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

A Head Chef Reveals His Purpose and Passion
By Michelle Madden
Photos by Rana Faure

Community Table: The hip, locavore restaurant that is restrained yet warm, and where community is a religion. The dishes are plated on local pottery, the walls dressed with art from neighborhood galleries, the ingredients sourced from local farms, and the chairs warmed by sheepskins—well, OK, those are Swedish. 

Bolivar Hilario, the head chef, brings this same sensibility. Within minutes of meeting, you feel his warmth, and sense the passion and integrity he has around his cooking and the community. “A chef’s personality is on the plate,” Jo-Ann Makovitzky, the managing partner, explains. “Bolivar is very personable, gentle, and cerebral, and it shows in his food.”  

 This is a second act for Hilario. He arrived at Community Table in 2016, quickly becoming sous chef (after working at South End in New Canaan.) He left to broaden his technique in New York at Chumley’s, Michelin-star The Musket Room, and Shoji––where he picked up a Japanese (cooking) accent. He returned to Connecticut via SWYFT and its sister restaurant, Ore Hill––soon advancing to chef. He has taken the helm at Community Table with a sense of purpose, and an eagerness to leave a mark. 

“Every chef has a signature,” he explains. “For me it’s kombu dashi”––a Japanese soup stock made by cooking seaweed for four hours, to extract its essence. Seventy-five percent of Hilario’s dishes get a dose of dashi—a natural way of augmenting flavor and adding umami.

Hilario’s menu is built on a foundation of sustainably produced local foods, while pulling in a bit of French, a bit of Mexican, and a significant helping of Japanese. Take the Head-on Prawns (a favorite dish, though not always on the menu). The dashi is made from the prawn shells; the butter is infused with the dashi; the finishing is done on a Japanese bincho grill; and a Mexican hot guajillo chile oil is drizzled around the plate. The Heirloom Tomato Salad begins with local tomatoes and tomatillos (Mexican inspired, locally sourced), lying on a smear of buttermilk and maple syrup (French technique), while topped with a Japanese-inspired smoky gelee, made with seaweed, bonito flakes, vinegar and… kombu-dashi. “When people see this on the menu, and then see the dish, there is a big element of surprise. That’s what I aim for,” Hilario says with a grin.

“What inspires me?” the chef ponders. “Landscapes, nature. I created a dish that was inspired by spring days when green shoots are coming up––and then it snows.” Not surprisingly, foraging is also core to Hilario’s process. “Watercress and ramps in the spring, Black Trumpet and Pheasant Back mushrooms in the summer––you can find them in the woods around here.”

Spending time with Hilario makes you wonder if this strict adherence to principles is what actually fuels his creativity. In the kitchen awaits a trolley with aluminum trays stacked high. One holds freshly discarded onion skins (for making onion dashi); another––black charred onion skins (to make ash that’s sifted on top of lamb); and a third––something translucent-green. “Oh, that’s potatoes and water blended with leftover green onions and rolled out on a sheet,” says Hilario. “I’m not quite sure how I’m going to use it yet.” I look forward to the surprise.
Community Table, 223 Litchfield Turnpike, New Preston. —communitytablect.com

A Golf Course Offers a Hidden Treat for Diners
By Michelle Madden

Clubhouse Provisions, the (public) restaurant at Stonybrook Golf in Litchfield, is one of those places that, when you go, you can’t believe you’ve never been. Take a five-minute detour off Route 202, and when you see a big, gray weathered barn with Stonybrook written on the side, you’re there.

The kitchen is overseen by executive chef Jonathan Philips, who hails from Massachusetts, where his former restaurant earned awards such as Best of Boston and Chef of the Year for Cape Cod (twice). His wife, Jill, is a PGA golfer and the family owns the golf course. This was bound to happen. 

The barn was once a chicken coop. The chickens moved out in the ‘50s, to make way for the golfers, who have now made way for the diners. There are soaring ceilings with rustic crossbeams, and open HVAC that asserts itself in a must-see kind of way. Large drum-shaped pendant lights hang from above, lending a modern flair. Panoramic windows grant you unlimited views of the greens, and with no wicker in sight, the room is more hip dining than New England country club. It’s welcoming, fashionable, and down-home––all at once.

Usually I encourage restraint when it comes to bread before dinner, but not here. The baguette comes out warm, and is sourced from Bakehouse Bread in Litchfield. Philips’ grandfather, a baker in Boston, would have been proud.  

The menu offerings are appropriately pitched to the palates of both the very hungry, looking for American-style fuel, and those in the mood for something lighter. For the former, there is the attention-grabbing smash burger and the giant crispy chicken sandwich that both come with a basket of thick-cut fries. “I serve a lot of burgers and chicken sandwiches after 7 pm,” says Philips, “and it’s not to the golfers.”    

Much of the menu is  Asian-themed (an interest and specialty of the chef’s). The miso-marinate black cod is moist and highly flavorful, and sits on sautéed bok choy and a crispy rice cake. The Thai calamari salad consists of lightly fried calamari, with spinach leaves, a hint of grapefruit, and a smattering of peanut bits. The Japanese-style rice bowl comes with perfectly cooked blackened shrimp, and a spicy sauce that’ll wake you up. The General Tso’s brussels sprouts are dense with flavor. Get them as a side and don’t hold back. The dumplings have a delicious spicy pork filling, enveloped in a thick wrapper of dough. 

When asked if you’d like dessert, say yes. The crème brûlée is one of the best and most original I’ve experienced. It is cut with a hint of orange zest that elevates it far above the ordinary.

For the midweek crowd, Tuesday to Thursday is the Two-Buck Shuck (oysters). Sunday Supper is three-course, family-style, prix-fixe, with a menu that changes monthly.

There were no real surprises on the menu, but that’s part of the appeal—that and the fact that you will feel you just unearthed a hidden gem when you roll up. Golf cart not required.—stonybrookgolfct.com/restaurant.

Southern Hospitality Comes to Town

By Michelle Madden 

The other night at Joseph Yorio’s new high-end barbecue joint in New Milford, I was reminded of the universal pleasure of licking food off your fingers. The Cue has joined the rapidly expanding hipster occupation of Bank Street and delivers down-home, affordable, Southern style cooking––seven days a week.

When you first enter The Cue, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s not what you thought. The upstairs has the vibe of “date night”, subtle blue/gray tones, quiet voices––the kind of place you’d go to escape your kids and their screens. But downstairs is where the soul lives and the South comes alive. As we descend, Honky Tonk Woman is playing, the amber bottles at the bar are glowing, and voices are unrestrained. The room is barnlike with wood plank walls, chicken-wire light fixtures with filament-exposed bulbs, and menus encased in wood. The three large screens over the bar tuned to sports, further the casual vibe, but with the volume off are unobtrusive enough.

The menu has enough to choose from but not enough to overwhelm. The empanadas are crispy and filled with juicy pulled pork. The tacos are ample, and held together by a hard corn shell that strains at the weight of their contents. The blackened shrimp sit on a bed of grits and are Cajun-hot and perfectly messy. At this point, you will likely be wishing you’d worn pants with a looser waistband. Even if you’re not a wings person, don’t skip the wings. The “Dry Rub” is so delicious, you’ll want to slow down the process simply to let the “secret formula” (a proprietary blend of salty, spicy, and sweet) amuse your mouth as long as possible. The creamed spinach was also a surprising pleasure––not too creamy, with a hint of Parmesan.

In a nod to Joseph’s Italian roots, lasagna and fettuccine have snuck in effortlessly as they adopt a Southern accent. The Smoked Lasagna with flame-kissed ricotta in particular feels right at home, and should not be missed. The fettuccine is reimagined with a generous portion of braised pork butt.

As casual as The Cue feels, there is great concern for  authenticity and culinary seriousness. The Chef de Cuisine, Philip Green, is an alumnus of Michelin Star royalty Daniel Boulud and Laurent Tourondel.  Many of the ingredients are handmade––from the margarita mix to the sauces (five different kinds), from the Dry Rub to the smoked meats themselves. Smoking is done at the restaurant’s 24-foot-long smoker––sourced in Georgia, now working in The Cue’s Danbury location. The process is overseen with the kind of care usually reserved for a newborn. The meat is tended to all day; in the middle of the night––3 am to be precise––an attendant comes to check in, and at 6 am a final visit occurs.

You get the feeling that this devotion to the craft and to the customer is something that comes easily at The Cue. Upon hearing us gush about the Dry Rub, when we were leaving, Chef Green gave us a tiny container, hand labeled, to “try out on some meat at home.” I will. And when I do, I will be reminded of why a great restaurant is so much more than its ingredients.

59 Bank Street, New Milford, 860-799-0165, thecuedanbury.com

Upscale Casual Italian in Lakeville
By Charles Dubow
Photo by Sabrina Eberhard

It’s all too rare when a restaurant’s interior is as good as its food. Located at the juncture of Sharon Road and Route 44 in the old firehouse in Lakeville, Fern is a treat for both the eye and the palate.

The fourth and latest restaurant from chef Gianni Scappin and Luciano Valdivia, the team behind Market St. in Rhinebeck and Barbaro in Millbrook, Fern’s interior looks like a combination of Soho and Santa Barbara. Directly opposite the front door, a spacious white horseshoe bar divides the room. On the left is a cozy bar area and to the right the large, white-walled, warmly-lit main dining room’s double-height ceiling creates an atmosphere that is both dramatic and airy. Along the back wall is a domed wood-burning pizza oven that is heated to 800 degrees and delivers pies at, as our waiter put it, “mach speed.” Roomy blonde wood booths line the room surrounding a cluster of smaller tables and underfoot are noise-muffling Persian carpets. Along the front the old firehouse doors have remained in place, giving the whole feeling a hip, post-industrial vibe. It is truly one of the most unique and pleasing layouts in Litchfield County.

“The space had a lot of masculine energy,” says Valdiva, who was the designer. “So we wanted to soften it up. That’s one of the reasons why we chose the name Fern. It’s a feminine name that also reflects the botanical beauty of this part of the state.”

But now about the food. The key to truly great Italian cooking is to use the best ingredients and to keep it simple. There is no better example of this than one of Fern’s appetizers, which consists of warm marinated olives, Marcona almonds, and chunks of Parmesan cheese to be dipped in balsamic vinegar. So simple yet so delicious. Other highlights from the appetizer menu include, but are not limited to, warm Roman bread, Burrata served with roasted tomato and pesto over grilled bread or with Prosciutto di Parma, and grilled octopus with Corona beans. 

The central location of the pizza oven practically dares you not to order a pie and you absolutely should. These are thin-crust and delicate. My favorites include the Monza, made with sausage and broccoli rabe, and the classic Margherita. You should have plenty of room afterwards for one of their pastas. I highly recommend the Cavatelli Bolognese with ricotta cheese and the Rigatoni Butera, but also keep an eye out for daily specials.

The entrees are variations on archetypal Italian dishes but each one is done to perfection. The Braised Pork Ossobuco is fall-off-the-bone tender, the Roasted Chicken Mattone, served with mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and salsa verde is a clever twist on a classic, and the 14 oz. Rib Eye Steak with rosemary fries and aioli is a carnivore’s dream. To wash it all down, the wine list offers some of my personal favorites, including a Rioja from Vina Alberdi and the Sacristie De La Vieille Cure from Bordeaux.

9 Sharon Road, Lakeville, 860-596-1930, fernlakeville.com

Bantam’s Star Chef
By Charles Dubow
Photos by Philip Dutton

Risks seem to have a way of working out for chef David Di Stasi. In 2017 he flew from Australia to Italy hoping to interview for a job at one of Tuscany’s best restaurants. “That was a big risk, a crazy risk,” says the Watertown native. “I didn’t speak Italian and I wasn’t really all that knowledgeable about Italian food. If it didn’t work out, I didn’t know what I’d do.”

That risk was worth it. The 2011 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America ended up working for two years at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Maremma, eventually rising to sous-chef. “It was an incredible experience. I learned about the importance of using beautiful ingredients and keeping everything simple.”

It was this appreciation for the best raw materials that was the inspiration for both the vision and the name of his wonderfully successful restaurant Materia in Bantam. “My dream is to cook true Italian food. Not the Italian-American food that I and so many other people were raised with.”

Opening Materia was Di Stasi’s second big risk, though. “It was the height of Covid. The owner of La Cupola in Bantam was an old family friend. He wanted to retire. So it was now or never. It seemed nuts but we had to go for it.”

Not only did they go for it, they got it. The restaurant is open for dinner six nights a week and good luck getting a reservation. Today Di Stasi is arguably cooking some of the best and most exciting food in Connecticut. His fresh pastas are superb—his tagliatelle al ragu was the best I’ve ever eaten–and, as befitting someone who spent five years working at Le Bernardin in New York City, he does magical things with fish. Most notably, his grilled octopus is always perfectly cooked and his scallops with stuffed artichokes and escarole are sublime. I also highly recommend the Bistecca alla Fiorentina and the Osso Buco with risotto alla Milanese.

In the two years since opening, Di Stasi has garnered numerous awards, not least winning Litchfield Magazine’s 2022 Reader’s Choice for Best New Restaurant. His accolades have since gone statewide. Last year the CT Restaurant Association not only named him “Best Chef of the Year” in their annual CRAzies Awards, it also recognized Materia as the best restaurant in Litchfield County. 

DiStasi has also come to national attention. In October 2022, James Beard Award-winning food writer Alan Richman applauded Materia in long-time Litchfield County resident Graydon Carter’s Air Mail newsletter, calling it  a “hidden gem.” “That brought us a lot of attention from outside the Northwest Corner,” says Di Stasi. “All of a sudden we were getting bookings from all over.” (For those coming from afar, there are a few rooms to rent upstairs at a reasonable rate.)

Sitting at a booth in Materia’s bar, Di Stasi smiles shyly when asked to acknowledge his success. “I mean, it’s nice to have won these awards,” he says. “But that’s not why I come to work. As a chef, I can’t think, ‘Oh well, I’ve won all these things so I can just coast now.’ It actually pushes you to do even better and take more risks.”—Materia Ristorante, 637 Bantam Rd, Bantam   materiaristo.com

Voters Choose Their Favorites
By Charles Dubow
Photo by Ryan Lavine

As the old line goes, “Vox populi, vox Dei.” Or for those whose Latin may be a little rusty: The voice of the people is the voice of God. And once again the people of Litchfield County have spoken when it comes to nominating their favorite restaurants in Litchfield Magazine’s 2024 Reader’s Choice awards.

This year’s Best Restaurant winner is New Milford’s own Lucia Ristorante, and the accolade is very well deserved. I recently reviewed Lucia for Litchfield Magazine and it was one of the best meals of my year. Chef/owner Antonio “Tony” Caldareri’s menu of Northern and Southern Italian food has been delighting his patrons for more than 16 years. “It’s a real honor to be recognized like this,” says Tony. “New Milford is a great community that has supported us since day one. Litchfield County has become a culinary destination and we are happy to be at the top of people’s list to visit.”

The fact that Bantam’s Arethusa al Tavolo was voted second in the Best Restaurant category and first in the Fine Dining category should come as no surprise to any serious food enthusiast in the county. Since opening ten years ago, it has consistently delivered a dining experience on par with high-end restaurants in New York, London, or Rome. Under the leadership of chef Dan Magill, it offers a New American menu—think dishes such as Icelandic cod, beef short ribs, diver’s scallops, and more. Not surprisingly, Community Table and the Mayflower Inn also won in the Fine Dining category.

Good Eats in New Milford makes a return trip to the winner’s circle, rounding out the top three, and also scoring high in the Best Brunch category. This cozy eatery on Kent Road has only been open a year but has quickly become a community favorite. Executive chef Kevin Deluca continues to offer an eclectic menu—think crispy shrimp, roasted lamb, fried chicken, mac & cheese, and miso pasta.

But there were plenty of other winners as well. Two of my favorite restaurants from the past year came in tops in the Best New Restaurant category: Vegas Mexican Restaurant & Bar in New Milford and Geppetto Osteria in Torrington. Vegas, located on Railroad Avenue, is exactly the kind of cheerful and delicious Mexican restaurant that every community needs: authentic and fresh entrees, plenty of tequila, and an overall experience that guarantees a fun night out. Geppetto, helmed by husband and wife team Carlo and Michelle Pulixi, brings a hip, artisanal sensibility to traditional Italian fare. The pasta is always fresh and the cured meats are all hand-made. I highly recommend a visit to both.

Once again the wildly-popular White Horse Country Pub & Restaurant in Marbledale swept many of the individual categories, such as Best Brunch, Best Burger, Best Casual Dining, and Best Outdoor Dining.

And for the pizza lovers out there, Pizzeria Marzano and Sasso’s, both in Torrington, plus The Owl Wine Bar & Restaurant in New Preston, won the category. I am also a fan of the brick oven pizza at Swyft, as well as the pies at KPG Kitchen & Bar and Cozzy’s, all of which are in Kent.

Finally, it’s important to note that several highly respected restaurants in our area—such as Materia, Ore Hill & Swyft, West Street Grill, Winvian, Fern—and numerous others—deserve recognition, in our opinion, but simply didn’t receive enough votes. If you feel that one of your favorites has been overlooked, make sure to cast your vote next year. Remember: Vox populi, vox Dei!

John Bourdeau’s Latest on Bank Street

By Charles Dubow

Photos by Ryan Lavine

What is it that makes a successful restaurateur constantly seek new challenges? Like any creative person, there is always the desire to find something new and fresh, to put behind you your last restaurant, your last book, your last painting, and start all over again. That is the case with one of Litchfield County’s (and Litchfield Magazine’s) favorite restaurateurs, John Bourdeau. Seven years after opening New Preston’s The Owl, he has set off on his next adventure. This time he has returned to his old stomping grounds on New Milford’s Bank Street—where he previously was co-owner of Lucia—and opened his latest, Sparrow.

Sparrow is located in the former Zaragoza and is open seven days a week. Bourdeau has reimagined the once-dark space as light and airy, exposing and smoothing the brick and using bright modern paintings to add energy to the room, a hip aesthetic that his customers will recognize from his previous establishments. “This will be my fifth restaurant. Each time I learn something,” he said. “When the opportunity to have this space came up, I knew I had to grab it.”

“I wanted to try something different,” says Bourdeau. “I’d done pizza. I’d done Italian. I wanted a bigger space where I could offer a wider menu.” To that end, he has teamed up with Mike Sorensen, the former chef at The Foundry Kitchen and Tavern in Newtown. The result is what Bourdeau calls a “world menu,” essentially cherry-picking popular dishes from around the world, such as Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, Chinese bao buns, and Korean fried chicken.

“We want to introduce New Milford to all sorts of new tastes—not only in food but also in wine and spirits,” says Bourdeau. “Our wine list is a mix of traditional, a few organic, and some less familiar varietals. If a customer comes in and asks for a Chardonnay, I’d like to encourage them to try something like a Furmint, which is an amazing Hungarian white wine.” The same philosophy applies to his bar program, which will emphasize rum and tequila. “Rum is under-represented in the U.S.,” he says. “There are some amazing aged Solera rums that taste just like a fine bourbon.” Craft brewery aficionados won’t be disappointed with their selection of drafts from such local gems as Kent Falls and Watson Farmhouse.

What made him choose to name his new place after another bird species? Is he ornithologically inclined? “My father was in the navy and had many tattoos including several sparrows. I was designing a tattoo that included a sparrow encircled by an O to
represent my mothers maiden name of O’Conner when it occurred to me that Sparrow is a good name for the restaurant,” he says, pulling off his shirt. “The tattoo is also the restaurant’s logo.”

31 Bank Street, New Milford,  860-799-7111

Long-time Favorite Italian in New Milford

By: Charles Dubow

Photos by Ryan Lavine

The restaurant business is not known for its longevity so when a restaurant such as New Milford’s Lucia Ristorante has been open for 16 years it’s a sign they are doing something right. Credit is due to chef and owner Antonio “Tony” Caldareri’s clear passion for his craft. Gregarious by nature, he loves working the floor almost as much as he does working the stove. He greets his many regulars by name and will often sit and have a glass of wine with them. A native of Montreal, he embraces both Northern and Southern styles of Italian, ensuring that his menu—many of his recipes come from his grandmother, the eponymous Lucia—always contains both long-time favorites as well as delicious new dishes.

On the night when I was there recently, Tony informed me that he had a new entrée of grilled octopus served over cannellini, roasted red peppers, and a chipotle coulis. Now octopus is not the easiest thing to prepare and it must be cooked perfectly or else it will taste like one is eating a length of garden hose—but the kitchen nailed it. Equally excellent is the blackened sesame seed-encrusted tuna with a ginger sauce. 

Lovers of more traditional Italian dishes will not be disappointed either. Tony’s pastas are all hand-made and he takes his sauces very seriously. “When I go to a restaurant I just ask for a bowl of tomato sauce,” he says. “If it’s good, then I know the chef knows what he’s doing.” His fettuccine alla Bolognese is superb and his gnocchis are as light as air. Pizza lovers will also appreciate his thin crust pies, such as the quattro stagionne, with prosciutto, artichokes, capers, calamata olives, mozzarella, and homemade sauce. Also highly recommended is the beef braciole, which after being braised for six hours with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese and garlic, is served with sautéed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes. Other highlights include scaloppinni saltimbocca—veal medallions with sage, prosciutto, and mozzarella in a white wine sauce—and the pollo scarpiello—chicken breast topped with mushrooms, cherry and sweet peppers, and scallions in a white wine demi-glace. In the mood for something a little different? Try Tony’s homage to his homeland: Montreal-style poutine—french fries, melted mozzarella and Lucia gravy. And one would be remiss to not mention the layer cakes that Tony’s wife Renee bakes every day, so be sure to save some room.

Speaking of rooms, the storefront restaurant itself is tastefully laid-out inside, with a six-person bar anchoring the space, and in summer there is charming outdoor dining where guests can sit and feel as though they might be at some trattoria in Rome or Siena. The second floor houses more tables for overflow or private events. Finally, a word about the excellently trained waitstaff, overseen by manager Stacey Lavoie, all of whom are friendly and knowledgeable. “The restaurant is not about me, it’s about us,” says Tony. “Without my people there’s no restaurant.”

51 Bank Street, New Milford, luciaofnewmilford.com

New Milford’s Newest Mexican Restaurant

BY: Charles Dubow

Photographs by  Jim Henkens

As a transplanted Manhattanite living in Litchfield County for the past nine years, I sometimes miss the rich diversity of cuisine that once had been so readily available to me in my past life. That is why I am always so happy when a new restaurant appears on the local horizon—and doubly so when it is as good as Vegas Mexican Kitchen and Bar. 

Opened just this past Memorial Day in New Milford, Vegas is the kind of Mexican restaurant no town should be without. Walk into this friendly, boisterous space for the first time and you can immediately sense that the margaritas will be top-notch (I highly recommend bartender Dennis Daly’s skinny margarita), the nachos will be piled high, and the enchiladas will be thick and cheesy. 

But what I wasn’t prepared for was that, in addition to making delicious versions of more traditional Mexican fare, chef Roberto Peña has juiced his menu with a few dishes you won’t find everywhere, many of which are family recipes. For example, an absolute must-order is his Cochinita Pibil, a dish from the Yucatán made with pork marinated in citrus juice, spices and achiote leaves, then wrapped in banana leaves and slowly baked until the shredded meat is fall-off-the-bone moist and juicy. Stuff the meat into one of their own corn tortillas and let your mouth go wild.

Two other distinctive entrées worth trying are the rich Alambre, a popular Mexico City dish of pan-seared chicken and sirloin strips with bacon, bell peppers, onions and melted Oaxaca cheese; and the zesty Ceviche de Pescado Sinaloa style, made with white fish cooked in fresh lime juice, with tomato, red onion, cilantro, cucumber, jalapeño and avocado. 

However, if what you are craving are burritos, tacos or chimichangas, you won’t be disappointed. All servings are generous and tasty. Can’t make up your mind? Simply order the Big Papi, which offers one of each—as well as a cheese enchilada. Needless to say, everything comes with sides of bean and rice, and, of course, both the guacamole and the tortillas are hand-made and excellent.

One of the things that may be most impressive about Vegas is that this is owner Ricardo Vega’s first restaurant. The Mexico City-native has lived in the U.S. for years and worked in nearly every other capacity in the restaurant industry. “My father’s done it all,” says his son Richard. “He’s been a busser, a waiter, a manager. Before the pandemic he was banquet supervisor at a hotel.” Vega had been looking for years to open his own place and finally found a location on Railroad Street. “We’ve been incredibly lucky,” says Richard, who is taking time off from college to help his parents get the restaurant up and running. “New Milford’s a beautiful community. Everybody knows everybody else. A party will come in and they’ll know the people at the table across from them. We haven’t been open long but we have already attracted a lot of regulars.”

24 Railroad Street, New Milford, vegasmexican.com

West Shore Seafood Just Keeps Getting Better

By Charles Dubow

Photos by Jim Henkens

Sitting at a table on a beautiful evening at long-time local favorite West Shore Seafood in Bantam, you can close your eyes and almost feel like you are on a beach vacation. Which is precisely what owner Susie Pregno was hoping for when she opened her restaurant 16 years ago. “I’ve always been in the restaurant industry,” says the Litchfield County native. “When I was at business school in Boston I had a second job on the fish pier and later worked at a fish place in Duxbury, Mass., which inspired me to open here. I wanted to have a Cape Cod vibe. Somewhere that wasn’t fancy where you could get a great lobster roll or fried clams.”

She has succeeded beautifully. Drive by West Shore any afternoon or evening Thursday through Sunday between April and Thanksgiving, and you will likely see a throng of people eating or waiting to eat. “It’s first come first serve,” says Susie. “We’re BYOB and regulars know that they come here and tail-gate or spread a blanket. Some people even bring their own table and chairs.”

Over the years the menu has become more sophisticated, evolving from mainly fried foods to incorporate more health-conscious meals. (Although, don’t worry, there are still plenty of fried foods.) This year Susie even took the step of bringing on an executive chef for the first time. Restaurant veteran Rob Thompson and his crew are now offering a range of dishes to satisfy any appetite.

For example, starters still include classics like Cajun Popcorn Fish—seasoned cod battered and fried and served with a lemon dill sauce—shrimp cocktail and chicken wings but now you can also get fried Brussels sprouts made with sriracha and garlic and drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey. 

The lobster rolls, served either hot or cold, are perennial favorites, as are the fried fish sandwich, tacos and fried platters but new innovations like a tuna poke bowl—served with edamame, seaweed salad and avocado—and halibut with ramp pesto are welcome and delicious additions. And a quick word about the desserts: Try them. Insanely good.

449 Bantam Lake Road, Bantam, westshoreseafood.com