Fall Foliage and Fantastic Food
I recently experienced a wonderful day. The weather was October perfect with beautiful blue skies, low humidity, white puffy clouds, with trees along the driving route I took to Western Connecticut, decked out in spectacular burnished oranges, bright yellows, deep magentas and even some dark pink. Set against the evergreens, the timbers showing off their magnificent colors, made for “oohs” and “aahs” along the way.
The journey was incredibly satisfying, but the destination…well, of course it involved food, and where we ended up was simply fabulous.
Good Eats, a new restaurant that opened just a few weeks ago in New Milford, Connecticut, does everything right.
From the moment you walk into the warmly decorated hallway, (where once inside you will see a neon sign with the restaurant’s name), the inviting bar and the beautifully appointed dining room, you feel welcomed and taken care of. Everything, from the shade of paint on the walls, to the rustic lighting fixtures, to the photographs of food and famous chefs decorating the interior, indicates the time and care that went into renovating this former roadside sports bar. Good Eats is anything but. Yes, it is country casual, but there is a sense of quiet elegance infused in the atmosphere. Even the bathrooms are lovingly decorated.
And now the food. What an eclectic menu. Owners Edward Maynard and Brian Cabrera were smart enough to bring chef Kevin Deluca on board to create new interpretations of old favorites.
The restaurant makes sure to feature locally sourced ingredients in all their dishes.
Whether you choose the kale and Brussels sprouts salad with honey crisp apple, shrimp and horseradish dressing, or a Good Eats burger with jalapeño jam for lunch, a beautifully seasoned pork chop with black eyed pea puree or scallops with spiced dahl, zucchini, and carrot herb salad for dinner, you will be completely hooked.
Whatever you do, be sure to order the pita with whipped butter, honey, radish and maldon salt. It is simply a taste sensation.
Some pretty amazing signature cocktails (like a tangerine margarita; Herradura Blanco tequila, tangerine shrub, lime and chili salt) from mixologist Johnny Torres are featured, and there are quite unique and special wine picks too.
Good Eats Restaurant and Bar overlooks the scenic Housatonic River and is open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner and serving Sunday brunch from 11-3 (where you can order Shakshuka, one of my favorites.) Good Eats is truly the place for good eatin’ and most definitely worth the trip. 300 Kent Road, New Milford, Connecticut
Valerie Smaldone is a 5-time Billboard Magazine Award winner and is well known for her unprecedented success holding the #1 on-air position in the New York radio market on 106.7 Life-FM, an iHeart station. She has hosted, produced, and created several award-winning nationally syndicated programs featuring in-depth interviews with stars like Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Elton John and Mariah Carey among others. Her radio talk show "Bagels and Broadway" highlighted theatre and food personalities. She is an accomplished interviewer and voice artist heard on commercials, narrations, promos and audiobooks, as well as a sought after live announcer.
Most recently, Valerie produced and directed a film, The Thursday Night Club, featuring pop diva Gloria Gaynor in her movie acting debut. She is one of the creators and producers of a docu-series, Divine Renovation, starring Erik Estrada, on streaming networks soon.
