1. Iron Horse Inn
City: Simsbury, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 658-2216
Address: 969 Hopmeadow St. (Route 10)
Description: With 27 smoking and nonsmoking rooms and a suite, the Iron Horse Inn is of the “motor inn” variety. There’s an outdoor pool, a laundry room, complimentary coffee, and free Internet access. The suite has a full kitchen and 2 bedrooms, and is perfect for a long stay with your family. Pets are allowed with a $15 extra charge, and should not be over 40 pounds. If you’re looking for lower-priced accommodations (especially if you have a pet) and don’t need a palace, the Iron Horse is your place west of the city.
2. Evergreens
City: Simsbury, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (860) 651-5700
Address: 397 Hopmeadow St.
Description: Evergreens is the restaurant at the Simsbury Inn, and is always mentioned when someone asks about the most romantic or most reliable restaurant. That’s a good combination to have. For appetizers, try the crispy goat cheese with roasted garlic, red pepper, and sautéed baby spinach, or the maple-glazed pork belly with acorn squash mousseline. The lobster potpie with creamy leek béchamel, the venison tenderloin with parsnip puree, or the butternut squash ravioli make for great entrees. The Sunday brunch is also excellent here. The inn has two other places to eat: the Twigs Lounge, which is a much more casual tavern setting with a summer terrace that has views of Talcott Mountain, and the Nutmeg Cafe, their breakfast joint, with pancakes, coffee, and freshly baked pastries.
3. Metro Bis
City: Simsbury, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (860) 651-1908
Address: 928 Hopmeadow St.
Description: This French-style bistro has all the trappings, from a wall of mirrors to the doors of a Paris metro. However, the food is not just French, but Asian, or American, or something new altogether. The products are as local as possible, and chef-owner Christopher Prosperi presides over a constantly changing, creative kitchen. For an appetizer, the crispy goat cheese and potato tart is just French enough, but you can also get Thai spring rolls or tandoori chicken. Rainbow trout with a sweet potato apple bacon hash or the slow-roasted Niman Ranch pork with steamed baby bok choy are favorites, but since the menu changes often, you’ll have to see for yourself what Chef Prosperi has cooked up for you. The chef’s daily tasting menu is a great way to do that, as you put yourself in his hands, with four courses of wine and food pairings. This seasonal menu thing can be scary to some people, but don’t let yourself be one of them. It heralds a great new age of American cooking.
4. Rosedale Farm
City: Simsbury, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 651-3926
Address: 25 E. Weatogue St.
Description: Down the road from the mighty Pinchot Sycamore, Rosedale Farm is committed to providing Simsbury and the region with fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, and even wine. Established in 1920, the farm is now in its fifth generation. With four varieties of sweet corn and at least that many kinds of tomatoes, the farm market is stocked with beautiful, healthy produce—from beets to broccoli, carrots to cabbage, potatoes, peppers, and parsnips, just to name a few. Nine species of flowers are grown for summer bouquets, and you’ll also find local cheeses, breads, jams, and cakes in the market. Diversification is one of the keys to the family-owned operation, and in 2005 they opened a winery. Award winners include Three Sisters, an Alsatian-style white made from estate-grown Cayuga white blended with Niagra grapes. Lou’s Red blends a number of red grapes, among them estate-grown St. Croix and Marechal Foch. Chef-to-Farm dinners are a summer staple on the farm, and corn mazes and hayrides will delight young and old in autumn.
5. Farmington River
City: Simsbury, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 658-4442
Address: 749 Hopmeadow St.
Description: This designated Wild and Scenic River is a trout fisherman’s dream. With shady banks and large rocks and boulders along its length, the temperature doesn’t get much more perfect for rainbows. What’s even better is that the access to this river is easy along almost its entire length, with Route 44 paralleling huge sections, while the Farmington Valley Greenway allows easy walking along much the route. The river splits in New Hartford, and the section of the West Branch that flows past Riverton is a favorite for anglers. Though you’ll compete with rafters and kayakers in the summer, this is well worth the occasional armada passing by. Start in Collinsville and work your way downstream, or try the river at its confluence with any of the feeder streams: the Nepaug River, Salmon Brook, or the Still River. This is the only river in Connecticut that currently holds a national reputation, and though others should probably be added to that list, the Farmington deserves its accolades.