This little hideaway was a real find! We stumbled on to it while passing through Connecticut. It is a charming place with a dining room that overlooks the Lieutenant River. The windowed wall makes for a lovely view of the acres of sea oats outside as well as many bird feeders with a variety of hungry birds. The decor is green and pink with bamboo chairs and an oil lamp on each table.

RESTAURANT:	THE HIDEAWAY RESTAURANT AND PUB
LOCATION:	Old Lyme Shopping Center, 19 Halls Road, Old Lyme, CT (Exit 70 off I-95 on Route 1 South)
DATE:	December 24, 1998, December 26, 2005
MEAL:	Lunch
DECOR:	Modern, light, and cheerful
BREAD:	Hot dinner rolls
SALAD:
APPETIZER:	Seafood Bisque ($2.95) - outstanding
ENTREE:	Crock of Onion Soup ($3.95) - excellent, homemade with lots of high quality cheese
	Cajun Salmon Caesar Salad ($7.95) - excellent, very large portion, excellent croutons made of pumpernickel and garlic
DESSERT:
OTHER:	Attentive wait staff
	Bar with seating area downstairs and an additional dining room upstairs
	Pleasant piano music in the background
	Plenty of parking
	Luncheon specials as well as the regular menu available
OVERALL:	A

 Note: We returned to this restaurant on our holiday trip between NYC and Massachusetts. We found it to be just as we remembered it! The food was excellent. We enjoyed the Seafood Bisque again and added an an appetizer Combo Plate ($14.95). It arrived with mushrooms stuffed with seafood stuffing, mozzarella sticks, fried calamari, and nachos accompanied by marinara sauce, seafood sauce, salsa, and sour cream. The nachos were made from a flaky pastry dough instead of the usual tortilla chips. Wendy thought they were wonderful, but Tom preferred the ones traditionally served. The order was plenty for two people and may even have been big enough for three as an appetizer. The restaurant has added a fresh crusty bread and a garlic and red pepper dipping sauce in place of the dinner rolls. This is a superb upgrade. We will continue to stop here when we travel. Although the Hideaway has a touch of elegance, casual attire is appropriate here.