Taste of the Country at Mayflower Inn & Spa

During our recent stay at Mayflower Inn & Spa, we sampled their incredible culinary experience, A Taste of the Country. This experience explores the terroir, the essence of a place that imparts a particular flavor upon the food and introduces guests to the unique and unmistakably decadent flavors of Litchfield County. Wine, beer, and cocktail pairings, locally sourced fruit, cheese, berries, and honey, plus numerous other accompaniments, made this a truly unforgettable meal. Read on to discover this decadent experience and why we loved it.

Taste of the Country (Experience)

Location: Washington, CT
Address: 118 Woodbury Rd, Route 47
Washington, CT 06793
Food Type: Local Specialty Tasting
Meal Duration: 2+ Hours
Dining Experience: Indoor or Outdoor (Seasonal)
Price: $95+ per Person
Dress Code: Casual+
Special Diets: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian & Pescatarian

Ambience of Mayflower Inn & Spa

We enjoyed a beautiful array of foods on the wicker porch at Mayflower Inn & Spa, an Auberge Resort. The atmosphere was serene and filled with plants. The white wicker furniture and soft green textiles made the space bright, airy, and laid-back, the perfect spot to enjoy such a vibrant meal. This was one of my favorite parts of the resort. It’s simply lovely any time of day.

Our Meal

We were presented with an exquisite assortment of cheeses, fruit, berries, gluten-free crackers, sourdough bread, and house-made butter. Typically, this experience also includes an assortment of meat and sausage, but as we are pescatarians, they excluded it for us. Alongside each of these courses, they presented us with wine, cocktails, and beer, all expertly paired by their sommelier and all locally sourced.

Annie Fairfax Luxury Travel Fine Dining Restaurants Mayflower Inn & Spa Taste of the Country Culinary Experience in New England

Everything on our cart was up for grabs, from the fruit and cheese to the honey, crackers, and bread. Plus, if we ran out of something, they were more than happy to bring us more of anything we’d like, from our Long Island, NY Rosé to the family-owned R Farms honey, cultivated by bees cared for by a husband-and-wife duo in nearby Burlington, CT.

It’s so special to enjoy a meal thanks to the hard, loving work of locals. It really imparts a sense of time and place. As this experience is hyper-seasonal, it’s a constantly evolving experience custom-crafted for the diner. My favorites were the cave-aged cheese, the local honey, and the fresh berries. Robin said the sourdough bread, which is baked on-site, was incredible.

Final Thoughts

This was such a fun, laid-back meal. We left fully satisfied, having learned about wine and cheese pairings, the local lore behind why each item was chosen, and a little bit about the people who made or grew each item. Knowing where our food originates is so important not only for our health but also for our planet. As always, I encourage you to try it and indulge in local delicacies wherever you travel because every bite is its own story, and it’s yours to discover.