ditto on Dog Watch Cafe, it's great. But it's in Stonington, the next town over from Mystic. Also in Stonington is Noah's and the Water Street Cafe. Stonington is a good destination for eating.

If it's a nice day and you want to sit outside in a marina (picnic tables w roof), I'd recommend Captain Scott's http://www.captscotts.com/Pages/Default.aspx although I'm not sure when they open for the season. Good food. For indoor eating there's not a great selection. I like Illiano's on Bank Street (there are several Illiano's in the area), it has a nice quiet dining room (in addition to a small pizza eating area) and the food is pretty good. Not gourmet, but not bad either. If you want to go a little upscale, I'd cross the river to Olio's in Groton (right off the highway): http://olioct.com/olio/ or go to Mystic where there are a number of good choices.

Thanks so much for this--I really appreciate the help! I had seem some of the threads, but went back to the link you suggested. I'm thinking Caffe Lugo might work, which I missed the first time around.

We are meeting my brother at Penn Station on a Saturday in December for lunch--he has a few hours between trains. He has a bad knee so we can't walk too far. Looking for a place where we can sit and talk for an hour or two, and not feel rushed. We're pretty flexible with food types and prices. Just looking for good food and a quiet relaxed atmosphere. Any ideas?

We drove by the old Seahorse last week or so and it still wasn't open. It's not the same people as the Fisherman. The Fisherman has a newish chef and I think it's better than it used to be. They also have beautiful outdoor seating area now. On a nice summer night, I think it's definitely worth a try.

One warning with Paul's Pasta. They ARE a great deal, and consequently it's often difficult to get a table. I don't think they take reservations, so you might want to be forewarned that you may have to wait for a table. Best thing is to go a little early or a little late for a meal. I think on weekends they might be open all day Sat and Sun--check this if you're interested.

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Paul's Pasta Shop
223 Thames St, Groton, CT 06340

I'm not sure of your route, but if you come through New London, CT you could go to Captain Scott's Lobster Dock. It's in an odd out of the way spot, but has great lobster rolls and seafood. You sit outside at picnic tables by a marina. The food is much better than Abbott's in Noank (10 min down the road) which is a big tourist destination in our area. Abbott's is much more scenic--you drive through beautiful Noank and sit on a lawn by the water, but the food isn't as good. I guess it depends on which you care more about. Both places would be good for kids.

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Captain Scott's Lobster Dock
80 Hamilton St, New London, CT 06320

We stayed at the Vendue Inn which I really liked. The second day we had lunch at 82 Queen. It was a great place, definitely worth going to, but the food seemed OK not great. My planning hadn't gone any further, and the second night we were tired and ended up in a place near the hotel (Blossom) which was pretty good. But I totally loved the Cru Cafe and we had a very nice time there in addition to great food. Loved being able to walk to so much, and so much beauty all around. Again thanks for your advice!

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82 Queen
82 Queen Street, Charleston, SC 29401

We're planning a trip to Newburyport for a weekend in June. Are there any good restaurants in the downtown area? or further afield? Any suggestions would be really appreciated! Also, thinking of staying at the Essex Street Inn, good? or other recommendations? Thanks in advance for any info!

Wanted to say again thanks for the suggestions. We had a great trip. I LOVED the Cru Cafe, we sat on the porch and had a great meal in a nice relaxed atmosphere. We stayed at the Vendue Inn and I was very happy with that choice. You Charlestonians have a beautiful city.

My husband and I are coming for a visit to Hope Mills in April. We're from New England, so we'd really like to eat some North Carolina barbecue. Where should we go in the Fayetteville area? Also, what are the best places to eat in the area--any kind of food? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Sue, you are great! Thanks so much for this info. I think we're going to try 82 Queen for lunch and Cru Cafe for dinner. I'll try to post something after our trip.

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82 Queen
82 Queen Street, Charleston, SC 29401

Coda looks great. I see they don't take reservations. Do you think there would be a wait for a seat on a Saturday for lunch?

Anything new/recommended in Back Bay for a Saturday lunch? We're coming in from CT on a train to Back Bay station and want to meet our son for lunch. Any kind of good food, relaxed atmosphere, price doesn't matter, but not stuffy or pretentious. Any suggestions?

Thanks so much Sue, Toast looks perfect for breakfast. One more question--any place in this area or not too far that you'd recommend for nice outdoor seating (any meal)?

Abbott's is #1 for atmosphere, but the food is pretty mediocre. So it depends on what you want--it's a great place to sit and watch boat traffic go by in a very nice spot, but don't expect too much from the food.

I agree with Alicia's suggestions. Daniel Packer Inn in Mystic and Dog Watch Cafe in Stonington are both really good. Dog Watch Cafe is in a marina, so you have nice water views, in addition to good food. At the Daniel Packer, the bar downstairs is more informal, has a fireplace, but same great food. Also, easy to get to from New London is Olio's in Groton. It's in an odd location, by the highway, very nondescript building. But the food is always great. And one New London place--in the summer, go to Captain Scott's for outdoor eating and good lobster roll, fried clams etc. It's also in a marina, but not as scenic as Stonington.

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Dog Watch Cafe
194 Water St, Stonington, CT 06378

These are great, thanks so much for the suggestions. I think we're going to stay at the Vendue Inn. Where would you eat breakfast in that area?? Thanks again for all the help :-)

My husband and I are coming to Charleston for the first time in April, staying somewhere in French Quarter (we need hotel ideas too). We need some restaurant recommendations. I don't care about price, but don't want anything stuffy or pretentious--just good food of whatever kind and a good experience. We'd be so grateful for any suggestions.

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French Quarter
321 S Church St, Charlotte, NC 28202

I'm meeting some old friends in the Back Bay area for lunch in May. We need a place with great food and a quiet atmosphere so we can sit and talk a while. We'd like just about any kind of food except Steak House. Any suggestions?

I loved Agraria. Although I wasn't crazy about the Harbor Development area-it seemed corporate and full of cement-- I thought Agraria was great. Beautifully designed, great service, great food. And a very good concept--sustainable agriculture. But really the food was superb. Thanks so much for the suggestion.

Thanks so much for your replies. Agraria sounds great, I made a reservation. I'll report back after we go. I appreciate your help!

We are traveling from Connecticut to DC to visit our son, and the plan is to meet him in Georgetown for lunch on Saturday. We need a place where we can sit and talk a bit, but nothing stuffy or touristy. We like good salads, soups, ethnic food, cuisine which buys locally. I'd like to be able to make a reservation, but maybe not necessary? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

My favorite is Simon Pierce in Quechee. The setting is gorgeous and the food is really good. The restaurant is attached to the Simon PIerce glass studio/store. All the dishes and glassware used in the restaurant are Simon Pierce made. The dining room looks out over a river and small waterfall. You might find this place "too fancy" but it really is lovely and worth it, not phony fancy, but really nice. If you want to keep expenses down, go for lunch, not dinner.

I'd like to agree with "few". My husband and I were at PIPS for our wedding anniversary last month. The atmosphere is very nice, good service, good food. We liked it a lot. It's a very good choice for someone who wants a pleasant relaxed delicious dinner!

Yes, my husband and I went to Lucca's a month or so ago. We weren't there for a meal, just a glass of wine and something to nibble on. My impression was that it has great potential, but they are just starting out and are not there yet. I want them to succeed--it would be such a great addition to Bank Street. They need a little push or a little pizzaz or some spark! However, we were there on a Saturday afternoon--it may already have that at night. After all this is New London, not Manhattan, we can't expect too much buzz on a Saturday afternoon in the winter! We'll go back again.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Our friends who we are meeting suggested Avila on Charles Street, so we might try that. I'll let you know how it goes.

No need to go to Westerly or Stonington. In Mystic go to Bravo Bravo (more expensive), Azu (less expensive), or the Capt. Daniel Pack Inn. All have great food.

you might want to go to Mystic for dinner, it's only 1/2 hour away, and has much better restaurants. You can find other threads on this board discussing the selection in Mystic.

Bravo Bravo, Azu & Olio are all owned by the same people, and all have very good food. Also I second Capt Daniel Packer Inn, it's especially nice if you can get a table downstairs in the bar, very cozy atmosphere and good food. I would not recommend Octagon, the last time I went (admitted quite a while ago), I found the atmosphere to be really pretentious and stuffy. RE: Mitch Masala, I'm not sure if they are open, I'd check. I think that Northern India in New London has much better Indian food. Hope you have a good visit!