City: Portland, ME

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (207) 871-9258

Address: 15 Exchange St.

Description: Since 1989 Walter’s has been showing the world what can be done with pasta and seafood, and the restaurant, right smack in the heart of the Old Port, has developed a loyal following in the process. (Apparently Springsteen is a fan.) Very pleasant, with its windows onto the street, exposed brick, tin ceilings, and cozy tables, the cafe melds a wide variety of culinary cultures on its menu—from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. Dinner might start with the crackling calamari, a Walter’s specialty, and move on to shrimp and lobster skillet pie, another longtime favorite here. Or it might include the pan-seared salmon with pineapple crab salsa or angel lobster, which mixes the Maine ingredient with scallions, mushrooms, and a marsala cream and tops it off with Parmesan. Dress may be casual but the fare isn’t. Reservations are a good idea, as the place is popular.