Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

By Charles Dubow
Photographs by Jim Henkens

Part of what makes The Pink House restaurant in West Cornwall so charming is its relative seclusion. It’s the kind of hidden gem that makes a trip so worthwhile, like finding that perfect beachside Caribbean café down the end of a sandy road. You walk in with modest expectations and walk away congratulating yourself on having just made a terrific discovery.

For years, tiny West Cornwall was somewhat of a food desert. To be sure, the celebrated RSVP is there but reservations are hard to come by. That’s why The Pink House, with its mellow vibe, open deck, and exciting menu (dinner and brunch), has been so welcome since it opened in 2024. When it temporarily closed in late 2025, it seemed as though yet another beloved eatery had become a victim of harsh economic reality.

Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. “We lost our chef and had to shut down for more than two months,” says Marina Muñoz, a former stylist who is the restaurant’s co-owner, general manager, and overall guiding light. “It was hard, but the community was so supportive. Then we were able to get CJ and everything worked out. Our team has never been stronger.”

That would be CJ Barroso, who ran the kitchen so beautifully at The Lost Fox Inn in Litchfield. Born and raised in the Philippines, Barroso’s cooking blends his taste for world flavors with the bounty from our local farms. He’s also the kind of chef who creates items on a menu that I would normally never order but which invariably turn out amazing. “I’ve always challenged myself to create vegan dishes,” he says. “For example, this spring I am doing a simple fava bean hummus served with pickled vegetables, and house-made chips seasoned with West Cornwall spice, which is my take on Old Bay seasoning.” He also makes an incredibly delicious sweet potato mash with brown butter, Aleppo pepper, thyme, and hazelnuts. Just wow.

Other highlights from the menu are a lobster and crab croquette with ramp aioli and a simple herb salad; a garam masala roasted half-chicken with new potatoes, asparagus, and peas with spring onion salsa verde; and a Moroccan beef stew, with potato gnocchi, spring vegetables, and mustard frills, made with a warmly aromatic North African spice blend called ras el hanout that combines cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. Of course, if you are in the mood for something a bit less exotic, order the smash burger with rosemary fries and garlic aioli. Seriously good.

And while I would never advise against anyone ordering one of bartender Ashley’s excellent Martinis, with many people drinking less alcohol these days, Muñoz has put more emphasis on mocktails and tea. “We offer these incredible loose-leaf blends from In Pursuit of Tea, which you can enjoy here or buy from our pantry,” she says. “See this Lapsang Souchong? It’s from the Tengmu Reserve, which is the region in China where the tea was originally grown.” A morning coffee service now runs Monday and Wednesday through Friday. Bring a laptop. Stay awhile.

The Pink House, 34 Lower River Rd., West Cornwall—thepinkhousect.com

 By Charles Dubow

Photographs by Sundae Media

You know you’ve had a really excellent meal when all you can talk about on the drive home from the restaurant is how much you can’t wait to go back again. That was the experience my wife, Melinda, and I had the other night returning from Cowboy Butter, the new(ish) barbecue restaurant in New Milford.

Opened this past July on Bank Street, it is the latest offering from Jeff Schmidt and his partner Nicole Minard, whose Waterbury barbecue joint, Hindsight, has been winning raves since 2020. “I sort of backed into this whole barbecue thing,” says Schmidt, a genial, bearded bear of a man. “It was a hobby at first—until it wasn’t.” A local boy, Schmidt comes from a restaurant background. His mother, Jayne Lanphear, is co-owner of @The Corner in Litchfield. “I was a restaurant rat. Basically I grew up doing my homework in the booths,” he laughs.

When he decided to get serious about barbecue, he went to Austin, Texas, where he learned the ropes at the Michelin-starred LeRoy & Lewis, and then followed up by studying with a Kansas City pit master. “The craft barbecue community is pretty tight. Everybody knows everybody else. So I was able to pick up all different kinds of techniques. That’s why we offer a little bit of everything. But it still comes down to starting around 4 or 5 in the morning and living that wood-smoke lifestyle.”

For Schmidt’s patrons, I can easily say that he and his team’s hard work really pays off. To start we had Texas Twinkies that, as one might assume, have nothing to do with the Hostess sponge cake. Instead these are a thing in Texas, and Cowboy Butter’s version is piquant, smoked, bacon-wrapped jalapeños stuffed with brisket and cheese, with a lime crema for dipping. Insanely good. Of course, we also had to have their melt-in-your-mouth burnt ends (glazed smoked pork belly with Whistlepig BBQ sauce) “Cowboy Candy” bacon jam, and pork rind cracklins. Now, normally when tasting a restaurant’s menu I try not to overeat—but in this case I couldn’t help myself, and polished everything off.

We still had plenty of room, though, which was a good thing because next up came a sampling of smoked meats, which is the primary reason to come to a barbecue restaurant—and Cowboy Butter did not disappoint. The prime beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, and baby back pork ribs were succulent, tangy, and perfectly cooked. (Meats are also available by the pound or full rack, to eat in or take out.) Other carnivorous highlights on the menu include their chimichurri tri-tip, Cowboy Butter steak, Cowboy Ribeye, and their decadent hand-cut beef tallow fries. And while it might seem silly to order a burger in a barbecue joint, do yourself a favor and order their American Wagyu Butter Burger. With cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and garlic aioli on a seeded toasted bun, it’s one of the best I’ve ever eaten.

Cowboy Butter, 59 Bank St.,
New Milford—cowboybutterbbq.com

Pizza Perfection
Pizzeria Marzano Voted Litchfield’s Best

Photograph by Lisa Nichols

By Charles Dubow

People tend to have very strong opinions about pizza. Deep dish or New York-style? Is pineapple an acceptable topping? Avocado? Clams? Thick crust or thin? Well, vox populi vox dei, the readers of Litchfield Magazine made their preference very clear when they voted Pizzeria Marzano in Torrington the best in the county.

When Marzano’s owner Jonni Eucalitto opened in 2009, he knew he was offering customers something different. “At the time, pretty much every pizzeria in Litchfield County was serving Greek-style pizza,” says the Torrington native, referring to heavier pies that feature thick, soft crusts. “They hadn’t been exposed to Neapolitan-style craft pizza yet. We use a woodfired brick oven that is kept at 800 degrees. 

“At first people were skeptical of black blisters and bubbles on their crust. But then they tasted it.”

Marzano’s dough is made from all-natural, non-GMO Caputo “00” heritage wheat flour imported from Italy, which imparts just the right balance of chewiness and crispness. “It’s all about the ingredients,” says Eucalitto. “What we don’t make ourselves or source from local farms is all Italian. There’s nothing jarred, nothing canned, nothing artificial.”

How did Eucalitto learn so much about pizza? “I took off from college and backpacked around Italy. When I ran out of money in Naples, a guy who owned a pizzeria let me work there, and I wound up staying and learned the craft.” In fact both Eucalitto and his uncle Chris are “pizzaioli,” trained by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, which maintains the highest standards for authentic pizza making. 

“I was amazed that I could actually eat two pizzas and not feel sick afterward,” he says of eating Italian style. “That’s because the pies were so much lighter, and the ingredients were so fresh. When we first opened, I didn’t do take-out; our pies are best when they are right out of the oven. But then I gave in, and now we do take out. I just hope people don’t have to travel too far.”

On any given night, it’s clear the decision to do take-out was the right move. A steady stream of customers walks through the doors to eat in or take away. The pies, in the Neapolitan tradition, are not the massive cheesy manhole covers with which most Americans are familiar. The 13-inch pies are delicate, slightly charred yet soft in the center, and absolutely delicious. Eucalitto offers both Pizza Rossa and Pizza Bianca, including many classics such as a Margherita with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella di bufala (the traditional cheese of Naples), fresh basil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; and the Quattro Formaggi, with mozzarella, fontinella, gorgonzola, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, topped with fresh basil, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.

Other favorites include The Jonni (fresh mozzarella, spicy Italian salami, prosciutto, pesto, fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil) and The New Yorker, with scamorza (aged mozzarella), fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of tomato sauce, chopped sweet soppressata, and pepperoncini—finished with oregano, Mike’s Hot Honey and burrata cheese. 

Pizzeria Marzano, 1315 E. Main St., Torrington

—pizzeriamarzano.com

52 Years of the Fife ’n Drum

By Charles Dubow
Photographs by Jim Henkens

Watching Elissa Potts prepare her famous roast half duck flambé tableside is to see a master at work. The confident way she swirls the pan and ignites the duck with a blue flame is pure restaurant theater—and the result is absolutely delicious. Of course, as the owner of celebrated local favorite Fife ’n Drum in Kent she’s had a lot of practice. “How many times have I done this?” she laughs. “Try at least once a day six days a week for 52 years.”

Potts’s father, Dolph Traymon, opened the Fife back in 1973, well before the Litchfield Hills became the popular weekend destination it is today. “There weren’t many other fine dining establishments up here back then,” she says. “And none are still owned by the same family.”

And Potts is a hands-on owner. When not making the duck—or the filet au poivre or Caesar salad tableside, while wearing the same blue striped shirt and necktie as the rest of her veteran staff—she’s waiting tables and chatting with her legion of regular customers. Her presence is part of the Fife’s charm, along with the dark wood paneling and beams, roaring fireplace, and the always-busy long bar that give the place its authentic old-school ambience.

What also makes dining at the Fife so special is its consistency. For more than a half-century—such longevity is remarkable in the restaurant world—it has continued to serve reliably delicious classic American cuisine. There is nothing innovative on the menu. Nothing is cooked sous vide or with liquid nitrogen. In addition to its tableside favorites, highlights from the menu include the pan-seared pork chop in a cherry port wine sauce, the blackened salmon with a fresh herb chimichurri sauce, chicken parm over linguini, and steak frites. A special treat served only on Fridays is the roast prime rib au jus, cooked to pink perfection. For a more casual meal, you can’t go wrong with their French dip, corned beef Reuben or Cowboy Burger, made with cheddar, bacon, BBQ sauce, and onion rings.

Because Dolph Traymon was a Juilliard-educated pianist who accompanied such greats as Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee before opening the Fife, it soon became known not just for its food but also for live music. For years, Traymon himself on the Fife’s Steinway piano was the main entertainment. After his death in 2016, such local musicians as David Grausman (winner of Litchfield Magazine’s 2025 Reader’s Choice award for Best Musician) and Potts’s husband, George, a talented guitarist, have become regular attractions.

Traymon ’s other significant legacy is the Fife’s 7,000 bottle wine cellar, which is known for both its selection of many of the world’s greatest wines—for example, a nearly complete range of Opus One dating back to 1984 and a plethora of regal Bordeaux and Burgundies—and the reasonableness of its prices. Unsurprisingly, this cellar, which rivals any found in New York City, has been awarded Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence every year since 1992. 

Fife ’n Drum Restaurant, 5 Main St. —fifendrum.com

“I normally don’t like octopus, but this is amazing,” said my wife, Melinda, the other night while dining at Litchfield’s Belden House & Mews. We had ordered it because the two women at the table next to us raved about it. Too often octopus is overcooked and chewy, but this was perfection: lightly charred on the outside, succulent on the inside, and enhanced with charred eggplant and smoked yogurt. Delicious.

In fact, the whole meal was delicious—and different. Chef Tyler Heckman is doing something very creative in the kitchen, and his food defies easy categorization. Like many chefs, he uses seasonal ingredients sourced from local farms—but he then gives them interesting little tweaks that make every dish distinctive. For example, one of the starters is six fresh Pink Moon oysters from Prince Edward Island that—instead of being served with traditional mignonette sauce—come with homemade green strawberry sauce, with horseradish jam for an extra kick.

For 11 years before coming to Litchfield, Heckman (who is a Connecticut native and a UConn grad) worked in New York City at such celebrated kitchens as El Quijote, Toro, Ferris, and Villanelle. “I saw a lot of creativity go away in the city,” he says. “Everyone was chasing the latest trend. My style is unique. I am all about flavor, and work really hard to find the right balance of ingredients—like tonight’s braised short rib. For a while, I was serving them with sour cherry, cipollini onion, and black garlic; but tonight I used persimmon and sunchoke, which is not something you would normally think of but I think it really works.” It really does. The short ribs are fantastic.

Heckman’s most recent stop was at Troutbeck in Amenia, New York, where he worked while the 19th-century Belden House was being renovated. This is important to note, as Troutbeck and Belden have the same owners, and both have benefitted from the interior design work of owners Champalimaud Design, which did the extremely comfortable yet chic dining room and its bijou bar. (A note about the bar: The wine list is not extensive, but smart and well-priced, and all spirits are from small producers.)

Back to the food. Unless you are allergic to gluten, you must order the sourdough focaccia, which is warm and light and airy and crunchy and moist. Served with koji cultured butter, it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. (I know the old saw about not filling up on bread but in this case go ahead and carbo load.)  Speaking of carbs, the fresh pastas are also terrific. On the night we were there we had the cappelletti with local mushrooms and a rich parmesan broth, and a piquant squid ink chitarra with ’nduja salami and razor clams.

Because Belden House is a 31-room inn, it is open seven days a week—and also provides breakfast and lunch, which are more casual but no less carefully conceived. Fortunately, the focaccia is also available at lunch.

Belden House & Mews, 31 North St., Litchfield. —beldenhouse.com

The Mayflower’s New Bloom
Luke Dowdy is the luxury inn’s talented new chef

By Charles Dubow
Photographs by Ryan Lavine

For many who frequent Litchfield County, the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington has a well-earned reputation as one of our most beautiful, not to mention luxurious, properties. Originally opened in 1920, it has become an institution of sorts, a place where for generations both locals and out-of-towners have come to celebrate milestone events; birthdays, weddings, graduations, engagements. But it is also a place where people can roll up to the cozy Tap Room to enjoy a casual meal and a cocktail for no reason at all. 

This past summer the owners, Auberge Resorts Collection, brought in a talented new chef who has made dining at the Mayflower better than ever.

Luke Dowdy, 34, is a veteran of both the Thomas Keller Group and Jean-Georges. He also started as the chef of Keswick Hall, a luxury inn in Charlottesville, Va., which taught him about the particular demands associated with serving sophisticated clientele at a high-end hotel. Most recently, he was chef at The Parlour Room Bar and Grill in Midtown Manhattan. 

“It was a great place to work, but then a recruiter reached out to me about the Mayflower, and it was too good an opportunity to pass up.” So he packed up his wife and young children, and moved to Litchfield County.

Originally from Virginia, Dowdy got his start cooking in his mother’s restaurant when he was 14, and eventually wound up in Myrtle Beach. “There was one place called Nacho Hippo,” he laughed. “It was a Tex-Mex place. We made all our food from scratch using the best locally sourced ingredients. We could have bought bulk guacamole but ours was so much better. It taught me never to cut corners.”

He also credits the rigor that he learned under Chef Keller. “Everything has to live up to a 3 Michelin Star standard. Make it the best you can. It doesn’t matter what you are cooking, it should all be made to the best of your ability.”

Since arriving at the Mayflower in July, he has already had a positive impact on the menu, which has been streamlined and simplified. One of his new dishes is a basil-infused oven-roasted Maine lobster entrée, served with avocado, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and sweet corn gazpacho. It was a unique and absolutely delicious spin on everyone’s favorite crustacean—fresh, light, and succulent. 

Other highlights include the toothsome 12-ounce rib eye, with stewed peppers, tomatoes, and Tap Room butter; the grilled free-range chicken with toasted orzo, black garlic-eggplant purée, and baby zucchini; and the Raven & Boar Heritage Pork Chop (from Columbia County, New York), served with charred lemon, roasted fingerling potato salad, and chicories. 

And, at the risk of sounding hopelessly pedestrian, his Mayflower Burger is a triumph. Loaded with American and cheddar cheese, lettuce, heirloom tomato, pickles, red onion, and his signature Tavern Sauce, it was one of the best I’ve ever eaten. Welcome Chef Luke, here’s to the Mayflower’s bright future!

Mayflower Inn & Spa, 118 Woodbury Road, Washington 

—aubergeresorts.com

By Elizabeth Maker

Photographs by Visko Hatfield

It was a wild toss, opening a high-end restaurant in the hinterlands of Litchfield 35 years ago. There were maybe more farm trucks than Ferraris passing through town, and it didn’t seem most folks were drawn to fancy food.

But the Irish-born restaurateur James O’Shea, who then weekended in Warren with his husband, Charlie Kafferman, had a hunch that many with second homes hidden in the hills of the 26-town Litchfield County wanted something more. 

“It was a culinary backwater,” he says, sharing memories on West Street Grill’s anniversary this year in May. “Something of a gamble, but it felt right.”

O’Shea, who had run acclaimed eateries in Ireland and New York, quickly attracted a loyal patronage including local luminaries like William Styron, Arthur Miller, Joan Rivers and Richard Widmark. The tables where those late, great legends sat now attract neighboring stars such as Kevin Bacon, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Anderson Cooper. Meryl Streep of Salisbury is a regular,  and people like George Clooney, Bill Murray, and Russell Crowe have been known to grace the door.

But celebrity status is universal once you enter through the drapes of the clubby boite overlooking the historic Litchfield Green. “Everyone is treated the same, like you’re the most important, adored person,” says Daniel Glass, CEO of Glassnote Records, who’s been dining at the Grill with his wife, Deborah, since it opened in 1990. Glass, who’s signed some of the biggest names in music, including the Grammy-winning Mumford & Sons, goes to the Grill “whenever possible” when at home in Washington, he says. “We go with our two kids, three grandkids, anyone who’s in town visiting. The freshest fish, the best burgers anywhere, the incredible vegetarian and vegan dishes. It’s absolutely our favorite place.”

The Grill has long been hailed for its healthy, creative cuisine, winning awards nationwide. It was ranked one of America’s top 50 restaurants by Conde Nast Traveler, and voted the No. 1 New American Restaurant by Zagat Survey, which said, “This is the restaurant that changed Connecticut dining forever.”

At a recent dinner there, O’Shea regaled us with cocktails or mocktails, then a multi-course, wine-paired repast that included their signature cheesy charred peasant bread, mussels, Brussells sprouts, cauliflower tempura, mushroom ravioli, braised short ribs, and housemade vegan desserts: a trifecta of fruity sorbets and decadent chocolate mousse cake.

He lifted the glass off of our house-smoked Atlantic salmon, a mystical plume of heat rising above it. “It’s all about the purity and integrity of the freshest ingredients available,” he says. Wild-caught fish is delivered daily, and produce is procured whenever possible from local farms.

O’Shea knew he leaned vegan as a child growing up at his family’s seaside farm in Kenmare. “My father said, ‘James! You’re eating all the vegetables! I’m going to have to throw you over the hill with the rabbits, and you can nibble on lettuce all the day long!’”

Now, the Grill has an ever-growing cadre of younger community fans, like Litchfield financier Abraham Joseph, who goes almost every Friday after his kids’ sports practices at Rumsey Hall School in Washington. “The boys basically have a standing order for the lava cake,” he says. “The quality and execution of the food is perfection. And, sophisticated as it is, you feel like you’re home.”—weststreetgrill.com

In Mexican culture, La Catrina is a female skeleton that is a ubiquitous symbol for the Day of the Dead festival, when people dress up, party, feast, and remember loved ones who have died. It is also the name and inspiration for a terrific new Mexican restaurant in Bantam.

Opened in September 2024 by husband-and-wife team Enrique and Consuelo Estrada, La Catrina of Bantam is not your typical Mexican restaurant. To be sure, it does offer excellent margaritas, guacamole, and burritos, but chef Enrique has worked hard to infuse his own Asian-inspired spin on his dishes. For one appetizer, he takes shredded chicken with a classic mole sauce, and wraps it in pillowy, handmade bao buns. 

Equally innovative are his Asian duck tacos with hoisin barbecue sauce, spicy guacamole, and pico de gallo, served on a wonton shell; or the crispy calamari served with salted peanuts, cilantro, and sweet-and-spicy Thai habanero sauce. 

One of La Catrina’s most popular dishes is a miso-glazed salmon with stir-fried vegetables and crispy edamame dumplings. On the other end of the culinary spectrum, they also make a mean half-pound burger with caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickle, fries, and chipotle mayo on toasted potato bun. It is also worth mentioning that the bar offers more than 20 different tequilas.

I would be remiss if I did not also praise their more traditional fare. The cochinita pibil—braised pork shoulder with pickled red onions and soft tortillas—is one of my favorite Mexican dishes, and I highly recommend it. Also worth trying are the Sopa Azteca: shredded chicken and crispy tortilla soup with cotija cheese, crema fresca, avocado, and ancho chile (served in handmade bowls shaped like La Catrina herself); the flounder al pastor, with organic red quinoa, corn esquites, and orange beurre  blanc; and the shrimp and octopus ceviche.

Much of the quite beautiful crockery was sourced by Consuelo in Mexico. She is also responsible for the dramatically colorful décor, which, unsurprisingly, prominently features many iterations of La Catrina. 

“I started in the restaurant business in 1993, washing dishes,” says Enrique. “I never had any formal training, but I worked my way up.” He spent much of his career working for restaurant management group Fort Pond Bay Company, which operates restaurants in Westchester and Long Island. “But my real love for cooking came from being in the kitchen with my mother when I was a boy. When we opened La Catrina, I wanted to combine my experience with basic Mexican recipes from my childhood.”

What drew the Estradas to Litchfield County in the first place? “I wanted to open my own place; we knew Westchester, so we were going to go there. But then some friends of ours who live here introduced us to the area, and we fell in love with it.” 

The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and for brunch on the weekend. La Catrina of Bantam, 810 Bantam Road.—lacatrinabantam.com

Make Yourself at Home at The Owl Wine & Food Bar

Breezy Comfort at a New Preston Eatery 

By Michelle Madden

Photos by Ryan Lavine

Perched on a hill in New Preston sits The Owl Wine & Food Bar, which happens to serve some of the best pizza in town—earning it Litchfield Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Award for Best Pizzeria. It’s a cozy local eatery that is elevated but casual, that welcomes you into its nest and makes you never want to leave. 

Owner Ryan Cangello came from New York City in 2016, first as a weekender and then full time in 2020. He joined forces with John Bourdeau, who had begun The Owl, and then bought him out in 2023. Cangello’s overarching commitment is to create a place where everyone feels welcome. “I used to be in musical theater. The Owl is my stage, and everyone is on it with me. We are family here.”

Cangello grew up with a Lebanese mother and Italian father, where food was love. “Sundays I would pull up a chair and watch my mother cook. She would add fresh parsley to her manicotti—which was always my birthday-request meal.”

The heart of The Owl is a small room with an exposed stone wall, wooden beams, and a wine bar. A fire warms you in the winter, the rocky wall cools you in the summer. A distressed, diamond-patterned floor looks like it’s been walked on by country squires for hundreds of years. (The former home was built in 1870). 

Extending from this nook is an inside-outside porch. The floor, with loosely inlaid stones, is reminiscent of an Italian hillside. A low stone wall secures the perimeter, and in the summer the breeze wafts through. At the top of the steps sits an expansive, shady patio where on summer evenings you’ll find  Blood Orange Cosmos or Aunt Sassy Margaritas being sipped. 

The Owl has polish without feeling fussy. The crockery has a fresh-from-the-kiln vibe; the wooden boards for the flat bread are crude and asymmetrical; the floors are weathered and worn. Tyler Juraska, the bartender, is tattooed and wears his turquoise hair with hipster confidence. With skinny black lamps dimly lighting every table, the mood is set. 

Oh, and the food: It’s outstanding. The Cobb salad is light with a subtle truffle vinaigrette. The Bang Bang Cauliflower, with just enough heat, is a must-order. Your mouth will sink into the short rib sliders and never want to let go. The meatballs have just the right amount of garlic and—with a light tomato sauce and dollop of ricotta on top—closely resemble a savory cupcake. Order enough for everyone.

Though it’s not exclusively a pizzeria, there is a reason The Owl wins awards for its pies. The crust is thin, with black blisters from its time in the oven. The Bee Sting and the San Genarro are two of the most popular; the Emilia tastes like a summer garden. 

Nothing is perfect about this place—and that’s what makes it perfect. When you come, leave your heels behind, but bring your dog. They’re family too.

The Owl is now open for Sunday brunch.—owlnewpreston.com

The Owl Wine & Food Bar, 18 East Shore Road, New Preston

Into the Woodland Restaurant

A Lakeville Favorite Continues To Thrive

By Charles Dubow

Photographs by Ryan Lavine

The Northwest Corner of Litchfield County has been blessed over the years with a number of excellent restaurants. Unfortunately, most of them don’t last. It’s not easy to keep a restaurant going, which is why when a restaurant can not only survive but also thrive for more than 40 years, it is a testament to the excellence of its food and to the loyalty of its staff and patrons.

That is the fortunate position in which The Woodland, in Lakeville, finds itself. Once a little burger shack catering to hungry students from The Hotchkiss School (just up the road), The Woodland was born in 1983, when Carol Peters expanded the shack into a charming roadside bistro offering beautifully cooked seasonal American food. Later, sushi was added to the menu.

For years it was almost impossible to get a table between Friday and Monday. The restaurant and its bar were always packed with a mix of locals, Hotchkiss parents and students, or weekenders looking to unwind over the superb steak au poivre or pan-seared chicken, with a bottle of Vieux Telegraphe, a Barbaresco, or a Napa cab (the wine list is superb and varied).

Other favorites include the truffled Parmesan fries with garlic aioli, the roasted beet salad, the pistachio-crusted salmon, and the best Wiener schnitzel this side of Stuttgart. In the mood for something Asian? The sushi offerings are among the finest in the county. 

In addition to its regular menu, there is always a plethora of daily specials.

What makes The Woodland’s longevity even more impressive is the fact that it could have all ended when chef/owner Robert Peters (who had taken over from his sister Carol) died of cancer in 2021. Fortunately, Robert’s friend, the chef Brandon Scimeca, was on hand to pick up the ball. “The restaurant never closed for a day,” he says. “I kept it running for a year before I was able to buy it.” Scimeca, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of the legendary Chez Panisse in Berkeley, has lived in the area for 20 years, and runs a catering business in Millbrook called Hunt & Harvest. 

He knew the restaurant well, having informally consulted on the menu and décor with Robert after he took it over from Carol. (They met when Scimeca was working at the nearby Interlaken Inn; Robert was his sous-chef.) 

Later, as Robert’s illness progressed, Scimeca came to help out in the kitchen. 

“I got a feel for the legacy of The Woodland,” he says. “I’m not here to change it. I moved the menu forward without sacrificing what it stood for. We have so many loyal regulars who have been coming for years; many even have standing reservations. This is a great institution for our area. I love it. It’s homey and familiar. It’s 40 years of different ideas all mashed together, but somehow it works.” 

Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday; lunch is served Thursday through Sunday. Reservations are recommended.

The Woodland, 192 Sharon Road, Lakeville

—thewoodlandrestaurant.com