Hartford
From the first juicy sip of sangria to the happy group of hipsters at the bar, I loved Firebox on the spot. The space is minimalist with drama: thirty foot ceilings in the bar, antique beams and exposed brick. But it's really about the locally sourced food; pictured is my delirious starter of house-made charcuterie: chicken liver mousse, house-cured salmon and duck pastrami.  An entree of pan roasted cod perched on a bed of braised kale with bits of fingerling potatos and bacon floated on a mussel studded broth.Yum! Should have stopped there, but who could pass up chocolate semi-freddo, a dreamy dessert, halfway between mousse and ice cream? Heavenly. Here's more good news: Firebox is operated by the Billings Forge Community Organization whose aim is to revitalize the Frog Hollow neighborhood that it calls home, through job training and employment. The Kitchen at Billings Forge is a bakery, urban farm-to-table caterer, and center for cooking classes (check out the schedule here) and the Studio at Billings Forge provides a community space for educational workshops, enrichment programming and a low cost entertainment venue for local performances.







Yale University Art Gallery

School of Architecture

New Haven

This retrospective concludes its international tour, fittingly, at Yale. Saarinen studied and worked here, it is home to three of his buildings and his archive. Celebrating his 100th birthday, the survey covers the architect’s career from his student days in the 1930s through the 1960s, when the last of his buildings were completed posthumously. The exhibit is arranged in sections, within two galleries. Contextually fascinating is the installation in Louis Kahn’s renovated Yale University Art Gallery. Displayed here are the instantly recognizable classics—the tulip and womb chairs (inspired by American’s slouchy posture), family photos and early works. Startlingly, his iconic Miller House, circa 1957, feels more current than modern homes featured in the pages of Dwell magazine. Across the street in the School of Architecture, you’ll find large scale archival models of the breathtaking TWA Terminal and the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the corporate work and his buildings at Yale including the renovated and magical Ingalls Rink. Don't miss this exhibit, a proper centennial tribute to one of the 20^th century’s most prolific and ingenious architects. Free to the public. On view through May 2.

*Patent drawing for pedestal chairs, June 7, 1960. Courtesy Eero Saarinen Collection. Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University

www.eerosaarinen.net





 Florence Griswold Museum
Old Lyme
Celebrate modern art at the Flo Gris with the Hot Air Club*  and an artful evening inspired by the avant-garde artists and writers of Black Mountain College who transformed American culture during the 1940s and 50s. Explore Sewell Sillman's exhibition in the galleries, try your hand at art and design exercises, and view Fully Awake, a documentary about the impact that Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller, Robert Rauschenburg and others had on revolutionizing art in America. Colorful cocktails (pomegranate passion fruit martinis and mango mojitos) provided by the mixologists from Liv's Oyster Bar. March 5th, 6:30 pm. Hope to see you there. $35/$25 (museum members). For tickets:

 Deep River

Although I try to behave like an adult most of the time, occasionally I have the urge to throw things (usually precipitated by a technological malfunction). So, I was intrigued by this new gym: the opportunity to get your aggressions out and get fit at the same time. Ever on the lookout for a fresh way to multitask, I thought I'd give it a go. The army of boxing bags pictured on the website intimidated me, so I decided to start with the not-so-scary Boot Camp.  Designed to target every muscle group and give you a good cardio kick, I found it a welcome change from 40 dull minutes on the Stairmaster. What I liked best? Stacy. She's happy to adjust an exercise to accomodate various injuries and she cheers you on just when you think you don't have one last pushup in you. Next time I'll take Boxing Conditioning and then I'll get to wear these fun "wraps" (above), too. Squared Circle is a bit tricky to find; heading north on 154 it's the left driveway before Acme.

www.squaredcirclect.com





 Niantic

Do you put hot sauce on your hot sauce? This tex mex joint is famous for their fresh tacos (try the grilled veggie or chicken), homemade chips and take out guac and salsa, but if you're on the hunt for the firiest wing on the Shoreline, look no further. My husband grew up on wings (snack of choice in Western Pennsylvania) and for him, the hotter the better. I probably shouldn't have enjoyed the show as much as I did--he said it was sweat, I say he was crying--but beet red and dripping, he finished them off. A whiff was enough to bring tears to my eyes. The secret? A drop of capsacin, the active component in chili peppers. The traditional wings were hot enough for me, but if you're ready to be nuked go for "Millstone".

ectniantic.com