A former gas station turned laundromat turned coffee shop/bakery, Tandem has served excellent roasts and standout biscuits since 2014. Led by Briana Holt, the food program is anchored by tender, sky-high biscuits, which you can get turned into breakfast sandwiches. Rotating stuffed biscuits might include a savory offering with cream cheese and pepper jelly or a sweet full of butter with housemade strawberry jam. What to get: Stuffed biscuit, breakfast sandwich, malt iced coffee

A trip to Maine wouldn’t be complete without a lobster roll, and Bite Into Maine’s are the best. While you can order versions with flavored mayos (curry and wasabi are on offer), classic Maine-style is the way to go. Upgrade to the six-ounce size, which gets you additional sweet, tender lobster meat, bound in mayo, sprinkled with chives, and tucked into a buttery, toasted bun. Visit the Cape Elizabeth food truck to picnic with a view of Portland Head Light. What to get: Maine-style lobster roll

This fun, casual spot is an outpost of Massachusetts’ Island Creek Oysters and it’s a fantastic place to get freshly shucked, briny, all-Maine oysters for $1.95 a pop. They’re accompanied by piquant mignonette, cocktail sauce, horseradish, and lemon wedges. Order some oysters, then round things out with daily rotating tinned fish and snack offerings like seaweed ranch dip. Pair it all with a glass of prosecco or frozen lemonade. What to get: Oysters, frozen lemonade

This favorite bakery uses local, whole grains for their breads and baked goods, and their morning menu attracts a line. Place your order online to pick up pastries like flaky pain au chocolat, walnut-loaded morning buns, and blueberry oatmeal scones. The standout petite galette, filled with rotating jams like apricot or raspberry, straddles the line between breakfast and dessert. What to get: Petite galette, pain au chocolat

Elizabeth Spinillo’s lovely pizza spot brings together her experiences cooking in Italy with Maine ingredients. Order a spritz and a pie — pizza offerings rotate and might include the Salsiccia e Broccolini, with garlic confit, housemade fennel sausage, broccolini ripasata, mozzarella, and pepperoncini oil. Make sure to get a side of bagna cauda, a garlic-anchovy dipping sauce, since the chewy pizza crusts are the ideal vehicle to soak up the funky sauce. What to get: Pizza, bagna cauda, spritz

Colin Wyatt, the former executive sous chef at Eleven Madison Park, helms the kitchen at this standout fine dining restaurant. Order plates like the bluefin tuna, fresh out of the ocean; the lobster roll, which is half a buttery lobster tucked into a croissant; and the New York strip, with black garlic mashed potatoes. The comfortable dining room and approachable service make the experience special. What to get: Bluefin tuna, lobster roll, New York strip

Portland’s go-to spot for fried chicken, Crispy Gai comes from a team of top chefs and restaurateurs, including Jordan Rubin, who owns Mr. Tuna and Bar Futo, and chef/ co-owner Cyle Reynolds. Choose your chicken — we love the crispy red curry wings — then add plates like cabbage salad with chile and peanuts and Maine crab fried rice. What to get: Red curry wings, fried rice, cocktails

An anchor of Portland’s dining scene, this fan-favorite seafood restaurant packs in crowds for lunch and dinner. The food, from freshly shucked oysters to the signature warm brown butter lobster roll in a pillowy steam bun, is great, but you’ll almost certainly encounter a wait during the summer. Head over early and put your name on the list, then grab a cocktail at a nearby bar, like Portland Hunt + Alpine Club or Tomaso’s Canteen. What to get: Oysters, brown butter lobster roll