Ah, it’s always tough to lose a regular go-to spot. It sounds like it was a reliable favorite for quite some time - those are hard to replace.
Big fan of Lucian, the list is nice but pricey, though @rob_klafter insists there are some bargains to be had if you really know where to look (I recall something about some Keller bottles). I hope no one drives to Buckhead, GA, looking for Lucian, though, as James Beard located them. (It’s in an Atlanta neighborhood called Buckhead - the tiny town of Buckhead is about an hour and a half away!)
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That would be unfortunate! I just walked over from my hotel. Not having to drive definitely made the wine more enjoyable. Buckhead (the neighborhood, not the town) has really come along over the years. But I’ll be glad when the construction on 285 is finally finished!
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As a native of Atlanta I’d say Buckhead has really degenerated through the years but I agree about 285.
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The restaurant is still there, I just refuse to patronize it nowadays. There are other good local restaurants (a pleasant achievement for a small town that had much less to offer when I first moved here), including The Shipwright’s Daughter (2024 James Beard best chef, northeast), which has a very nice wine list.
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Nothing like the legend it was before the prior cellar was destroyed in an explosion caused by a contractor working on a gas line in the street, but still very strong and well-priced in spots. A favorite of mine when in KC and when the situation calls for ordering off the list instead of BYO. Pierpont’s also good in that same vein, and Truffles in St. Louis is perhaps even a bit better.
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It sounds like the shoulder season may be an opportune time to make a trip up from the city, visit Mystic Seaport, and hit two James Beard places.
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Amtrak’s northeast regional trains stop right in downtown Mystic, and from the train station it is an easy walk to the Seaport or either of the two restaurants. The Shipwright’s Daughter is located in The Whaler’s Inn, and there is a new hotel called the Delamar about to open on the grounds of the Seaport.
The Seaport will take a full day (if all the exhibitions are open; I think some may be closed in the winter). The whaleship Charles W. Morgan is the model for the set design for Jake Heggie’s opera Moby-Dick which finally makes its way to the Metropolitan Opera in March. (If you’ve never been to the opera, this is a good one to try.)
There is also the Mystic Aquarium, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, the Pequotsepos Nature Centre, the borough of Stonington with its Lighthouse Museum, the Nathanial Palmer House, and more restaurants. Don’t miss the outstanding bakeries, Nana’s Mystic and Sift. Look out for local oysters, scallops, lobster, and fish. There are local vineyards/wineries as well.
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Very cool to see the Kansas love. I used to go there for work and, despite the evil weather anytime other than March or October, really enjoyed the shocking amount of great restaurants and bars.
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We’ve eaten at Poblanos in NM numerous times.
I just found that my favourite “convenience store” has added to its offerings (excellent, ready-to-go house-made soups, sandwiches, salads, and prepared dinners), 7 or 8 types of Bordier butter. The owner-chef tends to make available ingredients she likes to use in the food she prepares, and I’ve purchased ground duck and specific apple and squash varieties here, but this is the first time I’ve seen the butter available.
Not bad for our tiny town.
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