1. West Lane Inn
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (203) 438-7323
Address: 06877
Insider Pick:
Description: This elegant, pale yellow 1849 Victorian house is a model of convenience and charming village appeal. There are 18 nonsmoking rooms with either queen or king beds and full private baths, and each will make you feel the comforts of a home away from home. Some even come with fireplaces, and the vintage wallpapers are something to see. Next door is the long green awning of Bernard’s, one of the state’s best restaurants, and you can walk the sidewalks into town quite easily, passing the beautiful old homes and churches of Ridgefield. In the morning, though, West Lane will take care of you with their terrace breakfast, either continental or a la carte. Sit on the wide Victorian porch and reminisce, or plan for a bright future.
2. Stonehenge Inn And Restaurant
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (203) 438-6511
Address: 35 Stonehenge Rd.
Description: Since the 1940s the Stonehenge Inn has welcomed guests traveling along Route 7 from Norwalk to Danbury. It combines charming guest rooms with fine dining about 2.5 miles (a perfect bike ride) from Fairfield County’s most beautiful village. There are 16 rooms throughout the 3 buildings on the property. The rates for most of the rooms are very reasonable for Fairfield County, with 2 fancier suites if you’d like to spend a little more. The restaurant on-site serves traditional American cuisine, with a prix-fixe menu, and is considered one of the best in the state. The menu is full of French-American classics like grilled filet mignon, rack of lamb, and seared duck breast. Stay here and visit Weir Farm, Putnam Memorial State Park, and all the rural delights between the great cities of the southwest part of the state.
3. Bernard’S
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (203) 438-8282
Address: 20 West Ln.
Insider Pick:
Description: This old clapboard inn that was renovated by Bernard and Sarah Bouissou over a decade ago has become a four-star foodie destination. Bernard worked at Le Cirque in New York and creates a seasonal menu here based on French cooking, but pushes the boundaries in the way of the best restaurants. This is the perfect place for a romantic dinner; you can get an ounce of caviar as an appetizer and pair your braised lamb shank with one of the 1,300 world’s best wines. Upstairs is Sarah’s Wine Bar, which has a more relaxed, casual atmosphere and serves some lighter dishes like grilled quail or a ground sirloin burger to have with a bottle of fine Bordeaux or lighter Beaujolais. This restaurant lures people from New York through its long green awning, so you know it must be something special.
4. Cafe Luc’S
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (203) 894-8522
Address: 3 Big Shop Ln.
Description: This charming French bistro located in one of Ridgefield’s oldest buildings can be difficult to find, in a shopping center behind the main street, east through one of the small alleys. Once you find the cavelike cafe, though, you’ll be pleased by all the small touches that make it a new classic, like the blackboard of specials, the flour-sack dish towels for napkins, and the authentic wood-beam ceiling. Order lemonade and get it the French way, lemon juice in a glass with ice, to which you add your own sugar and water. Escargots au Pernod is a nice change from the usual, and the cassoulet is excellent. Luc’s is not cheap, but they certainly don’t skimp on the portions: The croque madame is hard to finish just by itself. As you enjoy your Sancerre wine while listening to crazy French pop music, sitting at a marble-topped bar table in the sun or at a black leather booth in the stone-walled cellar, you’ll be transported. Is it Paris? No, it’s Connecticut.
5. Silver Lining Consignments
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (203) 431-0132
Address: 470 Main St.
Description: This is not a clothing consignment store, but rather an antiques store that buys and sells frequently, and displays consigned articles in its shop. It is a fine store with items, from giant plant urns to china, priced for many different budgets. The staff at Silver Lining is friendly and welcoming, and will help you pick a gift or a piece of furniture from their large selection. They are located in the heart of downtown Ridgefield, and there are plenty of other shopping opportunities here as well. Check out Touch of Sedona two doors down if you’re interested in the American Southwest, or the Toy Chest across the street for the children in your life.
6. Keeler Tavern Museum And Cass Gilbert Garden House
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (203) 431-0815
Address: 132 Main St.
Description: The Keeler Tavern started its life in 1713 as a farm, and became the home of noted architect Cass Gilbert. In between it was a stagecoach stop and a summer hotel from 1772 to 1907, as well as serving as the town post office. The beautiful garden house, designed and built in 1915 by Gilbert, the architect of the Woolworth Building and the Supreme Court Building, is a popular place for weddings. Walk in the brick-walled garden with its reflecting pool, fountain, and flower beds, and you’ll find an oasis of peace. When touring this fascinating house, don’t miss the cannonball fired by the British during the Battle of Ridgefield in 1777, embedded in a corner post.
7. Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (203) 438-4519
Address: 258 Main St.
Insider Pick:
Description: The Aldrich is one of the only non-collecting contemporary art museums in the country, which means it brings in changing exhibitions of surprising sculpture, painting, and unclassifiable experimental work. The building itself is a strange abstraction of New England architecture, a granite and clapboard structure containing a screening room for films, a sound gallery, a 100-seat performance area, and a 2-acre outdoor sculpture garden. Inside the galleries you’ll find an open feel that suits the contemporary art well. Check out the museum store and purchase some strange and wonderful toys (for adults and children). The administrative offices are housed next door in the original Aldrich, a grocery and hardware store called the “Old Hundred,” built in 1783. Be sure to take a walk on the attractive set-back sidewalks past the big old houses and churches of Ridgefield, instead of driving a half mile to the congested center of town.
8. Ridgefield Golf Course
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (203) 748-7008
Address: 545 Ridgebury Rd.
Description: This par 71 public course plays like a private club, but is open to residents and nonresidents alike. Designed by George Fazio and opened in 1975, it is managed by Frank Sergiovanni, PGA. It is well-maintained and has a very challenging back 9. You can tune up your skills in the practice area, eat and drink at the restaurant, and visit the full-service pro shop for all your needs. You can get season or 10-day passes if you’re visiting the area, and these reduced-rate passes give preferential weekend tee times that you might not otherwise get as a nonresident. On the website they have maps with the pros’ tips on how to conquer the course; I suggest you follow their advice.
9. Adam Broderick Salon And Spa
City: Ridgefield, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (203) 431-3994
Address: 89 Danbury Rd.
Description: Adam Broderick’s combination of hair salon and spa is not unique, but few do it better. The salon has surprisingly reasonable prices for Fairfield County, considering how chic the place is. Adam himself is available for a consultation on the best style for you. The spa has all the usual treatments to relax and rejuvenate you, but they also have more unusual ones, like their bodicure cocoon that uses a cooling or warming gel, a seaweed wrap, and a Mylar wrap, and finishes with hydrating body mist and silk. They also offer services like teeth whitening and reflexology. Broderick boasts a satellite salon in Southbury (New Haven County), but this is the original and most say the best.