Where to Eat in Connecticut this Fall

connecticutConnecticut may be the 48th state by square area, but it has more than its fair share of excellent restaurants per capita if Connecticut Magazine is to be believed. These are only a few of the restaurants called out by the magazine for their fine food. Here are ten of Connecticut Magazine’s favorites.

1. Arethusa al tavolo, Bantam

Arethusa Dairy Farm is a working farm, and its Grand Champion Show Cows produce milk that goes into the cheeses, yogurts, and butter showcased at the restaurant. Located in the former Village General building, the restaurant crafts delicacies such as spinach and Camembert ravioli with black truffle sauce and Arethusa milk-poached cod in a clam chowder house.

2. Golden Lamb Buttery, Brooklyn

Founded by pioneering American wedding fashion designer “Jimmie” Booth and her husband Henry, the Golden Lamb on Wolf’s Den Road has been serving diners since 1963. Now operated by the late couple’s granddaughter Katie, the Lamb serves lunch and dinner and hosts special occasions.

3. Max Downtown, Hartford

This downtown chop house and whiskey bar serves lunch, dinner, and a tavern menu that serves such pub fare as blackened shrimp tacos, pastrami spiced bone-in short ribs, Iberico ham with pickled vegetables on lavash, and bucatini with puttanesca sauce. Try them with a seasonal cocktail like the autumnal Mulberry Basil Collins.

4. Millwright’s, Simsbury

Millwright’s Restaurant and Tavern specialized in organic, New England-grown comfort food. Dining in the main dining room is a more formal affair, while more relaxed, casual meals can be eaten in the tavern. The setting of this restaurant is the Hop Brook Mill, which dates back to 1680.

5. Oyster Club, Mystic

This restaurant and raw bar offers fine dining in a casual environment. Its Autumn 2017 brunch menu included dishes such as the dry-aged burger on brioche with Grafton cheddar, Swiss chard and toasted hazelnut crepes with mushroom sauce, and steamed mussels in a coconut lemongrass broth with cilantro and lime.

6. The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Wilton

Chef Tim LaBant opened this restaurant in an old schoolhouse building that had been moved to the Cannondale Historic District of Wilton by vaudeville actress June Havoc during her drive to preserve Wilton’s 19th-century buildings. A Zagat reviewer called The Schoolhouse “Simply the best and most creative farm-to-table food in Connecticut.”

7. Thomas Henkelmann, Greenwich

This 4-star contemporary French restaurant at Greenwich’s Homestead Inn serves the culinary creations of Grand Chef Thomas Henkelmann. The dress code is formal; jackets are preferred for gentlemen.

8. Union League Cafe, New Haven

The Union League Café serves more traditional French food. It won the OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award in 2015. Dishes such as entrecôte Béarnaise, duck leg confit, truffle risotto, and pheasant pie enliven the brasserie menu.

9. The Whelk, Westport

Westport’s restaurant and seafood bar has a menu that includes bacon barbeque clams, smoked oysters, crab toast, smoked trout dip, squid ink cavatelli, and salted cod with a tomato sauce and mussel and clam aioli.

10. The White Hart, Salisbury

Dinner is served from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The Tap Room serves lunch and dinner six nights a week, with a Sunday brunch and a Sunday night roast. According to the New York Times, “The restaurant alone is worth the trip.”

Experience fine dining in Connecticut without the hassle of worrying about parking or how much wine you’re drinking at dinner with the convenience of a Connecticut limo service. Since Connecticut is part of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area, you can easily reach most of these cities by Connecticut airport shuttle from John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports. However you get there, try to visit these unique New England restaurants and sample their one-of-a-kind fare.

CALL NOW