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Thursday, January 4, 2024

Let's Talk About Food! Connecticut!







I love to eat and love to cook and love to try new food.  I moved to Connecticut over 30 years ago, and the one thing I loved more than most things was the food.  So, here are some of my current favorites!


1.   Frank Pepe's Pizza.  I don't know that there's any way to argue this.  It's the best pizza I've ever had in my life, hands down.  They've been around since the 1920's and they now have a few franchises out there.  I can say one thing.  There is no substitute for visiting the New Haven, CT location in their Little Italy.  It's the original.  It's the magic one.  It's the best and I highly recommend it to anyone.  There is no experience like visiting the original.  By the way, I've had pizza in many forms, many countries, and many styles to cook them.  This rocks.  I do not lie.


https://pepespizzeria.com/


https://www.yelp.com/biz/frank-pepe-pizzeria-napoletana-new-haven


https://www.ctinsider.com/living/food/article/pepes-pizza-new-haven-ct-food-and-wine-18125572.php


https://ctvisit.com/listings/frank-pepe-pizzeria-napoletana


https://www.timeout.com/usa/restaurants/best-pizza-in-america










2.    Lasalle's Market and Deli, Collinsville, CT.  This is one of my favorite spots in one of my favorite hidey holes!  I don't know how long Lasalle's has been there.  I do know it used to be Keney Market, but that's all I know about that.  The current Lasalle's is a place that showcases local art, has open mic nights, sports eclectic decor, is relaxed and a great place to hang out.  They have games to play, reading material, and they're located on one of the most popular walking routes in the state along the Farmington River Trail.  Oh yeah.  They have great food!  They have sandwiches, pizza, salads, soups, entrees, breakfast, and even ice cream.  They make so many different things that you'll never run out of new things to try.  The place is completely informal and truly fun!


https://www.lasallemarket.com/index.php


https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33746-d879320-Reviews-La_Salle_Market_Deli-Collinsville_Connecticut.html


https://roadfood.com/restaurants/lasalle-market-deli/


https://www.yelp.com/search?find_loc=Collinsville%2C+CT&attrs=RestaurantsPriceRange2.1%2CRestaurantsPriceRange2.2


https://ctvisit.com/listings/visit-collinsville











3.    The Brass City Bistro, Waterbury, CT.  This is hands down, my husband's favorite restaurant, and I love it too.  The owners are so friendly that you may have seen this place on the cover of my recent novel, "Bourbon" with Rylee King as my cover model.  Brass City Bistro opened with the idea of seasonal food done well, leaving the customer feeling happy that they came in for a visit.  You never know what you're going to find on the menu, but whatever it is, it will be good.  Just don't be surprised at the portions.  They don't let anyone leave hungry. There are pasta staples and there's always steak, but if you like to try new things, the menu varies in the best of ways.


https://www.brasscitybistro.com/


https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33963-d2420724-Reviews-Brass_City_Bistro-Waterbury_Connecticut.htmlut.html

 


https://www.yelp.com/biz/brass-city-bistro-waterbury


https://restaurantguru.com/Brass-City-Bistro-Waterbury


https://ctvisit.com/listings/city-waterbury










4.    Nour, Bethel, CT.  This is Lebanese food at its finest.  It's a tiny joint with more seating outside than inside.  To be fair we normally get takeout.  But, I promise you, if you like Lebanese food, this is the spot for you.  The owners and staff are amazing, and they always make sure you have everything you need and more.  The Kebabs, Shawarma, and everything is yummy.  They also have a small store area where you can buy some of the ingredients to go home and try it yourself.  It's one of my favorite spots in the whole state.  Can't say enough great things about the wonderful world of Nour.


https://www.yelp.com/biz/nour-lebanese-cuisine-bethel


https://www.instagram.com/nourlebanesecuisine/?hl=en


https://www.happycow.net/reviews/nour-lebanese-cuisine-bethel-126919


https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/bethel-ct/food-drink/nour-lebanese-cuisine


https://ctvisit.com/listings/town-bethel










5.    The Rogi Shoppe, Shelton, CT.  Do you like Pierogis?  This is the place for you.  Derby/Shelton is one of the more confusing places to visit in Western Connecticut, but this place makes it worth the time.  I enjoy the river walk through the city, which is how I discovered this tiny little take out place almost underneath the bridge over the river between Derby and Shelton.  They have gourmet Pierogis of many kinds as well as Kielbasa and side salads.  All Polish yumminess!  It's one of my favorite finds recently, although it's been there for years.  It's the pinnacle of a foodie neighborhood that should not be missed.  If they're so busy that they're overwhelmed and have trouble keeping up with orders, which does happen on holidays; they'll be happy to sell you frozen pierogis that you can take home and fry up yourself.


https://www.therogishoppe.com/


https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-rogi-shoppe-shelton


https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33915-d23930226-Reviews-The_Rogi_Shoppe-Shelton_Connecticut.html


https://www.ctbites.com/blog/2022/2/21/the-rogi-shoppe


https://ctvisit.com/listings/city-shelton


So, there you have it.  If you happen to be in Connecticut, there's a lot of good restaurants and food to eat.  These are some of my favorites.  I have a lot of places that I can't get enough of, so I might continue to post the occasional fast five of great places to eat.  There are so many.  One thing they have right on the East coast is the food.  No matter what city you visit in Connecticut, there are restaurants that you will enjoy!

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Some Thoughts on the Happenings in Iceland...





 


Recently, I booked a trip to Iceland to see the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis.  Following that booking, the Earth began to shake like crazy with little breaks below the land around Grindavik, Iceland.  Then, it subsided.  The Blue Lagoon actually opened for a couple days.  People who'd evacuated from Grindavik were going to be allowed to return.  Some of them had already been working their jobs in the town and commuting back and forth from Reykjavik.


Well, The fissure in the area has now opened up.  It's approximately 3.5 kilometers long and oozing magma.  The Blue Lagoon is closed again, and it doesn't look as though the residents of Grindavik will be returning home for Christmas.  Such is the way of things in one of the world's youngest and most active countries.







Will this activity stop me from traveling to the island country in the middle of winter to see the northern lights?  We'll see.  So far, it's small.  Measure how long 3.5 kilometers actually is.  It's not that far.  I walk farther than that on my daily walk.  A lot farther.  So far, the fissure, not a full fledged volcano, isn't threatening any activities around the airport in Keflavik, so I'm not too worried.


The fissure has formations in its path that will stop the current level of flowing magma so that it will be contained in the small area where it currently is oozing and may even get it to flow toward the sea to the south.  Don't know.  No one truly does.  This is life in Iceland.




The Reykjanes Peninsula is where you'll find this overactive fissure.  It extends from Reykjavik southwest and the Keflavik International Airport is on the west end of the peninsula.  The fissure is in the south, and so far is contained there.  So far, in Iceland, this is not a problem for the people who don't live in the immediate vicinity.


Will it stay that way?  I don't know.


Let me tell you something about Iceland.  My upcoming trip isn't my first to the land of fire and ice.  If you ever wanted to know where Mother Nature lives, I would say Iceland.  The whole land is alive.  The country is heated by volcanic power.  The country's 300 or so swimming complexes as well as almost everyone's home is heated by this power.  There are over 200 waterfalls in the country, and some of them are used for hydroelectric purposes.  Glacier melt provides the country's fresh water.  There's actually a glacier on top of a live volcano, so large that a few decades ago, the volcano erupted and it only melted enough of that glacier to make a mess.  That's a big glacier.


Iceland is that place where it's dark in winter and light in summer.  It rains sideways and the surf can be frightening.  There's a river in Thingvellir National Park where you can see the continental rift at the bottom.  There are 32 active volcanoes.  The island is made of them.  There's over 250 named glaciers.  There are so many waterfalls that no one knows how many there are.  Some estimates are as high as 10,000.  The northern lights are visible over 200 days a year.





Iceland is alive.  If you plan to travel there, you should be acutely aware of that and prepared for what may come.  The Blue Lagoon is the thermal spa of volcanic origin and one of the largest tourist attractions in the country.  It's closed now, because a fissure opened up down the road.  It happens.  Will it be safe to travel to Iceland in January?  Probably.  People have lived there for hundreds and hundreds of years.  They're fine.








I feel for the people of Grindavik.  I can't imagine what it's like to have to pick up and leave your home because the land up the road is erupting.  I hope it calms down and they can all return home soon.


The one thing that I wanted to point out with this post was that in Iceland these things happen.  It isn't scary.  It normally isn't catastrophic.  It's more or less inconvenient.  Unless something far worse happens, tourism in Iceland is going to continue.  There's normally magma somewhere around the country.  This one just happened to make the headlines.  Volcanologists monitor the country constantly.  They try to predict the activity, but Mother Nature can be unpredictable.


May the magma slow down and stop soon.


Please don't count out Iceland as a place where you can visit, see amazing nature and enjoy!


https://www.youtube.com/@JustIcelandic



https://old.icelandnaturally.com/


https://www.visiticeland.com/


https://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/volcanic-eruptions//


https://www.flyplay.com/en?origin=SWF






 

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Tuesday, December 12, 2023

An Asian Fast Five for Week of December 11th!






 1.    A Luang Say Luxury Cruise down the Mekong River!  This gem is a two day cruise with a stop at the company's luxury Luang Say Lodge for the overnight.  This cruise begins in Huay Xai (Houei Sai) and ends in Luang Prabang the following day.  The experience is one of a kind.  You visit traditional Lao villages, cave temples and eat traditional local food.  The accommodations are second to none and the experience is something you'll remember for a lifetime.  Booking ahead of course is required.  This is a luxury cruise!








2.    The Tianyu Mountain Escalator, Tianyu Mountain Chun'an County, Zhejiang Province, China.   Leave it to the Chinese I say.  Most of us like to go out and hike up a mountain for a view.  Maybe in Meteora you might take a discreet elevator just because it's impossible to climb up there.  But in China, they've taken accessible to another level.  The mountain is 350 meters high.  It's steep and rugged and difficult to hike the 3 km to the top.  So, now you can take an escalator the first 120 meters and cut off almost half the hike, or you can stop there and still have a great viewpoint.  Keep in mind, this escalator cost $1.4 billion to erect, so let's make good use of it.  Only in China, but nevertheless a one of a kind experience.
















3.    It's known as Bua Tong the Sticky Waterfalls, Sri Lanna National Forest, Mae Ho Phra, Thailand.  Really, it's in the northern part of the country not that far from Chiang Mai.  This is something that will add true adventure to a trip to Chiang Mai, because it's not well publicized in the tourist arena.  Most people hear about it from locals.  There's a mineral deposit that built up on the falls of virtually unknown origin to the locals which doesn't allow sticky algae and other stuff to grow on the falls.  The mineral deposit allows a lot of grip and makes it so you can climb right up a cascading waterfall.  I've not heard about anywhere else quite like it, so don't miss it if in northern Thailand!
















4.    Pak Ou Caves Temple, Mekong River, Laos.  Let me start by saying that if you take the Luang Say Mekong Luxury Cruise, you'll already be scheduled to visit this site.  That being said, if you don't take the cruise, you can still visit the temples.  Pak Ou is a set of two caves used as elaborate Buddha Temples and today are an amazing attraction.  You can take a tour out of local towns to visit, or you can take the cruise.  Cave temples do exist around the world, but there are only so many, and it's amazing to see how peoples turned caves into religious sites.















5.  The Fire Breathing Dragon Bridge, Danang, Vietnam.  It looks like a dragon, it lights up at night, and it breathes fire.  This one of a kind bridge is a hot spot in Danang.  If you happen to be visiting the city or area, you need to stop by.  Bridges are works of art in many places and in several they are the most famous landmarks.  The bridge in Danang is no different, and it's a must see!








Well, they are all in Asia, but I couldn't help myself.  These are just a few local and additional things you can do while traveling in these areas.  You'll find that I link TripAdvisor, GetYourGuide, and Atlas Obscura regularly.  These are some of the best travel info and tours out there and they work all around the world.  I don't necessarily get my ideas there, but I do research them there.  Other good sources of research are Viator, Tours by Locals, and each country's travel website.  What can I say?  When traveling, look for the little thing that's happening where you are that may just add a special memory to your trip.  Ask a local, find a hidden gem and enjoy!

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Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Found a Little Gem in Port Jefferson, Long Island!



 


It's the 27th Annual Charles Dickens Festival!  


Welcome to Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York.  You know, the ferry terminal that saves you hours of driving to get to the Hamptons from Connecticut.  It's a historic little burg, at least the seaside village part is.  It's one of the cutest small towns you'll ever see.  It's got dunes and beaches, historic buildings, good food, nice people, and a great little micro brewery.  Many times I've hopped the ferry because I like to ride boats, but refuse to own one other than my kayak, in the summer.  I even hopped it once for my birthday, because it was a particularly nice fall day.






So, what happens when it gets cold in a seaside beach and marina town in the winter?  I guess they weren't sure either.  What they did was decide that they should enjoy the holiday season, so they created the only Charles Dickens Festival I've ever heard of.  It runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend in December every year.  The whole town reverts back to Victorian Times like it's the 1850's.  The locals and many of the visitors dress the part in some of the most fabulous Victorian clothes you'll see anywhere.  They have blacksmith's and bagpipe bands, choirs and harpists.  There's something everywhere you go, whether it be a magician, horse and wagon rides, dance groups or one of the several versions of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.


They do the original radio version.  They also do the traditional A Christmas Carol and at least one other version in the Scrooge adaptation.  A personal note; you will run into Marley's ghost and all the Christmas ghosts at some point as you walk around town.  They are busy actors portraying these iconic characters in several performances throughout the weekend.








There's something for everyone however.  There are more modern activities going on as well.  The dance troupes are the local kids from the dance school doing all kinds of dancing from tap to high kicking can can.  There's a beautiful tree show at the visitor's building along with a number of other activities and the radio version of A Christmas Carol.  There's lots of food and shopping as well, just like there always is in Port Jefferson.  There's a huge craft show and sale.  There's just a lot to do, but the atmosphere with the people everywhere in period garb is inspirational to say the least.








So, what to do at the holidays?  Well, if you don't mind a crowded Bridgeport to Port Jefferson Ferry, I highly recommend checking out the Charles Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson.  Whether you want some great pub food served to you by an old time looking waitress, or you'd like to toast your own marshmallows, it's a fun time and I hope I get to go back again next year!


Some words to the wise.  Don't take your car!  This festival takes place entirely in the historic village of Port Jefferson.  The traffic is congested during the festival more than normal with people in giant hats and dresses everywhere.  Check out where to park your car in Bridgeport before you go.  We nearly missed the ferry because some of the options have changed recently.  Look for the young teenagers dressed in period clothing when you get off the ferry, because they have maps and programs and will save you a trip to the tourist center.


This is one of the better ways I've spent my time during the season.  I relaxed for the day and had a great time.  Look for this festival, take the time to enjoy getting your Dicken's geek on and enjoy!


https://www.charlesdickensinfo.com/


https://portjeff.com/dickens/


https://www.facebook.com/PortJeffDickensFest/


https://www.gpjac.org/events/27th-annual-charles-dickens-festival


https://www.88844ferry.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAsburBhCIARIsAExmsu7mn9FDpXhHkKN9hbo5mcBOzq5F9Ujc82m7zuCI7nmFJ3cDOvkJQngaAk2dEALw_wcB


https://www.longisland.com/guide-to-port-jefferson.html


https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g48430-Activities-Port_Jefferson_Long_Island_New_York.html


https://www.getawaymavens.com/port-jefferson-ny-getaway/


https://portjeff.com/restaurants-eateries/


https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-port-jefferson-village-historic-district


https://www.danfords.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAsburBhCIARIsAExmsu5RWSOjANxMWCsoWv3lFeJpJGMwybq9D5XoXjPdpqK9MGDyxQAe15waAu2sEALw_wcB


https://www.snagaslip.com/north-east/new-york-marinas/port-jefferson-launch-and-moorings

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