Reviews By Kevin - Copper Beech Inn

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Copper Beech Inn, featuring Chef Tyler Anderson

The Copper Beech Inn portrays subtle and refined elegance in traditional New England style. The intimate country hotel is situated in the hamlet of Ivoryton, Connecticut, one of three small villages within the historic town of Essex on the Connecticut River. The classic New England inn's renowned AAA Four Diamond Copper Beech restaurant and the chic and fashionable Brasserie Pip offer innovative culinary choices created by award-winning chef Tyler Anderson. Wine connoisseurs will appreciate the 3500-bottle wine cellar well-deserving of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2008.

My wife Nancy and I had the pleasure of experiencing what the Copper Beech Inn had to offer when we visited in the Winter of 2010. Before sitting down for dinner at the Inn, we first explored the Brasserie Pip, and when I saw a rolling cheese cart with a magnificent spread of the finest cheeses, I quickly realized that my wife and I were in for a real treat. If you are looking for that true French bistro experience, look no further . Dinner at the Brasserie Pip is an informal dining option at the Inn, offering an eclectic selection of classic French and American dishes with Chef Tyler Anderson stylizing each dish to perfection. Selected as the "The Best New Restaurant" statewide by the readers of Connecticut Magazine in 2008, Brasserie Pip is chic and intimate with a gleaming copper-topped bar, a perfect place for fresh oysters and cocktails created by the Inn's "bar chefs", using only fresh seasonal ingredients, juices, cooked ingredients, compotes and complex reductions. After visiting the Brasserie Pip, we headed over to the Inn where we were greeted with a warm welcoming smile and a quick history about the Inn, by A.J Aurrichio, the General Manager of the Copper Beech Inn. As we were being seated, my wife and I were asked if there was a special occasion that we were celebrating, to which I proclaimed "yes, my wife's birthday!" What happened next was what elevates any pleasant experience to a magical and truly heartwarming event. We started our dinner by ordering champagne to toast to my wife's birthday. We then received a personalized birthday tasting menu. Chef Tyler had prepared us an eight-course tasting tour, which started with local oysters flavored of champagne. We then sampled some sustainable hiramasa with myer lemon, pomegranate, and mint. This was followed by char (a silver fish in the salmon family) with perfectly cooked baby brussels sprouts, and a Guinness mustard sauce....wow! The night continued with Surf and turf, scallops and foie gras, cauliflower prepared in various ways, squab with celery root-apple remoulard, and poached quail egg with sriracha hollandaise. The next course was crazy but pure genius...chicken wings stuffed with foie gras, pickled celery, and blue cheese panna cotta...absolutely amazing! We then tried veal with Chinese takeout style sweet breads (you'll have to check this out for yourself, I just can't explain it well enough to do it justice), and veal tenderloin with bone marrow tater tot. At this point my wife and I were stuffed, but we forged ahead to the finale, carrot cake, my favorite! The Copper Beech Inn is an extraordinary restaurant, pure elegance with a warm inviting atmosphere. The entire staff was courteous and attentive. Chef Tyler treated us as if we were old friends, someone who would have known exactly what my wife and I would like, truly a master at his craft. Bravo Chef Tyler Anderson! Bravo Copper Beech Inn! I hope all my fans have a chance to experience the Copper Beech Inn and get to try Chef Tyler's masterpiece menu. If you are in Connecticut, I strongly suggest that you do not miss out on the opportunity to sample Chef Tyler's creations at the Copper Beech Inn, in Ivoryton, CT. You can also plan a getaway weekend, with the beach just a few steps away. What more could you ask for?

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