Aspen Restaurant & Bar

2 Main St., Old Saybrook

(860) 395-5888

http://aspenct.com

There are many reasons why Aspen should be in your restaurant rotation; among them, the cocktails, the small plates, and the pub menu. All of those things have much to offer on their own, and the sum of all three makes for a special evening indeed. Need some suggestions? (Note: once you view Aspen’s menus, you probably won’t need them.) No problem: to drink, try the Lime Light cocktail ($11), a well balanced mix of Grey Goose, lime juice, soda, and a dash of white cranberry juice; to snack, you must, must, must get the Soy Braised Short Rib ($14) or the Spicy Pork Dumplings ($12); and to feast, we hear the Pan Roasted Pork Chop ($26) is excellent. We got too preoccupied with Aspen’s small plates and apps to get to full dinners (but we didn’t skip dessert; try the hazelnut creme brulee; $8), but we truly can’t wait to return for what we know will be a wonderful meal.

— Marisa Nadolny 

The Octane Café

9 Tilley St., New London

(860) 437-7307

theoctanecafe.com

Settled snuggly at the foot of New London's arts district, at the corner of Bank and Tilley streets, the Octane Café fuses superb fine-dining options, cleverly-conceptualized bar food and an excellent Happy Hour — all in French Quarter-esque patio and floor layout designed for maximum fun.

While the $5 Happy Hour menu should be explored fully and at your leisure, we were particularly impressed by two entrée choices. One, cheese ravioli ($16), came from the specials menu. The delicate pillows of pasta were stuffed with ricotta and slathered with a wonderful sauce of white wine, roasted garlic and butter. Also part of the deal were big shavings of parmesan, grape tomatoes, fresh asparagus and surprisingly delightful slices of grilled celery.

Also, the sesame seed-seared Ahi tuna ($24) was an across-the-board stunner. It featured four sumptuous carvings of beautiful fish with glass noodles, baby bok choy, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. More magic happened with the presence of three separate sauces: mango, a spicy lemon-ginger soy, and a sake-based Gastrique. The different mix-and-match flavor possibilities were sensational.

— Rick Koster

Maize n Manna Wholefoods

40 High St., Westerly

(401) 596-1680

https://www.facebook.com/MaizeNMannaWholefoods/Food

While vegan-focused restaurants are more common than in the past, they are by no means ubiquitous. One creative, delicious and organic option is Maize n Manna Whole Foods in Westerly. In addition to bulk containers of grains, flours, pastas, nuts and dried fruits, the spot offers a wide range of gluten-free and nutritious smoothies, juices, baked goods and prepared foods.

Popular juices — $6 for 10 ounces; $8 for 14 ounces; $9.50 for 18 ounces — include the "Evergreens" with greens, green apple, ginger and lemon, "Bright Eyes" with carrot, beet, red apple, celery and ginger, and the "Winter Sunshine" with cranberry, orange, pineapple, lemon, carrot and cabbage. The menu updates frequently, but some recent items representative of the variety at Maize n Manna are the barbecued tempeh with cabbage slaw ($7.75), tofu "chicken" salad seasoned with rosemary, thyme and other spices ($7.75), and the red lentil and kale soup (12-ounces for $5.75, 16-ounce for $7.25, 32-ounces for $13).

— Alex Nunes