I second Abbott's in Noank. They are open on Friday, Sat and Sunday now. Then opens every day after Memorial Day. It's very good steamed seafood,The specialty is lobster. Very casual. Outdoors on the water in like a picnic atmosphere or indoors. No waitstaff to chase you away. You can stay as long as you want.
if you like lobster, but not the mess, the hot lobster sandwiches are delicious. Just south of Mystic.

I do recant and correct.

20% is for Pork. 3% is the max for Poultry.

You can check the USDA-FSIS. Those figures are not made up.

For a great Italian sandwich, Frigo's.
For German, Student Prince.
For Cajun, The Big Mamou's.
For BBQ, Theodore's.
For pizza, Red Rose.

In New Haven, you have the Wooster St. area.

For Pizza you have Frank Pepe's and Sally's. For upscale Italian, there's Tre Scalini.

For pastry, you have Lucibello's on Grand Ave.

Also, there's Adrianna's on Grand Ave. Great seafood.

You might take a walk in Wooster Square and enjoy the park.

In my opinion, those are the Italian places worth going to in New Haven.

You might want to try the Morgan House Inn in Lee. Very good food and service. I would contact them about a brunch for a group. They don't advertise an actual brunch, but with the amount of people you have, I'm sure they would accommodate you. Possibly with a separate room.

We always like the Blue Colony Diner when traveling through that area. Lots to choose from. Food is good quality, "Diner Food". Great desserts. Very convenient. Right off of 84 in Newtown, CT.

http://www.bluecolonydiner.com/

Contact the sales office for a reservation. 941 496-4653
ext: 223. They can help you with your Thanksgiving and Sunday Brunch res.
We made reservations in September. We also tried the Sunday Brunch for the first time. It was very good. Also, very reasonable for the quality of food and service. Eggs Benedict, fresh made Belgium Waffles and omelets. Nice variety of breakfast and lunch items.

I have been in MA in the greater Springfield area for around 13 years now and have tried La Fiorentina's pastry many times and have brought them to my family. The Cannoli at LF are good, but IMHO, I will still put Lucibello's above LF. I even like them better than Ferrara's in Little Italy.

+1

Their Zeppole for St. Joseph's day are still worth the drive from MA.

Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery, ME is very good. Next to the Trading Post on Rt.1. Great clams.

Ogunquit Lobster Pound. Very good steamers and lobsters you pick out. Simple, casual, fair priced. Nice atmosphere. It's a large Log building in a rustic setting. On Rt 1.

http://www.bobsclamhut.com/home.htm

http://ogunquitlobsterpound.com/

1. Pork Chops Sicilian at Leon's, New Haven, CT - Lean, moist rib chop done perfectly. Right amount of sauteed onions, green and red peppers, potatoes and hot peppers. Simple, delicious!

2. OMG at Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, Noank, CT - 7 oz of fresh picked claw and tail lobster meat with just a little melted butter on a potato roll. Again, simple, delicious and decadent.

3. Tagliatelle Bolognese at Alta Strada, MGM Foxwoods, CT - Fresh pasta with a traditional bolognese that had almost a creamy consistency to it. The crusty Italian bread they serve is also one of the best I have ever had in over 50 years of eating Italian bread.

I was there a few weeks ago and had the OMG. 7 oz of fresh picked lobster meat on a potato roll. The meat was not grilled or had grill marks on it. It was perfectly done. The meat was moist and not drowned in butter. The meat was piled about 4 or 5 inches high.
It looked so good, I forgot to take a picture of it and just started eating it.
The link below has a pic of it from their website.

http://abbotts-lobster.com/menu.html

Luce is usually very good, upscale Italian fare. I have eaten dinner there dozens of times over the last few years. I only had one bad service experience on a Sunday afternoon.

Town House on Whitney Ave. is basically diner fare, but just a notch above. Great place to hang after lunch.

Bread and Chocolate is a nice place for soup and a sandwich. It's a bakery/cafe on Whitney ave.

Ixtapa does Mexican very well. Also on Whitney Ave.

http://www.breadchocolate.net/Bread_%26_Chocolate/Welcome.html
http://www.ixtapagrille.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/hamden-town-h...

L&J is going to have to sell a lot of fried clams and beer to cover that lease. The property is owned by the same people as the office building next door. That's one reason why Ed is moving.

I wish Ed well and will be seeing him soon in North Haven.

Ingredients are listed in descending order by amount. Higher up the list, the more of it is in there. MFS is not bad for you, it's just a binder used in cheap, processed meats.

MFS is in the ham, sauce, steak, turkey, chicken strips

http://www.subway.com/Nutrition/Files...

let's just say it's not full disclosure. When you list "Roast Beef" as an ingredient, something is wrong. All they have is what is provided by the company that made the component. The modified food starch they are using is derived from corn vs non fat dried milk.

Here goes....the meats that Subway buys are from the lowest bidder. They are pre sliced, cold cuts that are usually cheaply made. The roast beef is an ISP, (isolated soy protein) product. That mainly means its ground soy beans that are tumbled with the beef muscles in a giant drum. It takes on the color of the product and holds a lot of water, along with a lot of salt. That's why it's spongy, it's loaded with water. The turke yare pieces of turkey breast, (if it says turkey white meat in the ingredient label, it's wing meat), injected with flavorings and salt and most likely Carageenan which is made from seaweed and acts as a binder. There is also "Modified Food Starch" which is non fat dried milk. Also a filler an holds moisture in the meat. The meat is dropped into a bag, put in a mold and it can be made into any shape they want. Then it's cooked in a hot water bath. The ham is pretty much done the same way.
What do you expect for the price? If you're going to eat anything at Subway, get the grilled chicken. At least that is less processed, but probably is still has at least 20% solution pumped into it.
I can't speak for the cheese or breakfast items.

The funny thing about Boars Head is that it's nothing more than a marketing company. They don't produce any of their items. They're all made by national companies, but to their specs. They're items are good, but you can find the same quality within the national brands for a lot less. That goes for all private label items also.
Stop and Shop hasn't been a great supermarket since they were sold to KKR and then Ahold.

DeMoulas Market Basket is the best supermarket chain around for quality items at the best price. Walmart is even afraid to go up against them.

Joe's Favorite happens to be my favorite too. A little olive oil and balsamic vinegar is always added for me.

I agree with Jim about Maine Fish Market. If you want to try a "Savin Rock Hot Lobster Roll", there's the USS Chowder Pot in Hartford, CT. Right off 91 at the Airport Rd exit. the hot lobster roll is usually found along the CT shoreline, but the Chowder Pot does a pretty good one.

In Springfield, MA, there's Frigo's. It's a small Italian market right off of 91 in the old Italian neighborhood. They have great sandwiches and prepared foods with a few tables inside and out to eat. No wait service, just cafe tables. A hot spot at lunchtime for the locals.

Have a nice trip and Buon Appetito!!

http://usschowderpot.com/htfd-home.html
http://www.frigofoods.com/

Picked up the Amylu Chicken Burgers with carmelized onions, red bell peppers and gouda cheese. I don't usually get this type of item, but they're gluten free, low in fat, low sodium, no artificial ingredients, minimally processed and low in calories. They are fully cooked, but I threw them on the grill at high for a couple of minutes just to brown them a bit. They tasted great, nice bite to them. Like eating a sausage patty without all the grease. The chicken must be coarse ground vs. fine ground like beef burgers. They come 10 to a container. They are 1/4 lb patties packed 2 to a cryovac package. I found them in the refrigerated meat section with things like the chicken sausage. I think we paid 8.99 for the package. I will definitely buy them again.....if they're not gone already. You Costco people know what I mean. "See it/Buy it"
These were in the West Springfield, MA store.

We always like Jonathan's on Rt 1. Very good all around restaurant for food, service and ambiance. For rustic feel and great lobster and steamers, you can't do any better than the Ogunquit Lobster Pound. Five-O is very nice along with their bistro next door for lunch. The Omelette factory is tiny and in a basement, but the omelets are the best I've ever had anywhere. Grumpys is not too far behind.
I agree that Arrows is the best in the area.

I think the deli you mean in Vernon, CT is Rein's NY Style Deli. Very nice, good food, only negative is it could get very crowded at lunchtime with a line. For a little farther down, the Blue Colony Diner in Newtown, CT. Both are right off 84. Both are not so quaint, but good food, good service and quick on and off the highway.
In between is Blackie's, in Cheshire, CT. It's an old fashioned Hot Dog Stand that's been there for decades. Lots of diehard fans. Very good Hummel's hot dogs. Just a few hundred yards off of 84.

http://www.bluecolonydiner.com/
http://www.reinsdeli.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/blackies-hot-...

I second the Clam Castle. Great, fresh seafood. Eat at the Clam Castle then take the kids to the Carousel across the street.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-clam-cast...

There's the restaurants at the Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk in Manchester, CT. There is Bellini's which is a very good Italian place, there's Burton's grill for American fare and a Ted's Montana Grill for steak. All three are good at what they do. I have been to all 3 over the last couple of years and had good meals at all 3. They are not far from 84 just before you hit Hartford.
The other suggestion would be Max Amore or Max Fish in Glastonbury, CT. Both are in a small, upscale shopping area about 15 min from 84, a little East of Hartford. Great meals at both. Max Amore does very good Italian food. J. Gilberts is across from the Max's and has great steaks. I would put it on a scale with Ruth's Chris and Capitol Grille.

Outside of Rein's Deli, the area between Sturbridge and Manchester is a culinary wasteland.

Have a nice trip and hope you have a great meal wherever you choose to go.

"I'll go back some day" means I'll still go there. I don't live that close to the place, so it's not a weekly visit to start with.

If it's still there, China Gourmet in Milldale is Cantonese style cooking. The chef and his wife own the place. He's a 3rd generation chef. It's small at the end of a strip mall in front of the Southington movie theater. When I lived in the area, I would go there at least once a week. I was there about a 6 months ago and the same owner was there and the food was just as good as always. I actually have a menu in my car. Even though I live in MA now, I will stop by when I'm in the area. The do have Cantonese Chow Mein on the menu served with pan fried Cantonese noodles. If you're in the NH area, it's worth the ride. Call first to make sure they are open. They were keeping mostly weekend hours the last time I was there. Decor is not too nice, but the food is very good. The number is 860 621-0001

I grew up on Far East. It was the only Chinese food I had until I got my license. I remember the ponds in the front of the place with the Koi swimming around. Absolutely the best Chinese food in CT.

We have been going to the Manchester Pepe's since it opened. Growing up in the New Haven area, I have been to the New Haven Pepe's for years. The Manchester Pepe's was an exact copy of the New Haven spot when it opened and for a long time afterward. Last year, I had a business associate from Chicago ask me to take him to Pepe's since he heard so much about it from other associates I have brought there. We didn't have time to go to the New Haven location so I figured that the Manchester spot would be ok after having great pizzas there for months. Well don't you think the white clam pizza comes out with the clams cut up too big and really tough. I was embarrassed and pissed off and let the manager know it. I told him he should be ashamed of himself and whomever made that pizza has no business making pizzas and needs lot more training. He apologized and offer the pizza at no charge. I told him I appreciate the gesture, but It would be more important to me for them to uphold the legacy of Pepe's and make a pizza like they should. I haven't been there since. I'll go back some day. It would be a real shame if they continued to make substandard pies.

Even though its a chain, the Bertucci's across the road has better pizza, better all around food, better service and isn't dark an gloomy inside. Heck, the pizza's are thin, crispy, made in a real wood fired oven and are actually pretty good...and that's coming from a New Haven pizza snob. We've been to Cal's once and it was after the storm in October and was the only place around with electricity on the Sunday after. Scizzle's post is spot on....