Dinner at the Artisan Restaurant in Southport CT - Tavern & Garden

Celebrating the end of summer. It was the end of a long holiday weekend, the Labor Day weekend, but I had to work all day and at the end, I just wanted to celebrate the end of summer with my husband in a special way.

All our favorite haunts were closed. Most of the area restaurants were closed due to a combination of the holiday and falling on a Monday, so what to do? I figured a hotel would have to be open on holidays and Mondays, so we decided to check out the rather pricey, but fabulous Artisan Restaurant at the Delamar Hotel in Southport, CT.

Artisan decribes itself as "a farm to table restaurant and tavern combining 18th century classic Scandinavian design with New England inspired seasonal cuisine. Artisan celebrates the theme of craftsmanship, which can be seen in many elements of the restaurant from its unexpected design to the locally sourced food." We can attest to that.

We chose to sit outdoors under the pergola, but there are many options for seating. The photo above was taken in low light conditions using the HDR Pro app on my iPhone. There is a lovely indoor restaurant and bar as well as an outdoor terrace which you can see in this photo and and outdoor bar to the left in the photo. Our table was under the pergola inbetween the open outdoor terrace and the indoor restaurant.

The meal itself was superb. I started my dinner with a french green bean and bibb lettuce salad with goat cheese and bacon. I then moved on to another appetizer as my main course (I love appetizers) - homemade gravlax over fingerling potatoes. For dessert we shared a black raspberry and currant sundae with sorbet and ice cream topped with whipped cream. We finished it all off with cappuccinos.

As my husband and I drove away, we said it was less like going to a restaurant and more like taking a mini-vacation. There was a resort-like atmosphere and a relaxed feel to the evening that reminded us of our vacations in South Beach. We've added this to our list of favorite restaurants. At the very least, go to the outdoor bar and have a cocktail and an appetizer to see for yourself. In the winter there is a fireplace indoors, so there is always a lovely ambiance in which to dine and the food is truly farm-to-table fresh and delicious.