The days of summer heat waves are finally over! Like most New Englanders, I consider fall the best season for the region. The sound of wrestling leaves and their beautiful color gradient. The cool chill in the air that washes over like a comforting wave. Through these and other sensations, fall truly exudes a sense of place that feels so evocative to the senses.
It may not technically be fall yet, but let’s be honest; September marks the fall season’s unofficial kick-off. I started my fall, ironically enough, with a different kind of kick-off: the first home game of the season for the University of Connecticut football team.
And quite a start to the season it was for UConn. The team throttled Merrimack University in a 63-17 rout, breaking several offensive school records in the process. It was a thrill to see so much offense on display; I still have the UConn fight song drilled into my head from when they passionately sang it after each touchdown. I highly recommend that any sports fan visit UConn’s home at Pratt and Whitney Stadium for some football. The atmosphere there is electric, with tantalizing tailgating treats and roaring cheers from the crowd being ever-present throughout my visit.
Football games are beloved not just for the action on field, but also for the cornucopia of delicious food options on display. UConn is an all-pro stadium in this regard, featuring countless beloved regional staples.
My first stop was Ted’s, an iconic Connecticut brand known for its steamed hamburgers. I always wanted to try Ted’s at the Big E, although the dozens of hungry guests clamoring in line for their burger fix always scared me away. My curiosity as to what made this steamed burger so special was insatiable.
Thankfully for my belly, Ted’s lives up to the hype. I ordered a Southern-style burger topped with hearty helpings of bacon, barbecue sauce and fried onions. The flavor combination is a sinful delight. The smokey barbecue sauce soaks potent flavor into each bite, while the crispy crunch of bacon and fried onion makes for the perfect textural contrast. Of course, though, the burger shines as the true showstopper. It exudes savory goodness, with the juicy patty showcasing an expert cooking method.
I also visited Randy’s Wooster Street Pizza, a Manchester, Connecticut, staple, and ordered mac and cheese bites and fries. Mac and cheese bites might be the ultimate comfort food; they take the ooey gooey goodness of mac and cheese and encase it in crispy fried goodness. The bites and the fries were expertly prepared, capturing the tantalizing allure fans crave from both items.
In addition to my UConn visit, I also traveled to the Franklin County Fair this past weekend.
The fair is a beloved staple of the region, blending the quintessential agriculture and cultural entities one would expect from a time-honored fair. One of those outlets is Hager’s Farm Market in Shelburne Falls, a farm stand and restaurant with a tremendous history in Franklin County.
Hager’s restaurant features an eclectic menu, but their booth at the fairgrounds sticks to two fair classics — French fries and fried dough. The French fries embrace a charming rustic quality, maintaining a deft salty and crispy balance that left me grabbing handful after handful. I debated ordering a small or a large; I am ultimately glad I chose the small because the plate still arrived as a towering French fry skyscraper.
Fried dough is Hager’s true specialty, including their signature maple cream topping. I will be honest; I am very selective about fried dough. It can often be too greasy and decadent for my taste. In the hands of Hager’s, fried dough elevates into a whole new art form. Each bite captures the doughy goodness of fried dough without exuding too much sweetness. The maple cream topping is also fascinating, bottling up that classic maple sensibility into one picturesque package. I am still full from eating all of this fall goodness in one weekend.
