BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The CT Beacon - ECPv6.18.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://thectbeacon.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The CT Beacon
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T150000
DTSTAMP:20260915T211951Z
CREATED:20260915T211951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T211951Z
UID:10007615-1793527200-1793545200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Brunch Sundays Brings Southern Comfort Food With a Haitian Island Twist to New London
DESCRIPTION:Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist turns Sunday into a five-hour affair at Favorites Bistro Bar in downtown New London\, pairing brunch standards like chicken and waffles\, French toast\, and grits with the Haitian and Caribbean flavors that have become the restaurant’s calling card. \nThe weekly brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday at Favorites\, located at 90 Bank Street. \nAnd while plenty of restaurants serve brunch\, Favorites has a fairly compelling reason for adding the words “island twist.” \nOwner Majan Pierre grew up with Haitian cooking\, and the restaurant she and her husband Ederjson “EJ” Pierre created uses those flavors as a jumping-off point rather than treating them as rigid boundaries. \nThe result can put oxtail beside grits\, Haitian seasonings into familiar American comfort foods\, and a caramelized crème brûlée treatment onto French toast. \nIt’s brunch\, but not necessarily the brunch you already know. \nChicken and Waffles Gets the Favorites Treatment\nThe restaurant’s current Brunch Sundays promotion puts three dishes front and center: chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, and crème brûlée French toast. \nChicken and waffles already lives comfortably at the intersection of sweet and savory. \nFavorites pushes further into that territory. \nThe restaurant’s broader approach incorporates the seasonings\, sauces and ingredients of Haitian and Caribbean cooking into recognizable American dishes rather than separating the menu into “traditional” and “island” sections. \nThat philosophy has helped chicken and waffles become one of the dishes frequently associated with Favorites since the restaurant began developing its brunch service. \nBut the oxtail and grits may be an even better example of what the restaurant is trying to do. \nOxtail and Grits Connects Two Comfort-Food Traditions\nOxtail has a long history in Caribbean cooking\, including Haitian cuisine\, where slow cooking turns a notoriously tough cut into something rich and deeply flavored. \nGrits come from a different culinary tradition but perform much the same job on the plate: warm\, uncomplicated comfort food capable of carrying an intensely flavored braise. \nPut them together and the combination makes immediate sense. \nFavorites has used oxtail elsewhere on its menu in inventive ways\, including oxtail rangoons. \nThat willingness to move ingredients between culinary traditions is central to the restaurant’s identity. \nPierre has described Favorites as Haitian street food\, but she’s also made clear that she doesn’t want the menu confined by that description. \nThe restaurant has served familiar dishes such as Caesar salad and pasta alongside Haitian staples and Caribbean-influenced creations. \nWhat connects them is often what happens in the kitchen. \nHaitian Flavor Is Built Into the Food\nOne of the building blocks is épis. \nThe Haitian seasoning base varies from kitchen to kitchen but generally combines fresh herbs\, peppers\, aromatics and spices into a concentrated mixture used to season meats\, seafood and other dishes. \nAt Favorites\, épis has been incorporated into dishes such as braised short ribs. \nThen there’s pikliz\, the sharp Haitian pickled vegetable condiment that can bring acidity\, crunch and heat to rich food. \nFavorites uses versions of it throughout its cooking. \nPierre told Connecticut food writer James Gribbon that the goal isn’t necessarily to make everything overwhelmingly hot. \nThe seasoning goes into the food from the beginning. \nThat’s a meaningful distinction. \nAdding a hot sauce to an otherwise conventional brunch dish creates heat. \nBuilding a dish around a different seasoning tradition changes its underlying flavor. \nFavorites is aiming for the second approach. \nThen There’s the Crème Brûlée French Toast\nIf oxtail and grits represents the savory side of the menu\, crème brûlée French toast heads in the opposite direction. \nThe basic idea borrows from the contrast that makes crème brûlée work: a rich\, soft interior against a caramelized exterior. \nApplied to French toast\, it turns one of brunch’s most familiar dishes into something closer to dessert. \nFavorites has served French toast in several forms\, and the dish has become one of the restaurant’s recognizable brunch offerings. \nIt’s also a good example of why “Southern dishes with an island twist” doesn’t tell the entire story. \nThere are Caribbean influences here\, certainly. \nBut there are also French influences\, Southern American comfort food and contemporary brunch culture colliding on the same menu. \nIn Haitian cooking\, that kind of overlap isn’t particularly strange. \nHaitian Cuisine Was Already a Fusion Cuisine\nHaiti’s food traditions developed from an unusually complicated history. \nWest African culinary traditions mixed with Indigenous Caribbean ingredients and techniques and European\, particularly French\, influences. \nThat history can still be seen in the language and food. \nFrench-derived culinary terms coexist with ingredients and cooking methods rooted elsewhere. \nSo a New London restaurant moving comfortably among Haitian food\, Southern comfort dishes and French-inspired brunch isn’t necessarily abandoning one tradition for another. \nIt’s continuing the mixing that created the cuisine in the first place. \nPierre has described Haitian food as difficult to reduce to a single definition because of those influences and because recipes can vary considerably between communities and households. \nHer own reference point is especially personal. \nBefore opening Favorites\, Pierre had never worked in a restaurant. \nShe learned food at home. \nMajan Pierre Went From Home Cooking to Restaurant Owner\nFavorites Bistro Bar opened in 2023\, making Pierre’s route into the restaurant business an unusual one. \nShe wasn’t a chef leaving someone else’s kitchen. \nShe wasn’t a longtime restaurant manager finally opening her own place. \nPierre told Gribbon that Favorites was her first restaurant job of any kind. \nHer culinary background came largely from watching her mother cook and from her own interest in food. \nShe and EJ Pierre nevertheless turned that home-cooking foundation into a downtown restaurant. \nBy April 2026\, Favorites was celebrating its third anniversary and a grand reopening\, along with an expansion of its lunch service. \nThe restaurant also brought Chef Bel into its culinary leadership. \nBrunch has become an increasingly important part of that evolution. \nSundays Have Become Their Own Thing\nFavorites now dedicates 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday to brunch. \nThat’s not merely an hour or two added onto lunch service. \nIt’s the Sunday service. \nThe restaurant’s Brunch Sundays promotion makes that clear\, presenting the meal as a recurring weekly event rather than a one-off special. \nThat gives diners considerably more flexibility than a traditional late-morning brunch. \nCome at 10 and it’s breakfast. \nArrive at noon and you’re firmly in brunch territory. \nShow up at 2 and it can function as a late lunch. \nThe restaurant’s drinks follow the same leisurely approach to Sunday\, with brunch cocktails among the offerings. \nFavorites Has One of Downtown’s More Interesting Locations\nThe restaurant occupies space in the historic granite Roberts Building along Bank Street. \nIts location puts it in the middle of downtown New London’s restaurant\, arts and waterfront district. \nHygienic Art is nearby\, and the Thames River waterfront is only a short walk away. \nInside\, Favorites is bright during the day\, with large windows bringing natural light into a dining room and bar designed to feel more contemporary than rustic. \nThere’s also outdoor seating with views toward the harbor. \nThat gives Sunday brunch an easy extension into the rest of downtown. \nEat first\, then walk Bank Street\, head toward the waterfront or see what’s happening in the surrounding arts district. \nParking Is Easier on Sunday Than You Might Expect\nFor people who avoid downtown New London because they’re worried about parking\, Sunday has an advantage. \nFavorites lists Bank Street and State Street among the nearby free parking options. \nThe O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage provide additional paid parking nearby. \nAs always downtown\, availability depends on what else is happening that day. \nBut Favorites sits in a walkable part of New London\, so there’s little reason to circle the restaurant looking for the closest possible space if other downtown parking is available. \nA Sunday Brunch That Actually Tells You Something About the Restaurant\nChicken and waffles is everywhere now. \nFrench toast certainly isn’t difficult to find. \nNeither are eggs\, mimosas or grits. \nSo the interesting question isn’t whether Favorites serves brunch food. \nIt’s what happens when those dishes pass through this particular kitchen. \nA Haitian-American owner who learned from her mother’s cooking opened her first restaurant on Bank Street. \nShe began combining the food she knew with dishes that belonged to other traditions. \nThree years later\, that experiment has developed into a Sunday brunch where oxtail can land on grits and French toast can arrive dressed like crème brûlée. \nThat’s a much better reason to go to brunch than simply because it’s Sunday. \nDetails\nEvent: Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist\nDate: Sunday\, September 20\, 2026\nRecurring: Every Sunday\nTime: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nFeatured Brunch Dishes: Chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, crème brûlée French toast\nCuisine: Southern comfort food with Haitian and Caribbean influences\nOwners: Majan and Ederjson “EJ” Pierre\nPhone: 860-446-6188\nParking: Free parking is available on Bank Street and State Street; paid options include the O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage\nReservations: Favorites accepts reservations; advance reservations may be useful for Sunday brunch\nAccessibility: Contact the restaurant directly for specific accessibility needs or seating accommodations. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/brunch-sundays-brings-southern-comfort-food-with-a-haitian-island-twist-to-new-london/2026-11-01/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Brunch-Sundays-Brings-Southern-Comfort-Food-With-a-Haitian-Island-Twist-to-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007940-1793534400-1793538000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-01/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261105T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261105T213000
DTSTAMP:20260923T003832Z
CREATED:20260923T003623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T003832Z
UID:10008501-1793901600-1793914200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:$25 Girl Dinner Turns Thursday Night Into a Three-Course Deal at Favorites Bistro Bar
DESCRIPTION:$25 Girl Dinner Turns Thursday Night Into a Three-Course Deal at Favorites Bistro Bar Sept. 24\, offering a choice of appetizer\, entrée\, and cocktail for roughly the price of a single dinner entrée at many restaurants. \nAnd despite the name\, this isn’t a women-only event. \nFavorites describes its weekly Girl Dinner as a night for girlfriends\, couples\, families or anyone simply looking for dinner out. The event is open to the public\, casual\, and requires no special admission beyond the $25 dinner. \nThe real attraction is what that $25 buys. \nGuests choose one of five appetizers\, one of three entrées\, and one drink\, including wine\, a mimosa\, or the evening’s featured house cocktail. \nFirst\, Pick an Appetizer\nThe opening course has considerably more choice than a typical prix fixe promotion. \nGuests can choose a house garden salad with fresh greens\, tomatoes\, cucumbers\, and house dressing; steamed mussels simmered in a rich garlic tomato sauce; pan-seared dumplings filled with shrimp or jerk pork and served with a house dipping sauce; crispy wings tossed in a signature sauce; or loaded fries topped with crispy fries\, bacon and Parmesan cheese. \nThen comes the entrée. \nThe Signature Rasta Pasta combines a creamy\, spicy sauce with onions and bell peppers\, a dish that fits particularly well with Favorites’ Caribbean identity. \nThere’s also Honey Mustard Salmon\, with pan-seared glazed salmon served over garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables\, or a Garden Stir-Fry Veggies option built around fresh vegetables and greens. \nThen There’s the Cocktail\nThe $25 package also includes one drink. \nGuests choose between the featured house cocktail\, a glass of red\, white or rosé wine\, or a mimosa. \nThat makes the pricing stand out when compared with Favorites’ regular dinner menu. \nThe restaurant currently lists its Rasta Pasta at $18 and salmon at $27 before adding an appetizer or drink. Regular appetizers include $12 honey jerk wings and $15 mussels\, while cocktails and wine are normally purchased separately. \nGirl Dinner essentially bundles the whole evening into a single price. \nFavorites Is More Haitian Than the Word “Bistro” Suggests\nThe restaurant itself is worth knowing because the name doesn’t reveal much about what’s happening in the kitchen. \nFavorites Bistro Bar is a Black-owned restaurant run by Majan and Ederjson Pierre\, and its food draws heavily from Haitian and Caribbean cooking. \nMajan Pierre has described what Favorites does as Haitian street food\, bringing flavors and dishes associated with Haiti into a contemporary downtown restaurant and cocktail-bar setting. \nThat influence shows up throughout the regular menu. \nThere are oxtail rangoons filled with braised oxtail and ricotta\, jerk chicken\, sweet plantains\, black beans and rice\, honey jerk wings\, Rasta Pasta and dishes seasoned with epis\, the aromatic seasoning base fundamental to Haitian cooking. \nFavorites also uses pikliz\, Haiti’s sharply flavored pickled vegetable condiment\, alongside several dishes. \nThe result isn’t a restaurant attempting to reproduce a traditional Haitian menu from beginning to end. Instead\, Caribbean ingredients and techniques move freely into familiar American restaurant formats. \nAn oxtail becomes the filling for a rangoon. Jerk flavors appear in chicken wings and sandwiches. Caribbean seasoning meets pasta\, burgers\, tacos and brunch dishes. \nThat crossover is part of the restaurant’s identity. \nA Restaurant Entering Its Fourth Year\nFavorites is still relatively young. \nThe restaurant opened on Bank Street in 2023\, and this spring celebrated its third anniversary with something of a second beginning. \nIn April\, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting marking Favorites’ grand reopening and expansion into lunch service. \nThe restaurant had evolved beyond its original dinner operation\, adding daytime hours and updating its menu while retaining the Caribbean flavors around which it was built. \nToday\, lunch brings dishes such as jerk pork sliders\, orange chicken tacos\, short rib melts\, chicken and waffles and Rasta Pasta. \nDinner moves toward larger plates\, including oxtail with rice\, black beans and sweet plantains; jerk chicken; braised short ribs; steak frites; salmon; and tomato shrimp pasta. \nSunday has developed an identity of its own with brunch\, including chicken and waffles and crème brûlée French toast. \n“Girl Dinner” Has Changed Quite a Bit\nThere’s also a little cultural joke hiding behind the name of Thursday’s promotion. \n“Girl dinner” exploded as a social-media phrase in 2023\, originally describing the kind of improvised meal someone might assemble when cooking an actual dinner felt unnecessary: cheese\, crackers\, fruit\, bread\, leftovers or whatever else happened to be available. \nIt was less a recipe than permission to call a collection of snacks dinner. \nRestaurants eventually began borrowing the phrase for specials aimed at turning the idea into a night out. \nFavorites has taken that transformation nearly to its logical extreme. \nThere aren’t any crackers standing in for dinner here. \nFor $25\, the restaurant’s version involves an appetizer\, a plated entrée and a cocktail. \nAnd although the name survived the transition\, Favorites makes a point of saying everyone is invited. \nThursday Night on Bank Street\nGirl Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Favorites Bistro Bar at 90 Bank Street in downtown New London. \nThe promotion isn’t limited to Sept. 24. Favorites has scheduled it as a recurring Thursday event into the fall\, making this week’s dinner part of an ongoing series rather than a one-night special. \nThe restaurant describes the atmosphere as relaxed and encourages people to come with friends\, partners or family\, or simply come on their own. \nThat may ultimately be the smartest part of the promotion. \nAt a time when dinner and a cocktail can quickly turn into a considerably more expensive night out\, Favorites has made the offer remarkably easy to understand: \nPick an appetizer. \nPick an entrée. \nPick a drink. \nPay $25. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Girl Dinner on Thursdays\nDate: Thursday\, Sept. 24\, 2026\nStarts: 6 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nPrice: $25\nIncludes: One appetizer\, one entrée and one craft cocktail\, glass of wine or mimosa\nAppetizer Choices: House Garden Salad\, Steamed Mussels\, Pan-Seared Dumplings\, Crispy Wings or Loaded Fries\nEntrée Choices: Signature Rasta Pasta\, Honey Mustard Salmon or Garden Stir-Fry Veggies\nDrink Choices: Featured house cocktail\, glass of red/white/rosé wine or mimosa\nWho Can Attend: Open to the public; despite the “Girl Dinner” name\, everyone is welcome\nDress: Casual\nReservations: The event listing says guests may simply show up.\nPhone: 860-446-6188 \n  \n\nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/25-girl-dinner-turns-thursday-night-into-a-three-course-deal-at-favorites-bistro-bar/2026-11-05/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/25-Dollar-Girl-Dinner-Turns-Thursday-Night-Into-a-Three-Course-Deal-at-Favorites-Bistro-Bar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261107T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261107T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007941-1794052800-1794056400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-07/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261108T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261108T150000
DTSTAMP:20260915T211951Z
CREATED:20260915T211951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T211951Z
UID:10007616-1794132000-1794150000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Brunch Sundays Brings Southern Comfort Food With a Haitian Island Twist to New London
DESCRIPTION:Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist turns Sunday into a five-hour affair at Favorites Bistro Bar in downtown New London\, pairing brunch standards like chicken and waffles\, French toast\, and grits with the Haitian and Caribbean flavors that have become the restaurant’s calling card. \nThe weekly brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday at Favorites\, located at 90 Bank Street. \nAnd while plenty of restaurants serve brunch\, Favorites has a fairly compelling reason for adding the words “island twist.” \nOwner Majan Pierre grew up with Haitian cooking\, and the restaurant she and her husband Ederjson “EJ” Pierre created uses those flavors as a jumping-off point rather than treating them as rigid boundaries. \nThe result can put oxtail beside grits\, Haitian seasonings into familiar American comfort foods\, and a caramelized crème brûlée treatment onto French toast. \nIt’s brunch\, but not necessarily the brunch you already know. \nChicken and Waffles Gets the Favorites Treatment\nThe restaurant’s current Brunch Sundays promotion puts three dishes front and center: chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, and crème brûlée French toast. \nChicken and waffles already lives comfortably at the intersection of sweet and savory. \nFavorites pushes further into that territory. \nThe restaurant’s broader approach incorporates the seasonings\, sauces and ingredients of Haitian and Caribbean cooking into recognizable American dishes rather than separating the menu into “traditional” and “island” sections. \nThat philosophy has helped chicken and waffles become one of the dishes frequently associated with Favorites since the restaurant began developing its brunch service. \nBut the oxtail and grits may be an even better example of what the restaurant is trying to do. \nOxtail and Grits Connects Two Comfort-Food Traditions\nOxtail has a long history in Caribbean cooking\, including Haitian cuisine\, where slow cooking turns a notoriously tough cut into something rich and deeply flavored. \nGrits come from a different culinary tradition but perform much the same job on the plate: warm\, uncomplicated comfort food capable of carrying an intensely flavored braise. \nPut them together and the combination makes immediate sense. \nFavorites has used oxtail elsewhere on its menu in inventive ways\, including oxtail rangoons. \nThat willingness to move ingredients between culinary traditions is central to the restaurant’s identity. \nPierre has described Favorites as Haitian street food\, but she’s also made clear that she doesn’t want the menu confined by that description. \nThe restaurant has served familiar dishes such as Caesar salad and pasta alongside Haitian staples and Caribbean-influenced creations. \nWhat connects them is often what happens in the kitchen. \nHaitian Flavor Is Built Into the Food\nOne of the building blocks is épis. \nThe Haitian seasoning base varies from kitchen to kitchen but generally combines fresh herbs\, peppers\, aromatics and spices into a concentrated mixture used to season meats\, seafood and other dishes. \nAt Favorites\, épis has been incorporated into dishes such as braised short ribs. \nThen there’s pikliz\, the sharp Haitian pickled vegetable condiment that can bring acidity\, crunch and heat to rich food. \nFavorites uses versions of it throughout its cooking. \nPierre told Connecticut food writer James Gribbon that the goal isn’t necessarily to make everything overwhelmingly hot. \nThe seasoning goes into the food from the beginning. \nThat’s a meaningful distinction. \nAdding a hot sauce to an otherwise conventional brunch dish creates heat. \nBuilding a dish around a different seasoning tradition changes its underlying flavor. \nFavorites is aiming for the second approach. \nThen There’s the Crème Brûlée French Toast\nIf oxtail and grits represents the savory side of the menu\, crème brûlée French toast heads in the opposite direction. \nThe basic idea borrows from the contrast that makes crème brûlée work: a rich\, soft interior against a caramelized exterior. \nApplied to French toast\, it turns one of brunch’s most familiar dishes into something closer to dessert. \nFavorites has served French toast in several forms\, and the dish has become one of the restaurant’s recognizable brunch offerings. \nIt’s also a good example of why “Southern dishes with an island twist” doesn’t tell the entire story. \nThere are Caribbean influences here\, certainly. \nBut there are also French influences\, Southern American comfort food and contemporary brunch culture colliding on the same menu. \nIn Haitian cooking\, that kind of overlap isn’t particularly strange. \nHaitian Cuisine Was Already a Fusion Cuisine\nHaiti’s food traditions developed from an unusually complicated history. \nWest African culinary traditions mixed with Indigenous Caribbean ingredients and techniques and European\, particularly French\, influences. \nThat history can still be seen in the language and food. \nFrench-derived culinary terms coexist with ingredients and cooking methods rooted elsewhere. \nSo a New London restaurant moving comfortably among Haitian food\, Southern comfort dishes and French-inspired brunch isn’t necessarily abandoning one tradition for another. \nIt’s continuing the mixing that created the cuisine in the first place. \nPierre has described Haitian food as difficult to reduce to a single definition because of those influences and because recipes can vary considerably between communities and households. \nHer own reference point is especially personal. \nBefore opening Favorites\, Pierre had never worked in a restaurant. \nShe learned food at home. \nMajan Pierre Went From Home Cooking to Restaurant Owner\nFavorites Bistro Bar opened in 2023\, making Pierre’s route into the restaurant business an unusual one. \nShe wasn’t a chef leaving someone else’s kitchen. \nShe wasn’t a longtime restaurant manager finally opening her own place. \nPierre told Gribbon that Favorites was her first restaurant job of any kind. \nHer culinary background came largely from watching her mother cook and from her own interest in food. \nShe and EJ Pierre nevertheless turned that home-cooking foundation into a downtown restaurant. \nBy April 2026\, Favorites was celebrating its third anniversary and a grand reopening\, along with an expansion of its lunch service. \nThe restaurant also brought Chef Bel into its culinary leadership. \nBrunch has become an increasingly important part of that evolution. \nSundays Have Become Their Own Thing\nFavorites now dedicates 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday to brunch. \nThat’s not merely an hour or two added onto lunch service. \nIt’s the Sunday service. \nThe restaurant’s Brunch Sundays promotion makes that clear\, presenting the meal as a recurring weekly event rather than a one-off special. \nThat gives diners considerably more flexibility than a traditional late-morning brunch. \nCome at 10 and it’s breakfast. \nArrive at noon and you’re firmly in brunch territory. \nShow up at 2 and it can function as a late lunch. \nThe restaurant’s drinks follow the same leisurely approach to Sunday\, with brunch cocktails among the offerings. \nFavorites Has One of Downtown’s More Interesting Locations\nThe restaurant occupies space in the historic granite Roberts Building along Bank Street. \nIts location puts it in the middle of downtown New London’s restaurant\, arts and waterfront district. \nHygienic Art is nearby\, and the Thames River waterfront is only a short walk away. \nInside\, Favorites is bright during the day\, with large windows bringing natural light into a dining room and bar designed to feel more contemporary than rustic. \nThere’s also outdoor seating with views toward the harbor. \nThat gives Sunday brunch an easy extension into the rest of downtown. \nEat first\, then walk Bank Street\, head toward the waterfront or see what’s happening in the surrounding arts district. \nParking Is Easier on Sunday Than You Might Expect\nFor people who avoid downtown New London because they’re worried about parking\, Sunday has an advantage. \nFavorites lists Bank Street and State Street among the nearby free parking options. \nThe O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage provide additional paid parking nearby. \nAs always downtown\, availability depends on what else is happening that day. \nBut Favorites sits in a walkable part of New London\, so there’s little reason to circle the restaurant looking for the closest possible space if other downtown parking is available. \nA Sunday Brunch That Actually Tells You Something About the Restaurant\nChicken and waffles is everywhere now. \nFrench toast certainly isn’t difficult to find. \nNeither are eggs\, mimosas or grits. \nSo the interesting question isn’t whether Favorites serves brunch food. \nIt’s what happens when those dishes pass through this particular kitchen. \nA Haitian-American owner who learned from her mother’s cooking opened her first restaurant on Bank Street. \nShe began combining the food she knew with dishes that belonged to other traditions. \nThree years later\, that experiment has developed into a Sunday brunch where oxtail can land on grits and French toast can arrive dressed like crème brûlée. \nThat’s a much better reason to go to brunch than simply because it’s Sunday. \nDetails\nEvent: Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist\nDate: Sunday\, September 20\, 2026\nRecurring: Every Sunday\nTime: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nFeatured Brunch Dishes: Chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, crème brûlée French toast\nCuisine: Southern comfort food with Haitian and Caribbean influences\nOwners: Majan and Ederjson “EJ” Pierre\nPhone: 860-446-6188\nParking: Free parking is available on Bank Street and State Street; paid options include the O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage\nReservations: Favorites accepts reservations; advance reservations may be useful for Sunday brunch\nAccessibility: Contact the restaurant directly for specific accessibility needs or seating accommodations. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/brunch-sundays-brings-southern-comfort-food-with-a-haitian-island-twist-to-new-london/2026-11-08/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Brunch-Sundays-Brings-Southern-Comfort-Food-With-a-Haitian-Island-Twist-to-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261108T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261108T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007942-1794139200-1794142800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-08/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261112T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261112T213000
DTSTAMP:20260923T003832Z
CREATED:20260923T003623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T003832Z
UID:10008502-1794506400-1794519000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:$25 Girl Dinner Turns Thursday Night Into a Three-Course Deal at Favorites Bistro Bar
DESCRIPTION:$25 Girl Dinner Turns Thursday Night Into a Three-Course Deal at Favorites Bistro Bar Sept. 24\, offering a choice of appetizer\, entrée\, and cocktail for roughly the price of a single dinner entrée at many restaurants. \nAnd despite the name\, this isn’t a women-only event. \nFavorites describes its weekly Girl Dinner as a night for girlfriends\, couples\, families or anyone simply looking for dinner out. The event is open to the public\, casual\, and requires no special admission beyond the $25 dinner. \nThe real attraction is what that $25 buys. \nGuests choose one of five appetizers\, one of three entrées\, and one drink\, including wine\, a mimosa\, or the evening’s featured house cocktail. \nFirst\, Pick an Appetizer\nThe opening course has considerably more choice than a typical prix fixe promotion. \nGuests can choose a house garden salad with fresh greens\, tomatoes\, cucumbers\, and house dressing; steamed mussels simmered in a rich garlic tomato sauce; pan-seared dumplings filled with shrimp or jerk pork and served with a house dipping sauce; crispy wings tossed in a signature sauce; or loaded fries topped with crispy fries\, bacon and Parmesan cheese. \nThen comes the entrée. \nThe Signature Rasta Pasta combines a creamy\, spicy sauce with onions and bell peppers\, a dish that fits particularly well with Favorites’ Caribbean identity. \nThere’s also Honey Mustard Salmon\, with pan-seared glazed salmon served over garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables\, or a Garden Stir-Fry Veggies option built around fresh vegetables and greens. \nThen There’s the Cocktail\nThe $25 package also includes one drink. \nGuests choose between the featured house cocktail\, a glass of red\, white or rosé wine\, or a mimosa. \nThat makes the pricing stand out when compared with Favorites’ regular dinner menu. \nThe restaurant currently lists its Rasta Pasta at $18 and salmon at $27 before adding an appetizer or drink. Regular appetizers include $12 honey jerk wings and $15 mussels\, while cocktails and wine are normally purchased separately. \nGirl Dinner essentially bundles the whole evening into a single price. \nFavorites Is More Haitian Than the Word “Bistro” Suggests\nThe restaurant itself is worth knowing because the name doesn’t reveal much about what’s happening in the kitchen. \nFavorites Bistro Bar is a Black-owned restaurant run by Majan and Ederjson Pierre\, and its food draws heavily from Haitian and Caribbean cooking. \nMajan Pierre has described what Favorites does as Haitian street food\, bringing flavors and dishes associated with Haiti into a contemporary downtown restaurant and cocktail-bar setting. \nThat influence shows up throughout the regular menu. \nThere are oxtail rangoons filled with braised oxtail and ricotta\, jerk chicken\, sweet plantains\, black beans and rice\, honey jerk wings\, Rasta Pasta and dishes seasoned with epis\, the aromatic seasoning base fundamental to Haitian cooking. \nFavorites also uses pikliz\, Haiti’s sharply flavored pickled vegetable condiment\, alongside several dishes. \nThe result isn’t a restaurant attempting to reproduce a traditional Haitian menu from beginning to end. Instead\, Caribbean ingredients and techniques move freely into familiar American restaurant formats. \nAn oxtail becomes the filling for a rangoon. Jerk flavors appear in chicken wings and sandwiches. Caribbean seasoning meets pasta\, burgers\, tacos and brunch dishes. \nThat crossover is part of the restaurant’s identity. \nA Restaurant Entering Its Fourth Year\nFavorites is still relatively young. \nThe restaurant opened on Bank Street in 2023\, and this spring celebrated its third anniversary with something of a second beginning. \nIn April\, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting marking Favorites’ grand reopening and expansion into lunch service. \nThe restaurant had evolved beyond its original dinner operation\, adding daytime hours and updating its menu while retaining the Caribbean flavors around which it was built. \nToday\, lunch brings dishes such as jerk pork sliders\, orange chicken tacos\, short rib melts\, chicken and waffles and Rasta Pasta. \nDinner moves toward larger plates\, including oxtail with rice\, black beans and sweet plantains; jerk chicken; braised short ribs; steak frites; salmon; and tomato shrimp pasta. \nSunday has developed an identity of its own with brunch\, including chicken and waffles and crème brûlée French toast. \n“Girl Dinner” Has Changed Quite a Bit\nThere’s also a little cultural joke hiding behind the name of Thursday’s promotion. \n“Girl dinner” exploded as a social-media phrase in 2023\, originally describing the kind of improvised meal someone might assemble when cooking an actual dinner felt unnecessary: cheese\, crackers\, fruit\, bread\, leftovers or whatever else happened to be available. \nIt was less a recipe than permission to call a collection of snacks dinner. \nRestaurants eventually began borrowing the phrase for specials aimed at turning the idea into a night out. \nFavorites has taken that transformation nearly to its logical extreme. \nThere aren’t any crackers standing in for dinner here. \nFor $25\, the restaurant’s version involves an appetizer\, a plated entrée and a cocktail. \nAnd although the name survived the transition\, Favorites makes a point of saying everyone is invited. \nThursday Night on Bank Street\nGirl Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Favorites Bistro Bar at 90 Bank Street in downtown New London. \nThe promotion isn’t limited to Sept. 24. Favorites has scheduled it as a recurring Thursday event into the fall\, making this week’s dinner part of an ongoing series rather than a one-night special. \nThe restaurant describes the atmosphere as relaxed and encourages people to come with friends\, partners or family\, or simply come on their own. \nThat may ultimately be the smartest part of the promotion. \nAt a time when dinner and a cocktail can quickly turn into a considerably more expensive night out\, Favorites has made the offer remarkably easy to understand: \nPick an appetizer. \nPick an entrée. \nPick a drink. \nPay $25. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Girl Dinner on Thursdays\nDate: Thursday\, Sept. 24\, 2026\nStarts: 6 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nPrice: $25\nIncludes: One appetizer\, one entrée and one craft cocktail\, glass of wine or mimosa\nAppetizer Choices: House Garden Salad\, Steamed Mussels\, Pan-Seared Dumplings\, Crispy Wings or Loaded Fries\nEntrée Choices: Signature Rasta Pasta\, Honey Mustard Salmon or Garden Stir-Fry Veggies\nDrink Choices: Featured house cocktail\, glass of red/white/rosé wine or mimosa\nWho Can Attend: Open to the public; despite the “Girl Dinner” name\, everyone is welcome\nDress: Casual\nReservations: The event listing says guests may simply show up.\nPhone: 860-446-6188 \n  \n\nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/25-girl-dinner-turns-thursday-night-into-a-three-course-deal-at-favorites-bistro-bar/2026-11-12/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/25-Dollar-Girl-Dinner-Turns-Thursday-Night-Into-a-Three-Course-Deal-at-Favorites-Bistro-Bar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007943-1794657600-1794661200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-14/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261115T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261115T150000
DTSTAMP:20260915T211951Z
CREATED:20260915T211951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T211951Z
UID:10007617-1794736800-1794754800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Brunch Sundays Brings Southern Comfort Food With a Haitian Island Twist to New London
DESCRIPTION:Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist turns Sunday into a five-hour affair at Favorites Bistro Bar in downtown New London\, pairing brunch standards like chicken and waffles\, French toast\, and grits with the Haitian and Caribbean flavors that have become the restaurant’s calling card. \nThe weekly brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday at Favorites\, located at 90 Bank Street. \nAnd while plenty of restaurants serve brunch\, Favorites has a fairly compelling reason for adding the words “island twist.” \nOwner Majan Pierre grew up with Haitian cooking\, and the restaurant she and her husband Ederjson “EJ” Pierre created uses those flavors as a jumping-off point rather than treating them as rigid boundaries. \nThe result can put oxtail beside grits\, Haitian seasonings into familiar American comfort foods\, and a caramelized crème brûlée treatment onto French toast. \nIt’s brunch\, but not necessarily the brunch you already know. \nChicken and Waffles Gets the Favorites Treatment\nThe restaurant’s current Brunch Sundays promotion puts three dishes front and center: chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, and crème brûlée French toast. \nChicken and waffles already lives comfortably at the intersection of sweet and savory. \nFavorites pushes further into that territory. \nThe restaurant’s broader approach incorporates the seasonings\, sauces and ingredients of Haitian and Caribbean cooking into recognizable American dishes rather than separating the menu into “traditional” and “island” sections. \nThat philosophy has helped chicken and waffles become one of the dishes frequently associated with Favorites since the restaurant began developing its brunch service. \nBut the oxtail and grits may be an even better example of what the restaurant is trying to do. \nOxtail and Grits Connects Two Comfort-Food Traditions\nOxtail has a long history in Caribbean cooking\, including Haitian cuisine\, where slow cooking turns a notoriously tough cut into something rich and deeply flavored. \nGrits come from a different culinary tradition but perform much the same job on the plate: warm\, uncomplicated comfort food capable of carrying an intensely flavored braise. \nPut them together and the combination makes immediate sense. \nFavorites has used oxtail elsewhere on its menu in inventive ways\, including oxtail rangoons. \nThat willingness to move ingredients between culinary traditions is central to the restaurant’s identity. \nPierre has described Favorites as Haitian street food\, but she’s also made clear that she doesn’t want the menu confined by that description. \nThe restaurant has served familiar dishes such as Caesar salad and pasta alongside Haitian staples and Caribbean-influenced creations. \nWhat connects them is often what happens in the kitchen. \nHaitian Flavor Is Built Into the Food\nOne of the building blocks is épis. \nThe Haitian seasoning base varies from kitchen to kitchen but generally combines fresh herbs\, peppers\, aromatics and spices into a concentrated mixture used to season meats\, seafood and other dishes. \nAt Favorites\, épis has been incorporated into dishes such as braised short ribs. \nThen there’s pikliz\, the sharp Haitian pickled vegetable condiment that can bring acidity\, crunch and heat to rich food. \nFavorites uses versions of it throughout its cooking. \nPierre told Connecticut food writer James Gribbon that the goal isn’t necessarily to make everything overwhelmingly hot. \nThe seasoning goes into the food from the beginning. \nThat’s a meaningful distinction. \nAdding a hot sauce to an otherwise conventional brunch dish creates heat. \nBuilding a dish around a different seasoning tradition changes its underlying flavor. \nFavorites is aiming for the second approach. \nThen There’s the Crème Brûlée French Toast\nIf oxtail and grits represents the savory side of the menu\, crème brûlée French toast heads in the opposite direction. \nThe basic idea borrows from the contrast that makes crème brûlée work: a rich\, soft interior against a caramelized exterior. \nApplied to French toast\, it turns one of brunch’s most familiar dishes into something closer to dessert. \nFavorites has served French toast in several forms\, and the dish has become one of the restaurant’s recognizable brunch offerings. \nIt’s also a good example of why “Southern dishes with an island twist” doesn’t tell the entire story. \nThere are Caribbean influences here\, certainly. \nBut there are also French influences\, Southern American comfort food and contemporary brunch culture colliding on the same menu. \nIn Haitian cooking\, that kind of overlap isn’t particularly strange. \nHaitian Cuisine Was Already a Fusion Cuisine\nHaiti’s food traditions developed from an unusually complicated history. \nWest African culinary traditions mixed with Indigenous Caribbean ingredients and techniques and European\, particularly French\, influences. \nThat history can still be seen in the language and food. \nFrench-derived culinary terms coexist with ingredients and cooking methods rooted elsewhere. \nSo a New London restaurant moving comfortably among Haitian food\, Southern comfort dishes and French-inspired brunch isn’t necessarily abandoning one tradition for another. \nIt’s continuing the mixing that created the cuisine in the first place. \nPierre has described Haitian food as difficult to reduce to a single definition because of those influences and because recipes can vary considerably between communities and households. \nHer own reference point is especially personal. \nBefore opening Favorites\, Pierre had never worked in a restaurant. \nShe learned food at home. \nMajan Pierre Went From Home Cooking to Restaurant Owner\nFavorites Bistro Bar opened in 2023\, making Pierre’s route into the restaurant business an unusual one. \nShe wasn’t a chef leaving someone else’s kitchen. \nShe wasn’t a longtime restaurant manager finally opening her own place. \nPierre told Gribbon that Favorites was her first restaurant job of any kind. \nHer culinary background came largely from watching her mother cook and from her own interest in food. \nShe and EJ Pierre nevertheless turned that home-cooking foundation into a downtown restaurant. \nBy April 2026\, Favorites was celebrating its third anniversary and a grand reopening\, along with an expansion of its lunch service. \nThe restaurant also brought Chef Bel into its culinary leadership. \nBrunch has become an increasingly important part of that evolution. \nSundays Have Become Their Own Thing\nFavorites now dedicates 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday to brunch. \nThat’s not merely an hour or two added onto lunch service. \nIt’s the Sunday service. \nThe restaurant’s Brunch Sundays promotion makes that clear\, presenting the meal as a recurring weekly event rather than a one-off special. \nThat gives diners considerably more flexibility than a traditional late-morning brunch. \nCome at 10 and it’s breakfast. \nArrive at noon and you’re firmly in brunch territory. \nShow up at 2 and it can function as a late lunch. \nThe restaurant’s drinks follow the same leisurely approach to Sunday\, with brunch cocktails among the offerings. \nFavorites Has One of Downtown’s More Interesting Locations\nThe restaurant occupies space in the historic granite Roberts Building along Bank Street. \nIts location puts it in the middle of downtown New London’s restaurant\, arts and waterfront district. \nHygienic Art is nearby\, and the Thames River waterfront is only a short walk away. \nInside\, Favorites is bright during the day\, with large windows bringing natural light into a dining room and bar designed to feel more contemporary than rustic. \nThere’s also outdoor seating with views toward the harbor. \nThat gives Sunday brunch an easy extension into the rest of downtown. \nEat first\, then walk Bank Street\, head toward the waterfront or see what’s happening in the surrounding arts district. \nParking Is Easier on Sunday Than You Might Expect\nFor people who avoid downtown New London because they’re worried about parking\, Sunday has an advantage. \nFavorites lists Bank Street and State Street among the nearby free parking options. \nThe O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage provide additional paid parking nearby. \nAs always downtown\, availability depends on what else is happening that day. \nBut Favorites sits in a walkable part of New London\, so there’s little reason to circle the restaurant looking for the closest possible space if other downtown parking is available. \nA Sunday Brunch That Actually Tells You Something About the Restaurant\nChicken and waffles is everywhere now. \nFrench toast certainly isn’t difficult to find. \nNeither are eggs\, mimosas or grits. \nSo the interesting question isn’t whether Favorites serves brunch food. \nIt’s what happens when those dishes pass through this particular kitchen. \nA Haitian-American owner who learned from her mother’s cooking opened her first restaurant on Bank Street. \nShe began combining the food she knew with dishes that belonged to other traditions. \nThree years later\, that experiment has developed into a Sunday brunch where oxtail can land on grits and French toast can arrive dressed like crème brûlée. \nThat’s a much better reason to go to brunch than simply because it’s Sunday. \nDetails\nEvent: Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist\nDate: Sunday\, September 20\, 2026\nRecurring: Every Sunday\nTime: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nFeatured Brunch Dishes: Chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, crème brûlée French toast\nCuisine: Southern comfort food with Haitian and Caribbean influences\nOwners: Majan and Ederjson “EJ” Pierre\nPhone: 860-446-6188\nParking: Free parking is available on Bank Street and State Street; paid options include the O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage\nReservations: Favorites accepts reservations; advance reservations may be useful for Sunday brunch\nAccessibility: Contact the restaurant directly for specific accessibility needs or seating accommodations. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/brunch-sundays-brings-southern-comfort-food-with-a-haitian-island-twist-to-new-london/2026-11-15/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Brunch-Sundays-Brings-Southern-Comfort-Food-With-a-Haitian-Island-Twist-to-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261115T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261115T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007944-1794744000-1794747600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-15/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261119T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261119T213000
DTSTAMP:20260923T003832Z
CREATED:20260923T003623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T003832Z
UID:10008503-1795111200-1795123800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:$25 Girl Dinner Turns Thursday Night Into a Three-Course Deal at Favorites Bistro Bar
DESCRIPTION:$25 Girl Dinner Turns Thursday Night Into a Three-Course Deal at Favorites Bistro Bar Sept. 24\, offering a choice of appetizer\, entrée\, and cocktail for roughly the price of a single dinner entrée at many restaurants. \nAnd despite the name\, this isn’t a women-only event. \nFavorites describes its weekly Girl Dinner as a night for girlfriends\, couples\, families or anyone simply looking for dinner out. The event is open to the public\, casual\, and requires no special admission beyond the $25 dinner. \nThe real attraction is what that $25 buys. \nGuests choose one of five appetizers\, one of three entrées\, and one drink\, including wine\, a mimosa\, or the evening’s featured house cocktail. \nFirst\, Pick an Appetizer\nThe opening course has considerably more choice than a typical prix fixe promotion. \nGuests can choose a house garden salad with fresh greens\, tomatoes\, cucumbers\, and house dressing; steamed mussels simmered in a rich garlic tomato sauce; pan-seared dumplings filled with shrimp or jerk pork and served with a house dipping sauce; crispy wings tossed in a signature sauce; or loaded fries topped with crispy fries\, bacon and Parmesan cheese. \nThen comes the entrée. \nThe Signature Rasta Pasta combines a creamy\, spicy sauce with onions and bell peppers\, a dish that fits particularly well with Favorites’ Caribbean identity. \nThere’s also Honey Mustard Salmon\, with pan-seared glazed salmon served over garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables\, or a Garden Stir-Fry Veggies option built around fresh vegetables and greens. \nThen There’s the Cocktail\nThe $25 package also includes one drink. \nGuests choose between the featured house cocktail\, a glass of red\, white or rosé wine\, or a mimosa. \nThat makes the pricing stand out when compared with Favorites’ regular dinner menu. \nThe restaurant currently lists its Rasta Pasta at $18 and salmon at $27 before adding an appetizer or drink. Regular appetizers include $12 honey jerk wings and $15 mussels\, while cocktails and wine are normally purchased separately. \nGirl Dinner essentially bundles the whole evening into a single price. \nFavorites Is More Haitian Than the Word “Bistro” Suggests\nThe restaurant itself is worth knowing because the name doesn’t reveal much about what’s happening in the kitchen. \nFavorites Bistro Bar is a Black-owned restaurant run by Majan and Ederjson Pierre\, and its food draws heavily from Haitian and Caribbean cooking. \nMajan Pierre has described what Favorites does as Haitian street food\, bringing flavors and dishes associated with Haiti into a contemporary downtown restaurant and cocktail-bar setting. \nThat influence shows up throughout the regular menu. \nThere are oxtail rangoons filled with braised oxtail and ricotta\, jerk chicken\, sweet plantains\, black beans and rice\, honey jerk wings\, Rasta Pasta and dishes seasoned with epis\, the aromatic seasoning base fundamental to Haitian cooking. \nFavorites also uses pikliz\, Haiti’s sharply flavored pickled vegetable condiment\, alongside several dishes. \nThe result isn’t a restaurant attempting to reproduce a traditional Haitian menu from beginning to end. Instead\, Caribbean ingredients and techniques move freely into familiar American restaurant formats. \nAn oxtail becomes the filling for a rangoon. Jerk flavors appear in chicken wings and sandwiches. Caribbean seasoning meets pasta\, burgers\, tacos and brunch dishes. \nThat crossover is part of the restaurant’s identity. \nA Restaurant Entering Its Fourth Year\nFavorites is still relatively young. \nThe restaurant opened on Bank Street in 2023\, and this spring celebrated its third anniversary with something of a second beginning. \nIn April\, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting marking Favorites’ grand reopening and expansion into lunch service. \nThe restaurant had evolved beyond its original dinner operation\, adding daytime hours and updating its menu while retaining the Caribbean flavors around which it was built. \nToday\, lunch brings dishes such as jerk pork sliders\, orange chicken tacos\, short rib melts\, chicken and waffles and Rasta Pasta. \nDinner moves toward larger plates\, including oxtail with rice\, black beans and sweet plantains; jerk chicken; braised short ribs; steak frites; salmon; and tomato shrimp pasta. \nSunday has developed an identity of its own with brunch\, including chicken and waffles and crème brûlée French toast. \n“Girl Dinner” Has Changed Quite a Bit\nThere’s also a little cultural joke hiding behind the name of Thursday’s promotion. \n“Girl dinner” exploded as a social-media phrase in 2023\, originally describing the kind of improvised meal someone might assemble when cooking an actual dinner felt unnecessary: cheese\, crackers\, fruit\, bread\, leftovers or whatever else happened to be available. \nIt was less a recipe than permission to call a collection of snacks dinner. \nRestaurants eventually began borrowing the phrase for specials aimed at turning the idea into a night out. \nFavorites has taken that transformation nearly to its logical extreme. \nThere aren’t any crackers standing in for dinner here. \nFor $25\, the restaurant’s version involves an appetizer\, a plated entrée and a cocktail. \nAnd although the name survived the transition\, Favorites makes a point of saying everyone is invited. \nThursday Night on Bank Street\nGirl Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Favorites Bistro Bar at 90 Bank Street in downtown New London. \nThe promotion isn’t limited to Sept. 24. Favorites has scheduled it as a recurring Thursday event into the fall\, making this week’s dinner part of an ongoing series rather than a one-night special. \nThe restaurant describes the atmosphere as relaxed and encourages people to come with friends\, partners or family\, or simply come on their own. \nThat may ultimately be the smartest part of the promotion. \nAt a time when dinner and a cocktail can quickly turn into a considerably more expensive night out\, Favorites has made the offer remarkably easy to understand: \nPick an appetizer. \nPick an entrée. \nPick a drink. \nPay $25. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Girl Dinner on Thursdays\nDate: Thursday\, Sept. 24\, 2026\nStarts: 6 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nPrice: $25\nIncludes: One appetizer\, one entrée and one craft cocktail\, glass of wine or mimosa\nAppetizer Choices: House Garden Salad\, Steamed Mussels\, Pan-Seared Dumplings\, Crispy Wings or Loaded Fries\nEntrée Choices: Signature Rasta Pasta\, Honey Mustard Salmon or Garden Stir-Fry Veggies\nDrink Choices: Featured house cocktail\, glass of red/white/rosé wine or mimosa\nWho Can Attend: Open to the public; despite the “Girl Dinner” name\, everyone is welcome\nDress: Casual\nReservations: The event listing says guests may simply show up.\nPhone: 860-446-6188 \n  \n\nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/25-girl-dinner-turns-thursday-night-into-a-three-course-deal-at-favorites-bistro-bar/2026-11-19/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/25-Dollar-Girl-Dinner-Turns-Thursday-Night-Into-a-Three-Course-Deal-at-Favorites-Bistro-Bar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261121T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261121T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007945-1795262400-1795266000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-21/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261122T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261122T150000
DTSTAMP:20260915T211951Z
CREATED:20260915T211951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T211951Z
UID:10007618-1795341600-1795359600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Brunch Sundays Brings Southern Comfort Food With a Haitian Island Twist to New London
DESCRIPTION:Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist turns Sunday into a five-hour affair at Favorites Bistro Bar in downtown New London\, pairing brunch standards like chicken and waffles\, French toast\, and grits with the Haitian and Caribbean flavors that have become the restaurant’s calling card. \nThe weekly brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday at Favorites\, located at 90 Bank Street. \nAnd while plenty of restaurants serve brunch\, Favorites has a fairly compelling reason for adding the words “island twist.” \nOwner Majan Pierre grew up with Haitian cooking\, and the restaurant she and her husband Ederjson “EJ” Pierre created uses those flavors as a jumping-off point rather than treating them as rigid boundaries. \nThe result can put oxtail beside grits\, Haitian seasonings into familiar American comfort foods\, and a caramelized crème brûlée treatment onto French toast. \nIt’s brunch\, but not necessarily the brunch you already know. \nChicken and Waffles Gets the Favorites Treatment\nThe restaurant’s current Brunch Sundays promotion puts three dishes front and center: chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, and crème brûlée French toast. \nChicken and waffles already lives comfortably at the intersection of sweet and savory. \nFavorites pushes further into that territory. \nThe restaurant’s broader approach incorporates the seasonings\, sauces and ingredients of Haitian and Caribbean cooking into recognizable American dishes rather than separating the menu into “traditional” and “island” sections. \nThat philosophy has helped chicken and waffles become one of the dishes frequently associated with Favorites since the restaurant began developing its brunch service. \nBut the oxtail and grits may be an even better example of what the restaurant is trying to do. \nOxtail and Grits Connects Two Comfort-Food Traditions\nOxtail has a long history in Caribbean cooking\, including Haitian cuisine\, where slow cooking turns a notoriously tough cut into something rich and deeply flavored. \nGrits come from a different culinary tradition but perform much the same job on the plate: warm\, uncomplicated comfort food capable of carrying an intensely flavored braise. \nPut them together and the combination makes immediate sense. \nFavorites has used oxtail elsewhere on its menu in inventive ways\, including oxtail rangoons. \nThat willingness to move ingredients between culinary traditions is central to the restaurant’s identity. \nPierre has described Favorites as Haitian street food\, but she’s also made clear that she doesn’t want the menu confined by that description. \nThe restaurant has served familiar dishes such as Caesar salad and pasta alongside Haitian staples and Caribbean-influenced creations. \nWhat connects them is often what happens in the kitchen. \nHaitian Flavor Is Built Into the Food\nOne of the building blocks is épis. \nThe Haitian seasoning base varies from kitchen to kitchen but generally combines fresh herbs\, peppers\, aromatics and spices into a concentrated mixture used to season meats\, seafood and other dishes. \nAt Favorites\, épis has been incorporated into dishes such as braised short ribs. \nThen there’s pikliz\, the sharp Haitian pickled vegetable condiment that can bring acidity\, crunch and heat to rich food. \nFavorites uses versions of it throughout its cooking. \nPierre told Connecticut food writer James Gribbon that the goal isn’t necessarily to make everything overwhelmingly hot. \nThe seasoning goes into the food from the beginning. \nThat’s a meaningful distinction. \nAdding a hot sauce to an otherwise conventional brunch dish creates heat. \nBuilding a dish around a different seasoning tradition changes its underlying flavor. \nFavorites is aiming for the second approach. \nThen There’s the Crème Brûlée French Toast\nIf oxtail and grits represents the savory side of the menu\, crème brûlée French toast heads in the opposite direction. \nThe basic idea borrows from the contrast that makes crème brûlée work: a rich\, soft interior against a caramelized exterior. \nApplied to French toast\, it turns one of brunch’s most familiar dishes into something closer to dessert. \nFavorites has served French toast in several forms\, and the dish has become one of the restaurant’s recognizable brunch offerings. \nIt’s also a good example of why “Southern dishes with an island twist” doesn’t tell the entire story. \nThere are Caribbean influences here\, certainly. \nBut there are also French influences\, Southern American comfort food and contemporary brunch culture colliding on the same menu. \nIn Haitian cooking\, that kind of overlap isn’t particularly strange. \nHaitian Cuisine Was Already a Fusion Cuisine\nHaiti’s food traditions developed from an unusually complicated history. \nWest African culinary traditions mixed with Indigenous Caribbean ingredients and techniques and European\, particularly French\, influences. \nThat history can still be seen in the language and food. \nFrench-derived culinary terms coexist with ingredients and cooking methods rooted elsewhere. \nSo a New London restaurant moving comfortably among Haitian food\, Southern comfort dishes and French-inspired brunch isn’t necessarily abandoning one tradition for another. \nIt’s continuing the mixing that created the cuisine in the first place. \nPierre has described Haitian food as difficult to reduce to a single definition because of those influences and because recipes can vary considerably between communities and households. \nHer own reference point is especially personal. \nBefore opening Favorites\, Pierre had never worked in a restaurant. \nShe learned food at home. \nMajan Pierre Went From Home Cooking to Restaurant Owner\nFavorites Bistro Bar opened in 2023\, making Pierre’s route into the restaurant business an unusual one. \nShe wasn’t a chef leaving someone else’s kitchen. \nShe wasn’t a longtime restaurant manager finally opening her own place. \nPierre told Gribbon that Favorites was her first restaurant job of any kind. \nHer culinary background came largely from watching her mother cook and from her own interest in food. \nShe and EJ Pierre nevertheless turned that home-cooking foundation into a downtown restaurant. \nBy April 2026\, Favorites was celebrating its third anniversary and a grand reopening\, along with an expansion of its lunch service. \nThe restaurant also brought Chef Bel into its culinary leadership. \nBrunch has become an increasingly important part of that evolution. \nSundays Have Become Their Own Thing\nFavorites now dedicates 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday to brunch. \nThat’s not merely an hour or two added onto lunch service. \nIt’s the Sunday service. \nThe restaurant’s Brunch Sundays promotion makes that clear\, presenting the meal as a recurring weekly event rather than a one-off special. \nThat gives diners considerably more flexibility than a traditional late-morning brunch. \nCome at 10 and it’s breakfast. \nArrive at noon and you’re firmly in brunch territory. \nShow up at 2 and it can function as a late lunch. \nThe restaurant’s drinks follow the same leisurely approach to Sunday\, with brunch cocktails among the offerings. \nFavorites Has One of Downtown’s More Interesting Locations\nThe restaurant occupies space in the historic granite Roberts Building along Bank Street. \nIts location puts it in the middle of downtown New London’s restaurant\, arts and waterfront district. \nHygienic Art is nearby\, and the Thames River waterfront is only a short walk away. \nInside\, Favorites is bright during the day\, with large windows bringing natural light into a dining room and bar designed to feel more contemporary than rustic. \nThere’s also outdoor seating with views toward the harbor. \nThat gives Sunday brunch an easy extension into the rest of downtown. \nEat first\, then walk Bank Street\, head toward the waterfront or see what’s happening in the surrounding arts district. \nParking Is Easier on Sunday Than You Might Expect\nFor people who avoid downtown New London because they’re worried about parking\, Sunday has an advantage. \nFavorites lists Bank Street and State Street among the nearby free parking options. \nThe O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage provide additional paid parking nearby. \nAs always downtown\, availability depends on what else is happening that day. \nBut Favorites sits in a walkable part of New London\, so there’s little reason to circle the restaurant looking for the closest possible space if other downtown parking is available. \nA Sunday Brunch That Actually Tells You Something About the Restaurant\nChicken and waffles is everywhere now. \nFrench toast certainly isn’t difficult to find. \nNeither are eggs\, mimosas or grits. \nSo the interesting question isn’t whether Favorites serves brunch food. \nIt’s what happens when those dishes pass through this particular kitchen. \nA Haitian-American owner who learned from her mother’s cooking opened her first restaurant on Bank Street. \nShe began combining the food she knew with dishes that belonged to other traditions. \nThree years later\, that experiment has developed into a Sunday brunch where oxtail can land on grits and French toast can arrive dressed like crème brûlée. \nThat’s a much better reason to go to brunch than simply because it’s Sunday. \nDetails\nEvent: Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist\nDate: Sunday\, September 20\, 2026\nRecurring: Every Sunday\nTime: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nFeatured Brunch Dishes: Chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, crème brûlée French toast\nCuisine: Southern comfort food with Haitian and Caribbean influences\nOwners: Majan and Ederjson “EJ” Pierre\nPhone: 860-446-6188\nParking: Free parking is available on Bank Street and State Street; paid options include the O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage\nReservations: Favorites accepts reservations; advance reservations may be useful for Sunday brunch\nAccessibility: Contact the restaurant directly for specific accessibility needs or seating accommodations. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/brunch-sundays-brings-southern-comfort-food-with-a-haitian-island-twist-to-new-london/2026-11-22/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Brunch-Sundays-Brings-Southern-Comfort-Food-With-a-Haitian-Island-Twist-to-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261122T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261122T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007946-1795348800-1795352400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-22/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261126T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261126T213000
DTSTAMP:20260923T003832Z
CREATED:20260923T003623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T003832Z
UID:10008504-1795716000-1795728600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:$25 Girl Dinner Turns Thursday Night Into a Three-Course Deal at Favorites Bistro Bar
DESCRIPTION:$25 Girl Dinner Turns Thursday Night Into a Three-Course Deal at Favorites Bistro Bar Sept. 24\, offering a choice of appetizer\, entrée\, and cocktail for roughly the price of a single dinner entrée at many restaurants. \nAnd despite the name\, this isn’t a women-only event. \nFavorites describes its weekly Girl Dinner as a night for girlfriends\, couples\, families or anyone simply looking for dinner out. The event is open to the public\, casual\, and requires no special admission beyond the $25 dinner. \nThe real attraction is what that $25 buys. \nGuests choose one of five appetizers\, one of three entrées\, and one drink\, including wine\, a mimosa\, or the evening’s featured house cocktail. \nFirst\, Pick an Appetizer\nThe opening course has considerably more choice than a typical prix fixe promotion. \nGuests can choose a house garden salad with fresh greens\, tomatoes\, cucumbers\, and house dressing; steamed mussels simmered in a rich garlic tomato sauce; pan-seared dumplings filled with shrimp or jerk pork and served with a house dipping sauce; crispy wings tossed in a signature sauce; or loaded fries topped with crispy fries\, bacon and Parmesan cheese. \nThen comes the entrée. \nThe Signature Rasta Pasta combines a creamy\, spicy sauce with onions and bell peppers\, a dish that fits particularly well with Favorites’ Caribbean identity. \nThere’s also Honey Mustard Salmon\, with pan-seared glazed salmon served over garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables\, or a Garden Stir-Fry Veggies option built around fresh vegetables and greens. \nThen There’s the Cocktail\nThe $25 package also includes one drink. \nGuests choose between the featured house cocktail\, a glass of red\, white or rosé wine\, or a mimosa. \nThat makes the pricing stand out when compared with Favorites’ regular dinner menu. \nThe restaurant currently lists its Rasta Pasta at $18 and salmon at $27 before adding an appetizer or drink. Regular appetizers include $12 honey jerk wings and $15 mussels\, while cocktails and wine are normally purchased separately. \nGirl Dinner essentially bundles the whole evening into a single price. \nFavorites Is More Haitian Than the Word “Bistro” Suggests\nThe restaurant itself is worth knowing because the name doesn’t reveal much about what’s happening in the kitchen. \nFavorites Bistro Bar is a Black-owned restaurant run by Majan and Ederjson Pierre\, and its food draws heavily from Haitian and Caribbean cooking. \nMajan Pierre has described what Favorites does as Haitian street food\, bringing flavors and dishes associated with Haiti into a contemporary downtown restaurant and cocktail-bar setting. \nThat influence shows up throughout the regular menu. \nThere are oxtail rangoons filled with braised oxtail and ricotta\, jerk chicken\, sweet plantains\, black beans and rice\, honey jerk wings\, Rasta Pasta and dishes seasoned with epis\, the aromatic seasoning base fundamental to Haitian cooking. \nFavorites also uses pikliz\, Haiti’s sharply flavored pickled vegetable condiment\, alongside several dishes. \nThe result isn’t a restaurant attempting to reproduce a traditional Haitian menu from beginning to end. Instead\, Caribbean ingredients and techniques move freely into familiar American restaurant formats. \nAn oxtail becomes the filling for a rangoon. Jerk flavors appear in chicken wings and sandwiches. Caribbean seasoning meets pasta\, burgers\, tacos and brunch dishes. \nThat crossover is part of the restaurant’s identity. \nA Restaurant Entering Its Fourth Year\nFavorites is still relatively young. \nThe restaurant opened on Bank Street in 2023\, and this spring celebrated its third anniversary with something of a second beginning. \nIn April\, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting marking Favorites’ grand reopening and expansion into lunch service. \nThe restaurant had evolved beyond its original dinner operation\, adding daytime hours and updating its menu while retaining the Caribbean flavors around which it was built. \nToday\, lunch brings dishes such as jerk pork sliders\, orange chicken tacos\, short rib melts\, chicken and waffles and Rasta Pasta. \nDinner moves toward larger plates\, including oxtail with rice\, black beans and sweet plantains; jerk chicken; braised short ribs; steak frites; salmon; and tomato shrimp pasta. \nSunday has developed an identity of its own with brunch\, including chicken and waffles and crème brûlée French toast. \n“Girl Dinner” Has Changed Quite a Bit\nThere’s also a little cultural joke hiding behind the name of Thursday’s promotion. \n“Girl dinner” exploded as a social-media phrase in 2023\, originally describing the kind of improvised meal someone might assemble when cooking an actual dinner felt unnecessary: cheese\, crackers\, fruit\, bread\, leftovers or whatever else happened to be available. \nIt was less a recipe than permission to call a collection of snacks dinner. \nRestaurants eventually began borrowing the phrase for specials aimed at turning the idea into a night out. \nFavorites has taken that transformation nearly to its logical extreme. \nThere aren’t any crackers standing in for dinner here. \nFor $25\, the restaurant’s version involves an appetizer\, a plated entrée and a cocktail. \nAnd although the name survived the transition\, Favorites makes a point of saying everyone is invited. \nThursday Night on Bank Street\nGirl Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Favorites Bistro Bar at 90 Bank Street in downtown New London. \nThe promotion isn’t limited to Sept. 24. Favorites has scheduled it as a recurring Thursday event into the fall\, making this week’s dinner part of an ongoing series rather than a one-night special. \nThe restaurant describes the atmosphere as relaxed and encourages people to come with friends\, partners or family\, or simply come on their own. \nThat may ultimately be the smartest part of the promotion. \nAt a time when dinner and a cocktail can quickly turn into a considerably more expensive night out\, Favorites has made the offer remarkably easy to understand: \nPick an appetizer. \nPick an entrée. \nPick a drink. \nPay $25. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Girl Dinner on Thursdays\nDate: Thursday\, Sept. 24\, 2026\nStarts: 6 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nPrice: $25\nIncludes: One appetizer\, one entrée and one craft cocktail\, glass of wine or mimosa\nAppetizer Choices: House Garden Salad\, Steamed Mussels\, Pan-Seared Dumplings\, Crispy Wings or Loaded Fries\nEntrée Choices: Signature Rasta Pasta\, Honey Mustard Salmon or Garden Stir-Fry Veggies\nDrink Choices: Featured house cocktail\, glass of red/white/rosé wine or mimosa\nWho Can Attend: Open to the public; despite the “Girl Dinner” name\, everyone is welcome\nDress: Casual\nReservations: The event listing says guests may simply show up.\nPhone: 860-446-6188 \n  \n\nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/25-girl-dinner-turns-thursday-night-into-a-three-course-deal-at-favorites-bistro-bar/2026-11-26/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/25-Dollar-Girl-Dinner-Turns-Thursday-Night-Into-a-Three-Course-Deal-at-Favorites-Bistro-Bar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261128T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261128T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007947-1795867200-1795870800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-28/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261129T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261129T150000
DTSTAMP:20260915T211951Z
CREATED:20260915T211951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T211951Z
UID:10007619-1795946400-1795964400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Brunch Sundays Brings Southern Comfort Food With a Haitian Island Twist to New London
DESCRIPTION:Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist turns Sunday into a five-hour affair at Favorites Bistro Bar in downtown New London\, pairing brunch standards like chicken and waffles\, French toast\, and grits with the Haitian and Caribbean flavors that have become the restaurant’s calling card. \nThe weekly brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday at Favorites\, located at 90 Bank Street. \nAnd while plenty of restaurants serve brunch\, Favorites has a fairly compelling reason for adding the words “island twist.” \nOwner Majan Pierre grew up with Haitian cooking\, and the restaurant she and her husband Ederjson “EJ” Pierre created uses those flavors as a jumping-off point rather than treating them as rigid boundaries. \nThe result can put oxtail beside grits\, Haitian seasonings into familiar American comfort foods\, and a caramelized crème brûlée treatment onto French toast. \nIt’s brunch\, but not necessarily the brunch you already know. \nChicken and Waffles Gets the Favorites Treatment\nThe restaurant’s current Brunch Sundays promotion puts three dishes front and center: chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, and crème brûlée French toast. \nChicken and waffles already lives comfortably at the intersection of sweet and savory. \nFavorites pushes further into that territory. \nThe restaurant’s broader approach incorporates the seasonings\, sauces and ingredients of Haitian and Caribbean cooking into recognizable American dishes rather than separating the menu into “traditional” and “island” sections. \nThat philosophy has helped chicken and waffles become one of the dishes frequently associated with Favorites since the restaurant began developing its brunch service. \nBut the oxtail and grits may be an even better example of what the restaurant is trying to do. \nOxtail and Grits Connects Two Comfort-Food Traditions\nOxtail has a long history in Caribbean cooking\, including Haitian cuisine\, where slow cooking turns a notoriously tough cut into something rich and deeply flavored. \nGrits come from a different culinary tradition but perform much the same job on the plate: warm\, uncomplicated comfort food capable of carrying an intensely flavored braise. \nPut them together and the combination makes immediate sense. \nFavorites has used oxtail elsewhere on its menu in inventive ways\, including oxtail rangoons. \nThat willingness to move ingredients between culinary traditions is central to the restaurant’s identity. \nPierre has described Favorites as Haitian street food\, but she’s also made clear that she doesn’t want the menu confined by that description. \nThe restaurant has served familiar dishes such as Caesar salad and pasta alongside Haitian staples and Caribbean-influenced creations. \nWhat connects them is often what happens in the kitchen. \nHaitian Flavor Is Built Into the Food\nOne of the building blocks is épis. \nThe Haitian seasoning base varies from kitchen to kitchen but generally combines fresh herbs\, peppers\, aromatics and spices into a concentrated mixture used to season meats\, seafood and other dishes. \nAt Favorites\, épis has been incorporated into dishes such as braised short ribs. \nThen there’s pikliz\, the sharp Haitian pickled vegetable condiment that can bring acidity\, crunch and heat to rich food. \nFavorites uses versions of it throughout its cooking. \nPierre told Connecticut food writer James Gribbon that the goal isn’t necessarily to make everything overwhelmingly hot. \nThe seasoning goes into the food from the beginning. \nThat’s a meaningful distinction. \nAdding a hot sauce to an otherwise conventional brunch dish creates heat. \nBuilding a dish around a different seasoning tradition changes its underlying flavor. \nFavorites is aiming for the second approach. \nThen There’s the Crème Brûlée French Toast\nIf oxtail and grits represents the savory side of the menu\, crème brûlée French toast heads in the opposite direction. \nThe basic idea borrows from the contrast that makes crème brûlée work: a rich\, soft interior against a caramelized exterior. \nApplied to French toast\, it turns one of brunch’s most familiar dishes into something closer to dessert. \nFavorites has served French toast in several forms\, and the dish has become one of the restaurant’s recognizable brunch offerings. \nIt’s also a good example of why “Southern dishes with an island twist” doesn’t tell the entire story. \nThere are Caribbean influences here\, certainly. \nBut there are also French influences\, Southern American comfort food and contemporary brunch culture colliding on the same menu. \nIn Haitian cooking\, that kind of overlap isn’t particularly strange. \nHaitian Cuisine Was Already a Fusion Cuisine\nHaiti’s food traditions developed from an unusually complicated history. \nWest African culinary traditions mixed with Indigenous Caribbean ingredients and techniques and European\, particularly French\, influences. \nThat history can still be seen in the language and food. \nFrench-derived culinary terms coexist with ingredients and cooking methods rooted elsewhere. \nSo a New London restaurant moving comfortably among Haitian food\, Southern comfort dishes and French-inspired brunch isn’t necessarily abandoning one tradition for another. \nIt’s continuing the mixing that created the cuisine in the first place. \nPierre has described Haitian food as difficult to reduce to a single definition because of those influences and because recipes can vary considerably between communities and households. \nHer own reference point is especially personal. \nBefore opening Favorites\, Pierre had never worked in a restaurant. \nShe learned food at home. \nMajan Pierre Went From Home Cooking to Restaurant Owner\nFavorites Bistro Bar opened in 2023\, making Pierre’s route into the restaurant business an unusual one. \nShe wasn’t a chef leaving someone else’s kitchen. \nShe wasn’t a longtime restaurant manager finally opening her own place. \nPierre told Gribbon that Favorites was her first restaurant job of any kind. \nHer culinary background came largely from watching her mother cook and from her own interest in food. \nShe and EJ Pierre nevertheless turned that home-cooking foundation into a downtown restaurant. \nBy April 2026\, Favorites was celebrating its third anniversary and a grand reopening\, along with an expansion of its lunch service. \nThe restaurant also brought Chef Bel into its culinary leadership. \nBrunch has become an increasingly important part of that evolution. \nSundays Have Become Their Own Thing\nFavorites now dedicates 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday to brunch. \nThat’s not merely an hour or two added onto lunch service. \nIt’s the Sunday service. \nThe restaurant’s Brunch Sundays promotion makes that clear\, presenting the meal as a recurring weekly event rather than a one-off special. \nThat gives diners considerably more flexibility than a traditional late-morning brunch. \nCome at 10 and it’s breakfast. \nArrive at noon and you’re firmly in brunch territory. \nShow up at 2 and it can function as a late lunch. \nThe restaurant’s drinks follow the same leisurely approach to Sunday\, with brunch cocktails among the offerings. \nFavorites Has One of Downtown’s More Interesting Locations\nThe restaurant occupies space in the historic granite Roberts Building along Bank Street. \nIts location puts it in the middle of downtown New London’s restaurant\, arts and waterfront district. \nHygienic Art is nearby\, and the Thames River waterfront is only a short walk away. \nInside\, Favorites is bright during the day\, with large windows bringing natural light into a dining room and bar designed to feel more contemporary than rustic. \nThere’s also outdoor seating with views toward the harbor. \nThat gives Sunday brunch an easy extension into the rest of downtown. \nEat first\, then walk Bank Street\, head toward the waterfront or see what’s happening in the surrounding arts district. \nParking Is Easier on Sunday Than You Might Expect\nFor people who avoid downtown New London because they’re worried about parking\, Sunday has an advantage. \nFavorites lists Bank Street and State Street among the nearby free parking options. \nThe O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage provide additional paid parking nearby. \nAs always downtown\, availability depends on what else is happening that day. \nBut Favorites sits in a walkable part of New London\, so there’s little reason to circle the restaurant looking for the closest possible space if other downtown parking is available. \nA Sunday Brunch That Actually Tells You Something About the Restaurant\nChicken and waffles is everywhere now. \nFrench toast certainly isn’t difficult to find. \nNeither are eggs\, mimosas or grits. \nSo the interesting question isn’t whether Favorites serves brunch food. \nIt’s what happens when those dishes pass through this particular kitchen. \nA Haitian-American owner who learned from her mother’s cooking opened her first restaurant on Bank Street. \nShe began combining the food she knew with dishes that belonged to other traditions. \nThree years later\, that experiment has developed into a Sunday brunch where oxtail can land on grits and French toast can arrive dressed like crème brûlée. \nThat’s a much better reason to go to brunch than simply because it’s Sunday. \nDetails\nEvent: Brunch Sundays – Southern Dishes With an Island Twist\nDate: Sunday\, September 20\, 2026\nRecurring: Every Sunday\nTime: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.\nLocation: Favorites Bistro Bar\nAddress: 90 Bank Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nFeatured Brunch Dishes: Chicken and waffles\, oxtail and grits\, crème brûlée French toast\nCuisine: Southern comfort food with Haitian and Caribbean influences\nOwners: Majan and Ederjson “EJ” Pierre\nPhone: 860-446-6188\nParking: Free parking is available on Bank Street and State Street; paid options include the O’Neill-Tilley Municipal Lot and Water Street Garage\nReservations: Favorites accepts reservations; advance reservations may be useful for Sunday brunch\nAccessibility: Contact the restaurant directly for specific accessibility needs or seating accommodations. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/brunch-sundays-brings-southern-comfort-food-with-a-haitian-island-twist-to-new-london/2026-11-29/
LOCATION:Favorites Bistro Bar\, 90 B Bank Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Favorites Bistro Bar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Brunch-Sundays-Brings-Southern-Comfort-Food-With-a-Haitian-Island-Twist-to-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261129T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261129T130000
DTSTAMP:20260917T165240Z
CREATED:20260917T165240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T165240Z
UID:10007948-1795953600-1795957200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours
DESCRIPTION:Climb 116 Steps Inside New London Harbor Lighthouse on Weekend Tours for a rare look inside the historic 1801 tower\, with Saturday and Sunday tours taking visitors all the way to the lantern room overlooking Long Island Sound. \nThe New London Maritime Society is opening New London Harbor “Pequot” Light for 45-minute tours every weekend at noon through Feb. 28\, 2027. Groups are deliberately tiny\, limited to just five people\, turning the visit into something closer to a guided exploration than a typical historic-site tour. \nAnd there’s quite a bit waiting above those 116 steps. \nA Lighthouse That’s Been Watching the Harbor for Centuries\nNew London Harbor Light’s story stretches back to the colonial era. A lighthouse was established here in 1761 under King George III\, while the octagonal stone tower standing today was completed in 1801. \nAt 89 feet tall\, it’s the tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound as well as its oldest. The U.S. Coast Guard still operates the light as an active aid to navigation. \nInside is another survivor: an 1850 fourth-order Fresnel lens that remains in use. \nVisitors climb the tower while learning about the lighthouse and the generations of keepers who tended it. At the top\, the lantern room opens up a view across New London Harbor\, the Thames River and Long Island Sound. \nThere are lighthouses everywhere you look. From Harbor Light\, it’s possible to spot at least seven others\, including New London Ledge Light\, Race Rock\, Little Gull Island\, Plum Island\, Little Dumpling\, Montauk and Avery Point. \nAnd then there’s the traffic below. \nNew London remains a working maritime port\, so the view can include ferries\, commercial vessels and Coast Guard traffic moving through the harbor. The Maritime Society makes one thing clear: they can’t promise you’ll see a submarine. \nBut in New London\, you never know. \nPart of New London’s Chain of Lights\nHarbor Light is one of three historic lighthouses owned and preserved by the New London Maritime Society. \nNew London Ledge Light\, completed in 1909\, stands offshore near the mouth of the Thames. Farther out\, Race Rock Light Station has guarded the notoriously difficult waters between Fishers Island and Long Island Sound since 1878. \nTogether with Harbor Light\, the three create a chain of beacons leading vessels from the Atlantic into the historic port of New London. \nThe Maritime Society took ownership of Harbor Light in 2010 through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Money raised through lighthouse tours supports the preservation and restoration of the area’s historic lights. \nBefore You Climb\nThis isn’t a lighthouse where visitors can simply walk onto the property. \nTours are limited to five people\, and reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance. Children must be at least 8 years old. \nVisitors meet their guide on Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse and must wait there for the New London Maritime Society representative. Guests should not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways on their own. \nThe climb also requires proper footwear. Sneakers or deck shoes are required; sandals and flip-flops aren’t permitted. \nTours are weather dependent\, so visitors should check their email before leaving home for any cancellation notice. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nNew London 24 hour Harbor Cam\nDetails\nDates: Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 28\, 2027\nTime: Noon–12:45 p.m.\nLocation: New London Harbor “Pequot” Lighthouse\, New London\nMeeting Point: Pequot Avenue in front of the lighthouse\nTour Length: Approximately 45 minutes\nCapacity: Maximum of five people per tour\nAdmission: $35 adults; $30 New London Maritime Society members; $25 children ages 8–18\nAge Requirement: Children must be at least 8 years old\nReservations: Reservations should be made at least 48 hours in advance\nClimb: 116 steps to the lantern room\nFootwear: Deck shoes or sneakers required; no sandals or flip-flops\nFood & Drink: Water is permitted; other food and beverages are not. Alcohol is prohibited.\nParking: Street parking is available on the west side of Pequot Avenue\, across from the lighthouse\nWeather: Tours are weather dependent. Check your email before departing for cancellation notices.\nCancellations: Must be made at least three days in advance. Payments are non-refundable except when a tour is canceled because of weather.\nLast-Minute Tickets: Call 203-444-2884 to ask whether space is available.\nImportant: Do not enter the lighthouse property or neighboring driveways without a New London Maritime Society representative. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/climb-116-steps-inside-new-london-harbor-lighthouse-on-weekend-tours/2026-11-29/
LOCATION:Pequot Lighthouse\, Pequot Avenue\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Pequot Lighthouse
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pequot-Lighthouse-New-London.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR