Farmers’ Market
Of course, every town believes theirs is the best around. And in the true spirit of locavorism, they’re right. But some, like Portland’s, Belfast’s, and Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Farmers’ Marketat Crystal Spring Farm, are packed cheek-to-jowl with so many quality vendors, they’re worth driving out of your way for. Others, like those in Skowhegan and Rockland, attract makers and growers with products so ingenious, we can’t help but swing by—after visiting our own town’s, that is.

Farm Dining
Does food get any fresher than when it’s eaten right where it’s grown? Ours is a wonderland of farms serving up extraordinary meals, from Flanagan Farm’s winter dinners (complete with a skating rink, twinkling barn, and beloved local guest chefs) to The Well at Jordan’s Farm ambrosial feasts, served in gazebos all summer. Our winters have been much warmer since making Tops’l Farm raclette fêtes a tradition. For its ticketed dinners, Wolfe’s Neck Center puts its sustainably raised meats in the hands of marquee chefs from spots like Leeward and Chaval. Tickets aren’t required to swing by the cafe at Nezinscot Farm for delectable no-frills, no-pretense breakfasts of organic ingredients raised in its fields.

Maine Classics
A handful of treasures have earned an enduring place in the culinary canon—like Fore Street, still arguably the O.G. of exquisite New England cuisine. After a reno to its interior and menu, Miyake’s innovative sushi bar shines as brightly as ever. The lavish dishes and impeccable service at Natalie’s just seem to be getting more and more splendid. Elda’s ever-changing tasting menu continues to be a splurge-worthy adventure, and Havana looms large in our pantheon for its heady swirl of excellent South and Central American fare, high-octane mojitos, and freewheeling energy.

Dessert
A truly great dessert marries invention with the familiar, and Ilma Lopez at Chaval has mastered the art of combining complex European techniques with surprising elements. (Kelp crème anglaise, anyone?) At Arborvinein Blue Hill, the kitchen does great justice to staples like crème caramel, blending in chocolate and coffee to create symphonic results. The intense sweet-tart flavors of E. Wales Hospitality’s cherry panna cotta at The Norumbega Inn dance across plates—and palates. And Terlingua’s ultra creamy chocolate pudding is taken to new and lusty levels with Mexican cinnamon, while pie whisperer Helen’s Restaurant’s wild blueberry pie is so pure and sweetly balanced, it has us swearing off all other versions. Almost.