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Community Table – New Chef Bolivar Hilario Brings Sublime Elegance

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“Community table’s mission is to sustainably prepare the highest quality, locally grown, and procured ingredients to serve its community in a casual, vibrant atmosphere. Ct values its partnerships with local farms that bring the best produce of the season to create delicious recipes for their customer’s enjoyment each time they visit the restaurant.”

From Community table Website

Community table is housed in a nondescript, quaint structure on Route 202 in New Preston, and presents a dining experience that blends effortlessly into its rural setting. The only recognizable landmark to announce your arrival is a simplistic roadside sign with a singular orange “Ct” logo on a white background, reflecting the restaurant’s core value: a strong focus on community with an upper case “C” and a less formal, more shared dining experience at the table with a lower case “t”. A farmer’s porch extends across the front of the building, and a large parking lot is located to one side. The entrance is immediately to the left of a striking, vertically soaring, organic, red metal sculpture, leading guests directly into the bar area.

The hostess extends a warm greeting when you enter the bar, the most lively of the restaurant’s three dining areas. Choose this room or wander down the hallway to the right and into the second room, which provides both a communal atmosphere with its large table, or a few intimate, two-person tables. Continue to the third, and my personal favorite, secluded back room, which blends warmth and elegance, creating a relaxed atmosphere for conversation amongst the couples, as well as shared amongst friends.

Overseeing the kitchen since September 2023 is head chef Bolivar Hilario, who describes his culinary style as a fusion of his family’s Mexican heritage with French, Italian, Nordic and Japanese influences. He was raised in Florida, and once he found his passion for cooking, he travelled to New York and worked for Enrique Olvera, the world-renowned Mexican chef at Cosme, thereafter he broadened his skills at Aska, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant known for its Scandinavian-inspired cuisine, Chumley’s, the Michelin-starred Musket Room, and 69 Leonard and Shoji, where he was introduced to Japanese theories and techniques. He credits the experiences at 69 Leonard and Shoji as his epiphany to the Japanese centuries-honed principles of preparation and allowing the food to speak for the dish, a constant he currently incorporates into each of his creations at Ct.

The menu exposes the guests to flavors and textures to dazzle the palate, unveiling combinations designed to awaken the senses. Espousing the Farm to Table mantra, Halario has developed relationships with local growers like Renée Giroux at Earth’s Palate in Warren, The Oracle Mushroom Company in Kent and Crafted Brew Lab in Bantam and as well as others in the region. Wanting the guests to enjoy these bounties year-round, he not only prepares the fresh vegetables and herbs for the daily menu but also preserves and ferments many for his winter guests to enjoy.

I highly recommend starting the culinary adventure by ordering the house-made six-grain sourdough bread with herb butter. Hilario’s personal sourdough starter is the foundation of the bread, baked fresh several days per week. This is one of the most delicious breads anywhere, served with herb butter, and showcases a firm crust and a moist, opaque interior, delivering a richness that sets the stage for the remainder of your visit.

The current menu offers several delightful options, the first a Blue Corn flour tlayuda. This dish, akin to a flat, topped taco, features house-made, extra-thin tortillas layered with a savory salsa macha base, generously adorned with locally sourced Oracle mushrooms, a creamy caramelized cauliflower puree, delicate tiny purple onions, vibrant Earth’s Palate flowers (from Warren, CT), and a scattering of queso fresco. It was presented in four wedges, and the visual composition was matched only by its remarkable flavors. The first bite was an explosion of flavors and textures, beginning with the earthiness of a myriad of mushrooms and other vegetables and herbs, and finishes with a shot of spiciness.

For those interested in a bright and light entrée, choose the steamed squash blossoms, stuffed with shrimp mousseline, Guajillo pepper, squash, Earth’s Palate shiso, red pepper mole, and topped with wild forage tiger lily petals. While squash blossoms are normally filled with cheese and fried, Halario’s presentation softens the approach with a steamed version, stuffed with a mousseline of Gulf shrimp, cream, chives and a touch of one of his favorite herbs, tarragon. The dish was finished with a light sauce made from the shrimp shells to which he added some dashi from his Japanese training, plus chive and ramp oils. He described the dish as “local meets Japanese…with my heritage of Mexican cuisine.” The dish was fantastic, light, flavorful and full of aromatics from the oils and herbs.

Leave room for dessert because the new dessert chef is creating incredible final acts.

The first was a deconstructed “strawberry shortcake” which takes the three basic elements, sweet strawberries, tender almond gluten-free shortcake, and rich whipped cream, to a higher level with the addition of a scoop of strawberry ice cream, slightly spiked with a touch of vodka. The composition began with the cylindrical deliciousness of the shortbread, which was about as perfect as any I have tasted, then the chef surrounded this disk with a delightful and deliciously creamy whipped cream. The final element, the strawberries, which have been poached in lemon verbena to enhance the fruit’s natural sweetness were placed atop. The chef topped this creation with dehydrated strawberry flakes. The addition of the strawberry ice cream elevated this traditional dessert to a new level with additional flavors. The strawberry shortcake was brilliantly prepared.

The other highly recommended dessert is the flourless chocolate cake with house-made coffee ice cream and puffed quinoa. Where do I begin describing these three levels of perfection? The chocolate cake was over-the-top outstanding, moist, chocolatey, with richness oozing from every bite. This alone would have been completely satisfying, but Halario added a scoop of Ct’s house-made coffee ice cream that sat atop the cake. Then, for some textural fun, Halario added a sprinkling of puffed quinoa. The complete bite brought so many delicious sweets and crunch to the palate; it was perfect in every way.

Overall, Connecticut table is one of the best restaurants in the state. Devoid of any pretense, it harvests the natural flavors of the ingredients using century-old techniques with modern flair. The environment is relaxing to the senses, while the cuisine elevates each aspect of the ingredients in combinations that tantalize every part of the palate. Chef Halario’s journey to understand numerous cuisines is a complete success in every dish.

223 Litchfield Turnpike (Rt. 202)

New Preston CT 06777

860-868-9354

communitytablect.com

Community Table (New Preston) – Magnificent Food in a Wonderful Locale

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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.