Mystic makes ‘secret foodie’ list
Conde Nast Traveler recognizes town as a hidden gem for dining
Mystic is one of “7 Small Towns in the U.S. That Are Secret Food Destinations,” according to a list published in late October on Conde Nast Traveler. The magazine, which has 5 million monthly readers and 16 million digital users, published the list on Oct. 28 to show that “good eating never was limited to metropolises — great restaurants, craft spirits and fantastic flavors are waiting to be found in less assuming destinations.”
In Mystic, the restaurants mentioned in the list are Deviant Doughnuts, Shipwright’s Daughter, Oyster Club, Red 36 Bar + Grill, Bravo Bravo, Rise, Bank + Bridge Brewing, Barley Head Brewery,
Jonathan Edwards Winery and Saltwater Farm Vineyards. It also gives a shout-out to Mystic Pizza, the local joint where the 1998 Julia Roberts movie “Mystic Pizza” was filmed.
“Mystic is an eccentric amalgamation of chefs and purveyors with innovative approaches to using the best products in the region and a commitment to sustainability,” Shipwright’s Daughter president Amanda Arling told the piece’s author, Emily Cappiello.
Dan Meiser of Oyster Club said when he opened that restaurant 10 years ago, one goal was to help, with other restaurants, turn Mystic into a nationally recognized foodie destination.
“There was already an understanding that Mystic had a vibrant and robust restaurant scene. It’s always been a tourist destination and gets a ton of traffic, historically in the warmer months,” Meiser said. “We wanted to create a place where our locals would find comfort and value and delicious food year round and where people would travel to Mystic specifically for the restaurants.
“Now, I have talked to people who come and book a weekend in a hotel in February, March, November, based on a Saturday night reservation at Oyster Club. It’s good for the town’s economy as a whole. People shop, they go to other restaurants. Restaurants have upped their game,” he said.
Other towns highlighted in the list are Tupelo, Mississippi; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Lake Chelan, Washington; Saugatuck, Michigan; Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; and Ketchum, Idaho.