From most parts of the state, the Inn at Woodstock Hill is a considerable drive.
Don’t let that discourage you. There’s plenty of sightseeing, antiquing and other entertainments in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner which will pair nicely with a visit to this terrific establishment.
Walking from the farther parking, the sprawling inn with its many dormers is viewed between mature trees and shrubs.
The air is chilly, and snow still lines the driveway.
As we’re led to our seats, we pass a number of interesting architectural details and furnishings.
Our own room is incredibly attractive,
with a vivid wallpaper pattern,
a thick wall that conceals closets
and a fireplace that once lit
brings a glow of warmth to our table.
From the Inn’s iPad-based wine list,
I pick a Casa Lapostolle Merlot that I’ve always been partial to (but I’m careful to hold back enough on the wine so I’m sharp for the return drive).
Good rolls and butter delay our appetites as we order.
The menu offers enough temptations so it’s not easy to finalize our decisions (click on photos to enlarge).
All of our appetizers prove wonderful. One dining companion picks the Maryland lump crab cake with orange basil aïoli,
another the New England seafood chowder loaded with salmon, shrimp, scallops and clams,
and I the Burgundian escargots simmered in butter, garlic and fines herbes and served with toast points.
At the Inn at Woodstock Hill, salads come with entrées (although the menus don’t say so). One dining companion orders the Caesar salad,
another a house salad,
and I an Asian-style salad.
Each salad is fresh and good.
The entrées are imaginative and good. A Filipino adobo chicken isn’t rigorously authentic, but it’s quite tasty nevertheless.
A thick bone-in veal chop Florentine
makes for a heck of a dish.
And my crab-stuffed trout wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon is simply terrific.
And the brightness and freshness of the dishes should be obvious from looking at the accompanying vegetables.
We press on to the desserts. They’re pretty, they’re tasty,
and they go great with the coffees and teas we order.
And into these bags go our leftovers.
Worth the drive? Absolutely!
The Inn at Woodstock Hill, 94 Plaine Hill Rd., Woodstock, 860-928-0528, www.woodstockhill.com