Introducing The Restaurant at Spicer Mansion: Coastal New England’s Most Sought-After Fine Dining Reservation
New restaurant to elevate Mystic, Connecticut’s culinary scene
Momentum for Mystic’s most exclusive, invitation-only restaurant continues to build, following the announcement of Spicer Mansion, a new luxury inn opening May 28, 2016. Located just steps from Mystic’s bustling waterfront, The Restaurant at Spicer Mansion will be an intimate and elegant fine dining experience and a true destination for culinary excellence. Helmed by Executive Chef Jennifer Backman, The Restaurant will raise the bar for the region.
Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday to inn and invited guests only, the fine dining outlet will celebrate a farm-to-table philosophy, offering guests an unparalleled culinary experience from start to finish. Bringing resurgence to the traditional fine dining experience of yesteryear, guests will enjoy handcrafted cocktails and canapés in a grand salon while reviewing the evening’s menu, before being escorted into one of three dining rooms for their gourmet meal. The Restaurant will have an evolving six-course tasting menu that changes nightly and features artisanal meats and the finest fresh seafood. Tables will be set with Italian hemstitch linens and Baccarat Crystal, and nautical artwork and paintings will adorn the walls throughout the Victorian-era dining rooms on loan from Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport and The Cooley Gallery.
“The Restaurant is more than just a place to come and dine, it will be an immersive and sensory experience that begins from the moment you walk through the doors,” said Executive Chef Jennifer Backman. “Our collaboration with local farms and memorable tableside preparations will provide an unprecedented dining event that everyone should treat themselves to.”
Chef Backman brings 17 years of experience in some of Rhode Island’s most celebrated kitchens, most recently, serving as executive chef at the Relais & Châteaux Weekapaug Inn in Weekapaug, Rhode Island. In addition to sourcing fresh herbs from the Mansion’s backyard garden, Backman will work closely with the nearby Ocean House’s Food Forager, exercising her creative ability to turn ingredients collected in the morning into decadent meals by evening. Her established relationships with nearby farms in Connecticut and Rhode Island will ensure thoughtful menus. Backman’s passion for pasta will translate into the menu, with a least one course featuring a seasonal, homemade pasta dish each night.
“Spicer Mansion’s restaurant will be the East Coast’s answer to the West Coast’s French Laundry,” said Daniel A. Hostettler, President and Group Managing Director of Ocean House Management, LLC. “A night dining at the mansion will be truly experiential, and guests should plan to allow two and a half hours for their dinner. Every detail — from the way food is presented to the ambiance of the space — has been carefully selected to provide an unforgettable, refined dining experience and an exceptional level of service.”
The Mansion’s wine and spirits program will complement the cuisine, offering the finest internationally renowned wines, local craft beers and carefully curated spirits. Spicer Mansion will also offer Room No. 9 Speakeasy, perfect for an aperitif, light bite or nightcap, its entrance hidden behind a bookcase and down a set of stairs to the historic cellar.
The Restaurant’s tasting menu begins at$115, with a suggested wine pairing for $75. Guests are welcome to bring special bottles of wine that are not represented on the restaurant’s wine list, with a corking fee of $90 per bottle. Reservations for outside guests are by invitation only and are taken no more than two months in advance. For dinner, jackets and collared shirts are required in the salons and restaurant; ties are optional.
The Restaurant will be accessible through the lobby of Spicer Mansion, located at 15 Elm Street. For more information, please visit www.spicermansion.com. Visit the hotel on Facebook and Instagram for progress updates and historical facts on the property.
About Spicer Mansion
Originally built in 1853, Spicer Mansion was purchased by its namesake, renowned sea captain and benefactor Elihu Spicer Jr. as his family’s summer home. Now owned by the Gates family of Stonington, Connecticut, Spicer Mansion will open in May 2016 as a carefully restored luxury boutique hotel under the direction of Ocean House Management, LLC. The hotel will feature eight guestrooms and a world-class food and beverage program including a fine dining restaurant and the Room No. 9 speakeasy-style cocktail bar, exclusive to hotel and invited guests. Spicer Mansion pays homage to the Gilded Age of refined hospitality alongside contemporary touches, uncompromising service, and the latest in modern technology. Guests of the Mansion will also have access to all of the amenities afforded to Ocean House and Weekapaug Inn guests.
