The Baltic Restaurant, Berlin, Connecticut


Stopped by the Baltic Restaurant in Berlin the other day, and enjoyed their Polish fare immensely. One thing I tried, which I had never had before, was their Pyzy (above) - meat in dough, of course, but in a new way that was absolutely delicious. I will be back for that, and for the rest of their quality food (below). It's good to see some Polish food breaking up the landscape...

 


Coney Island Baby


Amy and I visited Coney Island the other day, and pretty much did all the classic Coney Island activities, starting with lunch at Nathan's...hot dogs and cheese fries.


We walked out to the end of the pier, we visited the aquarium (still in bad shape after Hurricane Sandy), we rode the Cyclone, and we rode the giant ferris wheel.


We also went to the side show (below), as a sort of homage to Tom Thumb. It was actually an entertaining little show - fire eating, sword swallowing, nails "driven" into the nose, eating a balloon, juggling knives...and best of all, Amy getting taken up on stage for an act where they ran electricity through her and lit a torch from her finger, and then her tongue. Boy, what I would give for a photo of that (but none were allowed).


Coney Island is not what it once was, I'm told, but what is? The creepy guy (below) still rules over a kingdom of fun and sun, right in the heart of old New York.


Mecha Noodle, Fairfield


Best new restaurant in Connecticut? Mecha Noodle in Fairfield is not high-end, but their amazing dishes, reminiscent of Momofuku in NYC, are consistent and delicious.


We have been there twice - this time we had a selection of appetizers. Last time we tried their ramen - which was awesome.


Their pork buns are nearly as good as Momofuku - only the quality of the bun is a little better at the latter (I think its the bacon fat they put in there).


Ssam, mushroom dumplings, duck bao, charred octopus...all good.


I will be back soon - probably for the pho or the banh mi sandwich. But pretty much everything on the menu sounds delicious, and so far nothing has not lived up to the hype.

Philip Johnson's Glass House


Stopped by the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan the other day...


The library (above) was fascinating, though not what I would have chosen.


The glass house itself was great. Amy said she would live there in a second. Our wonderful house (Nomad's End) took offense.


Looked like a great place to chat with friends, or work on my next book.


Then, fog enveloped the house from an art installation - creating an eerie, and wet, situation.



We also got to see the art museum and sculpture museum Johnson installed on the property, but did not get to climb the sculpture in the distance. Next time...


It is an expensive tour ($50 person) but well worth it from our point of view. Inspiring and thought-provoking. We had discussions all afternoon and evening about the ideas brought up...

Abbott's Lobster in the Rough and the Hamburger Bun Lobster Roll


 
When we visit Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, it is primarily to get their steamed lobsters. No matter how much practice we get at home, we never seem to get the lobsters as good as they do. I heartily recommend Abbott's for that, for the awesome bisque (above) and for its wonderful setting on the docks in Noank.


However, I have a bone to pick with them about their hot lobster rolls. Why, why, why do it in the hamburger roll? It looks cool (see above) but is utterly impractical. The meat falls out, the butter doesn't work, etc. It is not a pleasant eating experience. A cold lobster roll might actually work this way, since the mayo binds the pieces together, keeping them in the roll like a chicken salad sandwich. But I wouldn't put a bunch of tiny pieces of chicken sans mayo between two pieces of loose bread, and the same goes for lobster. Get some nice small grinder rolls, toast them, and then you can compete for the best hot lobster roll in Connecticut (see below).

Rivermarket, Tarrytown


Dinner at RiverMarket, in Tarrytown, New York - with a view of the Tappan Zee bridge.


Delicious lobster bisque (above) and gnocchi (below).


These Italian dumplings were delicious, and Amy even liked the candied lemon rind on top (but I didn't).


This pork belly was done just right, though I was already a little too full from the gnocchi "appetizer."


Totally solid restaurant - and a fine place to stop (you'll need a GPS to find it) if you're in Tarrytown. Those of you in the City can take the train - the park and restaurant are right next to the station.

Kalbi House, White Plains


Went across the border to Kalbi House in White Plains the other day. Their selection of small dishes they bring everyone (above) was top notch. Amy says the best kim-chi she's ever had.


The bibimbob in the hot pot (above) was an average dish of its sort, but their homemade gochujang that went with it (and the dish below) was excellent.


I had the Hwe Dup Bob (above), which was like a collection of sushi pieces, salad, seaweed, and such, that you ate also with red pepper paste. A fascinating combination that I would have never thought of. Overall, this was a solid Korean restaurant that I would go to again if I was ever in White Plains.

American Library Association Annual Conference

Best of the best - my book Becoming Tom Thumb will be featured at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Las Vegas this year!


I will not be there, unfortunately...I guess its a little much to fly me out to Las Vegas for that book event. I'm not that popular an author yet!

Nathan Hale Homestead


Stopped by the Nathan Hale Homestead in Coventry. Although Hale never lived there (his parents were building it while he was serving in the Continental Army), it has a number of his relics, and is definitely worth a stop.


This monument is actually the grave of the historian George Seymour's horse, after he bought and restored the house in the early 20th century. Seymour is partially responsible for bringing Hale forward into national consciousness with his work gathering documents and preserving sites.


This plaque marks the original home site, where Hale grew up.  Of course, things like doors and whatnot were reused in the second house, and on the back of one, what may be a drawing of Hale's head by his sister is one of the cool things you'll see on the house tour of this American hero.

Cassidy Hill Vineyard


Stopped at Cassidy Hill Vineyard in Coventry the other day. Use your GPS - it isn't easy to find! The wine was very good - they clearly have the process down well. Only 9 acres of a 150 acre farm are under cultivation right now (they just started a few years ago), and I hope they expand that significantly. Then they can have more AVA wines and Connecticut label wines. Keep going, guys!


Bidwell Tavern



Stopped by the Bidwell Tavern to try their amazing wings, which we stupidly forgot to take a picture of. They were great. However, I must say I like a little more 'sauce' on my wings in general. Archie Moore's buffalo version might be better. But the appeal of the Bidwell is that they have so many different KINDS of wings, so many different flavors. That's a rare treat, and worth going to Coventry for.

Farmer's Markets France and United States



It was a pleasure to experience the outdoor markets of France again this spring. They are full of delicious food that has a clear origin, something the French desire more and more. I was told by several French people that they have 'rejected' the foods from the supermarkets.




 
We have farms and farmers' markets here in America, and they are getting more popular. I hope that trend continues.







They are willing to pay a couple dollars extra for good food, and we should be, too. But in some ways it is a Catch-22. I can't get everything I need at the markets here, so I go to the supermarket. But if I go to the supermarket, the markets don't get my money and can't grow.



We have come a long way with the quality of our restaurants in the past decade. Let's hope that the quality and diversity of our other food follows.

French Travel Literature


As you know, I teach (and write) travel literature at the University of Bridgeport. Apparently the French have a great appreciation for this art form. This was not the only Paris bookstore dedicated to travel that I saw, either. Unfortunately I don't read French...although perhaps it is for the best, because otherwise I would have spent my entire vacation browsing shelves.

In fact, the number of bookstores in Paris was simply astounding. A literature culture, to be sure. I mean, only cafes outnumbered bookstores as far as I could tell. Well, perhaps boulangeries...bread and books, what more do we need?