The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Good Eats Restaurant opens in New Milford
NEW MILFORD – Specializing in modern American cuisine and traditional favorites, Good Eats Restaurant & Bar has entered the New Milford dining scene, opening for business on Kent Road.
New Milford resident Edward Maynard, who owns the restaurant with resident Brian Cabrera, said they offer “Creative food and beverage, something people can enjoy when they’re going out for a dining experience. Having a hospitality background, I think it’s a lot more than just the quality of the food, the presentation of the food, the taste of the food – I think it’s as much the experience of the place they’re in. That’s what people are thirsty for.”
For the restaurant’s menu, Maynard said that, rather than creating a burger and fries or a steak, what he’s looking to create is a well-rounded menu. For example, he said if customers come into the restaurant and order a chicken sandwich, they’ll receive the restaurant’s take on the chicken sandwich with herbed aioli or avocado. Around dinnertime, customers can enjoy the restaurant’s take on pork chops, strip steak, seared scallops, roasted chicken and other familiar dishes.
Additionally, while customers can order a gin and tonic or a rum and Coke anywhere, the owners offer original curated cocktails at Good Eats that use local ingredients. Maynard describes The Everything Zen cocktail as a take on a Bellini using apricot liquor, sparkling cider and a Japanese whiskey. In addition to that and other original cocktails, Maynard said they’ll serve Old Fashioneds and other familiar drinks; locally sourced beers from Connecticut towns like Kent, Cheshire and Groton; craft canned beers; and other beverages.
“It’s hard to find really quality food that’s thoughtfully prepared with creative ingredients,” Maynard said, “and in my estimation, the experience of coming into a beautifully appointed dining room, enjoying freshly made cocktails, having a well-prepared meal and great service will round out the experience we hope to have.”
“The experience of walking into an environment that’s been thoughtfully designed – from the lighting to the color to the plants that we selected for the interior and even the tabletops themselves – all of that is part of the experience,” he said.
Regarding the restaurant’s location, Maynard said he’s always driven by the space at 300 Kent Road on his commute into New Milford.
Before Maynard acquired the space two months ago, he said it had previously served as variations of a restaurant, including the now-closed Dagwoods New American Lounge. Maynard said he’d seen a “For Sale” sign go up in the space and reached out to the owner. While he was assessing the space, he noticed it had a separate dining room that could fit about 60 people and a lounge area that could fit about 40 people. Before officially opening on Sept. 21, the restaurant hosted a Friends & Family Opening Menu Tasting.
Growing up in the Adirondack region of upstate New York, Maynard said he’s been in the hospitality field all his life, starting his career at Marriott Hotels before transitioning to the Starwood Hotels & Resorts and then W Hotels.
Throughout his 40-plus years in the hospitality business, he said he’s always dreamed of opening an establishment of his own “because I worked for a lot of good people and bad people in my life, and I wanted to take the best of those experiences and curate something I find enjoyable.”
Maynard’s daughter Emily Plourde designed the restaurant’s interior, and Maynard said they worked to change all the lighting and wall colors.
Hoping to staff the restaurant with about 10 to 15 people, Maynard said two of their most important personnel are Executive Chef Kevin DeLuca and Bar Manager Johnny Torres. Maynard said he and Carbrera “struck it off ” with DeLuca and Torres, with DeLuca curating the menu and Torres curating the drinks menu.
“It’s been a long road for two months,” Maynard said, “and now we’re excited to be able to see some of that hard work come to life as it were.”
Located at 300 Kent Road, the restaurant is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. After opening for brunch and lunch around 11 a.m., they transition into dinner service at 5 p.m.