OT: Best Restaurants/Food or places to go in CT

[cohenzone]

well, to be honest, it wasn't a handjob, it was a footjob - my date was sitting across from me in the booth and got her foot between my legs.

Edit: and for full disclosure, it wasn't a footjob to completion, but definitely headed far down that road.[/quote

Who was he?

 

[cohenzone]

I've heard of that place, the views are supposed to be amazing.

A relative lives close to there with even better views. Can see the vineyard below his place. But the views really are great.

I think it's still there, the best burgers ever at Harry's Place in Colchester. But not a full restaurant. Haven't been there in many years.

 

[ctchamps]

I believe Avon Dakotas has been closed for a while.

That's a shame. I went there when it first opened. Salad bar was incredible.

 

[Deepster]

Here's another little gem.

El Sarape on Broad St in Hartford. Just up a block from Firebox. It's the definition of a "hole in the wall" with the best Mexican food you're going to get around here. AMAZING and authentic. They don't even have a website, but some spots have their menu online.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Best place to have breakfast, not just in Connecticut but maybe in the whole northeast, is Nita's in Willimantic.

Anyone ever eaten there? I bet not, otherwise it'd already be in this thread...

 

[methodology]

To add to New Haven:

Cafe Goodfellas
Ibiza - might be the best restaurant in ct
Archie Moore's - great bar food wings

East Haven:

Tollis Pizza along with John and Maria's are 2 good pizza spots
Branford:

Assagio: i really enjoy this restaurant great place to take a date

Hartford:

Piolin - not the best location but great authentic peruvian food.

 

[junglehusky]

I've been interested to try Mikro. I need to get there soon.

Have you tried the Watch Factory Restaurant in Cheshire? I thought it was very good German/Austrian but I'm no connoisseur.

I haven't heard of it... I don't actually drive through Cheshire much. Might have to try it.

 

[junglehusky]

I haven't been to Plan B yet but I've been many times with my coworkers to Prime 16 (apparently they have good veggie burgers too). I love the Cowboy burger with a fried egg. I heard the owner opened a new place that specializes in meatballs (?), on Chapel across from the new Rudy's (which is now somewhat upscale and has quite good food too).

 

[bear]

If you want Tapas:
Barcelona in New Haven - My favorite of the 3 Barcelona locations that I've been to.
Ibiza in Hamden - Small place but delicious

If you want Italian:
Quattro Pazzi in Stamford - Phenomenal
Roma's in Waterbury/Oakville - My favorite in CT. Literally rivals Arthur Ave. for me
Carbone's in Hartford - Excellent but I've had a few less-than-stellar meals here. Most people call it the best in CT

If you want Sushi:
Singo Sushi in Waterbury - The prices are high and the place is really small/ looking, but the sushi is unbelievable
Feng in Hartford - Best I've had in the Hartford area

I also love the Max restaurants, with Max's Downtown and Trumbull Kitchen being my two favorites.

 

[rman726]

I went to McDonalds in my town tonight, it was pretty great. I think there are a few locations in Connecticut. I recommend the #1 meal.

In all seriousness, I love the burgers at Bobby's Burger Palace at Mohegan Sun. They don't have a great selection unfortunately, but mmm crunchified burgers. Plan B is also excellent for burgers.

 

[mauconnfan]

Had the Beef Stew recently at Plan B at the Basketball HOF and it's a winner with one (or 2) of their micro's.......

 

[8893]

I haven't been to Plan B yet but I've been many times with my coworkers to Prime 16 (apparently they have good veggie burgers too). I love the Cowboy burger with a fried egg. I heard the owner opened a new place that specializes in meatballs (?), on Chapel across from the new Rudy's (which is now somewhat upscale and has quite good food too).

His new place is called the Meatball House. It's a good food concept, with four different meatballs (beef, pork, chicken, veggie) plus one daily special, and you can order them a variety of ways, i.e., over some great sides (people rave about the black garlic mashed potatoes and the mac and cheese, but my favorite sides are the kale and quinoa), on a roll, with one of four different sauces, or over a salad (also a favorite, especially the arugula). They also have a few different small pizzas. Like Prime, he has a decent beer selection at the new place, as well as some decent wines. BTW, he also owns C.O. Jones.

Rudy's is another that deserves mention. It's not the Rudy's we grew up with, but the new place is nice, and the Belgian frites and dipping sauces are still the best in the state imo.

 

[8893]

Waterbury has gotten very little love in this thread. I'll have to try Roma's. Diorio was my favorite there for years, but I recently visited La Tavola for the first time and was pretty impressed.

 

[Waquoit]

Archie Moore's - great bar food wings

FWIW, I went to Archie Moore's in Milford last month for the 1st time. I had heard about the wings and was a bit turned off by the look of the menu, too many rules and very corporate looking IMO.

But the wings deserved every bit of the hype. They were what I think of when I'm thinking great buffalo wings. Crispy, tasty, perfectly sauced. They put the Bidwell to shame. The burger at Moore's was pretty damn good as well.

 

[junglehusky]

Waterbury has gotten very little love in this thread. I'll have to try Roma's. Diorio was my favorite there for years, but I recently visited La Tavola for the first time and was pretty impressed.

Ever been to Bella Italia? In the 80's-90's my family used to stop by there whenever we were driving back from Pennsylvania on 84. Since I was a kid, I think I only ever had the pizza. We stopped going when they changed chefs and my parents thought it became average.

 

[8893]

FWIW, I went to Archie Moore's in Milford last month for the 1st time. I had heard about the wings and was a bit turned off by the look of the menu, too many rules and very corporate looking IMO.

But the wings deserved every bit of the hype. They were what I think of when I'm thinking great buffalo wings. Crispy, tasty, perfectly sauced. They put the Bidwell to shame. The burger at Moore's was pretty damn good as well.

Yes, one thing I will give Archie's is that their wings have remained consistently excellent and a textbook example of great buffalo wings for decades. The New Haven location is still my favorite, but I have been impressed that the quality of the wings has also remained consistent at their other locations.

Ever been to Bella Italia? In the 80's-90's my family used to stop by there whenever we were driving back from Pennsylvania on 84. Since I was a kid, I think I only ever had the pizza. We stopped going when they changed chefs and my parents thought it became average.

No. I only started frequenting Waterbury in the past decade or so, usually for work or for concerts at the Palace.

 

[iam76]

I'm sorry, firebox sounds like someone you take to a restaurant like that.

yah no doubt.
Restaurant is in an old hollowed out and redone fire house.

 

[Excalibur]

One I haven't seen mentioned is Zinc. I know some people don't like it, but their main gripe is with the vibe, not the food (or, when asked what they didn't like about the food, they bitch about the vibe). Been a few times and it's been consistently good.

 

[Excalibur]

Best place to have breakfast, not just in Connecticut but maybe in the whole northeast, is Nita's in Willimantic.

Anyone ever eaten there? I bet not, otherwise it'd already be in this thread...

Prime time in Pawcatuck would be my choice, if only for the stuffed French Toast. If you're looking at the whole northeast, Johnny's Luncheonette in Newton Mass. is my favorite.

 

[junglehusky]

One I haven't seen mentioned is Zinc. I know some people don't like it, but their main gripe is with the vibe, not the food (or, when asked what they didn't like about the food, they bitch about the vibe). Been a few times and it's been consistently good.

I thought the food at Zinc was okay, not quite as good as I was expecting. Though the prices weren't exorbitant I think it's one of those things where pricing it a few bucks more causes me to raise my expectations disproportionately. I've actually been to Kitchen Zinc more times, which is a good place for a group if you want to sit outside with drinks and snack on some artisinal pizza.

Oh and I just realized I had a brain fart - Bella Italia was in Danbury, not Waterbury.

And near Storrs... nobody rebuilt the Mansfield Depot, right? I remember their portobella mushrooms with carmelized onions and gorgonzola. Too bad.

 

[Waquoit]

We went to Zinc last fall and liked it very much. We would go back.

 

[sanchez42885]

I agree with J Gilberts, Plan B, Eli Cannon's etc...

However 'Hash House A Go Go' recently opened at Mohegan Sun next to Bobby Flays Burger Palace and its fantastic. I first had it on a trip to Vegas and was thrilled to find out they were opening one locally. Youtube 'Man vs Food Hash House' and you'll see why. Great breakfast/brunch but dinner ain't bad either. Massive Portions

 

[methodology]

Was not impressed at all by Hash House a Go Go... I went the first day it was open as I was in Mohegan and saw it was new. Got the chicken pot pie and it was HUGE as with every other plate I saw people getting. Ate about half of it and was mightly unimpressed took the rest home and my brother tried it and said it wasnt that great either.

Might have just been the one dish I got. Maybe you can verify but is their whole thing that the meat/poultry they use are free range grass/grain fed?

I really only eat at MJs when I am at Mohegan. Have to get the blu cheese fondu garlic bread no matter what. And their steaks are amazing even if they are 60-70 a steak. I only use points so it doesn't bother me.

I also prefer johnny rockets to Bobby flays burger place for a burger. And Bar Americana I have been to about 5 times and everytime I leave I think to myself that really wanst all that great which is why I always end up back at MJs.

Tuscany has a great breakfast but that is the only meal I have eaten there.

 

[methodology]

Surprised no one has mentioned Altnaveigh up by Storrs. That is by far the best restaurant by storrs. Yes it is a little pricey but great food and good place to take a date.

 

[Waquoit]

Surprised no one has mentioned Altnaveigh up by Storrs. That is by far the best restaurant by storrs. Yes it is a little pricey but great food and good place to take a date.

Is it still? I've been meaning to stop by since 1979.