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Ports of Italy
(207) 633-1011
47 Commercial Street, Boothbay Harbor
Hospitality-Eager service
Open for dinner 5-9:30 Monday through Saturday April through mid-October, closed Sunday
Entrées $20 to $28
Reservations suggested
An adept hand in the kitchen makes great classy Italian food, with everything by the season.
One of the best meals of my life was a risotto alla pescatore, eaten alfresco at a Roman restaurant. So when I saw the same dish offered in a place in the middle of Boothbay Harbor, I had to try it. It evoked all that memorable pleasure, its Arborio rice cooked to a creamy, chewy consistency, expertly combined with tender scallops, shrimp, and squid. Salty, with bits of tomato and a spike of rosemary, the big dish more than satisfied my hunger for both the recollected meal and the new one.
Christa and David Rossi (David is from Milan) opened this bright place in 2004 and managed to collect customers quickly, filling its bright yellow, second-floor room. Reservations are a good idea, especially on weekends.
Astici della Maine, Maine shrimp, could have been ordered in three ways on the day of our visit, with cherry tomatoes, celery, and red onions in a citrus vinaigrette; with julienned carrots and fennel with lemon dressing; or with baby arugula, potatoes, and pomegranates in citronette. A good simple dish of penne with a bright, flavorful tomato sauce and mozzarella made another good meal, but next time we want to try the gnocchi, or the spaghetti alla vongole, with cherrystone clams, garlic, and wine. And we'll be sure to place another order for the great sabayon, made with egg yolks and Marsala and served with toasted slivered almonds over seasonal fruit.
One foodie in Boothbay is having her 60 birthday party there, and calls this restaurant wonderful.