I haven't been either to the Haddam area or the NW hills for a bit, but I bet there are many good spots around both... but... while traveling between them you might stop in Hartford for dinner at Bellini's - spectacular Italian food! For good New England inn food, try either Avon Old Farms Inn in Avon (North central) or Cobb's Mill Inn in Weston (down RT 7 from Waramaug, etc. And, if you get to New Haven... pizza at Pepe's or Sally's is a must. Cheers Christina near Hartford and still dreaming of the Foccacia at Bellinis...
Connecticut
Connecticut Restaurants
Someone wrote: : Anyone have recommendations for good restaurants in Connecticut? : Specifically, we're staying in the CT River Valley area (E. Haddam) : and the northwest part of the state (New Preston, near Kent/Lake : Waramaug). We wouldn't mind a bit of a drive for someplace really : good but not right in the towns we're staying in. In the East Haddam area, check out the Griswold Inn in Essex. It's the oldest roadhouse in the US. Among its decorations is its original mud-and-horsehair ceiling in the bar. The cuisine is "American" and very good and they have some local stuff on tap. I've heard that the Black Duck in Essex is favored by the locals but I haven't tried it. If you happen to find yourself in the northeast corner of the state there's also a 4-star rated restaurant in the Brooklyn, CT area, called (I think) "The Golden Lamb". Some very interesting people own it. Lake Waramaug has a couple of great restaurants over by the vineywards. West of there, just across the border in Amenia, NY is the Troutbeck Inn: very highly rated and extremely expensive. For more down-to-earth fare, there's a Mexican place I love in Brookfield, CT called Pancho y Gringo... the best slush maragaritas I've had anywhere (bring a designated driver though... they're hallucinogenic). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Manes [email removed] N'Yawk, N'Yawk =o&>o
Margaret H. wrote: am looking for restaurant recommendations in Connecticut. Margaret: I can recommend three restaurants in the NW part of CT. My daughter has been attending a camp in New Milford for the past six summers. The West Street Grill in Litchfield is superb. It's open for lunch and dinner (you might need a reservation for dinner). It is new American cusine with a great ambiance. The wine list is very good. Freshfields in Cornwall Bridge is also American Regional cusine and a little more casual. They have a patio area that overlooks a stream. It also has an outrageous Sunday brunch. Lastly Doc's in New Preston is a real funky Italian place (casual) and you will need a reservation. Have a great trip. The antique stores in New Preston are amazing!
Steve M. wrote: >Someone wrote: >: Anyone have recommendations for good restaurants in Connecticut? >: Specifically, we're staying in the CT River Valley area (E. Haddam) >: and the northwest part of the state (New Preston, near Kent/Lake >: Waramaug). We wouldn't mind a bit of a drive for someplace really >: good but not right in the towns we're staying in. > >In the East Haddam area, check out the Griswold Inn in Essex. It's the >oldest roadhouse in the US. Among its decorations is its original I am probably among the minority who does not like the Griswold Inn. I've eaten there a couple of times and never been impressed. If you have one night in the area I would recommend you eat at Fine Bouche in the town right next to Ivoryton (Centerville? I forget).. exit 3 and 4 off Route 9. They have a 5 course meal for $36 or so that is excellent. If you have more time, there is the Old Lyme Inn and Bee & Thistle Inn down off I-95 exit 70 or so which are supposed to be good. I forget which is which but one is supposed to be very romantic and have a killer chocolate dessert. I recommended these places to my brother and sister-in-law who were in Mystic for a weekend last summer. They went to Mystic Pizza instead. Need I say more? While you are in town be sure to catch a show at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam. They do Broadway quality revivals of old musicals and it's a really lovely place. -- Bill [email removed]
Lobster at "Abbot's Lobster in the Rough" just east of, and maybe in, Mystic. The best Mexican food around: The Cuckoo's Nest (Madison??). Hamburger's at Louies Lunch in New Haven (worth the drive) and, hamburgers were invented here. Or, so goe the legend. Vicki's in Madison for fired clams, just a side order is enough for one, with a schooner or two of Michelob. Italian food in Hartford's South End: Vitello's for -- what else -- veal. Mangia, you too tin anyway. Happy Trails
-> Anyone have recommendations for good restaurants in Connecticut?
The Blue Colony Diner on I-84, exit 10 east of Danbury has
always been good, and I think it's 24 hours. There is one diner along I-95, I think in Norwalk or Stamford, that has been reccomended in one of the guides, but found the food and service to be of not that good quality; I won't mention the name but it has a lot of silver on the exterior and inside has a lot of photos of tv & movie stars that supposedly frequent the place.
___ ___ ___
| __| | | | _| S Y N E R G Y O N L I N E ## [email removed]
|__ | | | | | |_ ## Rich Dean
|___| |___| |___| C O M M U N I C A T I O N S ## 201.331.1797 (data) [30 lines; 14.4K BPS; 15.0 gigabytes; PCBoard 15.1; New Jersey's Largest BBS]Visit Danbury and Bethel! Only a short ride from the NW hills. Bentley's serves excellent Tuscan / Northern Italian food. The restaurant is small, about 10 tables. Food is always fresh and well prepared, menu changes weekly. Prices for entrees run $9-$15 - a bargain for the quality. Breads and desserts are homemade, too - don't miss the peach/blueberry pie in July and August. The Greenwood Inn in Bethel features continental and british dishes with a California flair. Favorites include their Warm Duck Salad with french fried leeks, orange crab cakes, an appetizer of assorted smoked meats. Features a wide selection of British beers with several on tap, many more in bottles. Entrees are about $12-18. The restaurant is in an old opera house - interesting tin ceiling, woodwork, etc. Cozy. Also in Bethel - Dr. Mikes Ice Cream. Excellent, rich and homemade. Someone else mentioned Cobb's Mill Inn in Weston - agreed - excellent food. Drop me line if you want directions!
I know this is a bit off the line, but I've trekked down to Bethel from NH and I stopped by the Sycamore Drive-In. Are there any other car hops still operating? rjk
Robert N. wrote: >Lobster at "Abbot's Lobster in the Rough" just east of, and maybe in, >Mystic. I worked at Abbott's Lobster in the Rough for seven years. :-) It is in Noank, CT and the phone number there is (203)536-7719. They have outdoor dining on picnic tables overlooking the ocean (actually the end of the Mystic river). There is a small number of seats indoors or under tents outdoors. All of this is one heck of a great way to eat lobster. The best item on the menu is the HOT LOBSTER ROLL. It is lobster meat served hot and buttery on a hamburger roll. If you like cracking shells, there are of course whole lobsters of various sized cooked to order. Steamers, mussels, corn-on-the-cob, salad, desserts, etc. are also available. For those in your party who don't like seafood, there are hot dogs and tuna salad sandwiches. NO CARRY IN FOOD IS ALLOWED (of ANY type), but you CAN take AS MUCH alchoholic beverages as you wish. (I have seen people bring in kegs, beer balls, and 20-30 bottles of wine.) <<big grin>> The times that it is really busy are 12:01PM - 1:30PM Mon. - Sat., Sat. after 4PM (when everyone is hungry after going to the beach), and all day Sun. until 7PM. The restaurant hours are: 12:01PM - 9:00PM 7 days per week until Labor Day (limited hours after Labor Day, until closed for the season on Columbus Day) There is also a live shellfish area where you can get live lobster, steamers, and mussles, etc. to take home and cook. The hours of the "retail deck" are: 9:00AM - 9:00PM 7 days per week (season as described above) Highly recommended eventhough I don't work there anymore. For your kids entertainment, go to the "retail deck" and ask to see a lobster do a handstand. Pretty neat! The address is: 117 Pearl St. Noank, CT 06340 (203)536-7719 or you can always drive your boat to the dock out front. Tell the owners Carl Benker sent you. They are quite nice people.