"The Dog Watch Cafe in Stonington ticks so many boxes. There’s a patio area out front with firepits where you can grab a drink and wait for your table, and a small bustling dining room that feels like you’re in a renovated boat club. Ask for a table out on the sprawling dock though, because it’s hard to beat lapping waves and bobbing sailboats as a background. The menu is also a crowd-pleaser, with cold lobster salad on sweet buttery rolls, burger sliders that we never want to share, and local broiled scallops. Just know there is another Dogwatch, called Dogwatch Mystic, that’s run by the same people—they don’t have water views, but they do have a playground and solid BBQ." - tanya edwards
