Cheryl Lewis in as GM at C Salt Gourmet in Cape Elizabeth

As summer hiring kicks into high gear, there are few eateries in Maine that aren't looking for extra help. C Salt Gourmet Market — which opened in October last year and recently received a glowing lunch review in the Press Herald's Eat and Run column based on the consumption of a single sandwich — is no exception. The young cafe has already landed a big fish in its search, though: chef Cheryl Lewis has joined as general manager.

As the Facebook announcement notes, Lewis has long been an admired fixture of southern Maine's dining scene, most recently at El Rayo Taqueria. In the comments of an Eater piece on women in restaurants a few years ago, she expressed amazement at the treatment female chefs and owners continue to receive:

It's important to be talking about the women in the business. After all these years it still amazes me that people view women stove side as unusual. In the mid '80's I remember the Boston Globe featuring a story "above the fold" about women chefs (and there were only a few of us then) in Boston restos. I didn't realize that I was one of just a few. I remember when my dishwasher said I should be home having babies to my face! Then there was the time when my partner and I were opening our restaurant Cafe Always, and our SCORE counselor actually said, "This won't work. You ladies should stay home and start families". Yup, really! I'm so glad to see this long list of talented women in the kitchen and I'll be delighted when someday this won't have to be pointed out nationally.

If you haven't checked out C Salt yet, the addition of Lewis to the team is as good an excuse as any.