I Love New Haven – Page 2 – The View from Lajeune

Sushi Girl

Whether I am travelling to a new city or town, or just socializing in or around Greater New Haven, anyone who knows me knows I love me some sushi! And It doesn’t take long to get me in a “sushi mood” where I like to check out a new sushi restaurant. However, an old fave will get me every time (smile).

What I enjoy with my sushi is one or more of the following:

edamame with sea salt
miso soup
iceberg lettuce salad with ginger dressing
super hot green tea

And usually when I crave sushi it involves a date of some sort. Whether it’s me and my S.O., me and a client, me and one of my relatives, me and one of my good friends or me and a co-worker, a sushi day usually turns into a good sleeping night (smile).

So here are the sushi restaurants I have eaten in once, twice and some even more than three times. These are my faves, not necessarily everyone else’s faves…

For all-you-can-eat, I like Sushi Palace in Orange, CT. The sushi and sashimi is always fresh so it never tastes like it’s been sitting out all day…

For specialty rolls, I prefer Dozo Asian Bistro and Sushi in the Westville section of New Haven, CT. The sushi looks as appetizing as it tastes plus it’s big, juicy and delish!

Dozo Asian Bistro & Sushi, Westville, CT

For those exotic looking specialty rolls, I like to go to Pink Basil in Mystic, CT. They never disappoint and the outdoor seating in the Summer is a big plus.

Pink Basil, Olde Mistick Village, Mystic, CT

Although pricey, the sushi rolls at the Summer Shack in the Mohegan Sun Casino are to die for.

Summer Shack, Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT

Me and my S.O. spend alot of time in Lewes, DE, especially as the weather gets warmer. Last Summer we went to The Cultured Pearl in nearby Rehoboth Beach for the most delicious and colorful sushi in town. It’s expensive though, especially during “the Season.”

The Cultured Pearl, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

When my niece Dimitrica was traveling from North Carolina to Massachusetts for business last year, she stopped in Connecticut to visit me. She too is a fan of sushi so I couldn’t help but treat her to one of my local faves: Tokyo Sushi II in North Haven, CT. The interior may look like a pizza parlor but the sushi is out-of-this-world good!!!

Social media is a great avenue for a new restaurant to post food pics and I must admit that Soga Sushi’s awesome food pics on FB got me there! It’s located right in North Haven, CT so me and my S.O. stopped in last weekend after a long day of running errands. The sushi did not disappoint and the complimentary tasty orange slices afterwards were a nice touch (smile).

Me and my S.O. recently went to see Office Hour at the Long Wharf Theater and afterwards headed to one of my super faves: Kumo New Haven where the sushi is always fresh, always good!

Me and my S.O. love to go to the movies any time of the year so we headed over to Iron Chef after a Saturday matinee at Holiday Stadium 10 Cinemas in Wallingford, CT. This restaurant was well recommended by a “sushi friend” and it truly was delish!

It’s no secret that Olde Mistick Village is one of my favorite shopping destinations in Southeastern Connecticut so when I’m down that way, Go Fish is one of my two fave sushi restaurant Go-To’s…

Go Fish, Olde Mistick Village, Mystic, CT

So whether you are stuck on Sushi like me, or just craving something uniqely different for lunch or dinner, Japanese is the way to go!

Winter in CT

It’s officially Winter in CT which for the most part makes me feel low-key SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) as it means the weather is extremely cold, the days short and the nights, super dark on my drive home from work…

To compensate, I try my darndest to look for fun, free, enlightening and/or educational things to do just to keep me from participating in my favorite pastime, i.e., sitting in my La-Z-Boy to watch TV and eat snacks (smile).

So here (in no particular order) are some of the ways (in the past) I have kept myself occupied (and far, far away from the snacks) during the dark, dreary days of Winter in CT:

Ice skating – Since I enjoyed this activity so much as a child growing up in Groton, CT I figured I would try it out again as a full-grown adult – I must admit it was easier said than done (smile).

This is a fun and easy activity, especially in the Winter: taking a hot bubble bath after a long day of work: Put your slippers on…

Visiting a local museum – this free activity is not only educational but truly enlightening.

Relaxing in a salt cave. This was such a unique activity I had to write a blog post about it: Cave Girl

Going to a live taping of The View in NYC – a truly magical day from beginning ’till end: The View (from Lajeune)

Spending the day enjoying a special exhibit – educational for sure: Harlem for Day s!

Yale’s Beinecke Museum – the Harlem Renaissance exhibit

Going to see a free lecture at the local university. I recall this event quickly becoming “standing room-only.” To me this proved the staying power of the written word…

Quinnipiac University featuring Margot Lee Shetterly, the author of “Hidden Figures”

Spending a relaxing Day at the Spa – this never gets old…

Norwich Inn and Spa – Spa Day with my “Sisters in Christ”

Skiing in the month of February – Super fun and exhilarating! Ski Date

Spending time (and money) at the casino…

So whatever activity you choose to participate in this Winter in CT, do try to make it memorable 🙂

Fun things to do in Connecticut (besides fidget!)

There are plenty of fun things to do in Connecticut this Summer (or next Summer if you missed one or two here) and lucky for you they are all within driving distance. For now here are just a few (in alphabetical order):

Bluff Point State Park, Groton, CT

This state park in Connecticut is not so easy to find by car but once you do locate it, you are in for a pleasant surprise…You will discover that it is a fantastic place to take the family for a picnic, to go for a swim at the beach, to go on a long hike, to clam, to fish, to go jogging…

Captain’s Cove Seaport, Bridgeport, CT

This Seaport is, in my opinion, one of Bridgeport’s best kept secrets!

It’s cute, it’s quaint and it’s a great way to while away an afternoon. The outdoor shops, the fresh seafood, the live bands, the livelier crowds, most definitely a must-see in the Park City!

Catamaran Lighthouse Cruises, New London, CT

My sister Casandra and her husband Alfredo went on one of these lighthouse cruises last Summer and had such a good time, they convinced me to try one (smile). I love catamarans and travelling on water and educational tours so I’m looking forward to the good time I know I’ll have (smile).

International Festival of Arts and Ideas, New Haven, CT

The arts become alive in New Haven the first 3 1/2 weeks in June and, as they say, there is truly something for everyone. And most events are free and open to the public. This year (2017) there were over 200 events(!) from walking tours to workshops to master classes to concerts on the Green to film festivals…This is by far one of the best ways to learn about the arts and culture in the city of New Haven without breaking the bank.

Jonathan Edwards Winery, North Stonington, CT

I’ve heard nothing but good things about this CT Wine Trail winery and vineyard which is nestled in the hills of Stonington, CT. I’m looking forward to going for a taste or two this Summer…

Olde Mistick Village, Mystic, CT

I grew up in Southeastern, CT so Olde Mistick Village or “The Village,” as it was affectionately known, was the destination for shopping, for movies, for hanging out with friends, for enjoying ice cream or candy or fudge…

As an adult I find it’s an even better place to make memories – the movie theater now sells alcoholic beverages and snacks, there’s even a Brewport on premises! The Village itself is dog friendly(!); the one-of-a-kind shops feature a variety of authentic, unique wares; there are a good number of restaurants serving breakfast or lunch and/or dinner. There’s even a Sushi restaurant – Pink Basil – Yay! And Franklin’s General Store is the place to go for unique gift items and free samples of “America’s Best Fudge.” Yummy!

Travelers Championship, Cromwell, CT

The 3rd week of June is special in Connecticut because Travelers Championship (part of the PGA tour) takes place right at nearby TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT. I love seeing live sports up close and personal because I find it is such a great way to connect to the sport as well as to its individual players. And you don’t necessarily need to be a golf fan to enjoy Travelers as there is a Fan Zone with lots of unique booths, a Kids Zone for the children, plenty of food booths, ice cream trucks, beer tents and even live entertainment. It’s truly a happening time~

That’s it for now – enjoy your Summer!

Hot Comfort Foods

I used to love me some weekends growing up ‘back in the day’ in Groton, CT. Especially in the dead of Winter because my mother, Jean Anna Tinsely Hollis, would cook all 7 of her Hollis kids pancakes and bacon or waffles and bacon on Saturday mornings and eggs, bacon, grits and buttered toast on Sunday mornings. Weekends were truly a time to sleep in, eat a ton of “Brunchy” foods and then go to church.

Perhaps that is why to this day I Love New Haven, as it is truly a foodie destination, and restaurants that serve “brunch” are not at all hard to find.

I celebrated my 55th birthday this past weekend with my girls – it was almost 2 weeks after the fact as I was actually born on Valentine’s Day. However, one of my three girlfriends was not available until this past Saturday since I had bucked tradition by choosing to celebrate my birthday this year over brunch instead of dinner. And believe it or not, the hardest part for me was choosing where to go as I had 3 former neighborhood faves in mind: The Pantry, Bella’s Cafe and Lena’s Cafe and Confections.

I spent my first 10 years in New Haven living in the East Rock section where The Pantry was the place to go for brunch.

You can’t miss the awning or the colorful building.

I spent the next 11 years living in the Westville section of New Haven and everyone who lives in Westville knows there are two go-to restaurants for brunch: Bella’s Cafe and Lena’s Cafe and Confections.

“Bella’s,” as it is affectionately known, is long and narrow inside and the food is fantabulous – especially the brunches which are served from 8am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The brunch menu changes each and every week and they don’t disappoint. The weekend we went I had the fabulous french toast. Yummy! And well worth the long lines and the wait!

Lena’s Cafe and Confections is less than a block away in a much larger space. As it turned out, this was the chosen restaurant. And surprisingly we did not have to wait in line at all and the food was out of this world. I had 3 blueberry pancakes with 4 turkey sausage links.

One of my 3 girlfriends had an omelette stuffed with crab meat, avocado, hash browns and toast on the side. She washed it all down with a mimosa.

Afterwards there was not a speck left on her plate!

The other two girlfriends had a chicken quesadilla and a chicken Panini. Hot Comfort Foods are now my new birthday treat and the good news is there are so many more restaurants to try in so many other New Haven neighborhoods (smile).

My top 10 fave blog posts!

Over the past 2 years I have published almost 50 blog posts on The View from Lajeune so I think this is a good time to highlight my top 10 faves. Here they are:

The View (from Lajeune): The View (from Lajeune) I chose this blog post because the entire day was truly magical from beginning to end!

A Place of Desert: A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free This blog post will always hold a special place in my heart as I truly learned what it is like to survive colon cancer…

My Very First Bug: My Very First Bug… This post took me back to a time when I was asserting my independence but too hard-headed to see that the route I chose actually costs me in more ways than one (smile).

Clams on the half shell…: Clams on the half shell…and roller-skates! This blog post speaks to me as it happens during the 70’s, one of my favorite decades!

Like Moths to the Flame: Like moths to the flame… This blog post is special to me because it brought me back 31 years to when I first started my career in media…

CT “Summatime” Eats: Connecticut “Summatime” Eats! This blog posts was real popular with TVFL readers who, like me, love Connecticut in the Summertime and the variety of eats!

Divas in the Desert: Divas in the desert! My good friend Tony Marinaro, who is a faithful TVFL reader, chose the title to this blog post and I will forever be grateful to him for it :))

My Clean Living Life (Parts I, II and III): My clean living life… My Clean Living Life – Part II; My Clean Living Life, Part III I imagine that these blog posts are popular with my TVFL readers because they know the struggle to live “clean” is real…

Cave Girl: Cave Girl I enjoyed doing the research on this blog post and tremendously benefitted from my ‘R & R’ day. I was not allowed to take pictures of us inside the cave so this will have to suffice:

Taking Fun Seriously…: Taking fun seriously…my very first golf lesson I had fun writing and doing the research for this blog post and still hope to one day have that golf date with my Dad…

Thank you for reading The View from Lajeune. I have plenty of more stories to share…

Category: I Love New Haven

Sushi Girl

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Winter in CT

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Fun things to do in Connecticut (besides fidget!)

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Hot Comfort Foods

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My top 10 fave blog posts!

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