For the past several years, lieu of buying a bunch of Christmas gifts for our two (now young adult) kids, we have instead done something fun together as a family. I won’t burden you with a recount of each of our adventures, but if you would like to take a walk down memory lane, you can check it out here and here. Having seen a family friendly comedian last time around, we thought another stand-up would be a good bet. Looking around, I discovered that one of the kids’ favorites, Eddie Izzard was performing at nearby Foxwoods. Another family friendly act, you may ask? Not quite. This gentleman is a transvestite who seemingly channels Robin Williams and Lenny Bruce at once. His free-flowing comedic storytelling can include anything from rantings about Hitler and atheism to an extended vignette featuring Darth Vader and wet trays in a cafeteria. His shows are riddled with four-letter words, but it’s make it’s more mischievous than crude. So, Eddie Izzard it is!
We loaded up the family truckster and headed on down Connecticut way to the Casino. I am not a gambler. It’s not a matter of ethics or principle, I’m just plain cheap, so needless to say, I’ve never been to Foxwoods. I was not prepared for it to be the size of a small country!
Foxwoods, for the wonder of it all!
Dinner is always an integral part of our family outing. There are many places to eat on the casino property. I agonized about which place to choose, as I’m want to do. The most swank place there is the Paragon. I wasn’t completely sold on it but friends had told me that the view was amazing and it was worth a checking out. The menu is very diverse and interesting, but the most notable selection is the Kobe Beef Sirloin which goes for ninety dollars! Man, it looked good, but I hoped that no one would take that bait. Getting there was a challenge. Having no idea where to park in relation to the restaurant, we ended up having to taverse the north forty to get there. We arrived juuust after our reservation time.
Welcome to the Paragon
You are greeted in the Lobby lounge area by this gorgeous glass globe. The entire space was beautifully appointed.
The whole world looks over the bar.
Beautifully delicate light fixture.
Lovely flower arrangement at the host stand.
Super-classy piano music played the entire evening.
Once seated, we received menus from the host and our water glasses were filled by the busboy. Then we waited. It wasn’t terrible, but the time between when we were seated, had our drink orders take and then received our drinks had to be about twenty minutes.
Cucumber Martini makes everything better.
After we ordered our meal, we received an amuse bouche. This is a little something extra from the chef to get you excited about the meal. I’ve experienced this treatment just a handful of times. This iteration was not nearly as creative as others I’ve had, though it was tasty.
Vegetable Wonton with Chili Sauce.
Meghan and I decided to get the Caesar Salad for two served table side. This harkens back to the old school steak houses. This presentation is quite lengthy and although our server was expert at the presentation and quite sweet, one gets the feeling that whenever a table orders one of these, they secretly curse you.
Our adorable server Julia doing an excellent job hiding her seething anger at having to prepare this salad.
The salad was quite delicious. The croutons were deceiving. They kind of looked like the Pepperage Farm variety from the grocery store, however they were bursting with cheesy flavor. I think they were gruyere, but I could be wrong about that.
Expertly prepared salad.
We finished our salads and then we waited FOREVER ! I had made our reservations for 6:30. Granted, we ran a bit late trying to make our way from the parking garage, but we were seated by 6:40. Now it was 8:15 and still no food. I was starting to worry that we might not eat before the show which begins at 9:00. Yikes! The dining room was only about 3/4 full, yet there seemed to be a harriedness to the service. Our girl zipped back and forth always looking like she was in the weeds. Finally, our food started hitting the table at about twenty past.
I didn’t get a shot of Matt’s dish of Lobster Risotto with Legumes and Mushrooms. He proclaimed that it was awesome.
Jeff’s dish- Archer Angus Grass Fed Eye of the Ribeye, Wild Foraged Mushrooms, Truffle, Smoked Salt
Meg’s dish was a a special; Seared Foi Gras, so that’s the only description I have for you. She enjoyed it very much.
I chose to have the “Three Small Plates”. You can chose from variety of tapas on the menu for forty dollars. This was so much more of a value than ordering entrees. The portions were very generous. The steak and the risotto were each much more than that.
Braised Penfield Farms Lamb Shoulder
Thin Egg Noodles, Jus d’Agneau, Saffron
Fried Calamari. No description on the menu, but it was served with a variety of veg and a tasty sauce.
Firefly Farms Mulefoot House Cured Bacon
Cabin Cut with Maple & Vinegar
This meal certainly had it’s high points. I especially enjoyed the Lamb dish, though it was a bit salty (I like salty). The Bacon was flavorful, but really tough. The steak was excellent. However, for the price we payed, which was a tremendous amount, I was disappointed. Everything took so long that we had to rush through our food, which didn’t help. Dessert wasn’t an option as a result. During our dinner there was large eight-top table behind that was getting a lot of attention. They had many, many courses that seemed to come out in due time. As we were settling the bill and getting ready to head out, I recognized of of the gentlemen. Jeff said they were talking food like they were chefs. That’s it! I finally realized who the guy was; Rick Moonen. I had seen him on Top Chef Masters.
It was HIS fault!
The whole table were most likely chefs which would explain why the kitchen was focusing their efforts on these VIPs and not us. It’s silly to have regrets about such a nice meal and great company, but when you spend this much money, one expects excellence and it just wasn’t. Oh well, on to the show!
The size of this place was just overwhelming. We had to boogie big time to make it to the theatre. We made it to our seats right at 9:00! Whew!
Cool lights along the way.
Outdoor Skating Rink
Almost there!
The theatre was huge, beautiful with super comfy seats. Good thing, the show was about two hours!
Impressive proscenium!
A bit of size perspective
The show was really great. Eddie Izzard is certainly not for everyone. He’s not the laugh- a-minute kind of stand up, more of a story teller who is really funny, and knows much more about history than any human should. Really good stuff.
At this point we found our selves even farther from the parking garage. After some confusion and getting some directions from a security guard, the boys set out to retrieve our chariot while we girls rested our feet. Such gentlemen.
We made the wise choice to get a couple rooms and spend the night to avoid a two hour ride home in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the room at Foxwoods were sky high. No worries we found other accommodations.
Two rooms for $100! Take that, Foxwoods! (file photo)
We made up for the lack of dessert by grabbing a couple pints of Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk. A good end of the day to be sure.
Then next morning, I did a bit of quick research to find someplace to have breakfast. I found this cute spot, Somewhere in Time in nearby Mystic that was just the ticket. There was a half hour wait, which is always a good sign. They do something there that is very wise, which is to offer a coffee bar where waiting customers can help themselves to a cup of Joe. Great way to calm the masses!
A Breakfast Oasis
Here is a short video interview with the owner. If you’re not hungry, you will be after this!
I was delighted with my breakfast. I ordered a blueberry muffin on the side. Not only did they grill it on request, but they cut it into three sections for maximum grilled surface area. Genius!
Poached Eggs, Corned Beef Hash and a perfectly grilled Blueberry Muffin.
All in all, a successful family outing to be sure. As always, the activities are more of a vehicle for spending some intensive time together. With both kids living out on their own now, these opportunities will become fewer and fewer. Sigh…
