A cozy getaway spot for couples

Pastoral town offers both homespun and high-end delights

January 05, 2011|Ellen Albanese, Globe Correspondent

POMFRET, Conn. - There is more to this bucolic town bisected by scenic Route 169 than meets the eye. A winery surprises with a high-end restaurant. A homespun cafe regularly hosts folk music celebrities. And gift shops double as art galleries. Add an abundance of cozy bed-and-breakfasts, and Pomfret makes a great destination for couples.

STAY The town’s newest B&B is Hickory Hill (253 Mashamoquet Road, 860-963-0306, www.hickoryhillbandb.com, $125-$130). The circa 1793 white-pillared home offers two guest rooms with a shared bath and a parlor. The property around the Inn at Fox Hill Farm (760 Pomfret St., 860-928-5240, www.innatfoxhillfarm.com, $215) has been in innkeeper Polly LoPiccolo’s family since 1707. The single accommodation is a country cottage, but renovations will begin in spring on a farmhouse that will become a five-room inn, said innkeeper Nick LoPiccolo. Feather Hill Bed and Breakfast (151 Mashamoquet Road, 860-963-0522, www.featherhillbedandbreakfast.com, $135-$190, cottage $245) has five guest rooms in the main house, all with private baths, and a cottage that sleeps four. Set on eight acres, the inn offers a swimming pool and walking trails.

DINE The Vanilla Bean Café (corner of routes 44, 97, and 169, 860-928-1562, www.thevanillabeancafe.com, breakfast $2-$10, lunch $5-$10.50, dinner $13-$18), located in a restored early 19th-century barn, is a town landmark, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. There’s always a vegetarian selection, and the cafe also focuses on local seafood. Chili is popular, and many of the mouth-watering desserts in the pastry case are made in house.

For a romantic night out in a historic venue, try the Harvest Restaurant (37 Putnam Road, 860-928-0008, www.harvestrestaurant.com, lunch $7-$20, dinner $15-$34). Housed in the historic Samuel Grosvenor house, the restaurant specializes in steaks, with a variety of gourmet sauces and accompaniments.

Lunch or dinner is a treat at the Fireside Tavern at Sharpe Hill Vineyard (108 Wade Road, 860-974-3549, www.sharpehill.com, entrees $24-$40). On the second floor of a Colonial reproduction barn with a central fireplace, tables are set with white linens and sparkling stemware, and every piece of silver gleams. Entrees are wood grilled and served with copious amounts of fresh herbs; on our plates of spicy Jamaican chicken and grilled lobster, we identified fresh rosemary, dill, tarragon, and mint (in summer and fall these herbs, and most vegetables, come from the gardens on site).

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