Gateway to the Quiet Corner

The quiet corner is the northeast corner of Connecticut. It is as far removed from Fairfield County as you could possibly want. This is an area of scenic beauty, of rolling farm lands and quiet walks.

Coventry has the distinction of being the home town of Nathan Hale, the American Patriot who was executed by the British and gave us the now famous line "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." You can visit the farm where he grew up from Mid-May to Mid October. Unfortunately it wasn't open when we were there so I will have to visit it later.

My friend Cindy and I were on a mission. We were going to find some great antiques for ourselves and as Christmas presents. We started out heading to Putnam which is a premier antiquing center in Connecticut but after stopping for breakfast in Marlborough, we decided to take the shorter trip to Coventry. It ended up being a wise choice. We hit three antique stores in as many hours and walked away with some gems. We also had a late lunch in Storrs and spent a happy hour at Kathy Johns.

Quick Tips:

Coventry is a town of 10,000 people spread out over a 37 square mile area. It doesn't have any major shopping malls. It is a quintessential New England town. It has a vineyard, a herb farm, a lake and a former drive-in theatre that now has a Sunday Flea Market (indoor and out 9am-4pm). You can visit an orchard for pick your own raspberries. You can take a hayride or a sleighride, depending on the season.

In the Fall you can attend one of several country fairs in the area. The University of Connecticut is located in neighboring Storrs.

And of course there is great antiquing.

Best Way To Get Around:

Coventry is located about 17 miles east of Hartford on route 44. You can also take route 84 to exit 67 route 32 or exit 68 route 189. All these roads lead to Coventry. We actually came up route 66 to route 6 then route 32 to route 31. Then onto route 44. There is no public transportation, you will need to drive. It will be a joy however, since this is a very scenic part of Connecticut.

Sadler's Ordinary takes it's name from the original inn that stood near here in the 1600's and welcomed weary travelers on the road from Hartford to New London. It is a pretty red cape cod style house located on the edge of the Marlborough Country Barn property.

This is our favorite place to come for dinner or lunch but on Sunday they also serve Brunch.

The interior is two rooms, both with a fireplace with a roaring fire going. The tables and chairs are all wooden and the walls are painted a colonial color which I call cabinet makers blue. The decor is all very early American but the menu is very 2000's.

The Brunch offerings are varied and all excellant. It was very hard to choose between 3 egg omelettes, corned beef hash and poached eggs, eggs florentine, eggs benedict, tenderloin benedict, blueberry pancakes, belgian waffles and cinnamon raisen french toast just to mention a few.

I decided to try the cinnamon french toast. I got three large slices of toast. They were not texas toast but they were not thin either. They were loaded with raisins and cinnamon flavor and were served with real maple syrup. Yummy. I got a side order of homefries as well and they were red potatoes done crispy with seasoned salt on them. Enjoyable .

Cindy got a three egg omelette with spinach which was huge and much enjoyed. The service was a little slow to start because our table hadn't been assigned to anyone but once someone noticed us we were well taken care of.

I would recommend this restaurant as an interesting breakfast stop if you are in the area on a Sunday but I highly recommend it as a dinner stop Tuesday -Saturday. Their lamb is to die for (they do it two ways with a mustard crust or a merlot demi glaze) and they have a gorganzola fillet that my husband raves about and he is a steak expert. They also have a small bakery on the premises. We all love their desserts. They have blueberry peach cobbler that melts in your mouth served warm with ice cream and the worlds best tapioca pudding.

Kathy-John's is a local landmark in these parts. It has been in business for over 30 years. It is a favorite with the UConn crowd as well as everybody else in the area. Its a very plain brown building and inside you can sit at the counter or take a booth. If you are looking for atmosphere keep on driving but if you want a good solid meal at a great price you have lucked out. Watch out though, there is a large smoking section. Service here can be spotty at times, they have a lot of young help but I've never starved while waiting.

They are famous for their sandwiches and for their ice cream. Their sandwich selection is extensive, everything from piled high deli sandwiches on a Kaiser roll to wonderful wraps. They have a great selection of club sandwiches and the usual burgers, hotdogs, grilled cheese, etc. To put on them they have their own homemade relish which is wonderful. Its red pepper I think, tangy yet sweet. They also make this humungous sandwich with four different kinds of meats, cheese and lettuce and tomato. It looks like its made with a whole Italian bread , Al and I ordered it once and when they bring it out its on a wooden cutting board and they ring a bell and everybody claps. Little did we know that our choice would make us the center of attention. Its so big, we took half home.

On this trip I ordered a tuna melt wrap and it was delicous. (I also brought home half , it was huge). They mix the tuna lightly with mayo and add onion and carrot, melt the cheese and wrap. Served with french fries , either seasoned or plain and it was a hearty supper.

They have a great selection of all soda fountain treats including a giant banana split and old fashioed ice cream sodas. But I didn't have even an ounce of space.

Half the fun of coming here is shopping before, during and after your meal. They have a whole little shop called Stamp N Ground and they sell a wide range of stamps, inks, handmade paper,beanie babies, Tolland Flags, Boyd's Resin figures, Christmas ornaments, jelly bellies, incense and all types of little trinkets. Its why I come here. Eating is just secondary. Especially at Christmas this is a great place to visit.

If you are looking for some of the best wings ever, then look no further. Bidwell Tavern can satisfy your every craving. They offer wings in over twenty varieties. If you’ve got a hankering for buffalo wings, would you like them mild, hot, or complicated? If BBQ is more your passion, you can choose from Bidwell BBQ, BBQ , honey BBQ, hot honey BBQ, Cajun honey BBQ or sweet BBQ. My favorite is hickory horseradish, followed closely by the Caesar. The hickory horseradish offers an inspired melding of flavors with a sticky sauce that slicks up your fingers and warms your heart. You can order a small serving of one flavor, a large serving of two flavors, or the Tavern, which allows for three selections.

Naturally, Al and I split a Tavern.

Since this is a tavern, you will not find them lacking in their beer selection. I was delighted to find one of my favorites: Stella Artois is a regular fixture on their beer menu. Among their other choices are Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Newcastle Brown Ale, Woodchuck Amber, Killians Magic Hat #9, Kronenbourg, John Courage, Smithwicks, Blue Moon, Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, and Long Trail. And there was Michelob Ultra for Al. On our last trip, we brought four of our grandsons, and they enjoyed toasting each other with the Hosmer Mountain root beer.

Bidwell Tavern was established in 1822, and the décor stresses that fact. You will see old-time prints depicting long-ago coventry. They are worth taking the time to look at if you happen to be here when there is an inch of room to spare. We were lucky on our first visit and were almost alone, but this last time, on a Saturday afternoon at about 2pm, we were lucky to get a seat. The only complaint we might have was that the noise level was high, but with the four boys, it was actually a good thing.

There are two eating areas: the bar and the restaurant. In the restaurant, there is a two-level main room and a solarium. The walls are rust-red with barn wood wainscoting, and the tables and chairs are wood. This is a favorite hangout for UConn students, so expect the clientele to run the gamut from families to seniors. Be aware that the bar has some special pricing on certain days that might not apply to the restaurant.

In addition to the wings, they have a full menu of soups, sandwiches, appetizers, and entrees. I would be sadly lacking if I didn’t mention their desserts. They are brought in from New York, and everything we have tried so far has been outstanding. The boys devoured two pieces of their rich and delicious chocolate cake.

I found their carrot cake divine, and the caramel cheesecake was perfection.

I can’t wait to return.

This is a multi-dealer shop spread out through 2 barns and a house. There are over 50 dealers here who offer a high quality variety of furniture, glassware, linen, pottery, silver and garden furniture.

There is one dealer who has lamp shades and globes both new and antique. There is a whole cabinet of the most wonderful glass shades for both hurricane and Gone with the Wind lamps. There was everything from milk glass, to ruby and cobalt. Some plain and some handpainted, all beautiful! This dealer is in one of the barns.

Between the barn and the house there is an outdoor dealer who has marvelous wrought iron garden furniture, tables, (I loved one with a stone top), flower pots (ceramic and cement), plant shelves and much, much more. There were 2 very unusual ceramic roosters about 2 foot tall that caught my eye.

In the house there is a linen dealer who offers not only colorful quilts but bright white lace doilies, pillow cases and table linen. There is a very large selection here.

The upstairs now has several dealers in kitchen items especially form the 30's and 40s.

Another favorite dealer of mine has a wonderful collection of depression glass. There were items in amber, pink, cobalt blue, green and ruby. Plates, cups, bowls, cake plates, serving pieces, in many different patterns. Quite a nice selection, set up in what was the kitchen of the house.

There is something for everyone here and the staff is both helpful and knowledgeable.

THEY ARE CLOSED FOR BUSINESS AS OF OCTOBER 2008
Marlborough Country Barn is a multi building complex built on what was formerly a farm. The Country Store is located in what was the dairy barn in its past life. Some of the buildings interconnect and all of them are multi level.

In one building they sell furniture. Some of it is the usual country furniture, over stuffed couches, benches, lots of colorful pillows but not all is usual here. There is lots of handmade wooden furniture made with the craftsmanship of centuries past. You can find hand rubbed finishes, dovetailed drawers and wooden pegs. Unlike the mass produced furniture you usually find , here you can find that special piece that was handmade with pride and love. In the same building is a curtain and bedding shop. They also sell beautiful braided rugs. If you want something unique this is the place to shop.

In the lower level of another building is their year round Christmas Shop. They have a fantastic collection of Christopher Radko ornaments as well as other collectibles, snow men, carolers, santas and imported glass ornaments from all over Europe. They also have the usual Christmas stockings, garland, lights and trees. Everything to satisfy the child in all of us.

My favorite building though , is the country store. You can browse through several rooms of kitchen gadgets, spices in apothecary jars that you shovel into little bags, cookbooks, pottery, table runners and place mats, cookie cutters, jams and jellies, teas and coffees, bath and beauty products, baskets, Yankee Candles and a whole lot more. This is a great place to pick up stocking stuffers. Both of the large store front windows have shelves covered with Fenton Art Glass and you can even buy penny candy and beanie babies.

If you have your husband or children along there is a duck pond where they can sit on benches and feed the ducks and for the man in your life there is a country hardware store to satisfy his every need. There is even a firepalce shop which stocks gas logs and andirons.

A perfect afternoon would be shopping til you drop then tea at Sadler's Ordinary. What more could you ask.

In September each year they host an antique fair. You will need to check with them for next years dates.

This is another multi dealer shop in Coventry. It is the first shop I ever visited in Coventry and is still a favorite of mine even though it is a little the worse for wear. The shop has two rooms down stairs that stock the usual stuff, some post cards, a nice collection of salt and pepper shakers, (I was tempted by an unusual chicken deviled egg dish but I resisted) some pretty glassware but nothing too unusual. There was a nice collection of old pictures in the back room which are worth a look through and quite a bit of kitchen ware.

There are two sets of stairs to go upstairs one in the front room and one in the rear. We went up the rear stairs and while Cindy was looking through some paper books that were genealogically significant I checked out another small room and made my great find. It is a small folding sewing table, I suspect it was a quilting table. The top looks like a roadmap of tiny needlemarks and it has a ruler marked on it. I loved it at first sight and after carrying it down I set out to get the best deal possible. I got it for $22.50. I was delighted and it set the tone for the rest of my day.

Back upstairs it looks like a small village, all the little rooms have store fronts, it really very cute and always has been but now some of the rooms are empty and there appears to be leaking from the roof. I hope that they fix this place up and get it back to the way it was a few years ago. It offers a nice alternative to the fancier places up the road.

Just when you thought waundering through two barns and the house was enough looking at antiques you will spy the new building on the adjacent lot. It houses a separate but related antique store.

Everything here looks brand spanking new so I was amazed to find that it has been open for almost two years. ( I can't believe it was that long since I roamed around here). The owner Bob Rizza was very much in residence and made himself known to us almost as soon as we walked in the door.

This store is a joy to walk through. Everything is displayed attractively and the booths are spacious and well lit. No dusty old antiques here, just shining and sparkling antiques.

One of the first dealers we looked at had a wonderful collection of Blue Willow dinner wear. He was inhouse when we were looking and came over to wheel and deal and he offer a substancial discount(25 to 30%).

There is a dealer here in books, 2 dealers who deal exclusively in wall pockets (and they had the best choice I have ever seen), a dealer who is a Tasha Tutor expert and has a wonderful displace of her illustrations both in books and in cards etc. There is depression glass, lots of high quality pottery, some linen, and lots of other smalls.

This store is where my friend hit the mother load. She bought a beautiful cobalt blue pottery vase about 25 inches tall and several costume jewlery pins. There was a beautifully dispalyed collection of Holiday costume jewlery in a glass top coffee table case covering both the Christian and Jewish Holidays.

The staff here was the most helpful I ever met. They introduced themselves, made us feel welcome and asked if we needed any help. They didn't follow us around by any means and yet when ever we had a question or needed a case opened, they were right there.

I highly recommend a vist here. It is well run, has an exellent selection and everything is priced to sell. And if you like to strike a deal, well thats a possibility too. And if you work up an appetite shopping there is a very nice deli which shares the building and they had some delicious looking pies in their case.