Bushnell Park
With less than 30 minutes of airtime, Adam Richman’s “Man v. Food” Connecticut culinary adventure took him from Hartford to Newington to Meriden to Manchester. That didn’t allow for much time for him to do anything but chow down.
But the Travel Channel’s website, among other fun extras, has a video called “A Side Of City,” in which Adam strolls through Bushnell Park and quizzes locals about the park’s famed vintage carousel, the Wadsworth Atheneum, the State Capitol and the Bushnell theater. The two-minute clip doesn’t begin to touch upon Hartford’s rich history and culture, but it’s much more than what aired on the TV episode.
(Someone remind me that I posted this next time I make a New England’s Shooting Star joke.)
I swear my graduating class was four times this size.
There’s no place like home, and few events evoke this feeling more than a high school reunion. I traveled up to my hometown of Worcester, Mass. this weekend to celebrate 10 years with my St. Peter-Marian classmates, but somehow my weekend still ended up being all about the food. Read the rest of this entry »
Hummus platter
My stomach is full and happy after lunch at Tapas, my favorite local Mediterranean place. This small Hartford-area chain has the freshest, tastiest Greek and Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, everything from phenomenal Greek salad with famous homemade dressing to gyros, souvlaki and spanakopita. I’ve been craving the light flavors of the Mediterranean since our trip to Greece.
We sampled a hummus platter, a build-it-yourself plate of feta, pesto, capers, tomatoes, hummus, olives, pepperoncini and onion served with warm, soft pita triangles. My dining companion tried the lunch special of tequila-lime grilled chicken, served with black beans, rice and guacamole. I went with my favorite mainstay, falafel in a toasted pita pocket. There’s something so satisfying about the blend of hearty, fresh-fried falafel, creamy tahini sauce and cool lettuce, tomato and onion.
I love you, falafel.
I wasn’t planning on drinking at lunch, but I took a quick look at the cocktail menu and my heart skipped a beat when I saw a Boutari Moschofilero on the wine list. We visited the Boutari winery in Santorini – the biggest one on the island – and thoroughly enjoyed our long tour and intense tasting session (the wine consultant asked us to score the wines and compare our results to professional ratings.) We had asked about the availability of Boutari in the U.S. and one of the managers said it was limited, but more readily found in larger cities and areas with large Greek populations. In other words, I didn’t expect to see it in Hartford.
But just my luck, the wine list was outdated, and no Boutari for me…
A first look at the Santorinian sunset.
Honeymoons are wonderful. They exist so that newly married couples can get away together, recover from the stress of planning a wedding, relax and get to know each other as husband and wife. And yes, that’s all well and good. But when you’re me, and traveling somewhere with phenomenal cuisine – it’s ALL about the meals.
My husband and I traveled to the Greek island of Santorini for 10 days and sampled some of the most spectacular food of our entire lives. Greek food itself is amazing – fresh, healthy and rich with flavor. But Santorinian cuisine takes it one step further with the inclusion of local produce, grown in the island’s unique volcanic soil. That same soil gives birth to the distinctive grapes that become Santorinian wines: among them assyritko (white) and vinsanto (sweet/dessert.)
On Santorini, there’s no shortage of good restaurants. But it took us a few days to realize that the caldera-facing eateries with outdoor terraces and unobstructed sunset views were pretty overpriced. Tavernas, small family-owned restaurants, offered incredible dishes at prices often lower than the cost of one mixed drink at their touristy counterparts.
Here’s a rundown of our favorite tastes of Santorini:
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I love my wine and I don't care who knows it.
Welcome to Fun With Carbs! This blog will chronicle my adventures with food – my home cooking projects and restaurant experiences, as well as dining news from around Connecticut and western Massachusetts.
Who am I? I’m a recovering newspaper journalist turned nascent food writer/ blogger, in the interest of doing what I love. Fun with Carbs pays homage to my absolute favorite food group. Bread is manna from heaven, quite literally. I love cheese, too. Sometimes too much.
This site would not be possible without the hard work, expertise and great humor of Jeanne Leblanc, she of Coach Class and Digital Media Cooperative fame. Thanks a million, Jeanne!
Leeanne Griffin is a freelance writer and food enthusiast.