A Visit to Tusk & Cup in Ridgefield

I've been meaning to try out Tusk & Cup in Ridgefield for quite some time. I pass it often if I'm driving up Route 7 to Danbury, but the timing was never right. I'd either just had coffee, or it was too late for coffee and I would be up all night if I had any, etc.! Well, I should have just stopped in because I'd have found out that while they do have an extensive coffee menu.. There is so much more! 

Lovely teas, beautiful pastries, freshly prepared sandwiches and salads and lots more. I stopped in today with my boyfriend and sister and was delighted by what I found.. the cozy, bright interior was very welcoming. 

We were all in the mood for coffee so my companions each ordered a cappuccino while I ordered a Maccherato, a lovely concoction of espresso and Nutella. 

Our drinks were carefully made and delicious. I also checked out their beautiful tea selection and took home a container of a Harney & Sons herbal tea to enjoy at home. 

 The café would be a great place to study or read, and a lovely place to meet a friend for lunch or tea. I'm so glad to have finally visited Tusk & Cup and am looking forward to stopping by again on my next trip up Route 7! 

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Cranbury Park in Norwalk

I grew up in Norwalk, and as a result spent many afternoons at Cranbury Park as a kid. As I've gotten older, the park has remained just as enjoyable. The centerpiece of the park is the historic Gallaher Mansion. Built by the industrialist Edward Beach Gallaher during the Great Depression and designed in the Tudor Revival style by Percy L. Fowler, it was modeled after St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Norwalk¹. The mansion is gorgeous. While it isn't generally open to the public, you can walk around it and admire its lovely gardens. 

                             

There is something for everyone at Cranbury park.. A playground for kids, a picnic pavilion to sit and eat lunch, an area just for dogs to run around, and even a regulation disc golf course. Also on the grounds is the Carriage House Arts Center and Theatre, which puts on plays throughout the year. There are acres and acres of wooded trails, as well- perfect for hiking and mountain biking. The park's hallmark is the enormous Weeping Beech tree that lives on the edge of the great lawn. I had lots of fun exploring underneath that tree as a child, and it still definitely evokes a sense of wonder. 

                               

The park is beautifully maintained, thanks both to the Parks and Rec department as well as the Friends of Cranbury Park group. Certainly worth a visit if you're in Fairfield County... Bring a picnic lunch and a frisbee on a beautiful day and you have a fun (and free!) afternoon. 

Cranbury Park is located on Grumman Avenue in Norwalk, Connecticut and is free and open to the public seven days a week.

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1 Source: friendsofcranburypark.org^↩

Breakfast and Berry Picking at Rose's Berry Farm in Glastonbury

Last Sunday my boyfriend, younger sister and I decided to take a drive up to Rose's Berry Farm in South Glastonbury. I've been to their booth at the Westport Farmer's Market many times in the past and had been able to get their beautiful berries and produce there.. but when I heard that they served breakfast on Sundays on a terrace overlooking the farm, I knew we had to visit ourselves! It was about an hour and 20 minute drive from Norwalk. Most of the way is on i95 and then i91 and is simple enough.. but after i91 there are quite a few turns so be sure to have your navigation set up! 
We arrived at about noon (Breakfast is served from 8-1) and found a few people enjoying a late brunch. We'd missed the breakfast rush, and the terrace was nice and quiet. Breakfast is served on a roofed terrace with open sides, festooned with gorgeous hanging baskets of flowers and cheerful berry-print tablecloths. The view is gorgeous, overlooking the entire farm. Fans in the rafters keep the terrace comfortable.  

Rose's employs a small army of friendly teenagers as their waitstaff, and one of the girls quickly brought us a menu and offered us coffee or juice. The menu is short, mainly pancakes, waffles, or french toast in addition to daily specials. The special when we visited was a yogurt parfait with fresh berries. I was also impressed to see that they had a couple of gluten-free offerings, including gluten-free blueberry muffins. 
We ordered a belgian waffle, french toast, and pancakes. Each is served with fresh home made whipped cream and a compote of whatever fruit is coming fresh off the farm that day. When we visited, it was a blueberry compote.. and it was delicious. I ate the whole belgian waffle. THE WHOLE THING. I don't think I've ever finished a belgian waffle by myself before. The fresh blueberry compote was so nice, not too tart or sweet and full of blueberry flavor. The homemade whipped cream was a perfect complement. Our order came out quite quickly, too..

As you can see, presentation is no-frills. Paper cups and plates. But we aren't here for the fine china, are we? We came for the delicious, fresh breakfast and the amazing view. The prices were very reasonable.  Our order of pancakes, french toast, belgian waffle and two coffees came out to exactly 20 dollars before tax or tip. We decided to take a little walk to settle our full bellies, and did some after-brunch berry picking. A shuttle (read: tractor) drove us a couple of minutes away to the raspberry fields. We took our little pint containers and quickly picked 8 pints worth! It was easy to do, the berries were ripe and abundant. 

The tractor then took us back to the weigh station/gift shop, where we paid for our berries. Our 8 pints of raspberries (and over a pound of blueberries that we also stopped to pick) cost about 27 dollars. Pretty good deal! Less than you'd pay at the store, and certainly much fresher. A visit to Rose's Berry Farm is a really nice way to spend a sunny Summer day.. especially if you go on Sunday for the delicious breakfast! 

You can find out more about Rose's Berry Farm including their hours and their full menu at www.rosesberryfarm.com

P.S- If you're wondering what we did with all those berries- I made 6 pints of fresh jam that night! 

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