May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor - Connecticut Wine Trail

The time is ripe for drinking.

Spring is in the air.

Sadly, I'll be missing out on these next two weeks of late April here in Connecticut, when things finally start to turn green. Not so sadly, I'll be away for a few weeks on vacation abroad. (Future posts on London and Paris to come!)

In my absence, however, I urge you to take full advantage of one of my favorite and most fabulous Connecticut activities: the trusty Connecticut Wine Trail.

It's back! Many of Connecticut's wineries are opening back up for the season, offering tastings, tours, and ideal places for a picnic. As of May 1st-ish, visit any of the wineries that belong to the official Wine Trail and pick up your Connecticut Wine Trail Passport.

Enjoying one of the bottles
we won at Priam Vineyard!

For every winery you visit on the trail between May and November, you can ask the folks there for a stamp on said passport. Collect at least 16 stamps, and you can then enter a ridiculously amazing raffle, which typically includes TWO Grand Prize winners who will enjoy a two-week trip to Spain (amongst many, many other prizes).

Just this past year, I won third prize myself - several free bottles of wine from Priam Vineyard in Colchester, Conn.! We just enjoyed one of the bottles (Jeremy River White, deeelicious) this past weekend, in the beautiful 80-degree weather.

Rumor has it that a mere 1,600-ish oenophiles actually complete the Wine Trail challenge and bother to hand in their completed passports each year. When there are roughly 30 prizes to give away, that seems like some damn good odds, in my opinion.

Of course, I have my favorites. Here are just a few recommendations:

You Say Potato, I Say Po-Tot-o - Colchester, Conn.

As fun to eat as it looks.

Who doesn't love tater tots, I ask you?

If you adore indulging in your fair share of carbs as much as I do, be sure to stop by Cafe on Main some night soon. Located right on the green in Colchester, Conn., Cafe on Main offers one of the friendliest, laid-back neighborhood hangouts around.

Here, nearly every glorious item on the menu - from Philly steak grinders to steamed hamburgers to the aforementioned tots - costs a mere $6 apiece. And we're not talking about skimpy portions, either, my friends. Not to mention there's also a considerably long list of fun beer on tap from which to choose.

Luckily for me, I have a very wise friend named Heather who lives literally across the green from this cozy establishment and knew just whom might enjoy such affordable deliciousness: moi. So being the lovely gal she is - as well as one of my beer-drinking partners-in-crime from those long lost days of college - she cordially invited me and our fellow adventurer, Marisa, out on the town.

Today's Stefcations Highlights:

• What You'll Find: Inexpensive, comforting pub food - each item a mere $6 apiece - along with many flavorful beers on tap.
• Where You'll Find it: 20 Main Street, Colchester, Conn., adjacent to the town green.
• When to Go: Sunday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Kitchen's open till 11 p.m. everyday; Also, take note: Happy Hour runs M-F from 4-7 p.m. (allegedly with FREE pizza!)

Keepin' It Regal - Mashantucket, Conn.

"Royal Tea," indeed.
Delicious sandwiches and sweets served
at Foxwoods Resort & Casino's Royal Tea,
part of "Diana: A Celebration."

Perhaps some of you can trace back your ancestry to an illustrious line of aristocrats – earls and duchesses, kings and queens, and the like. Much to my chagrin, it appears I am not one of these people.

Just the same, don’t let this stop you from getting up close and personal with the dazzling tiaras and brooches, royal wedding gown, and other amazing treasures that once belonged to the late Princess Di – all on display for you to ogle through the rest of this month and on into the new year.

Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., is currently featuring “Diana: A Celebration,” an exhibit open through Jan. 15 that offers a look at a breathtaking collection of personal items from Diana’s life – from photo albums, home movies, and school report cards from her childhood days spent at Althorp Estate in England to the awe-inspiring tiara, earrings, and gown (complete with its 25-foot train) that she wore on her wedding day.

Today's Stefcations Highlights:

• What You'll Find: An intimate look into the inspiring life and work of Princess Diana. 
• Where You'll Find it: Foxwoods Resort & Casino
• When to Go: Now through Jan. 15, 2012
• Cost: $25 per person for the exhibit. Or, pay $36 for the Royal Tea Package, which includes admission to the exhibit as well as a fabulous afternoon tea time that's, well, fit for a princess. Tickets for both options can be found here. Note: You'll need to reserve tickets for the Royal Tea Package in advance, due to its popularity!

Just 7 More Days of Lobster Rolls - Noank, Conn.

Once upon a time, I hated lobster. I know, completely asinine. But apparently taste buds really do change, because just a few years ago I finally gave into peer pressure and decided to give lobster one last shot. Don't ask me why, but I suddenly loved it. And so naturally, I've been trying to make up for all those long-lost years of lobsterlessness.

Mr. Lobster and I get along
swimmingly nowadays.

Enter Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, an unassuming little place right on Long Island Sound that's known for its fresh, buttery lobster rolls. My doctor recommended it, so it can't be all bad, right? If you're a lobster fanatic, there are just a few days left in 2011 to get a hold of these babies before they close up shop for the season.

Today's Stefcations Highlights:

• What You'll Find: Fresh lobster rolls and other fresh seafood
• Where You'll Find it: Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, Noank, Conn.
• When to Go: This Columbus Day weekend, Fri-Monday, from noon to 7 p.m. (or you'll have to wait and try again, come Memorial Day Weekend)

Celebrating Garlic and Gooey Goodness

Fresh garlic, grown in Connecticut. Mmmm.

This weekend, I stopped in Mystic, Conn., with friends to explore the 4th Annual Garlic Fest. We wandered around enjoying everything from samples of garlic popcorn (yum!) to garlic sausage, garlic chips, garlic cheese bread, and even garlic fried dough. We pretty much reeked by day's end, so if you're interested in ever checking this event out, you might want to make it a point to invite only very good friends.

Even if you missed this year's garlic event, however, there's plenty of other great stuff to explore in Mystic, like the Seaport and Aquarium. Or, just spend the afternoon doing some window shopping in Olde Mistick Village (where the Garlic Fest was held), which offers lots of cool little boutiques, fun eateries, and a resident population of friendly (though decidedly huge) ducks.

Truth be told, it wasn't really garlic that I was after yesterday. What I was really wanted was to locate what are reportedly the best cupcakes in Connecticut, according to Connecticut Magazine's Best of Connecticut 2011 Guide.

Today's Stefcations Highlights:

• What You'll Find: Bakery and cheese shop, with phenomenal grilled cheese sandwiches and cupcakes
• Where You'll Find it: Mystic, Conn.
• When to Go: Visit Bleu Squid's website for hours.

Works of Art, Inside and Out

The ridiculously beautiful Branford House, where you'll
find the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art.

Groton, Conn., a seaside town in southeastern Connecticut, is known by most people around here as the home of Electric Boat, which has built submarines for the U.S. Navy for more than a few decades. Not quite what you might imagine would make for a beautiful or romantic setting. Yet as it turns out, Groton will surprise you. Hidden away on its shores are amazing views of Long Island Sound and a historic mansion that hosts free art shows and even weddings, which must be spectacularly scenic (though probably far from free).

Today's Stefcations Highlights:

• What You'll Find: A free art show (Keep reading for details on where you can score some fresh pasta - and even deep-fried chocolate chip cookie dough - after the show.)
• Where You'll Find it: The Branford House, at UConn's Avery Point Campus in Groton, Conn.
• What It'll Cost: Nada, although you're invited to donate a few dollars.
• When to Go: Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. (although you can stroll the campus just about anytime)

Connecticut Wine Trail: Part Deux

I've spent a whole lot of time this past summer with my in-laws. Amazingly, that's not a bad thing. In fact, they are pretty damn cool, and I readily admit that I'm very lucky in that respect.

This summer alone, my husband and I have been to - count 'em - eight wineries with the in-laws as our drinking buddies. In an earlier post, I promised to chronicle the wineries I've been checking out this year. Well, here we go.

The Gator (otherwise known as my father-in-law),
complete with bourbon and a cigar.

Let's start with my father-in-law, otherwise known as The Gator. A Southerner at heart (a South Carolina native), he serves not only as designated driver on our winery trips, but also as entertainment. On a regular basis, he comes out with such priceless nuggets of advice as: "You can't ever get hung over if you just keep on drinkin' "