Day 1: Friday, Sept. 4 (Yes, this is about 3 weeks overdue and still not complete, but hey, something's better than nothing)
With a sigh and shrug we bid the long, rainy summer of 2009 good-bye. I overheard in the elevator at work the other day that we only had three rainless weekends this summer. Take that, Seattle! (Yes, New Yorkers are competitive about everything) No wonder my doctor diagnosed me with a vitamin D deficiency. Thankfully, the Man upstairs cut us a break, gifting us a rain-free, extended Labor Day weekend. So armed with GPS and a roll of Tums, Trish and I packed up the mini-van for a weekend in Mystic, CT for some much needed relaxation and to break every Kosher dietary law. Sure, Mystic boasts tons of cool historic sites, a newly renovated aquarium and miles of scenic coastline, but this trip was all about the lobster (and crab, and shell fish, and…well, you get the idea).
The first stop on our gastric tour of the northeast was Abbott’s in the Rough for hot lobster roll and lobster bisque. This was one of the higher rated seafood shacks on roadfoad.com, so we decided to check it out. There’s nothing like freshly caught and steamed, hot, buttered lobster. Although I must admit the hamburger bun presentation seemed a bit trailer-trash even for this rustic setting. And talk about being “off the beaten path” - we’re talking no street signs. Thank God for GPS. Oh well, the view (see me gorging my yap bayside above), the bisque and the weather were worth the all the wrong turns and dead ends.
After finding our way back to downtown Mystic, we parked and decided to stroll. The main strip is basically a two-block tourist trap lined with storefronts hocking over-priced mermaid paraphernalia. Seriously, without Julia Roberts, Mystic Pizza would be just another run-down pizza joint. It’s not that I expected any different, but you can find way more interesting shops and food on any street in the East Village. Though I must admit, the hunky mer-men Christmas ornaments with torsos matching each of the Village People’s occupations were nearly too kitschy to pass up. But alas, even $25 seemed too much to pay for a glittery Indian chief mer-man. We instead opted for dessert at famous Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream. Luckily, once you head off the main drag, the sea air and quaint, Norman Rockwell-esque clapboard homes lining the side streets make you forget the tourist squalor.
Hoping for more interesting retail options, we headed to Olde Mistick Village. What a disappointment. The paltry offerings included a general store, the requisite fudge and chocolate stores and some unimpressive theme shops. The one hidden gem in this pile of zirconium? Bleu Squid, a quaint bake shop/café offering handmade artisanal cheeses and homemade breads. Yum. Trish and I grabbed a freshly baked cheddar loaf and cranberry-infused cheese for an easy and cheap breakfast option for the remainder of our trip. Did I mention they sell icing shots? Yes, you read correctly, icing shots. Is that brilliant or what? They fill those tiny white cups that restaurants usually use for condiments with different flavors of cupcake icing. I might have to send this one in to Oprah for consideration on her “My Favorite Things” episode.
Trish and I are definitely food masochists. Because after finally checking into the hotel (yes, all of the above happened before ever setting foot in the lovely Holiday Inn in New London) and a brief power nap, Trish and I donned our elastic waist pants and headed to Foxwoods Casino for - wait for it - their all-you-can-eat buffet! We strategically planned to arrive at the casino around 9:30-ish in order to avoid the dinner rush and leave us a solid three hours to graze (the buffet stays open until midnight). Well, the buffet was just as nasty and wonderful as expected. Imagine an endless horizon of brown, gray and tan piles of steaming flesh and carbs. No vegetables allowed at this party, thank you very much. But the highlight of the buffet and main reason behind its $20 price tag is the seafood bar. There is nothing quite as disturbing as watching someone attack a pile of steamed crab legs.
With a sigh and shrug we bid the long, rainy summer of 2009 good-bye. I overheard in the elevator at work the other day that we only had three rainless weekends this summer. Take that, Seattle! (Yes, New Yorkers are competitive about everything) No wonder my doctor diagnosed me with a vitamin D deficiency. Thankfully, the Man upstairs cut us a break, gifting us a rain-free, extended Labor Day weekend. So armed with GPS and a roll of Tums, Trish and I packed up the mini-van for a weekend in Mystic, CT for some much needed relaxation and to break every Kosher dietary law. Sure, Mystic boasts tons of cool historic sites, a newly renovated aquarium and miles of scenic coastline, but this trip was all about the lobster (and crab, and shell fish, and…well, you get the idea).
The first stop on our gastric tour of the northeast was Abbott’s in the Rough for hot lobster roll and lobster bisque. This was one of the higher rated seafood shacks on roadfoad.com, so we decided to check it out. There’s nothing like freshly caught and steamed, hot, buttered lobster. Although I must admit the hamburger bun presentation seemed a bit trailer-trash even for this rustic setting. And talk about being “off the beaten path” - we’re talking no street signs. Thank God for GPS. Oh well, the view (see me gorging my yap bayside above), the bisque and the weather were worth the all the wrong turns and dead ends.After finding our way back to downtown Mystic, we parked and decided to stroll. The main strip is basically a two-block tourist trap lined with storefronts hocking over-priced mermaid paraphernalia. Seriously, without Julia Roberts, Mystic Pizza would be just another run-down pizza joint. It’s not that I expected any different, but you can find way more interesting shops and food on any street in the East Village. Though I must admit, the hunky mer-men Christmas ornaments with torsos matching each of the Village People’s occupations were nearly too kitschy to pass up. But alas, even $25 seemed too much to pay for a glittery Indian chief mer-man. We instead opted for dessert at famous Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream. Luckily, once you head off the main drag, the sea air and quaint, Norman Rockwell-esque clapboard homes lining the side streets make you forget the tourist squalor.
Hoping for more interesting retail options, we headed to Olde Mistick Village. What a disappointment. The paltry offerings included a general store, the requisite fudge and chocolate stores and some unimpressive theme shops. The one hidden gem in this pile of zirconium? Bleu Squid, a quaint bake shop/café offering handmade artisanal cheeses and homemade breads. Yum. Trish and I grabbed a freshly baked cheddar loaf and cranberry-infused cheese for an easy and cheap breakfast option for the remainder of our trip. Did I mention they sell icing shots? Yes, you read correctly, icing shots. Is that brilliant or what? They fill those tiny white cups that restaurants usually use for condiments with different flavors of cupcake icing. I might have to send this one in to Oprah for consideration on her “My Favorite Things” episode.
Trish and I are definitely food masochists. Because after finally checking into the hotel (yes, all of the above happened before ever setting foot in the lovely Holiday Inn in New London) and a brief power nap, Trish and I donned our elastic waist pants and headed to Foxwoods Casino for - wait for it - their all-you-can-eat buffet! We strategically planned to arrive at the casino around 9:30-ish in order to avoid the dinner rush and leave us a solid three hours to graze (the buffet stays open until midnight). Well, the buffet was just as nasty and wonderful as expected. Imagine an endless horizon of brown, gray and tan piles of steaming flesh and carbs. No vegetables allowed at this party, thank you very much. But the highlight of the buffet and main reason behind its $20 price tag is the seafood bar. There is nothing quite as disturbing as watching someone attack a pile of steamed crab legs.
Foxwoods - freaky how it sort of just rises out of the woods like that, huh?
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