Torrington Restaurant Week: Looking at the Best Restaurants in Downtown
If you have been sleeping on downtown Torrington's food scene, this is your wake up call.
Torrington Restaurant Week brought 19 downtown restaurants together for nine days of special menus, discounted deals, and a chance to explore one of Connecticut's most underrated dining destinations. The week drew diners in from across the region for what turned out to be the first of what everyone involved expects to become an annual tradition.
How It Started
Restaurant Week did not come from a committee or a government grant. It came from a moment of curiosity.
Steve, a downtown property owner and member of Downtown Partners, was visiting his daughter at UConn when he spotted signs for a restaurant week in a small town he had never heard of. If they could pull it off, why couldn't Torrington?
He came home, talked to Courtney, and the two of them started knocking on doors. No outside recruiters, no expensive ad campaigns, just people who knew people. Word spread fast. Nineteen restaurants signed up.
"It's no cost to the restaurants," Steve said. "We're just promoting them. This whole thing isn't a money maker. It just seemed like a good thing for Torrington."
The event had the backing of the United Way, the Warner Theatre, the Torrington Library, and the Chamber of Commerce, all of whom promoted it to their mailing lists. Signs went up in Thomaston, Goshen, Litchfield, Winsted, and New Hartford, drawing people in from well beyond the city limits.
The Kickoff
The week opened with a party at Bad Dog Brewing Company. Ten dollar admission benefited the United Way and got attendees unlimited food samples from participating restaurants, local beer and wine, and raffle prizes. It was exactly the right way to launch something like this, loud, communal, and centered on the restaurants themselves.
The Restaurants
Crossroads Sports Bar and Bites
29 Main Street | (860) 201-4024
A Torrington staple with a sports bar atmosphere and a menu that goes well beyond typical bar food. For Restaurant Week, Crossroads is offering any two burgers or sandwiches, a side, and a domestic beer for $20 or upgrade to a glass of wine for $35. One of the best deals of the week.
Brinx Cafe and Wine Bar
53 Main Street | (860) 201-4179
Brinx is one of downtown's most quietly impressive spots. During the day it's a cafe serving locally sourced coffee from Given Coffee in Kent and bread from the Bakehouse in Litchfield. Thursday through Saturday nights it transforms into a wine bar with a curated list that leans deliberately away from the obvious. Expect orange wines, unusual varietals, and a sommelier's touch. For Restaurant Week, they're debuting their cherry blossom latte alongside a special dish not normally on the menu.
Vega's Restaurant Latin Cuisine
45 Main Street | (860) 201-4933
Chamo Vega came to Torrington from Brooklyn at 15 years old and never left. He was one of the first Hispanics in the entire high school. Now he runs one of the most beloved restaurants in the city, serving Puerto Rican food made by his mother in the kitchen. The slow roasted pork shoulder has a cult following. For Restaurant Week, Vega's is offering two for five empanadas and potato balls, meals two for $25, and flan at $8.
Tina's Cafe 38
75 Main Street | (860) 618-7215
The daytime anchor of downtown Torrington. Tina's is running four specials for Restaurant Week: the Soup Flight Experience at $18.99 which includes three soups, a mini grilled cheese, and a fresh baked cookie; the Gobbler Experience at $14.99 which is their signature sandwich with homemade soup and a drink; the Triple Play Lunch at $15.99 which is a half wrap, soup, and salad; and the Smoothie and Sweet Deal at $8.99 which is any smoothie plus your choice of mini cannoli, carrot cake, or tiramisu. The Gobbler is the sandwich everyone talks about.
Love It Vegan
73 Main Street | (860) 618-3685
Don't let the word vegan scare you off. The owner has been in the restaurant industry for 27 years. She went vegan nine years ago and has spent the time since veganizing every dish she ever loved. The home fries have a cult following. For Restaurant Week, they're serving seitan BBQ ribs with macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and a slice of watermelon. Game night every Friday.
The Store Bar and Grill
99 Turner Ave | (860) 201-5611
A neighborhood bar and grill with a relaxed atmosphere and a loyal local following. Good food, cold drinks, no pretense.
Geppetto Osteria e Bisteccheria
24 E Main Street | (860) 618-0721
One of Torrington's most well known restaurants. The Italian menu is serious, the space is warm, and the name has become synonymous with a good night out in downtown Torrington.
Sawyer's
79 Center Street | (860) 618-5411
A local fixture that has been part of the Torrington dining scene for years. Sawyer's has earned its regulars the old fashioned way, by showing up and being consistently good.
Delights Authentic Indian and Sri Lankan Cuisine
57 Water Street | (860) 877-4291
Authentic Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine is hard to find in the Litchfield Hills and Delights is doing it right. If you have been meaning to branch out, Restaurant Week is the perfect excuse.
Alfredo's Deli Italian Eatery and Cafe
168 Water Street | (860) 482-1888
A classic Italian deli and cafe that has been feeding Torrington for years. Sandwiches, Italian staples, and the kind of food that tastes like someone's grandmother made it.
Tres Raices Deli and Juice Bar
9 Migeon Ave | (860) 201-4288
A deli and juice bar bringing fresh, Latin influenced flavors to Torrington. A great spot for a lighter meal while you explore downtown.
Stella's Pizzeria
152 E Main Street | (860) 482-0070
Torrington pizza done right. Restaurant Week is a great opportunity for newcomers to find out what the regulars already know.
Sasso's Coal Fired Pizza
52 Main Street | (860) 618-7162
Coal fired pizza in downtown Torrington. The char, the heat, the crust, it's a different experience than your standard pizzeria.
YiaYia's Greek Kitchen
11057 E Main Street | (860) 618-3076
Greek food done with care and authenticity. A cuisine that is rarely represented in this part of Connecticut and it is worth the visit.
The Venetian Italian Restaurant
52 E Main Street | (860) 489-8592
The Venetian just celebrated its 101st anniversary. Over a century of Italian food in downtown Torrington. It's the kind of place that earns its history one plate at a time.
Fuel at Energy Fitness
59 Field Street | (860) 496-9100
A smoothie and juice bar. If you are doing Restaurant Week right and eating your way through nine days, Fuel is your reset button.
Pizzeria Marzano
1315 E Main Street | (860) 618-0875
Wood fired pizza on the east side of Main Street. The wood fired oven does things to a crust that a conventional oven simply cannot.
Kaylan's Kitchen
597 Main Street | (860) 294-7766
A newer addition to the Torrington dining scene with a following that has been growing steadily. Stop in and see what the buzz is about.
The Nutmeg Fudge Company
36 Main Street | (860) 201-4303
End your Restaurant Week crawl on a sweet note. The Nutmeg Fudge Company is exactly what it sounds like and exactly what you need after nine days of eating well in downtown Torrington.
