Edd's Place, Westbrook
Stopped by Edd's Place the other day...
Totally decent lobster roll and great fries. A good stop on the Post Road!
Cellar Stories Bookstore
Check out Cellar Stories Books in Providence - strangely not in the cellar at all, but on the second floor. Chock full of really good books - a really solid selection.
At Burgundy Books
Had a great time at Burgundy Books in Westbrook last week.
We talked for over two hours about Connecticut...Linda was a wonderful host.
I can't wait to go back...it is so refreshing to see new bookstores cropping up throughout the state.
Morning Glory Cafe, Old Lyme
Stopped by the Morning Glory Café in Old Lyme for a spot of lunch the other day.
Absolutely delicious egg rolls (see above) and pho (see below).
Amy had an "Asian salad" that was also delicious. The owners fled Laos in 1980 and have made their home here ever since, making great food for the rest of us Connectors.
Interiors and Designs by Ursula
Reclaiming Old Warehouses
Sarah's Wine Bar
Fitzgerald in Connecticut
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
Stopped in at the Aldrich in Ridgefield the other day...since it is "non-collecting," every time we visit it is new.
This sign was encouraging. But both Amy and I hated that exhibit.
So, why go to a contemporary art museum? Especially if some of the stuff will be annoying or lame?
For the discussions we have about them afterwards, of course. WHY do certain exhibits fail? What is art? What is good art? Is there a difference between aesthetics and taste? Et cetera. A good or bad collection of contemporary art never fails to get Amy and I talking. Try it out!
Jonah Crab Claws
Tried some Jonah Crab Claws ala Momofuku the other day. Good, but a lot of work. I think cold is better than hot...the meat comes out more easily. I still prefer lobster to crab, I think, except that I love those summertime soft shells...
Huntington Street Cafe
Shelton Lakes Recreation Trail
Biked the Shelton Lakes Recreation Trail today. It goes from Route 108 right outside of the downtown, all the way to Huntington village. It's mostly gravel, which makes for difficult uphills, and there are quite a number, since the trail pretty much goes over the White Hills.
Check out this hanging tree, which rotted away in the grip of a grape vine. But the vine is still hanging on to the tree. Two big pieces are suspended above the forest floor. Fascinating.
Margarita Summer
With Bill Ectric
Had a visit from author Bill Ectric last week - what a great, down-to-earth guy. And considering the fantastic nature of his fiction, that's a wonder. Get yourself a copy of his novel, Tamper, which I reviewed when it first came out.
Hempstead Houses, New London
Sometime make sure you check out the Hempstead House(s) in New London. The big wooden one above was built in the amazing early date of 1678, and both survived the burning of New London by Benedict Arnold.
Firebox
Stopped by Hartford's Firebox the other day for dinner. One of the best farm-to-table restaurants in the state, certainly.
The oysters were from Rhode Island, but I didn't hold that against them.
The duck was tender and delicious, and the wild ramps were delightful.
Chickpea gnocchi and a desert of vanilla creme brulee...
Interview with Leslie Browning
Recently Homebound Publications Founder and
Connecticut native Leslie M. Browning sat down and talked with me about myupcoming book Afoot in Connecticut: Journeys in Natural
History.
Leslie: As author of Insider’s Guide to
Connecticut, A History of Connecticut Food, A History of Connecticut Wine
and two other books about Connecticut, what makes Afoot in Connecticut
different from your previous works?
Eric: I love food and wine, and I enjoy writing
history, but I came to love Connecticut first through walking the trails and
discovering the natural world. So this book is much closer to my heart.
I hope it inspires other people to get out of
their cars and take to the trails, because that is the best way, some would say
the only way, to know a place. And I think that knowing and understanding where
you live is an important part of knowing yourself.
Leslie: If you had to choose a favorite moment
or a favorite hideaway in Connecticut what/where would it be?
Eric: Oh boy, there are so many—I’ve included
many of those moments and hideaways in the book, of course. If you like to camp
then I’d have to say Macedonia Brook State Park outside of Kent is possibly the
most beautiful place I’ve spent a night. And if you’re not the sort who likes to
sleep on the ground, then the Old Riverton Inn; it will always be close to my
heart, because that’s where I was married, in a small ceremony with friends and
family in front of a roaring fire on an autumn evening. I guess that’s probably
my favorite moment, too.
Leslie: In the book there are many wonderful
stories to be savored but there are, of course, those rock-bottom moments. One
particular trip that comes to mind is when you and a friend trekked across
Connecticut. That trip was grueling; you two ran into many obstacles, everything
from bad weather to massive blisters. Did you regret setting out on the
trip?
Eric: Absolutely not. As I say in the book, the
struggle makes us not only stronger but better people, and I’m much better for
going on that walk. That one day, though, when we hiked close to 25 miles,
through that rainstorm… That was probably the hardest single day of hiking I’ve
ever done, and I’ve hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I’ve never
hallucinated because of fatigue like that before or since.
Leslie: You are a professor of Creative
Writing at Bridgeport University. At one point in the book, you tell stories of
taking students out into the field to learn about the natural history of the
Connecticut countryside. During these excursions you did several interesting
things with them, everything from pointing out rock formations to rappelling.
When reading that section, all I could think was how much I would love to take
such a hands-on course. Were you ever able to build a class around that
idea?
Eric: Unfortunately not. Apparently there are
insurance issues, etc. I was doing all that on the “down low,” as the kids said
gleefully. I actually did far more of it than I described in the book, with
students at Quinnipiac University, Southern Connecticut State University, and
the University of Bridgeport. One of my favorite things to do is take students
on what seems to be an ordinary hike in the woods, but with a secret
destination—a ruined house foundation, a frog pond, or an abandoned
lighthouse.
Leslie: What was the most interesting thing
you have discovered about the natural history of Connecticut during your
treks?
Eric: I think it was when I saw coyotes here in
Connecticut, and realized that they were much larger than the ones I had seen
out West. I looked into this phenomenon, and found that some scientists believe
that they bred with wolves in Ontario before coming here, and that’s how they
got so large. When you’re hiking alone and you happen upon a pack of coyotes
that size…suddenly you are no longer in the safe, modern suburban world, even if
you are only a couple miles from your house.
Leslie: Two of your most well-known books,
A History of Connecticut Food and A History of Connecticut Wine,
you co-authored with your wife Amy Nawrocki. In Afoot in Connecticut you
tell the story of how you two met. What was it like telling this part of your
story? How did she feel about your decision to share this story?
Eric: I had already started writing the book when
I met her, and it really became the perfect ending to the story. I had spent
seven years on my own in Connecticut before I met her, and had already fallen in
love with the state. So, it was great to find someone to share that with,
someone who had lived in Connecticut all her life, but had not really paid much
attention to the natural history of it. Now she loves Connecticut in the same
ways I do.
She has published a number of poems in which I
feature prominently, so she can’t complain about appearing in Afoot in
Connecticut! Despite a mild embarrassment, she loves the book, especially
the themes of discovery and nature.
Leslie: In the book you describe on one of
your first dates together with Amy, during which you took her on a hike as a way
to share your passion for the wilderness with her. The date ends with her
stepping on a bee’s nest. While she seemed to tough her way through, has that
deterred you from taking hikes together or is she still your trail
companion?
Eric: She is still most definitely my trail
companion: we hiked the White Mountains shortly after that experience. She
claims that the bees were just doing their duty, and had no problem going out
again…after a few days with antihistamines and calamine lotion.
See her poem about the experience here: http://www.lochravenreview.net/2006spring/nawrocki.html
Leslie: Glad to hear she didn’t let the
experience sour the outdoors for her. Finally, to close things out, what is next
for you?
Since I’m very quickly destroying my knees
hiking, I think I’ll bike around New England next. Amy and I rode from New Haven
to Massachusetts last summer, so that’s a good start.
Monte Cristo Bookshop
Seriously, who are the wonderful people OPENING independent bookstores these days? A rare and noble breed.
In this case, the Monte Cristo Bookshop in New London sells both new and used books, and has a great selection of local titles, as well! They are named for Eugene O'Neill's homestead, which is about a mile away and worth a stop this summer.
Florence Griswold Museum
Stopped at the Florence Griswold Museum the other day to see the Arthur Heming exhibit. But we also returned to the main house.
Once again, I was stunned by the dining room, with its panels painted by various artists, mostly the American Impressionists.
Is there another room like this in America? Please tell me if there is. It is astounding.
The rest of the collection is nice, but if you have not seen the dining room at the Florence Griswold Museum, you are missing one of the most amazing rooms in America, perhaps the world.