
It’s a bit of a hike if you’re in the Old Port, but worth it if you’re a foodie. Restraint is key – cookbooks are expensive, but you can also make some good choices from their used selection as well.

Pretty much everything cherie c says. The selection is eclectic and fun. The owners are knowledgeable and provide advice without being pushy. I approve of all businesses with dogs, and this dog is particularly endearing. Walk a block and have fries at Duckfat once you’re done browsing, but take your time since there’s so much good stuff to see.

I love old cookbooks. I love new cookbooks. I love food writing, stories about travels and food, culture and food… you get the point. I read cookbooks for fun.
Rabelais is now my favorite cookbook store anywhere. Near the entrance (where an adorable dog greeted us, giant-​bone-​in-​mouth, then retired to nap on a blanket), there is a clipping of an article about the best places in the US for cookbooks. Turns out I’ve been to nearly half of them, and this is by far my favorite. It’s spacious yet comfortable, and the owner is friendly and knowledgeable. The selection is excellent: rare and vintage books on food/​wine/​cocktails, classic food tomes, and the latest hot titles in foodie culture.
In the time we were there, a few customers came and went. One, from a nearby restaurant, quickly snapped up six books and returned to his restaurant. I caught a few snippets of chatter as I browsed. The owner was able to talk at length about so many food topics (local restaurateurs, mushrooms, cook books, cocktail culture, wine), we were impressed.
Walked out with two books; restraint made us put the others back. But we’ll make sure to stop by whenever we’re in town.