I’ve heard so much about Community Table (affectionately known at CT) in New Preston, CT, over the years that when my college roommate texted me and asked if we wanted to join him and his husband for dinner, I was ecstatic. 

The drive through the rolling hills of Washington Township, and through the tranquility of Litchfield county took about 40 minutes. The exterior of CT is very non-descript, a simple white building, with a minimalist “CT” sign, and the interior was a throwback colonial bar feeling with beams and lots of wood. We entered the bar area, where we were greeted by a wonderful woman, who took our jackets and escorted us to the back dining room, where under twenty guests would enjoy the magnificent cuisine. Our server arrived, gave us a warm welcome and we looked to begin our evening.

We started with the House-Made Six Grain Sourdough Bread and sea salted butter ($12). One bite and I knew this was going to be a special night. The bread had a wonderful, moist texture, full of flavor and the butter was salted perfectly. It was so special that on our subsequent visit, we bought a second loaf to go.

Throughout this dinner and our subsequent visit a week later, we enjoyed some spectacular cuisine.

My wife ordered the Local Portobello Mushroom Soup with pepitas and orange gremolata, with a drizzle of balsamic reduction ($17). The version presented by CT was one of, if not the best, mushroom soups anywhere. The umami of the mushrooms was fully evident, and the texture was smooth as silk, with an incredible earthiness. One would think that there was cream in the soup, but not a trace, only emulsified mushrooms to create the silky texture. This is easily a 10+.

I opted for a half order of the homemade Bucatini All’ Amatriciana, prepared with preserved San Marzano tomatoes, guanciale, Aleppo pepper, and Pecorino Romano cheese ($24). Let’s begin with the pasta, prepared to perfection and the appetizer-sized option was good portion. It was topped with a rich tomato sauce, which benefited both from the quality and the preserved process, plus some chunks of the guanciale and smothered in the grated Pecorino. Given the All’ Amatriciana description, I was a little concerned about the spice level, but there was barely a kick in the sauce. Instead, it was spectacular in tomato lusciousness, and I was glad they offered a spoon, so I could enjoy every, last bite. This was also easily a 10+.

I am a huge fan of duck, so I decided to order the Five Spice Pekin Duck Breast, Cortland apple puree, radicchio, and red wine duck jus ($39). (Pictured above) Two large strips of rare duck breast sat atop the large portion of radicchio. The server poured the duck jus around the dish, and I found the puree hidden beneath the radicchio. The duck was tender, succulent, and rich in flavor, it was superbly prepared to the lighter side of medium rare. The key to this dish was the Cortland apple puree, it brought all the great duck flavors to the forefront. The jus was a great counterbalance to the apple sweetness. The radicchio added a certain tartness to the dish. It is easy to give this dish a 10+.

My wife ordered the Bincho Grilled Lemon Garlic Marinated Head-On Prawns, ancho chili, stone ground cheddar cheese grits, and scallions ($42). Four large prawns grilled on Bincho high-heat grill sat atop the grits and the kitchen was kind enough to separate the heads from the bodies. The prawns offered a very mild spiciness from the ancho chili rub, and the cheddar cheese grits were better than anything I ate while living in Georgia. This was another 10 dish.

It was such a great evening that my wife and I decided to return a week later. We again asked for the back room, looking for some quiet time. With four 2-tops lined along the wall, we understood the term community table. All eight of us engaged in interspersed conversation at times while we each focused on our individual dinner partner at other times. 

On the second visit, I started with the Black Sea Bass Crudo, with shaved fennel, grapefruit, and chives ($21). If you are looking for a refined dish to open your palate for the rest of the evening, this is an excellent option. A large portion of thinly sliced sea bass filled the plate and was topped with grapefruit segments and thinly sliced fennel circles. Droplets of spiced oil and a few strands of dill finished the dish. The combination of flavors and textures was refreshing, delicious, and completely satisfying. Like most of the dishes at CT, the guest can decide on various combinations from a single element to all of the components. I would rate this dish a 9-10.

On this second visit, I decided to order a slightly heavier entrée, the Berkshire House Smoked Pork Chop with celery root puree, charred broccolini, and a mole poblano ($44). Two concentric circles with the mole portion surrounding the celery root puree were flanked by a large, sliced pork chop on one side and the charred broccolini on the other. The first bite was the pork chop was very good but needed something to balance the flavor. the addition of the mole and puree was required to appreciate the vision of the chef. Each bite was smoky, creamy, spicy, and sweet. The charred broccolini added another sweet component, and was sweet and the ever-so-slight char added a nice depth. I give this dish a 9.

As I mentioned in other articles, there is sometimes a weak link, and for CT it was the Chocolate Tres Leche Cake with burnt local cream ($16). We ordered on both visits, not believing our palate on the first. The cake was dense, dry, and not very chocolatey (the opposite of our expectations with a tres leche cake) and the icing was a bland rendition. I was hoping for a delightfully light and moist ending, but it was not to my liking. I will not rank this cake.

Why we waited so long to venture to CT still shocks me, the food was remarkable, the service impeccable, and the management was over-the-top friendly and inviting on both of our visits. A great job by all.