The Kitchen

The kitchen is fully equipped: everything is there, and nothing is put away. A small refrigerator beside the range holds condiments and staples, so you don't have to buy a dash of mustard or a bottle of hot sauce for one week's use. Use whatever is in it, and leave anything you like for the next guests. Turn on the switches labelled fish for the light display; they make us happy and we hope they do the same for you. We love to cook and have done some professional work as well, and the kitchen is set up to be genuinely functional, not just photographed: this is not a typical vacation-rental kitchen. The goal was to create the ultimate place to cook, eat, and gather.

The 2016 renovation

We doubled the size of the kitchen and rebuilt it from scratch, a project that was years in the planning. Under the twelve-foot ceilings there is a BlueStar six-burner gas range, double convection wall ovens, a separate full-size refrigerator and full-size freezer, a custom walnut center island, granite counters, an oversized hand-welded stainless double sink plus a separate task sink, under-cabinet task lighting, a coffee and beverage station, and an audiophile music system that takes voice commands.

The copper hood

The ventilation hood was designed and built by the owner. The grease-baffle box was cut on a waterjet and TIG-welded; the outer skin is copper, treated with oxidizing chemicals for its patina; inside is a large silencer that quiets the 1,200 CFM fan. The controls and light bar were made by hand from copper scrap. The pewter arch across the front was inspired by a pewter plate bought on eBay, which turned out to have been made by the Wilton company of Pennsylvania, just a few miles from our house. The pewter for the arch was melted down on a barbecue in the driveway and poured into a hand-made mold.

Coffee

If you are a coffee fanatic, paradise awaits. The Bonavita brewer is one of the few machines certified by the Specialty Coffee Association, and the Baratza Virtuoso grinder (steel gears, precise grind) cost more than the brewer did. There are detailed instructions and a digital scale for weighing beans. The result is unbelievably good coffee.

Why we cook here

You are in a setting that native tribes used for hundreds of years, with a water view no restaurant in the area can match. Restaurants are expensive, noisy, and sometimes not that great. We often leave thinking, "I could have done that better for a fraction of the cost." So when we are at the house, we eat most meals at home: incredibly fresh local ingredients, a professional kitchen, and the best table in Mystic, which is the one on the porch.

A few things we've learned about vacation cooking: everybody helps: never put a dirty dish down; clean-up starts while the food is cooking; skip elaborate recipes and let the farmers markets decide the menu; bake on foil; and be flexible. Hit the Stonington market on Saturday or the Denison market on Sunday, add one grocery run, and a party of six eats better than any restaurant week for a fraction of the price. The Area Guide has every market, fish market, and farm stand we use.

Recipes from this kitchen

Dishes we actually cook here, written down for guests who ask. The seafood ones are built around what you can buy within a few miles of the house. See all the recipes →