Community table is housed in a nondescript, quaint structure on Route 202 in New Preston, and presents a dining experience that blends effortlessly into its rural setting. The only recognizable landmark to announce your arrival is a simplistic roadside sign with a singular orange “Ct” logo on a white background, reflecting the restaurant's core value: a strong focus on community with an upper case "C" and a less formal, more shared dining experience at the table with a lower case "t". A farmer's porch extends across the front of the building, and a large parking lot is located to one side. The entrance is immediately to the left of a striking, vertically soaring, organic, red metal sculpture, leading guests directly into the bar area.
Founded in 1719, well before the Revolutionary War, Litchfield is an idyllic town in the pastoral hills of northwest Connecticut that is richly steeped in history.
In recent years, given its proximity to both NYC and Boston—each just over a two-hour drive away—Litchfield has become a popular destination for urban dwellers to unwind in the quiet of the countryside.
Catering for this clientele is a growing list of outstanding eateries, including the well-established Arethusa group, chef David DiStassi’s outstanding Italian restaurant Materia Ristorante, plus Ore Hill, Community Table and more culinary gems nearby…not to mention the Litchfield Distillery.
It is also increasingly a destination for boutique hotels and inns. There’s the Mayflower Inn (part of the prestigious Auberge Resorts Collection) and newly opened The Abner in downtown Litchfield. But the one that’s caught my eye is Lost Fox Inn, which opened in June 2024.
Somewhere between the main course and dessert round during a recent tasting at Ore Hill the palette cleansers arrive in the form of a sorbet. The secret ingredient in the dish is habanada peppers a selectively bred variant of the better-known habanero peppers that Executive Chef Ryan Carbone explains retain the flavors of a habanero without the spice. So you get all these green vegetal notes and it feels like it’s about to get spicy but the heat never comes, Carbone says.
The sensation, which Carbone describes perfectly, is one of a kind and exactly the kind of flavor that makes dining at Ore Hill such a treat. The ultra-select, ultra-high-end fine dining experience offers a multicourse immersion in local ingredients and chef-driven cuisine and the kind of big-city tasting menu rarely found in Connecticut. This is accompanied by high-end cocktails and a natural wine-driven wine list that doesn’t shy away from bringing some intriguing and intentional funk.
Driving on Connecticut State Route 67 towards Roxbury, you’ll notice a handful of historic buildings that date back to the 1800s. What used to be a train station, cigar factory, lumber shed, general store, and a post office is now a distillery. And unless you’re up in that area, Mine Hill Distillery may have popped up on your radar in this very moment as you’re reading this.
Ahh! Remember the good old days when standing in long lines at breweries was something people actually did?
Me too. And thinking back on it now, and despite making snobby craft beer small talk, that legitimately sucked. What were we thinking? I’ve even heard tales about people sleeping on the street overnight just to get stouts at Other Half. Perhaps the undisputed king of waiting in a beer line took place in the first half of the 2010s when Tree House Brewing Company moved to Monson, Massachusetts in 2013 and you hoped with all you had in your soul that you could get a growler fill or even a couple cans of Julius, Haze, or Green. IYKYK.
Hell, let’s take it even further to the days of making your non-beer drinking friend, mother, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, and possibly someone you didn’t even really like that much to go up with you, stand in line behind you, and you could potentially double your allotted Tree House haul.
The Litchfield Inn, a family-owned, luxury boutique hotel in Connecticut's idyllic countryside, is partnering with two talented New England chefs for pop-up dinners in March and April.
Known for his role as Executive Chef and owner of Chef's Table at Little Dipper in Brooklyn, Connecticut, Chef Brian Paszko is excited to bring beloved his farm-to-table dining experience to The Litchfield Inn for two very special dinners on Saturday, March 16 and Saturday, March 23. Ticket holders can look forward to a multi-course tasting menu with beverage pairings with complimentary canape and prosecco upon arrival. Tickets are priced at $110 per person, excluding tax and gratuity, with 25 tickets available. Vegetarian substitutions will be available, as well as non-alcoholic beverage pairings.
On Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6, 2014 James Beard Semifinalist and 3x Chopped Champion Evan Hennessey, Executive Chef and owner of Stages at One Washington and The Living Room in Dover, New Hampshire, will be offering a dining experience similar to the one found at Stages at One Washington. Guests can expect a multi-course tasting menu consisting of dishes that showcase the bounty of ingredients native to New Hampshire that are prepared with traditional Scandinavian and Japanese techniques. Canape and prosecco will also be provided upon arrival. Tickets are priced at $110 per person, excluding taxes, gratuity, and beverage pairings, with 12 tickets available. Optional wine pairings and non-alcoholic pairings will be available for an additional fee. Please note that Gluten-free allergies can be accomodated, however, vegan, dairy-free, and shellfish allergies cannot be accommodated for Evan's events.
Once you try Alejandra Aguilar Gonzaga’s food at Momma’s Tacos in New Milford, you’ll sense the soul that’s in it. Talk to her even ever so briefly about her story and you’ll get a glimpse of her strong will, determination, and passion.
Catch Alejandra in her soon-to-be three-year-old restaurant. She’s in the back cooking her mostly Mexico City inspired recipes, she’s always smiling and talking to her several regular customers, and frequently asks for feedback on the food served at Momma’s Tacos.
Are you looking to branch out of your basic beer and wine slump? Bet ya didn’t know there were cider houses all over Connecticut looking to prove that hard cider (and non-alcoholic cider) can be just as refreshing, if not more, than beer, wine, and hard seltzers. Don’t know where to start your cider-tasting journey? We got you covered!
Long View Ciderhouse is excited to announce the opening of their new hard cider bottle shop at the Shuttle Meadow location of Rogers Orchards. Located at 336 Long Bottom Rd in Southington, Connecticut, the bottle shop offers four unique hard ciders made from apples grown on the farm, a variety of styles and flavors and more releases planned for this summer.
Long View Ciderhouse is a family-owned and operated business and a “branch” of Rogers Orchards, an 8 generation family farm dating back to 1809. Jeff Rogers, the head cider maker, works directly with his brother and brother-in-law Peter Rogers and Greg Parzych, co-presidents of the farm. Passionate about creating high-quality, delicious hard cider, Long View Ciderhouse combines traditional cider-making techniques with modern methods to create ciders that appeal to a variety of tastes. Peter and Greg took over the farm from John Rogers in 2006 and were joined by Jeff in 2021.
