Looking for a Great Meal? Here Are Connecticut's Best Dishes

When you're looking for a great meal in Connecticut these are the places where you should start.

Connecticut Magazine refers to the affectionately as the "Dishes To Try Before You Die," a definitive, yet purely subjective, listing of 50 of the best meals the state has too offer.

"We all know that when it comes to dining out, Connecticut is one of the great places to explore," writes Connecticut Magazine's Charles A. Monagan. "Whether your taste runs to hot dogs or haute cuisine - or to both and everything in between, as is the case with most of us - there is no shortage of new and great things to try."

These are the meals you tell your out-of-state friends and relatives about... served up at the places you promise you'll take them to when they visit.

You might not be able to hit all of these spots in a few weekends, but that's the whole point. These are the places and the dishes to try over time, because they're so good that they'll likely be around for a while.

Here are the top 20 (in no particular order). To view the full list and the remaining dishes, with blurbs about the selections, visit Connecticut Magazine's "Dishes To Try Before You Die."*

• The white clam pie at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, New Haven.
• The Seafood Feast at Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, Noank.
• The hamburger at Louis' Lunch, New Haven.
• The wok shrimp at Carole Peck's Good News Cafe, Woodbury.
• The Kobe beef appetizer at Feng Asian Bistro, Hartford.
• Seared wasabi and sesame-rubbed tuna at Match, South Norwalk.
• The New Englander with fries at Super Duper Weenie, Fairfield.
• The whole-belly clams at Sea Swirl, Mystic.
• Ebibaba at Miya's, New Haven.
• The hot lobster roll at Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale, Westbrook and Madison.
• A crab cake at Carmen Anthony Fishhouse, Woodbury.
• Rabbit "Olivier" at Still River Café, Eastford.
• Porterhouse for two at Joseph's Steakhouse, Bridgeport.
• The "hi-rise" of shellfish at Max's Oyster Bar, West Hartford.
• Cheeseburger at Shady Glen, Manchester.
• Hot oil pizza at Colony Grill, Stamford.
• Italian combo grinder at Nardelli's, Waterbury and Naugatuck.
• Caesar salad at Carbone's, Hartford.
• Tomato salad at West Street Grill, Litchfield.
• French toast at O'Rourke's Diner, Middletown.

Photo credit: Super Duper Weenie via Facebook

*Editor's Note: This is Connecticut Magazine's most recent listing. Patch removed three dishes from the group - the Meat Loat at the Dressing Room in Westport, the Paella negra at Ibiza in New Haven, and the Potage Billi Bi at Ondine in Danbury - because the restaurants have closed.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite dish that's unique to Connecticut? Tell us in the comments section below.