We're planning a whale watching trip from Bar Harbor. Any suggestions about which company to use? Also would love recommendations for restaurants in Boston, Bar Harbor, and Burlington, VT. We love everything from seafood to italian and from picnic tables to fine cuisine.

Re: Burlington restaraunts. For a nice, upscale meal, try the restaraunts at the Inn at Essex in Essex, VT. Libby's Blue Line Diner in Colchester is a great diner. Al's French Fry's is a great "greasy spoon" burger place-located on Williston Road (Rt 2) in South Burlington. In downtown Burlington, try NECI Commons (run by the New England Culinary Institute), 5 Spice, Leunig's, or for great, casual italian, Bove's. All are located on or near Church Street.
In Boston be sure to visit the North End for dinner. This is Boston's version of "Little Italy". I can't recommend one restaraunt over the other because all the one's I've been to are great. For desert be sure to go to Mike's or Modern for some pastry. There are plenty of seafood restaraunts to choose from: Legal's (very good but overpriced IMO), Turner Fisheries, Atlantic Fish Co., No Name, Kingfish Hall, and Jasper White's Summer Shack (in Cambridge).
Have a great trip!

Boston - If you are not too fussy about atmosphere, a fun place to eat is No Name's right on the pier. The food is great and reasonably priced, outside doesn't look like much - you begin to wonder if you are inte right place, but the dining area is fine - not classy, but clean. I sent my daughterand her boyfriend here - their reation was so funny - they wondered what kind of place I recommended - but when their food came....no question.

Thanks for the suggestions...can't wait to try them.

For good Italian food just take a walk down Hanover St in the North End and let your nose lead you. So many good choices you will have to force yourself to stop choosing and start eating.

Message: Please include city/state/region name in message title, EVEN if you are picking a state from the "keyword list"

Author: helpful ([email protected])
Date: 6/28/2001, 2:46 pm ET

Message: I've noticed a lot of ambiguous message titles lately, and many people responding in frustration along the lines of "Why don't you say what state/city you're talking about?!?!

Posters AND readers may not realize/remember that when you post a message you are given the option of both a message and a 'keyword'.
For example, someone might use "best hotel" as a message and choose "arizona" from the keyword list, not realizing that the keyword does NOT show up in the message title or text, and is only useful for searching among all the posts.

I really enjoy this forum, but I don't want to 'waste' my time reading posts on topics I thought were about something else, nor do I think posters deserve rude (ok, frustrated)
responses to their posts because they are unaware of how the system works.

If you kind Fodorites agree with me, why not bump this message up periodically so others can take note of it.
Thank you !

Re Bar Harbor restaurants, we just got back from there. Only spent one very pleasant night there, but we did eat at a very good Italian restaurant. Sorry don't even remember the name, but it was the only Italian restaurant (at least that we could see, other than pizza joints) on Main Street. It was just a few blocks east of the main intersection downtown. Also, we had drinks at the Bar Harbor Inn right on the water close to downtown. What a pleasant spot to sit outside with a cool drink. If I went back to Bar Harbor I would maybe splurge and stay there. The Italian restaurant should not be too hard to spot. Maybe another poster will come up with the name.