Boothbay Harbor, Maine, Restaurant Named One of the Best in the Nation for Italian Food

If you had to guess which cuisine is the most popular in America, you may instinctively go directly to Italian food. For several decades in America, that was true. But over the past decade or so, Italian food has been usurped by a different cuisine, Chinese. According to Quality Assurance, while Italian food has slipped to number two, it still remains incredibly popular from coast to coast.

That's why you'll still find tons of Italian restaurants in every state across the country. From small towns to larger cities, Maine is filled with great joints serving up some dynamite Italian food to happy customers. With so many options, how do you narrow it down and choose?

According to Taste of Home, there's only one option when it comes to Italian food in Maine. That would be a restaurant called Ports of Italy, located in Boothbay Harbor. The restaurant is part of a busy stretch of road in the downtown district.

The owners behind Ports of Italy have roots in great Italian cuisine. They worked at restaurants in both Italy and New York City, and decided to bring what they learned to a cozy spot in one of Maine's busiest tourism towns.

Ports of Italy have made a name for themselves thanks to the freshness of everything they serve. Some of their specialities include homemade ravioli and pasta, fresh baked bread, and their signature dish, a whole branzino fish imported from Italy. It's a showstopper.

Ports of Italy in Boothbay Harbor is a seasonal restaurant. Their season runs from mid-April until the end of December. Reservations are recommended, as the restaurant can fill up quickly.