Twelve

Twelve is everything you’d want from an upscale, special occasion New England restaurant. Set on the Portland waterfront, this spot does a prix-fixe and a la carte menu with dishes on both that re-envision the classics—you’ll see stuff like locally-foraged Maine mushroom porridge, Ritz cracker halibut, and a lobster roll on a hand-laminated croissant. All the food is well-executed, especially any desserts or pastries, while the service feels attentive without being intrusive—which means your water glass will never be empty and they won’t be pretentious when describing the local kamut flour they use to make their croissant dough.