Wandby Landing is a place i've always heard wonderful things about and I'm so glad I finally got to…read moretry it. I love that it's a bit out of the way of the downtown area so you can park and relax in a beautiful setting. We started with cocktails and drank them outside while admiring the beautiful property, i highly recommend getting there before your reservation so you can enjoy a drink on a nice day outside! I got the Tideline cocktail and substituted the tequila for mezcal after the bartender suggested it and wow! A great drink and i was impressed how fast the service was. Once we sat down inside we ordered a lovely Gamay for the table, you really can't go wrong with any of the wines on the menu they have a great selection. We ordered quite a few dishes to share between the three of us and the server brought them out in a 3 course style per her suggestion. We started with the citrus and fennel salad and grilled raddichio and these were both so fresh and delicious, we had to leftover vegetables this were exceptional. Then came the asparagus pizza, pork and beef meatballs, and the focaccia as our second course. We almost skipped the focaccia- that would have been a huge mistake. That is a must order, the texture was biscuit like and the seasonal flavored butter was divine. The pizza was really blowing us away with the white sauce and the chili crisp combination. The dough is so light and crispy as well it was wonderful. The meatballs were huge! and came with delicious grilled sourdough. The pasta and lamb shank came out next and at this point we couldn't see how it could get any better but then it did! The lamb shank is huge and cooked so beautifully. The pastas were definitely the standout bites of the course. The carbonara noodles are thick and cooked perfectly and the sauce is so rich a creamy. The Tortelli pasta was my favorite, the pockets stuffed with a gooey filling and the fava beans added a great texture to the dish. We were in carb heaven. We somehow were able to fit dessert in and i'm so glad we did not skip it. We ordered espresso martinis to accompany and this is without a doubt the best espresso martini i have ever had. We substituted tequila and they were completely delicious. I don't remember exactly what the names of the desserts were that we got but one was a a chocolate mousse with a peanut butter sauce and crunchy peanuts which was so yummy. But the favorite of the table was the pistachio one. It was like an ice cream bar with crunchy pistachios on it. Get this one if you go! This was an unforgettable meal from service to food. The staff is incredible and really treat you wonderfully and the food is so good i really didn't expect it to blow me away as much as it did. This is a place i'm going to have to come back to again and again.

Beautiful restaurant with lovely gardens and flowers outside. Very friendly and attentive service…read more And best of all amazing food and drinks. Everything we ordered was excellent: garden salad (fresh and delicious), fried green tomatoes (great flavor), and meatballs (very tasty). We ordered an assortment of entrées between the six of us, including the margherita pizza (delicious), lamb, Ragu pasta, which was amazing, the rigatoni, the lobster ravioli, and the steak. We split the pistachio semifreddo for dessert, which was wonderful too. All the cocktails and wine we ordered were excellent as well. Absolutely recommend and look forward to returning!

It's rare that I return to a restaurant that I really enjoyed and pick exactly the same dish I had…read morebefore; I usually want to explore the rest of the menu. Chitarrucci neri ai frutti di mare (black ink chitarra pasta with seafood), however, was something I really wanted to have again. I was hoping that it would be as great as I remembered ... it was. We started with Cozze alla sambuca. I would not have thought of putting fennel or sambuca with mussels, but it was a good combination. The other players (shallot and herbs) were well balanced too. The Insalata de Cesare was fresh and well dressed, with a generous portion of shaved parmesan. The Chitarrucci was the star, with pasta cooked just right and plenty of mussels, shrimp, scallops, calamari, and clams. If I have to be picky, the calamari may have been slightly over cooked, but I'd order this dish over and over again. (I didn't taste it, but the gentleman at the next table had a beautiful plate of ossobuco, with the osso standing up in the middle of the risotto with a sprig of herb 'planted' in the marrow. He said it was great) If you're anywhere near Boothbay, make a reservation and try Ports of Italy.

We dined at Ports of Italy one night while in Boothbay Harbor. For an Italian restaurant, it was…read moregood but not great. We shared a Caesar salad, which was fine, but it was nothing memorable either. We each got our own entrees, which we hadn't been doing because it's usually too much food, and since we were on a road trip, there wasn't much point to requesting doggy bags like we normally would because we wouldn't be able to eat the leftovers. Unfortunately, neither of us finished our meals... they were both tasty, but we ended up leaving food on our plates. I hate wasting food like that. I think we'll return to our one-entree-and-share-it protocol for the remainder of our trip. That seems to be working for us. My chicken dish, Pollo con Funghi, which came with tomatoes, olives and mushrooms in a white wine butter sauce seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano, was tasty, but it was too large a portion for me to finish. There was also some squash, and we had ordered a side of spinach, too. I was very sad to not have taken the remaining food for leftovers. Would've been great. My husband ordered the Ravioli di Astice, which was lobster and ricotta filled ravioli in a prosecco and aurora sauce. Not sure what aurora sauce is, but when I tasted it, the sauce was delicious. My issue with his dish was that the ravioli was severely undercooked, and it was way too chewy... definitely not al dente. They simply didn't cook it long enough, which was a shame because the flavors were excellent. Big miss for an Italian restaurant. I suppose I'd give this place another try if we're ever fortunate enough to return to Boothbay. We definitely would have to agree on one entree between the two of us, though, so we don't waste food.

Every year my family and I are in Ogunquit for a week over the July 4th holiday. Every year we…read morevisit Angelina's multiple times. It is just as good now as it has always been. This year on one of the occasions we went, we happened to try to get in after 9pm, the staff was clearly in close up mode so we felt bad, but David and the bartender insisted we come in for our nightcap. We had our drinks and left, also as usual the drinks were very good. We returned the next day for dinner, we started with the provolone slab appetizer, then I had the lobster risotto, which was loaded with lobster and really tasty. My wife had scallops, and we both enjoyed an amazing martini. David, our server, and the rest of the staff were all amazing as usual!!

Overall a nice dining experience…read more First, this is an old school Italian family restaurant, and so expect the dining to be loud, very very loud, with lots of families and children dining and moving about the dining room. While that's fine, I just wasn't expecting it. It is very difficult to hold a conversation with others at your table. Although we had a reservation, we were given a buzzer and our table was ready just a few moments past our reservation time. We were promptly greeted by a service person who poured our water, but it was a good 15 minutes or so before our server came to the table. She apologized and it was obvious the restaurant was in full service, even at 6PM on a Tuesday evening. You must have a reservation. The restaurant does provide a complimentary bread service, which is becoming more or a rarity these days. The arancini appetizer was quite delicious and was enjoyed by everybody at the table. The stuffed mushrooms were also delicious. I ordered the bolognese pasta dish and was quite surprised to be served a true al dente pasta. Our waitress told us the pasta dishes were great and everything made in house. While the pasta was good, the bolognese sauce wasn't really to my personal taste. Again, this sauce is made so many different ways. Nothing wrong with it, just not one of my favorite here unfortunately, with the sauce being a bit acidic. All in all, the entrees were enjoyed by the others at our table. If you are looking for a solid family style Italian dinner in Ogunquit, then this will hit the spot. No worries about bringing children or babies, all seemed welcome. If you are looking for a quiet or more intimate dinner, this may not be the best choice.

The food was good. I loved the meatballs, calamari with its delicate breading and tenderness of the…read morecalamari. Hats off to the chef. The service was 5 Star as Lyric was our waitress. She was professional, kind and friendly. She made us feel very welcomed. We hope to get her again on our next visit. I loved the bruschetta and the homemade noodles were perfectly made. I loved the ambiance as well as the Italian songs in the background. It's a nice place to have at least a few appetizers. We loved their bread which comes with your meal. The prices are a bit high but the quality is there. The portions are hearty enough for most people to take home some leftovers. The chef is solid and so was the waitress. We will come again.

I ordered a pizza for delivery. The delivery was fine but when I opened the pizza box my pizza was…read morecompletely burnt! I called the restaurant asked to speak to the manger, I told her the pizza should have never left the restaurant and I wanted a refund. She said I would have to get my refund from DoorDash. She never apologized for the pizza but offered me a gift card. I drove to the restaurant to bring back my burnt pizza and to get a new one. When I arrived I dropped the box on the counter and expressed my frustration that I had paid for celery but had to come all the way back to the restaurant. When I asked her for my gift card she said " I was gonna give you one, but when you came in with that kind of attitude, I'm not going to"

My wife and I tried out Traditions this afternoon and were delighted to find a local restaurant…read morewith a great vibe and food to match! Cindy our server was extremely knowledgeable and attentive, she made sure we were taken care of and even gave us recommendations for the rest of our trip in Maine. 10/10 I would definitely recommend

Another outstanding meal at Traditions! The pasta with sausage and peppers is a classic that never…read moregrows old. Yesterday one of the specials was Salmon Lemone. A bright and delicious sauce with fresh lemon slices and capers and perfectly cooked salmon - so good. We also had one of our favorites , the steamed mussels in garlic sauce but this time our server, Cindy, asked if we would like it a little spicy. An outstanding idea! Just the right heat.

We went here for our fifth anniversary. Unbeknownst to us, it is restaurant week in Portsmouth…read moreand a 3 course menu was offered for $52. We each ordered so.ething different each course and shared each dish. Everything we ate was delicious. My husband thought the Bolognese Rigatoni was so-so but I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere upstairs was intimate but a bit noisy. The service from everyone was impeccable.

Ristorante Massimo is hands-down one of the best dining experiences I've had anywhere and they have…read morethe best Italian food I've had outside of New York. From the moment you walk into the historic, brick-walled dining room, you feel like you've been transported to a cozy grotto in Italy. The atmosphere is intimate and upscale, but still incredibly welcoming. Now, for the food: The Carbonara was absolutely authentic--perfectly creamy with just the right bite from the guanciale and sharp Pecorino. It's hard to find a carbonara this well-balanced outside of Rome. I also had the Filet, which was cooked to a flawless medium and was incredibly tender. You can tell they use top-tier cuts of meat. I finished the night with the Peach Sorbet, and it was the perfect refreshing end to the meal. It tasted like biting into a ripe, fresh peach--light, vibrant, and not overly sweet. The service was impeccable throughout the night. If you're looking for a spot for a special occasion or just want a truly world-class Italian meal, this is it. I'll definitely be back!"

Don't usually have a late night craving but I decided we needed a quick pie…read more Cartelli's made us a late night snack! Over all it was very good. The sauce was a little sweeter than I like but the crust was crispy and had a nice char. Gave the slight burned taste I love but not overpowering. The jalapeños were a little too chewy for some reason but overall this was a really great pizza! We've been inside before and the ambiance is okay but I prefer taking their pizzas home!

Wow!!! Hubby and I…read morestopped here since we received a gift card and had been meaning to go. He made a reservation in advance We were seated promptly and greeted by a lovely server who took our orders. I had pizza and hubby got a pasta dish with meatballs. The pizza sauce was perfect! Not too sweet and the crust was perfection! The meatballs were obviously made with love and care Highly recommend and we will be back

This was the perfect restaurant to start our Portland trip off with. We were seated at a lovely…read moretable in the corner. We had a reservation. The ambiance is very moody and sexy. Perfect for a date night! Our server, Hannah, was great. She suggested an excellent bottle of wine that complimented all of our dishes. Customer service was a solid 10/5! This is a place to definitely add to your Portland dining list! To start, all of the dishes were wonderful portions and could easily be shared between two people. Which I absolutely love because I enjoy trying as many things as I possibly can! Arancini: This was a great starter. Absolutely delicious. I have yet to meet an arancini that I don't love. 5/5. Caesar Salad: A perfect dish that is light and necessary before getting into a heavy entree. The salad was crisp, delicious, very fresh, and a must order. 5/5. Scallop Risotto: This was a large position that had scallops in every bite! It wasn't too heavy, was not too salty, and you could taste the freshness in the ingredients. Dessert is not pictured, but it is worth ordering! The entire dessert menu was excellent!

I don't typically write a lot of reviews but when I do, it is about an experience that was either…read morereally impressive or hugely disappointing. So here goes... My daughter had been wanting to go to Via Vecchia for a while but couldn't afford it on a college student's income. So we went during my visit. My hopes were high as we walked in--a beautiful glass enclosure at the entrance that was draped with ceiling to floor ivy; an intimate but lively atmosphere; and an offering of creative cocktails...my enthusiasm quickly vanished when our appetizers arrived. We ordered the focaccia, grilled octopus, and Caesar salad. The focaccia was soggy and flavorless. Even the olive oil that accompanied the bread was flavorless. The grilled octopus was another disappointment--there were more cloves of garlic than pieces of octopus. And what little octopus was there, a third of it was charred to black. Thankfully, the Caesar salad was fresh and fairly tasty. Ironically the focaccia croutons were the highlight of the salad. Then the entrees arrived--chicken Marsala and a spicy shrimp pasta in cream sauce (can't remember the name of the dish). My daughter liked the second dish enjoying the slight kick of whatever pepper/spice was used in the recipe. For me, it was just okay. The biggest disappointment however was the chicken Marsala--the gnocchi was overcooked, the entire dish itself was too salty, and the chicken--overcooked in some parts and fairly tender in others--tasted like it came out of a can. Quite honestly, I don't know what all the hype is about. This restaurant is mediocre at best. Perhaps the cocktails numb everyone's tastebuds to the overly salty but otherwise bland dishes. It was not worth the money and I would never go again. If this is the best that Portland has to offer by way of fine Italian dining, I'd say it's time Portland redefined the meaning of "fine".

The absolute best restaurant penne alla vodka is amazing the ambiance is a good vibe and the server…read moreare very personable I've been going for a few years and the quality is very consistent. The food overall is well balanced with flavors.

I stopped in solo on a Saturday evening, fresh off a family dinner while they enjoyed a show, with…read moreone singular mission: to try the Spicy Sicilian cocktail. As someone who considers a well-constructed savory cocktail one of life's finer pursuits, I was genuinely excited. The hostess was lovely, warm even, but informed me that without a dinner reservation, the bar wouldn't be available until 9 pm. I was not welcome to simply sit and have a drink. I asked -- politely, I'd like to think -- whether an exception might be made. I was only in town for the weekend and promised that I could be in and out in twenty minutes but the answer was an unambiguous 'no'. There's something particularly unwelcoming about turning away a solo guest who has sought you out specifically for something only your restaurant offers. I came because Carmine does something nobody else does, at least nowhere I've found. And I was unceremoniously turned away with nothing to show for it. I understand the math. A Saturday evening at a restaurant like this lives and dies by full dinner covers, and a solo drinker nursing a cocktail for twenty minutes does not move the needle. But hospitality, real hospitality, has never been purely a numbers exercise. The irony is that I adore this restaurant. The food is spectacular, full stop. Had I possessed a second stomach, I would have happily demolished the Tonno Royale Spaghettini without a moment's hesitation. Carmine has earned genuine loyalty from me as a diner. But a Spicy Sicilian remains, for now, on my list of unfinished business -- and that is a small, specific disappointment I wasn't expecting to leave with.