Little did I know when I told Erica Tannen that I’d like to meet her for lunch in New Haven that I was dealing with royalty. Erica, of the-e-list.com, is the doyenne of all good things along the shoreline in CT.

She recommended that we meet at Heirloom, an exquisite restaurant in the charming boutique hotel Study in the Yale environs. Shortly after we were seated, the waitress brought a delicious appetizer “compliments of the chef.” I thought, How nice! but made no association regarding the treat–like an amuse bouche that comes with, you know.

After we ordered and were enjoying the locavore salads on the menu, again the waitress came over and said, “Chef wants you to have these sides on the house.” Erica looked amused, but I was wide-eyed. “It happens to me a lot,” she confessed. As the go-to reviewer for shops, restaurants and anything of interest in this region, her name and face are famous. Retailers and chefs fall over themselves to get into her good graces. I was the fortunate beneficiary of the attention being paid Erica at yesterday’s lunch.

So, the food and generosity were amazing, but spending time with this dynamic woman surpassed even that. Erica had heard me speak a year or so ago at the Reinvention Convention at the Water’s Edge. We’ve had a correspondence since then, and this was our first sit-down. Sparks flew. We’re looking to co-create an event in the Guilford/Lyme region. Any thoughts?

In the meantime, sign up to be on Erica’s e-list so you’ll be the first to know about everything worth doing along I-95 northeast of New Haven (until Erica broadens her reach, that is!).