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

[Dove]

Christies is good breakfast. Always a wait on the weekends

I dont think anyone has mentioned Rein's Deli in Vernon. Great Jewish deli and great food.

Love the mac and cheese with the stewed tomatoes.

 

[Waquoit]

Anyone know any good spots in Providence? Heading straight from work to the game Thursday and will have some time to kill.

Ri Ra was pretty good the last time we were in town.

 

[ddminct]

kL was my hangover remedy, but it's gone now!

Not gone. They moved.

http://kitchenlittle.org/

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Responses and feedback

Chipolte as fast casual lunch, yes great
Blackies hot dogs, awesome
Pizza in NH
BBQ @ Wilson's Fairfield, though just ok. Really deprived.
Mexican, depends, I love OTB (chain), salsa is awesome

Probably favorite restaurant in central CT is Max Fish (Glastonbury)

My last meal, if I knew and could choose would be a fried seafood platter w/whole bellies from Lenny & Joe's in Madison. Nothing even compares

My family are big BBQ lovers and we live in ffld. Outside of cheap chain restaurants, that is the worst BBQ I've ever had. We've given it three shots over the years and every time the meat is dry and the sides are bad. Bobby Q's in Westport is the much better option around there and I was just turned on to Smoking with Chris in Southington, which I was very impressed by my first time. Honestly though, I don't know how they got on to the food network and I'm not sure how Wilson's is still open.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I'll give some love to the more informal places. Super Duper Weenie in fairfield is still absolutely great. Also, if you like authentic Mexican, there's a little taco truck called El Charrito off the beaten path in Stamford. Found it one day on Yelp and I've been going back ever since. Big menu, amazing fresh food, and you can get a very filling meal for under 10 bucks. Can't really beat that around Stamford.

 

[uconnell]

Christies is good breakfast. Always a wait on the weekends

.

Love Christies pancakes with 3 mix berries. Yum. There is a crowd on week days also.

 

[coachcap]

Went with the wife to Paesano's in Waterbury for the first time last Friday evening. We got there at 8 P.M. ordered our hors d'oerves & a bottle of wine. After finishing the apps, we ordered our entrees. As the food was being served, a 5 piece jazz ensemble began playing. The food was great & the ambience was perfect. We'll go again.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Bump

 

[Kitaman]

Hidden gem in Bridgeport is O'Manel restaurant. Cooked to order and a great menu.

 

[storrsroars]

I'll throw in 2 cents on coffee. Espresso Neat in Darien & Lorca in Stamford. Really the only two places for an exceptional cup in Ffld Cty. Expensive, highly worth it if you drink black coffee for the taste & not the caffeine. And Lorca has pretty good churros as well. In NH area Willoughby's and Blue State will have some good selections, but one needs to be more judicious.

99% of you will disagree. But I'm saying this for the benefit of the 1% who care.

And as it's a pet peeve of mine - if a menu includes refried beans and "Mexican" rice, it's Tex-Mex, or Cal-Mex, not Mexican. The burritos served at most places are a San Francisco creation (Mission burritos) and have nothing to do with Mexican food. Fajitas were created in the US Southwest. Anyone saying, "I'm from SoCal/Arizona/NM/Texas so I know Mexican food," is the equivalent of someone saying, "I'm from Hoboken/Chicago/NYC, so I know pizza." Anyone raised in CT knows the latter is certainly not true.

That said, if anyone knows a breakfast place that serves chilaquiles or a dinner spot with a good version of redfish Veracruz, please pass it on. I go back home to Stamford a couple times a year and have yet to find a decent Mexican meal outside NYC.

/rant

 

[8893]

Had dinner at Union League again last night. Once again, every single aspect was A+, especially the meal. Still the best restaurant I've been to in the state, and the fact that there's been nary a miss in dozens of meals over a few decades goes a long way with me.

 

[coachcap]

Want a good "greasy spoon"? Try Grace's Restaurant on Route 322 in the Milldale scetion of Southington. (It's in the plaza between Manor Inn & the N.H.R.R. railroad trestle next an ice house.) Nice homemade breakfast muffins served as French Toast. My favorite order is blueberry buckwheat pancakes & homefries with a side of either kielbasa, sausage, Canadian bacon or bacon.
Their homefries are great. They also make a very good potato salad. I order it as a side when I get their chilidogs.
To those who referenced Bonterra & Smokin' with Chris, I find Bonterra kind of bland, although their dinner for two Wednesday night special is a very good value.
Smokin' with Chris's Yabba Dabba Doo beef ribs are awesome.

 

[pepband99]

My family are big BBQ lovers and we live in ffld. Outside of cheap chain restaurants, that is the worst BBQ I've ever had. We've given it three shots over the years and every time the meat is dry and the sides are bad. Bobby Q's in Westport is the much better option around there and I was just turned on to Smoking with Chris in Southington, which I was very impressed by my first time. Honestly though, I don't know how they got on to the food network and I'm not sure how Wilson's is still open.

Wilson's is no salt lick, but it's not awful either. Best sweet potatoes I've ever had in my life, easily. I've taken several southern transplants or visitors there, and the reviews were consistently good.

 

[husky91]

I was there a couple months ago after taking kids to bball HOF, it was great.

I agree in general, Max Reataurants are top notch.

Agreed until this year.......they are always very good. This was not.........Max Springfield is losing its luster from what I understand too..........

 

[Scoe]

Anyone know any good spots in Providence? Heading straight from work to the game Thursday and will have some time to kill.

Fire and Ice

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Wilson's is no salt lick, but it's not awful either. Best sweet potatoes I've ever had in my life, easily. I've taken several southern transplants or visitors there, and the reviews were consistently good.

I've given them too many chances, tried different meats, and sides, and it has been consistently bad when I've gone. My brother got brisket at one point and they had cooked every bit of moisture out of that meat to the point where it was actually difficult to chew and swallow.

 

[GemParty]

Anybody try Tiano BBQ Middletown?

 

[UC990411]

Barcelona, Grants, Max's

 

[mauconnfan]

I will tell you where not to go....OPA OPA in Southampton MA......

Son's 18th bday and he selected it last night so my wife took him and his gal there despite inconsistent reviews from our own meals in the past. It was close to awful in every regard.......from the jumbo shrimp which were about the size of my pinky to the Tenderloin Filet 10oz which was about 6..............very tasty but the mushroom bordelaise was salty at best.......son's 16oz Prime Rib not so big and fatty beyond normal for a rib......wifes vegetable "thing" was very good she said though.......took about 10 minutes on a slow night to get asked if we wanted anything to drink and the Red Rock Amber was warm.......enough....I'm actually very easy on my restaurants but this is so hyped up here and I am always leaving wondering why?

Maybe AO's dad was my chef....lol....sorry had to say it!

 

[husky8273]

Golden Lamb Buttery in Brooklyn, www.thegoldenlamb.com

 

[GemParty]

Anybody know of any good Cuban restaurants in CT?

 

[8893]

Anybody try Tiano BBQ Middletown?

Not yet, but it's on the list after reading about it here in the BBQ thread. Learned about Krust from the pizza thread and that did not disappoint. Happy to find more in Middletown.

 

[Excalibur]

Anybody know of any good Cuban restaurants in CT?

Soul de Cuba wasn't bad when I went, but that was 8 years ago.

 

[8893]

New Haven has two, Zafra and Soul de Cuba. Both are small, casual and decent--nothing too elaborate. Zafra is more of a rum bar with a few good food offerings; Soul de Cuba seems a bit more authentic imo. Neither of them is in the league of Roomba, which was not only the best Latino restaurant, but arguably one of the best restaurants in town. I've heard good things about his taco bar in Branford, Tacuba, but haven't been there yet. I see that he's serving ceviche there, and that alone is enough for me to put it on the list--his ceviche was consistently the best I ever had.

 

[husky91]

Nice. Yes, that is good stuff. Had some great meals in South Beach. Actually was in PIT and we went to a Cuban place and had the traditional Cuban sandwich

That is up there with any Philly Cheesesteak, Italian Beef or Ny deli style.

Has there been a thread on best sandwiches/grinders yet, that is a must too?

Anybody know of any good Cuban restaurants in CT?