West Street Grill
has been "Setting the Standard for Modern American Cuisine" in
the charming and scenic town of Litchfield, Connecticut since 1990. Owned by James
O'Shea, the restaurant is a gorgeous and welcoming beacon of
hospitality with outstanding cuisine by Chef Stephen Murphy, the
talent in the kitchen. Located in the historic section of Litchfield,
the attractive restaurant first delights the eye with its charming
décor, then delivers on the palate with its well-crafted cocktails, lovely
selection of wines, and artfully and tastefully prepared cuisine.

West Street Grill, Litchfield, CT
Located 16 miles northwest of
Waterbury, 34 miles west of Hartford, 40 miles from New Haven, 52 miles from
Springfield, Massachusetts, 78 miles from Greenwich, and 96 miles from
Manhattan, make Litchfield, Connecticut a desirable day-trip location. We had a
lovely lunch at West Street Grill on Saturday, March 13, 2021 where gracious
hospitality began when we entered the door.

James O'Shea, Owner
West Street Grill, Litchfield, CT
The inviting and attractive décor
recalled fond memories of visits to Provence with its sunny yellow walls,
burgundy wainscotting, and exposed brick wall. Black Windsor chairs flanked
black oak trimmed tables, artsy chandeliers and sconces illuminated the
restaurant, and a striped Roman shade added interest to a window in the back of
the dining room. While the colors of the restaurant conjure visions of
Provence, the gorgeous black and white horse photographs that grace the walls
are a nod to owner James O'Shea's Irish heritage. Hailing from County Kerry,
Ireland, James elevates Irish hospitality with his team's attentive, yet
obtrusive service.

Ryan Pelletier shaking up the tempting cocktails
The cozy well-stocked bar includes
international, domestic, and local spirits including those from nearby Litchfield
Distillery, which we had visited earlier in the day for a tour and
tasting. In keeping with our local Litchfield focus, we had their Litchfield
Bourbon Old Fashioned and a Ginger Martini made with Litchfield Peach Vodka,
Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, ginger honey syrup, and lemon juice,
garnished with a generous lemon peel.
To accompany our cocktails, we began
with the restaurant's signature Parmesan Aioli Peasant Bread, which has
been on their menu, and rightly so, since 1990. Served warm, this was a lovely
introduction to the style of the restaurant and a perfect accompaniment to our
well-crafted cocktails.

Parmesan Aioli Peasant Bread
We also had their crusty artisan
bread accompanied by hummus and extra virgin olive oil, Himalayan salt
presented in a tiny wood salt cellar with a spoon, and a pepper grinder. The
restaurant has strong ties to the community and gets their tasty and delicious bread
delivered daily from The
Bakehouse, located across the street from the restaurant, where owners Jeremy
McKendry and Allison Varian have been crafting bread and pastries since
May 2018.

Tre Colori Salad
We continued with the West Street
Grill's Tre Colori Salad, a colorful and tasty presentation of arugula,
endive, radicchio, tomatoes, and Gorgonzola, with a Sherry-Dijon-Shallot vinaigrette.
The restaurant's focus is on Modern American Cuisine with an emphasis on fresh
vegetables, fresh fish, and locally sourced ingredients. When the restaurant
opened in 1990, they were one of the first in Connecticut to adopt this
practice, along the lines of the restaurants Spago and Chez Panisse. The Tre
Colori salad celebrated this culinary philosophy with its fresh taste and
stunning presentation.

Fresh Mushroom Ravioli
For the next course, we had their Fresh
Mushroom Ravioli filled with a mélange of mushroom puree and presented with
thinly sliced shitake mushrooms, green peas, and sage brown butter sauce,
drizzled with a balsamic glaze, and crowned with micro-greens. Making homemade
pasta is a delicate art, too much flour and overworking it can make the dough
tough, not enough flour and the dough will be too soft. Johnson & Wales
Culinary School Graduate Chef Stephen Murphy has a deft hand with the dough,
and the ravioli were perfect, tender to the bite with an excellent ratio of
filling to the dough. Drizzled with the balsamic glaze, this course sang all
the right notes.

Miso Glazed Salmon
For one of our main courses, we
had the Miso Glazed Salmon (Faroe Island) with a soy ginger drizzle
accompanied by sushi rice, and sauteed spinach. Cooked to perfection, the
salmon appealed to the eye as well as to the palate. For our other main course,
we had the Fish and Chips, which was fresh cod served with fresh cut
fries. The cod was presented in a light and crispy tempura that brought out the
fresh taste of the fish, and the fries were a fries-lover dream with their
crispy exterior and soft interior.

Fish and Chips
We ended our delicious lunch on a
sweet note with a Chocolate Trifle made with warm chocolate cake with
whipped cream, drizzled with an Irish Whiskey chocolate sauce, followed by
steaming cups of black coffee, and two Irish Whiskeys, Paddy's Old Irish
Whiskey, and Powers Irish Whiskey. Sláinte! (Gaelic for to your
health!

Chocolate Triffle
The restaurant had a steady flow
of clientele and everything that came out of the kitchen looked delicious. One
of the items that we wished we had tried was their Smoked Atlantic Salmon,
Irish Style, "On the Boards" presented to another guest as cold smoked
salmon with mullet egg, shallots, capers, crème fraiche, and crostini, which
was delivered under a dome on a wood board that elicited a lovely aroma of
smoked herbs when the server lifted the dome. We will need to make a return
trip to try their smoked salmon.

Chef Stephen Murphy
Also notable are the number of
vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free items on the menu that make the West Street
Grill the perfect dining location that will appeal to diverse palates.
West Street Grill is open
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for Lunch beginning at 11:30 am, and for
Dinner beginning at 5:30 pm. Please call to make a reservation as days and times
are subject to COVID-19 restaurant restrictions.
Until next time, Bon Appetit!
For more information on West
Street Grill, please visit their website: www.WestStreetGrill.com

Cheers!
See you at West Street Grill
Read Chefs' Recipes where Chef
Stephen Murphy tempts your palate with his delectable recipe for Pan Roasted Duck Breast.
West Street Grill
43 West Street
Litchfield, CT 06759
Telephone: +1-860-567-3885
Website: www.WestStreetGrill.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestStreetGrill/
Twitter: @weststreetgrill
Instagram: @weststgrill
Read more about Litchfield in
the Destinations, Liquor
Cabinet, and Chefs' Recipes sections.
For more information on
Litchfield, Connecticut, please visit the website: www.ctvisit.com
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