Cypress Grill Middletown

Restaurant permanently closed.

Cypress Grill hardly needs an introduction to anyone from the Middletown area. It has been around for as long as most of us can remember. It opened in 1936 and in those days, Route 17 was a main artery between Boston and New York. This friendly diner did a hopping business on weekends. It was known for its great service and homestyle food. You will still find both of those but the traffic has certainly calmed down considerably. 

This is our go to restaurant when we can't decide what we are in the mood for. It is also where we g when wee want to do a family dinner. The menu has enough choices to satisfy even the pickiest kid and they have hot buttered lobster rolls, certainly a winning combination in our family. 

Of course, we like all their customers, have our favorites. If you love chili, theirs is outstanding. Not too spicy, just thick and luscious. You really can't miss with their soups French onion and New England clam chowder are also favorites. 

I personally love their egg salad sandwich. Do you know how hard it is to find a good egg salad sandwich? They also have perfect 10-inch hotdogs. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the grilled cheese, it is perfection. 

Kasey and I have had the lobster rolls several times. Is it the best one I have ever had, maybe not but it is good, good enough to have more than once. The grilled pork chop meal is a winner as far as Al is concerned and the sweet potato fries are excellent. 

To make this review totally honest I will admit that the corn chowder disappointed. It was low on corn and not rich the way I like it. But that is the first time I have really not liked what I ordered. It wasn't bad just not inspired.  

Just about everything I have tried is a winner. I love this place. It is casual and has some really good desserts too. To see their complete menu, visit their website. 

Lavender Pond Farm Killingworth, Conn

Chris and Denise Salafia have created something very special on their 25-acre former cattle farm. Thousands of lavender plants add a subtle perfume to the air and you can't help but be enchanted by the rows of plants with butterflies flitting about. It is a magical place with a pretty white gazebo and a giant chess board to draw you in. Welcome to Lavender Pond Farm. 

We visited on a warm September afternoon and I immediately was drawn into the the magic feeling. I had read posts recommending the farm on Facebook and I felt compelled to check it out myself. 

The first thing we actually saw was Chris working on his vintage 1947 Ford truck and it is a beauty. Al kept entertained talking to him while I wandered among the plants. With more than 8,000 plants, there is almost always some variety in bloom. In the fall, it is more likely to be the English varieties. 

The beds are designed to be walked through and it is certainly a pleasant way to spend some time strolling. They even offer yoga on Saturday mornings, check their website for details. 

The store sells all things lavender and I was happy to pick up a few things. I do love the outdoor sculpture which I may just have to come back for. 

If you are looking for some place to visit locally, Lavender Pond Farms certainly is charming and they even have some very cool looking chickens. Feel free to bring your children and leashed dogs are also welcome. 

Higher Grounds East Haddam, Conn.

Kim Page has another success on her hands at the new location of her coffee shop in East Haddam. If the name Higher Grounds sounds familiar, it because it is familiar. For many years her shop was located at 70 Main Street in downtown East Hampton. 

About six months after it closed at that location they reopened here in East Haddam and things are going better than ever. Much of what we all loved about the former shop can be found here. Local art and talent are featured as well as great coffee and delicious baked goods. 

We stopped in after we visited the Nathan Hale School House and just managed to sneak in before the 2 p.m. closing. I was really craving a bagel and a cappuccino. While we were waiting,  Al tried some of the little apple muffins that had been rolled in cinnamon sugar, oh my, that is a delicious combination.   

With my everything bagel, I opted for the olive cream cheese. I am a believer!! Wow, I love it. Who would have thought of all those different olives in the cream cheese, it took my bagel to a whole other level. Al had a plain bagel with plain cream cheese but he was a happy camper. 

He took a sip of my cappuccino and agreed, it was a winner. I highly recommend Higher Grounds for breakfast or lunch and I can't wait to go back and have more olive cream cheese!!

Nathan Hale School House East Haddam, Conn.

Presently located on a small hill behind the Episcopal Church on Main Street in East Haddam, the Nathan Hale School House is one of two schools where our Connecticut hero taught after he graduated from Yale. 

East Haddam was his first assignment and for a young man who had just come from the excitement of New Haven, the rural atmosphere didn't have much appeal.  He wrote to a former Yale classmate about "remote life in the wilderness called Moodus". It probably explains why he only stayed for five months and moved on to an assignment at Union Grammar School in New London. Perhaps, he might have lived to be an old man if he had stayed away from the influences that got him into the spy business but I guess we will never know. 

He was a popular teacher here in Moodus, He was only 18 years old when he arrived fresh from Yale. Life as a teacher in rural Connecticut in 1773 was not easy. He had 33 pupils aged 6 through 18, all attending the one-room schoolhouse from seven in the morning until nine in the evening, with only one free hour at lunchtime.

School in this time period was coeducational and Nathan was popular with boys and girls. "He was a happy and faithful teacher, everybody loved him. He was sprightly, kind, intelligent and so handsome."  

If he had not become a spy and come to a horrible end, his time here would have gone unnoticed no doubt but he became our first American hero and luckily the school where he taught has survived. 

When we visited on a Thursday in September the school was not open but we were able to walk the grounds and to read about the schoolhouse and Nathan on the plaques. We have gone into the school before and it has desks that would be correct to the time period. 

In addition to the schoolhouse, there is an oak on the property that was grown from an acorn of the original Charter Oak. 

Chasing Rainbows shines at Goodspeed

If you have ever wondered about the life of Judy Garland before the Wizard of Oz, wonder no more. Chasing Rainbows introduces us to Frances Gumm, who would later took the stage name Judy Garland, as a young child and brings us through the production of Wizard of Oz. 

Her childhood was a mixture of drama and love. Her relationship with her tortured father is one of the highlights of the show. Ella Briggs is absolutely charming as baby Frances and she has quite a singing voice as well. 

Ruby Rakos as Judy has a powerful voice and it was hard not to give her a standing ovation during several of her songs during the production. On one hand, we were all envious of the talent that Judy was gifted with and the famous people who were part of her everyday life in Hollywood. On the other hand, we very much feel for her as she is made to feel fat and a plain Jane by Louis B Mayer and most of the studio employees and given drugs as a 13-year-old child to help her lose weight.

Great singing and dancing make this a show that you will enjoy immensely, we certainly did. This was by far our favorite show of this year's schedule and it may even be our favorite of all time at Goodspeed. 

Plenty of tickets are still available. I suggest you call and get yours, it will be a fun evening. 

Pumpkins N Pooches Autumn Fair and Dog Fest in Colchester

Save the date: October 1, 2016

Place: Colchester Green

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The 18th annual Pumpkins & Pooches Autumn Fair and Dog Show will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1st, 2016 from 11 - 3 on the Colchester Town Green. Sponsored by the Colchester Lions Club, this major fundraiser has grown in size every year. 

Top Dog Portland

If you have driven up route 66 in Portland when the weather is warm at lunch time you have no doubt come across our very own pop-up restaurant Top Dog!! It is hard to miss, it is a hotdog shaped trailer pulled by a bright yellow cab!! 

For many years I noticed it but never stopped. It's hotdogs after all, what is the big deal? Well now I know, It is delicious steamed hotdogs that are perfectly cooked and topped with a delicious variety of toppings. Al always gets the hotdog with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard. Me, I like a traditional dog with yellow mustard, relish and onions. 

We just stopped yesterday and ate in the car. You can sit out at their Adirondack Chairs and unbrellas but we were in a bit of a hurry. The only things other than hotdogs offered are chips and cold drinks and it is a real bargain for a delicious lunch. 

The next time you see

the hotdog mobile, stop and and give them a try. I am sure you will be a convert!!