552190 Tue Aug 26 06:32:29 -0700 2008 9 13 New England 0 3987434 So we're staying at lake candlewood for this labor day weekend. The house is in the middle of the lake, west side. Google maps tells me this is New Fairfield and that Danbury is a close drive, but otherwise I'm very unfamiliar with the area. I was hoping to find some food recommendations for both lunches and dinners as well as anything noteworthy otherwise (snacks/pastries/ice cream/etc). We're a very adventurous group of eaters (so any cuisine is good) but aren't too proud to dig into a really good hot dog (or something similar). Mainly we're just looking for places you might think are really worthwhile to go to, town gems and the like. Price range is on the lower side because we'll be having an expensive birthday dinner already planned at this steakhouse that was pre-choosen, but food (not cost) is the main concern. It is a vacation after all. Thanks and wish me luck learning to water ski. Tue Aug 26 06:32:36 -0700 2008 144289 Wangus 1 3990930 I've boated on Candlewood several times but we usually pack our own food so I can't really give you any recommendations for food but whatever you do, stay away from Down the Hatch. I believe its the only restaurant/bar on the lake where you can dock your boat. It is a hole! bad drinks and worse food. They cater to the drunk summer crowd. While you are in the area you may want to take a trip to Stew Leonards. Its a highend (read high priced) supermarket. Its "famous" in the area. They do have an ice cream shak with decent ice cream and they are known for their produce, meats and butcher shop. If you have a rainy afternoon and are looking for something to do, Stew Leonards may be the thing. Wed Aug 27 08:49:15 -0700 2008 3987434 92423 jesoda 1 3992974 In New Fairfield, I like: Portofino's for Italian Sprinkles for Ice Cream In Sherman: American Pie Company In Danbury: Pho Vietnam, Padanaram Road (near Jim Barbarie's, this is a Jim Leff place) Stew Leonard's (supermarket) on Federal Road has an outdoor grill with picnic tables, not fancy, they serve up fresh lobster meals. Inside Stew's there is a hot buffet with a lot of food selections. If you've never been to SL's...it is a trip. In Bethel: Armando's, Route 6 (Stony Hill Road) for Italian Near Armando's is Dubl Twister, good for ice cream In Ridgefield: If you like soft serve ice cream, The Ridgefield Ice Cream Shoppe on Route 7 arguably makes some of the best in the state. Wed Aug 27 20:33:18 -0700 2008 3987434 10726 TrishUntrapped 1 3993510 Awesome. Thanks you guys. I've heard of sprinkles while looking through the boards, and it's funny that Jim Barbaries is that pre-choosen steakhouse I mentioned in the OP. But this Stew Leonards is something I definitely want to check out. Thu Aug 28 06:35:59 -0700 2008 3987434 144289 Wangus 1 3993927 A word about Jim Barbarie's... I used to recommend it on this board, but I stopped because quality seemed to decline. I went there once last year, and it was a mixed bag. Their specialties are prime rib and clam chowder. Thu Aug 28 09:17:30 -0700 2008 3987434 10726 TrishUntrapped 2 3995113 Thanks. Turns out some other people heard the same and now we're going to a french place called Ondine. Ever heard of it? Thu Aug 28 15:44:44 -0700 2008 3993927 144289 Wangus 3 3995670 Yes, Ondine's is very nice. I would have mentioned it, but originally you were looking for less expensive options. The food is very good. I think it is one of those sadly overlooked places in this area. We have a gem in our own backyard (just over the line into Danbury) but it draws more from outside. Enjoy, let me know how it goes. Thu Aug 28 20:47:05 -0700 2008 3995113 10726 TrishUntrapped 1 3995663 This has some recent info on New Milford (east side of lake) http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/158796#853559, and I've liked the Cookhouse. It's good BBQ, steaks and more and priced middle of the road. If you do a search of the New England board you will find lots of info on New Fairfield dining and Ondine. Thu Aug 28 20:45:08 -0700 2008 3987434 137946 Scargod 1 4003553 I thought I’d write up on the few places we managed to go to during our stay. We really enjoyed the lake. Sprinkle’s: Pretty good actually. Consensus was that the simpler flavors (vanilla, strawberry, etc.) were better than the more complex flavors (the cherry chocolate). Friendly workers. Bombay: Middle-of-the-road Indian food. I wasn’t too impressed with this place, and I don’t live in a city known for its ethnic cuisine (Baltimore). The vindaloo didn’t have enough spice and the chicken tikka masala was noticeably dry. My lamb biryani wasn’t bad but again lacking in bold flavors. One neat highlight was that they made salt and sugar lassis. 1st and Last Café: Solid pizza. I like their style of pizza and their toppings were very good as well (I enjoyed a mushroom and sausage pie). They did seem to have an odd problem with the baking: one half of the pizza crust was deeply burnt. I get that some people might enjoy that but it does end up looking like someone forgot to watch the pizza as it cooked. We also ordered a few other items which ranged from standard (salads) to subpar (chicken dish). Stew Leonard’s: This place is …. different. The stupidly constrained and winding paths were terrible, and the hot bar inside seemed plain and unimaginative. And yet all of this is redeemed by their amazing bbq and sweet potato chips. We also had their lobster dinners there one night: decent lobster, GREAT price. Jim Barbarie’s: So, it turned out that we still went here for dinner one night. It was really just ‘okay’. I shared a king’s cut prime rib with two others. It was a bit flavorless and definitely not juicy enough. However, it did come with a nice horseradish sauce which was a good touch. A very decent salad though. Ondine’s: I was very impressed with our celebratory dinner at Ondine’s. It did come with an equally impressive price tag to match. We all ordered the prix fixe menu. First round: my breaded sweetbreads were excellent, the duck confit was good, but it was the duck foie that was a real standout. For the soup course I had a mushroom consommé which had definite mushroom flavor but unfortunately seemed a bit lacking in salt. After this was a standard side salad. Then came the entrees. I had the ebony roasted duckling; it was a little heavy but delicious. I also sampled the rack of lamb and the venison and both were very tender and flavorful. We ended with a large assortment of their desserts: excellent soufflés, chocolate tortes and molten chocolate cakes with passion fruit ice cream. Thanks for all the help I got from you guys. Hopefully I’ll hit you guys up again next summer. Tue Sep 02 11:11:06 -0700 2008 3987434 144289 Wangus 1 4005350 Glad you had a good time in my neck of the woods...I mean lake...lake and woods actually... The food right around here is not a main draw though. Most of us cook. Stew Leonard's: Interesting place isn't it? My husband refuses to go there. At a busy time the place is a madhouse. My college-aged son and daughter love it because they can eat the free samples in lieu of a meal. I like the produce and the meats. Some very good deals. Then of course...we cook them at home. Their lobster meal deal though is a good one and as you mentioned, the price is nice too. 1st & Last Cafe: This is still my go-to pizza place, but quality is uneven. We've had pies that were too thick..... But the wood-fired oven gives a nice flavor when done right. We get pizza only there. Glad you enjoyed Ondine's. I have had some special occasion meals there. Wed Sep 03 06:50:23 -0700 2008 3987434 10726 TrishUntrapped