The latest intel

The Discerning Palate Gourmet Shop Opens in Old Litchfield Jail

The Discerning Palate gourmet shop in the Old Litchfield Jail

The Discerning Palate, a new gourmet provisions shop, has opened next to The Bakehouse on the lower level of Old Litchfield Jail across from the Green.

Owner Susan Guletsky describes the small shop as one-third cheese shop, one-third deli, and one-third European grocery.

Featured fare includes fresh (and locally famous) La Molisana sausage made in Waterbury, the artisanal Durante’s Pasta from West Haven (think of gnocchi and cheese and lobster ravioli in the freezer case), 24-month-aged Prosciutto di Parma, Pata Negra Iberico Jamón (the finest Spanish ham), French mustards, Italian biscuits, artisan olive oils, and much more.

In addition to the imported dry goods and selection of gourmet meats and cheeses, The Discerning Palate offers charcuterie boards, cheese boards, and antipasto platters; “the perfect things to go with that Bakehouse bread,” as the sign out front says.

The shop is open from 10-5 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, until 5:30 on Friday, and from 10-2 on Sunday.

The phone number is 860-361-6580, the address is 7 North St., and the website under construction is discerningpalate.shop

The Discerning Palate is the latest addition to a gourmet foods scene that includes The Dutch Epicure, Tilden’s Seafood, Arethusa Farm Dairy, Litchfield Locker, and others. See the Gourmet Shops & Provisions page on the Visit Litchfield CT website to connect with all of them, as well as our wine shops.

For everything you need to create wonderful meals at home, and memorable evenings, also visit our pages connecting you to Litchfield’s scratch bakeries, wineries and Litchfield distillery, and local chocolate.

The Discerning Palate, new Litchfield gourmet shop

Valentine’s Weekend Romance in Litchfield

Where else in Connecticut do options for Valentine’s Day romance extend from traditional (a romantic dinner) to magical (a lantern light tour with love stories), to connoisseur-worthy (our hometown winery and distillery), and even include a sweetheart themed run/walk?

First, Litchfield has you covered in terms of gifts with hometown appeal, including classics like jewelry (Ideal Jewelry Litchfield, Lawrence Jeffrey Estate Jewelers), chocolates (Milk House Chocolates, The Litchfield Candy Company), flowers (Bantam Blooms Florist, Colonial Greenhouse, Flowers of Distinction Litchfield CT), and wine (Litchfield Hills Wine Market, Village Wine Cellar, Bantam Country Liquors). There’s even Valentine’s Blend coffee beans at Krafted Brew Lab.

If you plan to have a quiet celebration at home, make it special and sweet with romantic treats from our fine scratch bakeries, including Arethusa a mano, Toast & Co., Meraki, Espresso59, Love Heart’s Bakery and Cafe, and The Bakehouse. (Dutch Epicure Bakery is on vacation.)

In terms of dining on the town, many Litchfield restaurants are open and serving special menus on VDay (including Arethusa al tavolo, Market Place Tavern at The Old Litchfield Jail, At The Corner, Saltwater Grille, and The Village Restaurant In Litchfield Ct), while others responded to the holiday falling on a Monday by extending romantic festivities and menus to the weekend before (like Materia Ristorante and West Street Grill.)

Some of those dining out Friday will have enjoyed the Litchfield Historical Society‘s special Valentine’s Day “lantern” tour of Litchfield’s Historic District as a prelude to their romantic dinner. The tour features historically inspired cocktails and treats, as well as great love stories from Litchfield’s past. (It appears that the tour might be sold-out at this point.)

Connoisseurs of fine libations can enhance dining experiences with visits to Litchfield Distillery (tour slots on Saturday and Sunday are still available), and Haight-Brown Vineyard, which has a special Valentine’s event Saturday.

Those who want to work off all that dining and imbibing (or train for it), can participate in the 20th Annual Bob & Peg Andrulis Memorial Sweetheart Run/Walk on Saturday at 11 a.m. Details and registration via the Litchfield Community Center.

With so much to do and enjoy, why not make a Valentine’s Day weekend of it? (Check out The Litchfield Inn and Winvian Farm for fine lodging.)

As always, if you have a question or want more tips, email us at [email protected].

Get Ready for Fall Foliage in Litchfield

The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) just released its Connecticut fall foliage map predicting peak autumn colors will begin sweeping across Litchfield Oct. 3 and remain vibrant through around Oct. 23.

Click here to view foliage map

Litchfield is an autumn haven—partly because there’s so much more to enhance the experience, like coffee, tea & baked goods, outdoor dining, shopping, and history, and partly because our wealth of preserved lands and hiking trails provide so many terrific opportunities to appreciate the autumn leaves.

Here are just a few of our favorite places for fall foliage immersion:

• From a home base at The White Memorial Conservation Center, don’t miss these stops:
1. The viewing platform on Apple Hill, which offers a panoramic view of Bantam Lake and the canopy of foliage stretching toward New York.
2. The Plunge Pool overlook (shown here) at Five Ponds. Photos fail to reflect the sense of drama you feel in standing high above the pond. (We also love the intimacy of the loop around Heron Pond.)
3. The popular Boardwalk at White Memorial trail. No explanation necessary.
4. Point Folly on Bantam Lake. Walk just before sunset and you may see the foliage across the lake to the east brilliantly lit up in the last light, and a dramatic sunset to the west.
Trail maps: https://whitememorialcc.org/trail-maps/

• Topsmead State Forest: In addition to walking the meadow paths and woodland trails, enjoy a tour of Edith Morton Chase’s historic Tudor-style cottage. (2nd and 4th weekends through Columbus Day weekend; https://www.friendsoftopsmead.org)

• Discover the Nancy Danaher Trail on the Stillman-Danaher Preserve of the Litchfield Land Trust. The heavily-wooded landscape includes “a broad high plateau, a valley with a double stream crossing, striking rock outcrops, stone walls and an old woods road.” The hike is about 2 miles and the preserve is off Route 118 just 5 or so minutes from the Green. (https://www.litchfieldlandtrust.org/…/stillman-danaher…)

• Hike up to the Mt. Tom State Park and Tower for panoramic 360-degree views. https://portal.ct.gov/…/Stat…/Parks/Mount-Tom-State-Park

Before and after your foliage excursion, refuel at any of our popular bakeries and cafes, break for lunch and shopping, and stay for dinner. (Leave a comment or message us if you need recommendations.)

In the center of town, also make sure to visit the Litchfield Historical Society (free admission), and from October 16 to 31 don’t miss the display of scarecrows in the meadow behind the historic Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law School, the nation’s first law school.

Our favorite cups of coffee…and more!

Gourmet coffee, espresso drinks, teas, homemade baked goods, sweeter treats, and desserts are what we crave (right?) during pit stops when enjoying all Litchfield has to offer over the long Labor Day weekend (or anytime). Fortunately, the town is blessed many great choices, each with a distinct personality and all worth discovery and return visits.

Arethusa a mano in Bantam center is part of the Arethusa Farm “empire” of deliciousness. We picked up a latte with a heart greeting this morning and stood spellbound by the muffins, donuts, tarts and so much more in the display cases …. (there’s also lunch)

Treats at Espresso 59

Krafted Brew Lab in Bantam

Dirt Bombs at Bantam Bread

Krafted Brew Lab behind Sportsmen’s in Bantam is a haven for coffee purists. The no-frills micro-roaster offers fresh roasted specialty coffee beans, espresso and coffee drinks, and a small but tempting selection of baked goods.

Bantam Bread Company doesn’t serve coffee and tea, but its breads are fabulous, as are the other homemade treats, and the dirt bombs (shown here) are legendary.

Love Heart’s Bakery and Cafe on the edge of Bantam toward Litchfield Center just brought back its homemade English muffins. It’s a favorite spot for donuts, muffins, coffee cake, cakes, bagels, croissants … (there’s also lunch).

While it’s not a coffee shop, don’t miss The Dutch Epicure Shop (between Bantam and Litchfield Center), which offers homemade breads, croissants, tarts, chocolates, and so much more.

The new Espresso59 in the former Murphy’s Pharmacy on the Green is like a classic Italian pastry and coffee shop imported from the North End of Boston. Think espresso drinks and desserts like cannoli, bombolini, and gelato … (also heartier fare).

The Bakehouse in the Old Litchfield Jail is a scratch bakery offering croissants, chocolate croissants, cakes, pies cookies, homemade breads, muffins, scones, cookies, and much more—as well as locally-roasted coffee, expresso, latte, specialty teas, etc.

At The Corner in Litchfield Center is known a restaurant and craft beer haven dishing up inventive and flavorful fare, but the sunny front section along West Street is also a morning café, serving coffee, espresso drinks, teas, and baked goods.

Toast & Co. (down the hill from the Green) is a very popular breakfast and lunch café with coffee, espresso drinks, teas, pastries and lots more, like smoothies, milkshakes …

Meraki, tucked in next to The Litchfield Candy Company, is a breakfast and lunch hotspot with coffee, teas, baked goods and everything else required in a good pitstop.

And that’s just a sampling! We also have delis like The Ripe Tomato and Litchfield Catering and Deli that satisfy pitstop demands, and diner-style restaurants like Patty’s Restaurant and Jackie’s Restaurant that fill the bill, too …. and we have a Dunkin’.

If we missed a place you favor, let us know, and we’d love to see comments and photos of your favorites!