Weekending in New England |  | |
Excerpt from
"Weekending in New England"
by Betsy Witteman,
published in March 2003:
Carole Peck's
Good News Cafe
This is the hippest, most happening restaurant in town and for several miles around. Two dining rooms--one with screaming yellow walls and the other with red walls (Note from the GNC: Since Betsy's visit, those red walls have been freshly painted an equally lively shade of green!)--seem to be always busy, and sometimes people are craning their necks in search of celebrities. Many regulars prefer to sit in the bar, in the center of the restaurant, with its 1950s vintage cafe tables and chairs and a few booths. Changing artwork on the walls in all rooms sets a contemporary mood.
The food is acclaimed. An ambitious lunch menu offers several soups including the Good News First Edition Soup--always a vegetarian offering--and possibly lobster soup with lobster chunks. Other starters can be pecan-crusted fresh oysters with cherry tomatillo salsa; warm portobello mushroom toast and goat cheese; or country paté with herb toast and prune and raising marmalade. Many inspired salads (how about shrimp on orange slices with jicama, watercress, romaine, chickpeas and feta in a sesame tahini dressing?) compete for attention with entrées like grilled semi-boneless quails with lentils and escarole in a tomato and green olive tapenade. At dinner, entrées might be fried sea scallops accompanied by lump crab and squid with celery, snow peas and swee potato purée; gemelli pasta with asparagus, spiced pecans, gorgonzola, capers, sage and balsamic drizzle; or spice-rubbed double-cut venison chop with onions, celery root purée and green beans in hazelnut butter.
And, oh, the desserts. A flight of three puddings--butterscotch, white chocolate and dark chocolate--come each with its own topping. You might have warm chocolate chunk banana cake with walnut brittle and brown butter caramel sauce or a coconut layer cake with mango and raspberry sauce. Bridgewater Chocolates, handmade in Connecticut, are sold at the counter up front, as are some desserts and breads.
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