# CT Best Local

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The best of CT businesses, places, and things to do

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://ctbestlocal.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [All Articles](https://ctbestlocal.com/all-articles/)
- [The Griswold Inn: Two and a Half Centuries on the Connecticut River](https://ctbestlocal.com/the-griswold-inn-two-and-a-half-centuries-on-the-connecticut-river/): # The Griswold Inn: Two and a Half Centuries on the Connecticut River Essex sits where the Connecticut River widens toward Long Island Sound, a village of white clapboard houses and a harbor full of sailboats. At its center, on Main Street, stands a building that has been serving food and drink since 1776 —
- [At The Essex, the Menu Changes Before You Can Memorize It](https://ctbestlocal.com/at-the-essex-the-menu-changes-before-you-can-memorize-it/): # At The Essex, the Menu Changes Before You Can Memorize It Chef Colt Taylor numbers his menus. By the time a regular at The Essex gets used to one, it has often already given way to the next — diners who visited a few weeks apart can find themselves comparing notes on entirely different
- [At Louis' Lunch, the Same Broilers Have Run Since 1898](https://ctbestlocal.com/at-louis-lunch-the-same-broilers-have-run-since-1898/): # At Louis' Lunch, the Same Broilers Have Run Since 1898 The hamburgers at Louis' Lunch come out vertically. The patties hang in cast-iron gridirons inside vertical gas broilers, cooking on both sides at once without a flat-top griddle anywhere in sight, a setup the restaurant has used since the broilers were installed in 1898.
- [Abbott's Lobster in the Rough Closes Every Winter, On Purpose](https://ctbestlocal.com/abbotts-lobster-in-the-rough-closes-every-winter-on-purpose/): # Abbott's Lobster in the Rough Closes Every Winter, On Purpose There is a particular morning each spring when a line forms outside a shack on Pearl Street in Noank before the order window even opens. Abbott's Lobster in the Rough has no off-season presence to speak of — no winter hours, no skeleton crew
- [At Lobster Landing, a Crooked Sign Stays Crooked on Purpose](https://ctbestlocal.com/at-lobster-landing-a-crooked-sign-stays-crooked-on-purpose/): # At Lobster Landing, a Crooked Sign Stays Crooked on Purpose The "O" in the Lobster Landing sign has been tilted into the "L" next to it for years. Owner Enea Bacci once went to straighten it, and his wife, Cathie, stopped him — she felt the crookedness gave the place more character, and the
- [Modern Apizza Never Left State Street, or Its Name](https://ctbestlocal.com/modern-apizza-never-left-state-street-or-its-name/): # Modern Apizza Never Left State Street, or Its Name New Haven's pizza rivalry usually plays out on Wooster Street, where Frank Pepe's and Sally's Apizza sit a few doors apart and have spent decades trading regulars. Modern Apizza isn't on Wooster Street at all. It's on State Street in the East Rock neighborhood, a
- [Blackie's Has Never Served French Fries, and Never Will](https://ctbestlocal.com/blackies-has-never-served-french-fries-and-never-will/): # Blackie's Has Never Served French Fries, and Never Will Order at Blackie's and you'll quickly learn what isn't on the menu. There are no french fries — there never have been, and the people who run the place don't seem inclined to explain why beyond the fact that it's simply not done. There's no
- [Rein's Deli Started Because Two New Jersey Transplants Missed a Decent Corned Beef Sandwich](https://ctbestlocal.com/reins-deli-started-because-two-new-jersey-transplants-missed-a-decent-corned-beef-sandwich/): # Rein's Deli Started Because Two New Jersey Transplants Missed a Decent Corned Beef Sandwich Bob and Betty Rein moved to Connecticut from Elizabeth, New Jersey for work, and once they got settled, they ran into a problem they hadn't anticipated: nowhere in the area served a corned beef sandwich that met their standards. Rather
- [Two Off-Duty Cops Started Augie & Ray's. Their Great-Grandsons Run It Now.](https://ctbestlocal.com/two-off-duty-cops-started-augie-rays-their-great-grandsons-run-it-now/): # Two Off-Duty Cops Started Augie & Ray's. Their Great-Grandsons Run It Now. Ray Hutt and Augie Bria were East Hartford police officers with no restaurant experience between them when they opened a hot dog stand on Main Street in 1946. What they did have was a sense of what the workers at nearby factories
- [Capitol Lunch Has Moved Twice and Never Left Main Street](https://ctbestlocal.com/capitol-lunch-has-moved-twice-and-never-left-main-street/): # Capitol Lunch Has Moved Twice and Never Left Main Street Sophia Lampros didn't set out to outshine her husband's restaurant, but that's roughly what happened. Peter Lampros had opened Oxford Lunch in New Britain after the family settled in Connecticut, and Sophia, working alongside him, had her own idea: a restaurant built entirely around
- [The Bean @226: Windsor's Uncomplicated Coffee Anchor](https://ctbestlocal.com/the-bean-226-windsors-uncomplicated-coffee-anchor/): On a main stretch in Windsor, The Bean @226 operates with a clear purpose: to be a reliable, no-fuss neighborhood cafe. It's the kind of place you go to get your day started, not to Instagram it. The space is straightforward and functional, with a mix of tables and comfortable seating that accommodates everyone from
- [The Last of the Drive-Ins](https://ctbestlocal.com/the-last-of-the-drive-ins/): Connecticut's drive-in theaters are now seasonal landmarks, operating on borrowed time and pure nostalgia. Places like the Mansfield Drive-In and the Southington Drive-In don't compete with multiplexes; they offer a different kind of night out. The experience is the product. You show up early to claim a spot, the kids play in front of the screen, and you listen
- [The Submarine Capital](https://ctbestlocal.com/the-submarine-capital/): Groton’s identity is welded to the steel of submarines. This isn't just a naval base town; it's the historical and industrial center of American submarine construction, and that technical, close-hold culture permeates everything. The essential stop is the USS Nautilus Museum. It's not a flashy exhibit. You board the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, walking through its
- [Pizza Strip & Bakery Culture](https://ctbestlocal.com/pizza-strip-bakery-culture/): Forget the debate over New Haven apizza. In many Connecticut neighborhoods, the essential grab-and-go item is the pizza strip (or "bakery pizza" or "party pizza"). This is not a heated, sliced pie. It's a cold, rectangular sheet of soft, focaccia-like dough topped with a sweet, thick tomato sauce and a dusting of grated cheese or herbs. It's
- [The Mill Reckoning](https://ctbestlocal.com/the-mill-reckoning/): The giant brick mills that once powered Connecticut's rivers now pose a simple question: what do you do with them? Across the state, the answer has been adaptive reuse, turning these industrial hulks into hubs for a new economy. Places like Billiard Factory Building in Bristol (home to Bristol Historical Society and Brewery Legitimus) or the Willimantic Brewing Company exemplify the template.
- [Squantz Pond - New Milford](https://ctbestlocal.com/squantz-pond-new-milford/): Squantz Pond: New Milford's Summer Anchor Squantz Pond State Park in New Milford is less a quiet pond and more a central hub of summer life in the area. It functions as a practical, popular resource and a reliable weekend destination for countless local families. The main draw is straightforward: a large, sandy swimming beach
- [The Wadsworth Atheneum: Always at the Heart of CT Culture](https://ctbestlocal.com/the-wadsworth-atheneum-a-constant-presence-in-the-heart-of-ct-culture/): In a city whose fortunes have risen, fallen, and transformed, the Wadsworth Atheneum has held its ground. It is Hartford’s oldest public art museum, a title that speaks to endurance, but its true story is one of persistent, active presence. For over 180 years, it has functioned not as a relic, but as a central,
- [Tobacco: The Crop That Shaped Connecticut's Land and Economy](https://ctbestlocal.com/tobacco-the-crop-that-shaped-connecticuts-land-and-economy/): For much of the 20th century, the defining agricultural image in central Connecticut wasn't of corn or apples, but of tobacco. The cultivation of broadleaf and shade tobacco was a major economic driver and physical transformer of the landscape, leaving a lasting mark on the state. The industry took off after the Civil War, finding
- [Mystic: From Aquarium Attraction to Living Seaport](https://ctbestlocal.com/mystic-from-aquarium-attraction-to-living-seaport/): When most people think of Mystic, the first image that comes to mind is the Mystic Aquarium. And for good reason. It's a major regional draw, renowned for its Beluga whales, penguin exhibits, and touch tanks. It provides a direct, engaging look at marine life from around the globe, making it a consistent and popular family
- [Jacob's Rock](https://ctbestlocal.com/jacobs-rock/): Jacob's Rock: New London's Overlooked Lookout In a city defined by its deep-water port and naval history, Jacob's Rock offers a different perspective. Tucked into a residential neighborhood near Ocean Beach Park, this small city park is a simple, unadorned lookout point that gives you the lay of the land—and the water. The main feature
- [Devil's Hopyard Park](https://ctbestlocal.com/devils-hopyard-park/): Devil's Hopyard: East Haddam's Rugged Reset Button Devil's Hopyard State Park in East Haddam is the kind of place that cuts through the noise. It’s a straightforward, no-frills park built around a powerful natural feature: Chapman Falls. The 60-foot waterfall is the centerpiece. You hear it before you see it. The Eightmile River drops in a
- [Goodspeed Opera House](https://ctbestlocal.com/goodspeed-opera-house/): The Timeless Allure of the Goodspeed Opera House Nestled on the banks of the Connecticut River in East Haddam, the Goodspeed Opera House isn't just a theater; it's a testament to the enduring power of the American musical. A designated National Historic Landmark, this iconic Victorian gem describes itself as "the first theatre in the

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