“It’s all about the journey,” says Allan Dias, the self-described “customer that never left” Tony’s Bikes & Sports in Milford, where he’ll replace a broken chain or steer a biking enthusiast toward challenging trails. His short bio on the shop’s website says, “Fun fact: ran 65 miles on his 65th birthday.” Dias did indeed run […]
Christmas Presented
“Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that,” begins Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, published in 1843. There is also no doubt whatever that, in 2022, this “ghostly little book,” as the author called it, has become a holiday staple of stage and screen. Perhaps the first record of a […]
Super Bowls
I was extra hungry the other night, so I went to a place that seemed like it could satisfy whatever craving struck: Natural Kitchen in downtown Milford, where signature and customizable poké concoctions come in rice bowl, salad and “burrito” formats built up with selections from 55 proteins, “mix-ins,” “toppings,” sauces and “crunch”es. I considered […]
Come to Papa’s
It’s easy to love the thin crust, blackened along the edges and smothered with impressionistic colors (more…)
Ghost Town
Darkness has just settled over Milford’s Hotchkiss Bridge when a lantern begins bobbing across it. The city’s early settlers landed near here in 1639. The harbor beneath the bridge once bustled with boat-building, rum-trading and other salty business, the young man holding the lantern says, claiming that the history and drama of the docks combine […]
Shopping List
Feeling the pressure to pull a great Halloween costume together? We scouted some local shops to help lighten the load. * * * At Fashionista Vintage and Variety, “It’s always been our biggest time of year—our Christmas,” co-owner Todd Lyon says. She’s referring to Halloweentime, when people are drawn like vampires […]
Digging In (pt. 2)
Steamers, eastern oysters, northern quahogs, blue mussels, bay scallops, razor clams, surf clams and whelks live along the state’s coastline, according to the Connecticut Bureau of Aquaculture. It’s okay to dig or forage for these guys as long as you follow local regulations for recreational shellfishing, including where and when it’s permissible and how many […]
Digging In (pt. 1)
It’s low tide on a shoal off the coast of Milford, and I’m digging for treasure—not gold rings or silver coins but rather shellfish buried in the mud. (more…)
Hitting the Spot
Located in a beachside residential neighborhood next to Milford’s Silver Sands State Park, The Greek Spot (map) is easy to spot with its palm trees, string lights and bright blue awnings shading beachy white-and-woodgrain tables. Also notable is the menu, which goes Greek, of course, but also gets creative and health-conscious. “We want to take […]