Natalie Ladd has weighed in on the issue in her weekly column in the Portland Daily Sun,
The Portholes of the world (and once again, they are not alone) should be the minority and should be closed down. Unless we pull out the safety and cleaning checklists and actually use them in a structured, consistent fashion, much more than a sketchy economy is going to hurt our pockets.
and the Press Herald includes an editorial on the need for more restaurant inspectors.
A city the size of Portland, especially one that has so many restaurants, should have more than one inspector for this important job. Portland will never maintain its reputation as a “foodie” city if it can’t assure the public that its commercial kitchens follow the law. If restaurant owners think the inspections are a pain, wait until they can’t prove that their businesses comply with safety standards. They will be anxious to get the health department’s attention.