Reviews

	Title	Issue
	Basta, New Haven Basta is right around the corner from Claire’s Corner Copia. That’s all the directions you’re likely to need in New Haven, where Claire’s has long been an institution. Remove it and the corner of Chapel and College might cave in. by Elise Maclay	December 2009
	O'Porto, Hartford Years ago, David and I racketed around Portugal in a cute little rented car, falling in love with the country, the people, the food and each other. Dining at O’Porto in Hartford recently, I was reminded that the bold, earthy, sea-splashed food of Portugal is a distinctive cuisine in and of itself, not to be confused with or lumped in with that of Spain. by Elise Maclay	November 2009
	Lolita, Greenwich Want to spark a Mexican revolution? Rave about or deride a Mexican restaurant. At the drop of a sombrero, everybody and his or her mamacita weighs in with fiercely held opinions. “Authentic” versus “new”—both have their charm. by Elise Maclay	November 2009
	Bosc Kitchen & Wine Bar, Avon Bosc Kitchen & Wine Bar is ensconced in an antique farmhouse in the center of Riverdale Farms, a small shopping complex so low-key and beautifully landscaped it’s easy to drive right by the entrance even as your GPS insists you are already there. We did just that, doubled back and found what we were looking for by Elise Maclay	October 2009
	Sarah's Wine Bar, Ridgefield For a decade, Bernard’s in Ridgefield has been a shimmering example of fine dining at its finest, showcasing the considerable talents of its French chef-owner, Bernard Bouissou. I love the silver, the serenity, the fresh flowers, the foie gras, and hope this special-occasion restaurant stays as special as it is forever. by Elise Maclay	October 2009
	Chao Chao, Sandy Hook When it comes to food sophistication, there are no hinterlands anymore, culinary terms and exotic ingredients are common parlance and sushi is the new pizza. Discriminating gourmets live, work, cook, and would like to dine out, in every nook and cranny of the state. Resourceful chefs and restaurateurs are moving out to meet the demand. In short, country dining is heating up, and Chao Chao in Sandy Hook is an exciting example. by Elise Maclay	September 2009
	Trattoria da Lepri, Ellington When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Good advice. But where? When Pastis in Hartford closed, its talented chef, Frank Lepri, chose a bucolic corner of Connecticut to activate plan B. by Elise Maclay	September 2009
	Outriggers Restaurant, Stratford Connecticut’s wandering shoreline is full of surprises, and Outriggers is one. With a boatyard to starboard and a marine supply store to port, it looks like a neatly painted storage shed. Enter and find a window-walled dining room, an open-air deck, and an unimpeded view of a saltwater harbor crammed with pleasure craft—sailboats, stinkpots, spiffy sportfishing boats with chrome superstructures catching the light.No commercial harbor this; these boats are here for fun. by Elise Maclay	August 2009
	Dog Watch Café, Stonington Blue-water sailors, cruising yachtsmen and itinerant crew drink elbow to elbow at Stonington’s new Dog Watch Café as if it had been there forever. After all, they’ve been fetching up at convivial little watering holes just like it in the Caribbean, the Balearics and the Greek Isles for years. In fact, co-owner Clay Burkhalter got the idea for Dog Watch at a sailors’ bar in the Azores, during a layover in the 2007 minitransit race from France to Brazil. Burkhalter, single-handing a 21-footer called Arcadia, placed 12th out of 87 boats—the fifth American ever to even finish. Before the race, Burkhalter, who grew up in Stonington, says that he and his eventual co-owner David Eck joked about opening a sailors’ bar in Stonington “if I made it to Brazil and was not lost at sea.” by Elise Maclay	August 2009
	Roger Sherman Inn, New Canaan I love the Roger Sherman Inn for sentimental reasons and I return to it now and again as one might revisit an old friend, not only to reminisce but also to catch up on what's new. Over the years, changes have been gradual and respectful, which is as it should be, for this is a grand old inn with a grand old history. By: Elise Maclay	June 2009