New Haven Register

CT MAG BEST BET:
The White Horse is a great spot for a date
Thursday, January 6, 2011 By Connecticut Magazine
Need a great place for a date? We at Connecticut Magazine are working on our "Great Dates" feature for the February issue, a generous sampling of 28 places and activities, and an additional 25 cocktail bars, to enjoy with your significant other, first date or maybe even (OMG) blind date. Until that issue arrives later this month, we thought we'd pass along a preview-a destination that seems especially appropriate after a drive into the country on a chilly January weekend: The welcome is warm at The White Horse in New Preston, and there's always a big fire crackling on the raised hearth. Then, whether you dine in the atmospheric tavern or a dining room practically on top of the East Aspetuck River, you're sure to find something to love on the menu-chicken pot pie, perhaps? Guinness beef stew, bangers and mash, fish-and-chips? The highest price on the menu, for the New York Steak, is $18.75. You may have guessed by now, owner John Harris is an expatriate Brit-and just wait till you see the "Ridiculously Good" desserts-bourbon bread pudding, cr pes Princesse (renamed "cr pes Suzette" by the Prince of Wales "after one of his favorite dinner companions") and Banoffi Pie ("a banana, toffee, cream pie kind of thing favored by the royals"). But I won't have done my duty by you, dear readers, if I don't mention the signature house burger, a half-pound of Black Angus sirloin, brisket and short rib topped with applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions and sage derby blue cheese sauce on a toasted buttered brioche.
The White Horse is one of the 2011 "Best Restaurant" winners, as selected by our readers. Find the rest of them, in 27 dining categories and more great ways to enjoy life in Connecticut, at ConnecticutMag.com. or pick up a copy of Connecticut Magazine at the newsstand.