Eats

OTIS, MA – There are lots of eateries that you can ride by and never notice. There are also restaurants that get visited simply because they’re handy, you happen to be nearby and it’s the easiest place to stop. The Farmington River Diner fits both of those descriptions. That’s not …

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Pearly’s Farmhouse Cafe closed in October 2018 after one year of operation.) WEST CORNWALL, CT – Breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner is once again being served footsteps away from the scenic covered bridge over the Housatonic River. In the space where the Wandering Moose once operated, a new …

STURBRIDGE, MA – It was mid-afternoon Sunday and the line at the counter at B.T.’s Smokehouse at 392 Main St. (Route 20) was nearly backed up to the front door. The inside tables lining the side walls were mostly filled and maybe a dozen other sweating Southern BBQ lovers were …

RHINEBECK, NY – Foster’s Coach House has been rejuvenated. When I first stopped there a dozen or more years ago, our group had a pleasurable visit and I even considered purchasing a pint glass embossed with the tavern’s logo to add to my small collection. A second visit just a …

HUNTNGTON, MA – There’s nothing wrong with a little restraint. But the drastic measure that the doctor ordered in mid-July – a severe reduction in carb consumption and no sugar, a diet restricted to fruits, veggies and protein – sure presented a test of willpower during a lunch ride to the …

WALPOLE, NH – There are some sights you see as a rider that you know will never be duplicated. For instance, the display of eight Brough Superior motorcycles back in 2009 at the Rhinebeck Grand National Meet in NY. Or the Harley-Davidson V-Rod and the Honda CTX700 parked side-by-side at …

ATHENS, NY – The name of the place is Happy Jake’s. After that it gets confusing. Signage at the entrance to the outdoor eatery says “Happy Jake’s @ The Athens Hotel,” while a Facebook page is labeled “Happy Jake’s at The Stewart House.” Even a bit of a history lesson …

MIDDLETOWN, CT – After three hours of pounding the pavement, admiring the thousands of motorcycles and chatting with friends amidst the din of exhaust pipes and loud live music at Middletown Motorcycle Mania on Wednesday evening, it was necessary to escape the roar and find a quiet spot to rehydrate, …

WILLIMANTIC, CT – There’s always a risk when visiting an eatery a second time that it won’t measure up to pleasant memories of an initial visit. A stop this week at the Willimantic Brewing Company/Main Street Cafe fortunately confirmed my positive first impression. The atmosphere was enjoyable, the service prompt …

PHOENICIA, NY – Just inside the front door of Brio’s Pizzeria & Restaurant is a wood-fired pizza oven. “Signature” and “Gourmet” pies are the eatery’s specialty, but

BRATTLEBORO, VT – It’s not often that you hear the word “whetstone” used in conversation; a whetstone being a sharpening stone for knives. Having grown up on Whetstone Road in Harwinton, CT, though, it’s a word that always perks my ears. Hearing of a craft brewery and restaurant here called …

KENT, CT – After getting evicted from its longtime home at 8 N. Main St., Kent Coffee & Chocolate Co. has moved up the street to a new and larger location in the former Bank of America building at 45 N. Main St. Java-seeking motorcyclists, who have made the shop …

LITCHFIELD, CT – A facelift at Peaches ’N Cream, the ice cream shop near the Litchfield-Torrington town line on Route 202, means more seating options for ice cream-loving motorcyclists to enjoy their

HOOSICK FALLS, NY – Occasionally, plans fall through. When that happens, it’s sometimes the spur-of-the-moment alternative that turns out to possibly be even more fun than the original scheme. Such was the case over the weekend. My friend Paul and I had decided to drive to

UNION VALE, NY – The unseasonably warm weather for mid-December prompted some two-wheeled exploration with friends Carl Foster, Brian O’Neil and Bob Rosen on Sunday, and our big “find” was the Tail Winds Cafe, a hilltop breakfast and lunch eatery at