We are pretty serious foodies.
The White Hart Inn in Salisbury, CT is a great place to stay and has excellent food. (near Hotchkiss and Salisbury).
The area is pretty but very rural.
I think the best location is Lawrenceville, 5 min from downtown Princeton (via shuttle) which is charming and has so much to offer. Favorite restaurant in Princeton is Agricole.
I think Wallingford is a bit run down and sad, but on the plus side it practically envelops the campus and the kids like the fact that the town is considered part of the campus. Haven’t tried J Christian’s.
The town of Groton is not as rural as Salisbury, it is more suburban/rural. Love the decor and setting at Gibbet Hill Grill, but IMHO the food was good, not great.
Exeter has some great antique shopping but I think the restaurant scene is better in nearby Portsmouth, eg Moxy, Black Trumpet, etc