Before leaving for our trip to Connecticut I did entirely too much research on places to eat while there. I’m that person that is planning dinner while eating lunch. Yeah… So it’s no real surprise that I quickly compiled a list of 20 or so restaurants we could eat at when we had only planned on eating out one meal a day…. Haha.
Of course, I’m kind of picky about what I eat. And not in the way you might think. It’s not that I don’t like this or that. I like pretty much anything (unfortunately). It’s if I’m gonna eat this or that, I have to know how was it raised? Prepared? Conventional? Organic? And honestly? Do they source locally? Are they supporters of a local community? The list grows longer and longer everyday.
I, however silently, knew I gave my sister a tall order by playing host to us. That being said I do, as some might say, “live a little”. So our usual requirements became less requirement and more preference. I had fun hunting down some of these places, and I think my sister did too. Some of them even fell right into our lap. There were so many good options out in Connecticut, it was honestly hard to pick!
So with out further a do, I give you: the places we ate.
My sister is the one that scoped this place out. She and her husband ate here the weekend before we were to visit and she told me right away that I would love it. Knowing my picky food preferences, I truly appreciated that she was taking them into account when recommending restaurants to check out. Providing what they claim to be a “farm -to-tray” experience, they are the only chain restaurant (besides Chipotle) that I know of taking an active interest in serving high quality food.
Although I never saw the word “organic” any where on the menu (which would have left me liking it better still) they do serve all natural angus beef burger free of antibiotics and hormones — the rest of their menu following suit.
Oh and by the way their onion rings are literally ginormous. And of course delicious. They basically fry half an onion and call it a “ring”. Haha.
What’s vacation with out a little bit of a sugar rush?
The Engine Room
Their menu includes selections for all burger lovers, grass-fed beef, smokey pork or tofu to name a few. They won me over with their use of local ingredients and choice of signature sauces. I was happy to partake in their crispy fried local catch (cod) on toasted brioche with lettuce, confit tomato and dill remoulade. Divine? Why yes, it was.
Lis’ Bake Shop
Okay maybe a lot a bit of a sugar rush.
This quaint pastry and sweet shop located across the street from the Engine Room came highly recommended by a coworker of my sisters. The Devil Dogs and Peanut Butter bars did not disappoint.
A deep dish pizzeria in Connecticut? Why yes. Vito’s is tucked amid a small row of tidy stores on the Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield. They are family owned and operated since the early 70’s. The owner’s daughter was our waitress and was not only exceptionally friendly but did not steer us wrong when she explained that we HAD to have one of their fresh cannolis. Their pizza was not only delicious, but Wyatt approved. (He’s not picky, we just think he’s something special!)
Max Burger was slated as a burger place we had to try from the moment that we arrived in CT. And now I know why. As Nick scanned the menu, almost immediately he stated, “well I know what you’re going to have”. And pointed to “The Grateful Veg”. At first I hesitated, it seemed wrong to get a veggie burger in a restaurant that served beef void of antibiotics, hormones and the like. But, the described housemade quinoa-sunflower seed burger with cheddar cheese, shaved red onion, roaster tomato, baby arugala, green goddess dressing, avacado on a whole wheat roll was really just too much to pass up! And may I say it was spectacular.
A quaint, quirky and homey cafe — this place came recommended by my sis. I went for an unusual concoction (actually deemed a Kooky Konkoction on their menu) of: their famous chicken salad with siracha, spicy corn chips and avacado stuffed into a wrap with shredded lettuce, grape tomatoes, cukes with a squirt of sweet vadalia sauce. Sweet, tangy and full of spunk it was much like the restaurant itself. They call it “Feelin’ Hot Hot Hot”. Haha.
All of these photos can be found on my Instagram @lovelylauralife
How do you go about choosing where to eat when on a trip?