Dig In to All Norwich Has on its Plate This Week

This is a terrible week for the There's Never Anything Going On In Norwich Club with a Downtown Norwich First Friday full of diverse events and two different food festivals.

And I'd feel sorry for club members, but first (Friday) things first. 

And apropos 'first,' this Friday you can get a close-up look at all the classic cars your eyes can hold with a free show, Lightning, centered around Franklin Square with all sorts of other activities to include a gallery show at the Norwich Arts Center and at Reliance House (maybe you remember his work from the Rose City Arts Festival) some selected works by Kyle Kajewski, also known as The Copper Kid. 

I assumed the dragon's name was 'Puff.'

Brick and Basil will have a pop-up cafe at Epicure Brewing and if you have hankerings and yearnings beyond that for dinner, as you should know by now, there's a slew of great places to grab a bite all across downtown. So come hungry, leave happy. But, as they say on late-night infomercials, there's more.

I mentioned food festivals in my opening sentence and two of the most popular in our region are happening this week. I love coincidence.  

On Washington Street, a block over from Norwich Free Academy and Chelsea Parade, the 43^rd Annual Greek Food Festival kicks off at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and lasts through late Sunday afternoon. 

The church is (about) a four-minute walk from my house, and closer when the gyros are just about done. As the festival stretches over four days, you could dedicate yourself to enjoying a different specialty every day or sampling everything every time you go (no one is judging (I hope)).  

I'll have at least two orders of that, thanks.

Save some room (on your plate) because Saturday is the 27th Annual Taste of Italy in Howard Brown Park, right at the mouth of the Norwich harbor (in honor of the food perhaps?). 

Even if you've never been to downtown before, you can't miss it. Just park the car and follow the mouth-watering aromas. As anyone who’s attended in previous years can tell you, fun and food start with the same letter and Taste of Italy is all the proof you need that's by design. 

It starts at eleven in the morning and goes until nine that night, and it's spectacularly delicious and deliciously spectacular. No matter how hungry you think you are when you arrive, it will not be possible to eat all the marvelous dishes being offered by our area restaurants, but it's okay to try your hardest. 

Looking forward to a side order of beautiful weather, too.

Between Downtown Norwich First Night and both the Greek Food Festival as well as the Taste of Italy, it's another great week to be in The Rose of New England, and for those who enjoy moping about how little Norwich has going on, there's always elsewhere and you should leave now and avoid the rush.

-bill kenny