A Change of Eatery

Sometimes a dining experience can be flawless.

Sometimes even the butter is so good that you refuse to surrender it long after the bread is gone.

(Especially when said butter is filled with black sesame, honey, and the spirit of Jesus.)

Since our birthdays are only ten days apart, Nick and I always use the dual occasions to treat ourselves to a tasting menu above our usual price point. After hearing and reading so much about Millwrights, the exquisite new Simsbury addition came as our obvious choice.

The restaurant is stunning, unpretentious and warmly inviting. Canopied by a beamed cathedral ceiling, the dining room is a grand, yet rustic space where a table of orchids anchors the room and mason jars filled with preserves and infusions cluster on shelves. Our own table, accented by a simple clay vase of roses, overlooked a postcard-worthy waterfall surrounded by October’s finest pre-Hurricane Sandy foliage.

We started the meal with a glass of birthday champagne and moved on to a nice round of gin cocktails after settling on the chef’s tasting menu. Once the amuse bouche arrived – decadently plump oysters accompanied by teensy paella balls – we knew shit was about to get REAL.

Also – excuse my iphone photos – they don’t do anything justice.

Just to preface – I like to think we aren’t picky, pretentious diners.

Instead of stuffily discussing textural components and flavor undertones, we passionately drop f-bombs under our breath.

Because, when it comes to a great meal, sometimes nothing but vulgarity can suffice.

As with any well-planned tasting menu, we started with light, savory dishes and worked our way into rich, buttery foie gras territory.  While all of the was happening, the butter we’d so lovingly hacked at during the brief bread phase remained on the table. Like the classy guy he is, Nick stole swipes of it between courses. (Embarrassing, sure, but I tell ya- it was that delightful.)

Anyway, my eyelids fluttered and eyeballs rolled around inside my happy little skull upon the arrival of each course. Since I’m overwhelmed thinking about this meal (though it was nearly two weeks ago), I’ll simply outline the culinary highlights:

• A light, delectably fresh tuna tartare with tangy pickled pear and crisp puffed wild rice resting in a coriander puree.
• Gorgeous roasted sunchokes, turnips and golden beets in bleu cheese mousse with walnuts and balsamic vinegar
• A big ol’ scallop accompanied by wild mushrooms, ham hock and leeks in a sauce choron
• Friiiied chicken! (with pommel puree & creamed greens)

To say the foie gras mousse was my personal favorite would be quite the understatement. The combination of rich, flavorful foie gras with pickled pumpkin seeds, crouton-sized blocks of moist pumpkin bread and quince gelée truly cemented my faith in Millright’s ability to truly, utterly dazzle.

Nearing the close of our seven course tasting menu, we were brought a palate cleanser of lemon-basil ice cream cones.

And THEN, the amazing servers came out with two candlelit birthday desserts for us! Such a kind, thoughtful touch to conclude an already exceptional dining experience. And that’s another part that needs mentioning – the servers and staff at Millwrights are an extremely knowledgable, personable, efficient, good humored bunch. I truly can’t wait to get back for round two.

Following our chocolate gelato and chantilly cream dessert, we finished up with a duo of lemon macarons.

I’m happy to add Millwrights to my brief but delectable list of favorite restaurants in Connecticut.

What a glorious week! A birthday, a few days of quintessential autumn weather, and a Greek feast at Cavos Tavern & Pizzeria.

Leeanne and I arrived for lunch on Thursday  afternoon with visions of crisp Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko and platters of Greek specialties dancing in our heads (not your usual gyros here, friends). Unfortunately, our hopes were soon dashed when we learned that Cavos no longer carries Assyrtiko. Our lovely server Edyta more than made it up to us with an impromptu wine tasting of Nasiakos Moschofilero and “My Big Fat Greek Wine” Savatiano, the house white. Leeanne chose a glass of the former, I chose the latter, and we were both happy campers.

The food, as usual, was unparalleled.
Starting with the classic tzatziki and an overflowing basket of pita that I could’ve dined on alone, we moved on to attack much of the mezedes menu, filling our table with salty, savory saganaki, fried zucchini with skordalia and tomato sauce, spanakopita scented with fragrant dill, and a plate of chicken and lamb skewers.

In mere moments, stuffed beyond comprehension, we finished by stuffing the leftovers into to-go boxes. But not before our server showed up with complimentary dishes of rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon. Holy hell. The ultimate comfort.

So, as I sit here demolishing the leftovers of Thursday’s feast, I have to wonder how it’s taken me two entire years to make it back to Cavos after my initial meal. Never again.

Somehow I’ve gotten to this point in life without realizing that the thing I was missing most happened to be a crispy, creamy grilled goat cheese sandwich with honey and a gooey, melty Hershey bar.

Thank you, Little Sister’s Grilled Cheese, for bringing the Hershey Honey Bear into my life, into my heart, and into my stomach.

I stumbled upon the grilled cheese truck at the Coventry Farmers’ Market yesterday, just moments before they closed up shop. At my persistent boyfriend’s prodding, we opted for the hershey-honey-goat special, which turned out to be one of the most sumptuous sandwiches I’ve ever allowed to grace my tastebuds. Basically a sandwich version of Caseus’s chevre brownie.

I’m aching to hunt down this truck again soon – they’ve gotta get their caboose out of the New London area more often! Next on my lengthy ‘to eat’ list is the Jose Jalapeno, a sangwich loaded with jalapeno cream cheese, cheddar & honey drizzle. Mmm…

Oh and speaking of things that dazzle my tastebuds with that good ol fashioned sweet ‘n savory sparkle, NoRa Cupcake‘s latest creation officially has its hold on me. Parked next to Little Sister’s Grilled Cheese Truck, my friends at NoRa were selling a tempting menu of homemade confections, including Hawaiian cupcakes –  a moist corncake with pineapple, maple ham and goat cheese frosting, crowned with golden raisins. It was sublime.

You can catch these mobile delights around town or at the market – two weekends left at the Coventry Farmers’ Market, to be exact! They shut down at the end of the month.

GET THERE.

We all need something to look forward to.

In a few short weeks, I’m going to eat so much pie. Like, all the pie. No pie left behind.

I snagged a spot in the Pie Party Potluck in NYC next month thanks to a tip from the ever lovely Kelly Bakes. It’ll be hosted at the GE Monogram Design Center with food, cocktails, and 100+ food biz folks, chefs, bakers, and food bloggers, bringing pie pie, glorious pie. I’m not much for blogger meetups but these seem to be MY kind of people.  I’m hoping to make the chocolate bourbon pecan pie inspired by Michele’s Pies in Wilton.

Here’s an excerpt from The Diva That Ate New York (from 2011′s event) that got me really amped:

“I remember watching as the tarts, galettes, pop tarts, hand pies, quiches, empanadas, turnovers and pies of every shape and size arrived: Meat pies, sweet pies, savory, vegan, bacon stuffed, gluten free, donut covered, s’mores topped, caramel coated, fruit filled, cheese crusted PIES, PIES and more PIES! I’m pretty sure my mouth was agape and I was probably drooling.”

Anyway, my stretchy pants and I will grace NYC with our presence in late October. For now, that’s all you need to know.

Pie updates will follow.

Enter the Craz-E Burger, an artery-bustin’ treat I look forward to at The Big E every year. And this year, I’ve become its poster child on courant.com. Because you can’t go wrong with a bacon cheeseburger stuffed between Krispy Kreme donuts, right? Right.

Check out the full gallery from Nick Caito! You have a whole week to experience the disastrously fried treats at this food-fanatic’s paradise. Fried whoopie pies, koolaid, jelly beans, cheesecake, lasagna and BUTTER are culprits in this year’s fried shame parade.

I spent the early part of the week on a much needed recharge trip to Puerto Rico and came back five pounds heavier and 500% happier.

Part of this vacation bliss can be attributed to a stunning private beach and lovely resort (snatched up during a ridiculous hotel fare sale) along with the ability to tap into my never-ending book list. Lazy beach vacations have never appealed to me before, but a whirlwind summer of obligations and endless event planning left me feeling….oh, a little burnt out, to say the least. I needed this.

I don’t know of  too many folks who go to resorts to eat – the fare is mediocre and expensive as hell, and we luckily opted out of an all inclusive package. While we did dine at some of the hotel eateries, the culinary highlights obviously centered around any and every opportunity to eat our way around Rio Grande and San Juan.

I give you….the highlights:

(((((Insert 84 unbearably narcissistic photos of me posing in a bikini with a froofy frozen rum drink))))

Just kidding.

Here’s a crappy instagram photo of a fabulous first meal in town. Pig cheek straight off the spit, empanadas, breadfruit, ceviche and stewed pork stomach:

Mofongo & pork: Fried, mashed plantains with garlic & other goodies.

One of my favorite meals: canoas (beef & cheese stuffed plantains) & shrimp empanadas at Luquillo Kiosks.

And, ok, food aside, this stuff was also pretty glorious.

But now I’m back and ready to enjoy one hell of a wonderful autumn. I’m an October baby, after all.

Stay tuned for more!