Chef/Owner Michael
Bates-Walsh of 1754
House Inn, Restaurant, and Tavern in Woodbury, Connecticut
brings his passion and years of culinary talent to create memorable dining
experiences for his guests. He took possession of the keys in March 2020 and opened
the property in June 2020. The restaurant's focus is American cuisine to
complement the historic charm served up with gracious service. We had an
excellent dinner at the restaurant at the end of November 2020, where they
exceeded our high expectations.
1754 Hotel Restaurant Main Dining Room
Built in 1736 by Anthony Stoddard
the property opened as an Inn in 1754, making it one of oldest Inns in
Connecticut. When Chef/Owner Michael Bates-Walsh took ownership of the property
in March 2020, he beautifully renovated this historic inn, restaurant, and
tavern, yet kept its original charm. The result is gorgeous and welcoming. We
stayed at the Inn and had dinner at the restaurant on Saturday, November 28,
2020, when the Inn was beautifully dressed for the Christmas season. There is
something special about Christmas in New England with its historic houses, and
1754 House was a decorator's dream to dress. Decorator Brenda Christie, Owner
and Creative Director of Bouquets & Beyond (florals and events) created
stunning displays of beautifully arranged flowers to add interest, and used
magnolia leaves throughout the property in wreaths and wrapped around pillars
to create a cohesive design, and decorated Christmas trees added a magical
touch.
The main dining room has a large
brick fireplace and the night we dined at the restaurant, there was a roaring
wood fire creating an intimate and cozy atmosphere. Watercolors by the Artist
Brian Walsh, Chef Michael's late father, graced the walls. Tables were widely
spaced to meet Covid-19 guidelines, which was easily met in the large room,
servers wore masks, as did guests except when seated at their tables. Interesting
architectural sconces and ceiling lights along with votive candles on the dark
wood tables softly illuminated the beamed ceiling room.
Chef/Owner Michael Bates-Walsh
The menu is both approachable and
creative and consists of Small and Share Plates, Soups and Salads, Sandwiches,
and Substantial Plates. There is something on the menu to appeal to diverse
palates with comfort menu items like Braised Beef Shepard's Pie and Cast-Iron
Mac & Cheese, to more intriguing items for diners who prefer something
different like their Exotic Mushroom Risotto or Cast-Iron Seared Tofu.
Chef Michael Bates-Walsh has an
impressive resume of working at renowned resorts and restaurants and he brings
his culinary passion and thoughtful amenities to 1754 House. Warm, sliced bread
presented in a beautiful wood box accompanied by either plain butter or pumpkin
herb butter in a glass jar was a lovely introduction to his style. In keeping
with the history of the house, sea salt was presented in an attractive round
covered olive wood box with silver salt spoon.
The
restaurant has a strong tie to the community and has a nice selection of craft
beers from the local artisanal breweries, there is a creative cocktail menu,
and wines are available by the glass or bottle making it easy to pair wines
with courses.
Grilled Oysters
We began our dining experience by
sharing an order of Grilled Oysters with fennel and leek relish from the Small
and Share Plates section of the menu. Four oysters were beautifully presented
on beds of salt on a piece of slate. Delicately grilling the oysters and
presenting them with the fennel leek relish was an inspired touch and they were
delicious. We paired the oysters with a glass of Prima Perla Prosecco for an
elegant start to our evening.
Sea-Salt Roasted Beets
We continued by sharing a
selection from the Soups and Salads section, the Sea-Salt Roasted Beets with
petite greens, figs, and fig honey. The salad was a lovely mélange of red and
orange beets that paired especially well with the figs and fig honey that
imparted a light touch of sweetness to the delectably earthy beets and the
slightly bitter greens.
Pan-Seared Sea Scallops
For one of our main courses, we
had the Pan-Seared Sea Scallops accompanied by sweet corn succotash, roasted
red pepper, and herb vinaigrette, from the Substantial Plates section. This
course was presented as 4 scallops with perfect golden crusts on a bed of
succotash and red pepper, with artful herb vinaigrette ringing the
presentation. The scallops were especially delicious and perfectly cooked.
New York Strip Steak
For our other main course, we had
the special of the evening, a New York Strip Steak that was cut as a filet and
presented on a large wood plank with mashed potatoes and parsnip puree with
cubed butternut squash and leeks. Perfectly cooked to our request of medium
rare, the steak was very tender and flavorful. The restaurant has special Hand
Cut Fries tossed with duck fat and seasoned with sea-salt, and herbs, and we
had an order of them to enjoy with the steak. The fries arrived in a small cast
iron skillet accompanied by a generous portion of ketchup. For the steak, we
paired it with a glass of Angeline, Mendocino County Pinot Noir, which was a
nice complement to the beef.
Hand Cut Fries
The menu has a nice selection of
desserts in the Sweets section of the menu. We ended the evening on a sweet
note with 2 of the creative desserts, the Goat Cheese Cheesecake Jar with maple
caramel apples, and the evening's dessert special, Chocolate Pâté
with Cranberry Gastrique. The goat cheese cheesecake was presented in a small
glass jar topped with maple caramel apples and graham cracker dust. Rich,
decadent, and delicious, it was deconstructed goat cheesecake with layers of
flavor.
Goat Cheese Cheesecake
The Chocolate Pâté with Cranberry Gastrique was a chocolate-lovers fantasy
of delectably rich dark and white chocolate paired with whipped cream. The
mélange of flavors was a definite palate pleaser with the intense mix of dark
and white chocolate, and the cranberry gastrique provided a slightly sweet
tartness that beautifully complemented the chocolate.
Chocllate Pâté with Cranberry Gastrique
To ensure guests leave with sweet
memories, our server brought us a small bag of freshly made and totally
delicious, ginger molasses cookies at the end of our dining experience for us
to enjoy in our room. From start to finish, 1754 House Restaurant exceeded our
expectations both from the kitchen as well as from the service team.
In addition to the main dining
room, meals are also served in the Tavern for guests preferring a more a casual
dining ambience.
1754 Restaurant is open
Tuesday - Sunday from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm, Sunday Brunch served 11:30 am to
2:00 pm, and closed Monday.
The Tavern is open Tuesday
- Friday from 4:00 pm to close, Saturday - Sunday from 11:30 am to close,
Sunday Brunch served from 11:30 am to close, and closed on Monday.
For more information or to make
a reservation, please visit the website: www.1754house.com
1754 House
506 Main Street South
Woodbury, Connecticut 06798
United States
Telephone: +1-203-405-3735
Email:
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Website: www.1754house.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/1754-House-Restaurant-Tavern
Instagram: @1754House
Until next time, Bon Appetit!
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