Amy & I had been wanting to visit the northwest corner of Connecticut ever since we moved here, so we contacted our very first RF friend, pjagger, whom we met on the 2006 RF North Shore tour. Paul lives in Litchfield proper, so we put together a tentative schedule and decided to meet for breakfast at the
Wandering Moose on Route 128 in West Cornwall:
I was crushed when our server told us they had none of their house-made corned beef hash ready—and wouldn’t be ready anytime soon. Temporarily befuddled because I didn’t have a Plan B in mind, Amy took the lead in ordering the cinnamon French toast—very cinnamon-y, eggy, and delicious:
Paul had two eggs, home fries, and rye toast, and I limped behind with the same as him but with oat toast. I loved the crunch of the home fries, but Paul disagreed, explaining that they just weren’t his ideal. “At least they aren’t coated in paprika!” he added, and we both agreed:
Paul came with two books in hand: the second edition of the Stern’s
Roadfood, and
Diners of New England by Randy Garbin. Amy & I wanted to visit the Collin’s Diner in Canaan, so Paul suggested lunch there then a leisurely southern route down Route 7 to Kent, then over to Route 202 and hit Bantam then Litchfield. Crossing the covered bridge over the Housatonic River onto Route 7, we started our journey to Canaan:
Crossing the Connecticut section of the Appalachian Trail, we reached Canaan, center of the state’s historic iron industry and just two miles south of the Massachusetts line. The
Colonial Theatre was renovated just a few years ago and now shows first-run movies and offers full-service dining while you watch your movie:
Next to the rebuilt Union Station (which burned down in 2001) is the über-picturesque
Collin’s Diner on Route 44:
Collin’s is a true classic, with blue and red accents inside and the traditional shiny steel facing:
The owner is Lebanese and cooks up a few specialties from his fatherland, though our waitress told us that it’s only during the summer when they have more business. Paul and Amy both ordered a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato on rye, which was excellent:
And I received a chuckle from the waitress when I ordered a Fluffernutter! Paul chided me for almost not requesting white bread; I never eat white bread and had a momentary lapse about the proper choice for such a sandwich. It turned out to be the best I’d ever had—the creamy peanut butter was perfectly sweetened by the marshmallow Fluff:
On the way down to Kent, we took a detour through Falls Village to check out the Toymakers Café, lured in from their sign at the junction of Routes 7 and 128. Paul surveyed the scene and said it was a nice-looking little place—maybe we should breakfast there next time. We then picked up Route 7 and arrived in Kent. First stop was
Strobles at 14 Main St. for a few baked goods:
We decided to be light in our purchases, since this was the first of several bakeries of the day. Clockwise from the top: chocolate-chip walnut cookie, cinnamon-sugar shortbread, powdered-sugar pecan sandie, and peanut butter cookie:
We walked down Main St. to Belgique Pâtisserie & Chocolatier, but they were closed for the month of January, reopening on February 1. Paul then led us to the
Richard Lindsey Bookseller at 15 N. Main, where we browsed used copies of Route 66 travelogues, Connecticut history, and food compendia:
Paul suggested a coffee stop, so we ambled over to
Kent Coffee & Chocolate Co., which was doing quite the brisk business in hot drinks:
The front counter of various chocolate barks had us salivating:
Paul bought some truffles, which we all sampled, and I chose a few barks and salted caramels (formal review in progress). Next stop was the Stern-reviewed
Bantam Bread Co. on Route 202 in Bantam, the owner of which recently bought a larger bakery in Plainville. Paul said that they might be sold out of bread since it was so late in the day, and of course he was right:
But they did have some lovely pastries, and we bought a few cookies and an almond tea horn (logbook review forthcoming):
Our first stop in Litchfield was the
Dutch Epicure Shop at 491 Bantam Rd., where we stocked up on stroopwafels and frozen spaetzle:
Paul pulled into the parking lot at Bohemian Pizza at 342 Bantam Rd. so we could check out this funky pizza parlor—a definite stop for next time. Then we hit
Nodine’s Smokehouse on Route 63 in Goshen:
They were sold out of their renowned beef jerky, but we did see the pheasants that they smoke on the premises…before:
And after:
We drove back to downtown Litchfield to soak in some local color. This town goes beyond quaint, as it reminds us of a cross between Hanover, NH and Dorset, VT. The tall courthouse is the downtown’s focal point:
We treated Paul to a quick drink (which was nowhere fair, since he was slipping bought items in our bags at practically every stop!) at the
Village Restaurant on the commons:
The bar area was packed with locals, and the walls were adorned by old photos of town league teams and bar patrons. We said goodbye to Paul, who was driving down to New Haven for what was surely an amazing dinner at Ibiza on High St. near Yale:
On our way home, we stopped for dinner at the
Five Guys Burgers and Fries location at 278 Scott Swamp Rd. in Farmington:
We’re writing a logbook for the meal, and the food was utterly spectacular:
Immeasurable thanks to Paul for being the ultimate tour guide in his own neighborhood of Litchfield County! We can’t wait to hang out with you again!
Chris
