February 25, 2025
By Charles Dubow
Photograph by Jimmy Ienner Jr.
It can be tricky to give a popular restaurant a second act. Too often loyal patrons will return, only to leave in disappointment, finding that certain dishes have not been adequately replicated or that friendly faces who once brought them food or drink no longer work there. It also takes a certain amount of brio to reopen a restaurant and continue to use the same name. Inevitably you will be risking comparison, one typically made through rose-colored glasses.
Such was the fear when, last Easter Sunday, much-beloved chef Carole Peck closed her Good News Café in Woodbury after 30 years in business. When it reopened under new ownership in August many diners were, to say the least, skeptical. Well, for those who have not yet given the new Good News Café a chance, let me assure them that the news is still good.
To begin with, the old restaurant had, shall we say, a certain well-worn charm and was certainly in need of a freshening. New owner Michael Hayek, a veteran restaurateur from Danbury, has replaced the neon green walls and blue booths with more muted, soothing colors.
Most importantly, he has also kept several of Peck’s signature dishes, and added a few winners of his own on a menu emphasizing locally sourced ingredients that he designed with new manager Natasha Danzy. Returning eaters will be pleased to know that such favorites as the decadent lobster mac-and-cheese and the wok-seared shrimp are as good as ever. (Other welcome holdovers include bartender Jon Pacific, who has been mixing drinks there for 23 years.)
Among the highlights on the new menu are, for appetizers, Jack’s Pecan-Crusted Oysters, served with jicama, tomatillo salsa, and chili aioli, and which explode with flavor. Also highly recommended to begin are the tuna tartare with avocado butter, cherry pepper vinaigrette, and crispy tortilla; and the grilled flash-fired beef wrapped in romaine with mozzarella, and a tomato, basil, garlic, and parmesan pistou. On the advice of our waiter, we also ordered the Sweet & Spicy Cauliflower, which was served with Korean BBQ sauce, herb yogurt, hazelnuts, and scallions. I have never knowingly ordered cauliflower in my life but I am so glad that we did. It was absolutely delicious.
My wife, Melinda, a lifelong meatloaf aficionado, was over the moon with their version, which is a blend of veal and pork, served with fluffy garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, and their rich “24-hour” gravy. We also devoured their meltingly tender boneless short ribs, their melt-in-your-mouth seared Nantucket sea scallops (served on wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil), their crispy skin salmon, the steak frites with chimichurri sauce, and their tuna pad thai.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to their truly awesome burger, a monster made from fresh-ground chuck and brisket, with chipotle aioli, Pepper Jack cheese, avocado, and bacon. Definitely worth loosening your belt for. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
Good News Café, 694 Main Street S, Woodbury. goodnewswoodbury.com
