With the launch of Arethusa a Mano Bakery and Café,
the town of Bantam has become the destination for coffee
afficionados, pastry lovers, and those who like to linger.

At the beginning it was just the farm in the bucolic, rolling pastures of the small town of Bethlehem. Anthony Yurgaitis and George Malkemus (of Manolo Blahnik shoes fame) bought Arethusa Farm and began raising award-winning purebred Jersey, Holstein and Brown Swiss cows. From those beautiful cows, they created all-natural, farm-fresh dairy goods with a truly exceptional taste. As they say, “Great milk comes from great cows, and great cows come from Arethusa.”

Next came the Arethusa Dairy, located on Route 202 in the center of Bantam, which features ice cream, yogurt, milk, cream, butter, and cheeses made from the milk of Arethusa Farm’s cows. A couple of years later, they opened Arethusa Al Tavolo next door, which has become everyone’s favorite restaurant and wine bar. And now there’s Arethusa a Mano, a bakery and café directly aross the street. One could say Arethusa is taking over Bantam… in a good way. They have put Bantam, Connecticut on the map.

Originally, the property across the street was purchased to handle overflow parking from the restaurant and dairy, but soon after they expanded the parking at the back of the restaurant. Then the coffee shop that was on the property went out of business, and and the Arethusa folks put their heads together to figure out what to do with it. Chef Dan Magill says, “Basically, we didn’t want whatever we put there to compete with the restaurant and dairy store. We wanted it to complement the other businesses.” The concept they come up with was what they felt was needed in the area: a bakery and café with great coffee.

Conceived by Dan Magill (chef at Arethusa Al Tavolo), the cafe’s interior combines modern clean lines with a rustic barn/farm aesthetic. The overall theme is a connection tied to all three of the other businesses, the farm, the dairy, and the restaurant. The first thing they did was remove the drop ceiling and exposed the peak, which gave the space an airy feeling. Then they replaced the typical red tiles with an antique oak floor, the same as the one in Al Tavolo, which provides a warm backdrop to the crispness of the decor.

The black and white decor is simple and inviting, a signature color scheme for the restaurant and dairy as well. The wainscoting in a white-washed finish and x-motifs on the cabinetry doors harken back to the barn and are a nice contrast to the black tables and chairs, industrial-style hanging black lamps, and chalkboard menus. A shelf above the counter area displays a collection of milk jugs in various shapes and sizes, which pays hommage to the dairy farm. The retro belt-driven ceiling fans were Dan’s idea to circulate the air. They are operated by a clever pulley system (which mimics a hay bale hook), set on slow, to move the air throughout the space. Instead of a stainless counter top, Dan had one made from zinc because it had a duller finish and was easier to keep clean from smudges. It was custom made, using nailheads to wrap the corner  and sides. The other counters are made of black granite, which are also used in the dairy store. On the walls are black and white photographic prints of cows from Arethusa Farm. The entire space all ties back to Arethusa Farm, to their roots, their heritage.

“A Mano” means “by hand” in Italian. Almost everything in the café is made by hand—from the simple, black tables and chairs to the delicious pastries crafted in the bakery in the back. Even the paper napkins have a hand made feel to them. Pastries are baked several times a day in the bakery in the back of the café, and so are always fresh. Pastry Chef James Arena who also works at Al Tavolo has trained the staff and oversees the bakery. Fresh bagels come in a variety of flavors and are served plain, with butter, with farmer’s cheese, cream cheese and/or smoked salmon. The bagels are shaped by hand (no two are alike), boiled in the bagel kettle, then baked in the oven, plain or with their toppings. Cinnamon rolls, a variety of doughnuts, seasonal muffins, brioche rolls, chocolate and almond croissants are just some of the other baked goods available for breakfast or all day. All are made on the premises to guarantee freshness. I especially loved the almond croissants with their flaky and crisp pastry (which made quite a mess on the table), and an almond cream interior that just melts in your mouth. The cruller, short for doughnut, was moist and delicious and went so well with my cappucino.

For lunch there are soups, a cheese & crackers platter, quiche with salad greens, panini sandwiches, and four types of salads: Tuna Niçoise, Curried Chicken, Egg Salad, or a Chef Salad. On separate occasions, I tried the quiche with greens and the Niçoise salad for lunch, and both were delicious. You can have your salad over mixed greens, on a croissant, or on Pain au Lait bread. Their grilled cheese sandwich is very popular, made with their own Pain au Lait bread, buttered with their own butter, and layered with a trio of Arethusa cheeses that can be bought at the dairy retail shop: Cry Baby (their version of a Swiss cheese), Bella Bantam (their youngest cheese, which is softer and meltier), and finished with their Europa, which is a yellow cheese similar to Gouda. For afternoon snacks, there are almond bars, pecan squares, and more earthly delights.

For coffee lovers, there’s lots of choices such as Espresso, Americano, Machiato, Cappucino, or a Latte. The coffee comes from the satellite office of Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Brooklyn. Stumptown Roasters was founded in Portland, Oregon and has become synonomous with outstanding coffee. The company roasts high-quality beans, using sustainably safe methods. Not only do they use fair-trade practices, they go one step further, and have a direct trade with their partners who grow the beans. Unlike other roasters who do a dark roasting which causes the oil to exude from the bean, Stumptown makes a medium roast, which keeps the oils inside the beans for ultimate freshness and flavor. With dark roasted cofffee, you are tasting the roast, not the bean. This is why their coffee is so good, and why your Americano will taste like no other.

The coffee comes in a variety of hot and chilled beverages. The cold-pressed brew appears to be a big hit—the coffee is cold brewed without heat for over 12 hours, then it goes through a double filtration process to procure the end result: “a complex, smooth and full-bodied brew with low-acid and a chocolate finish.” Another specialty made with coffee is their Afagado, which is an espresso shot poured over ice-cream. They also serve milkshakes, yogurt shakes, cold bottled drinks, and a variety of teas. To complement your cup of coffee, try a bon bon, maccaron, or a linzer cookie, just a few of the small sweets that come out of the bakery.

Whether you are meeting a friend for coffee, getting a box of doughnuts to bring home, or going solo with a good book, the atmosphere at Arethusa a Mano is relaxed. Locals and visitors alike come from near and far to enjoy a sip, a bite, a few good minutes. The scene is in constant flux as people come and go, and the friendly staff periodically go from table to table checking that customers are satisfied with their experience.

With three different food destinations in Bantam, the folks at Arethusa have covered all of the bases, ensuring that we have a place to go for every culinary craving we desire. And Litchfield County couldn’t be happier.