Roast Beef Melt

Recovery Room, New London

The problem with this lunch-only option is that the Recovery Room is so close to my house that I can back-flip over there. Or maybe that’s not a problem. Either way, I’m very fond of this sandwich, on which a grilled ciabatta roll is heaped with a mound of blackened roast beef, carmelized onions, tangy roasted red peppers, provolone and a heat-infused horseradish mayo. With chips and a briny dill pickle, it makes its own argument to be included on the dinner menu.

— Rick Koster

Gelston Crepe

Gelston House, East Haddam

It’s especially tempting at this chilly, gray time of year to look back fondly at those outdoor brunches we had on the most temperate days of summer. I had one of those on the deck of the Gelston House overlooking the Connecticut River and the iconic Goodspeed Opera House. As enjoyable as the view was, the meal was even more so. The Gelston Crepe was divine — and a generous portion, to boot. Spinach and goat cheese were mixed and tucked inside two crepes, which were topped with hollandaise sauce. A side of home fries came with the dish.

— Kristina Dorsey

Louisiana Country Bread

Pudding

The Bayou, New London

Chef Brian Brother, who literally travels the world, frequently on a whim, seeking out food and the secrets thereof, has mastered some of the finer aspects of Deep South cookery. One of the fine things on his menu is this magnificent dessert. The gooey and sweet consistency of the bread-based pudding enters into a romance with his all-world hot caramel sauce. Sparks fly.

— Rick Koster

Tuna Tartare

Dog Watch Mystic

Oh, the tough life of a features writer! When The Day did its outdoor dining bracket, asking readers which venue has the best outdoor dining options in southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island, I was assigned to write about Dog Watch Mystic. I had never been there before, and I was very impressed by the food. While the tuna tartare was my favorite, I also loved the pulled-pork sliders, and chimari, which consisted of chicken sauteed with fried banana and cherry peppers topped with pico de gallo and a drizzle southwest sauce, served over mac ‘n’ cheese.

— Kristina Dorsey

Clam Chowder

Fat Tuna, Waterford

There is a well-known statute on the books for local restaurants: you MUST have some sort of chowder on your menu or face jail time. And the chowder had better be good. At Fat Tuna, they take this edict seriously. Their New England clam chowder has a superb clam-to-potato ratio, a creamy viscosity and, most importantly, a clever and expert inclusion of both anisette AND fennel. It’s somehow not too licorice-y but still provides a genuine and deliciously distinctive quality.

— Rick Koster

Fish Melt

Mr. G’s, New London

As I’ve previously written, G-Man Lou Mallett continues to trod his kitchen, exploring the wondrous and surprisingly expansive possibilities behind the simple premise that one can make a sandwich “melt” out of just about anything — and it’ll be good. His fish melt is simple enough. Delicately fried filets — typically fresh cod or flounder — oozing cheese and thick, buttered Texas toast. Of such basic ingredients comes greatness!

— Rick Koster

Lobster avocado panini; grilled chicken sandwich

T&B Provisions and Eatery, Niantic

I wouldn’t have thought that lobster and avocado would have made such a merry match, but the lobster avocado panini special I tried was sinfully good. From the regular menu, I’d highly recommend the grilled chicken sandwich if you like gorgonzola; that melds beautifully with the caramelized onions, lemon chive aioli, and baby arugula.

— Kristina Dorsey

Nori; 745 Osteria

Old Saybrook

I love nothing so much as trying new restaurants, and I was happy to sample these two fresh and unrelated venues in Old Saybrook. Nori opened at the end of 2022 but I didn’t sample it until this year. I was perfectly contented with what it describes as its French-inspired Japanese dishes. We have plenty of pizza places in the area, but 745 is above and beyond. Its Neapolitan pizzas and Italian food are delicious.

— Kristina Dorsey

Apple Crumble

The Shack, various locations

This dish is stunningly good any time, but the perhaps odd aspect to my nomination for this column is that I get it for breakfast. Yes! The Shackers cut a huge slab of this perfectly engineered pie. The crumble is thick and a perfect chemistry project of cinnamon, butter, brown sugar and flour, and the sweet-but-snappy filling, in which carvings of fresh apples luxuriate in essentially the same magical ingredients used in the crust, is heavenly. Add whipped cream or ice cream or even caramel sauce — or, hell, ALL of them — and you’ve got a tasty and healthy breakfast.

— Rick Koster

Lamb tacos

The Café, Westerly

Lamb is not something I usually order. But, for some reason, when I saw Braised Lamb Naan “Tacos” on The Café’s menu, I decided to give it a try. It was a fabulous gyro-like creation. The lamb was tender and flavorful, and the dish also included tzatziki, cucumber, grape tomatoes, red onions, feta, greens and harissa.

— Kristina Dorsey

Appetizers

Rossa Negra, Niantic

Sometimes, appetizers are all you need. A friend and I split an order of the Rossa Negra Shrimp and Scallops, and the empanadas. It was all (to borrow a phrase from Goldilocks) just right.

— Kristina Dorsey

Salmon dishes

Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point

Maybe Fresh Salt is just really good at making salmon dishes. The salmon burger at the Old Saybrook restaurant is one of my favorites in the region, and the salmon dinner I had on another occasion was also to die for.

— Kristina Dorsey