Each Tuesday, Kevin and Jenna talk about all things food in Connecticut with Alex from CT Food Girly. Today Alex shares some of the most instagrammable food and drink in the state so you can take a good pic for your Insta. Get those filters ready. Phones eat first!
Sweets/Brunch Spots:
Obviously the first spot that comes to my mind when we say “Instagrammable” is Place2Be.
Right from their website, Place 2 Be describes themselves as a millennial food concept. That is
inspired by a true love for brunch, Instagram, and their customers. They now have 5 locations,
Springfield, franklin ave, west hartford, downtown hartford and new haven.
Their menus are fun and crazy, showcasing dripping and colorful coffees, teas and wild
milkshakes. They have a super instagrammable one called the birthday cake shake and it’s
topped with sprinkles, ice cream, cotton candy, and a rubber ducky. They have fun burgers, a
really noteworthy one is the Mac Attack which is a handmade burger attacked with cheddar
cheese, bacon and literally covered in their mac and cheese sauce from bun top to bottom.
Lastly, since they are known for their bruch, they have their fruity pebble french toast, which I
have had, and it’s their baked challah bread with fruity pebbles, layered high and topped with
buttercream frosting, white chocolate and raspberry drizzle and lollipops.
Keeping the sweet flowing for our Instagram worthy spots, two really great ones that also have
delicious food are Neil’s Donut found in Wallingford and Middletown and Donut Crazy which
has locations in Branford, Shelton, Westport, Stratford, New Haven, West Hartford and Fairfield.
Neil’s is known for its amazing donuts and delicious iced coffees. They’re pretty to look at and
pretty to eat. For the insta, their glazed rainbow sprinkled donut would be perfect, it’s a raised
donut dipped in glaze and covered with rainbow sprinkles across every inch. Even their vanilla
buttercream filled donut is picture perfect, it’s filled with vanilla buttercream and coated in
powdered sugar and topped with rainbow sprinkles. They also have massive cinnamon coffee
rolls that are sure to bring a smile to any morning and any camera.
They are now serving deluxe coffees, so that means any of your ice coffee orders can come
with caramel or chocolate sauce topped with whipped cream and sometimes even more
sprinkles.
For Donut Crazy, the name says it all, these donuts are truly crazy, but they actually taste
delicious as well. Every month, Donut Crazy has a selection on their menu to pick from along
with their daily donuts. This month, they have an oatmeal cream cookie, chocolate raspberry
brownie, cranberry lemon and blueberry pie. They look quite amazing, loaded with frosting and
toppings. Even the raspberry one has mini brownie chunks on top and the oatmeal cream
cookie has a full cookie on there as well – this spot is more of a dessert spot than a breakfast
one for me, but still one for the Insta!
My last spot on this list is Yellow King Brews in Wallingford and Bristol. Such a cool concept,
they service coffee, beer and cocktails. They have a seasonal coffee menu that tastes and looks
spectacular, but the best part is that Yellow King Brews has a seasonal espresso martini flight.
Their winter one has the classic espresso martini, a red velvet oreo with chocolate whipped
vodka and dark chocolate coffee liqueur, a chai and brown sugar with absolut vanilla vodka, and
a rumchata one with vanilla syrup and macadamia cold foam. I know you want to try all of those,
but the visual on their insta makes these top tier for the gram.
Savory and Cheesy:
Since I can slowly feel spring around the corner, I’m going to start us off with this
instagrammable spot in Branford, Lenny’s. They have a hot lobster roll that is packed full of
lobster meat on a toast roll with hot butter and fries. Their cold lobster roll is equally as perfect
for the insta, dressed lightly with celery and mayo, with the water and sun set views, you can’t
beat this photo-op moment at Lennys. Now when I go to Lennys, I always order their “almost
famous” buffalo wings that are smothered with their bright red hot sauce and served with celery
and bleu cheese. They glissen in that summer sun and look amazing on the gram.
Another picture perfect spot in New Haven is Sally’s Apizza. We all know this iconic pizzeria
that is known for their coal-fired, thin crust pies and long lines that are certainly worth the wait. If
you have ever gone to Sally’s and ordered one of their medium pies, you have seen the beauty
that comes out of those ovens. These pizzas fit the entire sheet pan and are cut into long slices
and charred to perfection. If you eat it right out of the oven, you might just get a great
cheese-pull photo as well.
Moving right down Wooster St, make sure to grab your camera and head into Gioia, the new
italian-inspired restaurant on the block. They serve all their food, apps and entrees, on these
gorgeous colorful ceramic plates and bowls that will take you right into Italy with their cheerful
designs on your tabletop. Their menu highlights homemade pastas, their cacio pepe gnocchi
was incredible, it was light and soft, I still dream about that dish and need to make a reservation
to go back. They also do a baccala arancini, which is fried cod risotto with lemon and aioli and
for dessert they have fun flavors of their house-made gelatos.
My last one on the list of Instagrammable spots is The Essex in Old Saybrook, which is well
worth the drive and it’s a fresh local seasonal farm to table restaurant with a great setting. They
are now on their 50th menu change. I love how it changes with the seasons, but what makes
this spot so Instagrammable and truly left a lasting impression on me, is the way they plate their
food and combine textures, colors, and flavors. Their cocktails are picture perfect and if you
want to splurge, you need to try their chef’s tasting menu and try to get a seat at their chef’s
table where you can see the food being prepared and plated, it’s a whole instagram experience
that is wonderful and worth the photos and videos.
Image credit: @CTFoodGirly