Restaurant Recollection – eatery coverage sparks fam memories

Today Magazine Online
5 hours ago
7 min read

• Eatery Reminiscence: Restaurant coverage kindles family memories

• Commentary – Editor's Note

• Is there anyone in our collective human community known as planet Earth who doesn’t enjoy a delicious dinner prepared with care and skill? Stated more succinctly and simply — do you appreciate a good meal prepared by someone else?

• Let’s presume that everyone answers yes. Here’s a logical follow-up question: Do you prefer a home-cooked meal or a restaurant meal — or are these two options about equal for your palate? Yet there are other considerations besides the palate issue, such as price.

• Whenever my family frequented a Farmington Valley eatery, I sought a cost-effective approach when possible: a coupon or an Entertainment Book discount or a buy-one-entree-get-one-free offer. For me, the time-honored parental saying applied: Money doesn’t grow on trees!

• Via Today Magazine's coverage of Valley restaurants, some questions are answered, while others beckon — so the end-of-story teaser applies: to be continued...

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• This revised and updated commentary essay originally served as a key sidebar component of a previous Today Magazine cover-story package on restaurants in Connecticut's Farmington Valley — see below for a link to the lead story

Bruce William Deckert

Editor-in-Chief

Today Magazine Online

My restaurant history in the Farmington Valley is directly connected to my family. I met a Valley girl at Gordon College in Massachusetts — she was a West Simsbury resident at the time, and we married the year after we graduated.

Born and bred in New Jersey, I moved to Connecticut the summer we wed, after I was hired as a public-relations professional and English teacher at The Master’s School in West Simsbury — where she was already teaching. Early in our marital journey, we welcomed a son and daughter to forge a family foursome. So most of my local restaurant memories are connected to her and our family.

Here’s a short list of our family’s go-to Valley restaurants: Antonio’s, Bertucci’s, Boston Market, Friendly’s and Ninety Nine. Another Valley-related restaurant tidbit — in high school and college, my Valley girl was a part-time waitress at the Abdow’s Big Boy in Avon.

About seven years ago, after a three-decade marriage voyage, she decided time was up. She was done, over and out. Our relationship had plenty of ups and downs, as is the case in every real-world marriage I’m aware of, but evidently our sometimes sickening roller-coaster ride overcame her hopes for ongoing bliss and impacted her perception of our thrill fulfillment and joy-seeking potential beyond our 30-year milestone — even though we had experienced a steady mountain-climbing ascent and deeper love in the decade or so before she chose to leave me.

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We were faithful to each other, weathering many storms together, yet a horrific "perfect storm" of difficult life-and-heart circumstances converged as the summer of 2018 turned into fall. She filed for divorce in January 2019, and Connecticut's horrendous no-fault divorce law led to the dissolution of our marriage a mere four months later.

To me, her decision was a shell-shocking blind-side hit, and the past seven years have been heartbreaking and surreal in significant ways.

To date, she remains the most amazing woman I’ve known — and the only one I’ve known in the biblical sense — yet I’m moving forward the proverbial one day at a time. By the way, when the divorce went down, our son and daughter were college graduates and moving on with their young-adult lives.

So my experience with restaurants in the Farmington Valley is marked by a clear demarcation — the many worthwhile years when our family was intact and the seven years since then.

Following is a Valley eatery history of me and my family via an alphabetical-order list of 30-plus restaurants — a few places on this list have since closed their doors and are thus noted. Before launching into the list, a few housekeeping details:

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• In the following restaurant roll call, I’m providing a snapshot of my reminiscence or impression of the eatery in 10 words or less.

• The Connecticut Restaurant Association defines a restaurant as any establishment that serves guests in a breakfast, lunch and/or dinner setting.

• For restaurant chains, only Farmington Valley locations are noted.

• Acronym Note: COC refers to a local Chamber of Commerce — N.E. refers to New England — specific state abbreviations are per U.S. Post Office protocol.

• Today Publishing covers the heart of Connecticut's Farmington Valley via community news that matters nationwide — focusing on the towns of Avon, Canton, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury

• Restaurant Snapshots •

• Abdow’s Big Boy – Valley location: Avon – closed

A college romance in MA — NJ boy meets CT girl who waitressed at Abdow’s — leads to a remarkable up-and-down real-life and real-world marriage relationship and family in the Farmington Valley.

• The Abdow’s chain was sold to Bickford’s — Bickford’s Avon location was later closed.

• Number-and-Word Alert — yes, you’re right, I’ve violated my own 10-word limit on the very first entry in this list ... mea culpa.

• However, my long-haul marriage and my family are worth far more to me than a legalistic word count — and in my book, my marriage and family transcend any mere human court’s definition of the terms marriage and family.

• Amici Italian Grill – Avon

Constructive family-connected heart-to-heart: I saw the change.

• Amici also has a Middletown location

• Andy’s Italian Kitchen – Simsbury

COC After Hours host — scrumptious appetizers and entrees.

• Antonio’s – Simsbury

Tasty Italian food plus historic memorabilia and throwback decor.

• Bertucci’s – Valley location: Avon – closed

Terrific pizza, pasta, rolls — N.E.-to-VA chain — surprised Avon location closed.

• Boston Market – Valley location: Avon – closed

Family-friendly chain eatery where fast food meets homestyle meals.

• Cambridge House Brew Pub – Granby

COC event — keeping it real with real food, real beer.

• Chili’s – Simsbury

Nationwide chain — my non-spicy palate avoids picante dishes.

• The Coffee Spot – Simsbury

Welcoming atmosphere for meeting COC colleagues — formerly the Storyteller’s Cottage.

• Dish ‘n Dat – Canton

Once located at FV Shops — today, still on Route 44.

• Dom’s Coffee – Avon

Hotspot for hot beverages, warm breakfasts and lunches, cool conversation.

• First & Last Tavern – Avon

Classic Italian-accented menu plus a biblically-connected name.

• Friendly’s – Avon

East Coast chain: NJ Dad dinners, CT father-and-son-and-daughter talks.

• Harvest Cafe – Simsbury

Delicious brunches and a favorite when Mom aka Grammy visited.

• Hot Heaven Pizzeria – Avon

Takeout fave for — you guessed it — superb pizza.

• Joe Pizza – Canton

See previous Hot Heaven entry.

• LaSalle Market & Deli – Canton

Galvanizing vibe and community gathering place in heart of Collinsville.

• Little City Pizza – Avon

Anchor at Riverdale Farms plaza featuring paninis and, yes, pizza.

• Little Oak Cafe – Canton

Scrumptious food, COC talk, Coffee & Conversation events with state senator.

• Lisa’s Luna Pizza – Simsbury

Same ownership as — no surprise here — Collinsville-based Lisa’s Crown & Hammer.

• Main Moon – Simsbury

Great Chinese food — post-church takeout Sundays on Arrowhead Drive.

• McDonald’s – Simsbury

No explanation needed for global brand: billions and billions served.

• Metro Bis – Simsbury

Complimentary financial-planning dinner and seminar hosted by Financial Vision.

• Millwright’s – Simsbury

Celebrity chef Tyler Anderson plus historic mill built in 1680.

• Ninety Nine Restaurant – Valley location: Avon – closed

Family-friendly and flavorful N.E.-and-NY chain — surprised this location shuttered.

• Panera Bread – Canton

Popular U.S.-Canada chain eatery with pleasing ambiance, palatable food.

• Papacelle – Avon – closed

Husband-wife night out with bonus of dinner gift card.

• Plan B – Simsbury

Hartford-area chain featuring burgers and beverages — plus helpful COC talk.

• Puerto Vallarta – Avon

Recently visited CT chain for first time — former Abdow’s site.

• Red Stone Pub – Simsbury

Hospitable and homey with owners who value community volunteerism.

• Starbucks – Avon • Farmington: Route 4 • Farmington: Westfarms Mall • Granby • Simsbury

Popular worldwide coffee chain that also serves breakfast and lunch.

• Subway – Canton • Farmington • Granby • Simsbury

Excellent healthy alternative to conventional fast-food fare — nationwide chain.

• By the way, the roller-coaster metaphor referenced above is especially appropriate because this Valley girl loves roller coasters. Since I was an ESPN Digital Media employee for 16 years — with Disney as the parent company — I had a company pass affording free entrance to the Disney theme parks. My wife and family were able to enjoy the roller coasters and all the other unique amusement rides multiple times during my ESPN tenure from 1999 to 2015. +

This article is a revised and updated version of a commentary essay that first appeared in the March 2024 edition of our monthly Today Magazine — the topic is timeless and relevant today

SEO: Eatery Coverage Sparks Fam Memories

Today editor-in-chief Bruce Deckert previously worked at ESPN Digital Media, the Journal Register Company and The Master’s School — he has received multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his writing, editing and design work — and he believes all people merit awards when we leverage our various God-given gifts for good

SEO: Eatery Coverage Sparks Fam Memories

Restaurant Recollection – eatery coverage sparks fam memories

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