Charles Dubow

One visit to New Milford’s Good Eats Restaurant & Bar is enough to convince any diner why it deserves being voted into Litchfield Magazine’s Reader’s Choice issue for two years in a row. Under the ownership of Edward Maynard and Brian Cabrera, chef Kevin DeLuca’s inventive spin on traditional American food makes everything that comes out of his kitchen special. Take, for example, the humble pita; in his hands this pillowy, chewy bread comes out grilled and served with a side of whipped butter, honey, radish, and Maldon salt. So simple yet so creative. Similarly, his pork belly “Scotched Egg”with daikon radish and honey crisp apple elevates this pub staple to gourmet levels. Even his hamburger, served with cheddar cheese, house-made kimchi, Asian pickles and scallion ginger aioli, is utterly unique and absolutely delicious. The same can be said for everything else on the menu. 

DeLuca’s interest in imbuing Asian flavors into his cooking grew from his time working under James Beard-nominee Doris Choi at Silvia in Woodstock. “I’ve become more adventurous since we opened and our guests seem to like it,” he says. “We change our menu quarterly and spend a lot of time tweaking our dishes to get them just right.” At this rate I expect Good Eats to keep winning a Reader’s Choice award for many years to come. Open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. 

300 Kent Road, New Milford, goodeatsrestaurant.com, 860-799-6611