The Pearl's Summer Star On Why She Came To Maine

Food TV veteran Michele Ragussis - currently competing on Bobby Flay's team on Food Network Star - is bringing her bold style to the Maine coast this summer as chef at The Pearl in Rockland. In a video, Ragussis tells the Bangor Daily News that she took the job at the behest of the restaurant's owner, Jimmy Fanning, who she at one time worked for in Florida. In 2010, Fanning resurrected the defunct restaurant at the end of a pier in Rockland Harbor. Formerly The Black Pearl, it had been destroyed by fire in 2004 and never fully rebuilt until he moved to Rockland and decided to take on the substantial project. Reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp last summer were mixed - perhaps why Fanning brought in a high-profile chef this season.

· Food Network's Michelle Ragussis Brings Energy To The Pearl [BDN]
· All Coverage of Michele Ragussis [~EMAINE~]

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