Dr. Seuss characters cavort on the wall outside of Starlight Cafe (15 Lambard St., Bath, 207/443-3005, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Mon.–Sat., $5–8), a casual basement eatery that captures the funky side of Bath. Locals congregate every morning for giant pancakes and fresh omelets, then come back for daily lunch specials.

From the outside, Scarlet Begonias (212 Maine St., Brunswick, 207/721-0403, www.scarletbegoniasmaine.com, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Thu.; 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Fri.; noon–9 p.m. Sat., $8–15) looks and sounds like a flower shop, with vines and flowers crowding the window. In reality, it’s a quaint country bistro full of mismatched furniture and the smell of garlic in the air. The menu includes gourmet sandwiches and pasta specials like the “Scarlet Harlot” (linguine with puttanesca sauce). It’s BYOB, so make sure to tote a bottle of vino if you want some with dinner.

A landmark restaurant for more than half-a-century, Cook’s Lobster House (Rte. 24, Bailey Island, 207/833-2818, www.cookslobster.com, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. daily year-round, $7–33) serves up the best and freshest lobsters in the area, along with fried seafood and classic gut-busters like baked stuffed lobster and seafood Newburg. It is located on the tip of Bailey Island, south of Brunswick, and offers amazing water views, especially at sunset.

For special occasions, Robinhood Free Meetinghouse (210 Robinhood Rd., Georgetown, 207/371-2188, www.robinhood-meetinghouse.com, 5:30–8 p.m. Tue.–Sun. late May–mid-Oct.; 5:30–8 p.m. Thu.–Sat. mid-Oct.–late May, $24–28) is a destination restaurant in a converted former church, with pews mixing among the tables in a dining room upstairs. Superstar chef Michael Gagne puts together a creative menu that goes beyond regional seafood with specialties like “two-textured duck”—confit and duck breast served with honey berry butter and caramelized apples.