Real People. Real Advice. It’s the Maine Thing.

A tasting menu. A fixed price. A chance to dine out at Maine's many fantastic restaurants at very reasonable prices. We love the opportunity to see what chefs are putting out at different places around the state. In late winter, but not quite early spring, we are still enjoying a lot of leafy greens and root vegetables like parsnips and salsify, comforting braised dishes, and of course, super fresh fish. In March we feel ready to wake up, dust off the dancing shoes, and feel the sun, but it isn't quite time yet. And that makes me cranky and antsy. So it's ideal to have an event week where we get out, dress up and kick up our heels after months of hibernation. It's nice to remember that warmer weather and more social activities are just over the horizon. Restaurant week is a great excuse to hire a babysitter, have a cocktail on a weeknight, see friends and neighbors out on the town, revisit old favorites and try something new. And eat lots of amazing food! It's such a cool time to be a foodie, a pleasure-seeker, an omnivore and a lover of all things gastronomic.

Since we've left the exciting dining scene in Portland, passing through Brunswick/Topsham, where we loved places like The Gelato Fiasco and Trattoria Athena, we are firmly settled and putting our roots down in the Mid-Coast region, and our dining options are perfectly pared down. That is to say, yes, there are fewer options, but they are of the highest quality. We have some truly exquisite restaurants, including Primo (unfortunately for us closed for the season), Suzuki's, which we will be reviewing soon, Fog and In Good Company, all in Rockland where we live. There were exciting things happening at Shepherd's Pie in Rockport Harbor, Fromviandoux behind the Opera House in Camden, Long Grain, which I think about almost daily, and 40 Paper in Camden's Mill Building. There is something thrilling about a prix fixe. Maybe it's just me, but I really like it when chefs have curated a menu, distilling an overwhelming array of choices into, maybe three, from which I can choose. Why can't life be simplified this way? I digress, Maine Restaurant Week is one of the many great local happenings you have to take advantage of whether you live here year-round or are just visiting. My current Maine Thing is thinking spring! Support favorite establishments and get ready for the most beautiful time of year.

All Maine Insiders have volunteered to participate in this program. Their views are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Maine Office of Tourism (MOT). They have not been financially compensated by MOT or any of its contractors or affiliates.