1. Harry’S Place
City: Colchester, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (860) 537-2410
Address: 104 Broadway
Description: Since the distant date of 1918, Harry’s roadside stand has been serving their juicy burgers on Route 85 near the center of Colchester seasonally from Apr to Oct each year. The hamburgers are the standout, famous food here, and they are done is a slightly different, possibly revolutionary, way. The griddle is kept very hot and oiled, and the burger is cooked in a round, almost spherical manner, before being squashed down with a spatula so it can be put on your roll. This keeps them incredibly juicy, and it’s a wonder more places don’t take Harry’s amazing success with it (almost 100 years!) and run. The plump chili dogs and fried clams are good alternatives if you don’t like burgers (?). For dessert, they have a great homemade ice-cream selection. Dip your side of onion rings in their melted cheese sauce. I know it sounds wrong, but it is oh so right.
2. Cato Corner Farm
City: Colchester, CT
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (860) 537-3884
Address: 178 Cato Corner Rd.
Description: Elizabeth MacAlister’s amazing artisanal cheeses have won fans from across the country, and across the ocean in France. The cows are subjected to no hormones, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers, one reason their milk is so pure. But the other reasons are legion. The underground cave that Elizabeth built to keep the raw milk cheeses at the proper temperature might be one reason. The use of local Willimantic Brewing Company beer and Priam Vineyards wine in some of their cheeses might be another. Their creamy Brigid’s Abbey cheese and the popular Bloomsday are two not to miss here. However, try the Black Ledge Blue or the aged Jeremy River cheddar, spectacular examples of their kinds. The farm shop is open Sat and Sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
3. Priam Vineyards
City: Colchester, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 267-8520
Address: 11 Shailor Hill Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: Priam is New England’s only solar-powered winery, and you’ll see the panels and the grapes soaking up sun here in Colchester. It has also been certified as a natural bird and wildlife habitat. Gary Crump and Gloria Priam named this winery for her Hungarian grandfather, who worked a vineyard near Budapest. On Fri in the summer and fall you’ll find a farmers’ market here, and they also team up with a local chef and pair food and wine in a farm-to-table event. Like most Connecticut wineries, Priam creates original flavors that fit the climate and terroir. Their Riesling and Gewürztraminer bring German and Austrian winemakers here to buy cases for themselves. As Gary says, it “shouldn’t taste like it comes from California. It comes from Connecticut.” What does that taste like? Head to Priam and find out the flavors you’ve been missing.
4. Salmon River
City: Colchester, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 295-9523
Insider Pick:
Description: This beautiful little river begins in Colchester, which is in New London County, but heads into Middlesex as well. The section in the Salmon River State Forest is the favorite, though, and the area right off of Route 16 near the Comstock Covered Bridge is usually swamped with fishermen. It’s a beautiful setting to fish in. However, walk on the convenient trail a little upstream, or drive down Gulf or Stockburger Roads to the south, and you’ll find many areas untouched by the bridge anglers. It all depends on whether you want to catch trout or want a nice picture to show your friends of you fishing by a charming New England covered bridge. Be careful catching sea-run salmon, however, since they come up this river often and look very much like trout. Of course, the chance to catch salmon is not exactly a deterrent, but make sure to put these endangered creatures back. I caught a fat 20-inch trout here on the south side of the Route 16 bridge without even trying.