The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
From Winkles to pink squirrels
Cafe turns 25 as owner-chef celebrates its storied history
KILLINGWORTH — On Route 81 approaching the Killingworth Cafe, you can almost imagine a smile on the facade of the white, red-awning windows.
And if Jan Violissi, owner and chef, isn’t too busy, she’ll drop everything to greet you before you can sit down. Most of the time, though, she spends it in the kitchen sometimes creating dishes no one’s ever heard of, but mostly putting together a menu for any palate.
“I can’t sing or dance, but I sure can cook,” said Violissi, almost singing.
Violissi bought the property in 1993 from the Winkles, Flossie and Fred, local legends about whom people still spin yarns. Flossie was probably best known for her “spot” at the bar, sipping a CC and soda, but never accepting a drink from
patrons — but she was plenty generous herself.
Fred was a character in his own right. History has it that he was the first person to receive a liquor permit from the State of Connecticut. He slept on the steps of the Capitol Building to be the first in line in the morning, as the story goes.
Going back in time: The present building evolved from the original manse constructed by a Congregational minister in the late 1800s. When the minister retired, he kept the house. Later, after the minister left, the building housed a general store. After the store, a brothel appeared, and then during Prohibition, it served as a hangout like a speakeasy with Canadian whiskey smuggled in, some of which was dumped on Duck Island when it had the house on it. It was a post office, too. All this lore is according to Violissi.
Now, it is one of the finest restaurants in the area. During the interview, Violissi asked, “Can you smell the duck roasting?” The
writer sure could. Then she showed off the special beef shank that looked as if it were hacked from a dinosaur. “I make it braised, then stewed with vegetables, osso buco style — excellent.”
Both the menu and the special sheet are as entertaining as they are mouthwatering: “Escargot Broiled with copious amount of Garlic. Served w/Rustic Garlic Bread.”
Or: “Don’t drink to excess. It makes us both look bad.”
Or: “You might consider allowing us to “Stuff” one of these Oversized Baked Beauties (potatoes) with Crumbled Bacon, Shredded Cheddar, and a Hefty Dose of Sour Cream. It’s quite a sight for $2 extra.”
Or: 2 lb Porterhouse (the Jolly Roger); 22 oz. Porterhouse (Beatrice 1st)
Or: Bourbon Marinated Sirloin Tips. Few can resist 1½ lbs of the Yummiest Bourbon-soaked Sirloin Tips around.”
The headline on the weekly special flyer and the main menu reads, “Celebrating 25 years and…Millions of Calories Served!!!” The flyer continues: “Located on the Circle in Beautiful
Downtown Killingworth Ct.”
In the same mode, some of the specials read: “Take Home A Quart of your favorite soup because ‘Baby, It’s SNOW Outside’.” And “Butternut Squash Ravioli w/Maple Walnut Glaze.”
And, of course, the remarkable, “Bottle of Dom Perignon with a Toasted Cheese Sandwich **$249.75** (Add Tomato or Crispy Bacon for $3 more)”
Carol, Violissi’s sister, “Does all the prep work and is responsible for the inventory. I am the chef, owner and fool on the hill. We rarely take a break, we open at three every day, and we love the military — especially the SeaBees, because Ron Dziema was a SeaBee and he can make or fix anything,” Violissi said. (Dziema is a loyal friend, apparently).
Was the bar itself mentioned? Kathi Kaster presided during the interview. She’s been behind the stick for six years and she is a Cosmo specialist, among other things. And the bar itself is a compact wonder. It’s the only one this writer knows of that has Piehole Liqueurs prominently displayed. Surrounded by the
usual Absolut and Stolie and Tito’s, and CC, the stand Pecan Pie, Cherry Pie, and of course, Apple Pie.
Also, at the bar, if you get too mesmerized by Howard Kelsey (a regular), you can always switch to a game of Keno, installed a couple of years ago. “We do Power ball — all the number games except the scratchoffs,” mused Violissi. “They approached us two years ago and we said yes.”
Actually a few things have changed that were tradition. One was that during a cold winter evening, regulars would on their way in bring in a log from the pile outside and toss it into the fire. “Now they bring their smiles … which is just as good.”
So if you’re looking for a grilled cheese sandwich with a burger inside, or a hunk of salmon with a dash of Old Bay seasoning, or the like-nothing-you’ve-hadbefore haddock sandwich, or one of my favorites — the Cuban black bean soup with sausage and the spoon stands straight up in it, head for the Killingworth Café where “Every day’s a holiday, and every meal’s a feast.”