Restaurant L’Ostal in Darien is a Stone Cold Stunner

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Restaurant L’Ostal in Darien is a Stone Cold Stunner

It has been a very long time since I’ve dedicated a full blog post to one restaurant. And the few times I’ve done it in the past have been reserved for my most favorite local spots. Well, a new favorite local spot emerged last year!

Restaurant L’Ostal quietly opened in Darien in early 2021 after COVID caused Chef Jared Sippel to shutter his Manhattan restaurant. New York’s loss was Connecticut’s gain. L’Ostal isn’t just the best restaurant to open recently in Fairfield County - it’s one of the absolute best restaurants to open in the general area in the entire decade that I’ve lived here.

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Counter Culture (Some Great Counter Service Spots)

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Counter Culture (Some Great Counter Service Spots)

Sometimes you can’t or just don’t want to cook. And sometimes you can’t or just don’t want to spend the time and money on a long, drawn out sit down restaurant meal. In these moments, quick service spots are what you can and want to do.

We all rely on counter service spots to quickly pop into to grab ourselves or our kids or our friends or our co-workers a fast and tasty meal. We all have our favorites (my kids favorite is a place called McDonald’s). Here are a few of my favorite local fast casual spots to satisfy various cravings.

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I Can't Wait To Get Sitters Again

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I Can't Wait To Get Sitters Again

If you are, like me, (i) a parent who has had NO access to babysitters for the past year and/or (ii) a person who is still uncomfortable with the prospect of indoor dining, then, probably, you are, like me, REALLY missing the glorious feeling of having an adult meal inside a restaurant.

In normal times, my husband and I fairly regularly treat ourselves to a sitter in order to have some alone time together and to try some of the nicer spots around. I miss that A LOT.

Alas, spring is getting nearer. Vaccines are happening. And my SECOND COVID birthday is fast approaching. MAYBE soon things will be some version of normal again. Until then, I’m daydreaming about all my favorite local spots to revisit when I have a sitter. Here is that list in case you feel like daydreaming with me.

Think of this as the grown up version of my “Where to Feed Your Kids” list!

PS I included below only spots that I’ve been to (and been impressed with) over and over. I have a whole other mental list of spots that I’ve done just once, and badly need to try again (e.g. Don Memo in Westport, Maria in New Rochelle, the Whitlock in Katonah and L’Inizio in Ardsley).

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Get a Sitter: Because The Whelk is My Favorite

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Get a Sitter: Because The Whelk is My Favorite

If you follow local food news at all, then you already know that Chef Bill Taibe is a rock star around these parts. If you don’t follow local food news, then I’m here to tell you that Bill Taibe is a rock star around these parts.

A James Beard Award Semifinalist for multiple years, Chef Taibe is the real deal. His three* [some signs indicate there’s another on the horizon!!] restaurants, all in Westport, CT, are so damn good, they’re not only worth traveling to, but I believe they rival some of the best of NYC dining. The Whelk, the oldest of the three operating restaurants (RIP Le Farm), is my personal favorite and especially shines in warmer weather. Read on for more details.

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