Empanadas and Tasty Treats at the Velvet Mill, Stonington

I love riding east on I95 on a bright Spring day before the hoards descend, and I can wander Stonington and Mystic in peace. The other day, I headed out to the Velvet Mill in Stonington to Zest Fresh Pastry. I’ve been a fan since their earliest days, but I don’t get over there nearly enough to sample the goodies (and, good to know, plenty of gluten-free options). After snacking on some gluten-free bite-sized Oatmeal Apricot Almond Chocolate Chip cookies (and calling it breakfast), we wandered around the Mill.

Saturday is the day to visit this vast artist studio, food hall, and shopping hall, as many of the retailers and artist studios are only open on the weekends (and you can catch the Stonington Farmer’s market here starting in mid-May).

Happily, we happened upon Masa, a brand new eatery, dishing up authentic and creative empanadas and (slightly kookily) chicken wings (two of my favorite foods!). An ex-Port-of-Call sous chef helms this spot, and creativity is king here. The French Onion Soup empanada was a revelation of melty cheesy, oniony goodness, and a plate of perfectly cooked, crispy wings was served with a side of cooling homemade pickled veggies. The emphasis is on local and fresh-from-the-farmer’s-market and we loved watching the empanadas being hand-crimped. While it’s only been open for a month, a steady stream of regulars bellied up to the counter to try to choose between the various empanada flavors, salads, and sandwiches on the menu. Great for a snack or lunch, or bring a variety of empanadas home for dinner!