In Litchfield County, the seasons set the agenda. Summer brings tomatoes in seemingly endless varieties and jewel-toned berries from nearby farms. Cooler days call for earthy mushrooms, hearty greens and richer flavors. At Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Collection, Executive Chef Luke Dowdy lets that natural rhythm lead the way.
Rather than designing menus around a calendar, Dowdy and his team follow the ingredients—allowing dishes to come and go as the best of New England reaches its peak, served against the light-filled elegance of the Garden Room or the warm, tavern-inspired spirit of the Tap Room.
This appreciation for seasonal ingredients extends to the Garden Room’s newest culinary chapter: an exclusive residency with Daniel Boulud’s celebrated Café Boulud. Bringing refined French cuisine to Mayflower’s countryside setting, a menu curated by Boulud features dishes ranging from Chilled Corn Velouté with Maine Lobster to Wild Mushroom Risotto with Summer Truffle and adds another dimension to Mayflower’s evolving dining experience.
A recent dish at the countryside retreat paired Long Island duck with oyster mushrooms, Swiss chard, freekeh, blackberries and port. The provenance reads almost like a map of the region: duck from the Jurgielewicz family farm, mushrooms from Tivoli Mushrooms and produce from Lakeside Farm, less than 10 minutes from Mayflower. For Dowdy, those relationships are central to the experience.
There are traces of his own story in the cooking, too. Raised in Virginia and South Carolina, Dowdy grew up tending a family garden and still gravitates toward generous, family-style meals and the flavors of the Lowcountry. In Litchfield County, he’s found a landscape that shares that same closeness to the land, as well as the kind of community where he and his family have put down roots.
This philosophy leaves plenty of room for play. A Clams Casino tagliatelle layers Rhode Island clams with bacon, fermented chili, lemon, herbs and breadcrumbs, reimagining a dish with roots in Narragansett through a fresh lens. And when local tomatoes arrive, they’re an immediate favorite—an ingredient Dowdy prizes for its versatility, abundance and pure expression of the season.
It all comes together in what Dowdy calls “countryside elegance”: food that is luxurious without feeling precious, served at a pace that encourages guests to linger. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than Mayflower’s private dining experience, where Dowdy’s team creates a completely bespoke five-course menu based on each guest’s tastes, revealed only upon arrival and optionally paired course by course by the sommelier.
Café Boulud at The Mayflower, Garden Room
“I love all of the pastas that we serve.”
Must-order dish: Chicken À La Brique
The Tap Room, Mayflower Inn
Must-order dish: Summer Tomato Panzanella
West Street Grille, Litchfield
“Chef James O’shea has owned this restaurant for 30 years. He is there every day and it is inspiring to see the dedication he has for his food and guests.”
Must-order dish: Mezze Rigatoni and the Grilled Branzino
Materia Ristorante, Litchfield
“Chef David DiStasi has a great culinary background and creates some of the best pasta dishes I’ve had the pleasure of eating.”
Must-order dish: Il Menu ‘Espressione,’ a 6-course tasting menu
Community Table, New Preston
“Another great restaurant in the area that focuses on local ingredients.”
Must-order dish: Crudo or the Monday Night Burger
GW Tavern,Washington Depot
“An old tavern here in the depot with a very relaxed atmosphere.”
Must-order dish: Turkey Club
