Ports of Italy, Boothbay Harbor in Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Ports of Italy sits right on the harbor in Boothbay, serving straightforward Italian food made in-house. You'll find tourists and locals rotating through the big porch and dining room, especially in season. The kitchen focuses on pasta, seafood, and meat cooked the way you'd find it in Italy, not a Americanized version. Come hungry and plan to spend a little, but the portions and quality won't disappoint.

• Homemade pasta that stands up to years of eating out.
• Fresh seafood cooked simply, lobster in vodka sauce especially.
• Staff who describe specials like they mean it.
• Reliable, unhurried service that makes the food taste better.

Start with the caprese salad if it's on the menu. The veal ravioli stuffed with mortadella and pork, topped with cream truffle sauce, keeps people coming back. Lobster in vodka sauce is worth the splurge. The gnocchi lands on tables that get quiet for a few bites. Clams are tender and worth ordering however they're prepared. Even the Caesar salad shows care.

Spacious with big windows and a porch. Quiet enough to hear conversation and taste your food.

The kitchen makes its own pasta daily. Clams are tender, veal arrives cooked just past rare, and the wine list has serious bottles tucked in among the easier pours. It's not a loud room, which means you can actually taste what you're eating and hear your date.

Visitors describe meals that stick with them for years. One recent diner called the gnocchi the best she'd had anywhere. Guests return to Boothbay Harbor partly just to eat here again. The quality and portion sizes justify the price, according to repeat customers.