CT Magazine's 'Best Restaurants': Did Any Danbury Restaurants Make Their List?

Written by BARBARA HEINS & WENDY ANN MITCHELL (Patch Staff)

Each January the editors of Connecticut Magazine release their ‘Best Restaurants’ list that includes “the best of the best” in new restaurants and perennial favorites.

The magazine writes that its experts range “from veteran restaurant critics and food writers to contemporary bloggers who track the trends as well as the hottest, newest places” and “some food-savvy Connecticut Magazine editors.”

Those of us who live in the area will notice a few of our favorites missing. Which ones do you think Connecticut Magazine’s “experts” missed? Tell us in the comments.

There are a few Danbury restaurants on their list, but they missed *Sesame Seed in Danbury for Best Vegetarian (*Patch Editor Wendy Mitchell’s opinion).

Here is the list of greater Danbury area restaurants who made Connecticut Magazine’s “Best Restaurants” list:

Best For Overall Excellence

• Bailey’s Backyard, Ridgefield

Best New Restaurant

• Hoodoo Brown BBQ, Ridgefield

Best Italian

• Upper Crust Trattoria, New Milford
• Aranci 67, Redding - “This under-the-radar family-owned restaurant serves some of the best pasta dishes you can get on either side of the Atlantic and that’s only the beginning of the Sorrento-style Italian food wonderland that is Aranci 67.”—Erik Ofgang, Connecticut Magazine

Best American

• The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Wilton

Best French

• Luc’s Café, Ridgefield - “The casually elegant food prepared with plenty of herbs like tarragon, rosemary and thyme and fresh produce, coupled with an effervescent, never stuffy team of energetic wait staff, and the Old World atmosphere make Luc’s one to remember.”—Donna Christopher, food writer and blogger formerly of Hearst Media.
• Ondine, Danbury
• Bernard’s, Ridgefield

Best Mexican/Latin American

• Mezon, Danbury

Best Indian

• Amba Vilas Palace, Danbury

Best Pub

• The Hideaway, Ridgefield
• Little Pub, Ridgefield, Wilton

Best Craft Beer Haven

• Stanziato’s, Danbury

Best Cocktails

• Bailey’s Backyard, Ridgefield

Best Barbeque

• The Cookhouse, New Milford
• Hoodoo Brown BBQ, Ridgefield - “Open for less than a year this big, bold and oh-so-delicious barbecue joint has already made its way into the hearts (and stomachs) of legions of barbecue lovers. One taste and you’ll see what draws the crowds.”—Erik Ofgang, Connecticut Magazine

Best For Families

• Rizzuto’s, Bethel

Most Romantic

• Ondine, Danbury
• The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Wilton
• Bernard’s and Sarah’s Wine Bar, Ridgefield

Best Desserts

• The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Wilton
• The Pantry, Washington Depot
• Community Table, Washington
• Ondine, Danbury

Best Sushi

• Yokohama, New Milford
• Ichiro, Danbury

Best Vegetarian/Vegan

• Hidden Valley Eatery, Washington Depot

Best Hidden Gem

• Ichiro, Danbury

The complete list of the best restaurants statewide can be found by clicking here.

Were the critics on the mark? Let us know what you think of their choices and what restaurants should have been on the list in the comments section below.

Photo credit: Barbara Heins