Today (3/24) through March 31 you can enjoy special 3-course menus and promotions at nearly 20 of the town’s award-winning restaurants, bakery-cafes, delis, pizza places, gourmet shops, and even our local Haight-Brown Vineyard.
That range creates a lot of delicious options for enjoying the type of experience you like best.
View all the menus on the Restaurant Week page, which also lists addresses and phone numbers and links to the websites and social media for all participating venues. It’s your one-stop resource for optimizing your RW experience.
At @meraki.food, @petraroiadeli, and @loveheartsbakery, you can enjoy a Restaurant Week lunch or opt for a take-home dinner. @dutchepicure is offering European-style romance with its soup-bread-pastries take-home package for two.
Haight-Brown Vineyard, meanwhile, offers an experience for those who like life on the sweeter side with a flight of three mini desserts and three cocktails for two—and at Clubhouse Provisions you can enjoy the RW lunch and dinner menus while looking out over the course@stonybrookgolf.
Marketplact Tavern is offering the “06759 Berry Fizz,” featuring Litchfield Distillery Straight Bourbon
And if all that’s not tempting enough, many of the participating restaurants are partnering with Litchfield Distillery on special Restaurant Week cocktails. That menu is also on the official Restaurant Week page.
Call ahead to book your reservations for RW lunch and dinner, and remember that these are special menus, so no substitutions, please.
When you dine out, tag @VisitLitchfieldCT when you post on Facebook and on Instagram, and tag your IG posts #litchfieldrestaurantweek so we can see and share them.
This inaugural Litchfield Restaurant Week is proudly sponsored by the@townoflitchfieldctEconomic Development Commission.
A collaboration between Market Place Tavern in the Old Litchfield Jail and the organization Art Tripping will bring new art exhibits every four to six weeks to the room in the restaurant facing North Street.
The first exhibit opens March 3 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., and features paintings by Zufar Bikbov and the assemblages of Nancy Laviero. Each new exhibit will have an opening event.
In addition to the galleries in the center of town, Litchfield is home to amArtHouse in Bantam and the Switch Gallery in the Bantam Arts Factory.
Murelli, a member of the Litchfield Economic Development Commission and Litchfield Arts Council, founded Art Tripping in 2018 to create community art experiences, nourish creativity, develop art and educational programs, and be a significant catalyst for community development.
Bringing people of various economic and social strata together is also part of the mission, as well as inspiring an understanding of “the unlimited possibilities that experiencing art, in all of its forms and genres, brings to our world.”
According to Murelli, John Morosani, a member of Litchfield Sustainability, approached her a couple of years ago and asked her to work with the Board of Selectmen in town to establish an arts council.
“This would fulfill one of the benchmarks of Sustainability’s brief from Connecticut Sustainability to create more public art,” Murelli said, adding that the collaboration between Art Tripping and Market Place Tavern fulfills a piece that goal by creating another opportunity for community art experiences.
Art Tripping also organizes and sponsors the Litchfield Makers Market on the Green the Saturday of Road Race Weekend, which is always the second weekend in June.
Another of Murelli’s projects involves working with students at Litchfield High School, where she teaches art, to create a folk art mural of ancient Mexican spirit animals called Alebrijes, as part of an interdisciplinary lesson with the AP Spanish Students who did the art history research.
It is 20 feet long and will be installed in At the Corner restaurant’s ATC South St. taco bar.
The first ever Litchfield Restaurant Week is coming March 24 to 31!
After the “howling” success of its summertime Top Dog best hot dog contest the past two years, the Town of Litchfield’s Economic Development Commission is taking the leap into sponsoring a restaurant week.
You know the recipe: Restaurants create special three-course menus offered at a fixed price point that represents value for the multiple courses and the caliber of the cuisine.
That allows guests from both near and far to discover new places, enjoy lots of fine meals within the space of a week, or both.
Make sure to follow Visit Litchfield CT on Facebook and also on Instagram for updates as the final ingredients for the restaurant week come together. We’ll be sharing menus and posts from participating restaurants, as well as photos of their special dishes.
The Visit Litchfield CT website will also have a special Litchfield Restaurant Week page linking to all the participating restaurants, their menus, and their social media accounts.
The restaurants that have committed to participating so far are below.
Litchfield had more than 20 first place awards in Litchfield Magazine’s recently announced 2023 Reader’s Choice Contest. Results were published in the Best of Litchfield County issue.
See the full results online, and congratulations to all!
At West Street Grill, Coconut Curry Shrimp with curry-ginger coconut sauce, zucchini, carrot and squash noodles, Shiitake mushroom, and black sesame seeds.Connecticut Magazine‘s dining experts and readers sure love Litchfield restaurants!
All three were also honored in the Most Romantic category. Arethusa al tavolo also picked up Best Appetizers and Best Desserts awards, and joined Winvian in being honored for Best Wine Selection.
At The Corner and West Street Grill were both given Best New American awards by the experts, who honored The Village Restaurant with a Best Traditional American award. That’s 3 hotspots right across from the Green in the town center being named the best of the best in Connecticut. (West Street Grill was also an Experts’ Pick for Best Lunch, and At the Corner was honored for Best Beer Selection.)
West Shore Seafood won a Best Seafood award from the experts. Meanwhile, Wood’s Pit BBQ in Bantam was named best BBQ in Litchfield County by the readers.
A Meraki breakfast sandwich; source, Meraki Facebook page.Meraki may be a tiny blink-and-miss-it spot just below Litchfield center, but the secret is certainly out that it’s a Connecticut hotspot for awesome breakfast sandwiches. Last October, Food & Wine included Meraki on its Best Breakfast in Every State list, and the Connecticut Magazine dining experts also celebrated Meraki as a breakfast haven.
Arethusa a mano in Bantam was also an Experts Pick for Best Breakfast.
The Connecticut Ice Yacht Club has called Bantam Lake its winter home since being founded in 1939 and when the lake ices over club members fly across the ice in their sleek iceboats at speeds that can exceed 60 miles per hour and even hit 80.
Unless there’s no ice.
“We should have driven out to Wisconsin last week,” Commodore Tony Bosco of Harwinton said Jan. 18 referring to competitions held out West. “Right now there isn’t any ice anywhere.”
The Club, with roughly 50 active members, is headquartered at White Memorial’s Point Folly Marina and Boat Launch, located at 123 North Shore Road in Litchfield. When the ice is in, the boats perch on the frozen surface in a cluster in the cove next to the Point Folly Family Campground and across from the camp store.
Anyone who wants to watch the action on the ice can park in the lot next the camp store or in the parking area at the entrance to the campground, located on a peninsula extending into the lake. In non-camping seasons, the campground’s dirt access road becomes a loop trail for those who want to enjoy a lovely walk.
With open water across the lake (as of Jan. 18) and the temperatures forecast for the rest of January, it doesn’t appear there will be iceboating anytime soon. There have been years when conditions never came together, including at least one season in the last 10 years.
“If we get a couple of cold nights, we could get ice in about five or six days but who knows when it’s coming,” Bosco said hopefully.
Follow @VisitLitchfieldCT on Facebook and on Instagram. We’re watching the ice every day, and the iceboats waiting expectantly in the camp store parking lot, and we’ll let you know the moment the boats are on the ice and the action begins.
If you’re looking for the Commodore on the ice, his iceboat is the large one with the distinctive American flag motif.
And if you want to read an account of one winter season many years ago, check out this 1991 New York Times story on Bantam Lake ice sailing.
Connecticut Ice Yacht Club members and ice yachts on Bantam Lake in January 2022.
Big Sunday breakfasts as public events that buoy community spirit as they aid good causes are a Litchfield tradition.
This Sunday, Jan. 15, there are two opportunities to enjoy a meal for a great price in a social setting with friends, neighbors and new acquaintances, with a third community breakfast on tap the following weekend.
If you’re up early and time it right, you might consider doubling up with an early breakfast in Northfield followed by an early lunch/second breakfast at the American Legion hall.
The first breakfast of the year at Post 27 is buffet style and takes place this Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon with a suggested donation of $12 per person. Dine at the post or get breakfast to go. Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s are also available. Watch the Facebook page for updates or changes, or call 860-567-9930 with questions. The Legion Hall is located at 418 Bantam Rd.
Breakfast to Benefit the Class of 2023
On Sunday, Jan. 22, a big Sunday breakfast takes place from 8 a.m. to noon at the Litchfield Community Center to benefit the Litchfield High School Class of 2023. Pancakes, bacon, eggs and more for $10 per person, $5 for those younger than 12 or older than 70.
Winter months get a bad rap when it comes to going out and having fun unless you love skiing, skating and other activities that depend on cold and snow. There’s even a National Nothing Day, which falls on Jan. 16 this year.
We don’t get it. January is like every other month in Litchfield; everything’s open, lots of interesting things are happening, and a snowy landscape or having to bundle up against the cold only add context that deepens experiences. In that spirit, here’s a list of 15 great things to enjoy in Litchfield this January.
Litchfield Distillery Tour & Tasting
Litchfield Distillery offers complimentary tours and sample tastings of its award-winning spirits, arranged by reservation on the website. That said, walk-ins are also welcomed if a timeslot isn’t full. Tours are offered on the hour (Mon-Sun) beginning at 11 a.m. The last tour begins at 4 p.m. (except Sunday when the last tour begins at 3 p.m.). See the website for details and the link to reserve. For questions, call us at 860-361-6503. Visit the Facebook page for announcements and weather-related closures.
Visit Haight-Brown Vineyard
Haight-Brown Vineyard has new owners who recently released their first wines and also recently welcomed James Beard honoree Chef Patrick Wilson to the team. Guests can also enjoy craft cocktails and craft beers with the growing and evolving food menu in the gorgeous setting at 29 Chestnut Hill Rd. (Haight-Brown Vineyard was even open on New Year’s Day!) See the website to plan a visit, or call 860-361-6969 with questions.
Ice Skating on the Municipal Rink
The public skating rink behind the Litchfield Town Hall is open for the season, attracting hockey players, skaters and even puppies. The town invites families and friends to enjoy the ice this winter. Town hall is located at 74 West St. Guests park behind the building and the rink is just behind the parking lot.
Watch the Ice Boats on Bantam Lake
Connecticut Ice Yacht Club members have made the Point Folly Marina and Boat Launch at The White Memorial Conservation Center their winter home base for nearly a half-century. As soon as Bantam Lake freezes with ice thick enough for sailing, you can find the ice yachts flying across the surface on weekends and also some weekdays. Park at the entrance to the Point Folly campground, or at the camp store, both on North Shore Road, to watch the action.
Enjoy/Discover Bantam Cinema & Arts Center
The revived Bantam Cinema is showing first run movies, including “Babylon,” “The Fablemans,” and “A Man Called Otto” in January, as part of a hometown lifestyle experience. In addition to freshly popped popcorn, with or without real butter, moviegoers can enjoy beverages that include Foxon Park sodas, Harney & Sons teas, Krafted Brew Lab coffee, Kent Falls craft beers in 16 oz. cans, Litchfield Distillery ready-to-drink cocktails, and even wines by the glass. See the website for movie times and more information.
Litchfield Hills Farm Fresh Market
The Litchfield Hills Farm-Fresh Market isn’t just a summer affair. After its outdoor run across from Center School from mid-June to mid-October, the market moves indoors at the Litchfield Community Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every other Saturday from now into June. It’s the place to go for fresh local products and to meet friends and neighbors. This month’s markets are the 7th and 21st. Watch the Facebook page for info and updates.
Knit Nights: Social Knitting Group with Alexandra Herst
There’s a new weekly knitting & crafting social meetup at the Litchfield Historical Society where participants can meet other knitters, get questions answered about tricky patterns, and expand their knowledge. It takes place on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and is hosted by Alexandra Herst, a local knitting & crafting enthusiast. Head online to register, or just stop by.
Exploring the Lake and Butternut Brook Trails
The Jan. 14 guided hike with Gerri Griswold, Director of Administration and Development for White Memorial, will highlight the Lake and Butternut Brook trails adjacent to the conservation center. “Witness a spectacular view of Bantam Lake from atop the Ice House ruins, then continue along the foot print of the old Berkshire Ice House. The Butternut Brook Trail may reveal the handiwork of beavers, one of nature’s most accomplished architects,” the event listing says. The hike is free and runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and guests should meet in front of the A. B. Ceder Room.
Fire & Ice Family Funfest
The popular and free Fire & Ice Family Funfest returns to the Litchfield Community Centre Jan. 14, from 1 to 4 p.m., and features ice sculptor games, winter hay rides, crafts, food, family fun, fireside storytelling, fire pits and much more. Participating organizations include the OWL Library, Litchfield Historical Society, Litchfield Lions Club, Litchfield Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Bunnell Farm and others. Register online.
Hootenanny at Litchfield Community Center
The Hootenanny concert Jan. 28 at Litchfield Community Center features the bands Dim Lights Thick Smoke and Wires & Wood. It’s a BYOB event, which also means bring your own dinner. Doors open 6:30 and the music starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person. Register online.
Go Shopping ‘Underground’
We’re not talking caves or caverns but Litchfield is home to shops and galleries with a subterranean cachet. Primarily we’re talking about the row of resources located underneath At the Corner restaurant on South Street, including Hope & Honey Boutique, Jennifer Terzian Gallery, iChing Antiques, and Braeval clothing. Across the Green in the basement of the First Congregational Church, the FCC Bookstore offers thousands of gently read books in all genres. Visit them as a group for a unique Litchfield experience.
Litchfield County Auctions
Lovers of art, antiques and design should check out the January sales at Litchfield County Auctions, which include The Prindle Collection – Session 5 on Jan. 24, and The Collection of Seymour Stein on Jan. 25. Those are just two of many upcoming auctions that will be full of great finds.
Stone In The Garden With Andrew Pighills
The Oliver Wolcott Librarywelcomes back Andrew Pighills in a live and Zoom evening of garden inspiration Jan. 19. Pighills will inspire creativity as he illustrates where to place stone in the garden and discusses the best materials to use when creating contrast or harmony. He explores the placement of patios, steps and paths, stone mosaics, follies, benches, seats and other whimsies that enhance the garden for the enjoyment of all. Transplanted from Yorkshire, England, Pighills is passionate about his English garden heritage and the art of creating stone structures. The presentation runs from 7 to 8 pm. Those planning to attend live should register here. For a Zoom link, click here at 7 p.m. on Jan. 19.
The Battle Of The Bulge With Oral Historian Aaron Elson
Join Oral Historian Aarom Elson as he shares oral histories from veterans who served in The Battle of the Bulge in an Oliver Wolcott Library live and Zoom event Jan. 25 from 2 to 3 p.m. On Dec. 16, 1944, the German military launched the Battle of the Bulge and by early January 1945, the German military effort had failed. Elson preserves and shares the oral histories of WWII veterans and has recorded more than 700 hours of interviews and conversations with men and women of the Greatest Generation. To attend live, register here. Zoom participants may click here at 2 p.m. on Jan. 25 to join the event.
Shop and Dine in Litchfield Center & Bantam
It may be winter, but the shopping and dining in Litchfield center and Bantam remain vibrant. To connect with shops and restaurants, as well as sales and specials, see the shopping and dining pages on our Visit Litchfield CT website, which provide links to the websites and social media accounts of all your favorite places … and the ones you haven’t discovered yet.
When you shop at your favorite participating retail shops from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, you can collect stamps on a special Shop Small® Passport for a chance to win a gift basket full of local goods.
Pick up your Passport at any participating retail store (shown below) over the holiday weekend (Nov. 25-28) to get started. You may collect one stamp at each participating business with a purchase. The more businesses you shop at, the more raffles you get to enter!
Remember to stop in a local restaurant or cafe while you’re out shopping. Show your receipt from a local restaurant or cafe from your visit during Shop Small® Weekend when you return your Passport for an extra stamp.
Completed passports must be dropped off at The Spa at Litchfield Hills (@thespaatlitchfieldhills), the 2022 Shop Small® Ambassador, located at 407A Bantam Rd., by 7 p.m. on November 29th to be entered into the raffles. Raffle winners will be drawn Nov. 30 and contacted via phone.
𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑖𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠, ‘𝐻𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒’ at Materia
Litchfield is one of Connecticut’s top dining destinations, and more than just great food goes into that recipe. The rich history, architecture, scenic beauty, nature preserves, Bantam Lake, and other attributes make the town magnetic; the fact that visitors can enjoy great food at varying levels and price points is the proverbial icing on the cake.
That said, the sybaritic sensations that come from each beautiful bite remain the star attractions—and fortunately for Litchfield, the culinary stars are shining brighter than ever.
Materia Ristorante, located along Route 202 outside Bantam center, which debuted in spring 2021, is the town’s latest supernova and leads a pack of local restaurants that are currently nominated for top regional and statewide “best of” culinary awards.
Consider this recent Facebook review of Materia: “This is the best Italian restaurant I have eaten at, here or in Italy. The food is delicious and artistically presented. The waiters are very happy to accommodate your wishes. It’s exquisite for Connecticut.”
𝙈𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙀𝙁𝙊𝙂𝙇𝙄𝙀 𝘼𝙇 𝙋𝙄𝙎𝙏𝘼𝘾𝘾𝙃𝙄𝙊. 𝘗𝘶𝘧𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺, 𝘗𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 at Materia
Chef David DiStasi grew up in Watertown, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and then worked with legendary chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in New York City. With that pedigree and the magic he makes at Materia, DiStasi is a Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) Chef of the Year nominee.
Public voting—one factor in determining winners—is now open. The awards, which will be handed out in early December, are called the CRAzies.
Winvian Farm just over the line in Morris, with Chef Chris Eddy at the helm, also has a CRA nomination this year—Stefano Middei for server of the year.
Arethusa al tavolo photo
Meanwhile, Arethusa al tavolo, the dairy & seed to table restaurant guided by Chef Dan Magill that is part of the Arethusa Farm empire, scored several nominations in Litchfield Magazine’s 2023 Reader’s Choice survey. Final voting is now happening online.
Connecticut Magazine is working on its 2023 best restaurants package for the February issue, and Litchfield is sure to be well represented, as it was this year, when Materia was named one of the best new restaurants, and Winvian and Arethusa named top romantic spots—among other honors for our restaurants. So stay tuned for that!
Litchfield is getting another art gallery.
Murelli, a member of the Litchfield Economic Development Commission and Litchfield Arts Council, founded Art Tripping in 2018 to create community art experiences, nourish creativity, develop art and educational programs, and be a significant catalyst for community development.
Art Tripping also organizes and sponsors the Litchfield Makers Market on the Green the Saturday of Road Race Weekend, which is always the second weekend in June.
Big Sunday breakfasts as public events that buoy community spirit as they aid good causes are a Litchfield tradition.
Litchfield Distillery Tour & Tasting
Connecticut Ice Yacht Club
The 
