Connecticut River Valley Inn and 2 Hopewell | Glastonbury, Connecticut

About a month prior to our trip, I scoured group purchasing sites for deals on the East Coast. At one point, I was getting about 30 email notifications a day. As a result, I found this quaint little Bed and Breakfast in picturesque Glastonbury, Connecticut through Living Social (affiliate link) Escapes, which included a dining voucher for 2 Hopewell, an upscale bistro down the road. Everything about our experience here was perfect. The food was delicious, the people were warm and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.

Connecticut River Valley Inn
2195 Main Street
Glastonbury, CT 06033
(860) 633-7374
Website
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2 Hopewell
2 Hopewell Road
Glastonbury, CT 06073
(860) 633-9600
Website
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We used our dining voucher at 2 Hopewell the night we checked in. To start, we both ordered the "Baby Beet." It featured red and yellow beets, mixed greens, frisée, white balsamic vinaigrette, goat cheese, pistachios and sweet pea puree.


Julie also ordered the "Hopewell Wedge," which included baby iceberg lettuce, pistachios, tomatoes, blue cheese dressing and balsamic reduction.


For my entrée, I went with a classic filet mignon, cooked medium rare. Served with mashed potatoes, haricot verts and bordelaise sauce, it was quite the experience.


Dessert was a sorbet sampler of mango, blood orange and cabernet.


The Connecticut River Valley Inn looks like something you'd see in a movie. The grounds were beautifully landscaped with a variety of flower bushes.


The inside of the building was painstakingly decorated too. For example, the air conditioning unit for our room was concealed behind this painting. That little rectangle near the bottom was the sensor for the remote.


This was the view from our bedroom window.


A closer look at the garden.


The deck wrapped around our room so we also had a view of the side of the property.


Although this place had a quintessential charm about it, it wasn't without modern comforts. There was a Keurig in the dining room as well as each guest room.


Breakfast started with freshly baked scones.


Next, we had a yogurt, cheese and fruit plate. Between the mango sorbet at dinner and the pineapple at breakfast, I was beginning to feel like we were back home.


A veggie and cheese omelet rounded out the meal.

The Pineapple Room | Honolulu, Hawaii

I have been going to the KCC Farmers' Market religiously for the past several months. In fact, I'm the mayor on Foursquare. Yesterday, however, Julie and I were feeling like we needed a change of pace. We decided to take it easy in the morning then leisurely head over to the Pineapple Room for breakfast. As luck would have it, our server was Twitter friend Meg (@megspeaks). As always, the food was amazing and the service, outstanding. 

The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard (located inside Macy's)
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 945-6573
Website

To start, Meg hooked us up with one of the specials of the day: Yogurt Panna Cotta with granola, honey, strawberries and banana. The flavors of this dish melded nicely. It was neither overly tart nor excessively sweet. Julie said that if she had the recipe, she's make this every day.


We were surprised to find so many vegetarian options on the menu. Julie, being in the mood for somewhat lighter fare, opted for the Berries and Cream.


Craving something a little heartier, I went with the House Made Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. The hash was nice and crispy on the outside, which contrasted nicely with the tender meat on the inside.


I chose the fried rice as my starch. I'm fairly certain it was made with Kalua Pork, which added a nice, subtle smokiness to the rice.

Alan Wong's Restaurant + Surf Lanai | Honolulu, Hawaii

Last week Friday we had the most epic date night. Thanks to a generous gift certificate for Alan Wong's Restaurant and our Waikiki Gold Card, we were able to indulge in a little bit of awesomeness, without over-spending.

Alan Wong's Restaurant
1857 S King St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 949-2526
Website

The Royal Hawaiian - Surf Lanai Restaurant
2259 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI
(808) 931-7194 ‎
Website

Dinner was at the prestigious Alan Wong's Restaurant.


Wifey started with the Lychee Colada cocktail. It's a spin on the traditional piña colada with lychee in place of pineapple juice.


As the designated driver, I opted for the Plantation Iced Tea.


We started with the Hamakua Springs Tomato, Beet and Avocado Salad. The Li Hing Mui Ume Vinaigrette is amazing. Neither flavor was overly stated and it brought a whole new level of complexity to the dish.


Appetizer number 2 was the warm asparagus. It was good, but not extraordinary.
 

They were more than helpful in accommodating wifey's vegetarian diet. Here is a special Ginger Crusted Tofu (basically, it's the Ginger Crusted Onaga off the menu, with tofu instead of fish). Thanks to @ryankanno for suggesting we ask about this specific dish.
 

Along with wifey's dish came this side of potato.


My entrée was one of their specials that evening: the Surf and Turf. It was a petite tenderloin (cooked medium-rare, of course) with seafood risotto, topped with a poached egg. You can tell from the flavor that the beef was grass-fed and the seafood was fresh. Everything was cooked perfectly; nothing was overdone.


Dessert was Five Spoons of Brulees. An interesting concept, but not quite as satisfying as a other crème brûlée dishes we've had.


We spend the night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel - a mini stay-cation, if you will. So for breakfast the next day, we decided to check out the Surf Lanai restaurant. The started us off with a nice sized basket of various breads.


Wifey ordered the vegetarian pizza. The crust was very thin and she said it tasted like everything came straight from the farmer's market.


Here are the fries that came with my sandwich.


I ordered the Kalua Pork Sliders. There was a bonus slice of Portuguese Sausage in each one. I love the "gourmet" take on local favorites.