da Capo's Patio Overlooks a Glorious Garden

da Capo in Litchfield, Connecticut opened in 2009, quickly establishing itself as a firm favorite with locals, and it’s easy to see why.   With ample parking even at peak hours, a warmly lit interior with the brick oven on show, da Capo’s ambience is perfect.   The restaurant boasts superior acoustics so it’s never noisy even when busy.

In these warm summer months, da Capo opens its patio that overlooks a lovely, well-maintained garden.   Large umbrellas, provide shade for each table, and the warm New England breeze helps create an idyllic setting.

Katarina, the hostess, is an utter delight.   Charming and knowledgeable, she oversees an operation that runs smoothly even at the busiest of times.

The wait staff are all perfect to a fault.   Attentive without being overbearing, gracious, polite and able to offer terrific suggestions off the extensive menu.

A Different Take on Bruschetta

The Da Capo Chips ($8.95) are the restaurant’s signature appetizer, consisting of thin slices of eggplant and zucchini flash fried in batter and served with a homemade cucumber yoghurt dip.

The crunchy outer coating gives way to a warm moist interior which retains the flavors of the vegetables.   An unusual and delicious dish that you won’t find anywhere else.

A fan of Bruschetta? Then try da Capo’s delicious take on this Italian wonder, which amazingly doesn’t include tomatoes.   Goat cheese, fire roasted peppers, capers, olives, anchovies and basil sit atop the delicious grilled bread.   The portion is extremely generous and served with arugula.   You won’t be disappointed. ($9.95)

The restaurant is particularly well known for its thin crust brick oven pizzas (the small at 13” is $13, and the large at 17” is $15).   Atop the crust is fresh mozzarella, that adds considerably to the reputation of these first class pizzas, homemade tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil & herbs.

The Stuffed Pork Chop

Optional toppings include mushrooms, olives, pepperoni, extra mozzarella, sausage, meatballs and so the list continues (all $2, except fresh garlic and grated cheese ($1) and prosciutto di Parma ($3.75)).

The Mushroom & Sausage Pizza ($17 for a small, which comprised six large slices) was amongst the very best pizza I have tasted.   The thin crust, which was crispy underneath, but soft on top was perfect and didn’t needlessly add to the calorie count.   The mozzarella was melted to perfection and extremely fresh.   Liberal helpings of mushroom and sausage made for a very filling main course, half of which was packaged to go home.

A recent addition to the menu is the Pork Chop ($18.95) which is stuffed with sweet sausage, fresh mozzarella, apples and dried cranberries.   It is served over creamy polenta with a marsala demi glaze and plenty of jus.   This dish is astonishing.   Pork can often be dry, but the cut was extremely moist and the flavor combination of the stuffing, pork and the jus was beyond description.   Without a doubt this is the best pork I have ever tasted.

Raspberry Mousse

Tiramisu is a relatively simple dish in theory, but is too often spoiled by the substitution of cream and an overabundance of coffee that unfavorably tips the delicate balance of flavors.   It is the uniqueness and combination of the ingredients that blend to form the perfect whole and I have never tasted better tiramisu than at da Capo.

The savoiardi (more commonly known in the US as lady finger biscuits) were generously dipped in coffee with a hint of Kuala, which was layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone cheese and sugar which was dusted with a thin layer cocoa.   This exquisite dish was simply perfect.

A summertime addition to the menu is Raspberry Mousse ($6) served with raspberry coulis.   It was soft, light and burst with flavor.

Whether you are a family (check out the cost-conscious family-size portions), a couple on a date, or a group of friends out for the evening, you can do no better than da Capo.