1. Hurricane Restaurant
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (207) 967-9111
Address: Dock Sq.
Description: A Maine original, the Hurricane in Ogunquit may have closed, but its sibling in Dock Square is going great guns and remains as good as ever, turning out plate after plate of superbly crafted surf and turf. Try one of the small entrees—the crispy crab cakes ($15), the skewered chicken satay ($9), or the baked Vermont brie ($18). Or step up to a larger plate like the fettucine Alfredo ($16), the yellowfin tuna burger ($12), or the pièce de résistance—baked stuffed Maine lobster with scallops, shrimp, and crabmeat stuffing ($45). The place is always busy, but you’ll be glad you put up with the hassles. Be sure to make a reservation.
2. Alisson’S Restaurant
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (207) 967-4841
Address: 11 Dock Sq.
Description: Arlo Guthrie should write a song about this Dock Square stalwart. (Its name was actually inspired by his classic “Alice’s Restaurant.”) The place has been an anchor in the square for more than three decades, and everybody loves it. The atmosphere is very comfortable and casual—with the ball game going on the TV over the bar—but it’s the food that brings people back. The chowder has been voted southern Maine’s best, the fried clams have their own partisans, and the menu is fairly long with seafood, steak, chicken, and sandwich options (try the prime rib sandwich). Especially good for lunch. Open daily, year-round, for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., with the hours cut back a bit in the off-season.
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Restaurants
Address: Ocean Ave.
4. Grissini Italian Bistro
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (207) 967-2211
Address: 27 Western Ave.
Description: “Quintessential Tuscan cooking with a New England accent” is how this fantastic bistro describes its fare, and that about sums it up. Featuring some of the talents who have made the White Barn Inn world famous, the kitchen here turns out absolutely delicious northern Italian cuisine using fresh local fish and just the right spices. Try the wood-grilled pork with chunky apple sauce, the pan-seared cod, or the polenta lasagna. Guaranteed you won’t forget Grissini if you eat here. It has a nice downstairs bar, big fireplace, and patio. Just great. Open nightly for dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. On Saturday they open at 5 p.m.
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Restaurants
Address: 46 Western Ave.
6. Stripers
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (207) 967-5333
Address: 127 Ocean Ave.
Description: The executive chef here is Jonathan Cartright, better known as the man behind arguably the best dining room in Maine, the White Barn Inn, so you can expect quality at this eatery tucked into the Breakwater Inn. Simple, flavorful, seafood is the specialty. Oysters are hallmark, so you’ll want those, but you might also try the lobster-and-little-neck stew or even the beef duo. The windows look out on the very seas this stuff came from, a feature that the White Barn never had, and the accolades are unending for the fishy fare.
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Restaurants
Address: 37 Beach Ave.