Thistle Inn Restaurant in Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Thistle Inn occupies a restored sea captain's former home in Boothbay Harbor, and the dining room feels like it. The kitchen works with local seafood and seasonal ingredients, turning out polished plates that draw both hotel guests and travelers making the drive. The wine list is thoughtful, and the whole place has the kind of old-money refinement that makes you want to linger over dessert.

• Blueberry pie that guests call the best they've ever tasted
• Steak tips with demi-glaze and fried shallots, impeccably executed
• Salmon cooked to your exact preference and incredibly tender
• Thoughtful wine list and elegant but approachable atmosphere

Start with the mushroom tart appetizer or crab cakes. The steak tips come with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a fried shallot garnish that one guest called outstanding. Pan-seared scallops arrive atop potato gnocchi with spinach and bacon. If you order salmon, ask them how they'd like to cook it. Finish with the blueberry pie a la mode.

Romantic and quiet, housed in the restored historic building with library touches. Low lighting and attentive service mean you won't feel rushed or overheard.

Regulars and one-time visitors alike describe the place as a memorable meal. The seasonal salad cycles in fall greens, pears, pistachios, cranberries, and feta. Crab cakes, lobster preparations, and calamari show up as appetizers. It's the kind of restaurant where everything arrives carefully plated and cooked to spec.

Guests consistently praise both the food and the care taken in its preparation. The steak tips, salmon, and scallops arrive cooked precisely to order. One recent visitor said the salmon 'melted in my mouth.' The blueberry pie generates the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for life-changing moments.