Stop, you're drooling.

I turned Not Thirty on July 9. (The last year I can legitimately say that.) Yes, I’m another year older, another year wiser, and now in possession of a brand-new Canon Rebel DSLR camera, a birthday present from my fantastic husband. The gift came just in time for our long weekend in Ogunquit, Maine – a seafood lover’s paradise.

For the past three summers, our first-night dinner spot has been Black Sushi House, located in the center of town. We were first tipped off to Black by way of a frantic text message from our foodie friends, vacationing there three weeks before us in July of 2008. The photo they sent was of a maki roll absolutely smothered in lobster meat. Suddenly, our pizza dinner didn’t look so hot after all.

This is Black’s “Lobster x 2″ roll, a lobster and avocado roll topped with baked lobster and crab with lobster roe, eel sauce and green onion. It is one of the most amazing things I’ve eaten in my 29 years on this earth.

Before we get to this lobster behemoth, let’s talk more about Black. It opened in 2007, with the intent of “filling the need for a top-tier sushi restaurant in the southern Maine area,” according to its website. Since then, it’s received popular press accolades, most recently from Down East magazine.

Black is a tiny yet very sleek and modern eatery, decorated in black and silver accents with beautiful phaleanopsis orchid plants in the street-facing windows. The tables seat maybe 20 guests at most. (There are a few tables on an outdoor patio, and several seats at the sushi bar.) It’s intimate and serene enough that I felt like a jackass when I pulled out my new, flashy camera. But these sushi creations deserved the fancier lens.

The restaurant is BYOB, which allowed us to bring a chilled bottle of my summer-of-2010 white wine obsession, Martín Códax Albariño.

We started with the oyster shooters, of which we downed about 20 (pre- and post-dinner) last year with our foodie friends. Sadly, they couldn’t join us this year, so we stuck to a half-dozen for the two of us. There was no mistaking the freshness of these huge oysters, but the complicated blend of ponzu, caviar, green onion and sriracha just overwhelmed the bivalves. (I’m someone that likes raw oysters with just a few drops of lemon.)

The lobster x 2 was a given, so we picked out two other rolls to share. Black’s  Sweet Jesus roll, with escolar, shiso leaf, lemon, avocado and citrus tobiko, was so refreshing and clean that it almost served as a palate cleanser in itself. The Mango Madness roll – with spicy tuna, fresh mango, avocado and asparagus – perfectly blended sweet, spicy and fresh. Far from the haphazard tuna mash you’ll see at inferior sushi places, this roll uses whole pieces of fresh tuna drizzled with a light coating of spicy mayonnaise. Pieces so big, in fact, that the tuna dangled out of the end of the roll.

Mango madness roll

But we’d come for the flagship, the pinnacle, the zenith, the you’ve-never-seen-anything-like-it menu item. And it was bigger and better than ever.

When the Lobster x 2 roll was delivered to our table, I almost fell off my chair. Resting on top of the maki were FOUR huge pieces of claw meat, baked and tossed in a light, spicy sauce. With an explosion of flavors, textures and temperatures, it was almost an embarrassment of riches, and certainly something you’d expect to pay more than $20 to sample.

Do yourself a favor, and take a night off from the clam shack – or the overpriced “new-American” bistros. Treat your tastebuds to something truly amazing.

En route to Santorini, visions of feta and melitzanosalata danced in my head next to images of whitewashed buildings and spectacular sunsets. And on the plane to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, I pictured flowing rum punches and fresh seafood on sugar-white beaches with clear aqua waters. The beautiful Caribbean island did not disappoint on either end. But like any savvy traveler will tell you, the little dives serve up much better eats than the expensive – and frankly, mediocre – fancy tourist traps.

Signature dishes you’ll find on nearly every Turks & Caicos restaurant menu: conch everything (cracked, frittered, curried, sauteed, salad,  red and white chowder); colorful punch made with the local Bambarra rum, fresh fruit like mango and pineapple, grouper, snapper and local Caicos lobster. Elements of Jamaican cuisine show up frequently, too – jerk seasoning, peas and rice, oxtail.

You could spend your entire visit sampling local delicacies, but there’s plenty of “familiar” cuisine, too. Providenciales (Provo) has sandwich shops, a Thai restaurant, a couple of Italian pizzerias, top-notch sushi and even an Irish pub.

Here’s a list of our favorite eats and eateries on Providenciales…

Da Conch Shack and Rum Bar: It truly is a “shack” but it serves up the freshest seafood on the island. Employees at the beachfront restaurant wade into the water and gather conch shells, just mere feet from the outdoor tables. In a matter of minutes, that conch is on your plate:  cracked (pounded and lightly fried), sauteed, stewed or marinated in a ceviche-type salad.

We tried the fritters, crispy and savory bundles of seasoned batter studded with onion, green pepper and plenty of sweet conch meat. They were served with a remoulade-type dipping sauce. Though they were deep fried, they were surprisingly light – and we finished them off despite vowing to take half home.

Equally delicious: the spicy, creamy curried conch dish, served with tasty peas and rice and a block of comforting mac and cheese. We washed the food down with rum punch and the local brew, Turks Head ale.

Two things you must bring to Da Conch Shack besides your appetite: flip flops, for a pre-  or post-meal walk on the beach, and cash.

Horse Eyed Jack’s: This restaurant shares the same stretch of beach as Da Conch Shack, so the surroundings are just as beautiful. And in my nonscientific survey of the island’s best rum punch recipes, they boast the best. Excellent place for a leisurely lunch on a gorgeous day.

Rob tried the restaurant’s jerk platter: a heaping plate of seasoned chicken, pork and shrimp with sides of potato salad, carrot-raisin salad, greens and peas and rice. “It’s like an awesome backyard barbecue,” he said.

Yoshi’s: This Japanese spot was on our pre-trip list for two reasons: Rob and I and my brother Brendan and his girlfriend are sushi buffs, and Yoshi is the name of my brother’s unbelievably adorable mini-lop rabbit. Meet Yoshi the bunny. Yoshi’s the restaurant serves a dizzying array of special sushi rolls, teriyaki and tempura dishes and the fanciest of steaks: Wagyu beef. We tried rolls made with spicy tuna, local lobster – and conch, of course.

Vino Tiempo: Yup, I’m a sucker for swanky wine and tapas bars, and this one, in the heart of the downtown shopping area, was no exception. I was a little disturbed that we were the only two people dining there for the first hour of our visit, but the wine was excellent (despite $12 glass prices) and the small plates were delectable. To go with our Chilean sauvignon blanc and syrah, we chose oxtail spring rolls (served in a cigar box), South Caicos lobster patties with Thai yellow curry, sirloin kabobs, a tandoori tuna flatbread and a cheese platter. The pizza was the clear winner, made with slices of seared rare tuna, artichokes and red onions on a fluffy, chewy crust much more reminiscent of Boboli than pita. And one of the cheeses, crusted with candied papaya, was straight-up addictive.

Danny Buoy’s: So we didn’t really try anything beyond potato skins and Guinness, but it was a lot of fun to belly up to the bar at this island Irish pub on March 17 wearing a tank top and sandals. (I didn’t bring any green clothing with me, but I think my sunburn proved my Irish heritage.) Though we were a bit early for the evening’s huge party, we still got plastic hats and green beer out of the deal. And it’s always fun to be around my über-Irish father on “Saaaaaint Patty’s Day.” No joke, this holiday is his jam, even if he was less than thrilled with the DJ’s repetition of the “Unicorn Song.” (In Boston, it’d be all about the Dropkick Murphys.)

Pizza Pizza La Terrazza: We were exhausted from sun and fun Tuesday night, so we ordered pizza and watched “American Idol.” Having had what passes for pizza in other countries (and other states, if we’re being honest) I was skeptical. But our brick-oven margherita pie was surprisingly great, with perfect fresh basil notes and an excellent tomato sauce. Maybe it could have used a little more mozzarella. It wouldn’t rival anything out of New Haven, but it was far beyond your average ‘vacation pizza.’ Unless you vacation in Naples.

And now for some gratuitous beach shots:

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.

Fresh Alaskan oysters

First, let’s talk about Worcester’s best sushi, Baba. Despite my initial annoyance with the host (no, we don’t have a reservation, it’s 4:45 p.m.!) the meal was as cleanly beautiful as I’d expected it to be. We started the meal with eight oysters dressed simply with a wash of Tabasco-infused lemon juice and garnished with thin scallions and black caviar. The oysters were fat and meaty. Our waiter couldn’t remember their official name off the top of his head, but told us they were Alaskan.

We then moved on to Baba’s special rolls, which are so creatively crafted with unique ingredients that having to choose two or three could lead you to full-on existential crisis mode. My brother’s favorite, for example, the Godzilla Roll, incorporates spicy tuna with banana tempura. Another blends lobster tempura, avocado and shrimp drizzled with light peanut butter sauce.

Sushi Sandwich

From this list, we chose the Crown Maki (lobster tempura, Alaskan king crab, avocado and caviar wrapped in pink soybean paper) and the Sushi Sandwich (slices of tuna and salmon stacked with nori and rice to look like a club sandwich.) Gorgeous presentation on both fronts. The Crown Maki suffered from none of the overfried gloppiness of lesser ‘special rolls’ – the lobster was delicately crusted and mixed beautifully with the sweet flakes of crab and creamy avocado. The Sushi Sandwich’s construction allowed us to appreciate the freshness of tuna and salmon layers.  A-plus, Baba. We’ll be back as soon as we can. And thanks again to my brother Brendan, an unofficial Baba VIP, for the gift.

At my reunion, I came to the realization that I was surrounded by foodie friends. I was fortunate enough to finally try a creation by my friend Mara, a phenomenal pastry chef at Worcester’s Bean Counter bakery. My friend Peter is a rising-star manager with Niche Hospitality Group, the restaurant group responsible for Wootown’s hottest new eateries. Out in San Francisco, our classmate Kate runs a side catering business in addition to her demanding full-time nursing job. Perhaps we need to hold a summit at some point in the near future? Preferably over Dungeness crab?

Crown maki with lobster tempura

Post-reunion, we met up at The Citizen, a fantastic, trendy little wine bar (Peter is a manager there.) While we were too late for The Citizen’s food offerings (cheese plates, panini, artisan chocolate, fondue) we tried out some of the specialty drinks, including champagne cocktails made with blueberries and maple syrup and martinis with rye, red zinfandel and absinthe rinse. I’m making a trip back to The Citizen as soon as humanely (or financially) possible. That’s an open invite, by the way.

This was about the time my husband decided he was so hungry he could have eaten one of the lounge pillows at our table,  so we hightailed it back to the hotel to order some pizza. As the helpful front-desk clerks handed us take-out menus for Golden Pizza and Fresh Way Pizza, I was instantly transported back to Thursday nights at Assumption College. At least it wasn’t Domino’s.

The next morning, I combated a fierce headache and exhaustion the best way I know how – Dunkin’ Donuts. Since it was close to 70 degrees outside, I made my coffee iced and wolfed down a turkey-sausage egg-white flatbread sandwich. We ordered hash browns on the side, which was a nice touch. Never, ever underestimate the restorative power of Dunks. It’s your friend.

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:

• Fried cheese saganaki. An appetizer at our favorite taverna in Fira, Nikolas. A rectangular block of cheese
  

  I might never eat a mozzarella stick again

  (possibly kasseri), battered lightly with what could have been egg white and then fried in sunflower oil. Served simply with a sprinkle of herbs and lemon wedges on the side. Hot, crispy and salty. After one bite, my eyes rolled so far back in my head that I worried I’d never see clearly again. Sublime.

• Santorinian cherry tomatoes. Born from the volcanic soil that nourishes Santorini’s most quintessential produce and wines, these tiny tomatoes are literally bursting with flavor. We tried them in pasta dishes, on top of pizza, sauteed with olive oil and local wine in an octopus appetizer and pressed with onions and herbs into tomatokeftedes, or ‘fried tomato balls’ – another local specialty, similar in shape and texture to potato latkes.
• Boat-to-table fresh seafood. Unless you’re a complete seafood-phobe, you can’t possibly skip the fruits of the Aegean Sea. We sampled octopus in several forms and I tried cuttlefish over rice, but our favorite fresh-fish experience by far was at Dimitris Ammoudi Taverna, a dockside restaurant serving fish literally off the boats. Fish and shellfish were sold by the kilo, and our helpful waitress invited us into the kitchen to choose our dinner.
  

  Beats staring out the window at I-84

  We selected a sizable piece of grouper from the display case and it came to us grilled with a delectable blend of olive oil, lemon and herbs. We dined as the blazing sun set over Ammoudi Bay,  waves lapping against the dock just three feet away.

• Onboard dining. One of our favorite memories from the  trip was a five-hour catamaran tour, complete with (of course) dinner and drinks. After enjoying glasses of local white wine and three swimming stops, we and the four other couples sat down to a family-style home-cooked dinner of grilled octopus and prawns, barbecued pork and chicken, fresh Greek salad, stewed vegetables, tzatziki, eggplant dip, pasta salad and bread. The food was incredible and the vibe was fun and communal. Later, as the sun set, one of the couples got engaged.

The captain's assistant told us he would 'kill someone' for the eggplant dip.

• Desserts. I’ve never been the biggest fan of baklava, probably because most versions I’ve had have been so drenched in honey/syrup that I can practically feel my blood sugar rising. But all preconceptions of this dessert went out the window when I tried a piece at the aforementioned Nikolas Taverna. The layers of phyllo were crispy, the nuts were crunchy and the syrup highlighted both elements without being disgustingly saccharine.  The best part of the dessert was the topping sprinkle of meaty, salty local pistachios. As I’m immediately drawn to the marriage of sweet and salt (hello, chocolate-covered bacon!), those sealed the deal. At a Cypriot restaurant in Oia, we tried a cream-cheese based dessert, the name of which now completely escapes me. But it was topped with honey-soaked shredded wheat and the same fabulous pistachios.

• Gyros. Cheapest and most filling lunch ever. Pork roasted on an upright, rotating spit is shaved and piled on top of a thick, warm char-grilled pita spread with cold yogurt sauce and topped with tomato and onion. The gyros we bought in Oia were stuffed with big, thick wedge fries. Remember again how I love the carbs.
  

  Bundles of deliciousness

• Bread and dipping oils/sauces. Save for the glorious fresh-baked baguettes at our hotel, we didn’t have any truly remarkable bread to start our meals. But that didn’t stop us from soaking every crumb in great olive oil and vinegar or spreading pieces of doughy goodness with tzatziki, melitzanosalata (eggplant dip) and sun-dried tomato or olive tapenade.
• Fresh pasta. Earlier Santorini pasta experiences – orzo with garlic, seafood ravioli, linguine with prosciutto and tomato, pastisio – these all paled in comparison to our farewell meal at our hotel, the Santorini Princess. I ordered fresh-made tortellini stuffed with pear and mozzarella cheese, tossed in a basil pesto sauce. You’ll hardly catch me eating fresh pear at home, but  the combination of the fruit’s cool sweetness  mixed with creamy mozzarella and pungent basil was out of this world.  Leftovers served as my farewell breakfast the following morning, too.
  

  Outdoor patio tasting at Domaine Sigalas

• Wine. Santorini’s local wine is as good as you’ll find anywhere else. There’s even an entire museum dedicated to the island’s rich history of winemaking. The island is known mostly for its varieties of white wine, most made from the indigenous assyrtiko grape. Santorini winemakers cultivate vines in low-to-the-ground baskets shaped like crowns. This method protects the vines  from high winds and makes it easier for the grapes to collect morning dew, as that can be the only moisture source at times. (It must be pretty sweet to live in a place where rain is an anomaly.) We visited two wineries, Boutari and Domaine Sigalas, and tasted a full range of whites, reds and sweet dessert wines. While dining out, we found that it was so much cheaper to order a half-liter or full liter of local wine, rather than imported wines by the glass or mixed drinks.

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!