2020 has brought a lot of ups and downs. We are elated to bring you one of the ups! Dining in Mystic just got a whole lot more exciting. Okay, it was already pretty awesome. Sixteen restaurants within ¼ of a mile in a quintessential New England town isn’t something that travelers expect to see. So how can we make it an even more of a foodie destination? The Whaler’s Inn has the answer with the opening of The Shipwright’s Daughter.
Step 1:
Renovate a beautiful building (c. 1910) and instill back even more charm and character.
Erica and Mike from Assembly Design Studio helped create an upscale and modern restaurant while still 
keeping (or adding back in) every bit of charm into the Main Inn. With 14 guestrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor, this building has housed a variety of businesses on the ground level. A hardware store, soda shop, bagel café, multiple restaurants and jewelers have all called this building home. Guests of The Whaler’s Inn within the past 20 years would know this area of the hotel as the former lobby and breakfast room. With the help of the incredible team from local company, Ground Up Construction, we were able to transform our dreams from paper to reality. All of this was done with the history of the building in mind and ultimate desire of honoring the sacrifices of Mystic’s Sea Captains and Shipwrights.
Step 2:
Entice a chef from a Michelin Star restaurant in New York City to move his family to Mystic CT.
This was a bit of a hunt. Luckily, we know people who know people. A friend of Mystic and The Whaler’s Inn, who also happens to be a social media influencer/Uber driver (like “Me You and Old Blue” on Instagram), knew a guy. He came to us a stranger but very quickly became part of The Whaler’s Inn family.
Chef David Standridge spent 13-years in New York City at restaurants including Market Table, Café Clover, Clover Grocery and Maidstone Hotel. He earned two Michelin Stars with Culinary Icon Joel Robuchon. Also, if you don’t know the history of the Michelin Star system here is a link to a great resource (spoiler alert: it has to do with Michelin Tires!), but we digress. His culinary roots start with his Italian mother and her slow-cooked Sunday meals and his deep southern roots on his father’s side. David grew up in the northern Appalachian Mountains where berry foraging and freshwater fishing were part of daily life. He has used these talents to bless Mystic with mouth-watering dishes sure to be one of the best meals you’ve had in a long time (if not ever).
Step 3:
Create a farm to table restaurant with delicious cuisine, delectable drinks, and a to-die-for atmosphere. 
Buy from local farmers? Check! Bring in straight off the boat local seafood? Check! Grow our own garden? Sure why not. The Shipwright’s Daughter menu is constantly evolving in order to use the resources quite literally in our backyard. Using fresh and house-made ingredients Chef David creates amazing seafood, pasta, and vegetarian dishes. Our favorites so far include Max’s Tomatoes with Whipped Ricotta, Mini-Lobster Rolls, and Joyce Farm’s Grass Fed Ribeye.
You can’t wash down food like this with any run-of-the-mill cocktail. The mixologists and Sommelier have curated a masterpiece menu of delectable concoctions and perfect wine pairings. Specializing in gin cocktails with mixers that make your senses tingle, the bartenders at The Shipwright’s Daughter practice with an expertise previously unknown to Mystic’s taste buds.
Step 4:
Because if that isn’t enough excitement for you, we gave The Shipwright’s Daughter a Lil’ Sis.
It’s Summer so why not offer some outdoor dining. Visit Lil’s Sis, a gourmet version of your Lobster Shack favorites and New England classics. A more causal menu, but the same gourmet flair, the Lil’ Sis pop-up restaurant will run as long as the warm days allow!
There you have it. We just made dining in Mystic a whole lot more exciting. Be sure to ask for your breakfast or dinner reservations when booking your next visit to The Whaler’s Inn. Not staying at the Inn? No problem. The Shipwright’s Daughter welcomes locals and travelers 7-days a week for Breakfast and Tuesday-Sunday for Dinner.
The Facts:
The Shipwright’s Daughter is open 7 days a week for Breakfast and Tuesday-Sunday for Dinner. Visit their website or give them a call to find out more.
Lil’ Sis is open for Lunch and Dinner Tuesday-Sunday weather permitting. Reservations are not accepted.
