It has been a while since I last had more than one meal in the same week in Portsmouth, NH, the small town where I grew up on the coast of the Granite State. I live only an hour away, yet I tend to drive an hour in a different direction to go to Boston when I want to explore the region's restaurant scene. To be honest, when I was younger, the Port City didn't have the reputation as a culinary destination, and I never bothered to see if that had changed.

Last week I found out that it has indeed changed -- for the better. Over the course of three days I explored a number of downtown eateries and came away with a serious appreciation for the city as a proper food destination. You will likely hear more about some of the chefs and restaurants I encountered in these pages in the not-too-distant future.

In the meantime, I can unhesitatingly recommend three restaurants I tried out on my recent adventure. These establishments are all no more than a few years old, but all managed to make a real impression with me on my initial visits.

The Dunaway Restaurant in historic Strawberry Banke recently underwent an ownership change, but the old staff remains. And that's a good thing as Chef Ben Hasty brings big city cuisine to this town of just over 20,000 people. The 23 year-old Hasty's time as an extern at the famed French Laundry in California clearly influences his attention to detail, both in each dish's composition as well as in the meticulous appearance of each plate. The fact that he brings in produce from his family's nearby farm only adds to the allure. You may choose to explore one of the chef's tasting menus or dine a la carte. Either way you will enjoy a fine dining experience in an atmosphere reminiscent of an old New England tavern.

Right around the corner from The Dunaway is Victory 96 State Street. The name's a mouthful, but the food is what you will find most satisfying. Chef Duncan Boyd brings considerable experience, having worked for some of the great chefs of the past several decades, including Jasper White at that chef's fine dining restaurant in Boston called Jasper's. The Maryland native moved on to spend considerable time working in the nation's capital before heading to Portsmouth to be closer to his wife's family. The menu is relatively brief, but the dishes I tried were all well-executed and quite seasonal. There was plenty of asparagus to be had, one of my favorite springtime vegetables, along with a nice spring garlic soup -- something I have seen with increasing frequency on restaurant menus this year. Alas, the menu changed the day after I ate there, so you will have to find your own gems.

Last, but not least, may I suggest the Black Trumpet on Ceres Street. Barely a year old, this establishment seeks to fill the shoes of some pretty lofty former tenants, including the Blue Strawberry and Lindbergh's Crossing. I never had a chance to dine at either predecessor, but their acclaim is widely touted within the local community. Chef Evan Mallett takes a bit more creative approach to his dishes, likely a result of a diverse career that started as a line cook, took him into food writing, and back to cooking. Along the way he and his wife operated a Cajun restaurant and gourmet food store in Mexico when he wasn't working in Portsmouth kitchens. Today, Chef Mallett brings that experience to the diner in the form of an eclectic menu that incorporates Mediterranean, African, and New England influences with French technique. And for a peak inside the Evan's personality, you can check out his blog, a bit of a rarity for a chef.

For a before or after dinner drink, I found the Green Monkey to be an enjoyable pit stop. The bartender I encountered was just as comfortable mixing old-time classic cocktails as spinning up the creative concoctions that most bars become known for today.

I guess this all proves that you can go home again. And in my case, I know this visit makes me want to go home again and again to sample the culinary pleasures of the town where I grew up.