Issuu

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE HILLS

HAPPY SUMMER!

Mary Beth Lawlor PUBLISHERANDEDITOR - IN - CHIEF

THIS IS MY SIXTH summer issue as publisher and editor-in-chief, and curating this one is always one of my favorites. Maybe that has something to do with summer being my favorite season, but I also think it’s because this is the time when Litch eld County feels most alive. It’s festival and ball season, a er all! Walking through the woods is lush and grounding, and seeing friends and neighbors out at the farmers markets, restaurants, and celebrations around the county reminds me how much there is to be grateful for. We truly have a wonderful community. Oh, and let’s not forget the amazing local food.

At this point, you may have noticed something di erent about this issue. The trim size has changed, the fonts are new, the layouts have been reimagined, and the Litch eld Magazine logo has been re ned. While I’ve been proud of the magazine’s look since I took the helm, I’ve felt a growing urge to push things in a new direction creatively. I want our readers to genuinely savor the experience of ipping through something tangible: pages that celebrate the remarkable people, places, and spirit of this region. There will likely be further re nements ahead, but for now I want to thank the very talented people who helped to move this along. Adam and Ken, I am truly grateful. Inside you’ll nd 104 pages of wonderful, mostly food-related content. Now it seems I’ve run out of room, so I’ll leave the rest as a delicious surprise.

ENJOY EVERY PAGE!

The Inside Scoop

Belden House Club

Belden House in Litchﬁeld is now o ering memberships to its facilities, giving members access to the spa, cold plunge, heated pool, and ﬁtness classes, along with discounts on meals and rooms.

2 Community Table

Have you noticed that the old house that bookended CT’s parking lot is now gone, and a foundation is being laid? We hear, from a very reliable source, that there will be a new open-concept kitchen for private parties, cooking classes, and all sorts of Community Table fun.

3 Mahjong Bug?

The Pinnacle in Washington has partnered with Goldcoast Mahjong for a series of lessons and guided play sessions at the store. You can call them to sign up: 860-868-7500.

New Address, Same Great Style

Rentrayage, formerly located in Kent Barns, has now moved over to Washington Depot, while Westerlind has opened up new shop in Kent on Main Street.

Savor Litch eld

Litchﬁeld Magazine’s largest food event of the year. It always sells out. Get your tickets now and I’ll see you on 9/13!

FOOD ISSUE

Tommy eucalitto left Litchfield County, found his calling among the cheesemakers of the Italian Alps, and came home to Cornwall determined to create something lasting.

At Coltsfoot Valley Farm, raw milk, a small Jersey herd, and centuries of old-world tradition anchor a new alpine-style cheese shop opening this July.

BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

The man behind the Times’ most iconic chocolate chip cookie recipe still thinks you’re doing it wrong.

BLACK CRUST BAKERY

A software developer turned baker hand-shapes sourdough in Falls Village, one slow-fermented loaf at a time.

Q + AWITHJUDEALEXIS

58 91

WOVEN IN THE WILD

Artists tend a former sharecropper’s cabin where nature, art, and the genius loci quietly coexist.

BYCHRISTOPHERSTELLA

BOLIVAR AND RSVP

James Beard semiﬁnalist

Bolivar Hilario takes the helm at West Cornwall’s RSVP, honoring its quirky legacy while putting his own hyper-seasonal stamp on every course.

BYCHARLESDUBOW

ON THE COVER

Marina Munoz, co-owner of The Pink House restaurant in West Cornwall. Cover image by Ryan Lavine.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Publisher and editor-in-chief, Mary Beth Lawlor welcomes readers to the newly redesigned Litchﬁeld Magazine.

LOOKING BACK

What was for dinner 250 years ago? BYALEXANDRAMAZZA

ON OUR RADAR

Summer cocktail at Community Table, Leite’s chocolate chip cookie, House of Books turns 50, Marina Munoz, Spring Hill Vineyards wins, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Liz McClean cooks, the kitchen edit, Sparrow’s street corn nachos, Arethusa Farm camp, Litchﬁeld Inn new pool, sourdough from Black Crust Bakery, Mayﬂower Inn pool’s new look

LAKE WARAMAUG COTTAGE

A striking modern minimalist structure rises from the shoreline. BYCHRISTOPHERSTELLA

GARDEN

Sharon residents, artist John-Paul Philippe and his partner Elvin Rodriguez, allow the land to dictate their creative vision. BYCHRISTOPHERSTELLA

COLTSWOOD VALLEY FARM

A Cornwall farmer brings old-world Alpine cheesemaking home. BYCLEMENTINAVERGE

SAVOR LITCHFIELD

Don’t miss the food event of the year! Tickets on sale now.

THINGS TO DO

Events to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary

BYWENDYCARLSON 84

OUT & ABOUT

Greenwoods, Art of the Perfect Day 91 EATS

Chef Bolivar Hilario takes over RSVP in West Cornwall

BYCHARLESDUBOW 104

ART NEWS

Gary Komarin’s “The Vessel” at Judy Black Memorial Park

Paula Cornell

WRITER

Paula is a writer and journalist who loves uncovering the stories of the people, passions, and businesses that shape this corner of Connecticut. In this issue, she speaks with Litch eld resident Liz McClean about her yearlong project cooking all 100 recipes in Martha: The Cookbook.

Charles Dubow WRITER

In this issue, Charles travels to West Cornwall to chat with Bolivar Hilario, the award-winning chef and new owner of RSVP, and to pro le the dynamic Marina Muñoz, creative director, partner, and general manager of The Pink House. Dubow lives in Washington with his wife, Melinda, and their three dogs.

Ryan Lavine

PHOTOGRAPHER

Ryan built his career in Philadelphia and New York before settling in Litch eld County with his wife and two daughters. In this issue, he had the pleasure of working with Marina Muñoz at The Pink House, Jude Alexis of Black Crust Bakery, and Ruann Viljoen of Spring Hill Vineyard.

Christopher Stella WRITER

Christopher is a writer, photographer, woodworker, and marketer. In this issue, he writes about how a modern Lake Waramaug cottage de es convention and supports an ecosystem, and explores how aesthetics, personal history, and environmental stewardship inspire the garden of artist John-Paul Philippe.

Clementina Verge

WRITER

Clementina teaches American literature at Central Connecticut State University. In this issue, she writes about preservation and reinvention in Litch eld County, from the Norfolk Music Festival’s year of celebration to a Cornwall dairy farmer trained in the art of cheesemaking in Sardinia.

Mary Beth Lawlor

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ken DeLago

DESIGN DIRECTOR

Vanessa Hammond OPERATIONS MANAGER

Alicia Pascale PRODUCTION MANAGER

Steven Lombardi WEBSITE MANAGER

Zandria Oliver PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Alexandra Mazza EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Georgia Lopresti EVENTS DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Wendy Carlson, Paula Cornell, Charles Dubow, Clinton Kelly, Alexandra Mazza, Christopher Stella, Clementina Verge

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rana Faure, Jim Henkens, Ryan Lavine

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WHAT WAS FOR DINNER?

A look at what landed on the table in Litchfield County 250 years ago BYALEXANDRAMAZZA

Ireprieve. “A tavern or a large farm family might have a brine barrel in the cellar in which salt beef was kept for weeks.”

In June, July, and August, that barrel could rest.

N THE SUMMER of 1776, as ink dried on the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia and the young nation fought for its survival, the farm families of Litch eld County were doing what they did every night: pulling a cast-iron pot from the hearth and ladling out dinner.

In the warm months, the meal was lighter and brighter than its winter counterpart. The brine barrel in the cellar stayed sealed, and the table lled with what the garden, the river, and the woods could provide. A summer supper might begin with fresh greens, peas, and new beets from the kitchen garden, alongside a piece of beef or pork too tender to bother salting. Trout from the Housatonic, eels, and the occasional partridge or rabbit from the surrounding hills rounded out the plate.

Salt meat still anchored the colonial diet, a cornerstone of tavern, military, and mercantile cooking in the days before refrigeration. But summer o ered a brief, welcome

PRESERVATION

In Litch eld County, cattle were central to the local economy and identity. The rolling hills were well suited to animal husbandry, which meant beef–fresh in warm months and salted through the winter–was more accessible here than elsewhere in colonial New England. A farm family in Cornwall, Washington, or Litch eld would have made the most of summer's bounty before fall slaughter returned them to the brine.

In 1776, Connecticut was a primary provisioner of the Continental Army, and Litch eld, already an important crossroads and supply center, played a direct role in feeding the war e ort. The same salt beef that fueled soldiers on the march fed the families who sent them o .

Breakfast was simpler: bread and milk or a cornmeal porridge called hasty pudding, cooked thick and sweetened with molasses, which was far more common than sugar in

colonial households. The midday meal was the largest of the day, and supper was light. Summer brought fresh garden vegetables and wild berries. Eels and pickerel from the Housatonic, and the occasional partridge or rabbit from the surrounding hills, rounded out the plate.

The Barrel Could Rest

Salt meat anchored the colonial diet in the days before refrigeration. But summer offered a brief, welcome reprieve.

Before refrigeration, salting, pickling, smoking, and drying kept food edible through the year. Meat was brined in large barrels. Seafood, green walnuts, eggs, and fruits like cherries, peaches, and pears were packed into ceramic pots with vinegar, salt, sugar, and spices.

DRINKS

Meals were washed down with homebrewed cider, small beer, or diluted spirits, since water quality was often unreliable. Cider was a particular favorite across Connecticut and New England.

KITCHEN GARDENS

Most families kept a "kitchen garden" planted close to the house. These plots provided fresh vegetables, herbs, seasonings, and medicinal plants, since transporting produce any distance was di cult, especially in summer and winter.

THE HEARTH

In a typical Connecticut home, the hearth was the heart of the house, used for warmth, light, and nearly every meal. Virtually all cooking happened over an open ﬁre in cast-iron pots and kettles, even in the warm months.

CANDY

Sweets appeared mostly on special occasions like weddings and holidays. Most were made from maple sugar, which was also boiled down to coat hickory nuts and butternuts, a prized delicacy.

CORNBREAD

Cornbread and cornmeal dishes were essential rather than incidental. New England's rocky soils and wheat blight made wheat unreliable, so ﬂour had to be shipped in from New York, Pennsylvania, and beyond. Cornmeal stood in, eaten alongside meat and stew to soak up broth and stretch a portion.

Crafted Pizzas | Share Plates

Salads

Cocktails

Wine

Beer

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A NEW PRESTON POUR FROM PROVENCE

BYJOANNMAKOVITZKY

OLIVE + IVY

The Cavaillon melon comes from the south of France and is prized for its intense oral melon avor. Slightly drier than most melons, it delivers a more concentrated taste, which makes it especially well-suited for cocktails. Other melons simply don’t o er the same depth and intensity, whichis why we chose this particular variety. For us, melon, olive oil, and sage capture the warmth and brightness of summer — elds of sun-ripened melons growing alongside olive trees and fragrant sage. The result is aromatic, vibrant, and full of sunshine.

Karen Veillette created this refreshing summer cocktail as a delicious way to cool down in the heat. Melon is naturally hydrating and cooling, making every sip feel light, fresh, and revitalizing. She adds organic Rime vodka from Connecticut, which blends well with the melon’s oral sweetness and a hint of green freshness from the sage, and is topped with fruity olive oil, which helps the melon avor linger on your palate.

Community Table 223 Litch eld Turnpike (Rt. 202), New Preston communitytablect.com

PHOTOGRAPH

RYAN LAVINE

Head Bartender Karen Veillette Mixes Summer at Community Table

DAVID LEITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

Roxbury resident, David Leite, is a Portuguese American food writer, cookbook author, and founder of the two-time James Beard Award-winning website Leite’s Culinaria.

Your 2008 piece in The New York Times, “Perfection?

Hint: It’s Warm and Has a Secret,” changed how home bakers think about chocolate chip cookies. Did you have any idea it would land that way?

I had absolutely no idea. And the article almost didn’t happen!

A er I wrote a piece for The New York Times on New England’s fried clam trail, which went on to win a James Beard Award, my editor, Pete Wells, invited me out to lunch. He told me I could write about anything I wanted. When I said I wanted to write about chocolate chip cookies, his response was, “What could you possibly add to the canon of knowledge about chocolate chip cookies?”

At the time, I had no idea. I just knew that I wanted to do a really deep dive into my favorite cookie. It took about six months. To borrow a hackneyed phrase, the rest is history.

Resting the dough for up to 36 hours sounds like a hard sell. How do you convince people it’s worth the wait? I don’t always convince them! As a matter of fact, I was in talks with a large food retailer to create a dry mix people could buy and bake at home. No matter what I said, I couldn’t get them to understand that waiting 36 hours was imperative. Alas, the deal didn’t happen.

For home cooks, I explain what aging the dough does—it hydrates the our fully, changes the texture for the better, helps it brown di erently, and enhances the avor. If they don’t bite, I just smile. The good thing is the original recipe from Jacques Torres doesn’t require aging the dough at all. So they’ll get a really good cookie, but it’s just not the best version of that cookie!

The hardest sell is getting people to use the two different types of flour. Many insist on using all-purpose instead. And it’s flat-out a different cookie!

The sea salt finish seems obvious now—was it controversial at the time? It wasn’t controversial, but it was little known then. The only place I’d seen salt on sweets prior to 2008 was at Eliseyev Emporium in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2002. They had luxury chocolates sprinkled with sea salt, and we were shocked. Salt on chocolate? Are they bonkers? One bite told me they were geniuses.

At the time of the writing, a few chefs in Paris were lightly salting their cookies. So there was a precedent, although it wasn’t well-known here yet.

The recipe started with Jacques Torres. How much of what ran in the Times was yours? The basic recipe is Jacques’. That had been oating around the internet for several years; I believe he even made them on Martha Stewart’s TV program. The original recipe called for an unspeci ed proportion of pastry our to bread our. What most people don’t know is that Jacques changes that proportion based upon several factors, the biggest one being the humidity in the air. I always called him a human barometer. When I was working on the article, I told him that no one was going to buy pastry our because there’s no other use for it for most home cooks. He agreed to change it to cake our.

His recipe included neither the aging of the dough, which is the single most important aspect of the recipe, nor the sea salt.

How important is it to use the chocolate you recommend? That’s the single most important ingredient of the cookie, hands down. Over the past 18 years, I’ve seen thousands of photos on the internet using all types of chocolate and chocolate chips. But the discs called for in the recipe are couverture chocolate. They have a substantially higher amount of cocoa butter (at least 31 percent),

which is used for coating tru es and bonbons, molding, and piping. Because of all that extra cocoa butter, they melt into these marvelous mini lakes of chocolate. You can’t beat it. Whenever I see people using chocolate chips, my heart breaks a bit. While they think they have an amazing cookie, they have no idea how good it could be if they used the correct chocolate. The brand I use, which Jacques recommended, is Belcolade.

16 years later, would you change anything? I wouldn’t necessarily change the recipe, but Americans’ palates have become so much more adventurous. So I would include variations such as brown butter, toasted milk powder, and perhaps a little bit of heat— maybe in the form of Aleppo or chipotle pepper.

Whenever

I see people using chocolate chips, my heart breaks a bit.”

Be honest—do you ever save some dough to eat raw, like we do? Oh, totally! I eat the raw dough all the time. In fact, I had a few cookies that I didn’t bake o for the photographer, and last night I had some marvelous vanilla ice cream with some of the raw dough chopped up and mixed into it. It’s heaven.

DISCLAIMER: Raw cookie dough contains uncooked eggs and our, both of which can carry salmonella. We know you’re going to eat it anyway. So does David. Proceed at your own delicious risk.

OPEN TABLE

For Adrienne Lufkin, a longtime Litchﬁeld County resident, summer means Nantucket— and Nantucket means the Golden Hour. That brief, radiant window when the sun begins its descent and water, sky, and sand dissolve into a single amber glow is the heartbeat of her new cookbook, Savor the Golden Hour, a love letter to the island and the easy, elegant meals that mark its long summer evenings.

Like so many in our region, Lufkin knows the rhythm of hosting friends and family through the warm months: the impulse to feed everyone beautifully, and the equally strong impulse to actually sit down and enjoy it. Savor the Golden Hour is built around that tension. The recipes are designed to be made ahead, to multiply into the next day’s lunch, and to leave the cook free to pour a glass of wine and watch the sky turn. An Everyday Balsamic Dressing pulls double duty as a marinade. Grilled vegetables become tomorrow’s pizza topping. Breakfast Bread Pudding moonlights as dessert, then quietly reappears at breakfast.

Lufkin, the founder of Struesli, the organic superfood granola brand, brings the same balance of approachability and reﬁnement to every page. The result is a cookbook that travels well from a Nantucket porch to a Litchﬁeld County kitchen— one that quietly reframes summer cooking as something to be enjoyed, not endured.

☜ Scan for THE NEW YORK TIMES CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE article

SHELF LIFE, KITCHEN EDITION

Kent’s House of Books Turns 50 with Staff Cookbook Picks

House of Books in Kent turns 50 this year. In the spirit of our food issue, we asked the sta for their favorite cookbook recommendations—the list that came back is as eclectic as the store itself. Their top three bestsellers are here too.

Turtle Island by Sean Sherman

“The best cookbooks are also about people and places. Here, Lakota chef Sherman delves into indigenous cuisines from North America, with astonishing stories linking the recipes to the natural world, its seasons, its peoples.”

BENJAMINRYBECK general manager

The Pickled City by Paul van Ravestein, Sandor Ellix Katz, and Monique Mulder

“Take a briny journey through New York City, one pickle at a time. This book is for pickle-lovers, yes, but also for lovers of history and culture, compiled through vivid photographs and stories of interest”.

RYEBELL Inventory coordinator

The Hot Dog Cookbook by Farideh Sadeghin

“This smart little book has it all: history, cooking techniques, buns, and of course recipes from across the states and around the world.”

MARYHEMBREE bookseller

Something from Nothing by Alison Roman

“Creative and delicious recipes using what you have on hand, like an appetizer of radishes with butter and salt to complement a main course of spicy vinegar chicken and tomatoes. Wonderfully simple!”

MARYHEMBREE bookseller

The Korean Vegan by Joanne Lee Molinaro

“An Instagram star also crafts rich, beautiful cookbooks. Personal stories are interspersed with recipes that prove vegan dishes can easily equal meat and dairy in flavor and fun.”

BENJAMINRYBECK general manager

TOP THREE BESTSELLERS ARE

Fat Acid Heat by

HOUSE OF BOOKS TURNS 50

ce e rat n ent s e o ed terar cornerstone

The doors of Kent’s House of Books open onto a clean, light-ﬁlled space lined with colorful spines and the faint smell of crisp paper. This year marks the bookstore’s 50th anniversary— a milestone owed in no small part to the community that has sustained it for decades.

House of Books ﬁrst opened in 1976, founded by Carol Ho man Matzke and her then-husband, John Ho man. Matzke, who passed away earlier this year, leaves behind a lasting legacy in the store she built. Today, it’s in the hands of general manager Benjamin Rhybeck. Rhybeck has managed two other bookstores, but says few communities compare to Kent, where the town’s identity as a literary haven still holds.

“This is a smart group of people up here,” he says. “They care about books—not just because this is their local store. They care about this store because we care about books.”

Blueberries for Sal Cookbook credited to Robert McCloskey (the original children’s book author; the cookbook is a tie-in to his classic)

Independent bookstores have weathered decades of disruption— from big-box retailers to Amazon to e-books. That House of Books continues to thrive is both rare and telling.

by Brian Levy

“You can’t discount the spirit of opinionated New Englanders,” Rhybeck says. “People who care deeply about their town, their community. This is their place. Their home. They know every inch of it.”

For your next read, start with the sta picks wall or check the calendar for upcoming events. This summer brings authors Jenny Jackson and Grant Ginder for a talk and signing moderated by local author Amy Poeppel. The monthly book club is revisiting titles popular in 1976 in honor of the anniversary.

PAULACORNELL

houseofbooksct.com 10 N Main St, Kent

Salt

Samin Nosrat

Good and Sweet

HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST

WALK INTO West Cornwall’s

The Pink House restaurant and it is hard not to notice Marina Muñoz itting from table to table, chatting with customers, talking to the kitchen, working the room, and generally acting like any good host would at a dinner party. The restaurant’s creative director, general partner and manager, she has lived all over the world, speaks many languages, and has the kind of beauty that is seen in movies and magazines.

In an age where chef-driven restaurant culture has prevailed for years—think Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud, Gordon Ramsey, et. al.—there is still something special about a restaurant with a great host. A host is more than just a maître d’ taking reservations and showing people to their tables. A great host knows how to make every diner feel important—and want to come back. In Litch eld County we are fortunate to already have some pretty terri c hosts, such as James O’Shea at West Street Grill, Jo-Ann Makovitsky at Community Table, and Dino Kolitsas at Greca, and Muñoz possesses such talent in abundance.

“Being a good host is a very Latin thing. We love welcoming people, sharing meals. It’s in my blood,” says Muñoz, who is originally from Buenos Aires. But running a restaurant has also been a steep learning curve for her. “Kitchens are hard. Restaurants are hard. It’s not just about beautiful food and a beautiful room. It is about keeping the lights on, paying people fairly so they

can a ord to live and work here, buying food, managing waste, building a wine program, handling insurance and liability, and getting through slow weeks, snow days, and all the unexpected problems that come with this industry.”

Before moving to West Cornwall in 2022 Muñoz had no restaurant experience. “I started modeling as a teenager for Ford, and then worked as a fashion consultant and stylist with such clients as Vogue and Ti any.” It was while renovating her home in the area that she was featured

in HBO’s “For the Love of Kitchens”. She then connected with The West Cornwall Development Group, which o ered her a chance to open a general store in town. “But then I pivoted again from retail to food,” she says. “And it’s such fun getting di erent groups

BYCHARLESDUBOW

together, throwing a nightly party. That’s when you get the real magic. So much of what I want is to bring more people to this beautiful town.”

To that end, she has worked with organizations such as the Cornwall Library and local artists and musicians to o er

And it’s such fun getting different groups together, throwing a nightly party. That’s when you get the real magic.”

The Pink House as a place where the community can gather. “We are a place where everyone is welcome,” she says. “Snowboarders in winter, shermen in summer, families, weekenders. We have books and chessboards and even pink chalk for children to draw with. Come in for a cocktail, a cup of Oolong, or a meal.”

For a few months in late 2025 the restaurant had to temporarily close and Muñoz and her business partner, lawyer David Ellen, strove to reopen.

“I am incredibly grateful,” she says. “Other restaurant owners, hospitality friends, and people in the community have reached out and helped me through some very hard moments. That has reminded me why I want to be here and why The Pink House matters. I believe in this place, I believe in this community, and I am going to keep ghting for it.

My hope is that The Pink House will be here for years and years as a place where people come together, share meals, work hard, feel cared for, and make memories.” thepinkhousect.com

Marina Muñoz shines at The Pink House in Cornwall

FROM CAPE TOWN TO CONNECTICUT

Winemaker

Ruaan Viljoen Earns Spring Hill 98 Points

BYCHARLESDUBOW

AT THE 2026 Los Angeles Invitational Wine Competition, Spring Hill Vineyards and winemaker Ruaan Viljoen earned some of the highest honors in the country—led by the estate-grown Itasca, also known as Picnic Blanc, which took Best White Wine, Best of Class, Double Gold, and 98 points. Cabernet Franc, Marquette, Grotto Reserve, Pond House Reserve, Lucy Sparkle, and

SHAG Rosé also took home medals, with additional recognition at the 2026 Libations Wine Competition. Viljoen, who hails from Cape Town, South Africa, brings 14 vintages of international experience to Spring Hill, including time at Kendall Jackson and Merry Edwards in Sonoma, California, and at Boschendal, Glen Carlou, and Grande Provence in his

Ruaan Viljoen, who hails from Cape Town, South Africa, brings 14 vintages of international experience to Spring Hill Vineyards...”

native South Africa. Trained in soil science, pomology, viticulture, and oenology, he leads a fully integrated approach—from vineyard management through nal blending—shaping wines that re ect both technical precision and a clear sense of place.Taste them at the source. Spring Hill Vineyards welcomes visitors to its property in Washington. springhillvineyards.com

2024

Cabernet Franc

Layered, savory, and effortlessly elegant.

Ripe cherry, raspberry, and blackcurrant lift with violet, graphite, and fresh herbs, while the palate brings dark cherry, sage, and cracked pepper. Fine tannins, bright acidity, and a long finish of dark berries and forest floor.

Double Gold (96 points), 2026 LA Invitational Wine Competition.

Itasca Picnic Blanc

Bright, juicy, and built for sun-drenched afternoons. Meyer lemon, ripe pear, and white peach layered with lychee, passion fruit, and orange blossom. A touch of residual sugar gives it a round, supple texture; bright acidity keeps it lifted.

Best White Wine, Best of Class, Double Gold (98 points), 2026 LA Invitational Wine Competition.

A cold-climate red with the soul of a Pinot. Red cherry, wild raspberry, and violet give way to baking spice, white pepper, and forest floor. Silky tannins, bright acidity, clean finish. Best of Class, Gold (92 points), 2026 LA Invitational Wine Competition.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RYAN LAVINE

Marquette

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPS

Norfolk Chamber Music Festival Marks a Century of Discovery in the Litchfield

Hills

IN THE HEART OF NORFOLK , within a historic venue steeped in legacy, a festival carries on as one of the nation's oldest and most distinguished classical music traditions. For more than a century, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival—hosted by the Yale School of Music—has inspired audiences with timeless performances, while o ering glimpses of the next generation of exceptional talent. Continuing the tradition, the 2026 season promises to be rich in both history and inspiration, celebrating notable anniversaries, from America's 250th birthday to a program devoted to music composed in 1826, and the centennial of Claude Monet's death.

Nearly a decade into his tenure as director, Melvin Chen describes the festival as “an undiscovered jewel,” with every concert doubling as a masterclass in chamber music. World-renowned faculty collaborate with fellows from premier conservatories— including Juilliard, Yale, Colburn, and New England—creating a dynamic exchange between proven mastery and "unbelievably talented young artists” on the brink of “very successful professional careers.”

“Norfolk is about learning and discovery,” says Chen, professor in the practice of piano at Yale. “Our fellows bring curiosity and drive, and faculty bring guidance and expertise. The audience witnesses artistic

growth unfolding in real time.”

A solo and chamber musician acclaimed across the United States, Canada, and Asia, Chen underscores the irreplaceable power of live performances to inspire connection and emotion—the heartbeat of the Norfolk experience.

“Recorded versions sound exactly the same every time, but a live event is an act of courage,” he re ects. “There's spontaneity, personality, and an element of risk in each live performance that recordings simply cannot capture or replicate. The audience senses e ort and feels it in every note,” creating an energy and a connection that lasts long a er the nal note fades.

Acclaimed Musicians perform inside the historic Norfolk chamber venue.

Once graced by legends like Russian maestro Sergei Rachmanino and Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, the Music Shed remains an intimate gathering place where tradition and artistry can be heard and felt.

Designed in 1906 by Ellen Battelle Steckle, built from redwood shipped from California, and modeled a er Steinway Hall in New York, the hall retains its storied acoustics.

Its quiet elegance has drawn generations of performers and discerning audiences alike, and recent enhancements have elevated the festival experience without compromising its historical soul. Air conditioning, remodeled restrooms, climate-controlled rehearsal spaces, and newly built dormitories for students now blend harmoniously with the venue's legacy.

The Music Shed Patrons old and new are welcomed by more than a century of music, tradition, and shared discovery.

With seating for 600 guests, the Music Shed o ers an atmosphere of understated exclusivity: a blend of comfort and an immersive classical setting that continues to captivate audiences. Chen hopes the festival steps into the spotlight it deserves— welcoming devoted patrons and new audiences to revel in the convergence of music, nature, and human connection.

Concerts include free Thursday evening and Saturday morning performances, and Friday and Saturday night subscription concerts, all featuring a curated mix of classical masterpieces, innovative cross-genre repertoire, and contemporary compositions.

“The goal is to honor the great traditions while also inviting discovery, both for young artists and audiences,” Chen re ects.

“We want everyone to leave with the thrill of experiencing something alive and unique.” music.yale.edu/norfolk

ELOTE GOES UPMARKET

In New Milford, Bourdeau’s Street Corn Nachos Are No Ordinary Bar Snack

JOHN BOURDEAU has been feeding New Milford for years— rst at Lucia, then at The Owl in New Preston, and now Sparrow, where his “world menu” roams freely from Japanese cocktails to Mexican street food. Case in point: the Street Corn Nachos. ¶ “The Street Corn Nachos have quickly become a favorite at Sparrow. Our ri on elote, a Mexican street vendor staple, features house-made corn tortillas, charred corn salsa, a melty three-cheese blend, and the tangy brightness of pickled jalapeños and red onions. It’s all topped with creamy chile, garlic, and lime mayo. Adding grilled shrimp, chicken, or steak makes it a full meal. For a perfect pairing, I recommend our signature Tokyo cocktail—featuring lemongrass-infused vodka and green tea kombucha—or a crisp dra beer,” says Bourdeau.

CLINTON’S

MAGIC SAUCE

Let’s be clear: I’m not saying this is pesto. However, if you’ve spent some time in Italy, you might be aware that “pesto” comes from the Italian verb pestare, which means to pound or crush. And you also probably know there are dozens of regional variations besides the most common in the U.S., pesto alla Genovese. So, technically, I could call it pesto. But I don’t. Around my house, we call it Magic Sauce—my personal Litchﬁeld County variation on pesto. I toss it with pasta. I smear it on a roast beef sandwich. I dollop it on vegetables and fresh mozzarella. But its highest calling is being spooned over roast chicken the moment the bird comes out of the oven.

n red ents

A big handful of basil, a big handful of carrot tops, four garlic scapes, a small handful of walnuts, juice of half a lemon, a squirt of mayo, salt, pepper, and red pepper ﬂakes, olive oil. Put everything in a mini food processor (except the oil) and blend. Then add enough olive oil to make it saucy and spoonable. That’s it. Prego! (I mean that in the Italian “you’re welcome” kind of way, not the meh jarred sauce kind of way).

CLINTONKELLY

MAGIC SAUCE

THE KITCHEN EDIT

Dugazon in Sharon and Marche in Falls Village Share Some of Their Special Kitchen Items

↘ Dugazon Il Buco Bellocchi Etrusca Verde Pig Casserole —Perfection

Handmade Provencal Olive Oil Jug from Southern France, circa 1840. $760

MARCHE

Proprietors:

Kelie & Jim Henkens

Marche English Transferware

Footed Pedestal, circa 1840. Marked “Pomona” on verso. $325

Marche French wood bread board, circa 1880. Wonderful patina, acquired in Paris, France. $365

THE FARMER’S TABLE

Honoring Litchfield County’s Farmers

BYCLEMENTINAVERGE

THIS AUGUST, linendraped tables set across the lawn at Kent Falls Brewing Company will welcome guests to an open-air dinner prepared by local chefs using ingredients sourced just a few miles away. Meats and artisanal cheeses from neighboring farms. Vegetables harvested from local elds. Flowers cut fresh from nearby gardens.

This is The Farmer’s Table, an annual gathering that has become an anticipated summer tradition. Beneath the idyllic setting, however, is an urgent concern: Connecticut farmers are experiencing the mounting pressures that re ect agricultural challenges across the country. Shortages of seasonal laborers. Rising land costs that limit purchases or expansions. Weather patterns that have become more unpredictable. And an uncertain generational continuity as fewer young people are choosing to carry the work forward.

The average age of a Connecticut farmer is 58, and

many approaching retirement have no successor. As a result, hundreds of farms have succumbed to development in recent years, a loss measured not only in acres, but in diminished local food security.

This reality inspired Warren resident Howard Rosenfeld to launch The Smithy Market in New Preston—a shop devoted exclusively to products sourced within a 70-mile radius. Though he sold the business a few years later, his commitment to supporting local agriculture did not waver.

He believed that farmers, chefs, residents, and local institutions needed opportunities to gather around the same table and engage in conversations about sustainability. With a small group of friends, he launched

The Farmer’s Table around a deceptively simple idea: those who feed the community should feel a valued part of it.

“Farmers are very much part of the community,” says Rosenfeld. “But many people in the area don’t really sense that.”

What began in 2011 as an intimate meal on a working

farm in Warren has evolved into a seasonal xture, drawing more than 200 guests every August. From Arethusa to Averill and Sunny Meadow, each year the location changes to a di erent farm in Litch eld County, but the purpose remains constant— celebrate the land and support the people working it.

In an area where rolling pastures and weathered barns are trademark scenery, agriculture remains deeply woven into daily life. Nearly one in ve of Connecticut’s 5,000 farms is located here, giving the region the state’s highest concentration of working farmland. The 2020 pandemic especially underscored how essential local farmers are, Rosenfeld re ects. When national supply chains faltered, many stepped in “resiliently and on short notice” to help sustain their communities.

That reality sharpened the mission of The Farmer’s Table: sustain those who are sustaining the community. The nonpro t supports farmers by providing nancial assistance during emergencies, creating educational resources and grant-writing support, and facilitating opportunities to connect with one another and with state agencies.

“Buy local. Shop at farmers markets. Know your neighbors,” Rosenfeld says. “No farmer goes into farming to become rich. Farmers do it for the love of the land and to share with the community.”

For the farmers who show up season a er season—and for the communities that depend on them—the work of The Farmer’s Table is far from nished. farmers-table.org

LOVE TO COOK?

PAGE TO PLATE

Page to Plate, a celebration of cooks and cooking, returns to the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon on Saturday, August 1, from 10 am to 4:30 pm as part of the 28th Annual Sharon Summer Book Signing Weekend. The day is built for anyone who likes to cook, read about food, or simply enjoy a good meal. Six accomplished food writers, cookbook authors, and cooks will gather to share stories, recipes, tips, and tricks, with signed books available for purchase after each presentation. This year’s lineup brings together a remarkable range of culinary voices. Elisa and Robert Bildner will present The Berkshires Farm Table Cookbook. Melissa Clark of The New York Times will discuss Dinner In One and Dinner in French. Sabrina Rudin shares Healthy with a Side of Happy. Valerie Stivers o ers The Writer’s Table: Famous Authors and Their Favorite Recipes. Anna Stockwell presents The Butter Book, and Kevin West closes with The Cook’s Garden. Whether you cook for one, two, or many, whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or a committed carnivore, there is something on the menu for every kind of reader and every kind of eater.

All proceeds directly support the daily operations of the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon. Morning, afternoon, and all-day tickets, which include lunch, are available at hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org/pageto-plate-2026. For more information, call the library at 860-364-5041. ■

LIZ M c CLEAN pulls a huge ham dripping with bubbling glaze out of her oven. It’s taken three days to cook: rst soaking, then slow roasting before bathing in glaze and baking again. Why go to all this trouble for a ham? Because it’s recipe 86 of McClean’s project to cook all 100 recipes in Martha: The Cookbook.

McClean is a fashion stylist and creative director with 30 years in fashion. It wasn’t until the pandemic that she turned to cooking, as love and loss changed the trajectory of her life. First, love: wanting to cook for longtime friend, now husband, Marlon Sporer. Then loss: a way to remember her mother, who loved to cook, a er she passed away in 2021.

As a child, she gathered clams and mussels from Long Island Sound, which her mother transformed into steaming seafood linguine—an early lesson in food as care.

McClean continued working in fashion, but a new marriage, a new home, and the loss of her mother had reshaped everything else. She found herself searching for something new.

Martha Stewart’s documentary had a profound impact on her. Stewart lived by a motto of learning something new every day and was 52 when her television show aired—close in age to McClean.

When Sporer gi ed her Stewart’s cookbook, McClean knew that cooking through it and documenting the journey online would help her learn and grow in the ways she wanted to.

A NEW VERSION OF MYSELF

Litchfield Resident Cooks Through Love and Loss

BYPAULACORNELL

Each recipe took time— shopping locally, prepping ingredients, and using her skills as a stylist to set the scene in her brightly lit kitchen. Her husband filmed and edited each video, helping her feel relaxed on camera.

“I fell madly in love with the process,” she says. “It was the same muscles [as in fashion] being used, just in a di erent art form.”

By committing to cook every recipe, she forced herself to face the challenges of recipes that once seemed too di cult. She learned to salt-cure and smoke chicken, make yogurt from scratch, and bake—something she’d never done. Now she enjoys baking buttery orange currant scones or a crisp, jammy rhubarb lattice tart for guests.

For the 100th recipe, to

This project had become a love letter to my mom and very much a way to sort of process grief too, and feel connected to her through food.”

honor both her own mother and Stewart’s, she made pierogies—Stewart’s favorite recipe from her mom.

“This project had become a love letter to my mom and very much a way to sort of process grief too, and feel connected to her through food,” she says.

It took McClean a year to cook all 100 recipes, with favorites including oysters and a u y vecheese sou e. She discovered local gems like Old Barn Farm and Thorncrest Farm in Goshen

for plump blueberries and fresh milk, and Cornwall Hollow Farm Stand for eggs and honey.

Next, McClean continues cooking through Ina Garten’s 1999 The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and other recipes, continuing to source locally. Follow her on socials to see all she’s cooking and learning now in her Litch eld kitchen and the neighborhood beyond.

TIKTOK: @liz_mcclean INSTAGRAM: @lizmcclean

WHERE CHILDHOOD MEETS THE WORKING FARM

Arethusa Turns 140 Acres into a Summer Classroom BYCLEMENTINAVERGE

AS CHILDREN care for cows and goats, await poultry incubation, and learn about tractor maintenance, their days at Arethusa Farm Camp provide exciting opportunities to connect with nature, learn sustainable practices, and cultivate a lifelong appreciation for where food truly comes from. Here, children replace screens with fresh air, and step into the daily rituals of a working farm that once housed the nation’s leading dairy cattle. What unfolds over the course of each weekly session, June through August, is not simply recreation, but an authentic agricultural experience.

“There are increasingly fewer farms, less connection to agriculture and food sources,” says newly appointed executive director Bill Davenport, a lifelong Litch eld resident and seasoned agriscience educator. “We strive for children to learn appreciation for farms and farmers, for local food, and for open land. It becomes a lifelong connection to all aspects of agriculture as we nurture the next generation.”

The camp is one of the most visible ways that Arethusa Farm Foundation, established in 2023, honors the donation of 140 acres by philanthropist Anthony Yurgaitis, who envisioned preserving the land’s rural character while establishing a center for agricultural education for all ages. Honoring the mission, camp days are thoughtfully structured, tactile, and joyful.

Arethusa was established in 1868 and named a er an orchid that grew in a swamp on the land. Almost 160 years later, children ages ve to 13 explore its meadows

and woodlands, observe wildlife, and go hiking and shing. Among garden beds, lessons in soil science, composting, and companion planting abound, while beekeeping emphasizes the importance of pollinators in balancing sustainable ecosystems.

The experience continues in barns and pastures where, under expert guidance, children learn the fundamentals of animal care—from feeding and grooming, to understanding the needs of horses, cows, pigs, sheep, and goats. Veterinary sessions include professional guest speakers who share core concepts, discuss current issues, and o er practical insight into animal health, bridging science with real-world application—like learning to suture—in a way that feels engaging and empowering, evidenced by children’s enthusiasm and parent feedback.

“Parents tell us that children go home exhausted, excited to go to bed and to return in the morning. It’s a win-win,” Davenport jokes. He also notices markedly increased con dence in children

as they acquire skills and practice creativity through using tools, woodworking, and handling farm equipment. Whether they are taking measurements, building birdhouses, repairing a fence, or checking uid levels and tire pressure, the experiences leave an imprint.

By week’s end, the transformation is noticeable in campers gushing with stories, carrying a deeper awareness about the “farm to table” process, and displaying a sense of independence and connection increasingly lost in modern childhoods molded by technology. With more than three decades of experience spanning teaching and 4-H leadership, Davenport brings expertise and authenticity to the foundation’s expanding programs. This commitment ensures that initiatives like the summer camp remain a priority, nurturing the next generation with an understanding of agriculture and sustainability. Adults will nd inspiration and hands-on education here, too, whether they’re acquiring new skills or deepening existing passions. arethusafarmfoundation.org

We strive for children to learn appreciation for farms and farmers, for local food, and for open land. It becomes a lifelong connection to all aspects of agriculture as we nurture the next generation."

CULTURE

arts connected 2026

Once each year, artists, patrons, and cultural advocates from across Northwest Connecticut gather to celebrate the creative spirit that deﬁnes this corner of the state. This summer, the Northwest CT Arts Council's signature fundraiser, Arts Connected, ﬁnds an inspiring new home at Buck's Rock Camp in New Milford, a legendary haven for young artists and makers for more than 75 years.

On Saturday, August 29, from 5 to 8 pm, guests will explore the camp's picturesque grounds while enjoying an evening of art, music, performance, and community. Original works by notable regional artists will be on display for purchase, alongside local culinary o erings and cocktails. Live entertainment unfolds throughout the campus, with performances ranging from live jazz and African drumming to plein air painting demonstrations. The evening culminates with a special performance by internationally acclaimed dance company MOMIX, performing pieces from Botanica.

This year's celebration is hosted in partnership with a distinguished committee of local arts champions whose support helps sustain the region's vibrant cultural landscape: Tim Daly and Téa Leoni, Diane von Furstenberg, Patti LuPone, Jack O'Brien, Sam Waterston, Maria Horn, and Paul Winter.

More than a festive summer gathering, Arts Connected supports the artists, organizations, and creative initiatives that enrich life throughout Northwest Connecticut. Reservations: artsnwct.org

Momix will be performing at Arts Connected in August.

LITCHFIELD INN TAKES THE PLUNGE

A New Pool and Field House Debut This Summer

THE LITCHFIELD INN has unveiled The Field House & Pool, a new amenity for hotel guests set overlooking open meadows and preservation land. The heated 20-by-60-foot pool, installed by Drakeley Pools with landscaping by Botanically Becca and Garden Cowboy’s Ed Pequignot, is designed to blend into its natural surroundings. The Field

House—which features a custom light xture by Dumais Made— o ers bathrooms, showers, and a communal wellness space where guests can take part in yoga, guided meditation, and sound bath programming with local practitioners.

“One of our favorite things about the property is simply being here. Its open spaces, natural surroundings, and the

chance it gives people to slow down and enjoy being outdoors are a big part of what makes this place special. The pool is another way for guests to experience that, encouraging them to spend more time outside and enjoy the outdoors,” says owner Pari Bokhari.

litch eldinnct.com

Summer Fun

Litchfield Inn owners

Syed and Pari Bokhari with their son having fun at the new pool installed by Drakeley Pools.

FROM SOURCE CODE TO SOURDOUGH

Jude Alexis Hand-Shapes Patience at Black Crust Bakery

BYMARYBETHLAWLOR

AFTER MORE THAN

25 years as a so ware developer in the New York City tri-state area, Jude Alexis traded business application development for our and re. What began with a single loaf pulled from a toaster oven is now Black Crust Bakery in Falls Village, where he hand-shapes sourdough from organic our, aged starter, and Himalayan sea salt.

What is it about bread that pulled you in? Bread is mercurial. Developing so ware has precise steps that lead to predictable results. Bread has a few basic rules, but following them doesn’t always guarantee a good loaf. I appreciate the challenge, and I love what happens when everything comes together just right.

What makes your sourdough stand apart from the rest?

The Black Crust approach is similar to that of a sommelier—we’re constantly looking for di erent avor blends. We also ferment our breads for as long as possible to bring out the undercurrents of the grains we use.

What’s the most personal moment in your baking process? Kneading the dough. When I begin a loaf and bring the our together with the water and starter, it’s a shaggy mess. It seems impossible that it will turn into anything worthwhile. A er kneading it for several minutes, it transforms into beautiful dough. Baking reminds me to keep going even when things look insane.

For someone new to Black Crust, which loaf should they try first, and where can they find you?

That depends. If you’re looking for something fun and unconventional, I’d recommend the Double Chocolate Sourdough. If you prefer low-gluten, the Ancient Grain Kamut Sourdough. And if you’re a er basic, chewy, wholegrained goodness, the Fleurette. All of these, along with others, are available on our website, blackcrustbakery.com

PHOTOGRAPH

Nuvance Health is now Northwell

RAISING HEALTH FOR ALL W

hile you may see a new name on the door of your trusted providers, this change represents a meaningful evolution of health care for communities across New York and Connecticut.

With Northwell, the most awarded health system in the tristate, you now have access to more. More resources. More clinical expertise. And a greater investment in the future of health care. It’s the strength of a larger, more connected system—brought to the place you call home.

Listening to each community’s needs, Northwell brings in the programs and specialists that matter most locally. That also means investing in the latest technology and in new, modernized facilities. All of these enhancements are being done alongside broader e orts to make it easier to access support, medical records, virtual and inperson appointments and more.

And it’s all based on a simple, but powerful belief: where you live should never determine the quality of care you receive. Whether you’re in a city, small town, suburb, or rural community, every person deserves access to an excellent standard of care, no matter your zip code.

Because there shouldn’t be a city standard of care and a rural standard of care. Or one expectation for New York and another for Connecticut. There should be one state of care— and it should be nothing short of excellent.

Nuvance Health is now Northwell. And we’re here to raise health for all.

NORTHWELL EDU / CAREFORALL

KEMBLE’S BACK, AND SO IS SUMMER

The Mayflower Unveils a Reimagined Pool for the Season

MAYFLOWER INN & SPA

is welcoming summer with the debut of its reimagined pool, designed by Celerie Kemble in partnership with Schumacher Hospitality. Available to hotel guests and spa members, the refreshed space is inspired by the Connecticut countryside and classic coastal motifs, blending whimsical elegance with relaxed New England charm—verdant hues, Portuguese tile-inspired patterns, scalloped chaise lounges, and layered outdoor living areas. The pool serves as the social heart of the property all summer, complemented by seasonal programming including spritz hour, lawn games, the new May ower ice cream cart, and festive holiday weekends. auberge.com/may ower

GETTING TO THE POINT

Ancient Solutions for Modern Problems

For 25 years, licensed acupuncturist Rachel Beth Dorfman has brought a whole-person philosophy to Chinese medicine. At SpringRoot Acupuncture in Woodbury, she combines time-honored practices with cutting-edge therapies to address complex conditions, from fertility to neuropathy, in a setting designed as much for the spirit as the body.

Tell us a bit about your background and what led you to open SpringRoot Acupuncture.

This summer marks 14 years in Woodbury; prior to that I had a successful private practice in Atlanta. I specialize in musculoskeletal work, mind/body medicine, fertility, neuropathy, ﬁbromyalgia, autoimmune issues, and complex conditions. SpringRoot grew out of a vision for a place that o ers quality, personalized, holistic healthcare in a meditative environment.

Neuropathy is notoriously di cult to treat. Why does acupuncture at SpringRoot work when other approaches often don’t?

Neuropathy requires a comprehensive approach. We combine acupuncture with modern medical solutions like ATP Resonance BioTherapy and O3 ReBoot Therapy to create a synergy that accelerates healing and builds function back into a patient’s life in ways other modalities cannot

achieve alone. Together, these therapies decrease inﬂammation, reduce pain, increase blood ﬂow, and stimulate blood vessels to deliver proper nutrients to peripheral nerves so they can heal and repair. What sets this approach apart is its safety. The treatments are non-invasive, gentle, and not contraindicated alongside prescription medications. This matters deeply with degenerative conditions, because frequency and consistency are essential to

progress. When patients improve without side e ects and actually enjoy their treatments, they stay consistent, and that consistency improves outcomes.

What kinds of neuropathy do you see most often, and what symptoms are most likely to improve?

We have successfully worked with chemotherapy-induced, idiopathic, diabetic, and spinal neuropathy.

Patients report decreases in pain, tingling, numbness, and burning, along with improvements in circulation and skin and nail quality. But the most significant gains often go beyond symptom relief. This work restores confidence in balance and in everyday activities most people take for granted, like driving or navigating their own home safely.

One patient was overjoyed to no longer need her cane, even on the stairs. Another was moved to tears when she could walk barefoot on the sand at her beach house again after years of pain. This is why this work matters.

Preserving mobility and independence is a cornerstone of what we do. That said, our youngest chemotherapy-induced neuropathy patients were in their twenties and forties, and both responded exceptionally well. Neuropathy does not discriminate by age, and neither does our approach.

What would you most like readers to know about SpringRoot, and where can they reach you?

We don’t just treat the symptoms, we treat the whole person. Our goal is restoring balance, ﬁnding relief, and increasing overall quality of life. Patients report a calmer nervous system, deeper sleep, and improvements in immune function and digestion while receiving care. To learn more or book an appointment, visit springrootacupuncture.com or call 203-266-9088.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RYAN LAVINE

A Minimalist Boathouse Design Becomes a Destination for Generations on Lake Waramaug

BY CHRISTOPER STELLA

Built to Belong

ON LAKE WARAMAUG’S silvery surface, a striking modern structure rises from the shoreline—a bold departure from traditional lakefront cabins. Its oor-toceiling windows o er clean, minimalist lines, mirroring the water below. It commands attention through elegant simplicity. “When you’re inside, you feel like you’re on the lake,” says Marie Schwartz, who, along with her husband, Mark, commissioned the construction. “Whether inside or out, it allows you to enjoy the surrounding environment— it makes the lake itself the focal point.”

Mark and Marie rst purchased a home on Lake Waramaug in 2001, seeking refuge from New York City. Over 25 years, it became a cherished gathering place. In 2010, they purchased the adjacent property, which included a deteriorating boathouse—an environmental liability where a defunct septic system, crumbling cement, and road runo threatened the lake. Yet rebuilding faced constraints. “When you’re building something on the lake, it has to t in the exact same footprint of the prior building,” says Mark. “These limitations shaped the design.”

The Schwartzes demonstrated that limitations spawn innovation. They collaborated with Janson Scuro, a New York City-based architecture and interior design rm that Mark had worked successfully on prior commercial and residential projects. “They’re focused holistically on the project—not just the architecture, but the interior design and aesthetics,” says Mark. The design team, led by Mark Janson and Matthew Jasion, understood the structure needed to be contemporary yet respectful of the environment and character of the lake. Solving the footprint constraint required extensive digital and physical modeling to t the clients’ program within its bounds. A er two years of approvals, construction was completed by August 2020.

The structure is striking yet elegant, using exclusively natural materials—metal, stone, wood, and renewable cedar boards. “We did not want to design a faux-historic structure whose architecture is from another time,” says architect Mark Janson. “We live di erently now. This structure was designed to capture light and views, something a 19th-or early-20th-century structure

The cottage features a minimalist kitchen and a dining area that seats up to ten guests.

“This structure was designed to capture light and views, something a 19th- or early-20th-century structure would not have taken into consideration.”

The cottage features a minimalist kitchen and a dining area that seats up to ten guests.

The property is used as a space for hosting overnight guests, as well as for entertaining during the day.

— MARK JANSON

would not have taken into consideration.” The L-shaped design contains a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area. Polished concrete oors with radiant heating enable year-round use, and highperformance windows maximize views while providing superior insulation. Retractable screens provide summer ventilation and disappear in winter. The project also remediated ecological damage: a new well, relocated septic system, gravel drainage system, and 40 tons of natural stone from a local quarry replaced the deteriorating seawall.

The architects worked closely with local civil engineers to ensure all environmental considerations were addressed in design and construction.

The owners worked with the town and lake association to ensure environmental considerations were addressed throughout design and construction. “We knew that if we were making a change, we had to do things the right way and not cut any corners,” says Marie. “We wanted to be sure we were truly improving the footprint.”

The Schwartzes’ property represents a commitment to stewardship of Lake Waramaug and to anchoring their family’s connection for generations. “It’s always been a family place,” says Mark. “The kids have always brought up tons of friends.” The cottage now serves as their favorite retreat and location for community events. “Our nieces and nephews and hopefully grandchildren will want to spend time there,” Mark re ects. “Anything we can do to make our kids want to come and hang out with their families is something we support.” In a landscape where development o en means intrusion, this modern structure demonstrates that thoughtful design can enhance a natural environment—and that visionary architecture can be distinctive without being disruptive. ■

ad ert se t s

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Woven In The Wild

At White Hollow, Nature Always has the Last Word BY CHRISTOPER STELLA

IN THE MORNING , visual artist JohnPaul Philippe drinks his co ee on the porch of his home, a modest former sharecropper’s cabin on White Hollow Rd in Sharon. The building was transported from North Carolina by the property’s previous owner, ornithologist John McNeeley, whose vision and reverence for nature Philippe is dedicated to stewarding. Here, against the backdrop of Red Rock Mountain, Philippe looks out at the meadow accented with wild owers; the meandering paths that connect the cabin, his artist studio, and a small art gallery (known as BOX); and garden patches that punctuate the space. Here man-made art yields to nature, and nature inhabits art. “I’ve not done much to the land,” says Philippe. “The land tells you what it needs. It’s called the genius loci—the spirit of the place.”

Philippe was born in Henryetta, Oklahoma, a rural community where his relatives lived in modest cabins and worked the land. A er earning a BFA from the University of Oklahoma, he spent his formative years in London, Japan, and New York City—working as a multi-media visual artist and as lead in-house artist for Barneys New York. He found the property on White Hollow in 2005 through a friend who lived down the road. McNeeley sought a buyer who would maintain the property’s integrity, requiring prospective buyers to interview before he would sell. “I was determined to get it,” Philippe remembers. “My career was mostly urban, but I was a country kid in the beginning, and went back to that.”

I was determined to get [this property]. My career was mostly urban, but I was a country kid in the beginning, and went back to that.”

JOHN-PAUL PHILIPPE

Raised wooden paths connect the cabin and Philippe's studio.

←

On Philippes property, artwork creates natural boundaries, while naturally built barriers are elevated to art.

→ Everything is thoughtlfully curated and has its place in the cabin's small kitchen.

The property’s gardens are an expression of the Japanese wabi sabi philosophy—one that nds beauty in imperfection.

“But not just any imperfection,” muses Philippe. For him, aesthetics are everything.

“I won’t buy a paintbrush if the color of the handle’s wrong.”

In this way, Philippe’s approach to maintenance straddles natural and intentional. He thoughtfully stacks pruned branches to form natural barriers that elegantly snake along the property’s edge, and weaves long switches into elegant pergolas and borders for raised beds.

Some of the most striking structures are the work of Philippe’s co-inhabitant, Elvin Rodriguez. Rodriguez grew up in the Dominican Republic, spending his formative

years in the mountains with his grandfather, who built everything from what was at hand. In the garden, where Rodriguez tends herbs and vegetables, he has constructed “ramaitas”—small shelters built from branches and grasses found on the property. They are reminiscent of the structures where his grandfather sat to brew co ee in the Caribbean heat, but here they hold bean stalks, shelter nesting birds, and display handmade art objects. “They remind me of my grandfather and where I’m from,” says Rodriguez. “But I don’t try to make them perfect— nature isn’t perfect.”

The gardens of White Hollow are biodynamic in their way, governed by seasons and natural occurrence. Nesting woodcocks

determine when the meadow can be mowed; deer prune the shrubs and tread the grass paths; and when a bear once dismantled a fence to get at a compost pile, Philippe decided not to x it—the gap that remained was just another part of the garden’s story. They’ll never be nished, and that’s ne. Philippe has learned not to resist nature, but to embrace it as an engine of renewal and inspiration. “I’ve been pulling out vines and I’m fascinated with all of the entanglements, so that’s appearing in my work now,” he says. “Being herehas made me more equipped and adaptable— I’ve successfully reckoned with change. The dynamic is such an inspiring part of life.” whitehollowbox.com

Rodriguez (left) and Philippe (right) grow all manner of vegetables in their multitude of beds.

From left to right: One of

art

Rodriguez standing at the entrance of the small gallery they have created on property, called BOX.

Philippe’s

workspaces;

Tommy Eucalitto Went to the Alps To Heal. He Came Back with a Vision.

BYCLEMENTINAVERGE

New cheese shop at Coltsfoot Valley Farm showcases hand-made raw milk cheese, from pasture to wheel.

Ti uly , tucked into the rolling hills of Cornwall, Coltsfoot Valley Farm is unveiling an alpinestyle cheese shop, inviting visitors to sample handcrafted raw milk cheeses just steps from the pastures where Jersey cows graze and old-world dairy culture lives on.

At the heart of the farm is Tommy ucalitto, who left Litchfield County in search of peace and healing. He found both thousands of miles away in the Italian Alps, among mountain breezes, bellowing cows, and generations of cheesemakers preserving centuriesold traditions.

“I began this out of love and I plan on doing it for exactly that reason.”

There, Eucalitto also found his calling. The life he couldn’t have imagined a decade ago is now one he can’t imagine leaving behind. He became a herdsman, learning the cra of traditional Fontina cheese production.

One mentor le a deep imprint: Attilio, a farmer in his 80s who still climbs mountains and makes cheese by hand.

“It wasn’t just about cheese,” Eucalitto re ects. “It was a way of life.”

A er time in the Alps and Sardinia, Eucalitto returned to Connecticut determined to build a dairy farm anchored in the same philosophy he experienced in Europe: work de ned not by speed or size, but by patience and authenticity.

That vision found its home at Coltsfoot Valley Farm.

Established in the 1890s as a working dairy, the property had been without cows since the 1980s. Jon and Constance Old purchased the land in the early

2000s, hopeful that the pastures wouldn’t remain idle. They welcomed Eucalitto’s proposal to lease the land and bring the cows back home.

Today, Coltsfoot Valley Farm is home to a small herd and operates on an intentionally modest scale. Eucalitto runs it alone, before dawn until dark seven days a week, milking, cleaning, and cra ing cheese entirely by hand. He knows each cow by name. His favorite is Valentina.

Set against a sweeping vista, the farm feels suspended in time. Jerseys graze peacefully while cheesecloth utters in the breeze. Inside the creamery, raw milk becomes small-batch alpine cheeses, fresh ricotta, and aged tomme, each shaped by the day’s changing conditions.

“It starts with quiet mornings and follows the rhythm of the seasons,” Eucalitto says.

That rhythm governs everything: calves born in

A small herd of Jersey cows grazes beneath sweeping views of the valley at Coltsfoot Valley Farm in Cornwall.

spring, lush spring grazing, the slower pace of summer.

Milk changes constantly, with the grass, the weather, and the lactation cycle of the herd.

Eucalitto milks twice daily and makes cheese in the morning, while the milk is still warm.

“It’s as fresh as it can get,” he says.

Cheesemaking, he explains, is never-ending experimentation, as much intuition as science, mastering cultures, fermentation, and timing while negotiating an always-shi ing ingredient. Some cheeses are ready within hours; others are aged for a year or more.

From newborn calf to nished wheel, the process spans nearly four years. Dairy farming, he says, is the opposite of instant grati cation.

Yet that gives the work meaning, “creating something tangible and lasting, and being part of a cycle that keeps renewing itself.”

The cheese shop marks an evolution in Eucalitto’s work, o ering guided experiences including tastings and hands-on cheesemaking workshops. It will also feature curated selections of sheep and goat cheeses from Italy and Sardinia.

As demand grows, Eucalitto faces a familiar challenge: expansion without compromise. He will approach it with care, he says, because protecting the land, the animals, and the integrity of the work comes rst.

“I began this out of love,” he says, “and I plan on doing it for exactly that reason.”

Under Eucalitto’s stewardship, Coltsfoot Valley Farm o ers something increasingly rare: luxury measured not in excess but in authenticity, raw milk cheese cra ed by hand, cows grazing beneath open skies, and traditions worth protecting.

coltsfootvalleyfarm.com

Established in the 1890s as a working dairy farm, the property had been without cows since the 1980s. Eucalitto has brought it back to life.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 AT 6 P.M.

Hosted by Leni and Peter May at Maywood in Bridgewater, Connecticut

Cocktails and Dinner

Catered by Marcia Selden Catering & Events

Purchase your tickets at ctland.org/midsummer-party (100% of the proceeds support conservation in Northwest Connecticut)

FEATURING 26 OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY’S FINEST CHEFS

SEPTEMBER 13

3-6 PM GENERAL ENTRY 2-3 PM VIP HOUR

YOU EITHER GO TO SAVOR LITCHFIELD, OR YOU SPEND SEPTEMBER WISHING YOU HAD.

ON SUNDAY , September 13, South Farms in Morris transforms into the culinary event of the year: 26 of the county’s top chefs, cra cocktails from Litch eld Distillery, live music by the Dirk Quinn Band, a vendor village, and a kids zone. General admission is $150, from 3 to 6 pm. The VIP upgrade at $225 gets you in at 2 pm for a private hour catered by Tastings, a complimentary prosecco, and a swag bag. A private table for six is $2,400, with reserved seating, tableside service,

personalized signage, and a photo with the new Litch eld Magazine cover.

NEW THIS YEAR

Savor Talks, two intimate sessions celebrating the region’s food, farm, and cra beverage culture. Howard Rosenfeld of The Farmer’s Table joins South Farms general manager Ben Paletsky for a conversation about strengthening connections between Northwest Connecticut farmers and the community.

Then, Litch eld Distillery will give a seasonal cocktail demonstration, while partner Jack Baker shares the distillery’s story and the cra behind one of Connecticut’s most recognized spirits. Seats are limited.

A portion of proceeds bene ts FISH NWCT and The Farmer’s Table. THIS EVENT SELLS OUT EVERY YEAR .

BUY TICKETS AT litchfieldmagazine.com

SAVOR LITCHFIELD FEATURED CHEFS

SARAH ALEXANDER

White Hart Inn, Salisbury

Pastry chef at Salisbury’s White Hart Inn since 2021, Alexander came from Gramercy Tavern and Lafayette Bakery, balancing reﬁned plated desserts with comforting pastries. @sarahalexander.pdf

CHEF ROBERT ARBOR

Le Gamin, Sharon

Arbor brings classic French charm and warm hospitality to Le Gamin in Sharon, where his beloved café fare has made the restaurant a neighborhood ﬁxture.

@legamin

LEAD EVENT CHEF

JOHN BOURDEAU

Owner, Sparrow, New Milford

Sparrow o ers a “world menu” of global ﬂavors. Bourdeau previously helmed two beloved eateries, The Owl in New Preston and Lucia in New Milford. @sparrownewmilford

JEREMY BRADDOCK

Hardcore Sweet Bakery, Watertown

Serving handcrafted cupcakes, cakes, stu ed cookies, and more since 2012. Their passion and talent gained national attention when they won Food Network’s Cupcake Wars in 2013. @hardcoresweetbakery

THOMAS BURKE Lost Fox Inn, Litchﬁeld

Trained at The French Laundry and Le Bernardin, Burke earned Michelin recognition for three consecutive years at La Crémaillère before joining Litchﬁeld’s Lost Fox Inn.

@chefthomasburke

CHEF CARLO AND MICHELLE PULIX Geppetto, Torrington

Sardinian-born Chef Carlo and his wife, Michelle, serve rustic, regional Italian dishes in a warm setting inspired by their Brooklyn and Roman roots. @geppettoct

CHEF RYAN CARBONE

Swyft, Kent

A CIA graduate, Carbone brings a reﬁned technique to Swyft and Ore Hill. Previously chef de cuisine at Jupiter in NYC, he’s inspired by local farms.

@chefboyrc91

CHEF DENNIS DEBELLIS

John’s Café, Woodbury

A ‘94 CIA graduate, DeBellis has led John’s Café in Woodbury since 2000, blending New American cuisine with Italian inﬂuence, housemade pastas, and desserts. @johnscafe693main

CHEF MATTHEW DELONGIS

Market Place Tavern, Litchﬁeld

With over 20 years of experience, DeLongis serves as corporate executive chef for Market Hospitality Group, overseeing culinary operations across 11 Connecticut restaurants. @marketplace.kitchenandbar

CHEF DAVID DISTASI

Materia Ristorante, Bantam

A CIA graduate who honed his craft at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, DiStasi brings seasonal, ingredient-driven Italian cuisine to his Bantam restaurant, Materia Ristorante.

@double_d224

LUKE DOWDY

Mayﬂower Inn & Spa, Washington

Executive chef at the Mayflower Inn & Spa, Dowdy trained with Thomas Keller and Jean-Georges, bringing refined, seasonally inspired farm-to-table cooking to Washington. @mayflowerauberge

CHEF CÉDRIC DURAND

Tastings, Litchﬁeld

Durand brings reﬁned French technique, seasonal creativity, and a deep connection to Litchﬁeld’s local producers and community. @cedricdurandnyc

ENRIQUE ESTRADA

La Catrina of Bantam

Born in Mexico City, Estrada and his wife Consuelo opened La Catrina in 2024, bringing 30 years of experience to an inventive Latin-Asian-Mexican menu.

@chef_enrique68

THOMAS EUCALITTO Coltsfoot Valley, Cornwall

Eucalitto’s Coltsfoot Valley Farm brings fresh raw milk and handcrafted cheeses to the Northwest Corner—made with milk from their own cows, grazing on open pastures. @coltsfootvalleyfarm

CHEF LANCE FEOLA AND ANNA GOWIN Kingsley Tavern, Kent

Both Litchﬁeld County natives, Gowan and Feola are dedicated to ﬁne, approachable food that showcases the best local ingredients at Kingsley Tavern. @kingsley_tavern

CHEF CECILIO GARCIA

La Guera, Morris

Garcia and co-founder Erin Vasquez grew La Guera Cantina from a food truck into a Morris brick-and-mortar known for tacos, burritos, and birria.

CHEF JOHN GAPASIN

The Abner, Litchﬁeld

An executive chef with broad hospitality experience across notable kitchens, Gapasin leads the culinary program at The Abner hotel in Litchﬁeld. @j_l_gapasin

CHEF DYLAN GOFF

The Pink House, West Cornwall

Raised in the Connecticut Valley, Go brings nearly two decades of experience and a deep commitment to local farms and seasonal cooking. @sweet_xstu ct

CHEF TYLER HECKMAN

Belden House and Mews, Litchﬁeld

A Connecticut native, Heckman brings a decade of NYC kitchen experience—El Quijote, Villanelle, and Toro—to Belden’s reﬁned, Asian-accented, seasonally driven menu.

@tylerheckman

CHEF CONSTANTINE “DINO” KOLITSAS Greca Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar, New Milford

Chef/owner of award-winning Greca and director of the Silo Cooking School, he leads culinary tours to Greece and hosts his own cooking podcast. @grecamed

JEREMY MCKENDRY AND ALLISON VARIAN Bakehouse, Litchﬁeld

Established in 2018, The BakeHouse in Litchﬁeld—run by Jeremy McKendry and Allison Varian—specializes in buttercream cakes, French pastries, and artisanal breads. @thebakehousect

JAMES O’SHEA

West Street Grill, Litchﬁeld

Irish-born O’Shea opened West Street Grill in 1990, pioneering farm-to-table dining in Litchﬁeld and earning the restaurant more than three decades of national recognition.

@weststreetgrill_ct

CHEF CARLOS PEREZ

Good News Restaurant and Bar, Woodbury

A Woodbury native, Perez leads Good News Restaurant with award-winning farm-to-table cuisine, blending artistry and bold ﬂavors with locally sourced ingredients.

@chefcarlosperez

HANNA RYBOLT

Pastries by Hanna, Canaan

Rybolt’s woman-owned Pastries by Hanna in Canaan turns out craft donuts, cookies, pies, and seasonal baked goods that keep customers coming back. @pastriesbyhanna

CHEF JEFF SCHMIDT

Cowboy Butter BBQ, New Milford

Schmidt’s wood-ﬁred barbecue has been rated top BBQ outside Texas by Texas Monthly editor, Daniel Vaughn. @je takespics

SOUTH FARMS KITCHEN Morris

South Farms Kitchen, part of the celebrated award-winning South Farms venue, o ers distinctive catering experiences for events of all sizes, featuring creative seasonal menus with locally sourced ingredients.

@southfarms

SEPTEMBER 13

THE REVOLUTION RETURNS TO LITCHFIELD

From Quills to Cannons, the County Marks 1776

BYWENDYCARLSON

BRING YOUR QUILL PEN

Kent, July 3 and 4

Kent Town Hall

The town has a slew of celebratory events, among them bell-ringing and a parade. Visitors and residents are invited to take part in Kent’s history by signing their names on a giant reproduction of the Declaration of Independence that will serve as a town historical artifact commemorating the 250th.

THE REDCOATS ARE COMING

Litch eld, July 3 and 4 10 am to 4 pm

His Majesty’s 23rd Regiment of Foote and Royal Welsh Fusiliers will camp in front of the First Congregational Church and roam the green asking people about rumors of an independence movement. (Mum’s the word.)

WALK THIS WAY

Litch eld, July 1 and 3 at noon

The Litch eld Historical Society’s “Heroes of the Revolution Walking Tour” strolls past historical sites, including the former home of Oliver Wolcott, Sr., where a statue of King George III was melted and turned into more than 42,000 musket balls.

GIVE BACK

Litch eld, through July

Take part in a community e ort launched by Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy and its partner organizations to complete 250 acts of thoughtful, responsible conservation in 2026. Submit your work at ripleyconservancy.org/litch eld-250

HAPPY HUNTING

Bantam, July 4

The Bantam Historical Society hosts a scavenger hunt with QR codes posted around town; scanning them reveals details about 11 historical artifacts and buildings to locate. Find all of them by July 4 to win Arethusa gi cards.

WE FIND THESE TRUTHS

Cornwall, July 4

Cornwall Village Green

The town holds its rst Fourth of July parade in the a ernoon, followed by Cornwall resident and former CBS news anchor and correspondent Richard Schlesinger reading the Declaration of Independence.

ROGER SHERMAN, FOUNDING FATHER

Sherman, July 4 and 11 noon to 4 pm Northrop House Museum

The Sherman Historical Society honors the town’s namesake with an 11-foot Roger Sherman timeline and more than 20 detailed posters that chronicle his life from shoemaker in New Milford to signatory of the Declaration of Independence.

GEAR UP

Cornwall, August 15, Cornwall Historical Society, 7 Pine St.

Resident and Revolutionary re-enactor Warren Stevens, out tted in period-appropriate regalia as a Revolutionary War militiaman, explains how patriots fought.

LEGENDS AND LORE

Litch eld, July through November 29, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm

The Litch eld Historical Society’s two new exhibitions, Legends and Lore: Reconsidering Perspectives of the American Revolution and One People: Portraits of the Early Republic, provide a contemporary look at the region’s Revolutionary War history.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE Falls Village, August 15 Falls Village Historical Festival

Experience re-enactors, cannon displays, demonstrations, tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, ddlers, music, games, food, and plenty of patriotic revelry.

WHO MADE THE CANNONS?

Salisbury, July through September Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm Academy Building, 25 Main St.

A special exhibit from The Cannon Museum tells the story of the Salisbury Furnace, which by war’s end had turned out some 850 cannons—estimated to be three-fourths of all those made in the colonies.

For more on Litch eld 250th events go to: a250litch eld.org/home

WELCOME SUMMER SOCIAL

A Benefit for Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals

PHOTOGRAPHSBYJOHNMCKENNA

On Sunday, June 7, Greenwoods held its annual fundraiser, the Welcome Summer Social, at South Farms in Morris. Over 200 guests gathered for a relaxed a ernoon featuring food and drink, live music, family fun, and community connection, raising a record-breaking $245,000 to support access to mental health care across Litch eld County.

Benefit Committee Member Elizabeth Garber Daniels and Kevin Daniels with Executive Director John Simoncelli

Crowd gathers at the beautiful South Farms to listen to remarks from former Trustee Pamela Bowman

Board of Trustees Chair Amanda Bokman welcomes guests to the celebration.

Benefit Committee Member Michael T. Ward with guests Brian Lancaster and Steven Fuchs

Jean Chapin, Trustee Bill Havemeyer, and Advisory Council Member Kate Vick

Greenwoods’ Outreach Team: Sarah Toomey, Jamie Campanella, LCSW, and Toni Sterling, [not pictured, Julia Jagger]

Guests enjoying the welcome speech.

Jane L. Havemeyer Award recipients Ben Nickoll and Chrissy Armstrong with Trustee Bill Havemeyer

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THE ART OF A PERFECT DAY

A curated afternoon of flowers, tea, and garden magic. PHOTOGRAPHSBYSABRINAEBERHARD

Thank you. It was a delightful experience. We loved it.”

JIM MOSCOWITZ

o atu ay, June 6, guests gathered at The Pink House in West Cornwall for a curated day with Happening in the Hills publisher Mary Beth Lawlor. Michelle and Ron Saltz of Anderson Acres Farm led a flower arranging workshop using blooms straight from their fields. From there, the group walked to designer Michael Trapp’s famed garden and boutique, where Sebastian Beckwith and Ana Dane of In Pursuit of Tea hosted a delightful tea tasting. The day concluded at The Pink House, where owner Marina Munoz treated guests to homemade tea-flavored ice cream sandwiches and savory bites alongside Sebastian’s intriguing blueberry-bourbon-tea punch. As one guest put it, “It really was the perfect day.”

☜ or ore e ents you can sign up for our newsletters by scanning this QR code.

This page, clockwise from top left: Michael Trapp in his West Cornwall garden, homemade tea ice cream sandwiches, guests enjoying the garden and tea tour, floral arrangement pride, Sebastian pours the perfect cup, publisher Mary Beth Lawlor in Trapp’s magical garden.

Wealth Planning, Reimagined for

WHERE TO EAT NOW

BOLIVAR’S

BYCHARLESDUBOW

The James Beard Nominee Takes Over RSVP

IT IS LIKELY THAT Litch eld County gourmets will be familiar with the name Bolivar Hilario, who has been top chef at Ore Hill & Swy and most recently at Community Table. It is also a good bet that they know RSVP, the quirky, quasi-legendary French eatery in West Cornwall. What’s important to know now is that Hilario, a 2026 semi nalist for the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast, has taken over RSVP from longtime owners Charles Cirona and Guy Birster.

It can be a risky and audacious move for a new chef to take over an established and beloved restaurant, especially one as unique as RSVP. That’s because RSVP didn’t function like most restaurants. It had no set menu and almost no sta , it was prix xe and BYOB, reservations were hard to come by, it was located in one of the more remote villages in Litch eld County, and the restaurant itself was, to say the least, small and funky. But sitting at one of its 23 hard-backed chairs watching

Birster work his magic as he served up course a er course was an unforgettable and always delicious experience.

And, thankfully, Hilario is hardly changing a thing.

“I’m recreating what Guy and Charles did but also putting my own culinary stamp on it,” he says. “It’s the same concept: BYOB, prix xe, multiple courses, check or cash. I am even keeping the same name, which has made Charles and Guy very happy.”

What is di erent is that there are now two seatings per night, from 5 to 7 pm and then from 7:30 to 10 pm. On Tuesday nights there is a more relaxed—and less expensive—menu o ering only three courses. “My hope is to be able to attract more of the local community, who might be reluctant to spend $180 per person on a meal,” he says. “It will have a more laid-back vibe and walk-ins are welcome.”

Making the jump from chef to chef-owner is a challenge, but Hilario thinks he is ready. “When the opportunity to buy RSVP came up, I knew it was time for me to make a move. Before coming to Connecticut, I was the chef at Shoji, which is a Japanese omakase-style

restaurant in New York. Omakase is a cooking style very much like what Guy did. The customer lets the chef curate and prepare each course and trusts that he or she will get the freshest, most delicious meal.”

Working with local farms, Hilario’s cooking is hyperseasonal and contemporary. A sample menu consists of seven courses: a nori tartlet with tuna and tomato vinegar; a spring steamed egg custard with ramps; watercress soup; quail from Steadfast Farm with asparagus and cornbread; hake with fava bean, sugar snap peas, and a beurre blanc; a palate cleanser; and dessert.

Hilario’s sevencourse tasting menu changes with the seasons, sourced from local farms.

“I want RSVP to continue being a destination restaurant that people come to for special events. Bring a bottle of your favorite wine and let me make one of the best meals you’ve ever had.”

RSVP, 7 Railroad St., West Cornwall, 860-672-RSVP (7787)

I’m recreating what Guy and Charles did but also putting my own culinary stamp on it.”

BANTAM

Arethusa a Mano I Baked goods, sandwiches (some made with Arethusa cheeses), espresso drinks. 833 Bantam Road 860-567-5722 arethusafarm.com

Arethusa a Tavolo E Exquisite cuisine andsuperior service. 828 Bantam Road 860-567-0043 arethusaaltavolo.com

Jackie’s I Casual Bantam staple serving breakfast and lunch. 920 Bantam Road 860-567-0770

JR’s Southwest Grill & BBQ

M Bold Southwest ﬂavors . 123 Bantam Lake Road 860-567-9869

La Catrina of Bantam

M Traditional Mexican recipes, modern cooking techniques. 810 Bantam Road 860-361-6401 lacatrinabantam.com

Zini’s

M Presenting a modern twist on traditional favorites. 938 Bantam Road 860-567-1613 zinisrestaurant.com

BETHLEHEM

Oliva On Main

M-E Serving delicious Mediterranean specialties and wine. 15 Main Street South 203-266-5558 olivacafe.com

BRIDGEWATER

Bridgewater Bistro

M Seasonal local, sustainable, food in a charming space. 27 Main Street South 860-354-2863 bridgewatervillagestore andbistro.com

NORTH CANAAN

Blackberry River Bistro

M Serving delicious made-from- scratch food. 99 Main Street 860-453-4067 blackberryriver.com

Industry Kitchen & Bar

I Tacos, wings, steaks, and more. Happy hour from 3-5 pm Wednesday to Friday. 14 Railroad Street 860-453-4317 Industrykitchenbar.com

Picante’s Canaan

I Mexican food prepared fresh every day. Outdoor dining. 499 Ashley Falls Road 860-453-4271 picantescanaan.com

Trackside Tacos

I Mexican favorites served in a historical railroad car.

37 Main Street 959-227-9024 @tracksidetacos on FB

WEST CORNWALL

The Pink House M Upscale cuisine in a lovely setting near the Covered Bridge. 34 Lower River Road 860-248-3207 thepinkhousect.com

FALLS VILLAGE

The Falls Village Inn M Comfort fare served in a historical landmark. 33 Railroad Street 860-824-0033 thefallsvillageinn.com

BANTAM

Mountainside Cafe

I Farm-to-table versions of classic American fare, served at breakfast and lunch. 251 Route 7 South 860-824-7876 mountainside.com/cafe

Off The Trail Cafe

I A popular stop for hikers, cyclists, and locals for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. 107 Main Street 860-206-7098 o thetrailcafe.com

KENT

45 On Main

I Espresso drinks, candy galore, and more. Sweet tooth mecca. 45 North Main Street 860-592-0171 45onmain.square.site

JR’s Southwest Grill & BBQ

Featuring BBQ done the familiar way of its predecessor–WoodsPit BBQ–alongside bold Southwest avors. Dine in, carry out, catering available. M

123 Bantam Lake Road

860-567-9869

Off The Trail Cafe

Serving breakfast and lunch near the Appalachian Trail, along with hikersupplies and snacks. A tribute to the now-closed Toymakers Café, the menu features their beloved Belgian Wa e alongside Barrington Co ee, lattes, specialty drinks, and baked goods. I

107 Main Street

860-206-7098

o thetrailcafe.com

FALLS VILLAGE

EATS

109 Cheese and Wine

M Gorgeous sandwiches on baguette, made with artisan cheeses and charcuterie. 6 Kent Green Boulevard 860-592-0366 109cheeseandwine.com

Cozzy’s Pizzeria

I Serving up a fast-casual dining experience. Pizza and salads. 24 North Main Street 860-927-1551 cozzysonmain.com

Fife ‘N Drum

M-E Enjoy live music and great food at this Kent staple. 53 Main Street 860-927-3509 ﬁfendrum.com

The Kent Kitchen

M Fresh sushi, burgers, sandwiches, ramen, and more.

12 North Main Street

860-592-0015 @thekentkitchen26

WEST CORNWALL

Kent Pizza Garden

M Delicious pizza plus full menu, fun atmosphere, full bar. 17 Railroad Street 860-927-3733 kentpizzagarden.com

Kingsley Tavern

M Wide variety of fresh and local food in a friendly, casual setting. 14 North Main Street 860-592-0261 kingsleytavern.com

The Pink House

Tucked in the heart of West Cornwall, The Pink House celebrates the seasons through farm-to-table cooking, classic cocktails, and a thoughtfully curated wine list— because great food is best enjoyed in great company. M

34 Lower River Road

860-248-3207 thepinkhousect.com

Ore Hill

E Fine dining. Intimate farm-focused tasting menu. 3 Maple Street 860-592-0404 orehillandswyft.com

M Small plates, wood-ﬁred pizzas in a Scandinavian setting. 3 Maple Street 860-592-0404 orehillandswyft.com

Fife ‘N Drum

Since 1973, the Fife ‘N Drum has been Kent’s destination for ne dining, award-winning wines, and great music— not to mention its popular gi shop and ten-room inn. M-E

53 Main Street

860-927-3509 ﬁfendrum.com

Lost Fox Tavern & Restaurant

A charming 1745 New England tavern, stylishly designed to be chic and romantic. Dine inside or on the patio and enjoy classic cuisine by chef Thomas Burke. M

571 Torrington Road 860-222-0855 lostfoxinn.com

The Villager Restaurant I Breakfast and lunch at this popular spot. Outdoor patio. 28 North Main Street 860-927-1555 villagerkent.com

Wilson’s by High Watch

I Popular breakfast and lunch spot, espresso drinks. 8 North Main Street 959-300-0080 wilsonsbyhighwatch.com

LAKEVILLE

Black Rabbit

M Gastropub cuisine, lobster rolls, Sunday brunch. Popular bar with sports on TV.

2 Ethan Allen Street 860-596-4227 blackrabbitbarandgrille.com

Fern

M Chic spot with artisanal wood-ﬁred pizzas, salads, pasta. 9 Sharon Road 860-596-1930 fernlakeville.com

On The Run

I Popular co ee spot serving breakfast and lunch. 4 Ethan Allen Street 860-435-2007 ontherunco eeshop.com

The Boathouse at Lakeville M Known for burgers, sushi, friendly service. Popular spot for dining at the bar. 349 Main Street, 860-435-2111 theboathouseatlakeville.com

LITCHFIELD

LITCHFIELD

The Woodland

M Large selection of favorites and specials at iconic local eatery. Famous for fresh sushi.

192 Sharon Road 860-435-0578 thewoodlandrestaurant.com

LITCHFIELD

@ The Corner

M Comfort food and ﬁne dining. 3 West Street

860-567-8882 athecorner.com

Belden House

E Seasonal products, often starring seafood. Beautiful space. 31 North Street 860-337-2099 beldenhouse.com

Bohemian Pizza & Tacos

M Pizza, tacos, and drinks. 342 Bantam Road

860-567-3980 bohemianpizzaandtacos.com

The Courtroom at The Abner

M Elegant ambience with a diverse menu, great service. 15 West Street

860-898-8000 theabnerhotel.com

DaCapo

M Italian food, casual atmosphere. 625 Torrington Road 860-482-6246 dacapolitchﬁeld.com

The Courtroom at The Abner

At The Courtroom at The Abner Hotel, drinks turn into dinner. Linger in the lounge or gather for a full dining experience shaped by vibrant cuisine and re ned cocktails. M

15 West Street

860-898-8000 theabnerhotel.com

Lost Fox Tavern & Restaurant

M 1740s tavern transformed into a chic space. Seasonal menus with updated classics. 571 Torrington Road 860-222-0855 lostfoxinn.com

LITCHFIELD

Market Place Tavern

M Burgers, pasta, seafood. 7 North Street 860-361-9930 mptavern.com

Materia Ristorante

M Fine Italian dining; excellent food, cocktails, and service. 637 Bantam Road 860-567-3326 materiaristo.com

Meraki

M Delicious take-out; high-quality sandwiches and salads. Catering. 239 West Street 860-361-9777 merakifood.com

Patty’s Restaurant

I Casual eatery whipping up classic diner specialties. 499 Bantam Road 860-567-3335 pattyslitchﬁeld.com

Petraroia Deli

I Sandwiches, salads, prepared foods in this beautiful deli. 33 West Street 860-361-6006 petraroiadeli.com

Sage & Salt

M New all-American menu at the former Saltwater Grille. 26 Commons Drive 860-567-4900 sageandsaltct.com

Meraki

Small-batch, big avor. Meraki serves inventive sandwiches, healthy plates, and cra co ee using local farm ingredients. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 7 am–4 pm. Catering and food truck rentals available. M

239 West Street 860-361-9777 merakifood.com

Clubhouse Provisions @ Stonybrook

Modern American cuisine with Asian in uence, featurin fresh local ingredients, a seasonally changing menu, cra cocktails, and a full bar—with views overlooking the golf course. M

263 Milton Road 860-567-9977 stonybrookgolfct.com

LITCHFIELD

EATS

Toast & Co.

I Avocado toast, sandwiches, egg dishes, specialty drinks. 18 Commons Drive 860-567-0301 toastandco.com

er i ar

M Local beers, cocktails, and a friendly rooftop setting. 15 West Street 860-567-4137 theabnerhotel.com

The Village Restaurant

M Neighborhood haunt serving large portions of bar food. 25 West Street 860-567-8307 villagelitchﬁeld.com

West Street Grill

E This cozy, often star-studded mecca is home to great dining. 43 West Street 860-567-3885 weststreetgrill.com

NEW MILFORD

MORRIS

La Güera Cantina

I Traditional Mexican favorites, open for lunch and dinner. 5 Watertown Road 860-361-6438 lagueracantina.com

Greca Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar

Award-winning upscale casual restaurant featuring traditional and contemporary Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. Whole grilled sh, grilled meats, wholesome vegan options, meze (small plates), and serious gluten-free choices. On- and o -premises catering available. M

1 Kent Road

860-799-6586 grecamed.com

Maggie’s Tavern M Casual farm-to-table dining at the bar in this Relais & Chateaux inn. 155 Alain White Road 860-393-3004 winvian.com

Penny Farthing Tea Room I British-inspired meals, delicious teas. 11 Watertown Road 860-361-6109 britsbrand.com

Sparrow Bar + Restaurant

On lively Bank Street in New Milford, Sparrow serves globally inspired comfort food alongside a fresh, inventive cocktail menu— with cozy indoor seating, a bar, and a patio to match. M

31 Bank Street

860-799-7111 sparrowbyjb.com

Cowboy Butter

An American cra BBQ bistro and whiskey bar with two oors of local cra beers, curated wines, and an eclectic seasonal cocktail menu. The full menu features prime steaks, New England seafood, and award-winning BBQ from the wood- red smoker on site. M

59 Bank Street

860-717-4416 cowboybutterbbq.com

Winvian E Fine dining, with fresh and seasonal foods. 155 Alain White Road 860-567-9600 winvian.com

West Shore Seafood

M Comfort foods, market fresh seafood, house made desserts, craft cocktails. 449 Bantam Lake Road 860-567-8000 westshoreseafood.com

NEW MILFORD

Colosseo

M Sharing the family’s Italian heritage, serving traditional dishes. Brick oven pizza. 38 Park Lane Road 860-350-9596 colosseoristorante.com

C er M Live ﬁre cookery and “boujee barbecue” bistro. 59 Bank Street 860-717-4416 cowboybutterbbq.com

Grassroots Ice Cream

I Classics, plus ﬂavors like blood orange chocolate chip, goat cheese blackberry, dark co ee. 12 Bank Street 860-799-0057 grassrootsicecream.com

NEW MILFORD

tchfield Chef Series Di r

JULY 24 @ SOUTH FARMS

Hosting the rst edition of its Chef Series Dinner, Tastings will bring together approximately 50 guests for an intimate, four-course dining experience to celebrate the culinary talent, local producers, and community spirit of Litch eld County.

The dinner will highlight Litch eld’s savoir-faire through a collaboration between Chef Cédric Durand (Tastings’ lead chef for the series), and Chef Paul Pearson of The White Hart Inn. The evening is designed to gather the community around food, hospitality, and the people who shape the region’s culinary identity.

CHEF CEDRIC DURAND

Chef Cédric Durand brings international in uences to Tastings’ Litch eld Chef Series, along with a commitment to re ned, thoughtful cuisine. Originally from France, Chef Cédric has developed his craft in the kitchens of renowned chefs before continuing his culinary journey in New York. Rooted in classical technique with a modern approach, Durand brings freshness, creativity, and elegance to traditional avors.

Chef Cédric, a Litch eld resident, has been closely connected to Tastings for years, helping to shape the company’s reputation for creating high-end culinary experiences while playing a central role in its regional expansion.

SOUTH FARMS

21 Higbie Rd, Morris, CT

southfarms.org

CHEF PAUL PEARSON

Chef Paul Pearson brings a rich international background and strong connection to the Litch eld County food community. Originally from England, Pearson trained in hotels and restaurants before building a career that took him from Bermuda to the United States. His experience includes Blantyre, North Pond, Seasons at the Ocean House, Community Table, and now serves as Chef at The White Hart Inn in Salisbury.

Chef Pearson’s cuisine is strongly in uenced by seasonality, regional sourcing, and respect for exceptional ingredients as his collaboration with Tastings at South Farms will help celebrate local talent and producers.

Hosted by

bytastings.com

@bytastings tastemakers@bytastings.com

Greca Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar

M Fresh grilled ﬁsh, grilled meats, and small plates in a Mediterranean style. 1 Kent Road 860-799-6586 grecamed.com

The Iron Rail

M Casual and modern steakhouse with classic menu. 10 Railroad Street 860-799-5606 theironrailct.com

La Piccolina

M Northern Italian cuisine on the town Green. Locally grown ingredients prepared in modern combinations. 27 Main Street 860-210-9669 lapiccolinact.com

Lucia Ristorante

M This charming spot o ers Northern Italian fare. Prosciutto di Parma rollatini, bucatini carbonara, and quattro stagioni pizza. 51 Bank Street 860-355-5100 luciaofnewmilford.com

River & Rail

I Café menu served in a modern, pretty space. 21 Bank Street 860-799-7272 riverandrailcafe.com

The White Horse Country Pub

Consistently award-winning, including best outdoor dining in Connecticut, best lunch, best brunch, and best traditional American. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. A warm welcome awaits. M

258 New Milford Turnpike

860-868-1496

whitehorsecountrypub.com

Sparrow Bar + Restaurant

M Tacos, duck fried rice, grilled pork loin banh mi. 31 Bank Street 860-799-7111 sparrowbyjb.com

Thai Charm Restaurant

I-M Authentic Thai food including chicken satay, curries, noodles, and pad thai. 218 Kent Road 860-799-5271 thaicharmct.com

Vegas Mexican Kitchen & Bar

I Street tacos and classic Mexican fare. Full bar. 24 Railroad Street 860-799-0873 vegasmexican.com

Yokohama

M Classic and modern sushi, plus other Japanese cuisine. 131 Danbury Road 860-355-0556 yokohamasushict.com

Zaza’s on Main

M Enjoy shareable appetizers, seasonal entrées, handcrafted cocktails, and brunch favorites that redeﬁne comfort food with a modern twist. 7 Main Street 860-717-4122 zazasonmain.com

The Smithy Cafe @ 9 main

Serving breakfast, lunch, co ee, and fresh-baked confections with a focus on quality local products from small farms and vendors— including their own Smithy Market and Sunny Meadow Farm. Dine indoors or out, or grab ready-to-go soups, salads, and dinners. M

9 Main Street

860-619-0699 cafeat9main.com

White Hart Inn

A truly local dining experience, with chef Paul Pearson and his team creating a fresh, rotating menu celebrating the best seasonal ingredients sourced from local New England farms and purveyors. Open Thursday through Monday evenings. M

15 Under Mountain Road

860-435-0030 whitehartinn.com

SALISBURY

NEW PRESTON

NEW PRESTON

The Owl Wine & Food Bar

M Kale salads, brick oven pizzas, amazing short rib sliders, bar in relaxed setting. 18 East Shore Road 860-619-0585 owlnewpreston.com

The Smithy Cafe @ 9 Main

I-M A neighborhood hot spot serving breakfast and lunch. 9 Main Street 860-619-0699 cafeat9main.com

The Smithy Market

M Specialty groceries from local farms and vendors. 10 Main Street 860-868-9003 thesmithymarket.com

White Horse Country Pub

M English pub food in authentic pub atmosphere with large bar and patio. 258 New Milford Turnpike 860-868-1496 whitehorsecountrypub.com

SALISBURY

Neo Restaurant & Bar

M Woodﬁred pizza spot o ering paninis, burgers, pasta, and more. 19 Main Street 860-596-4158 neorestarantbar.com

Sweet William’s C ffee h a er

I Featuring delicious scones, croissants, layer cakes, and co ee drinks. 17 Main Street 860-435-3005 sweet-williams.com

White Hart Inn

I-M English-inﬂuenced menu and beautiful decor. Lunch and breakfast at Provisions, dinner on weekends. 15 Under Mountain Road 860-435-0030 whitehartinn.com

SHARON

Le Gamin

M Delicious French cuisine from restaurateur Robert Arbor. 10 Gay Street 860-397-5382 legamin.com/sharonmenu

TORRINGTON

Brinx Café & Wine Bar

M A tapas menu featuring fresh cuisine in a stylish interior. 53 Main Street 860-201-4179 brinxct.com

Casa Valijo

M Sophisticated Mexica menu, rooftop seating, brunch. 131 Water Street 860-618-2706 casavalijo.com

e e O eria

e Bisteccheria

M Quaglia ripiena, tagliatelle al ragú di vitello, pine nut-crusted rack of lamb. 24 East Main Street 860-618-0721 geppettoct.com

Pizzeria Marzano

M Delicious brick oven pizzas in welcoming atmosphere. 1315 East Main Street 860-618-0875 pizzeriamarzano.com

Sasso’s Coal Fired Pizza

M Pizza, seafood, beer, and wine served in a modern cafe. 52 Main Street 860-618-7162 sassoscoalﬁred.com

Taste of Thailand

M Stir fry, curry, noodles, fried rice, and seafood. 19 McDermott Avenue 860-201-4684 tasteofthailandct.com

ho Cra it he

The Venetian

M In business for more than 100 years, classic Italian fare in an elegant setting. 52 Main Street 860-489-8592 venetianrestaurantct.com

Vietiane Thai Cuisine

M Excellent traditional Thai food. Friendly service. 231 High Street 860-489-0758 torringtonthaicuisine.com

YiaYia’s Greek Kitchen

M Greek favorites served by a husband-and-wife team. 1057 East Main Street 860-618-3076 yiayias.net

Zach and Lou’s

M Pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, brisket, and pork belly. 2936 Winsted Road 860-482-6573 zachandlous.com

A full-service restaurant and bar in Watertown, set inside a 1784 building. Fresh American fare, hand-tossed pizzas, cra cocktails, and Sunday brunch. M

150 Echo Lake Road

860-274-8829 echocraftkitchen.com

Roma Ristorante

At Roma Ristorante in Oakville, food preparation is a labor of love— carefully cra ed to nourish the body and soul. Four warm dining areas, including a patio, make it a destination for those who grew up on Italian home cooking. Reservations recommended. M

179 Davis Street

860-274-2558 romaristorantect.com

OAKVILLE

WATERTOWN

WARREN

The a l i e ar

M Gourmet morsels and local wine served in a space overlooking Lake Waramaug. 25 Hopkins Road 860-868-7954 hopkinsvineyard.com

E Enjoy views of Lake Waramaug while dining on Austrian cuisine. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner. 22 Hopkins Road 860-868-7295 thehopkinsinn.com

arre e eral re

I Sandwiches, co ee, breakfast foods, sandwiches. 10 Cornwall Road 860-868-3354 warrengeneral.com

WASHINGTON

C i Ta le

E Elevated farm-to-table cuisine in an elegant setting.

223 Route 202 860-868-9354 communitytablect.com

Ta er

M Serving traditional and contemporary cuisine. 20 Bee Brook Road 860-868-6633 gwtavern.com

i e alle ar e

I Breakfasts and prepared foods. 88 Bee Brook Road 860-868-1551 hiddenvmkt.com

I-M Neighborhood favorite. Breakfast and lunch treats. 4 Green Hill Road 860-868-1700 seeyouatmartys.com

a er a

E Elegant setting in the main dining room, or more casual seating in the tap room. 118 Woodbury Road 860-868-9466 aubergeresorts.com

The a r

M Popular breakfast and lunch spot. Outdoor seating. 5 Titus Road 860-868-0258 thepantryct.com

WATERTOWN

h Cra i he

M Fresh, high-quality dishes with excellent cocktails. 150 Echo Lake Road 860-274-8829 echocraftkitchen.com

a i ra e

M Authentic Italian dishes with generous portions. 179 Davis Street 860-274-2558 romaristorantect.com

rill

M Serving comfort food with a twists. 777 Echo Lake Road 860-417-3104 uncommongrillct.com

WOODBURY

M Small plates and traditional fare in a historical space. 506 Main Street South 203-405-3735 1754house.com

l Ca i

I Award-winning tacos and Mexican food—originally served in a truck, as the name implies. Taco truck parties are still available. 308 Sherman Hill Road 203-405-3008 el-camion.com

M Farm-fresh ingredients. New owners, renovated interior. 694 Main Street South 203-266-4663 goodnewswoodbury.com

h Cafe

M-E Pork Milanese, crispy rice arancini, steak and fries served in this cozy popular restaurant. 693 Main Street South 203-263-0188 johnscafe.com

ar e la e i he ar

M Large, bustling, rusticmodern restaurant with a wide range of menu items.

641 Main Street South 203-586-1215 marketplacekitchenbar.com

i ri e

M Steakhouse also serving sushi and fresh ﬁsh. 757 Main Street South 203-586-1788 mixprimesteakhouse.com

e r i ar e

M Organic produce with catering and juice bar. 129 Main Street North 203-263-4868 newmorningmarket.com

a hel i he

M Beloved for breakfast, lunch, and brunch favorites like challah French toast, lobster Benedict, and more. 230 Main Street South 203-263-2235

e ree Cafe

I Cute spot for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, with its own bakery. 20 Sherman Hill Road 203-586-1456 westeggcafect.com

r re i

M Casual dining at the Woodbury Brewing Company, featuring tacos, fried specialties, sandwiches. Live music.

738 Main Street South 203-405-3811 woodburybrewing.com

John’s Cafe

John’s Café in Woodbury o ers New American cuisine with Mediterranean in uences, housemade pastas, seafood, steaks, award-winning desserts, extensive catering options, and a private dining room in a warm, intimate bistro-style setting. M

693 Main Street South 203-263-0188 johnscafe.com

WOODBURY

ARTnews

GARY KOMARIN’S “THE VESSEL” begins with a childhood memory. Growing up in Manhattan, Komarin came of age surrounded by the collections of the city’s great museums, where he encountered vessel forms from ancient Greece and Rome, Mayan and Aztec cultures, Africa, and New Guinea. An early encounter with Van Gogh’s sun ower paintings le a lasting impression, though not for the reasons one might expect. It was not the owers themselves that stayed with him but the simple, curved pot that held them; unadorned and quiet, bearing the visual weight of all that abundance above.

The vessels that appear throughout Komarin’s work are inventions of the subconscious, manifestations of a personal visual language that surfaces across his broader oeuvre in cups, bowls, spittoons, tagines, and containers of every conceivable shape and size. When translated to large stretched canvas, these forms take on a new kind of freedom, oating in ethereal space or hovering in some imagined undersea depth. Across media, the motifs shi from isolated gures to crowded compositions where new interactions and eccentricities emerge. His “Amphora” series traces one of

MEMORY POURED INTO FORM.

civilization’s most enduring forms back to the Neolithic era. In Komarin’s hands, the traditional vessel multiplies and transforms, its looping handles re ecting layers of culture, anthropomorphism, and personal history. The work moves between subdued seriousness and cartoonish iconography, using the simple premise of a closed container to explore color, gure, mood, and meaning. “Amorpha” is on view from July 3 through July 26, opening reception July 11, 3–5 pm.