Five Islands Lobster
On the wharf at Five Islands, Five Islands Lobster is home to the Jenny Special Sandwich. Fresh grilled haddock is topped with a homemade crab cake, lettuce and your choice of sauce (the cilantro mayonnaise is recommended). In addition to being home to excellent fresh local seafood, Five Islands Harbor is considered the prettiest in Maine, right where the Sheepscot Bay opens to the Gulf of Maine. The water here is deep and cold, resulting in more flavorful lobster. You can either take your meal to go, or relax and eat at the picnic tables on site. Five Islands Lobster is open seasonally during the warmer months.

Bao Bao Dumpling House
James Beard Award nominee Cara Stadler, who takes inspiration from growing up making dumplings, helms this casual dumpling house in Portland’s West End. Bao Bao Dumpling House’s menu changes frequently, but the Kung Pao Chicken Dumplings are a mainstay. Lightly fried until crisp on the outside and stuffed with house-tender flavorful Kung Pau Chicken on the inside, the dumplings are one of the most raved about things on the menu, which is full of creative takes on dumplings. Bao Bao Dumpling House is one of the only dumpling houses in Maine, and certainly worth a visit.

Barnacle Billy's
This seaside restaurant has a sundeck overlooking the water where you can feast on fresh seafood. Locals often arrive at Barnacle Billy’s by boat to enjoy lunch on warm summer days. Order the steamed clams, which are always nice and clean, never gritty and always perfect. They come with melted butter and lemon and it’s the best way to enjoy this local delicacy. Please note that Barnacle Billy’s is open seasonally during the summer months.

Cervecera Catalana Ind
Around the corner from the luxury shops on Passeig de Gracia, Cerveceria Catalana is a well-oiled machine turning out perfectly executed tapas to an endless crowd of walk-ins. Reservations are not accepted, and folks wait patiently for a seat at one of two sprawling bars, the dining room and the outdoor terrace. There is an impressive assortment of beers and a well priced selection of Cava. But the showstoppers are the bars groaning with a vast array of enticing tapas and montaditos. Fans dig into patatas bravas (fried potato cubes topped with a duo of sauces); ham croquettes; battered fillets of Spain's celebrated white anchovy; sweet piquillo peppers stuffed with salt cod brandade; and a variety of immaculate seafood cooked on the flat top with a kiss of garlic and parsley. Don’t miss the head-on red shrimp, oceanic clams and tender baby octopus.

Merriland Farm Café
You will find Merriland Farm off the beaten path, next to a golf course in Wells. The family run café is known for their outstanding breakfasts featuring local fruit. While everything on the menu at Merriland Farm Café menu will impress, it is the Baked Blueberry French Toast that is truly exceptional. Fresh bread is soaked in a maple custard, stuffed with cream cheese and blueberries, baked, and then served with warm blueberry comport and whipped cream. It’s decadent enough to be a dessert, and it is the ultimate way to enjoy fresh Maine blueberries. Merriland Farm Café is open most of the year, closing down from January through March.

The Clam Shack
If you only eat one lobster roll while you are in Maine, make it The Clam Shack’s award-winning lobster roll from this tiny shack situated on the edge of the bridge connecting Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. The Clam Shack’s traditional lobster roll is a marriage of fresh local lobster, clarified butter and mayonnaise on a bun. It’s such a simple food, yet so difficult to perfect, which is why locals and tourists flock to The Clam Shack to satisfy their cravings. There are a few reasons why The Clam Shack is the best. The lobster is purchased locally daily and cooked in salt water. Kept in large chunks, the lobster is drizzled with butter and sandwiched between a buttery toasted hamburger bun spread with mayonnaise. The Clam Shack is open seasonally in the warmer months.

Downeast Ice Cream
Nothing is more satisfying than an ice cream cone on a sunny summer day, and Downeast Ice Cream offers locally inspired flavors in giant waffle cones. Located right in the center of the action on Boothbay Harbor, Downeast Ice Cream is a convenient place to take a break from sightseeing. The most famous flavor is the blueberry ice cream made with fresh Maine blueberries. There are two things to know before you order. The portions are big and they are a cash-only operation.

OTTO
Otto Pizza serves up creative pies from a handful of locations in Portland, but the Congress Street shop with Enzo, a neighboring wine bar (where you can dine on Otto pizza) is the original. The menu does not change often, since it is painted on the wall, so you can always count on getting the Mashed Potato, Bacon and Scallion Pizza. It’s topped with a generous amount of cheese and tastes like a loaded baked potato. You can stop in for a slice to go, or order a whole pie and stay to eat. If you want pizza in Maine, Otto is the best there is.

Duckfat
This cozy and casual restaurant on Portland’s trendy Middle Street is famous for its Belgian fries crisped in duck fat. When it comes to the fries, you have several decisions to make. You can choose from garlic mayo, lemon herb mayo, truffle ketchup, horseradish mayo and Thai chili mayo. You can really go for it and order the poutine with local cheese curd, duck gravy and chives. You can even add a sunny-side up egg on top. The fries are addictively good and there is no wrong way to eat them. All of the options prove to be delicious.

Crave
Chef Landon Ganstrom is a genius when it comes to taking classic favorites and making them better than you ever thought possible. Case in point: the macaroni and cheese. Crave's version has been called “The Most Life-Changing Macaroni and Cheese in America” by Esquire magazine and has won Critic’s Choice “Best Mac and Cheese” and the Charleston Mac Off six times in a row. Available as an appetizer ($10), Chef Ganstrom combines cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella and cavatappi in a way that is unique and familiar at the same time. The sleek and upscale-casual atmosphere of Crave is perfect for a date night dinner, business lunch or brunch with friends on the dog-friendly patio. Stop by at happy hour and take advantage of the bar menu, which features exclusive items like crispy risotto tots ($7), a double Crave burger ($11) or build your own fries ($3). Anything on the menu is sure to please and is perfect for diners with dietary restrictions, as many of the menu items can be made gluten-free or paleo-friendly.