Longwood Country Inn:

Award-Winning Taste And Atmosphere

On bustling Route 6 in Woodbury, only 2½ miles from Exit 15 off of I-84, diners find sanctuary at the Longwood Country Inn where owner Jerrold Lundquist and general manager Rick Howe have strived the past two years to create a casually elegant atmosphere that is as welcoming to the khakis and loafers crowd as it is to those who prefer a coat and tie. The long, white clapboard building, built in 1789 and one of only a few structures in Woodbury with three working fireplaces, features six guest rooms and a dining room that seats 50, overlooking outdoor seating and five wooded acres.

The Longwood Country Inn was completely renovated in 2006, inside and out, said Mr Howe, all the while preserving the historic nature of the structure.

Visitors enter via the front porch, a short walk up from the spacious parking lot out back. Wicker furniture beckons one to sit and enjoy the world passing by. An oversized early American buffet sits grandly in the lobby, one of many pieces of authentic furnishings throughout the inn. In the small waiting room located off of the lobby, guests can enjoy the ambiance of one of the fireplaces, and a cocktail. A flat-screen television provides quiet entertainment while a table is readied.

“We want people to come and enjoy a really good meal in a comfortable atmosphere,” said Mr Howe, “and I think they will find that in the country-style menu we feature.”

The Longwood Country Inn has received the Tops in Connecticut rating from Zagat’s, and has earned the Best New Restaurant and Best Brunch, 2007 and 2008, from Connecticut Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards for Litchfield County. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner six days of the week, with live piano and musical entertainment featuring the Great American Songbook on Friday evenings, and a buffet brunch on Sunday.

The inn is proud to have received the Wine Spectator Award Of Excellence this past August. The restaurant offers more than 130 wines from all over the world, from an Avignon Cabernet to an Opus One. More than 25 wines by the glass are served from a nitro-tap system and special wines, unavailable to the retail public, are featured on a weekly basis.

Utilizing local produce and many products from local purveyors, Chef Gary Gagnon has created menus that change seasonally, said Mr Howe, applying a new twist to old favorites. “We try to offer a menu that we know people will like, but that they can’t get at other places,” Mr Howe said.

Start the meal with Longwood’s number one best selling appetizer, Maryland crab cakes. Jumbo lump crabmeat is blended with herbs and spices and served with a remoulade sauce. Other popular appetizers include the Parmesan encrusted artichoke hearts with lemon garlic aioli, and grilled duck sausage.

The fall dinner menu features a dozen entrees. Among diners’ favorites, said Mr Howe, are the Long Island crescent duck, a fresh duck roasted with herbs and braised in a duck glacé with a Grand Marnier reduction; the cedar plank salmon with mango chutney; and New Zealand rack of lamb.

“Every week we feature fresh seafood delivered straight from catch to us,” Mr Howe said. “We do not use any frozen seafood products.”

At noontime, Chef Gagnon serves up lobster bisque and other soups, such as the autumnal pumpkin pear soup with gorgonzola cranberry croutons, or diners can choose from a variety of salads like the classic Cobb salad with turkey, ham, chicken, gorgonzola, avocado, bacon and Dijon vinaigrette, or the grilled diver scallop arugula salad topped with maple vinaigrette.

A country inn menu would not be complete without Yankee pot roast or a chicken pot pie, and both of these items are big sellers at lunchtime, said Mr Howe. The Country Inn steak burger is a thick patty made with ground choice filet mignon and New York strip steak and topped with Vermont cheddar, smoked bacon, and caramelized onions.

For the more adventurous, lobster quesadillas with mango, avocado, and smoked Gouda, or duck sausage risotto with caramelized pears tantalize the taste buds.

Lunch prices are $7 to $15. Dinner appetizers range from $5 for a mixed greens salad to $16 for filet mignon roulade. Entrees, which include a vegetable of the day and a potato or rice side dish, are priced from $24 to $40. Daily dinner specials are offered, as well as quarterly wine dinners, such as the recent wild game and wine dinner.

The all-you-can-eat Sunday buffet brunch is served from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm, and has become so popular, said Mr Howe, that he is anxious for the additional 25 seats that will be added to the dining room come spring, as well as the 120-seat banquet facility that will be added on to the inn at that time. An omelet station, carving station, salad station, dessert station, and other entrees provide a plentiful repast at brunch. Adults pay $34, children ages 6 to 12 pay $15, and children under 5 dine for free.

Leave room for made-on-premises desserts. Homemade ice creams and gelato, white and chocolate bread pudding, and Country Inn apple crisp are only a few of the special offerings to end the meal.

The Longwood Country Inn Restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm; dinner Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 9 pm and on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 pm; and Sunday brunch from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. All major credit cards are accepted. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended. The Longwood Country Inn is available for private celebrations for parties up to 75 at the present time. For more information call 266-0800 or visit longwoodcountryinn.com.