Still Dining Out?

As I've been working on our annual economic forecast for our January issue, I've come across some interesting data regarding dining out.

In 2006, the state saw 93 new establishments added in the accommodation and food services sector, the majority of which were new dining establishments. Add to it that in 2007, there were some 2,000 new jobs also created in the same area, and it's easy to see that over the past few years we're eating out more than ever. All this, despite the increased interest in eating better and healthier, and the vast attention to home-cooking -- see the new-found popularity of Rachel Ray and others.

Of course, this went hand-in-hand with the strong economy and prosperity of the past few years. However, as things seem to be getting tighter fiscally, I wonder if the trend will continue to expand (just like the American waistline), or if we'll be tightening our belts, both literally and figuratively.

Personally, I think it's more likely that retail will be effected before the restaurant business feels the pinch of tougher financial times -- people may hold off buying that new TV or living room set, but they're only going to hold off on dinner for so long. Besides, it's easier to swallow a $100 dinner check than a $1,000 receipt from Buy More.

Ku Klux Klambake

The new Wise Guys Restaurant in West Haven is only the latest business enterprise to find humor in the brutal, bloody legacy of the Mafia. The restaurant has photos of capos like Joe Bonnano and Al Capone on the walls, along with their fictional equivalents, and in general believes that the image of Clemenza cooking spaghetti for the boys in the cramped kitchen a mob house under siege stands as a culinary high point. If this theme proves successful, what can we expect to see next? Maybe a Ku Klux Klan-themed restaurant featuring Southern cuisine, or a wooden-beamed, Nazi-themed inn with German fare and wonderful uniforms for the waitstaff. I hear Joe Stalin was quite a cook in his off hours, too.

Friendly's Ice Cream: An Appreciation

While there is more excellent ice cream in Connecticut than is probably good for us, I'd just like to put in a late-season word or two of appreciation for . . . Friendly's. Yes, Friendly's. Friendly's ice cream is available everywhere, yet it's somehow overlooked when the experts start handing out bouquets for the best in the state. It probably shouldn't be compared with the ice cream found at free standing establishments where doting owners labor over their handmade batches. Instead, Friendly's descends from an equally noble, and notable, lineage: the New England dairy bar. There aren't too many genuine dairy bars left in Connecticut, but in my neck of the woods there once was Litchfield Farms, which later became Farm Shoppes, which eventually was bought out by Friendly's. In all iterations, the ice cream was the key, even though Friendly's advanced the menu in other respects. (As an aside, I'd like to point out that a Friendly's burger, fries and shake is still pretty hard to beat.) My point is that no one ever sings the praises of Friendly's main product, probably because the chain is too big and too ubiquitous. We take it for granted, but it's much better than the local packaged ice cream you find in other parts of the country. When the half-gallons are on sale at the grocery store, I stock up, in any season. I'm a fool for the vanilla, coffee and pistachio (although it's time to stop using green food coloring in the last), although I've sometimes craved the black raspberry and butter crunch, too, and I long for a return of the limited-time-only toasted almond of a few years ago. My question is whether there are any other dairy bars or dairy-bar descendents that package their ice cream for sale in Connecticut grocery stores, or just in their own shops, and that are worth knowing about. The UConn Dairy Bar is one . . . any others?

West Street and Vine

Connecticut is home to lots of celebrities, and some restaurants do a good job of attracting them. Take West Street Grill in Litchfield, where the other night Bill Murray, George Clooney and Wes Anderson shared a table--and a good time. Murray was in especially high spirits, serenading his server once he learned her name and singing "Happy Birthday" and planting a kiss on the cheek of a celebrant at a neighboring table. A Friday or Saturday night in Litchfield? You never know who's going to show up.

An Apple-Eating Eden

During this October that's been so spectacular for sunny, warm weekends and incredibly juicy apples, we find ourselves going back again and again to Connecticut's apple orchards. Last weekend, we visited places at opposite ends of the spectrum--first was Gustafson's Farm and Orchard on Linkfield Road in Watertown. The farm itself is beautiful, with big open fields in all directions (they encourage you to walk around) and the shop is little more than a roadside stand, with bags of freshly picked apples, jars of honey and preserves and a cooler for soft drinks. We took in the quiet country scene, listened to the late-season crickets in the grass, bought a bag of Macouns and began eating them as soon as we got back into the car. The next day, we went to Lyman Orchards on Rte. 147 in Middletown, where it seemed a small city had converged to park cars, wander around, pick apples, go through a cornfield maze, feed the ducks and generally partake in the Indian summer scene. The excellent shop at the orchard was doing boomtown business, but the staff was keeping up with the crowds. We moved through quickly, grabbing four each of four kinds of apples, some pumpkin raisin muffins, a half-dozen pears, a jug of cider and some kettle corn. It all should just about last us till next weekend.

New Haven Seafood

While driving down State Street in New Haven last night, my husband and I came upon Castaways Seafood Restaurant (just passed the I-91 overpass at Bradley Street). He said, “Looks like a nice scene. Let's stop and have a beer out on the patio.”Seems we stepped into the newest seafood restaurant in the city.“We'll take a table outside," we told our server Lisa. “Thank you. Finally I'll be able to enjoy this beautiful weather! And don't worry, I'll take good care of you, too,” she quipped. We got settled outside at a table next to some tropical-looking trees, and Lisa brought two large frosty drafts. One slug of beer later, the busy corner became our island oasis.

Indoor dining here is more formal, with small linen-covered tables set amid a soft amber glow. The menu reads like a seafood primer, offering everything from chowders and pastas to lobster cioppino and fried scallops, shrimp, clams, calamari, and more.

As other happy patrons feasted on huge platters of Neptune's delights,we dove into an order of Angel's Artichokes Française—artichoke hearts dipped in a delicate batter then lightly sautéed and topped with a lick-the-plate delicious herb-lemon sauce. Next we moved on to fresh, succulent Mahi-Mahi served over spinach with a citrus-lime butter sauce.

Franco Bernardo, with brother Chris and sisters Lisa and Rose on staff, opened this seafood haven just eight weeks ago. By the looks (and tastes) of things, it's here to stay. For more info, call (203) 789-0089 or visit castawaysseafoodrestaurant.com.

Local Joints

One of the rules my wife and I try to follow when it comes to eating out is: No chain restaurants. Yes, they can be convenient when you're traveling and don't know what to expect, or have kids, but in general, I think they miss the mark when it comes to quality of food and service. Give me a local place where the chefs are usually also the owners -- the food always seems to be better prepared and the service more attentive.

Case in point: We recently had a great meal at Mangiare Buono on River Road in Shelton, a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that specializes in Northern Italian cuisine. The owner and chef, Bobby, is straight out of The Bronx ("fuhgeddaboutit"), and brings with him an Arthur Avenue pedigree (and an unmistakable accent). It's in an unassuming strip mall, but what the restaurant lacks in atmosphere, it more than makes up for on the plate and around the tables. The menu is reasonable, not a book, with many Italian standards, but Bobby likes to experiment, too. For example, the night we went, he had a special with a pork chop stuff with prosciutto and spinach that was cooked to perfection and delicious.

Portions are decent, the food is great, reasonably priced, and the service was very good. Bobby's wife/partner runs the front of the house (what there is of it) and is very friendly in a "Noo Yawkey" kind-of-way. Water glasses are constantly filled, plates are quickly removed and everything is taken care of. Make sure to make reservations before you go (203.922.0935) -- there's no more than a dozen tables in the place.

Anyway, I'd rather dine at a place like this that flies under the radar rather than the latest T.G.I. McScratchy's (to coin a chain from "The Simpsons"). So, any other local joints out there you care to share?

Burgers Out of the Gate

There'll be a whole state worth of food and drink to cover on this blog, but why not start off with hamburgers--or cheeseburgers, to be exact? I recently went on a minitour of newish burger joints for a story in the Sept. issue of Connecticut Magazine, and I'd really like to recommend the top two places I found. The best was Burger Bar & Bistro in South Norwalk, which served an absolutely sublime, juicy, fresh, hand-formed organic burger with good cheddar on a sturdy bun. $7. Also, Plan B Burger Bar & Tavern in West Hartford served a cheeseburger that was fresh and juicy, and it also had a good, lively bar scene going on--and many, many beers on tap and in bottles. My question: Are there any other NEW burger spots out there that Connecticut's very on-top-of-things foodies community needs to know about? Post your best bets here.