east coast – toastedbunz

Connecticut : Barns, Beers and Brooks

May 4, 2016May 2, 2016 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, information, people, Restaurant, restaurants, travel, Uncategorized

If you make it to New Milford, CT you have to eat at Dagwoods. Great beer selection and the Dagwoods Burger was a burger that I will dream of until I make it back.

Next stop, about thirty minutes away in Oxford was Black Hog Brewery. I really enjoyed all of their beers but my favorite was probably the Bush Pig just because it was so unique I don’t think I have ever tried a beer with Kumquat.

Next stop, a few miles away is OEC Brewing. Really delicious unique brews.

Heading back to the Barn for the night and getting some brews and ‘road sodas’.

‘Road Sodas’ for everyone but the driver!

Adorable antique stores in Gaylordsville, CT.

The Brook behind my friends house.

Their adorable red barn!

Another day, another burger. Great Burger at the Fife’ n Drum.

I had such an amazing weekend in Connecticut and can not wait to ( hopefully) come back this Fall.

East Coast Fall Delights

October 14, 2015October 13, 2015 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, information, people, Restaurant, travel

A night at the MFA in Boston. Probably the most amazing museum I have been to. They had one of my favorites Georgia O’Keefe in their contemporary wing. The Post 390 is delicious for dinner and drinks but be prepared to spend some cash money. For dessert we split the banana cream pie and this amazing popcorn waffle sundae that was out of this world. In the Spring/Summer months in Cambridge be sure to head to Formagios for an unforgettable BBQ. I ordered the Mac n’ Cheese and the Brisket! It was one of the best BBQs I have ever had and I can not wait to go back. Following our BBQ, we drove out to Western Mass for some Fall fun and apple picking. Some of the most amazing apples I have ever had in my life. There is nothing quite like biting into an apple you just picked! It was very satisfying. Last couple stops before heading to the airport included, Beacon Hill Monument and Mystic Brewing! The 394 steps to the top of the monument are seriously no joke! My friends and I are all relatively active and we were sore for days. However, the views were worth the sore gams so don’t let the steps scare you. Mystic Brewery is a great spot. It is a place where you feel at home and seems like its the perfect tap room to go to on Fall / Winter days when its cold out. They have a few games to play or bring your own while you sip on their delicious brews. Note: They don’t serve food so you are welcome to bring in outside grub.

This post concludes my East Coast trip. I had an amazing time filled with friends, brews, views and lots of good food. I am hoping to head back in the Spring so please let me know of any great places I should try!

Drink Vermont Beer!

September 25, 2015September 25, 2015 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, travel

Greetings from the land of Maple syrup, Cider, and Craft Beers! This little state sure has a whole lot to offer – be prepared to drink, eat, and then drink and eat some more. Better find a good hiking trail to burn it all off!

Here we are at the state capital – Montpelier! You would think in a state popular for their pancakes and maple syrup we could easily find breakfast! Not the case at all. Some towns we rolled through didn’t even have anything open in the morning. One place we stopped had a two hour wait?! Finally we happened upon this tiny cute place in Montpelier. No wait and we had a delicious breakfast! Here are some shots of Montpelier. State Building. Next stop, Ben and Jerry’s factory! And an opportunity to take funny pictures of my friends. They were good sports. 🙂 The Flavor Graveyard is a really funny cemetery for all the flavors that didn’t work out and they have stopped producing. Next stop, Prohibition Pig. SUPER friendly staff, cool location and great beers! It sounds crazy but we did not eat here cause we were still full from breakfast but the food looked amazing – my beers were tasty and we got a growler to go! Next stop we tried some cheese at Cabot. Probably one of the most unsanitary things ever but really fun to try different cheeses.Onto the Cider Mill but not just any cider mill, Cold Hollow Cider Mill. If I lived near this it would be dangerous! I would have diabetes in a hot minute – but man hot cider and cider donuts – I hope they serve this in heaven. Mmm tasty.
We have all seen the Sound of Music right?? Well this spot will blow your mind. The Trapp Family settled here because it reminded them of their native Austria. The lodge itself is beautiful, but the surroundings are truly breathtaking and the brewskis are on point! Head to Trapp Family Brewery for a one of a kind experience. I hope to stay here one day! I loved how traditional their brews were, very authentic, no crazy flavors here, just honest to goodness beer. I couldn’t help myself – picture perfect. I can only imagine how beautiful it is in the winter! Me and my Krausey – I am so lucky to have her as a friend. I know she loves me because she doesn’t complain ( too much) about taking me to try different breweries even though she is not a hop head. Last stop of the night was Lost Nation brewery, really amazing food, the beer prices were the most reasonable I have ever seen – not too mention delicious… Wooowie it was a flight to remember.

That sums up my day in Vermont. Can’t wait to spend more time here in the future. There is so much more to do and see. Glad I got to sample what this Green Mountain state has to offer.

Live Free or Die

September 23, 2015September 23, 2015 by toastedbunz, posted in Hikes, travel

On Saturday Morning, we loaded up the CRV and headed up to New Hampshire. The cool thing about Massachusetts, especially where my friends live in Eastern Mass is that you are so close to so many different states. Within a half hour we were already in New Hampshire and on our way to our home for the weekend.

I spot a covered bridge down there!

Here we are exploring Flume Gorge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. To explore the Gorge it is 16$ which seems like a pretty penny but the trail and bridges/ walkways are well maintained. Keep in mind that NH does not have sales tax so they have to get money for their parks some way and I really don’t mind helping save these cool spots for future generations!

You can start to see a little bit of color change here for the fall.

My friend, Katie posing under a covered bridge.

After our car ride and exploring Flume we were ready to have our picnic lunch. Not far from Flume is a pretty lake called Echo Lake. It was windy the afternoon when we were there but we did enjoy the views and the hustle and bustle as a wedding was about to begin.

Next stop, Littleton, NH. A really cute town with a great brewery! Schilling Beer Co. My friend had heard about Schilling from a friend and this brewery and town did not disappoint – It was a fun little side trip for this beer lover.

View from the side deck of the brewery.

Gose, Saison, and Porter on Nitro – ALL so delicious!

We had just had lunch BUT the food looked amazing so we ordered this hummus plate. It did not disappoint.

What? Another covered bridge. They really are everywhere!

Wow! Can you imagine this in your backyard! Lucky.

Finally, our campsite! All these beautiful green trees full of chipmunks ready to pelt you at any second with flying acorns.

Its starting to look like all we did was eat and drink … only semi true! For dinner we made burgers over the grill and enjoyed them with a satisfying smoked beer from Germany

We stayed at Dry River Campground that had probably the most deluxe bathrooms I have ever seen and free warm showers. Also coin operated laundry and this awesome dish washing area. So convenient!

Our adventure that day was climbing to the top of Mount Washington – the tallest peak in New England and also the record holder for windiest weather in the WORLD! We really lucked out with the amazing weather we had – it was perfect!

We hiked up the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail and down the Jewell Trail, We began the assent at 9:45 made it to the top at right around 12:45 and arrived back to the car around 5 pm. It is a lot of rock climbing – I made it in my nike frees but it would have been much better to wear real hiking shoes with grip and maybe some ankle protection. It was challenging but SO worth it.