Dolce Amici in Norway, Maine

Dolce Amici is a compact Italian restaurant in downtown Bethel that does gelato, coffee, and a short menu of seasonal dishes with care. You'll find local families, ski weekenders, and browsing tourists at the handful of tables inside and out. The owner moves through the room. It's the kind of place two shop owners will recommend to strangers.

• House-made gelato in martini glasses, not too sweet
• Sunday brunch with crepes, eggs benedict, exceptional coffee
• Fresh pasta, local ham, thoughtful sourcing throughout
• Reasonable prices, owner attentiveness to every detail

Start with gelato if you're in between errands. For brunch, the eggs benedict on charred croissant is worth the short drive from Sunday River. The blueberry and ricotta crepes arrive thin, crispy, and not oversweetened. Meatball sliders topped with fresh mozzarella and red sauce show up with fried potato wedges. The half wedge salad with house-made blue cheese dressing is lighter but still satisfying. The coffee is genuinely the real thing.

Bright and compact inside, with art on the walls. The sidewalk tables face the street and feel European in spirit. Not loud. You can hear conversations.

If you're stopping for gelato and a cappuccino between shops, you can do that. If you're staying for eggs benedict with poached yolks and charred croissant, or meatball sliders stacked with fresh mozzarella, that works too. The half wedge salad comes with a house-made blue cheese dressing that people notice.

Guests call it a gem and plan return trips. One recent visitor described the coffee as 'genuinely some of the best I've ever had,' and a ski area visitor praised the owner's attention to every detail. People come back with friends.