Even in a town with no shortage of quirky perk, GATHER, established in late 2021 at the corner of State and Hine (map), hooks you with its pleasant, lighthearted weirdness and makes you rethink what a coffeeshop …
Open Season

Need a pumpkin spice fix but want to skip the chains? Check out these homegrown options.
Announced with cheerful signage, Claire’s Corner Copia’s pumpkin spice drinks feel perfectly at home in a place named for a cornucopia. The Pumpkin …
Food for Thought

Christy’s Irish Pub, may she rest in peace, overwhelmed the senses. Its replacement, Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar, refines them. From the richness of simple surfaces—brick, wood, metal, plaster—to fussy-unfussy plates and pours, the vibe inside is monastic yet …
Axed and Answered

“This is my effort to broker global peace between jocks and nerds,” jokes Akari Roudebush, guest relations coordinator at Pine & Iron Axe Throwing. She’s talking about Trivi-Axe, a…
Anchors Down, Bottoms Up

Armada Brewing is on a quest. After five years docked at The Beeracks, a collaborative brewery in East Haven, the company has found new harbor at 190 River Street, in part of the historic Bigelow boiler factory. Armada’s …
New Leaves

When I stopped by Savvy Tea Gourmet in Madison, I had a feeling my tea-drinking was headed for a paradigm shift. …