Let it not be said that signing up for the Still River Café newsletter subjects the subscriber to an endless stream of thinly-veiled electronic advertising masquerading as news or information! Happily, in the four months which have elapsed since our last newsletter, we have been too busy staying on top of our gardens and operating the restaurant to write about it let alone engage in promotional activities.

We celebrated our one year anniversary on August 31, 2007 which was a milestone of sorts. As those of you who are familiar with the restaurant industry know (and as was pointed out to us repeatedly by those who sought to dissuade us from taking the plunge into this crazy business), 50% of all new restaurants fail in their first year. We didn't. To the contrary, we have seen our business grow steadily month by month. We have also been extremely fortunate to receive a flurry of positive restaurant reviews. In August, Connecticut Magazine awarded us 3-1/2 stars (out of a possible 4) and referred to our menu as "culinary artistry on dazzling display." In September, the New York Times gave us a rating of "Extraordinary"-- the highest rating possible which has only been given to two other restaurants in Connecticut. That was followed by a 4-star rating (out of 4) in the Norwich Bulletin in a review which described our restaurant as "one of the best in Connecticut." A couple of weeks ago, we were notified by ZAGAT that they had selected us for inclusion in their "America's Top Restaurants 2008" guide.

While the reviews in the New York Times and Connecticut Magazine have been a major boost for our business, they have also have produced some very amusing telephone calls from the 203 area code that go something like this:

203 area code caller: Congratulations on (the New York Times or Connecticut Magazine) review!

Kara or me: Thank you.

203 area code caller: You know what this means don't you?

Kara or me: We think so.

203 area code caller: Where's Eastford?

Kara or me: It's near Pomfret.

203 area code caller: [Silence]

Kara or me: Woodstock?

203 area code caller: [Silence].

Kara or me: Union?

203 area code caller: [Forget about it].

Kara or me: It's right off the road from Hartford to Boston.

203 area code caller: [Flicker of recognition]. The Merritt Parkway?

And so it goes. (Click here for actual directions)

On a personal level, our reactions to the favorable press we have received has been a little complicated. Coming from the ultra-competitive, winner-take-all world of the law, it would be easy to pound our chests and trumpet the various reviews and awards as a vindication, a triumph or a victory, but that begs the fundamental question: a vindication of what or a triumph or victory over whom? In reality, the only victories we are interested in now are personal. We want to do what we love to do and make other people happy in the process. To the extent the accolades we have received help us do that, we are pleased to have received them. It's that simple. In addition, as we have explained to visitors to Still River, we didn't get into the restaurant business simply to own a restaurant. No one in his or her right mind would do that. Instead, we did it because we wanted to create something unique and out of the ordinary. To have the Times refer to our little restaurant as "Extraordinary" is therefore particularly gratifying.

From a grower's perspective, the Summer of 2007, like all summers, had advantages and disadvantages. We were spared a wet spring, the bane of growers everywhere who attempt to extend their seasons by planting seeds and transplanting seedlings as early as possible. On the negative side, we were inundated by Japanese Beetles in almost biblical proportions. Everywhere there was a blossom or a tender leaf, there was a gang of beetles wreaking havoc and destruction. As organic growers, we dealt with it the only way we know how: by picking them off plants one-by-one and dropping them in a bucket of soapy water. Beetles have a surprisingly wide range, however, and no sooner would we finish collecting beetles for the day than a survivor would put out the word to all of the neighboring beetles that there was a feast to be had for free at Still River Café.

Like everyone in Connecticut, and people living east of the Connecticut River in particular, we were also visited by a severe drought which began in the middle of the summer and lasted well into the fall. Indeed, during one 10-week span, we got less than ½-inch of rain. As we subsist solely on well water both in our home and the restaurant, we were left with no choice but to water our gardens sparingly. We had to prioritize which plants would get water and decided to let the more drought-tolerant varieties fend for themselves. Unfortunately, this meant greatly reduced yields of eggplant and peppers. Our prized heirloom tomatoes weathered the lack of water reasonably well. On the bright side, we had bumper crops of garlic, potatoes and onions. Our various salad greens, which got the lion's share of our irrigation efforts, flourished as well.

The kitchen continues to modify and diversify our menu introducing new amuses bouche, appetizers, entrees and desserts each week. We have acquired a "smoker" for the kitchen which has taken some getting used to. Initially, it was producing such prodigious amounts of smoke that Kara would emerge from the kitchen bleary-eyed and coughing and smelling like someone who had just gotten off a trans-Atlantic flight in the 1960's filled with Russian KGB agents or French philosophers. After a few tries (and no doubt the sacrifice of a certain amount of lung capacity), however, she got the hang of it and is using it to impart a nice seasonal flavor to root vegetable soups as well as to make a dazzling Kobe beef carpaccio dish accented with arugula which is thriving in our cold frames. We have continued to expand our relationships with local suppliers, most notably Cato Corner Farms in nearby Colchester, the principal cheese purveyor at New York City's Greenmarket at Union Square, which provides the majority of the selections on our cheese plate. Our wine list is growing as well, and we are very excited about a relationship we are forming with a Connecticut distributor specializing in small, independently-owned, "garagiste" vineyards and winemakers using organic and biodynamic growing practices.

Our hours remain unchanged: we serve dinner on Fridays and Saturdays and brunch / lunch on Sundays. We do two seatings on Saturday: one from 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. and the other from 8:00 - 8:30 p.m. Reservations are strongly recommended.

We are planning a special, multi-course, prix fixe New Year's Eve dinner before closing down for our winter break. Details will follow shortly, but space is limited and you should plan on reserving early if you want to join us. As we did last year, we will reopen on Valentine's Day.

Bob and Kara Brooks

Still River Café
134 Union Road
Eastford, CT 06242
860.974.9988
www.stillrivercafe.com