Restaurants, Foods, Diners, Taverns, Ice Cream, Cheese, Chocolate, Breweries, Brewpubs, Cideries, Kombucheries, Wineries, Meaderies, Distilleries, & Soda Makers This page now serves as a fairly robust jumping off point for the many food and drink sections of CTMQ. The state has maintained some culinary “trails” over … [Read more...]
CT Homemade Ice Cream, Cheese, & Chocolate Trails
Keeping the Family Happy Ice Cream, Cheese, & Chocolate Trails How in the world do I continue to get Hoang, Damian, and Calvin to hop in the car with me for our Sunday adventures to who-knows-where? It's easy - promise them homemade ice cream, chocolate, and/or cheese. I try to keep up with these lists as best as … [Read more...]
Rosie’s Royal Chocolates
Where Snacks Get the Royal Treatment Rosie's Royal Chocolates, Southington April 2022 We live in an age of repurposing empty factories. These buildings are very often hulking ugly brick structures with massive open floors and giant windows. Some have become loft apartment buildings, some now house breweries or … [Read more...]
The Nutmeg Fudge Company
Oh @%##$! The Nutmeg Fudge Company, Torrington February 2022 We always hear that Connecticut's post-industrial cities are "on the cusp" of revival. Norwich, Hartford, Bristol, New Britain, Torrington... One "mixed use" project here, one factory converted to open concept lofts there... the cycle has been going on … [Read more...]
Six Spoons Chocolatier
Six-Six-Six Spoons Six Spoons Chocolatier, New Hartford February 2022 The chocolate landscape in Connecticut is in constant flux. Some players hang it up and some new players enter. Six Spoons in New Hartford opened in early 2017, but the chocolatier and owner has been in the game for far longer. The owner … [Read more...]
The Chocolate Shell
Where Being a Shell of Oneself is a Good Thing The Chocolate Shell, Old Lyme February 2020 I've struggled for a decade to figure out how the state's tourism folks decide on what chocolate shops get to be on the Connecticut Chocolate Trail and which are left off. Most are no-brainers of course, but then there are … [Read more...]
Hillside Sweet Shoppe
A Hillside I'd Die On... Hillside Sweet Shoppe, East Haddam June 2016 ... And what is the "Hillside I'd die on?" That it's okay for me to write about candy shops that used to be on the Connecticut Chocolate Trail just because they used to be on the Connecticut Chocolate Trail even though I didn't really get much … [Read more...]
Chocolate Geeks
Shot! Shot! Shot! Chocolate Geeks (Formerly Truffle Shots), Essex Feburary 2020 Here we are. Back in Essex. Connecticut's "cutest town." Our "quaintest village." And, of course, "Quintessential Connecticut." Poor Essex, always having to live up to these expectations year after year. And somehow it does … [Read more...]
Isabelle et Vincent
Oui, Oui, Oui All the Way Home Isabelle et Vincent, Fairfield April 2020 I have been known to bore people with the following story about our trip to France in 2004: A cheap baguette from a random little shop in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in France is better than a baguette from any American high-end … [Read more...]
Le Rouge Chocolates by Aarti
Pure Aarti Le Rouge Chocolates, Westport February, 2020 Check this out: The owner and chocolatier at Le Rouge Chocolates is named Aarti Khosla. She specializes in making high-end chocolates and cakes with hand-painted artistic flourishes. Her little shop is in Westport. And Westport? Arguably Connecticut's … [Read more...]