Congratulations to the winning restaurants!

Can't afford to eat at Good News Cafe, too expensive.

My husband and I went there a few years ago and walked out on what we now call the "Bad News Cafe". We were ignored by the waitstaff. Maybe we looked like we couldn't afford the food.

We have tried many times to enjoy a meal from Carole Peck's, just don't understand the attraction. The food is mediocre at best. There are many other very good and unpretentious resaurants. Sal e Pepe is one of them. Actually Dotties Diner is also excellent.

Sal e Pepe was another restaurant that was mentioned in the article. It is on Route 25 in Newtown. 20 minutes from Southbury.
Another fantastic restaurant is GW Tavern in Washington Depot.

Sal e Pepe's is at 97 South Main St., #5, in Newtown.

Do you want a surprisingly good meal? Go to Inca's Peruvian restaurant, right here on Rte. 111 in Monroe. We are always amazed at how good the food is there! It is reasonably priced and always delicious. Try any of the steak dishes- you won't be disappointed!

From my experience, Connecticut Magazine's restaurant ratings are sketchy at best. We subscribed for years and are always up for a new restaurant experience. More times than not, we came away disappointed with the "Reader's Favorites." And curiously, there is not much disclosure in terms of how votes are collected. I think there may be some editor and magazine influence on the results.

As for this year, Good News Cafe is decent restaurant, but it's also pricey and a little stand-offish when you walk in the door. Linda is right on the money in her comments above.

Sake is also a good restaurant, but is pretty pricey. We tried El Coyote last night and thought it was average at best. Good salsa and chips. That Inca's place sounds interesting, Paula... Might have to give it a shot.

Tavern, blah. Very slow service and no personality... Pub 25, nice atmosphere and Lobster Mac & cheese AWESOME!

At Good News they give you water in a large bottle at your table. Then when the bill comes you realize they charged you $2 for it! But they reuse the bottle and refill them with tap water. There was an old cranky guy there maybe a GM or an owner but he was complaining/swearing about someone's kid being too loud. Seriously?? We were the only other people in that back room and not at all bothered by the joy the baby's laughter. I agree with JYD about there being an outside influence. They make a lot of things happen for their purposes and make a lot of things disappear (like certain things that should show up in the newspaper but don't for some reason). Refuse to give those kind of people money.

JYD - there is an urban legend around that all of the restaurant owners get as many copies of CT magazine that they can get their hands on and have their employees fill out the ballots. I know one inn here in Woodbury that did just that (4 or 5 years ago) and when they won best inn(or something like that) nobody could understand... so I wouldn't look into what the 'readers' of CT magazine have said. I also have to say Dottie's is better. Am not a fan of Zeeburger either. I guess I'm just a plain jane when it comes to food... LOL!

I have been going to Carol Pecks for the last 10 years or so and have NEVER had a bad experience with the food. I am surprised to hear these comments. Everywhere I go, I talk to people who agree, and say the food is great. The food is amazingly fresh. Like Carol said in the article, vegetarians do go there-I know a couple who goes because the veggies are that good. I love her signature coconut cake and all the treats in their cabinet. The staff is so friendly and is always trying to help, even when they are too busy to accommodate, they tried to make us comfortable for dinner in an area at the bar one night. They were super nice. And Carol is always approaching people, introducing herself. Knowing her reputation, it makes diners feel very appreciated. To me, she is a star of the food world.

I have never been a fan of Carol Pecks...however there is a restaurant in Woodbury that is outstanding that gets very little attention...Longwood Country Inn...one of the best kept secrets in Woodbury...great food& service... a real treat....
LGT