Dev’s On Main

255 Main St., Niantic

(860) 451-8141

https://devsonmain.com

Let’s say Chef Rachel Devendittis decides to open a new restaurant 1,600 miles away in Elwood, Nebraska. My wife Eileen and I would be there for the Grand Opening of Dev’s in Elwood – because that’s how much we like Chef R’s food and the attendant hospitality and ambience of the succession of Devendittis family restaurants so far (two in New London before the move to the Niantic locale).

Hopefully, though, Dev’s On Main is permanent. It’s a beautiful but welcoming place with a wide and clever menu featuring Small Bites, Lighter Fare and Entrees. The style fuses New American and Mediterranean, and the results are always fresh, creative and of “come back for more” quality. Elwood will have to wait.

— Rick Koster

Andiamo

247 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic

(860) 415-1151

Search Andiamo Mystic to find their website and social media

A foodie friend is a regular at Andiamo, and without fail he gets the Spaghetti & Meatballs every time he visits. He swears their version of the standard Italian dish, with meatballs atop a heap of pasta with marinara and a dollop of whipped ricotta, for $24, is the best in the county.

But there are so many other delicious dishes to try at Andiamo. Like the Chicken Marsala, $27, with mushrooms and herb roasted potatoes, or the Cod Piccata, $27, prepared with local cod, lentils, roasted tomatoes, and a lemon caper sauce.

They’ve nailed the Hughie’s Garlicky Love Salad, $17, now that they’ve stopped putting in cucumbers. I know, because I dined there with Susan Devlin, daughter of the late Hughie Devlin, who served the legendary salad at his legendary restaurant in New London. She ordered it and gave it a thumbs up.

Open just a year now, Andiamo is a terrific option in busy Mystic with its multiple restaurant options.

– Ann Baldelli

The Curry Queen

93 Elm St., Old Saybrook

(860) 510-9803

It’s always tough to pick my favorites dining spots of the year. I generally find something to like at every eatery I visit, and we’re lucky to live in a land of nice folks; creative cooks; and enterprising entrepreneurs.

However, one criterion makes the choice a bit easier: Did I enjoy everything I sampled at the restaurant in question? If the answer is yes: Winner!

Holding one of my top spots is the Curry Queen in Old Saybrook. It’s on an easy to miss roadway adjacent to the Old Saybrook Shopping Center, but rest assured, you DON’T want to miss it. Traditional and regional Indian cuisine gets the royal treatment courtesy of Her Majesty’s creativity and mastery of the flavors of the Indian diaspora.

In the spirit of this best-of round-up, I’ll offer here our top three picks among the many items we sampled at CQ. First, the Paneer Tikka Masala ($20), featuring excellent paneer with spices, cream, and tomato. Number two goes to the Peeli Daal Tadka, a yellow-lentil stew loaded with warming flavors and nourishing goodness. Finally, the delicious Ginger Chicken ($18), which deserves a better name, because it’s so much more than that. It’s a medley of tender chicken in a bright and flavorful ginger sauce, curried veggies and fresh tomato.

And yes, Indian food is fairly available in our region of Connecticut, but Curry Queen makes standouts of what you might’ve tried elsewhere, plus many a surprise awaits her worthy subjects. Make haste to Old Saybrook!

— Marisa Nadolny

Chapter One

32 West Main St., Mystic

(860) 245-4123

https://chapter-one.com

A recent grad class exercise at a Worcester Polytechnic Institute asked students to calculate the number of restaurants in downtown Mystic. Damn! The smart youngsters couldn’t do it! Too much! I will say, though, that hungry diners strolling down the village’s Main Street will very much enjoy a visit to Chapter One – as we did over three recent visits.

It’s a handsome place with big windows overlooking the street, separate but connective bar and dining areas, incredibly friendly and accommodating service and a casual New American menu that features a raw bar, pasta, seafood, “hand-helds” and ambitiously crafted salads.

— Rick Koster

Gourmet Galley at Home

185 Main St., Niantic

(860) 850-4049

https://ggathome.com

Many of the talented chefs in our region have made take-out food a gourmet enterprise, and one of the more recent additions, Gourmet Galley at Home in Niantic, served up some of my most memorable meals of the year.

You might know Gourmet Galley as a well-known, established catering company, and now you can cater your own meals without the cooking courtesy of its Niantic café and prepared foods shop.

The comprehensive selection of dinners, sides, soups and more available frozen, refrigerated or fresh from the lunch counter/coffee bar will take a minute to peruse. Allow me to suggest a few items off the bat and perhaps populate your To-Get list.

Our MVP went to the Guinness beef stew, an extravagance at $17.99 for a quart but worth it. When you enjoy the veggies as much as the beef, you know you’ve got a good batch of stew.

Among the house-made sandwiches, the Dutch ($10) is a delight. It pairs smoky Gouda with a thick slice of bacon, accented by a bit of apricot preserves, and served on grilled sourdough. Lots of flavors and textures make it a standout.

Finally, GG’s cold sesame noodles ($7.99) are among the best we’ve tasted, with a smooth and zesty peanut-soy-ginger dressing that enrobes the toothy noodles.

Bonus: If there are any left, grab a raspberry Linzer tart square ($3) from the fresh-baked goods selection at the counter. Ours was soft and buttery and tangy in all the right ways.

Whether you eat in the café or take your grub to go, be ready to add Gourmet Gallery to your regular foodie rotation.

— Marisa Nadolny

Chef’s Table at Little Dipper Farm

499 Wolf Den Road, Brooklyn, CT

(860) 412-0038

Search Chef’s Table at Little Dipper Farm to find them on social media

They serve the Bolognese ($28) over house-made cavatelli at the Chef’s Table at Little Dipper Farm and the hearty meat sauce with San Marzano tomatoes and parmesan is a satisfying meal on a winter night.

We haven’t tried everything on the menu yet – and the menu preparation changes with the seasons – but what we have tried has all been very good.

They are serving the scallops now with a turnip puree, broccolini, and salsa verde, for $32. Also on the menu is a carrot soup with nettle pesto and toasted pumpkin seed for $12, and an escarole salad with pancetta, parmesan and croutons for $14. The burger, with Vermont cheddar and caramelized onion, $18, is always a hit.

It’s a scenic ride from the shoreline up to Brooklyn, CT, but make sure to call ahead and make a reservation. The restaurant is open 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.

– Ann Baldelli