The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Celebrating silver jubliee
Carole Peck’s Good News Restaurant and Bar marks 25 years of culinary excellence
WOODBURY — Litchfield County (and beyond) food icon Carole Peck sat inside her re-imagined Good News Restaurant and Bar on Main Street in Woodbury looking a bit preoccupied. Of course, her appearance might have been merely that of a woman who has worked diligently for three decades to bring the very best in culinary experiences to her patrons.
It was a chilly autumn afternoon, but the interior of the restaurant’s bar was anything but. After some 25 years of operation in Woodbury, Peck decided her beloved business needed a jolt, a fresh, new look that would also ignite in her a fresh passion for her avocation and place of work and fun.
“I was feeling a bit stagnant and I needed something to get excited about,” said Peck, who began in the restaurant business 30 years ago and opened what was then the Good News Café in Woodbury in 1992 after a successful run in New Milford for several years. Thus, she and her husband, Bernard Jarrier-Cabernet, came up with plans for the redesign of the interior of their restaurant and bar. The results? Well, they are quite tasty to both the eyes and palate.
There’s a new bar, dining area, and larger outdoor patio accessed by two sets of French doors. To one side of the bar area is an electric-blue weathered wood wall, while art work (which revolves every several months) by Chris Brown gives the feel of a gallery (purposefully) to the space around a 24-seat, four-sided serving bar, which hosts a mix of love seats, booths, and tables at its perimeter. A copper bar top with LED lighting under its surface illuminates galvanized metal below, imbuing the area with a subtly modern feel. The effect is energizing, yet inviting.
A central dining area is lit by large glass doors leading to the patio (doubled in size) and a beloved, whimsical, food-themed mural remains to entertain diners. A large room that flanks the middle dining area has been painted a soft green that soothes and begs patrons to relax and spend time enjoying drinks and dishes from the establishment’s famous menu. On a shelf surrounding the room are dozens of radios, some quite old, that lend an eclectic ambiance to the space. There are spiral light fixtures and a collection of mirrors covering the walls.
An expanded bar menu boasts “zee hamburgers” on baker’s brioche bun, lettuce tomato, pickles, Good News’ own slaw and yucca fries with house-made catsup; jumbo Kobe beef hotdogs; an eclectic mix of salads; raw bar and sushistyle appetizers, and soups and lobster bisque. Peck’s staples remain on the menu along with longtime favorites, such as Lots of Lobster Adult Mac and Cheese, Jack’s Pecan Crusted Oysters, and Grilled Salmon and Corncake. The restaurant offers gluten-free and vegetarian options.
Good News Restaurant and Bar has won top awards from Zagat’s Guide, Connecticut Magazine and The New York Times, to name a few. Zagat rated the 170-seat restaurant “one of the top restaurants” in the United States.
“I’m very pleased with the way it all turned out,” said Peck, as she and her staff prepared for the lunch crowd. “The restaurant business has changed since I began and we have to keep pace with those changes. For instance, I couldn’t give away Brussels sprouts when I first
“The restaurant business has changed since I began and we have to keep pace with those changes.”
Carole Peck, Good News Restaurant and Bar proprietor
started and now they are very popular. We add new items to our menu to keep up with the times, but we also must cater to our dedicated regulars who fall in love with some of our dishes. There are customers that have the same thing every week. We have always had a bit of Spanish influence in our menu and, of course, more people are vegans these days and you have to base some of your menu according to that trend.”
Peck said that a talented, committed staff s remains vital to the success of any restaurant. “I have a good staff and they are important. I’m a tough boss but everyone knows what is expected of them. I’m fortunate that I have a wonderful head chef, Gonzolo Fajardo, who has been with me for 30 years in various capacities.”
Peck graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1973. After graduation, she worked as executive chef at a number of restaurants, resorts and clubs, including those in Miami and New York City. In 1988, she and her husband settled in Litchfield County and Peck’s restaurant was born in New Milford. Peck, as she is today, was committed to using the finest, locally grown and produced ingredients presented in an innovative style (she continues to embrace the benefits of farm fresh and natural ingredients, sourcing meat from several organic and grass-fed and range-free farms; milk from Arethusa Farm Dairy in Litchfield; fresh maple syrup processed in Woodbury; and more. Peck also became a well- known and highly sought-after wedding caterer. In 1993, she had the honor of cooking for Julia Child’s 80th Birthday Bash for the International Association of Culinary Professionals in New Orleans.
In 1997, Peck published her first cookbook, “The Buffet Book” (a second release, printed in 2002, is currently available from Ici La Press). She has also made appearances on the Food Network, Martha Stewart Living Television, and PBS. Peck and her husband, who in 2000 acquired a home in the Provence region of Avignon, lead bi- annual culinary tours in Europe. In 2001, along with Connecticut-based typesetter Dennis Pistone, they created Ici La Press which specializes in publishing English-language editions of some of the finest cookbooks in Europe.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Peck’s restaurant, she and her husband are hosting an anniversary celebration at the restaurant on Nov. 9. The party, she said, is a “big thank you to all of the guests, local farmers and entire community for supporting me these past 25 years, as well as a celebration of what’s still to come.”
The anniversary celebration will showcase the restaurant’s newly renovated space and cuisine. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with an elaborate buffet of fall specialties, select wines, beer on tap, a birthday cake, and live music for dancing. Tickets ($80 per person) are available at the Good News Restaurant and Bar, 694 Main St S, Woodbury.
All donations benefit the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition, Woodbury Community Services, and the Woodbury Fire and Ambulance Association.
For information visit www.goodnews restaurantandbar.com/ or call 203-266-4663.