https://www.henofthewood.com/
What we ordered:
- Parker House Rolls with cultured butter and sea salt – $7
- These 4 rolls were sweet, pillowy, chewy, doughy – all you would expect from a Parker House roll, with the added richness of cultured butter and topped with flaky sea salt.
- Squash Scarpinocc with brown butter, apple, and pumpkin seeds – $15
- Scarpinocc is a very unique shape of filled pasta, and these were delightful. The edges held a slight crunch for texture, while the middles were tender and filled with a very silky squash filling. They came in a citrusy cream sauce with tiny cubes of fresh-tasting pumpkin. They were very good, though we don’t recall there being any pumpkin seeds on the one that we got.
- Duck Breast with winter squash, delicata, and pickled cranberries – $34
- The duck breast was served a beautiful medium-rare with the crispiest, most smoky, rich skin. They cut crosshatching into it and the result was an amazing, almost bacon-tasting layer to accompany the meatiness of the duck breast. It was plated upon a squash puree which was delightful. The pickled cranberries provided a great compliment to cut through the fat and provide a high note that was not too sour. The roasted delicata added to the depth that the duck brought.
- Creamy Polenta with smoked cheddar – $8
- The creamy polenta was just that – extremely creamy. The smoked cheddar was an amazing flavor and the dish just melted in your mouth.
- Chocolate Torte with hazelnut meringue, ganache, and coffee mousse – $11
- This chocolate torte was amazingly silky and had an incredible initial hit of espresso that faded into a very rich, quality chocolate. There were candied hazelnuts that provided a nice nuttiness and crunch and the chocolate ganache was a great addition. Overall, not too sweet and a very composed dessert.
The Verdict
Hen of the Wood is a great place to get a well-thought-out composed meal for only a slightly higher price than your typical Waterbury restaurant. Their online ordering was very easy and provided a no-contact pick up, which is great. They are a great option when you want to have something fancy but don’t want to completely break the bank doing so. We highly recommend them, although we can acknowledge that their menu is pretty limited, so it may not be a great place to get food for a larger gathering, as there may not be something for everyone depending on everyone’s palates.
They do have another location in Burlington, which we have not been to, so while we assume it would be a similar experience, we cannot directly speak to that location.