On the rainy evening that the Boston Red Sox were completing another historic collapse, I attended a press dinner at Rory’s in Darien.
The popular little neighborhood joint was packed,
the TVs tuned to both the Red Sox and the Yankees games.
Later, a talented musician would entertain us as well.
I greeted publicist and friend Linda Kavanagh in her stylish chapeau with a kiss on the cheek.
Soon I had a nice beer in hand,
which I later switched off for a draught selection.
An avalanche of food was to follow, starting with bar snacks like fried calamari with chipotle mayonnaise,
popcorn shrimp with a wasabi dipping sauce,
tortilla chips with a cheese, jalapeño and vegetable dip,
tuna tartare with wonton chips,
and Prince Edward Island mussels steamed in a fresh tomato, garlic, white wine and herb broth and served with crostini.
After the bar snacks came little samples of some of Rory’s more popular sandwiches. We enjoyed slider versions of the cheeseburgers,
grilled smoked turkey sandwiches (with Swiss cheese, avocado, bacon and ranch dressing on pumpernickel) and meggin sandwiches (with fresh roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, lettuce and mayonnaise on choice of bread),
and pastrami reubens (lean pastrami served over rye with melted Swiss, sauerkraut and Russian dressing).
After the sandwiches, we got to try a number of house favorites, including New England clam chowder,
chicken pot pie,
lobster Cobb salad,
Debbie’s chicken,
and grilled salmon.
And then, of course, there were the desserts! We enjoyed chocolate mousse cake,
carrot cake,
and ricotta mascarpone cheese cake.
At the end of this diverse meal, chef-owner Bryan Malcarney, who also has wonderful Blue Lemon in Westport, came out and chatted with his appreciative guests.
Rory’s, 416 Boston Post Road, Darien, 203-655-9453
www.rorys.net