3 CT Eateries Named To Food & Wine's 'Best Classic Restaurants' List

CONNECTICUT — Foodies in Connecticut are obsessed with the newest hot spots, but would be better served if they focused instead on the restaurants that opened back in the 20th Century.

That's the perspective of restaurant critic David Landsel writing for Food & Wine magazine, who has compiled a list of "The Best Classic Restaurants in Every State."

The gourmet's compendium of esteemed eateries celebrates "renewing our vows with America's finest old-school institutions" following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the upheaval that caused in the food service industry. Surprisingly, the writer found only three Connecticut restaurants out of the nearly 250 on the list suitably classic enough to celebrate. Maybe he just wanted to spread the epicurean love around — he listed four in Alaska!

More: CT Restaurant Ranks Among Top 100 In Nation For Outdoor Dining

The writer is at least lavish in his praise for the Union League Café in New Haven, where he recommends "sink(ing) into one of the banquettes for foie gras torchons served with quince chutney, followed by duck à l'orange." He found the eatery's neighborhood even more appetizing, calling Chapel Street "an architectural feast, a pleasing mash-up featuring what seems like a little bit of everything, from the very old to the thrillingly modern."

The site itself was the home of New Haven’s first mayor and Revolutionary Era gadfly, Roger Sherman. The current building, with its soaring stained-glass windows, was built in 1860 as the town house of a local industrialist, and later sold to the Union League, a men’s political organization.

Union League's chef/owner, Jean Pierre Vuillermet, is a recognized Maîtres Cuisiniers de France, or "Master Chef of France," and the menu makes that abundantly clear. Diners will find Ossetra caviar on the raw bar alongside the shrimp and littleneck clams, and escargot à la Provençale and duck confit across the page from the corn soup on the list of appetizers. Not surprisingly, the café's wine game is also top drawer.

Related: Outrage: New 'Best Pizza Cities' Report Snubs Connecticut

Food & Wine encouraged diners who are "hungry for a blast from the seriously distant past" to pull up a chair — or stay the night — at The Griswold Inn in the seaport village of Essex.

Before the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, there was "The Gris." It's an authentic New England public house, with 33 guest accommodations, shopping and a revered taproom that has been pouring pints since 1766. That makes it the oldest continuously run tavern in the United States, according to its menu. Even Hollywood has taken notice: The exterior of the Griswold Inn was used as the establishing shot for the Collinsport Inn in the gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows."

Suitably classic and hearty dinner fare at The Gris includes baby back ribs, seafood and its "signature" clam chowder. Baked cod, Cajun-grilled steak frittes and the chef's "quiche of the day" can be found alongside the traditional burgers and other sandwiches on the tavern's lunch menu.

The Griswold Inn Store is located directly across from the Inn. There you'll find products inspired by the town's Early American and maritime heritage. The store is open seven days a week through December, with a seasonal schedule beginning in January.

See Also: Hail To The King: Connecticut Pizza Again Named No. 1 In Nation

Roseland in Derby is no stranger to "Best Of" dining places in Connecticut, but the dining discussed is usually pizza. In the eyes Food & Wine, however, Roseland's famous apizza is actually part of an elaborate bait-and-switch operation.

"You're here for the blistered, giant-sized pies, but you'll come back for everything, starting with the soulful fra diavolo, a frequent special," the magazine has deduced.

The Daily Meal described Roseland as "a little old house with plenty of old-school charm," and called the restaurant's pizza "underrated." The restaurant is renowned for its large portions, but the special shrimp pizza, featuring two pounds of shrimp, may just be excessive.