Tasting Menu At The Mill at 2T

Back in October, I interviewed Kelleanne and Ryan Jones at their Tariffville restaurant, The Mill at 2T, for a feature story about restaurateurs’ reactions to amateur online reviews. (Read the final graf for their unusual “turn the tables” idea.)

While I was there, they gave me a copy of their Friday-night menu. I brought it home to show Rob, thinking nothing of it. (In fairness, I visit restaurants weekly for this job, and our house is littered with menus.) But this one struck him, and we vowed to return for dinner.

Well, we kept our promise in a big way. We decided to enjoy the full Mill experience, opting for the six-course tasting menu and wine pairings while watching all the action from the “chef’s counter” – a row of six seats providing an unobstructed view of the open kitchen.

And we’re so glad we did. Our plans were very nearly derailed when a server brought a massive pan-roasted filet mignon with cheddar fondue and toasted corn bread “croutons” to a table nearby. (It looked absolutely incredible.) But we stayed on course, and ended up with one of the most exciting meals of 2012 thus far.

Photos after the jump:

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May 20th, 2012 | | No Comments »

2012 Connecticut Wine Season: It’s On

Saltwater Farm Vineyard, Stonington

I’ve made no secret of my love for Connecticut’s farm wineries, which made this guide to the 2012 season so easy to write. There’s a lot going on this year, from new vintage releases to special food pairings, live music and alfresco dinners.

Pick up your 2012 passport at any of the 33 participating wineries. Visit at least 16 of them, have the book stamped at each location, and you’re eligible to win some sweet prizes. Each year, everyone guns for the grand prize: the two-week trip to Spain’s Costa del Sol.

I’ll see you on the trail.

 

May 8th, 2012 | | No Comments »

Thomas Hooker Brewery Watermelon Ale

This will forever and always be my quintessential summer beer.

April 23rd, 2012 | | 1 Comment »

Blue Heron, Sunderland

Have you ever gotten one bite into your first course at a new restaurant and immediately thought, “I can’t wait to come back here”?

That was my experience at the Blue Heron in Sunderland, Mass. last night, situated in a beautiful rural area just a few minutes from Amherst. It’s an inventive place, focused on local, organic and sustainably-raised ingredients. Though that’s nearly cliche these days, you can tell when a restaurant is truly dedicated to the cause. Just look at the long list of farms and purveyors from which they source. (And they’re also known for hosting actress Jane Lynch’s wedding in 2010!)

The menu is divided into bites/small plates and entrees. It took all my restraint (and thoughts of my recent tax payment to dear Uncle Sam) not to ask our server to just bring one of each.

Here’s a look at what we devoured, between our table of 3. I wish my photos were better. The food deserves it.

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April 22nd, 2012 | | 1 Comment »

Wine Marketing At Its Worst

  And here I thought Ed Hardy wine was ridiculous. But then I went into the liquor store and found these.

This line of wines from TXT Cellars is some of the saddest “millennial” marketing I’ve ever seen. Let’s brand a bunch of cheap wine with text-speak and see if it sells.

Even funnier/sadder are the notes accompanying the wines: WTF Pinot Noir, LMAO Pinot Grigio, LOL Riesling, OMG Chardonnay, GR8 Cabernet Sauvignon and CYA Shiraz. Each wine label is accompanied by three (!) exclamation points but I just couldn’t bring myself to type them out.

“Total acidity: No one really cares. Residual sugar: 30 g/l (that means it’s sweet.) Serving: Serve chilled from 42-46°F or throw ice in it. We really don’t care…This is wine geek talk. We don’t like wine geeks.”

My 1981 birthdate puts me right on the cusp of Generation X and Millennial, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to cling to the former.

April 21st, 2012 | | 3 Comments »
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