By Babs Perkins

Nestled inconspicuously beneath a striped awning at the lower end of the Litchfield town green, the West Street Grill has long been regarded as one of the area’s best restaurants.

By no means a “secret” spot (it has had numerous mentions in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Litchfield County Times, The Hartford Courant and Litchfield and Connecticut Magazines, among others), West Street Grill, in its nearly 25 years of operation, consistently puts great food on the table while keeping a balance between a neighborhood local and a special night out destination.

The restaurant itself is cozy and casual—showing none of the signs of age one might expect to see in a place that serves lunch seven days a week and dinner five nights a week, to a routinely full house. At lunch, the lighting is bright but not too glary, perfect for a working meal or a daytime treat with friends. Dinner is a bit more subdued, without being too dark to read the menu. The music tends toward jazz and American songbook standards.

Known for its New American cuisine, the West Street Grill has won “Best of” awards from publications around the region since its opening, so it should be no surprise that this year they’ve taken home both the “Best Overall Pick” and “Best American” titles in Connecticut Magazine’s 2015 installment of the Best Restaurants in Connecticut. What may come as a surprise is that they’ve won “Best Vegetarian” restaurant as well.

A bit of history: When co-owners James O’Shea and Charles Kafferman started out, they envisioned a place that borrowed from and joined the best traditions in the restaurant world—the discipline and sophistication of classic French tradition with the refinement and simplicity found in California and Asia. They wanted to bring the best of the city to the country and present the best food available locally, and they wanted to do it in Litchfield. In short, they wanted to serve farm-to-table cooking before the term or movement formally existed.

It all circles back to where they started—a new American restaurant broadening its focus to keep up with changes to the American palate, which is to say they doubled down on their farm-to-table roots. With that in mind, perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised at their “Best Vegetarian” award after all.

According to Connecticut Magazine, “Co-owner James O’Shea has an ace up his sleeve with an array of delicious vegetarian/vegan dishes, which are his own creation. Some are on the menu and some are not, but he loves to show them off. Just ask.”

A review of the January menu shows numerous vegetarian choices beyond the standard house salad. Starters include a delightful cauliflower tempura, an organic beet and gorgonzola salad and several soups (on the day of my visit, broccoli potato, carrot parsnip and sweet potato). Entrees include a substantial veggie burger, a black bean and roasted pepper quesadilla, several pasta options and a tofu tempura.

One can also find traditional offerings like a grilled Angus burger, moules frites, beef stew and a wonderful reinterpretation of chicken and dumplings, which replaces the classic heavy flour dumpling with light ricotta puffs, more akin to gnocchi. With or without meat, you really can’t go wrong with what they prepare.

If you are planning a visit, remember they are closed for dinner Monday and Tuesday. West Street Grill doesn’t take reservations for lunch, but they are highly recommended for dinner on weekends. Call ahead at 860-567-3885.

The wine list covers the bases well, but BYO is allowed for a nominal corkage.

Photo by Bruce Frisch.