Milestone Mystic

12 Water St., Mystic

(860) 980-8787, milestonect.com

Milestone Mystic opened last January and is the younger sibling of Milestone Georgetown, a long-popular restaurant across the state. Owners Pete and Andi Fine started visiting friends in Mystic a few years back and, charmed by the area, eventually decided to expand their hospitality vision this direction — thereby enabling themselves to hang out here as much as they want.

The restaurant is beautiful — elegantly casual, one might say — with a lofted wooden ceiling and a chic/industrial atmosphere. There’s a stage for live music and sleek and covered back-bar and porch.

Milestone offers excellent, upscale pub food, including white and red pizzas, small plates, superb burgers, salads and a small but creative batch of entrees. I suspect several visits would be required to sample everything, and I also suspect that attempting to so is a pretty great plan.

Just a few of the many highlights include Good Beets ($12): large slabs of red and golden beets in a port balsamic and citrus honey glaze with herbed ricotta and basic oil pistachio crumble. It took me longer to type that than it will for you to eat it. Tremendous. The Backyard Burger ($23) boasts two thick, cooked-to-order beef patties, oversized criss-crossings of crispy bacon, pleasantly aggressive cheddar, crunchy slaw, crackly onions straws, and a perfect barbecue sauce.

And the Pan Roasted Salmon ($30) featured a huge slab of fresh fish seared with black lentils and coriander in a orange butter sauce. It lay atop a bedding of corn salad, which added even more enticing contrast.

— Rick Koster

Flour Shop Bagels

20 Mechanic St., Pawcatuck

(860) 495-3545

www.flourshopbagles.com

Bagels are not just for breakfast. A visit to Flour Shop Bagels on Mechanic Street in Pawcatuck is proof of that.

Yes, they serve up delicious egg sandwiches on their house-made sourdough bagels, but they also make lunchtime treats such as turkey, avocado, and bacon or BLT sandwiches.

But if it is breakfast that you have a hankering for, try The Flying Pig, $8, with ham, egg, sharp cheddar, and scallion cream cheese on your choice of bagel. Or The Haydi, also $8, with pesto, an egg, sharp cheddar, and tomato.

The bagel selection is extensive, with options such as black pepper parmesan or bacon, egg, and cheese. The later actually has a slice of bacon on top.

Fall is on our doorstep, so they are serving up pumpkin brown sugar and maple crunch bagels. There are also fall beverages to enjoy with a bagel, like the pumpkin chai latte, caramel pecan macchiato, maple latte, and coconut hot chocolate, among others.

Pay a visit to the good folks at Flour Shop Bagels and fill your belly.

— Ann Baldelli

Sayulita

30 Main St, Centerbrook

(860) 662-4922

www.cantinasayulita.com

Sayulita, loved by many in Glastonbury, is now drawing crowds (and lines) in at its new location in Centerbrook.

The crowds are because the food and drinks are well crafted and original. The lines are because Sayulita doesn’t do reservations (or takeout).

So, once you grab a coveted table, we can recommend a classic margarita ($12) as your first order of business. You’ll get a refreshing concoction of tangy citrus grounded by a bit of smokiness that goes very well with the Guacamole Classico and Salsa ($13). From the abundant and tasty tortilla chips and salsa to pepitas and cotija cheese toppings, this starter is a nuanced and satisfying snack. (It’s even better with a side of house queso, available for $4 more.)

We also enjoyed the Tijuana Caesar Salad ($12), topped with frybread croutons and roasted tomatoes, but next time we’ll ask for a lighter hand on the dressing.

Our other favorites include the Pork Al Pastor taco ($8), a flavorful option thanks to great pineapple and well-seasoned pork, and the Chicken Chili Tamale ($7), a great combination of high quality masa, tender chicken, and tangy salsa verde. This is the kind of fare that reminds me of summer all year long, and it’ll be quite nice to revisit the lazy days vibe on our next visit to Sayulita.

— Marisa Nadolny