Taste2Towns On Tap For Mansfield, Windham

MANSFIELD/WINDHAM, CT — Taste2Towns is ready to present great dining experiences in Windham and Mansfield.

Taste2Towns 2023 s scheduled for Feb. to March 5.

The towns of Mansfield and Windham have joined up with Mansfield Downtown Partnership and Willimantic Downtown Neighborhood Association to collaborate on the second year of the popular promotion designed to highlight local restaurants. Participating restaurants are finalizing their menu offerings, which are featured for visitors to preview at Taste2Towns.com.

Both full-service restaurants as well as counter service establishments are joining in for Taste2Towns, and a wide variety of different restaurant choices will be offered. Participating restaurants will feature multi-course offerings for a single price, known as prix-fixe, and others are offering creative take-out dishes. The promotion includes include some breakfast, some lunch and some dinner menus.

“With Eastern Connecticut State University and UConn here and attracting visitors, faculty and students — locally, nationally, and internationally — Windham and Mansfield have become a microcosm food scene representative of a large city," said Andy Gutt, the president of the Willimantic Downtown Neighborhood Association and owner of Stone Row Kitchen + Bar in Willimantic. "The restaurants out here play our geographic isolation as a strength. There is no interstate or mass transit connecting our area, so we have a captive audience who like to eat out as entertainment. On a given night, we see loyal locals alongside UConn students. And sitting next to them are business owners and then university faculty who relocated here from any one of the 50 states

"Ten years ago, a restaurant week concept would not have been possible here; there was no critical mass. Our Taste2Towns Restaurant Week celebrates a regional food scene that’s in full bloom.”

Stone Row Kitchen + Bar was nominated by the Connecticut Restaurant Association as 2022 Restaurant of the Year.

Also included on the list of participating eateries are:

Mansfield

• Coyote Flaco (A Connecticut Magazine Readers’ Choice Award Winner-Best Mexican)
• Dog Lane Café
• Fenton River Grill
• Gansett Wraps
• Hops 44 (A Connecticut Magazine Readers’ Choice Award Winner- Overall Excellence, Traditional American, Hidden Gem, Beer Selection, and Overall Value)
• Kathmandu Kitchen
• Little Aladdin
• Stix ‘n Stones

Windham

• A Mano Taco
• A Cupcake for LaterFiesta Cinco de Mayo
• The Fish Market (A Connecticut Magazine Reader’s Choice Award Winner-Best Seafood
• Garibaldis Restaurant
• Grounded Coffee Company
• Harp on Church
• Moodus BBQ
• Olympic Restaurant
• Pho Delight Thai Restaurant ((A Connecticut Magazine Readers’ Choice Award Winner-Best New Restaurant, Best Thai, Best Appetizers, Hidden Gem)
• Stone Row Kitchen + Bar (Connecticut Restaurant Association Best Restaurant Nominee and (A Connecticut Magazine Readers’ Choice Award Winner-Most Romantic, Outdoor Dining)
• Trigo Wood Fired Pizza
• Willimantic Brewing Company/Main Street Café (Connecticut Magazine Statewide Runner Up-Best Beer Selection, A Readers’ Choice Award Winner-Overall Excellence, Traditional American, Best Lunch)

"We are encouraged to have such a wide variety of restaurants and cuisines involved," said Cynthia van Zelm, the executive director of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, who coordinates economic development initiatives for the town of Mansfield. "We are equally encouraged to see how the community has stepped up to sponsor this event on behalf of our restaurants. This support demonstrates how businesses collaborate to ensure the region’s economic vitality is celebrated. And let’s face it—everyone loves to enjoy a delicious experience at the table."