Eats

GAYLORDSVILLE, CT – There are always those places in your locale that you continually pass by and just never really notice – until a heavenly smell comes billowing your way and draws you in. Enter The Old Oak Tavern. Established in 2016, it’s located at the southern end of South …

PORTLAND, CT – If you ride by a place often enough, it’s only natural to get curious about it. Is it any good? Eggs Up Restaurant on Route 66 in Portland, CT (but nearer to Cobalt) was such a place until last weekend. Up until Sunday, the time to stop …

BRATTLEBORO, VT – It’s called Top of the Hill Grill, although it might better be called Side of the Hill Grill as the ground adjacent to its patio and beneath it expansive deck plummets to lush green lowland just north of where the West River joins the Connecticut River. The …

SOUTHBURY, CT – It’s unpretentious, casual and a Southbury institution. Denmo’s, the outdoor eatery at 340 Main Street South, will celebrate its 40th anniversary on July 1 having sold countless hot dogs and hamburgers since opening under the original name of Cedar Hollow Snack & Dairy. The name changed to Denmo’s …

HINSDALE, MA – Sometimes it takes just timing. On two occasions over two years, I’ve stopped with friends at Ozzie’s Steak & Eggs only to find it closed; not surprising given its uneven hours. The third time proved lucky, though, and it was worth the wait. Located in a three-story …

BANTAM, CT – Just as Christmas once produced visions of sugar plums, at least according to “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” the arrival of Cinco de Mayo every year generates a strong yearning for tequila and margaritas. Friends from my Arizona days routinely referred to the date as “Cinco de …

CHESHIRE, CT – Blackie’s Hot Dogs is a by-the-numbers business. Opened 90 years ago in 1928, the quirky family-owned eatery has a limited menu and loads of character. Its building is in the shape of a barbell with a counter in the middle and seating areas on either end.  Where …

NEWBURGH, NY – After a couple of hours of scanning vendor tables and eye-balling the displays at the heavily-attended winter swap meet Sunday at the Motorcyclepedia Museum, we were famished. But where to eat? Acting on a tip, three of us headed down nearer the Hudson River to Liberty Street where …

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 …