Unique Eats and Eateries of Connecticut

Book excerpt: From hot dogs to haute cuisine, Connecticut boasts an impressive array of tempting delicacies for every taste and budget. Hot, buttered lobster rolls, steamed cheeseburgers, and coal-fired New Haven-style pizza are just a few of the delights that await adventurous foodies in the Nutmeg State. With Unique Eats and Eateries of Connecticut as your guide, you’ll find a new place to try on every page and get the stories behind the food too. Bask in the warmth of the Connecticut shore at Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, where three generations of the Mears family have slow-steamed and served lobsters on sunny picnic tables along the waterfront. Find out how O’Rourke’s Diner in Middletown was supported by its community and the Wesleyan students who love it after a devastating fire threatened to put them out of business in 2006. Get a taste of Yale life at the high-ceilinged Union League Café, where Chef JeanPierre Vuillermet wows diners with his ever-changing French brasserie menu. And if you love reading and eating, be sure to learn about the free book with your meal at Traveler Restaurant. Local writer Mike Urban takes you on a tour around this culinary wonderland to explore eats and eateries that are both familiar and exotic. Come along on this fascinating tour of Connecticut’s most unique, unusual, and enjoyable food spots where there’s a delightful culinary revelation around every corner.