In case you haven't figured it out, we'll pretty much do whatever people tell us to do. Julia told us to go to Rocket. And Rocket told us to go to Collinsville Baking Co. And we were driving right past it anyway on our way through New Hartford (Pine Meadow area). Yes, the name is tricky. There seems to be a lot of Collinsville in New Hartford.
In addition to providing great buns and bread to locals like Rocket, the shop has a lunch menu of deli basics and salads and offers catering. We had just eaten lunch, as you know, so our interests lay elsewhere. Cynthia got a loaf of olive rosemary bread. I was mysteriously drawn to the dessert case. How good do these pumpkin squares look?
I'm a freak about PB & Chocolate so I bought one of these brick sized delights.
I know, I know, you're wondering how I keep my girlish figure eating all these cheeseburgers and giant dessert bars. Well, now that you bring it up - in a word: bulemia. Just kidding! I couldn't bring it up if I wanted to. But maybe you've heard about our fitness tag. We're totally fit here.
I know, I know, the Connecticut wine trail, right? It totally exists! There's also this cute CT wine passport. Well, I had to make yet another trip out New Hartford way to see a guy about a dog (more or less) and the prospect of yet another lonely trip out Route 44 was grim, so I roped in my trusty staycation buddy (I am of course referring to SuperLula, who needs to update this blog I keep linking you to!) to come along for the ride, and she suggested we make a romantic afternoon of it with a visit to Jerram Winery.
Well, I've actually never been to a winery, but I've seen Sideways, and I've had a few glasses in my day. SuperLula mentioned that she had enjoyed the Nor'easter by Jerram and that Jackie Scenic recommends their White Frost chardonnay. So I said "Swell, let's do it."
As you can see the grounds are lovely and expansive, with various places where you can sit down and enjoy a glass. We paid $6 for a tasting which included six wines. If we are going to be quite honest, I'll admit to not knowing jack about wine, and mostly enjoying it for the slightly different colored buzz it seems to impart. And though I did enjoy some quality, manly beers and secret microbrew vodka this summer, I must also admit that as often a not (or more!) I like my drinks to taste good and be "easy to drink." As opposed to, say, "hard to swallow." (Bloggy Aside: while I cannot endorse his particular tastes, I love what The Assimilated Negro had to say on the subject of "girly-drinking.") SuperLula is in the same boat. And so it was that we most enjoyed the two "semi-sweet" wines on the menu (the Aurora white table wine and the Nor'easter red), but we're pretty sure that these are not wine-drinkers wines and fall under the umbrella of kid-friendly booze. But we also managed to like the Marechal Foch, which was quite dry but nevertheless very smooth, and probably the more sophisticated pick.
Feelings of Hollywood induced wine tasting anxiety aside, our trip to Jerram was a most enjoyable foray into rural CT, and I'd like to wholeheartedly recommend this as a charming date idea and a means of enjoying our fair state's oft-underrated bounty, which is what I frequently tell new people this blog is all about - that is, when it isn't about going ATM with your friends or hating on bands famous enough to not get all butt-hurt about it, because they don't even know we exist.
I mentioned in my last Hot/Lot post how I'm going to be totally stress eating this semester. Well, it's not going to be all nearly expired cookie imports and failed trend snack food oddities for me, now that I know about Rocky River Sweets of New Hartford (Route 44).
It's more than just a sweets shop. They also have sandwiches (see the sign boasts Boar's Head meats), but more importantly, they have sweet potato fries (one of my favorite foods - this can be the decisive factor in restaurant selection) and fried dough. Wow, fried dough, just whenever, without even having to go to a county fair. I just heard myself get fatter. Lucky I'm wearing scrubs...
These all-beef Sabrett hotdogs are supposed to be the Cadillac of tubesteaks or something:
For today's venture, school-and-carpool mate Cynthia and I just got ice cream, which was unfortunately not a "CT Treat" - it was Hershey's - but was nevertheless delicious and hit the spot in the hundred or whatever degree heat this afternoon. Although the ice cream was corporate, these ice cream cones were something special:
They also sometimes offer a whipped cream of the day - homemade and flavored. Sadly, not today. We'll just have to keep trying.
Yesterday we drove out to the sticks for what we can only assume is a typical day in the life of New Hartford. We began with a lovely hike around Lake Mcdonough:
We ended up at the Saville Dam. There is a strict 'no face-sitting' rule at the dam:
Even out in the country, the socioeconomic class divisions are obvious:
On our way back into town, we stopped to talk to this local goat:
You can really work up an appetite after a long hike! It was time for a gourmet country meal:
Recipe: 1 banana, sliced 1 jar Peter Pan peanut butter 1 box Ritz crackers Combine and enjoy. Serve with a Reisling.
Then is it was time for a good ol' fashion book-burnin'!
We spared this classic:
As the sun went down, the neighbors came out and a hootenanny ensued. 3 different kinds of potato salad were served. The party ended on the early side, as one of the locals had to wake up early this morning for a cow slaughter. In Northwest CT, they work hard and play hard.
A few months ago I took my maiden voyage to Chatterly's in New Hartford to have a drink while waiting for some peeps. I sat at the bar and talked to some locals and was very charmed by the smalltown-ness of it all. From what I could see, the food looked pretty good, although the service was incredibly sssllloooowwww. I guess when you're the only bar for miles you can do whatever the hell you want.
I went back last night only to be disappointed once again by both the service and the food. Among the table we ordered nachos, wings, a crepe and a tuna app. (insert iphone joke here). The food sucked (I've heard some of their swankier dishes are better, but I'd rather invest in tacos, see below), the drinks were aight and everything was way 'spensive. The last part we at least expected, but we found the contrast between loud bar and too-fancy-for-its-own-good dining to be a little odd. We had a great time anyway, spilled some martinis and reminisced of other wild nights in other crappy CT bars. Then some cover band started playing a song about "morning wood" and we got the hell out of there.
On a brighter note, we were alerted to "$2 Taco Tuesdays" somewhere in Litchfield. Upbeat post on that shit coming soon.
PS. If anyone has a "positive" Chatterly's experience to share, please comment. I want to like this place, I really do.
I'm just soooo busy I hardly have the time to explore and report about truly scenic CT. Which is a shame, because while the blåg serves many purposes - outlet for hostility, humor, self-aggrandizement, it is also our mission to promote those things that are truly wonderful in our little state. So it was a real delight yesterday to spend a snow day reprieve from an afternoon of classes in "downtown" New Hartford with my school n' carpool mate Cynthia.
We stopped in at Passiflora "Tea Room & Herbal Shoppe" on Route 44, and now our newest favorite place. When you first walk in you see are greeted by a roomful of herbal remedies, teas, natural body products, homeopathy and assorted New Age-y gifts and crafts. Adjacent is the cafe, which has assorted comfy seating and casual charm. The shop was otherwise empty, so we browsed and chatted with the friendly staff and browsed the tea and food menus. Passiflora offers eclectic organic food with an extensive tea menu, interesting homemade desserts and smoothies and other specialty drinks. I was very tempted by the smoothie menu, but the shop was rather tragically out of bananas, a key ingredient for the best sounding drinks. So that will have to wait for next time.
I sampled a ginger tofu soup which was great and probably very healthy, and ended up ordering a chai latte made with almond milk and loose leaf actually spicy, wonderful tea and a vegan black bean brownie, which probably sounds slightly less awesome than it tasted. Cynthia had a fragrant, flowery green tea blend with lemongrass, rose, jasmine and lemon mytle in the mix, and a rather decadent magic bar. Everything was perfect, and we are so happy to find someplace that takes tea seriously and executes it so well. I will definitely be back to check out that smoothie!
Check out their website for details on natural health, special events and speakers, and consider stopping by on Thursday evenings for their weekly community night of games and conversation.
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