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Gems of Stonington

The fisherman in the bright orange bib overalls plunges a pitchfork into one of the plastic barrels on the dock and pulls out a few expertly speared skate, unwanted haul from a nearby fishing trawler. The fisherman flips the flat fish into a smaller bin and lowers it down to his partner waiting in a boat docked below. His partner skewers the skate, piles them into tall white plastic barrels, and covers them with salt where they will wait until they are used as bait in lobster traps. The gregarious fishermen good-naturedly explain the process, pontificating on the time, expense, and policies involved in the food chain that puts the bright red crustacean on our plates. I'm determined to have a lobster roll for lunch and note the SeaWell Lobster Pound nearby at the bottom of Pearl Street in the Borough of Stonington, CT, simply known as "The Borough" to locals.

But it's still early in the day, and the fishermen are busy finishing up their tasks. The adjacent Stonington Village Farmers Market offers a diversion. Every Saturday local folk sell cheese, honey, fruit, and vegetables near the fishing docks. Another time I might fill an entire basket, but this morning's al fresco breakfast on the deck at the Orchard Street Inn was a feast of fresh fruit salad, yogurt, made-to-order eggs with choice of meat, English muffins, and other treats. However full I might feel though, I am easily persuaded to try a couple of scallops at Stonington Seafood Harvesters at the bottom of High Street, where Joe Bomster holds court expounding on the family business. He explains that the scallops should be slightly sticky from salt water, and never washed in fresh water.

Leaving the docks and meandering down Water Street, shopkeepers prop their doors open, water blooming window boxes, and arrange antiques on the sidewalk. In one shop, a couple hunkers down around an old treasure chest, haggling with the owner while she points out a detailed seascape painted on the underside of the chest's cover. Poking my head into another shop, I learn about a tea-making process, and in another I pick through objects for sale both old and new. Moseying over to a store that promises cases of glittering jewelry, I'm surprised to find exquisite paintings. The shop owner explains that more galleries are coming to the area and Stonington will become the art mecca that Rockport, MA is. The aroma of coffee pulls me across the street for a freshly brewed latte which I take to go and continue my leisurely amble stopping to peruse the menus at Milagro Café and Noah's Restaurant.

The larger Town of Stonington includes the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, and Wequetequock, and the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic. The Borough of Stonington, home to just over 900 residents, sits on a peninsula, whose one way streets are no problem for those on foot or bicycle, but the narrow roads force drivers to wait for oncoming cars before continuing down the shady streets, some with large mansions and inns, others with tightly packed clapboard houses. Geraniums, hydrangeas, and roses offer shots of color in between the narrow lanes. The cloudless sky intensifies the sun, glittering like diamonds on the dancing waves, which I spy on both sides of this narrow peninsula.

At one end of the borough, the Dog Watch Café with its outdoor bar area and cornhole games caters to boaters docking in the harbor. The bright blue awning provides shade for the guests gazing at the boats bobbing at anchor, while food is served indoors at tables decked out with Trivia Pursuit cards from every game ever minted.

Strolling toward the other end of the borough, I pass the Portuguese Holy Ghost Society, a club from the bygone days when Stonington was a simple fishing village. The venue now offers seafood Fridays in a no-frills cafeteria style. At the tip of the peninsula, the Dubois Beach rewards visitors with the local's pride of gorgeous views of three states: Fisher's Island, CT, Block Island, RI, and across the sound to Long Island, NY. An invigorating swim out to the raft moored at the town beach gets a rocky start, literally, but patches of sand provide a respite while gentle waves lap against me. Schools of SCUBA divers launch from this location, their triangular orange flags trailing behind them as they search for hidden treasure buried beneath the waves.

In the borough's backyard, the Stonington Vineyards, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, and Jonathan Edwards Winery summon visitors for sips of varietals poured in wine tasting portions, or from bottles purchased to enjoy on the grounds on stone and gravel patios, no doubt hewn from the rocky earth. The vineyards offer live music, movie nights, stunning landscapes, and classic simplicity. To be fair, and balanced, a few sips of something hoppy brewed at Stonington's microbrew, Beer'd Brewing Company, in a glass with a beard on it, rounds out an afternoon tasting. For a wine lover, the Belgian Tripel has been aged for at least eight months in a Jonathan Edwards Zinfandel wine barrel lending the beer some jammy notes and oakiness.

At the end of the day, I enjoy local scallops paired with a local wine on the deck at The Breakwater, watching the boats moored at the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club slowly fade into the dusk of a painterly sunset, a perfect ending to a perfect day.