On Mondays, Black Trumpet’s kitchen is usually quiet. It’s the lone day off for the staff behind one of Portsmouth’s most celebrated bistros.

But by 10:30 a.m. today, the lights are on, the ovens are cranked, and a volunteer sous chef is seasoning an aioli dressing.

It’s all part of the prep for Free Lunch Monday, a new initiative aimed at supporting furloughed government workers, people on food assistance, and, really, anyone who is in need.

“Our government has failed us,” says Evan Mallett, Black Trumpet’s head chef. “It's deeper than just the shutdown, you know.”

As the shutdown stretched on week after week, more restaurants on the Seacoast began offering discounted meals or other specials for the thousands of impacted workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Mallett, wanting t

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