The Diners Club

Becky's Diner
Every morning at 4 am the lights go on, the coffee starts brewing and the regulars -- fishermen, policemen, lawyers and CEOs --  sidle up to the counter at Becky's Diner to start the day with killer omelets, fresh fruit and tales of land and sea. "It feels like the soul of Portland is here," says Becky Rand, who opened her diner 18 years ago and has turned it into a Portland waterfront institution. "You come in and think you're going to see somebody you know," she says.

Becky, a single mother of six, was waitressing three jobs when she mortgaged her house to buy a dilapidated building a diner  that serves everything from standard fare to lobster dinners. Wholesome, homemade chow draws the crowds as much as the homey environment. "My son runs the kitchen and my parents eat here every day," Becky says. "This place put my kids through college."

As for specialties, this is Maine after all, so you can start the day with a lobster and cheese omelet or stop by at lunch for a mouthwatering lobster roll. Everything is made fresh, including homemade mashed potatoes, roast turkey and a wide selection of seafood for dinner.