Americas best food town is a seafood lovers paradise and an easy drive from NYC

While NYC has no shortage of celebrated restaurants, sometimes we must yield to the call of the quaint, and this seaside town more than delivers.In a recent roundup of the best small towns in the country, Travel + Leisure crowned Mystic, Connecticut, as the best of the best for destination dining.Made famous by the eponymous Julia Roberts film (yes, the Mystic Pizza parlor is still there), the town has risen above its humble pie reputation to claim its place as a true food mecca, complete with a mess of James Beard award-winning chefs and a glut of local seafood.An easy 2.5-hour drive or train ride from New York City, Mystic’s rich maritime history has long made it a port of call for vacationers, but unlike neighboring coastal towns that remain committed to serving basic and boring fried seafood, Mystic has found its footing — and its foodie fandom — by fishing for more.“This corner of Connecticut is practically overflowing with award-winning chefs, imaginative bartenders, hard-working farmers, knowledgeable servers, and expert fishermen.

What’s more: They all intersect in Mystic because of the area’s fertile farmland and bountiful waters,” praised the outlet.In terms of dining and drinking destinations, The Port of Call gets a shout-out for looking like the belly of a sea-worn whiskey barrel and for its James Beard-recognized beverage program.Offerings include a savory Manhattan known as Organic Woodland Matter made with rye, bitters, vermouth, and a seacoast mushroom infusion because why the hell not.Other notable locales include Shipwright’s Daughter, a waterfront restaurant whose menu changes daily and is dictated by whatever bounty local fishermen haul onto the nearby dock.

The kitchen is helmed by David Standridge, a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Northeast in 2024 and finalist for Outstanding Chef in 2026, and fan favorites include kelp-wrapped scallops and seared squid.Standridge, who also owns nearby Mystic Fish Camp, sources ev...