Once a year over the past 45 years! The Town of Canton and its hard working Volunteer Fire…read moreDepartment as well as a crew of other volunteers step on up and deliver a family friendly two day Lobster Festival. All to benefit the Department for the year to come. The lobster, chowder, and FRESH CORN on the cob absolutely worth the ticket and knowing you're helping out a life saving cause. My fess-up confession: My wife shamed this grumpy old guy into going. It was a hot day, I had a list of to-do's, and it had all ready been a long day. So, I gave in, I wouldn't let selfishness win. From the moment we arrive I took immediately to the live music ringing out, the kiddo's playing games, eating hotdogs, and petting our dog. The lobster tent packed with other happy attendees wiping butter from their cheeks, sipping on a beer, and chatting with others. This year was my first experience attending. Yup, this shall be an annual favorite from here forward.

Today I attended the 33rd Annual Canton Lobsterfest- a three day festival and fundraiser for the…read moreCanton Volunteer Fire Company. A meal costs $18. You pay for a meal ticket and get on a line that runs through a large service tent. You pick up a tray and start moving toward the back of the tent. The food is cooked behind the scenes, so all you see are volunteers coming out of the kitchen with your food, A tray with cups of clam chowder appeared first, then full plates with whole boiled lobsters, corn on the cob, and a small container of melted butter. AT the back of the tent you can get beer, or a soft drink. Some people paid for extra corn or extra chowder. Some people ordered their food "to go" and whisked it away to their cars. We ate under one of the adjacent dining tents. The chowder was very good- thick with clams and potatoes. The lobsters were pre-split, which made them easy to access; it would have been challenging to liberate them from their shells with just the plastic utensils we received. The lobster was good -fresh tasting and of a decent size. There is a separate room inside the fire station dedicated to desserts- where you could buy slices of cakes or pies. No dessert was included with the $18 meal - not even a cookie. Room for improvement? Well I guess I could debate the value of the $18 - but the more I thought about it (Beer plus chowder plus a lobster for the benefit of a local Fire Department) I really can't quibble. Toss in free music and a craft festival, and it really is a fun family activity. But I will say this, There was a woman volunteer working on crowd control and showing people where to line up that can use some work on her public relations skills.

I'm always at Mills Pond Park and the Canton Gate is near the entrance to this park. Thanks to Dan…read moreR.'s (FTR) review, I will add my input. It's on top of a small hill so it's not hard to miss. When I first saw it, I was curious and had to investigate. The structure looked old with quite a bit of rust on it; it looked like an abstract artwork because I couldn't tell what it's supposed to be. I saw fish engraved on it and what looked like a doorway. In the early 1990s, this 17-ft sculpture was created by David Boyajian; it was a gift to the town by the Canton Creative Arts Council. It was dedicated in September 1992. The town of Canton's notable landmarks are the Collins axe Factory and the Farmington River; this was where the inspiration for the sculpture came from per the sculptor. Overall, a decent structure where I like to take a moment, ponder, and reflect.

"Brown eyed girl, precious flower We have come to this…read morefateful hour And our love cannot wait Meet me at the gate" (Black Crowes) When you drive up the entrance to Mills Pond Park, you'll see an imposing structure on a hill to your right. There sits a 17-foot-high bronze and steel sculpture known as the Canton Gate. Its backstory dates to the '90's when the Canton Creative Arts Council decided to build something to thank their supporters. They sponsored a competition for local artists to submit their public art entries. The 1992 winning entry was crafted by David Boyajian, an artist and teacher from Hartford. His abstract design honors and incorporates historical, natural, and architectural elements of Canton, the Farmington River and the Collins Company factory. I saw a limestone block that represents the river bottom, images of birds, fish, cascading waters, and a door inspired by the one at an old local axe factory. While researching this review, I learned a cool fact - the artwork is listed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database. Now that's pretty cool, don't you think?

A charming small village in the Town of Canton, CT. This village was formed around The Collins…read moreCompany Axe Factory. In the early 19th century, this company was the largest axe manufacturer. It's built on the Farmington River which helps power the machines to manufacture axes, knives, machetes, etc. The building is now converted into a historical museum. Cottages as well as other town necessities, were built nearby for the employees. When walking on Main St., you are transported to that era. The buildings are all historic with architecture from the early 19th century. It definitely has that small town feel. There is a post office, liquor store, antique shop, church, restaurants, bar, and tattoo shop. The walking trail is nearby; an old train bridge over the river and a flower bridge overlooking the river. Every October, they have a huge Halloween parade. In the Budget Travel Magazine, they were voted "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America". This quaint New England town is beautiful and picturesque with quite a history.

we absolutely LOVE Buon appetito. This intimate restaurant serves each dish hot and fresh made per…read moreorder. the food is always delicious and their garlic bread can't be beat :)

Got lucky. Hit a quiet slow night at Buon Appetito. Great…read morefood. Great friendly service. Always pleasant. Had the Veal. Tender with just the right amount of angel hair pasta. Great marinara sauce. We'll be back.

"If I were a painter And could paint a memory…read moreI'd climb inside the swirling skies to be with you" (Norah Jones) In the vicinity of the Avon Village Center shopping complex, roughly between Avon's Whole Foods and Police Station, you'll find a paved path. Its the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail portion of the East Coast Greenway. And as you walk the path towards Route 44, you'll come across an underpass with a very pretty decorative mural. It a sunrise/sunset nature pictorial with hand painted flowers, vines, stars, mushrooms, and even rock walls The mural is the creation of local artists Christy Hickey and her daughter Olivia. The mural was commissioned by Bike Walk Avon CT and I read that several anonymous Avon residents donated the paint and assorted materials to craft the mural. The best way to see it is to park in the extreme right side (facing the store) of the Whole Food lot, take the iron railed staircase down, and walk to the right towards Route 44. It's an unexpected splash of color and creativity that was badly needed inside a drab concrete underpass!

I was honestly surprised at Pasta Vita - I mean, I didn't really know what to expect when I first…read morecame in. But this store is nice and roomy and this is one of the places that there is something for everyone! Being a newbie to CT, that's been something hard to find and I'm glad that Pasta Vita meets that mark. I loved everything that was laid out - from the cured meats, to the cheeses, to the pasta. Everything was awesome! My favorite thing of the night was the truffle honey though. I went around convincing others to give it a try, haha. Once I find something perfect to pair it with, I'm coming back and adding that $40 bottle of honey to my own private collection! Anywho, the pasta was awesome. It's fresh made and tastes like it. The chicken we sampled was also loved - rolled with pesto, sun dried tomatoes with good texture. The yelp perks were also nice! I got a tiramisu with the 10 dollar dessert coupon that was BOMB. It's pretty up there with the best tiramisus I've had. It was also an extremely generous helping. Additionally, for the one free entree, I took home a sausage pasta w/ pink sauce. The pink sauce was divine! My favorite part of that entree was how it fit perfectly well in my countertop toaster oven. I mean, that probably doesn't mean much to other people, but that makes me happier knowing I won't be turning on a huge oven to reheat the pasta. Prices are pretty fair for the portions - the individual entree was enough to fill me and my BF. My only thing about this place is that it's a bit of a drive for me. So I probably won't visit this location, but they are opening one up in East Windsor which is a lot closer. Can't wait till that one opens!

I've heard so many great things about Pasta Vita over the years but sadly had never been to any of…read moretheir locations. So I was happy when I got my confirmation that I would be attending this event. The store is open, clean and inviting. The staff and general manager Dan are kind, informative and knowledgeable about their product. They went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time and answered any questions we had. They gifted us with awesome goodie bags and a complimentary entrees. I was definitely impressed with the selection, and pricing of the products. I do plan on returning to any one of their locations. It was great seeing familiar faces and making new connections. Thank you Emily S., Michael P. and the Pasta Vita staff for a great event!

Five Stars! We had such a great experience here! The service…read morewas excellent our waitress was so friendly, had great manners, and made us feel welcome right away. As soon as we sat down, they brought us bread immediately which was a nice touch. We started with the meatballs and they were so good full of flavor and cooked perfectly. For pizza, we ordered a margarita pizza and a cheese pizza, and the margarita was absolutely delicious. We split a Caesar salad salad, and my husband had the truffle bisque. For our main, the kids loved the homemade mac & cheese, and my husband ordered the pork chop... he cleaned his entire plate! I had the Chicken Parm Brooklyn with vodka sauce and cherry peppers and WOW it was amazing. So flavorful and the cherry peppers gave it the perfect kick. Not too spicy! I'm more of a buffalo spicy kind of a gal. We also shared the Brussels sprouts with aïoli and they were delicious too. Deff would re order. Portions were definitely big, which we loved we ended up taking food home. And to top it all off, we tried the butterscotch dessert and ate it so fast there wasn't even time for a photo We'll definitely be back!!!!!

I have been going to Max a Mia for a long time (previous location)…read more I have been to the new location 10 time this year & always order the same delicious BEETS & BURRATA & - first so delicious so & I kept going back with different friends so they could try this dish & it's never the same.. 1. Missing the charred sweet onion agrodolce many time (which gives it the flavor) 2. last time I mention it the cook threw some white plain cooked onion on it & said that's THAT THE BEST I CAN DO!! 3. sometimes the serving is very small nothing like it was in the beginning .................. 4. BUT THE LAST TIME WAS THE WORST - INSTEAD OF BARRATA BALL (which is the main part of the dish) THEY SUBSTITUTED WITH A MOZZARELLA BALL - can it get any worse than that!!!!! I will be calling the restaurant about this to complain trust I never complain but this has gone on too long 5. Plus one of the times I was there with a friend (new to her) & our waiter (young male) keep coming back to our table every 5 minutes to see if we were done eating trying to rush us along so he could get his tip because his shift was ending (it was embarrassing & disturbing) finally he wanted us to pay our check (and we were not done eating) so he could get his tip (bill finalized) it ruined our meal

What is it that makes a hero? Why do some people end up risking, or sacrificing, their own lives to…read morehelp others? Is that quality inside us all, or is it a rare trait? Charles Yodkins Sr., was a 43-year old police officer and a Farmington volunteer fireman. Jackie Morin was a 22-year old UConn student who wanted to be a dentist. They didn't know each other when fate decreed that their paths in life would cross on that summer day in 1955 when the Farmington River overflowed and destroyed lives and property. Officer Yodkins heard there was a family stranded in their house as the rising waters rampaged through town. He banged on Morin's door looking for a boat, and as fate would have it, Morin had a boat that he had built himself. It was equipped with a motor he had scrimped to buy. Morin offered his boat and himself to help in the rescue. A family of three - a mother, a father, and their 16-year old daughter were loaded into Morin's boat when it overturned in the Farmington River. Yodkins, Morin and the family of three all drowned. This marker commemorates the heroism of Yodkins and Morin It's near the intersection of Farmington Avenue and Walnut Street. It's located in a small strip of grass known as Yodkins-Morin Memorial Park. The park ironically runs alongside the Farmington River. There is an old weathered plaque imbedded in a stone. A white flagpole with an American flag rises up from the stone. The plaque's inscription is badly weathered and obscured, making it difficult to read: Yodkins-Morin Memorial Park ---------- Dedicated to two valiant men who gave their lives saving others during the raging flood of August 1955 ---------- Charles J. Yodkins, Sr A Farmington Police Officer ---------- Joseph J. Morin, Jr A Private Citizen ---------- August 19, 1955