I was desperate to get out of the house during the endless dreary weather, so Laura and I decided to head to Surfridge for an early “girl dinner.” We had yet to try their winter menu, and we love that so many veg-forward small plates are on offer. As is often our way, once we sat down and had a peek at all the cozy comfort food on the menu, our healthy intentions were thrown to the wind. Yes, we started with warm house-baked pretzels with beer cheese sauce and honey mustard. We’re fans of the skinny, crispy-crusted pizza here, too, and had a couple slices of our favorite classic mozzarella with a splash of garlic chili oil (we boxed the rest to go).

On the lighter side, we slurped down fire-roasted little necks with prosciutto and fennel, plus a mound of autumn-roasted veggies. The wings here aren’t fried but slow-cooked in duck fat, wood-fired, and irresistible

Cocktails are always creative; Laura chose the Tequila Mockingbird, a citrusy and spicy concoction, and for me, a warming pomegranate Old Fashioned (prepared with a housemade pomegranate reduction and deeply flavorful).

You’ll have to ask someone else if you’d like to know more about their on-site brewed beer. All of the varieties sound interesting (wit with grapefruit and peppercorn, for example), and many have a charitable tie-in, but we rarely drink beer and don’t know the difference between an ale and an IPA. We stick to cocktails or Jonathan Edwards wine here. Good to know ALL the liquors are Connecticut crafted.

If you can’t agree on what to eat with your crew, this is an easy decision, with literally something for every palate on the menu, a spirited scene, family-friendly, and live music on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Check out the menu and make reservations here: surfridgebrewery.com