Dutch Treat The Dutch Epicure Shop, Litchfield November 2025 This is one of those pages that I can't fully justify existing on CTMQ. There are plenty of similar specialty shops around the state. Like, why does the Dutch Epicure Shop get a page when there are probably 100 Italian specialty shops? Let's see if … [Read more...]
Nigeria: Naija
Taking a Poundo on the Chin-Chin CT Food Tour of the World at Naija, Newington November 2024 Straight up, this will be a difficult page to write. I cannot find a single review of this restaurant. No explanations, no experiences... nothing to help guide me. Sure, I ate there and know the names of most of what I … [Read more...]
Sweden: IKEA Swedish Restaurant
"Bork, Bork, Bork!" IKEA Swedish Restaurant, New Haven March 2024 You know what's crazy. In preparation to write this page I did what I often do when writing about food I know very little about: I poked around the Internet for inspiration and clarity. I didn't find anything interesting, probably because this is … [Read more...]
Belgium: Atelier Florian
Atelier Friends CT Food Tour of the World at Atelier Florian, New Haven September 2021 I have a love affair with Belgium. It began with being a life-long professional cycling fan and Belgium's 100+ year devotion to the sport. The Tour of Flanders is my favorite race every year and I very much look forward to being … [Read more...]
England: Tea Roses Tea Room (Closed)
"Pardon Me, Do You Have Any Earl Grey Poupon?" Tea Roses Tea Room, Cromwell November 2017 Here's how much I know about local tea room culture: When I published the "completing Cromwell" introductory page, a Ms. Peggi Camosci commented, "How about the only English-style Tea Room in the greater Central Connecticut … [Read more...]
Pakistan: Rasham
Pak it up, Pak it in, Let Me Begin Rasham, South Windsor June 2017 For the record, I waffled between the House of Pain lyric in my subtitle versus "Rasham-a-lamma ding-dong." (By Otis Day And The Knights, a fictional band created for Animal House.) But really, Irish Bostonians or fake black doo-woppers have … [Read more...]
Vernon: Complete!
Vernon: Complete! Rein’s Deli Here is the CTMQ Guide to Vernon with my list and stories about everything I've done there! After a decade of writing CTMQ, I decided to try to “complete” towns. In that decade of traveling and writing, I had already done a lot of stuff in many of our towns already. However, I … [Read more...]
French-Canadian: Chez Ben Diner
C'est Si Ben Chez Ben Diner, Manchester Multiple Visits from November 2014-December 2016 It appears several of the French-Canadian items have been dropped from the menu in 2024. (Is a title pun better or worse when it's in another language?) Straight up: I love Chez Ben. I've been several times and it became … [Read more...]
Argentina: Aby’s Bakery
Dulce de Leche Can Get Messi 765 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford Several visits between 1999 & 2016 When I renewed my promise to myself to write as much original content for CTMQ as I can in mid-2016, I also promised to try to do more food stuff. Mostly these hole-in-the-wall specialty ethnic places. As … [Read more...]
Jewish: Crown Market
Where is "Jewish?" Bishop's Corner, West Hartford October 2015 This is my first "food/restaurant" post in the "CT Restaurant Tour of the World" section in which I flew solo. I still don't really know what to do with this section and I darn well know that I'm not qualified to write about food. At … [Read more...]