New Cedars at the Mill Pond combines ambiance and great food
By Todd Lyon
From the New Haven Register
 | | Chef Dusty Cooper with the Cannoli and the Blueberry Tart. Mara Lavitt/Register photo |
I’m often asked to recommend places for brunch; it is by far the preferred meal when entertaining parents and aunties, or so it seems, and my friends and readers are often at a loss as to where to make brunch magic happen.
There are a few places in town, to be sure, but my hands-down favorite at the moment is Cedars, formerly known as River Run, and best remembered as the Millpond Tavern. Located on a sylvan stretch of Route 17 in Northford, Cedars is simply gorgeous — an antique mill on a shining river with ducks and geese and a resident blue heron. The multi-level building has stone fireplaces — four of them — and enough seating for 260 guests, most of whom can enjoy multiple views of outdoor beauty, not to mention indoor beauty in the form of rough-hewn, original architecture.
Until recently, the restaurant had one tragic handicap: The food just wasn’t up to par. River Run, for all its charm, had a kitchen that seemed void of personality or passion.
Eight months ago, the restaurant changed hands. It was bought by Tony Zammarieh, who has been in the hospitality business for 26 years and who immediately went to work finding a new chef. He put the word out online, and that’s how he reached Dusty Cooper, who was working in Atlanta. "I grew up in Missouri, and my dad had a saw mill," recalls the young Dusty. "I came here, and everything just fell into place."
Dusty moved to Connecticut, rolled up her sleeves and, drawing on a mighty impressive mix of education and experience, went about re-inventing the former River Run, designing menus and creating that fab brunch.
Before we get to those details, I know what you’re wondering: Where did she get that name? "I’m not named after Dusty Springfield," she assures. "I was born in 1976 and Dusty wasn’t really popular at that time." The family story is vague, but the prevailing lore is that Dusty’s grandmother, a Cherokee, looked out the window while the new baby was being born and saw the dusty dawn. "My mother remembers thinking about ‘Eliza,’ then going to sleep and waking up with a daughter named Dusty."
Dusty grew up in a family of farmers who were also great cooks. "I learned quail, squirrel, raccoon, deer — we were country folk." Anxious to leave the Ozarks, she graduated from high school a semester early and left town the same day. Her plan was to homestead in Texas so she could get reduced tuition at Texas A & M. "I never did go," she says. Instead, she had a brief film career (assistant director) that brought her to Los Angeles. "One Thanksgiving I cooked dinner for my roommate," recalls Dusty. "She said, ‘This is unbelievable, you have to do this all the time.’"
Soon, Dusty enrolled in California Culinary Academy and embarked on a career that started in her dorm room, where she ran a not-so-small catering company, and took her to resort islands, cooking for celebrities; the Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she studied pastry; and on a criss-cross path between L.A. and the island of Nevis, then to Atlanta, and finally, Connecticut.
Which is how Cedars got an impressive new dinner menu, featuring dishes like Butter-Braised Lobster with Torn Herbed Pasta in Asian Tomato Sauce, Roasted Duck Breast with Chili-Spiked Gnocchi, Spiced Lamb Loin with Apricot Chutney, and a passel of other dishes that haven’t been seen in Northford since, well, since maybe forever.
Then, there’s that Sunday brunch. It’s a buffet, lined up off the main dining room, up against a view of the river, and it’s a spread that makes the appetites go wild. A raw bar with oysters and cracked crab claws ... Belgian waffles, French toast, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs that actually taste good ... sliced roast beef with mushroom sauce, cheese blintzes with sweet orange and Mascarpone, smoked salmon with bagels, capers, onions ... plus salads, breads, muffins and, let’s not forget, desserts prepared by a graduate of the Cordon Bleu, that is, Dusty.
There’s so much more, presented with a complimentary Mimosa, all for $25, which is a bargain, considering.
I’m personally delighted to see that landmark building once again fulfilling its destiny, and I’m so happy to be able to recommend brunch — and dinner, too — at a place where historical charm can hold hands and canoodle with contemporary cookery.
Todd Lyon of New Haven is a freelance writer.
THE ESSENTIALS
•Place: Cedars at the Mill Pond, 1565 Middletown Ave. (Rte. 17), Northford.
•Phone: (203) 484-4727.
•Web site: www.cedarsct.com.
•Hours: Dinner — 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; bar and lounge open 5-11 p.m. Brunch — Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
•And don’t miss: Live music is performed during most (not all) brunches: On Sunday, March 26, the jazz duo from Eight to the Bar will be performing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
•Reservations: Appreciated; recommended on weekends.
•Food: Chef Dusty Cooper brings her considerable talents to Northford, where she is putting the polish back on the reputation of the restaurant once known as the Millpond Tavern/River Run. A new menu, new name and various improvements have made the Cedars a place to re-discover, especially on Sundays when an impressive brunch buffet is served. Sunday brunch is $25 per person, and includes a complimentary Mimosa and a romp through a buffet that includes a raw bar with oysters, shrimp and cracked crab claws; breakfast faves like smoked salmon and bagels, biscuits and gravy, Belgian waffles and more; entrees such as roast beef, pasta, tilapia, and more; plus top-notch desserts. An a-la-carte dinner menu is presented on other nights. This begins with seven appetizers in the $7-$9 range, including Butternut Squash Soup, Hickory Smoked Oysters and Lemon and Artichoke Risotto; three salads ($5-$6) including one with grilled asparagus and baby spinach; 10 entrees, starting at $17 for Fresh Fettuccini with Sicilian Sausage and roasted garlic, and topping out at $30 for Butter-Braised Lobster. Lamb loin, filet mignon, pan-roasted salmon and duck breast are also featured. Don’t miss dessert: Chef Dusty has eight on the menu, priced from $5 for a trio of sorbets to $8 for a Milk Chocolate Mousse with a Hazelnut Crunch Bar and Strawberry Sorbet.
•Vegetarianism: A few offerings for vegans can be found among the apps and salads; fish-eaters will find much to love on the entree list.
•Drink: A full bar offers drink specials every night. There’s also a nicely edited wine list with plenty to choose from, including sparkling wines by the bottle and glass. Bottles of red and white start at $20 and top out at $63; 13 are offered by the glass, ranging in price from $6-$12.
•Wheelchair access: Through the main entrance; first-floor dining room is accessible, downstairs bar/lounge area is not.
•Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, Diners Club.
•Kid-friendliness: A children’s menu is available by request.
•Parking: In a two-level lot along the side and behind the restaurant.
•Private parties: Yes, yes, yes: Cedars is the setting of many weddings, rehearsal dinners, holiday parties and so much more.
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