A quick hello from Connecticut

You know how you always imagine New England will be all clapboard houses and red autumn trees and white church spires in quaint villages?  Well...  it's all true!!  And I know this because today we drove up from New York City to Westport, Connecticut and it is truly one of the loveliest places I have seen.  And yes, it looks exactly like I imagined it, only better.  Better because the village contains a Trader Joe's and a Williams Sonoma!!

We have just had four glorious days in NYC, which included such fab things as:

• a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• the top of the Empire State Building
• a couple of dinners at Bubby's (thanks for the tip, Johanna!)
• the Best Pizza In The World at Luzzo's
• drooling on the merchandies at Dean & Deluca
• a lovely long telephone conversation witn Ronni
• Katz Deli and a revelation as regards what corned beef is supposed to taste like
• a sunset walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

And now we are staying with friends in Westport before moving on to Stonington and Boston.  And obviously I will be off to Trader Joe's and/or Williams Sonoma first thing in the morning... ;-)

Comments

[Andrew]

Hello from Henley. It's raining here.

And I suppose I should think up something new and witty to say...

[Ronni Bennett]

It was terrific hearing your voice, Jeanne. As some others of us who've been visiting with bloggers recently are saying - next year in London. And Paris. And a bunch of other places...

[Scott at Real Epicurean]

I'm intrigued by the idea of New England since reading about it/watching it in Steven King books and films since I was a child...

I'd love to go!

[Elise]

Hi Jeanne,
There's no place more beautiful in America this time of year. Enjoy the gorgeous leaves and bright blue fall skies!

[Bea at La Tartine Gourmande]

Hi hi,

Too bad you are not in the Boston area, I would have showed you around. And you cannot be luckier, the foliage is just at its peak. Beautiful, isn't it? I love autumn here! Have fun!

[shuna fish lydon]

O my goodness! You're in my hometown and I didn't even know it? Please make it to Prune if you get a chance. Gabrielle hamilton is the chef and she's wonderful (and quirky.) 1st street between 1st and 2nd avenue. and get a pretzel croissant at City Bakery: 18th street betw 5/6th avenue, but closer to 5th. (Near the greenmarket and Trader Joe's.) Or a doughnut from the Doughnut Factory if you want to take a long walk downtown-- it's right next to the most famous bialy place. Or ice cream at Laboratorio del Gelato on Orchard street near Delancey.

have so much fun! The leaves must be amazing in Connecticut!

[Jeanne]

Hi Andrew
Funnily enough, when you posted that comment, it was raining in Connecticut too ;-)

Hi Ronni
Likewise! I just wished we had more time to chat - I was just getting into the conversation when I had to go... But I'm very excited at the prospect of showing you around here next year!

Hi Scott
Another Stephen King fan - woo hoo!! I *love* his stuff and yes, my knowledge of New England originated with his books (as well as those of the wonderful John Irving). What Stonington (Connecticut) made me think of though was Annie Proulx's The Shipping News - have you read it? It's marvellous.

Hi Elise
You are so right - it is one of the lovelier places I have visited. The people were friendly, the architecture is beautiful and the foliage was just astonishing!

Hi Bea
We did in fact end up in Boston - but realyl only for 28 hours, much of which was taken up by watching the Head of the Cgarles regatta and meeting up with an old university friend who now lives in the USA. What a great city - I definitely want to go back someday.

Hi Shuna
It was my second visit to your hometown and I loved it even more this time than the last time :-) I'm sorry I didn't have your recmmendations before I left - I would have loved to try them. And we actually stayed downtown - in Tribeca, so the doughnut factory woudl have been doable. Annoyingly, I never got to try a bialy!! The only place we saw them was on the same street as Katz's Deli, and by then we were so full of corned beef, pastrami & excellent pickles we couldn't face one :-( We also tried to go to the 2nd Ave Deli, only to find it had closed. But I did have one of the best pizzas of my entire life at Luzzo's on First Ave, around 13th Street. I hope (after SHF this weekend) to get some posts and some pics up - the foliage in Connecticut was AWESOME, and I fell in love with Boston too :-)

[David]

I hope I'm not too late! At Trader Joe's make sure to pick up several bags of their dried Montmorency cherries (as well as California dried apricots). I bring an extra suitcase to lug 'em back with me. Those cherries are the best...and so inexpensive too.

PS: I was born in Connecticut!