I've lived my entire life in Connecticut and when I transferred to Eastern Connecticut State University, my roommates were astounded when I'd never tried or heard about Munson's chocolate. Madison, my mildly chocolate-obsessed roommate quickly whipped out a piece for me to try. It was a solid milk chocolate star wrapped in foil, a bit smaller than the size of a box of tic-tacs. After a bite, I quickly realized what the fuss was about. It was like the center of a Lindt truffle, (ie, the good part.) Since then, I have become a Munson's convert, buying my mom some for Mother's Day, and keeping a secret stash. (I swear I'm not addicted...........)
When Allison and Anna came to Connecticut to visit, I knew that Munson's had to be on the itinerary. The store in Bolton had just opened back up after major renovations, and everything looked pristine. We were welcomed by a girl with a tray of samples, and Anna and Allison fell quickly in love. All the fall decorations were already out, plus halloween themed chocolate on display. I bought a few bars to add to my stash and Allison and Anna each picked out some treats. Munson's was founded in 1946 in Manchester CT. The founders were Josephine and Ben Munson. From the Munson's history: "Ben would start each day by mixing up batches of creams and caramels from his 'secret recipes.' By late morning he would hand dip each and every piece in chocolate. Finally, they would make their way to Josephine who carefully packaged the assortments and prepared them for sale." Since, Munson's has become a third generation candy family and CT's largest retail chocolate manufacturer, With stores in Bolton, West Simsbury, Newington, Mystic, Orange, South Windsor, Glastonbury, Farmington, West Hartford, and Mashantucket CT, plus an online shop here, you can get your Munson's fix easily. If you're out and about in CT and are craving chocolate, or if you like to support family owned and operated businesses, try Munson's.
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Cafemantic is located at 948 Main St. Willimantic, CT. With breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, it's a great place to pop in at any time of day. I took Anna and Allison to brunch here before they left to drive back to Oneonta, and they seemed very satisfied.
With tables inside and a patio outside, customers have a choice. We chose outside, as Labor Day Weekend sort of signifies the last few nice days before fall. With water served in mason jars, and string lights above the patio, you quickly forget you're in Willimantic, and are swept away by the ambiance. If you choose to dine inside, lots of dark hardwood and a sort of coffeeshop vibe greets you. Either way, Cafemantic is great. With speedy service (from a very cute waiter,) we quickly ordered. I got the Prosciutto Eggs Benedict and Allison and Anna both picked the Mac & Cheese (the seemingly vegetarian option.) The food came out quickly, and I loved mine. Allison and Anna didn't know that the Mac & Cheese wasn't vegetarian, so Allison chose to eat around, and Anna got a new meat-less dish, and both really enjoyed their dishes despite the snafu. The waiter was super understanding and reduced any awkwardness about sending the dish back.) I'd previously had the Shrimp & Avocado sandwich here and absolutely loved it, so I can say assuredly that for either breakfast, brunch, or lunch, Cafemantic is a great option for mega cute, and mega delicious main street dining in Willimantic. My garden's tomato plants are doing their thing and the recent influx of tomatoes has spurred some creativity (and googling) and here's a great recipe. Recipe from Lidia Bastianich, and photo is of my attempt at her lovely dish.
Please know that I'm very much not a cook and tend to even burn microwave popcorn. I didn't add the eggs to most of them, as my brother has a bit of egg-phobia and doesn't like the sneaky bastards anywhere near his food. Bastianich has a PBS show with plenty of ideas for those who want more. "Gluttonous Tomatoes" Ingredients: 4 large firm tomatoes, halved at the belly 2 cups stale 1/2-inch country bread cubes, crusts removed 2/3 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 large eggs Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scoop out the seeds and pulp of the tomatoes over a fine strainer making tomato shells. Press the collected seeds and pulp through the strainer and collect the juice. You should have about 3/4 cup tomato juice. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, 1/3 cup grated cheese, parsley, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and set the tomato shells inside. Season the inside of the tomatoes with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Pack the tomatoes with the stuffing, making an indentation in each mound of stuffing large enough to break an egg into. Pour tomato juice in the bottom of the pan (but not on the tomatoes). Bake for about 10 minutes to heat the filling and get the tomato juices bubbling. Uncover and carefully break an egg into each indentation. Sprinkle the eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup of grated cheese and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Bake for about 15 minutes until the egg whites are set, but yolks are still a little runny. Recipe found here and is very much not of my own creation While traveling through Block Island with my family, we came across the rather high-end Ballard’s. Ballard’s is both an inn and restaurant, with its very own private beach property and beach bar. I had the pleasure of eating at the restaurant, which was probably one of the best parts of my trip.
Ballard’s had a very large menu, including seafood, salads, pasta dishes, and lots of drinks. My family and I ordered different dishes from each section, and all were very satisfied. I got the vegetarian pasta, which I highly suggest to any vegetarians nearby who are in search of a good meal. Others in my family tried the scallops, salads, and calamari, all of which were shared and complimented. The drinks were delicious, and some were even served in pineapples (What is this, Aruba?). But food can only go so far. Atmosphere and service are big contributors too. Fortunately, the atmosphere at Ballard’s lived up to the quality of their food. Guests eat their meals outside, under an arrangement of umbrellas to keep out of direct sunlight. The well-maintained beach property just outside the restaurant also hosts some tables, but mostly beach chairs for the inn guests. Two bars provide drinks to people lounging on the beach or swimming in the ocean. Ballard’s also makes a point of hiring workers from all corners of the globe. On their name tags, each server has their name and country of origin. South Africa, Jamaica, Romania, Brazil, and Colombia were a few of the places the servers came from. Our waitress was from Romania, and loved telling us about the beauty of her home country. This was fairly surprising, for a small place in Rhode Island, but definitely very cool. Ballard’s offered a very pleasant dining experience, and if I find myself on Block Island again, I will surely go back (even though it was a little pricey). The Jacques-Cartier Plaza in Old Montreal near Old Port offers a variety of small restaurants and activities (especially in the summer), such as caricatures and balloon animals. This plaza is also home to one of the best creperies in the city; La Crêpe Sautée.
La Crêpe Sautée is more of a hole in the wall place than anything else, with a small patio lining its front end and a very tight interior, but I have yet to find a creperie in Montreal that can match its character and flavors. La Crêpe Sautée sells both crepes, various drinks, sandwiches, gelato, and other pastries. With both sweet and savory crepes, La Crêpe Sautée has the basics covered. Sweet crepes can include fresh fruits (like strawberry, raspberries, and bananas), Nutella, ice cream, whipped cream, nuts, caramel, brownies, etc. I usually lean toward the strawberry/Nutella/ice cream/whipped cream option, as pictured below. Savory crepes include eggs, cheeses, vegetables (like tomatoes, peppers, and onions), meats (like ham, pepperoni, and salmon), and hollandaise sauce. While in Montreal, I purchased one with only eggs and cheese, but it was definitely worth writing about. The interior is small, but welcoming. A counter offers visitors a view of the vividly colored gelato on their way to retrieve the menus from the register counter. Food items are listed as numbers, but there is much flexibility from the workers in customizing your crepes to add or remove any ingredients listed within the number. While there is no room to eat inside, there is a small patio with several tables outside, which is preferable on a summer day. Flower boxes and the plaza offer a wonderful view, as well as the opportunity to people-watch. If the patio is filled, or you simply want a crepe on the go, you can order “to-go." Instead of receiving a paper plate with your crepe, they wrap your crepe for you to help avoid any mess as you walk along to the next location (like the neighboring Notre Dame). Eating a La Crêpe Sautée crepe is life-changing, and definitely a food highlight for any trip to the city. I almost wish the business were a chain, although I doubt the food would taste as good if it were available in more locations. If you find yourself anywhere near La Crêpe Sautée, I highly suggest popping in for a quick snack. |
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January 2017
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