Restaurants Near Here

As some of you might know, I enjoy watching cooking shows, and the reason for that is because I enjoy seeing what the contestants on them make, and thinking about if I would ever want to try anything that they make on the shows. What you probably don’t know is that some of the contestants on these shows are from the area and have restaurants in the area as well. In this blog post, I will be talking about some of these restaurants, and going over the most intriguing items on their menus, in hopes that it will encourage all of you reading to go check them out.

The first restaurant comes to us from South Norwalk. It’s called The Spread, and it features a lot of delicious sounding food on its menu. These include a fish taco, veal ricotta meatballs, a shrimp and chorizo chowder, Maryland crab cakes, ricotta gnocchi, pan seared scallops, a Kobe burger, orecchiette, which is a type of pasta, and a seared filet mignon that also comes with potato gnocchi.

The next restaurant is Iron & Wine Restaurant in Patterson, New York on Route 22. Some of the standout food on its menu is the crispy calamari with marinara sauce, the piri piri macaroni and cheese, the truffle fries, the potato and manchego croquettes, the short rib arepas, the patatas bravas, the toasted coconut crab cakes, the beef Wellington empanadas, the Philly cheese steak, the buratta flatbread, the cheesy birria tacos, the shrimp and saffron risotto, the steak frites, the house churros, the fresh zeppole, the Oreo tiramisu, the coconut flan, and the Samoa hot donuts.

The next restaurant is Millwright’s Restaurant in Simsbury, Connecticut. Some of the standout food on its menu is the butternut squash soup, the chicken and dumplings, the ricotta ravioli, the scallops, the Millwright’s burger, the lamb shepherd’s pie, the BBQ short rib, the New York strip, the lemon pistachio macaron, the chocolate espresso cake, the banana sticky toffee pudding, and a trio of ice cream flavors, which are chai tea, cherry mascarpone, and chocolate.

The next restaurant is Rowayton Seafood in Rowayton, Connecticut, which is on the border of Darien and Norwalk. Some of the standout food on its menu is the New England clam chowder, the lobster bisque, the lobster and shrimp spring rolls, the sautéed crab cake, the pork and shrimp bao buns, the popcorn shrimp, the fried Montauk calamari, the shakshuka, which is eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onions, garlic, and and spiced with cumin, paprika, and cayenne, the dry aged New York strip, the RS burger, the fish & chips, the braised short ribs, the lobster roll, the cioppino, which is an Italian fish soup, the flourless chocolate molten cake, the key lime pie, the pumpkin cheesecake, the blueberry pie, the apple crumb pie, and the chocolate chip cookie Ala mode. 

The next restaurant is Fire at the Ridge at Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort in Middlefield, Connecticut. Some of the standout food on its menu is the clam chowder, the Margherita pizza, the steak tacos, the baked macaroni and cheese, the ricotta meatballs, the crab cakes, the fried chicken cutlet sandwich, the short rib grilled cheese sandwich, the ridgeside burger, the prime ribeye, the filet mignon, the fish & chips, the chicken pot pie, the pan seared pork chop, the braised short ribs, the wild mushroom ravioli, the lava molten cake, the apple crisp, the tableside s’mores, and the cheesecake.

The next restaurant is Ripe Kitchen & Bar in Mount Vernon, New York, which is a Caribbean restaurant. Some of the standout food on its menu is the jerk chicken quesadilla, the jerk ribeye steak, and the rasta pasta.

The next restaurant is The Copper Beech Inn in Essex, Connecticut. Some of the standout food on its menu is the crab cake, the beef tenderloin, the pan seared scallops, the beef bourguignon, the duck breast, the homemade potato gnocchi, the pumpkin spice panna cotta, the chocolate profiteroles, the apple tart, and the lemon tart. 

The next restaurant is Parkview House in Wallkill, New York, which is in Orange County. Some of the standout food on its menu is the fried calamari, the pan seared crab cakes, the loaded potato skins, the Bavarian pretzel sticks, the jalapeno poppers, the mozzarella sticks, the chicken fingers, the macaroni and cheese, the Parkview House burger, the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, the fish and chips, the filet and shrimp, the NY strip steak, the chocolate chip lava cake, the Oreo mousse cake, the tartufo, the cheesecake, and the tiramisu.

The next restaurant is Mondo Restaurant in Middletown, Connecticut. Some of the standout food on its menu is a meatball plate, the risotto fritters, the eggplant fries, the garlic bread pizzeta, the fried cheese, the Buffalo cauliflower, the chicken pesto panini, the fresh mozzarella panini, the roast beef panini, the parmigiana panini, the rigatoni bolognese, the baked chicken penne, the fresh mozzarella pizza, and the calzone.

The next restaurant is Taino Smokehouse in Middletown, Connecticut. Some of the standout food on its menu is the cheese fries, the fried pickle roulette, the barbecue egg rolls, the brisket Philly sandwich, the fried chicken, the Taino macaroni and cheese, the classic burger, the brisket, the Italian sausage, the pulled pork, the brownie brick, the jumbo cookie, the espresso spiked mousse, and the mixed berry shortcakes.

The next restaurant is Fire by Forge in Hartford, Connecticut. Some of the standout food on its menu is the wild mushroom empanadas, the fried green tomato, the biscuits, the onion soup, the NY strip steak, the grilled pork chop, the macaroni and cheese, the smash burger, the baked stuffed delicatta squash, the chicken skillet pot pie, the braised beef short ribs, the harvest vegetable risotto, the frozen citrus mousse, the pistachio creme brulee, the pumpkin tres leches, the affogato, and the apple crisp.

The next restaurant is The Drowned Lands in Warwick, New York. Some of the standout food on its menu is the onion soup, the cauliflower bisque, the shepherd’s pie, the sourdough pretzel, and the Margherita pizza. 

The last restaurant is a restaurant at Hotel Marcel in New Haven, Connecticut. Some of the standout food on its menu is the crab cake, the chorizo and ricotta galette, the lamb meatballs, the mushroom and potato croquettes, the stuffed winter squash, the fish and chips, the lasagna, the pan seared scallops, the sticky toffee pudding, the amaretto cheesecake, and the chocolate peppermint pot de creme. 

Overall, there are many amazing restaurants in the surrounding area, and you should go check them out and have some amazing food!