"Wallingford is inundated with dives where you can spend quality time with men like Johnny Utah and Samuel Adams—but it also has Respite. This marble-countered wine bar has the modernness of a new-construction live/work unit mixed with warmth from candles and chocolate-wood tables, making it ideal for drinking wine and lingering for hours. You’ll also find good stemmed glassware, a bottle selection that teeters between natural and conventional like a seesaw, and snacks that include mortadella from Beast & Cleaver and vegetable galettes." - aimee rizzo