Big Change in Kennebunk as Bush Favorite Bartley's to Become Ports of Italy

Bartley's Dockside Restaurant in Kennebunk will be turned into a second Ports of Italy location, MaineBiz reported this week. The switcheroo could displace some powerful regulars: the Bush family, who have dined at Bartley's for years when visiting their nearby compound. Bartley's even has a "Wall of Fame" covered with autographed photos of the family and other dignitaries who've visited.

Can new owner Sante Calandri, who runs the original Ports of Italy in Boothbay Harbor, and business partner German Lucarelli convince former presidents George H.W. and George W. to pledge allegiance to "A 'Real'...Italian Restaurant" with "honest expertise" instead? Or will the new spot, expected to reopen in April or May after extensive renovations, get a very stately cold shoulder? If the Bushes are Yelpers, at least Ports of Italy has four stars in its favor, while Bartley's, with a similar number of reviews, only has two stars.

To be fair, Calandri's first language isn't English, which helps excuse the questionable use of quotation marks on the sign in Boothbay Harbor. [Photo: Ports of Italy/Facebook]