It’s been eight years since Bella and I’ve visited “the family” in Connecticut.  What better reason to make our way back than my father’s recent move back to the East Coast (where he grew up) combined with my cousin Susie’s wedding.

Formerly known as a “For Sale” sign

My father gave the realtor MORE than enough notice that the chainsaw would come out if their sign wasn’t picked up within 10 days.  He grew weary of staring at the banana yellow signage in excess of two months.

Dad’s contemporary home

Dad is fitting right in with the locals via his addition of a LIME GREEN front door.  None of his neighbors would ever guess he spent the past 28 years in California…not a one.

Carbone’s Mkt: Grinders (a.k.a. submarine sandwiches)

Carbone’s Menu

Carbone’s: “Italian Combo”

We ordered impulsively with other patrons behind us and dad and I forgot the roasted peppers, heavy on olive oil, red wine vinegar and shredded lettuce.  Yes, we were total amateurs…once we got it right we were in “deli heaven”.  Bella opted for the Italian sausage and cheese grinder.  It tasted amazing with great flavor in the sausage.  The staff was friendly, accommodating and patient with us which was much appreciated.

Mandatory additions on an Italian combo grinder…

Carbone’s grinder…check out the amount of meat

Nobody over thirty should eat this amount of meat in a sandie in a single day.  I split this eight inch grinder into two meals.

Lombardi’s Bakery & Gifts

Rumor has it they offer the best cannoli pastries in Torrington, CT.  We will see…

Lombardi’s: Cookies…

Lombardi’s: Box of cannoli

It had a super smooth texture, was simple rather than complex, not sour tasting, full of vanilla flavor and I suspect it had Sheep’s milk ricotta cheese given the texture and taste.  It may have been less sophisticated than some I’ve had but it sure was delicious.

Maine lobsters…prior to…”da, da, da”…the boil…

Dad did it via the “supposed” humane way of gradually increasing the heat and thereby — “lulling them to sleep” — as he puts it.  “Nice try pops”…you may be selling…but we aren’t buying.

Dad’s living room

Staging of dad’s home was GREATLY enhanced due to his artist friend Thelma’s input and assistance.  In addition, she completed a good portion of the landscaping on the property.  Within 2.2 seconds of walking in room number one I knew it wasn’t — “all him”; I never had to ask.  Sorry dad if I “sold you down the river” but Davy had to give credit where credit was due.

Dad’s living room

Dad’s grandfather clock

Dad’s dining room

Ian Ingersoll: Cabinetmaker

In West Cornwall, CT, we toured this Shaker furniture shop.

Ingersoll: dining table

Ingersoll: dresser

Interior of the Cornwall Bridge

Cornwall Bridge

David and Elfie @ Cornwall Bridge

Here we were reminded of the unofficial rules in battling mosquitoes.

a)  Avoid being anywhere near a body of water in these humid, tree and plant rich overly green environments.  This is especially true in the spring and summer when the weather is warmer.

b)  Avoid ever going into any forest…period!

c)  At night spray bug repellent on your person similarly as you would sunblock if you were visiting Phoenix in the summer.

d)  Whenever in doubt…spray on bug repellent on your person as you would sunblock if you were visiting Phoenix in the summer.

Cornwall Bridge

Stunning river view @ Cornwall Bridge

Going “over the line” to pass a tractor

Elfie and David @ Kent Falls

At Kent Falls we paid a park fee of $15.00 (due to driving an out-of-state rental car) which worked out to about $1.50 per minute for the time spent here.  Dad didn’t see the sign regarding fees as we pulled into the lot.  I believe the Connecticut park system may want to adjust their pricing based on the “interest level” in a particular park.  And it wouldn’t hurt to be a little nicer to tourists from out-of-state.

Arethusa Farm Dairy

A new ice cream and cheese shop in Bantam, CT.  Their fancy Italian restaurant is on the left.

Arethusa: Coconut dark chocolate ice cream

This ice cream has a very organic, natural taste to it and isn’t overloaded with sugar.  It is truly superb.

Wedding tent @ Auntie Linda’s in Litchfield, CT

Wedding ceremony on the lawn

Loved: It lasted ten minutes or less…

LOVED: The groom’s nickname is — “Bird Dog”

Loved: The regal look with the giant white circus tent.  It reminds me of those movies set on the East Coast where weddings are held on large estates with huge beautiful green lawns.

Hated: The sloped lawn and moist soil which resulted in my holding onto Elfie’s chair for dear life as my chair sank and tilted terribly to the right and downhill…

Cousins Katie, Kathy and Barbara

Steve, cousin Megan & date

Eddie, Elfie and cousin Suzy

Mandatory liquors @ any Italiano coffee bar

Pond at Auntie Linda’s

As a youth my cousin David and I exterminated the frog population on another tiny pond on her property.  Rumor has it from our cousins that frogs never re-populated in this pond ever, ever…ever again.  Young males + pellet guns = “bad times” for ugly amphibians…

Cousin David

Bride & groom’s first dance

Buffet at wedding

Crazy as it sounds cousin Susie and her friends cooked a good amount of the food featured here.  Caterers handled the rest of the food.  Cuz owns a local seafood restaurant named “West Shore Seafood”(westshoreseafood.com).

Barn out back

Not your typical “old world” barn on the interior.  It served as a staging/prep area for caterers.  Regrettably I forgot to take a picture.

One delicious Caesar salad

Guests under the tent

Dad and Thelma are pictured on the left.

One of many bars…

The Malbec wine was very good so I never made it to the Cabernet Sauvignon.  A shrimp, oyster and clam bar was featured near the pool (I failed to get a picture).

Lombardi cannolo I “modified” w/blueberries

Staging area for classic car show

This image shows maybe twenty-five percent of the vehicles preparing for this show.  We came upon this spectacle as we drove a country road from Litchfield to West Haven, CT.  West Haven is best known for being the home of the prestigious “Ivy league” university Yale.

Elfie, dad and I in line @ Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana

For this famous pizzeria (established in 1925) this line was nothing.  It is located on Wooster Street in New Haven’s “Little Italy” district.  New Haven is famous for having some of the best thin crust pizza in the country.

Local sodas from New Haven

The root beer had more of that “old time” sasparilla taste.  The “white birch” had a clear wintergreen taste and smell and the “kola” was fairly close in taste to a Coca-Cola.

Dad’s Margherita pizza w/roasted red peppers & sausage

Clam, Bacon, Olive oil, oregano, garlic, mozzarella pie

This pizza was amazing, although in hindsight, I probably wouldn’t have added bacon.  It was outstanding bacon both visually and by taste but it clearly overpowered the taste of the clams.  The crust has a nice chewiness to it (yet was firm) and it does get slightly burnt in places as part of the “wood-fired” process (super high heat and short duration).  As a result, fellow customers should simply — “deal with it” — and shut their pie-holes in regards to this aspect of the pie.  A bonus of this type of cooking is that the pie arrives at your table quickly.

Libby’s Italian Pastry Shop: Pistachio cannolo

Dad had a coconut cannolo which was surprisingly more tasty than the pistachio one.  Other odd cannolo flavors included: peanut butter; cappuccino; Heath Bar; raspberry; strawberry etc.  For me these were a bit too much of novelty act and sacrificed authentic flavor.  Their original cannolo was pretty decent but not noteworthy.

Dad’s forest

Dad planted seedlings in this backyard (his former teacher) back in the day when he was a youngster.  Now look at them…

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s former home

Per Wikipedia, Harriet Beecher Stowe (/stoʊ/; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) was a depiction of life for African Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom. It energized anti-slavery forces in the American North, while provoking widespread anger in the South. She wrote more than 20 books, including novels, three travel memoirs, and collections of articles and letters. She was influential both for her writings and her public stands on social issues of the day.

We also drove by former actress Susan Saint James (“McMillan & Wife”; “Kate & Allie”) home but I decided not to photograph her home out of respect for her privacy.

White Horse: Their amazing “Summer Salad”

White Horse: “House signature burger”

Their burger contained Angus sirloin, brisket, short rib and apple wood smoked bacon.

White Horse: “Seafood Bake”

Quite possibly the best seafood stew Bella’s ever had.  The broth was unbelievably tasty and not too salty.

Dad’s backyard

I believe his total property equals 1.67 acres.

Dad’s backyard

Dad’s backyard

Notice the boulders out back and the mosquito net covered deck.

Lake across the street from dad’s

Never sniffed it and never cared…this photo was taken with a zoom lens.  Recall “the rules regarding mosquitoes” highlighted earlier?  Enough said…

Classic New England stone wall

You will find these magnificent structures throughout New England.

Dad’s kitchen and casual dining area

FINITO!