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Restaurant
Augusta
Wine bar and cocktail lounge in Augusta with charcuterie boards and Maine spirits in a fireplace-warmed room.
Donut shop
Wells
Housemade donuts and breakfast sandwiches in a Wells institution with a drive-through line that moves fast.
Seafood restaurant
Bar Harbor
Fisherman-owned lobster shack in Bar Harbor with fat rolls, fire pits, and cold beer.
Sandwich shop
Cape Elizabeth
Fresh Maine lobster rolls from a food truck at Cape Elizabeth's lighthouse park.
Fine Dining Restaurant
Portland
Upscale Portland spot with prix fixe menus, craft cocktails, and service that doesn't feel stuffy.
American
Scarborough
Craft burgers and pizzas with creative twists at a lively Old Orchard Beach spot.
Gastropub
York
York gastropub with 20+ beers and a small-plates menu built on local farms.
Pizza Restaurant
Wood-fired pizzas and farm-to-table mains on a working farm outside Bar Harbor.
Japanese restaurant
Japanese small plates and sake in a converted police station. Tableside-torched salmon and killer oysters.
Hamburger restaurant
Bethel
Burgers, sandwiches, and Gifford's ice cream in a year-round Bethel standby with old-school charm.
American restaurant
Lobster rolls and jerk chicken from a takeout shack behind a Bar Harbor gas station.
Asian Restaurant
Southeast Asian spot in Bethel with spicy noodles, pork bowls, and creative cocktails.
Spanish paella spot in Portland where the crispy rice bottom isn't a mistake, it's the whole point.
Stellar coffee and breakfast sandwiches at this Bar Harbor counter spot with picnic tables.
Bakery
Kennebunk
Kennebunk bakery where the croissants are worth the line. Flaky French pastries, strong coffee, rustic patio.
Crispy Detroit-style pizza and gluten-free crusts that actually work, run by staff who remember your name.
Ellsworth
Jamaican spot in Ellsworth with jerk chicken, goat curry, and fish fritters that draw crowds.
Homemade pasta and seasonal Italian cooking in Portland, with a chef's counter view of the kitchen.
Pizza restaurant
Baxter State Park
Brick oven pizza and farm-fresh buffet near Baxter State Park, seasonal operation.
Cafe
Old Orchard Beach
Old Orchard Beach cafe with serious coffee, fresh pastries, and sandwiches that surprise.
French restaurant
Locally sourced French dinner spot in Kennebunk with pristine gnocchi and frites that justify the drive.
Latin American restaurant
Authentic Colombian fare in Cape Elizabeth. Bold Latin flavors, fresh juices, crispy arrepas.
Old Orchard Beach fish shack where the batter crackles and the fish stays impossibly moist inside.
British restaurant
British pub with Irish flair in Portland's West End. Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, killer happy hour.
