Eating Out: Mrs. Bridges’ Pantry | Woodstock, CT

The day after the rainy 4th of July, my husband, my sister and I together with the little furball gallivanted through Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. It was a nice day for a scenic drive, the kind of day more suited for a spur-of-the-moment, let’s-see-where-we’ll-end-up sort of drive. Which was what we did. As long as we had gas in the tank, the day was ours to enjoy.

On such trips, I usually rely on two old books about Connecticut’s attractions: Food Lovers’ Guide to Connecticut: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants, Events, and More (Food Lovers’ Series) and Connecticut Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff (Curiosities Series).

There are newer editions, but the books have never done me wrong. Sadly, that wasn’t the case with Mrs. Bridges’ Pantry. Both books indicated that Mrs. Bridges’ Pantry was in Putnam, CT. We went there, but Mrs. Bridges’ Pantry was nowhere to be found. Good thing Putnam had a nice park with little waterfalls, so we were able to go for a quick walk.

Despite the spotty cellphone signal, I discovered that Mrs. Bridges Pantry was now in Woodstock, CT. The little teahouse was tucked in a little corner way off the road.

I took a whole bunch of pictures that you’ll find in the photo gallery below.

What can I say? Mrs. Bridges’ Pantry was so adorable and quaint. The owners were very pleasant to talk to. I’m a very big tea drinker, so after seeing their tea sets and teas, it took a lot of discipline and will power not to buy from their gift shop (what an exercise in self-restraint!). Here’s a photo of their tea room.

It was a gorgeous day, so we opted to sit outside.

I wanted to try their Spaghetti on Toast described in their menu as “Heinz British Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce Served on Two Slices of Buttered Toast” but it wasn’t available that day. I ended up ordering Ham and Mustard English Tea Sandwich. My husband was curious about the Curried Chicken Pastie, while my sister had Cornish Pastie.

My Ham and Mustard English Tea Sandwich had both wheat and white bread, crust-free. The sandwich was really light and delicate, making it a perfect afternoon snack.

The pasties are similar to empanadas. I tasted the Cornish and Curried Chicken pasties; both were flavorful and satisfying.

I also ordered Strawberry + Vanilla Fool Sunbrewed Iced Tea then added sugar water to it. Can you see the sugar water in the picture while I poured it into the glass?

Before leaving, I asked who Mrs. Bridges was.

“Out of curiosity, who is Mrs. Bridges?”

“Oh, she’s fictitious! She’s that lady in that picture” *points to the shelf*

What can I say? Mrs. Bridges might be fictitious, but the hospitality at Mrs. Bridges’ Pantry is truly authentic.

Address:
Mrs. Bridges’ Pantry
292 Connecticut 169 Woodstock, CT 06281

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