Although I hadn’t visited The Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton for a couple of years, it remained one of my favorite Connecticut restaurants.
So I was most pleased to be invited by friends for lunch (Friday and Saturday only) at the Schoolhouse.
I arrived slightly ahead of my friends, which gave me a chance to snap a few photographs of the restaurant. Situated in a former one-room schoolhouse on the banks of the Norwalk River,
the setting is as charming as it is historic. Plots of herbs and vegetables in front of the restaurant announce its commitment to freshness and really local sourcing of ingredients.
The interior is cozy and well-appointed,
but beautiful weather caused every single guest to elect the outdoor dining behind the restaurant
where further gardening work seemed to be going on.
How can you beat a view like this?
My friends were the Blancos of the Ibiza Restaurant Group and Iker González, renowned Basque chef at Hotel Maria Cristina in San Sebastián, Spain.
Our waiter,
who used to work for the Blancos, started us off with a Fefiñanes Albariño,
one of those selections that tells you the wine list was put together by someone who knew what he or she was doing. Note the spotless goblets, an amenity overlooked by so many supposedly fine restaurants.
We were started off with a plate of nice griddled bread.
Then chef-owner Tim LaBant actually brought out some of our starters, taking the opportunity to say hello.
Sonia’s starter was the cheese of the day, a four-year-aged Gouda from the Netherlands with griddled bread and accompaniments,
Iker elected a salad of mixed greens, ricotta, cucumber, radish, basil, mint and sunflower seeds,
and Ignacio and I ordered The Schoolhouse’s interpretation of posh cheese and beans on toast.
I can’t rave enough about the freshness of the produce and the simple artistry with which it was utilized.
While simple, the lunch entrées we ordered also dazzled. Sonia’s cheesesteak featured shaved steak and Roaring Forties blue cheese (obviously not from this hemisphere) on a brioche bun, hand-cut fries and a side salad.
Forget Five Guys vastly overrated French fries—you won’t find better fries than these! The fries and side salad also accompanied my wonderful house ground burger with black pepper truffle mayonnaise. The burger would have a shot at the top 10 in Connecticut, and yes, it too is better than Five Guys.
Iker ordered prosciutto and poached eggs over Wave Hill bread with asparagus. But I didn’t remember what he had ordered, and by the time his dish came, I thought the eggs might be burrata!
Here’s the proof that they were in fact eggs!
Ignacio ordered delicious Arctic char with coriander rice, bok choy and enoki mushrooms.
For dessert, we enjoyed coffees
and delightful strawberry shortcakes with a hint of mint.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying the lovely setting, the great weather, the good company, and especially, the food,
no one more than we!
The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, 34 Cannon Road, Wilton; 203-834-9816; www.schoolhouseatcannondale.com