Shelby Stevens and Chris Long, executive chefs at Natalie’s restaurant at the Camden Harbour Inn married last month in Portland, and now their romance has made it to the New York Times Vows section.
“We’re like fresh, warm bread, and soft, sweet butter,” Long told the paper of their relationship in the piece that ran last Sunday. “We’re really good on our own, but when you add them together, it’s like: ‘Oh my God. That’s amazing.’”
The ingredients of their romance, which simmered over a hot stove for years, is laid out step by step in the piece titled “A Chef-Tested Recipe for Marital Success.” The pair met in 2009 at a top restaurant in San Francisco. She was a 23-year-old line cook when Long came in for the interview. He was soon hired and the plot thickened like a fine roux.
“While the duo were cleaning mushrooms at the restaurant, Mr. Long asked if she wanted to go to see Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, one of his favorite places,” Alix Strauss wrote.
“Their relationship moved quickly. They spent all their time together, trying new restaurants and cooking meals for each other. At work, they flirted secretly,” according to the Times. “Anytime we saw each other downstairs alone, or walking down the line, we would kiss,” Long said.
A few years later they drove cross-country to Maine and eventually got gigs at Natalie’s. Long made a an impact fast. He was named Maine’s Lobster Chef of the Year in 2013, and the pair have been attracting diners to the swank setting on the sea in droves.
More details and images of the couple’s nuptials at The Danforth Inn in Portland are on the Healthy Serving of Love slide show.
