Cafe Routier

I travel back and forth between CT and NYC a lot because this is where my transplant doctors are, so I tend to stop somewhere in CT to eat if I don't stay in NY.  CT has a lot of great small little towns that I really love, and I'm pretty familiar with all of these places because most of my family lives in CT.  Westbrook is a great little town and has a great restaurant there called Cafe Routier, which means something like "the truck stop" in french.  I've been here a handful of times and they have really amazing french fries and steak.  It's one of those meals you know you can get here and it will be great every time.  But I wanted something a little different.  So, I started with mussels, I didn't really know there were different kinds of mussels but these were sweet PEI mussels, and they were soooooooo sweet! I loved them.  And the broth they were in was incredible.  Bread didn't even do it justice, I could have just drank it.  I think it was the tomatoes that were in it that gave it a little distinction from the normal mussels in wine, butter and garlic.  They gave the sauce a little something else that was really nice. 

MOULES MARINIÈRE
Sweet PEI Mussels, Steamed with White Wine,
Shallots, Garlic, Tomato and Saffron - $10

For an entree I had my favorite meal of all time: risotto.  I enjoyed it, although it was a tiny bit dry for my taste.  It could have just been a little more moist and maybe had a little more Reggiano.  It wasn't anything to write home about, it was just "ordinary."  They had a duck item on the menu that I was eying, that I would probably get next time instead of this. 

ASPARAGUS RISOTTO
Cracked Black Pepper, Parmigiano-Reggiano - $19   

I sat at the bar and the service was really good as well.  If you are ever driving through CT, I suggest stopping here!