"You're in trouble when you find it's hard for you to smile…read moreA simple song might make it better for a little while" (Sly and the Family Stone) We were puttering our way through the Torrington Farmers Market, checking out the various fruit, vegetable, and baked goods stands when we happened to stop at the Simple Delights bakery. In about 3 seconds, we knew we'd be buying something here. We saw a nice variety of breads, pastries, cakes, cookies, and muffins. Some were GF. We ended up with a small loaf of Lemon Blueberry bread ($6) and a Cinnamon Roll ($5). The Lemon-Blueberry bread was more like a poundcake than a bread, and it sure was a delicious poundcake at that. It was super moist and very lemony, and since we split it, half of that $6 loaf made for a very yummy and satisfying dessert. The Cinnamon Roll was everything one would want in a Cinnamon Roll! It had sweet flaky pastry layered with that addictive sticky/gooey cinnamon filling, and it was crowned with a light layer of vanilla icing. Pure excellence, and a Simple Delight, indeed.

Ordered some cinnamon rolls and brownies this weekend and they were AMAZING. Transaction was…read moreseamless, and we got a very fast response to our inquiry. Brownies are rich and fudgy, and the cinnamon rolls were some of the best I've ever had. We will definitely order again!

Went for karaoke on a Thursday (they have trivia beforehand!). The karaoke with DJ Mikey is so much…read morefun! I ordered the bone-in wings which were amazing! Compliments to the chef! And they make their own Bleu Cheese dressing that has HUGE chunks of Bleu Cheese in it! Yum! The service is fantastic, too! Shout out to Jocelyn, Liz, Kristen, Grace, and the others whose names I don't know (yet, lol)! Alex (I'm unsure of his title) is superb as well! And I cannot forget the people who work back of house... the unsung heroes/backbone of the hospitality industry... Busmen, Superb Cleaners of Dishes and Silverware and Floors and Such, and anyone else who has a hand in making Mulligan's such a happy, satisfying, safe, welcoming place. The owner seems to be a presence there also, which is very nice, and I saw him taking photos of the crowd enjoying themselves. They also have a dining room and another, more intimate bar area. Don't miss out on trying this place... Stop in! You will not regret it!

The place is charming. A huge improvement over the prior restaurant in the location. Good menu…read morevariety. We tried so far burgers, chicken sandwiches and a huge grinder. All decent. Service was good, the bar area was a bit loud on a Sunday. Band was too loud to talk over. All in all, will go back.

"Lookin' for some hot stuff, baby, this evenin' I need some…read morehot stuff, baby, tonight I want some hot stuff, baby, this evenin' Gotta have some hot stuff Gotta have some love tonight" (Donna Summer) A few months ago, we visited the fabulous Calo's Cookies in New Hartford and learned they'd soon be selling pickles and hot sauce and pickled vegetables. Well, today we visited the Canton Main Street Farmers Market and bought some pastries from Calo's, but guess who was set up right next to their booth? None other than Seger's Sauces. They share a space inside Calo's and they also share Thanksgiving dinner because Dan Seger of Seger's Sauces is the father of Dorie from Calo's Cookies. You can catch him at the Canton Farmer's Market every Sunday from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm from mid-June through mid-October. Father Dan sells homemade canned and bottled goods - a variety of pickles, plenty of hot sauces, spicy jellies & jams, salsas, and tomato sauces. Their spicy jellies and jams caught my eye, because I really like that sweet and spicy combination. I had to choose between their Cherry Jalapeno Jelly and Blueberry Basil Jam. I sampled the Cherry Jalapeno and that clinched it. I can't wait to have it with some peanut butter for a few breakfasts. So, if you want some excellent cookies, pickles, or spicy jellies, head on out to New Hartford or the Canton Main Street Farmers Market. PRO TIP The garlic dill and spicy pickles are "refrigerator pickles" that have to be refrigerated and aren't shelf stable.

Way up yonder in the beautiful hills of Granville, MA lies an old time berry farm, one of many…read moregenerations, is Sussmann's Wild Blueberry Farm. Ann & Ted and Deb & Paul are the propitiators of this quaint, unassuming, and GPS required Farm. This was my first visit, but one of many annual pilgrimages for my wife and her immediate family over many years. Ann took a call this morning from my wife asking if Berries were still available. Ann offered that they only had two twenty pound boxes of fresh and four more twenty boxes of fresh frozen from this years crop. The season was shorter this year, about only 2-3 weeks long due to mild drought and heat wave. Time was not to be wasted we hopped into the Road Chariot and arrived within an hour. Ann was at the helm and we met Paul (maybe Ted) on is way out, with a cheek full of berries and blue fragment of one on a tooth, which was noticed when he brightly greeted our arrival with a grin. The Berry Barn, old and well weathered from many years. The equipment and processing area a must see, it took me back to my youth in Maine visiting many wild Blueberry farms. Their price this year for twenty pounds $70, but think of it as only fractions of a penny for these small, flavor filled, and hard to find sweet treats. After all it was also a tough season for the Sussmann's and I tip my hat to their long lineage farming this spread of land!

From the owner: We sell fresh and frozen wild blueberries that are grown naturally. No chemicals or pesticides.read more

I bought both cranberry-pepper and raspberry-pepper at the Garlic Festival this year. I loved them…read moreboth. We enjoyed the cran--pepper in San Diego for Thanksgiving. Hope to get more in the new year. Happy Holidays to all. Karen D.

We're jammin' I want to jam it with you…read moreWe're jammin', jammin' And I hope you like jammin' too (Bob Marley - Jamming) One of the nicest moments we had at the Goshen Stampede was our visit to the Simply Jam booth where we chatted with the host, tried some samples, and bought a jar of their "Hot" Jalapeno Jam. They operate their business out of a household in Barkhamstead, CT where they hand craft six varieties of jalapeno jams. The basic jalapeno jams comes in three heat levels - mild, hot, and extra hot. Or you can go the flavored route and add garlic, mint or cranberry to the jalapeno. An 8 ounce jar costs $7, and their website says the jams are available at a dozen stores clustered to the northwest of Hartford and along the CT-NY border down to the Bronx. They also have a website for mail orders. I love seeing successful small businesses that put out great products. Try one of their jars, and I bet you'll like jammin' too.

I think this place mostly does takeout, but we have eaten in store twice. We have found the food to…read morebe tasty. The orange chicken is especially nice. The owner is really sweet.

was in town for the weekend and stopped by bc i was craving fried tofu. we were the only ones in…read morethere because it was freezing cold outside and they do so much takeout, which we observed as we watched the owners recognize the costumers who came in and exchanged a very friendly hello. lovely vibes and ambience even though it's a casual place, but the service and friendliness really elevated it. the menu is pretty all inclusive -- i got the Szechuan tofu and my bf got the chicken hibachi. they both came with soup, rice and lots of veggies! his also came w a salad, which was delicious. very generous portions and yummy food, with incredibly fair prices. if you're in town and searching for asian food, this place rocks and i'd recommend!

This was my 3rd event at Crystal Peak. One wedding, one public event and my daughter- in- law's…read morebaby shower. Beautiful venue, great food and staff. Their service is exceptional! Couldn't ask for better and more accommodating hosts.

So naturally, whether this is the rentable venue for you depends on more factors than can be…read moreencompassed in a Yelp review, but overall it's a nice facility. The driveway in and out goes up a winding hill which admittedly could be bigger, and there are parking spots almost right to the front door. The entrance is done in shades of gray and blue, with staircases going upstairs and two rooms for rent on either side of the foyer. If you set the DJ/music up in the back, it does move down the length of the room to where it's hard to hear at certain volumes. There's a fair amount of space for tables and chairs, or dancing if that's your thing. There's a lot of angels painting on ceilings. Not too much of an outside view besides parking lot and trees, but at night it helps keep you in the party mindset.

One of my favorite places!! I go here often! They have SO much! Everything from veggies and flowers…read moreto pies and cheese. It's all so fresh and delicious. I get plants here in the spring for my garden and I also love coming in the fall for pumpkins, gourds, and apple cider donuts. Everyone that works there is so friendly and will always answer questions. They have helped me over the years with my garden. If you need a party catered or even a cake, Freunds is the place! One of my favorite things is their raspberry white chocolate scones!! So good! I highly recommend stopping in if you are in the area!!

This place is AH-mazing!!…read more They have fruits, vegetables, frozen meals like Eggplant Parm and Chicken Pot Pie (had it for supper-SO good!), and much more! Fudge, baked goods, jams and jellies, pickles, fudge... I could go on and on! Definitely stop in if you are ever in the area! (Fyi, it is not far from the Yale Summer School for Music and the Arts.)