August trip through New England...looking for suggestions.

My girlfriend and I are going to be traveling around New England for a couple of weeks in August. We'll be starting in West Hartford and heading to Portland, ME for 3 or 4 days...possibly stopping in Portsmouth, NH on the way (want to hit the Portsmouth Brewery). We'll then be heading to Montreal for another 3 or 4 days, then head back to CT via VT (will stop for a few nights if there are any strongly recommended locations). We tend to be rather casual, but love to find great food wherever we go (and great beer!). We're extremely familiar with restaurants in CT and the Boston area, but haven't spent much time in northern New England.

Any suggestions (money is not an issue) regarding recommended potential stops along the way would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

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Portsmouth Brewery
56 Market St, Portsmouth, NH 03801