Dining, Shopping, and Sightseeing Around Mystic CT

Shelter Harbor Inn The Shelter Harbor Inn on the far side of Westerly is what you would expect and old inn to look like. We have had lunch and dinner there and they have bee good. We have not dined there for a long time. My draw to this place is the Indian Pudding. Indian Pudding goes back to the Mayflower and the first settlers. It is a simple pudding made out of cornmeal and molasses that they serve warm with vanilla ice cream. It is the kind of thing you love or hate. I am craving the stuff just writing about it!

Sea Swirl is your typical fast food fried sea food. I have had the fried clams a few time, which were good. It isn't cheap.

The Mystic Soup Company is a little walk in place that makes just soup, mostly for takeout, that has lines out the door. It is only open for a few hours a day, but is often sold out. I have been there a few times and they create very unusual, but delicious soup. It is difficult to find tucked in a building behind Behind Sea Swirl.

Avanti's is another low key restaurant that has good food and good takeout and is close to the house.

Old Mystic General Store in Old Mystic gets rave reviews. We have never had any food from there, but I have included it in recommendations, because of all the good thing I have heard about it.

Frank's Gourmet Grill is a little different then many of the other restaurants in Mystic. Although there are a few seafood choices on the menu this place is more about beef, chicken, pork and lamb, all of which they do an excellent job with. We have been there about a half dozen times and have enjoyed every one of those dining experiences. Their prime rib is great and my sister loved the duck.

Bravo Bravo is a restaurant that we used to go to frequently, but haven't recently because of the crowed space and noise level. That being said the food is very good and it may be a choice you would enjoy.

Coffee review Macondo I found a great coffee shop in Stonington. This place is the real deal. I say this from the perspective of somebody who has raised coffee snobbery to an art form. I went in with low expectations, it is so rare to go into a coffee shop where the barista actually knows what they are doing. For example, at a well known coffee franchise, the "barista" pushes buttons to make your drink from lousy over-roasted beans. I was immediately intrigued that they post the harvest date of their coffee as well as the roast date, so I ordered a cappuccino. While I was paying for it I was expecting to hear the all-too-familiar "butchering" of the milk as it is being frothed. I'm very particular about frothing the milk. Properly done, frothing produces extremely small bubbles sometimes referred to as micro foam. This can only be achieved by incorporating air into the foam only at the beginning of the frothing process and not towards the end. When you hear t...

Mystic Pizza is a great place to buy "the tee shirt." Julia has made this place the number one question when you say you stayed in Mystic. Is there really a Mystic Pizza and did you eat there? Yes, there really is a Mystic Pizza, but I would suggest if you want decent pizza or food for that matter you dine somewhere else. It is an overpriced over crowded tourist trap. I have been dragged in there so many times by visitors and each time I swear it will never happen again! I don't think the movie filming was even done in there. Speaking of the Roberts family, about three years ago we were asked if a made for television movie called A Fatal Obsession could partially be filmed at the house. It was to star Eric Roberts, Julia's brother and Tracey Nelson, Ricky Nelson's daughter. We could not wait to see the final product. Our house was definitely in the film, pre new kitchen, but it had to be one of the worst films ever made! We were some how able to find it an...

Stonington Pizza Palace has good food and a huge take out business. Their pizza is excellent , and they have a fantastic seasonal lobster roll. There is a Greek influence in their menu. I have never been disappointed why anything I have had here. It seems to be a place that attracts locals. Go next door to Macando for the best cappuccino in the area

Somewhere in Time Cafe is another good breakfast option. Generous and creative options.

Angie's Pizza is a down home, family friendly restaurant with a big menu with a bit of a Greek influence. The food is good and the prices reasonable. Chuck's grandparents used to get "Grinders" aka "subs" from here all the time at least 30 years ago because it is so close.

Bejing Dumplings draw for us is their pan fried dumplings, which are 12 for $5.99. They are wonderful. I have never had dinner there, but from their ratings it looks like their other food is also good.

The Engine Room is the sister restaurant of the high-end Oyster Club. It serves good bar food in a noisy industrial setting. The bar area is always packed. A fun place to go, but not if you want a peaceful evening!

Sweetie's Bakery is located near the train station in New London. I has wonderful from scratch breakfasts and lunch and incredible baked goods. The service is good and friendly. We have only been there a few times, but were impressed. This is another hole in the wall family business run by two Johnson and Wales trained chefs. Kind of a hidden gem. We seem to spend an inordinate amount of time taxiing people to and from New London trains. The ones arriving are usually late so it is nice to have a place to go for a really good snack while waiting.

Chesters Barbecue in Groton is a really good place to either dine in or take out. It is a much more authentic barbecue place with a Southern flavored menu then Dog Watch Mystic. Their interesting sides are as good as their meat dishes. My only issue with this place is smelling smokey after being in there for a while.

Dog Watch Mystic is the wildly popular second location of Dog Watch. This new restaurant still has lots of seafood on the menu, but also has really good barbecue. My favorite on this menu is the pulled pork sandwich with a side of their delicious kale salad. This is a more upscale barbecue. ( If you are looking for a more authentic Southern barbecue go to Chesters in Groton). Try to go at off times as the place is always jammed in the summer. They have a nice area to dine outside and is kid friendly with activities for them to do.

Dog Watch is always a good bet for lunch or dinner. It is on the water in Stonington Borough and has menu mostly of of local seafood although it does serve burgers and salads. The menu is not large but what they have they do well. It is a cozy atmosphere.

The Stonington Fishing Docks is another favorite photography place of mine and just a special place in general. It is located to the right when heading down Water Street in Stonington Borough. I think many visitors miss this beautiful area because they don't realize it is there. It is the home to the last operating fishing fleet in Connecticut and picurresque beyond belief. I have taken thousands of photos here over the years of boats, lobster traps, birds, fishermen, clouds , reflections, ropes , anchors, fish, fog, rain, sun, you name it! I can spend hours here walking up and down the docks just breathing the fragrant air, listening to the birds and soaking up the atmosphere! It is the absolute true beauty of New England at its best! I always feel rested and at peace after coming to this area. It is good to realize that although the fisherman do not mind you being there, it is their place of business, so please don't get in the way of their work.

Stonington Seafood Harvesters is owned by the Bombster family and is a local institution. This family has several huge fishing trawlers that they use to harvest some to the best scallops you will ever taste. The scallops are flash frozen on the boat, as they are caught, way out at sea, so are always of the upmost freshest. They have a big distribution area, but are also the main source of scallops to the local restaurants where they will be described on the menu as the "Bomster Scallops". They also fish for the Stonington Red Shrimp I described on the Seawell entry, and many other types of fish, but are reknown for their scallops. They have a unique retail stand over by the Stonington Fishing docks. There are freezers lined up under an awing like gray building. The customer selects what they want out of the freezers, which are filled with scallops, etc, uses the provided adding machine to calculate what they owe and either deposits a cash payment or check in a slo...

Blue Squid restaurant , in Old Mystic Village, is another new favorite of ours. They make incredible variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. Their three cheese is excellent and their lobster grilled cheese is a must try at least once. They are also know for their delicious specialty cupcakes. I am partial to the Blue Squid and the Salted Carmel , although they are all good. They also just started serving and interesting breakfast menu.

The Oyster Club is an award winning farm to table restaurant with delicious innovated food. It has won best of regional and national awards and is a nice place to go if you want an upscale dining experience. My favorite menu item is the mussels in coconut sauce which is on the appetizer list, but i have often had for my entree. It is an ever changing menu depending on what the farms they use are producing.

Johnny's Peking Tokyo is a Japanese/Chinese restaurant that makes good and beautiful sushi if you want to dine out rather then picking up Ju's Sushi to bring home. They have some interesting selections. We once went there for a birthday celebration and they brought out a dessert with a sparkler in it and then presented the birthday person with a wrapped gift of a set of beautiful chop stick.

McQuades is another option for grocery shopping. They are not as conveniently located, but also carry an impressive selection of products.

Mystic Market has all kinds of take out salads, meats, baked goods, including good baguettes and gourmet items. They have a great cheese selection and many different types of coffee beans. It is convenient in that it is only minutes from the house, but also pretty pricey.

The Light House Bakery is located on the right, just a little before you go over the Drawbridge. They have excellent bread and good pastries. My favorite there is the granola, which is also exceptional.

The Big Y is located very close to our house, a right on route one and down about a quarter mile on the left. It a well stocked grocery, with good produce, a good beer selection and decent bread if you are in a hurry. They also have a nice steak selection as well as unusual items like duck breast. The best thing in the store is their New England cheese selection. There are many options for really good cheese, especially from Vermont. I am from Vermont, but live in Pennsylvania so am always thrilled to find the farmstead cheese I used to have. They have a wide selection from many states. You can put together an impressive cheese platter at the last minute from here.

Paul's Pasta is located on the Thames River in Groton, next to the submarine base. It is a small hole in the wall, family run restaurant that again makes my top five list for delicious food. We like it so much that it is going to be our main food at our daughter's Taste of Mystic themed wedding on our back lawn! Everything is excellent in a straight forward presentation kind of way. When we were redoing our kitchen we brought our cabinetmaker to Paul's for dinner. He is also a graduate Chef of the renouned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. He had nothing but rave reviews for the food! Hard to say what I like best here because it is all good. They have porch dining in the summer. Once when our children were young we brought them there for lunch and as we ate looking at the river a submarine rose to the surface! That was an excitingly experience all of us!

Noah's is a restaurant, which also serve as a rotating art gallery for local artists. You can sit there having their blueberry pancakes, the best in the world, and take in their walls of mostly New England art at the same time. I have bought many pieces that are around the house from there while having breakfast! It is a quirky place in an old building , with tin ceilings and a big round table where locals drift in and out to have breakfast together and expound on and settle world issues. We have always fantasized getting there early and sitting at the round table to see what would happen! That table is sacred! This is also a good place for lunch dinner and brunch, although it can get really busy. A few years ago Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones shot a movie in Stonington Borough and Noah's was one of the sets for it.

Kitchen Little is located at the marina, a couple 100 yards up the river to the right of the house. To go there drive as if you are leaving the island and just before you make the turn to go on to the bridge make a left on Quarry Road toward the marinas. Their breakfasts can't be beat, although I have heard their lunch is not as special. There are many Portuguese decedents in the area because of the fishing industry and this is a Portuguese restaurant , although not much of that influence is on the menu. They have an interesting, diverse. menu, with some lobster options, like Lobster Benedict. They feature a different pancake everyday, which are always excellent. Their portions are are very generous, to the point that when Chuck and I are in Mystic, we often go there for breakfast with the plan of our next meal being dinner. My favorite item on their menu also happens to be the cheapest. I love their cheesy eggs with a side of one pancake! This place ties with Noah...

Ju Sushi has excellent, economical, fresh and delicious sushi. It is one of our top five favorite dining experiences in Mystic. What makes this place great is that if you bring trays from our house over earlier in the day when you place your order, they will artistically make a breathtakingly beautiful platter to enjoy on our sunporch , which has the best water dining views in town. They are thrilled to use our platters and be able to use their talents on other then styrofoam and you have an increable appetizer or dinner presentation that would be less expensive then going out, but still work free. We like just about everything on their menu, but some of our favorites are Yummy Rolls, Special Rolls and the Sake Don Salmon, which is my favorite, For this dish you have to bring a bowl as the chef refuses to put that on a plate, because that is not the way it should be. They take great pride in their product! The trays that work best are the decorative plastic ones to the righ...

One of my favorite days when in Mystic is to have breakfast at Carson's General Store, (See Carson's,) and then take a walk around Noank. Bring a camera! It can be ten in the morning and you feel if you don't do another thing your day is complete. After leaving Carson's walk across the street and start down Pearl Street and on your right you will see Sherman's Market, which is worth going into. They sell limited groceries, housemade sausage and great looking sandwiches, which I have not tried yet, and a smattering of art work. At the cash register they have an antique wooden puller for moving groceries toward the register like you would have seen in the early 1900's! Back on the street continue to the left taking in the great fences and architecture along the way. You will arrive at a corner that has a big amazing house with stencil like cut outs. Turn down that street and within several yards you will be able to see panoramic views of the water, ...

Carson's in located in the fishing town of Noank, across the river from our home. It is a must breakfast destination . They make their own corned beef and have many delicious Eggs Benedicts to choose from as well as some lobster options. The food is fantastic, but the decor even more so. It is an original 1950's fountain setting with black and white checkered floors, with that teal green and silver look from the Howard Johnson's era. I can't stop taking pictures of the penny candy jars and the whole setting in general. It really is all original and you feel you have stepped back in time. The booths are tiny, so four sit where normal space of two. This is kind of like Cheer's where all the locals congregate. If you are alone, don't be surprised if someone joins you at your table. There is a man that pulls up on a golf cart every morning and Carrie, the server drops what she is doing and goes out to assist him in the door! This place is the way Americ...

A. K. Dashers , on Water Street in Stonington Borough sells interesting jewelry at very good price. They deal in a lot of earrings, rings, pendents, bracelets and natural stone items. They also at times have small decor pieces. It is not high end gem stones, but rather affordable, unique art pieces. I can not being to tell you how many things I have bought here through the years and how many times I have bought gifts for friends and family that they have loved. I always get compliments on my Dashers jewelry. There is always a striking window display and they are opened later then most stores. It is a great place if you are looking for a small gift to bring home and they are always more then happy to do beautiful complimentary wrapping for you. You can even buy Christmas gifts in July and they will do your Christmas wrapping that far ahead!

Milagro is a small Mexican resturant on Water Street in Stonington Borough. It has unique and delicious menu prepared by a trained chef that uses local seafood that comes in on the fishing boats that are docked a few hundred yards behind the restaurant. The fish tacos are a must as are the other seasonal fish presentations. Chuck just ordered some sort of pork rich wrapped in banana leaves that he raved about. This is another place where lots of locals can be found. Our time is limited in Mystic right now, but we always manage to make it to this cozy place to dine, a few times on our visits. They have a wide array of Margaritas that are worth a trip in themselves. Another great thing about this place is that it is on picturesque Water Street, which is wonderful to wander around on if there is a wait or for an after dinner stroll. Another one of my favorite store, Dashers, is right across the street, (see Dashers), so you can also get in some shopping if you want.

Mine is a quirky place where all kinds of treasures can be found. It is an experience as much as a shopping trip and is listed on Trip Advisor as one of the top ten destinations in Mystic The mahogany table on the sun porch was purchased there for about $100. and when refinished became perfect for that area and such a bargain. We have basically furnished our daughters apartment in Pittsburgh, with what we have found there! It is a cross between an antique store and a flee market. The owners Mike and Lindsey are always helpful, friendly and ready to give you the best deal possible. This is a great place to go if you want to find a one of a kind piece that you want to refinish. Our latest finds were a hand carved bar that was brought back from Korea in the early 1950's, a one of a kind work of art, and an antique entry table that is going to be magnificent when refurbished. We have also bought some great artwork and they carry all kind of mineral stones. The dish of minera...

The Fun Shop is a not to be missed shopping experience! The very friendly owners, manage to find over runs of top brand names that you would find in high end New York stores and sell them for a fraction of the price. Brands I have found there include Nic and Zoe, Tribal, and countless others. Our daughter has found Nic and Zoe blouces that were still on the floors of Nordstroms for savings of up to $100.! You never know what you will find there, but if you like it , buy it, because the prices are so good that it will be gone in hours.. They carry kitchen supplies, fantastic linens , children's toys, accessories, and what ever else they find that is a deal in high end merchandise. My favorite store in the area! They now have a second location on Water Street which carries different merchadice then the original store.

Ford's is a lobster pound in the quaint little town of Noank, that you can see across the water from our dock. It is the place where the locals go for lobster. You can find all kinds of innovative selections on the menu, like lobster BLT's, lobster mac and cheese and other kinds of local seafood choices. It is very busy so better to go for lunch or in off times in the summer. Open year round.

Sea Well Seafood is a fish market located on the right, just before you come over the causeway to the island. The owners also own a fishing fleet so the fish you buy here are fresh. I once went in and was looking at flounder and was told that it was six hours old and that maybe I should buy the haddock that was only an hour old! You could be dining at night on fish that swam by the house that morning! Living in Pittsburgh we are talking week old fish, which we don't buy so this is heaven! Their oysters are excellent and often times come from right out in front and a little to left of our dock. You will see the boat out there in the morning and hear the Noank oysters hitting the boat as they are scooped up. They have great lobsters that you can bring home and cook, (lobster pot in cabinet over double ovens), or they will cook them for you for .50 cents extra per pound, which is sometimes a bargin for the mess you avoid. They have a lot of sushi grade fish if you want to m...

The Pita Spot , now called Mezza. Great Mediterranean/Lebanese food and a must stop if you are only dining out a few times. They were just voted best Mediterranean restaurant in Connecticut about six months ago and have stacks of other awards! Very friendly, locally owned. No longer BYOB, which the only the disappointment about the place. The LaLa chicken is incredible! Their appetizer combo and the calamari with couscous are also excellent, but it would be difficult to find a bad thing on the menu. The kibbie, and kabobs are also incredible. They have a whipped garlic sauce to die for! Make sure to say hi to the owner, Vivian and her brothers Tony and Eddy and the server, Lori for us. We went in there strangers about ten years ago and like everyone else that goes in that place now feel like family. Even inviting them to our daughters wedding! It is only about five minutes from the house.

Abbott's is a famous destination spot for lobster. When I was in my early teens, I was frequently given the task of taking the Boston Whaler across the river to Abbott's to pick up dinner. This place is very well known, but is mostly for tourists. You can have much better seafood at home - you can get the lobsters cooked to order a mile from our house at Sea Well, or to dine out go to Fords. This is not to say you would not have fun at Abbotts on a beautiful summer day standing on it dock looking at the boats going by and large fish that come up to its dock. It is just not a restful experience , with droves of people, and long lines or the most economical way to have lobster, but when you say you were in Mystic, the inevitable question will be, "Did you eat at Abbott's?" They have a brother restaurant called Costello's, just down the road that serves clams and is more like a food truck, that I kind of prefer.

The Newport Mansions is a great doable day trip, being only about an hour or so from the house. There is a wide variety of mansions to tour that date back to the late 18 and early 1900's. It is a fantastic trip for children to get a glimpse back at history and a mind boggling tour for adults to see the life of the industrial age barons of America. There is also a cliff walk behind the mansions that is really fun.

The Fantastic Umbrella Factory is an old hippie enclave straight out of the 1960's. It was my kids favorite day outing when they were young and they still feel like that as thirty year olds. I also love it! It is kind of difficult to explain. There are a series of buildings that sell hippie type clothing , lunch, candles, great ethnic musical instruments. stuff from India and Africa, toys, home goods , arts and crafts, teeshirts, jewelry and much more and this is all set in an overgrown vegetive area that makes you feel you just landed on a tropical island There are ponds with koi and little bridges to cross, an old rotting truck from about 1930 and a fantastic nursery that carries plants you can not find anywhere else. (I go there and spend too much money each year, but bring home some specimen plants that are only seen at our Phipps Conservatory here in Pittsburgh that I can now enjoy in my yard!) So all of this is going on and then you add their animals to the ...

Point Judith, Block Island Ferry There is not a website for Point Judith, but is interesting to see in itself even if you are not going to Block Island. It is a no nonsense fishing port with massive fishing trawlers, some great seafood restaurants and fish markets. We used to go there all the time to get our fish before Seawell arrived on our island. If you are going to visit there I would still bring a cooler as the fish is varied and amazing. We went into a fish place there once where they had a lobster that was the size of a small child! The kids were in awe of it so the fisherman took it out of its case, took the band off and put a pencil in its pincher, which it immediately snapped in two! Made us realize how dangerous lobster fishing is. This thing could have as easily broken a wrist! Be careful if you cook lobster at home to leave the bands on! Anyway getting back to Point Judith there is a certain charm about seeing the industrial side of fishing. It is out on the br...

Block Island is a full doable day trip. Many of our guests have come back for many many years and may want to venture out a bit. You can take a ferry from Point Judith or New London and there is no need to take your car with you. never have left from New London so not sure what the timing or price difference is. I would try to catch one of the first ferries out in the morning to have more time there. It is a great place to rent bikes, mopeds or even a convertible to tour this wild natural Island twelve miles off the coast of Rhode Island. There are a ton of taxi tours if you want a guided tour. "The Nature Conservancy has designated Block Island one of the 12 last great places in the Western Hemisphere" Whatever that means. ! It is truly beautiful with bluffs, cliffs, hiking trails, farmland, light houses and a beautiful little town where you disembark from the ferry that you could be happy in all day if you do not want to tour the island. I found Littlefield Bee f...

B. F Clyde's Cider Mill is opened from September through December and is a grant place to go to watch cider being made and to bring it home to have in front of our new gas fireplace! They have homemade donuts there that are best eaten immediately when they are hot and also crisp apples for sale. . They also have all kinds of New England food products like maple syrup, honey, etc. There is a place that sells souvenirs and tee shirts as well as other things you don't need. It is a really fun place to go, especially with children. Clyde's was featured on the Food Network. An absolute Fall New England happening and only about ten to fifteen minutes from the house. They sometimes have a fiddling band there. I keep giving these times, but keep in mind the five minutes it takes to get off the island. Everything is really close.

Old Mistick Village is located next to the Aquarium about 12 minutes from the house. It is suppose to be the replica of a 1720's Village. It is very commercial but still lots of fun to visit. I have found I am going there a lot more then I used to because I am liking many of the stores and their prices seem fair for the most part. It is about 33 shops and 10 restaurants laid out like a little village. Kids love this place because it feels kind on miniature and there are ponds filled with ducks and geese. These ducks also wander all over the sidewalks and occasionally into the stores. Some of my favorite shops are Fun and Easy, Grey Goose Cookery, Mystic Kite Shop, Bestemors, The Franklin General Store, Sticky Situations, and Munson"s Chocolate that have the best chocolate covered frozen bananas ever! I am sure there are many places there I have not discovered. This is where Blue Squid is located, home of the best grilled cheese and cupcakes in town! Vault coffee...

Harbour House has a checkered past. About 30 years ago it was the best restaurant in town and then went in to decline to the point that Robert Irvine's, "Restaurants Impossible", showed up to try to save it. It has kind of been struggling to find its identity since then. It was sold to a new owner in 2014 who has put over $1 million into renovations. The only reason I mention it is that it does have a good happy hour menu with very reasonable priced wines and they also have live music several evenings a week. Not sure I would have a regular meal there.

Zest is a bakery in the Velvet Mills run by a French trained pastry chef. Their creations are wonderful. It is a very busy place with lines all the time.

Tin Tin Bakery and Cafe has made some of the most beautiful birthday cakes I have ever seen. They are low sugar cakes, I guess in the Chinese style, decorated with fruit. Look at the pictures on their web. The problem is lately it has been difficult to order from them for I am not sure what reason. Look at their hours! If you have an occasion that warrants a cake while at the house, call this place early. it is really with the effort!

Bridge is on a river in Westerly right over the bridge from Connecticut. it has very good food and is open until ten. You will find most places in Mystic winding down at eight and by nine it is a ghost town!

Phantasia is a very good Vietnamese/ Chinese restaurant that we dine at frequently. We like the Summer rolls, many of the Pho's and the scallion pancakes. I went there with our daughter once and we ordered the pho with beef balls, thinking they were meat balls, which they were not!!!! We ate the broth that time. It is very authentic Vietnamese ingredients.