Vignola Cinque Terre

Vignola Cinque Terre on Dana Street in Portland, Maine, brings a serious Italian kitchen to the Old Port neighborhood, focusing on hand-rolled pasta and wood-fired preparations that reflect the culinary traditions of Liguria and the broader Italian peninsula. The restaurant sits in a historic building steps from Fore Street and offers an Italian-focused alternative in a dining neighborhood more widely known for New American and seafood concepts. Pasta is made daily in-house: tagliatelle cut to the proper width for a ragù, wide pappardelle suited to braised meat sauces, and seasonal formats that reflect the week's inspiration. A tagliatelle with slow-braised rabbit ragù — finished with aromatics and gremolata — has become the kitchen's most requested pasta and appears in various seasonal iterations throughout the year. Branzino arrives as a whole fish or fillet, roasted or grilled with olive oil and lemon, maintaining the simplicity that the Mediterranean fish demands. Burrata with roasted peppers and a young extra-virgin olive oil is the most ordered antipasto, combining imported Italian excellence with seasonal American produce. The dining room has a warm, informal elegance — exposed brick, candlelight, and an active open kitchen — that suits both a weeknight dinner and a more celebratory occasion. The Italian-leaning wine list draws from Sicily, the Veneto, and Piedmont. Reservations are recommended Monday through Saturday.