|
| |
Brooklyn - Part 1
Written by: Janet Pope
Photography by: Donald
Having been that long-time Brooklyn, New York resident, I fully comprehend and appreciate the weight behind the name - Brooklyn. So it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to discovering another town named, Brooklyn. To be honest, I grew up thinking that there were no other Brooklyns and to give more information than the name of my borough, was unnecessary. I assumed that when I responded to the question, "Where are you from?" and I simply replied "Brooklyn!" everyone knew I meant "The Brooklyn!"
As an adult, I had recently sought out the other Brooklyns in hopes of not finding similarities, but embracing the differences, since obviously no place could ever be like my Brooklyn. So it was with great curiosity that my husband and I set out to find Brooklyn, Connecticut. The two words together seemed to be a juxtaposition. So, coincidentally, our first stop was the Brooklyn Café. A small restaurant operated by a very proper English gentleman. It has only about a half dozen tables, settled cozily among books and antiques that are for sale. The menu is limited, but everything is homemade and tasty. Though, unlike most Brooklyn diners that I know in size and atmosphere, the food was certainly equally enjoyable.
In the afternoon we set out to explore the area and toured the Prudence Crandall Museum. In 1831, Prudence Crandall bought this house and a year later she asked the town fathers if she could open a private academy for white children. Shortly after opening her doors, a young black woman, Sara Harris, asked Ms. Crandall for acceptance into the school and for help in studying to become a teacher. Quickly, one by one, all of the white children were pulled out of the program and Ms. Crandall had the only black girl left behind as a student. Determined not to give up, and coming from a Quaker background, she contacted middle-class black families and they began boarding their daughters here for $100.00-a-year tuition. Unfortunately, Ms. Crandall received numerous death threats and her school was attacked in 1834. She was seen by the town as a rebel rouser. For the safety of the students, the school had to close and, though it was only open for 17 months, it is considered the first private educational institution for African-American women. Sarah Harris did go on to complete her education, become a teacher and was very active in the anti-slavery movement of the 1880s.
Ms. Crandall was tried three times for violating Connecticut’s Black Law, only to be acquitted by the State Supreme Court in 1834. There is a small museum here that tells her story and pays tribute to this brash and determined educator.
We had dinner reservations at The Golden Lamb Buttery and in retrospect we had no idea for what we would experience. I thought it would be a simple dinner, but what you get at the Golden Lamb Buttery is a whole evening package. The Buttery is situated on 1,000 acres of former farmland and located in an 1894 horse barn. On entering, we were warmly greeted by Bob Booth, the 82-year-old owner of the establishment. And let me tell you - meeting this fascinating raconteur is reason enough to come here. He’s a man filled with stories and, after welcoming everyone, he begins to happily share them. Reservations are a must here as his wife, Jimmy, is literally doing the cooking. We began the evening by having drinks on the back porch that overlooks a scene right out of "On Golden Pond," as Bob went from table to table just chatting with each guest. We felt like we were at a private cocktail party and Bob was our jovial host - which he was!
During our turn for the chat, we discovered that Jimmy was a buyer for Lord and Taylor and often was sent to London on shopping activities. It was there that she first saw the term "Buttery." The places were small, the menu was short and the food was good. Jimmy came back here to the U.S., made her way to this area of Connecticut in search of a local mill looking for different and unique fabrics. She met Bob working on this very farm. A marriage, two sons later and the rest is local history.
After watching the sunset, while a pianist played in the background, Bob invited everyone to grab their drinks and join him on a hayride and one would not think of saying "No" to Bob. A banjo and guitar player went along for the ride and encouraged everyone to sing along. It was great fun and really set the atmosphere for something special, something more than just dinner.
Upon returning, we walked through the kitchen and, sure enough, there was Jimmy cooking dinner for her "guests." The room where we ate was a restored artist’s loft decorated with antiques, fresh flowers and candles. Our traveling musical duo joined us and played requests of everything from the Everly Brothers to show tunes and the Beatles.
We were having so much fun talking and singing and we hadn’t even eaten dinner yet! Our meal began with Country Cottage Soup, which was a chunky creamy vegetable soup and we were offered a white wine from the region called "The Ballet of Angels." The soup, the bread, the wine were all so good that they could’ve been a meal on their own.
Donald tried the roast duck with an onion baked in its cavity and I had the Chateau Briand with a Bearnaise sauce. There was a choice of three entrees and vegetables were served family style. Now a barrage of vegetable casseroles began being served and each one made me, the non-vegetable lover, drool; marinated mushrooms, zucchini, squash melody, shredded braised carrots, cabbages steamed with caraway seed and a celery casserole - all delicious.
Our group contained 18 guests and all were having a wonderful time - we even got to dance to a few favorite songs. The Golden Lamb Buttery is a special treat for a special occasion or just a special night out.
So far, our impressions of the "other" Brooklyn have been wonderful. Instead of lunch at Juniors, we had lunch at the Brooklyn Café; instead of touring the Brooklyn museum, we learned about Prudence Crandall, and, instead of dinner at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse, we ate at The Golden Lamb Buttery and were serenaded to boot!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
|
|
|
|
|
|
