Business Trip To A Quaint New England Town - Ridgefield, CT

In Feburary 2004 I made my second business trip to this quaint little Connecticut town on the New York state line. The town dates to 1709, and the only Revolutionary War battle fought in Connecticut was fought here in 1777. A number of buildings from the colonial period are still standing, including a 200+ year old tavern with a cannonball from the Revolutionary battle still embedded in one of its walls. Today Ridgefield is a fusion of colonial-era houses and modern upscale shopping. Located just an hour's drive from New York City, the area has become somewhat suburban in nature, with stores like Talbots, Gap, and Starbucks now located here. Still, the town's central core and downtown area has retained most of its colonial New England charm with well-kept historic homes and inns and a plethora of locally-owned specialty shops and restaurants downtown. For the visitor Ridgefield offers a number of antique shops, art galleries, performing arts groups, fine restaurants, hiking trails, and fine specialty shops. In the winter, the hills around Ridgefield are beautiful in the snow. Ridgefield is located in an area that receives some of the highest levels of snowfall in the state, and the surrounding hills and trees help shade the snow from the sun, slowing the melting process. I've heard Ridgefield referred to as the "Snow Capital of Connecticut" because of this. Also, it's not unusual to see deer at night in the late fall, winter, and early spring roaming through downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. No matter what time of year you visit, Ridgefield offers a taste of New England while still being very convenient to the New York area, making this a great place for a weekend getaway or a short sidetrip from the city.

Quick Tips:

• The town's website, www.ridgefieldct.org provides some information on upcoming events, shops, restaurants, and accomodations.
• The Ridgefield Press newspaper website contains news about the area and suggestions for things to do and see. It can be a good source for finding out dates of festivals and performing arts events.

  Best Way To Get Around:

  Public transportation within Ridgefield is not an option; you will likely need a car to get here and get around. The closest airports are White Plains, NY, the New York City airports (Newark, JFK, LaGuardia), and Hartford, CT. Commuter train service on the Metro-North Railroad is provided several times a day to Grand Central Station in New York from several nearby towns in both Connecticut and New York at very reasonable costs. Cab service is available from the Katonah, NY Metro North depot to Ridgefield (about -30 fare). Other nearby Metro-North depots are in Bethel and Redding, CT. Metro-North schedules and maps may be found on the Metro-North Railroad website

Inn website: www.elmsinn.com

Housed in a historic house that has been an inn since 1799, the Elms Inn offers comfortable, semi-luxury accomodations with in-room breakfast each morning. Despite being housed in a building over 200 years old, the inn has been extensively renovated and modernized inside. Unlike many B&Bs in New England, the rooms at the Elms are less unique and closer to what you'd expect in a more modern hotel (for a more romantic, historic-feeling inn, see my review of the West Lane Inn in this journal). Still, they are quite comfortable and much of the decor fits the theme of a historic inn. All of the rooms feature individual air conditioning and heating units, irons and ironing boards, private baths, cable television, and phones with data ports. High speed wi-fi Internet access is available for a per-day fee, although I had some difficulty getting a strong wi-fi signal during the first part of my stay while I was in a suite on the third floor.

My trip to Ridgefield actually included two individual stays at the Elms in different rooms, as I arrived on Wednesday, checked out on Friday to go to New York for the weekend, and then returned on Sunday to stay until Wednesday. During my first stay I was assigned to a large suite on the third floor; on the second stay I had a smaller standard room on the second floor. Both were extremely comfortable.

At check-in the staff will discuss your options for the complimentary in-room breakfast and record your preferences. Each morning at your selected time, a tray will arrive with your choice of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, choice of juices, a toasted bagel with cream cheese and jam, yogurt, and a small muffin or slice of pound cake. While not a low-carb diet friendly meal, the breakfast was good and filling. My only complaint was the lack of variety. After five days at the Elms, I would have liked a little more variety for breakfast.

Overall the Elms Inn was a great choice. The rooms are nice, and the in-room breakfast is a nice touch because you can eat while you get ready in the morning. Additionally, the inn's restaurant serves excellent dinners, and the property's central location in downtown Ridgefield puts a number of good restaurants within walking distance.

Website: www.westlaneinn.com

I stayed at the West Lane Inn for my first trip to Ridgefield, CT in March 2001. The inn is housed in a historic home dating to 1849 and features 14 rooms, each with a private bath, heated towel rack, satellite TV, VCR, telephone with data port and voicemail, and wireless Internet access. A complimentary continental breakfast is provided daily in the inn's breakfast room and on the front porch in warmer weather. Hot breakfast items are available for an extra charge.

Unlike the other inn I've stayed at in Ridgefield (Elms Inn, see review in this journal), the West Lane Inn has retained more of the house's original layout. The rooms feel less modern and more like a historic country inn than the Elms, making this potentially a better choice if you wish to have a more "authentic" New England B&B experience. The setting is probably more suitable for a romantic gettaway than the more modern rooms of the Elms Inn. Also, the West Lane Inn is located in a more residential neighborhood, and while close to downtown, it is not within easy walking distance of most of the shops and restaurants in Ridgefield's town center. This is an area where the Elms excels, with its prime downtown location close to many restaurants and shops. Still, this is a high-quality property and I highly recommend it.

Website: www.elmsinn.com/facilities/elms_restaurant.php

Hours: Main restaurant: W-Sa, 5:00 p.m.-close, closed Su-Tu. Tavern: Tu, 5:00 p.m.-close; W-F, 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.-close; Sa-Su, open all day beginning at 11:30 a.m.; closed M.

In my opinion this is one of the best restaurants in Ridgefield. The Elms Inn Restaurant and Tavern is located next to the historic Elms Inn (see review under accomodations) and offers a rotating seasonal menu of traditional New England favorites.

I ate here on the first night of my February 2004 trip to Ridgefield. For an appetizer, I selected an excellent lobster chowder, which was full of lobster meat. My entree was an excellent grilled fish, followed by a warm caramel apple crisp dessert topped with vanilla ice cream. Each course was perfectly prepared and I could see why this restaurant has received such glowing reviews. Service was also excellent.

The restaurant has two different service levels, dining rooms, and menus -- the tavern and the full service restaurant. Both service levels share the same kitchen and chef, and both choices are excellent. The tavern portion has longer hours and lower prices while still offering an excellent dining option. It may be "toned down" from the full service fine dining menu, but the tavern does not skimp on service, quality, or atmosphere. The full service menu is available evenings Wednesday-Saturday, offering a fine dining menu in a very quiet, romantic setting.

Dimitri's is a hybrid of a traditional diner with a Greek restaurant. There is literally something for everyone here, with a menu that offers 40 omelets choices, sandwiches, burgers, vegetarian entrees, traditional Greek favorites, and classic American diner fare like turkey and dressing. I have eaten here twice on two different trips to Ridgefield, and both times have had good, basic comfort food served by a friendly staff. Dimitri's is also one of the most affordable restaurants in town, with nightly dinner specials costing just $7.95. There is a wide selection of pies and cakes, all baked in the restaurant daily. For good, basic food at reasonable prices, this is as good as it gets in Ridgefield.

Ancient Mariner serves good fried seafood, pastas, burgers, salads, and fresh fish. Most of the menu options are seafood, although there are a number of non-seafood choices. I chose the jumbo fried shrimp which was excellent and came with fries and a nice, large, fresh salad. There are fancier places to eat seafood in town, but Ancient Mariner is a good choice for a low-key, casual atmosphere, with good food and service at fairly reasonable prices. A full bar service is also available.

Website: www.ezpages.com/l003wlc.htm

Le Chateau is technically not in Ridgefield, but in South Salem, NY. Do not let the New York address scare you into thinking it's a long way off though; Ridgefield sits right on the New York state line and Le Chateau is only about five miles from downtown Ridgefield.

Situated on 32 acres and housed in a historic mansion built by JP Morgan in 1907 as a gift to his friend and former minister, Le Chateau serves wonderful French cuisine in a breathtaking setting. From the beautiful table settings with fresh flowers on each table to the stunning floral bouquets decorating the entry area to the perfectly trained staff, Le Chateau defines attention to detail. The food is absolutely superb, with an extensive set menu as well as daily dinner specials. Be sure to save room for dessert. The on-site pastry chefs create a marvelous selection of options to finish your meal.