We commence our trip at Mabel’s Lobster Claw, a mainstay on Ocean Avenue since I was a kid. Growing up, it looked like a fisherman’s shack. These days, it’s sleeker, with nods to modern dishes like lobster risotto and crab melts. But the classics — namely, a lobster Savannah packed with scallops, shrimp, provolone cheese, red peppers, mushrooms, and buttery Newburg sauce — remain. The service is a little salty, and so is the air. Lines are long. Reserve in advance or aim for a 5:30 p.m. arrival.

A new cafe in downtown Kennebunk opened by Nate Norris and Annie Callan, alums of San Francisco’s famed Zuni Café: plum muffins, a fluffy biscuit with fresh strawberry jam, and a wedge of rich, eggy quiche laced with mushrooms and red peppers — earthy, warm, silky. Bev’s also serves dine-in breakfast and lunch delicacies like boiled eggs and salsa verde on rye triangles; focaccia smeared with tomato jam and stacks of shimmering mortadella.

We pre-ordered sandwiches from Bennett’s, a 1982 Kennebunk original that now has slicker outposts from Boston to Burlington. Find a spot in the gravelly parking lot, let the screen door slam behind you, and queue up for massive sandwiches: cheesesteaks, lobster subs as long as a presidential motorcade, and even gloriously craggy hashbrowns. A trip to the soda case is essential, too.

If you’re looking for a sophisticated yet accessible spot to dine with family members of different taste persuasions, Wandby Landing is a salvation. In years past, this place was called On the Marsh, an antique-looking house set among proper gardens that seemed very civilized and adult. Now it’s a loud (but not too loud) two-story monument to creative pasta and pizza upstairs, with a boisterous bar scene below.

After a long day at the Splashtown USA water park, where lunch was cheese fries and hot dogs, we needed a relaxing repast: no reservations, just seafood served fast. So we line up at The Clam Shack, the iconic shanty on the Kennebunk River. Order your overstuffed lobster roll (served on a burger bun) with either butter or mayo; you’ll be issued a button declaring your preference, and I flaunt my mayo allegiance with pride.

There’s plenty of ice cream in downtown Kennebunkport, but we drive a couple miles out of town for the old-fashioned, ice-cream-stand vibes at Goose Rocks Dairy. This place has everything: old-school grape nut and maple walnut; classic peppermint stick and black raspberry; and next-level creations like chocolate stuffed with colossal mounds of peanut butter cups (no wan vanilla-scented peanut butter lite here); cherry amaretto; and salted caramel with chocolate pretzel chunks.

Last but not least, we pay a requisite visit to Mike’s All Day Breakfast. This is the classic diner out of Angela Lansbury’s dreams, where locals linger over black coffee and tourists crowd the patio taking selfies. Servers don’t seem to mind, either way: They’ll obligingly refill your cup, offer little bottles of real maple syrup, and compliment your selections (croissant French toast with raspberry-blueberry compote is a wise choice). All the breakfast standards are here, with a few twists.