Sean Henri

Wine Time

May 28, 2011 // 0 Comments  // Add yours »

The first stop this year on the CT Wine Trail - Hopkins Vineyard. Love this place.

Did a little waterfall sightseeing as well...

Posted in:  A Day In The Life, BlogSherpa, Connecticut, Food and Drink, Litchfield, New England, USA, Wine | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (0)

The Berkshires & Newport

January 13, 2010 // 0 Comments  // Add yours »

This past weekend started off with a drive through the Berkshires with stops at the Barrington Brewery for some great food and microbrews, the Norman Rockwell Museum, and a brief visit to the city of Pittsfield. It ended with a spontaneous drive to Newport, RI, where we stopped for a tour and wine tasting at Greenvale Vineyards, and then enjoyed some food and a traditional Irish music seisiún at the Fastnet Pub.

These two dogs kept trying to knock us over during the tour of the vineyards.  The vineyard also had two massive Scottish Highland steer which they are using to eat away the treeline.  Apparently they can't use machinery due to restrictions of the local preservation society, so they brought the animals in to do the job instead. I missed the opportunity to snap a good photo of them, but you can see what they look like here.

This shot was from our table at the Fastnet Pub just before the musicians started strolling in. You can see a video of that below the cut.  The place has a great atmosphere and the food was halfway decent.  It's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a relaxing way to end your day in Newport without spending too much.

Continue reading "The Berkshires & Newport"

Posted in:  A Day In The Life, BlogSherpa, Food and Drink, Road Trips, Travel | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (0)

The pub and the dollar bill

January 12, 2009 // 1 Comments  // Add yours »

Some have described it as the "world's most expensive wallpaper".  Visit nearly any pub in the United States and you'll find probably find some sort of currency pinned to the walls.  An extreme example of this is the No Name Pub in Florida, where you'll find over 750,000 dollar bills coating the walls and ceiling.

I first came across the bills on the wall while visiting Dublin in 2006 and I've been wondering about it ever since.  Is it a "good luck" sort of thing? Or just a cool (and highly flammable) concept that started without any meaningful reason?   Anyone know?

Posted in:  Food and Drink, Thoughts & Ideas | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (1)

Friday night at Anna Liffey's

January 09, 2009 // 0 Comments  // Add yours »

Anna Liffey's in New Haven is my favorite pub in Connecticut for a number of reasons: relaxing atmosphere, great music, the perfect pint of Guiness, and the fact that they have Connect Four.

Posted in:  A Day In The Life, Food and Drink, New Haven | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (0)

Sunday Driving

July 20, 2008 // 3 Comments  // Add yours »

My original plans were to check out the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT with my friend Mindy.  But somehow or another we missed the exit, and ended up taking a 200 mile road trip through New York and the Litchfield County instead.   It was a fun, relaxing, destination-less drive. We passed a few abandoned insane asylums, discussed the feasibility of the vegetarian lifestyle, blasted a few Beatles albums, and passed a few apple-eating deer.

As we were heading back we stopped for a quick bite to eat at the Yankee Pedlar Inn in downtown Torrington.  It's worth a visit if you've never been to a 19th century style tavern, but I'd recommend checking it out on a Friday or a Saturday night when there might be more people around.  While we both enjoyed the food, the lack of other patrons and the dead silence that resulted made it feel a bit creepy. 

Posted in:  A Day In The Life, Food and Drink, Road Trips, The Outdoors | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (3)

The best part of waking up?

March 11, 2008 // 7 Comments  // Add yours »

I can say with confidence that I'm now addicted to coffee.  It's become a part of my daily routine.  A cup or two in the morning, then usually another from Starbucks in the late afternoon.  I would say it's the caffeine that I'm addicted to, but I feel like I can easily go without a red bull or a can of coke.  Maybe I'm wrong, but it feels like there's something more to a cup of coffee then a quick shot of energy.  I just can't pin down exactly what it is.  Maybe it's the social aspect?  Maybe there's more?

I feel better when I've had my morning cup of coffee.  I feel worse when I have a Red Bull or Monster energy drink.  With coffee I feel that I'm more focused and productive. That's just not the case with the energy drinks.

I've read plenty about the benefits of drinking coffee.  Apparently it's the top source of antioxidants in American's diets.  It can potentially help prevent Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, colon cancer and diabetes.

Then again it also puts you at a higher risk for heart disease.  If you drink too much, the caffeine can temporarily stiffen your arterial walls.  That's scary stuff.

So what's your take?  Say I drink 3 cups of coffee a day - two in the morning, one in the afternoon.  Do the pros of coffee outweigh the cons? Or am I just making my heart a ticking time bomb?

Posted in:  Food and Drink, Health | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (7)

The best fries I've ever eaten

February 16, 2008 // 2 Comments  // Add yours »

Last night I enjoyed the best fries that I've ever eaten.  At least within Manhattan, but after scanning through my memory of delicious potato eating experiences I think this may be at the top of the list.  If you're ever in the city along 2nd Ave between 9th and 10th St and you're looking for a bite to eat, be sure to stop in Ryan's Irish Pub and get the Cajun steak fries with melted cheese.  The burgers are great as well and only cost about $5 bucks.

We had originally planned on going to Pommes Frites, which until last night had my vote for the best place to get fries in the city.  If you've never been there I'd recommend checking it out as well.  From my count, they offer 35 different toppings to put on top of your fries.  It comes in this little cone.  You walk in, you walk out with fries, and life is good.

The enthusiasm is real.

I've posted a few more pics here.

Posted in:  A Day In The Life, Food and Drink, NYC | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (2)

Starbucks coming to Derby?

June 26, 2007 // 0 Comments  // Add yours »

I hope so.  It does appear to be likely but I can't confirm it.  I'm not "in the loop" on city business, so all I know is what I see posted on Derby's official website.  I've been hearing rumors about it over the past two months, so I did some quick investigating and found some talk about it in the minutes of the April '07 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.  It mentions a proposal to open up a Starbucks at 552 New Haven Ave., which is the location of the former Pearl Vision building.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  Derby really needs a Starbucks.  We could use a few non-franchise coffeehouses as well. 

Posted in:  Derby, CT, Food and Drink | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (0)

Tuesday Nights

May 23, 2007 // 0 Comments  // Add yours »

We've slowly expanded the Skybox group from 3 to a group of around 10 now.  If you aren't coming, you should probably start.  And if you're interested, go join the Facebook group.

Posted in:  A Day In The Life, Food and Drink | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (0)

Good Food

March 07, 2007 // 1 Comments  // Add yours »

Last night Steph treated me to a top-quality home-made Mexican meal.  It had chicken, peppers, cheese, and mystery spices, with guacamole and chips on the side, and some Spanish red wine to drink.  Beats the McDonalds I'd probably be eating for dinner a year ago.

Posted in:  A Day In The Life, Food and Drink | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (1)

Dinner in Little Italy

February 21, 2007 // 0 Comments  // Add yours »

Last night, I was lucky enough to eat dinner in New York's Little Italy with Steph.  We went to this great place called Amici II, where we were their only customers so we got their full attention.  They had great wine, great food, great service, and the classic Little Italy atmosphere.  While I've only been to a few restaurant on Mulberry Street thus far, at this point, Amici II has been my favorite.  After a filling meal we walked around a for bit and checked out some of the nearby shops.  It was a late night for a weekday, but with the help of Red Bull we pulled it off.

I'd like to start  to start getting a group of friends to go out to dinner in New York every other week or something.  It's a painless 50 minute drive from my place, and it's no more expensive then going out to dinner at a local chain restaurant.   If you're interested, definitely let me know.  When you're living within driving distance of one of the greatest cities in the world, you should really be taking advantage of it.

For directions and reviews of Amici II, click here.

Posted in:  A Day In The Life, Food and Drink, NYC | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (0)

Irish Nachos

February 14, 2007 // 4 Comments  // Add yours »

Ok I know this doesn't look all that pleasing, but trust me, it's DAMN good.  Irish Nacho's - bought from an Irish pub called Sullivan's- located on Chapel St. in New Haven.  I discovered it about a year ago and now it's hard for me to pass the place without stopping in and getting some.  This order was placed to go, so that's why the presentation isn't that great, but Christ it tasted so good.  It's regular french fries and sweet potato fries, covered in a ton of cheese, sour cream and chives.  Get it with a pint of Guinness or Smithwicks.  Forget about health food, the pleasure you get from eating this will automatically extend your life by 5 years.*

*May also cause a gain in weight.  But you know what?  That extra body fat will make you last longer if there's ever a famine.  So who gives a care.

Posted in:  Food and Drink, New Haven | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (4)

Around Fairfield...

December 05, 2006 // 0 Comments  // Add yours »

I've been drinking a lot of coffee lately and I'm not too happy about it.  Say I buy a cup a day at 2 bucks a piece.  That's 730 bucks a year.... that's 730 double cheeseburgers I could buy. 

I'm just kidding, but it is kind of a pricey habit.  It's something to do though.  Been going to Las Vetas Lounge in downtown Fairfield sometimes during my free time.  It's a good place to relax. Has live music every now and then and they do a movie night every Sunday.  There's a few Beatles references in there too including a "All you need is love" quote on the counter.  Bryan tried applying here back in September and one of the questions on the application was "Who is your favorite Beatle?"  Anyplace that has that on their job application must be good. 

Another place I've been going to a lot for breakfast and lunch is Groovy's Cafe.  It's right down the street from Las Vetas, opens up bright and early and frequently has live music.  They have a wide selection of really good sandwiches and wraps.  Both places have good coffee and wifi.  So if you're ever in the area early in the morning or around lunch, give them a try.

Some things to check out:

• Mappy Hour - a map site that shoes you good places to go for Happy Hour.  You enter in your location and it zooms you in and plots out any place that has happy hour near you with a Beer mug symbol.  It looks fairly new, so most bars don't have their info added in.  But with some effortless contributions, it could be a really cool website.
• The Beatles "Love" - features 26 tracks of Beatles songs reworked and mashed together to make an all new and incredibly good Beatles album.  The album was produced by Sir George Martin and his son Giles Martin.  They were given one rule:  They could only use original Beatles recordings.  So while some of the songs sound completely different, it's still authentic Beatles.   "Get Back", "Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing", "Strawberry Fields", and "Hey Jude" are my favorites on the album.  DEFINITELY buy this.
• A few other new Cd's that I think are pretty good are My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade", and Incubus's "Light Grenades".  But I'm still extremely disappointed with music lately.  I need a new, revolutionary sounding band to come around.  Any suggestions?

Posted in:  Food and Drink, Music, The Beatles | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (0)

Energy Drinks

December 02, 2006 // 0 Comments  // Add yours »

It's a slow Saturday morning and I'm bored.  The usual for the past year or so.  I used to pass the times with intense Wikipedia sessions, Gourmet Heaven visits and ridiculous convo's with my weigh-master buddy, but times have changed.  So now I have junk food to pass the time. 

Today I did some energy drink testing.  Now I'm a devoted Red Bull fan.  Tastes great, and gives me a nice burst of energy without any worrisome side effects.  But all my friends are always telling me to try out some of the new ones that have been coming out.  The other day my friend Joe told me about a new one called "Cocaine Energy Drink".  I was surprised by the name, and a little curious about it's potency.  The drinks been getting a lot of hype, and was even recently featured on the Daily Show.  So today I tried it.

Well it sucks.  The energy is definitely there.  One can is equal to 3 1/2 red bulls.  You feel it.  If it had a good taste I'd be all for it.  But it doesn't.  It burns as it goes down your throat and kinda reminded me of Atomic Fireballs candy.  It has way too much caffeine.  There's absolutely no need and the thing doesn't even taste good.

On top of it I had one of the worst pepperoni pizza's I've ever had.  Got it from Yalies Pizza on York St. in New Haven.  Great for slices during the summer but should otherwise be avoided at all costs.

Posted in:  Food and Drink | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook | Comments (0)