Dinner is Served

BUILDING ON SUCCESS OF BRISTOL’S PARKSIDE CAFE, CAFÉ 2 NORTH AT CEDAR LAKE IN WOLCOTT OFFERS A COMPLETE DINING EXPERIENCE

There was a time when everyone thought restaurateur John “J.R.” Rusgrove was a bit crazy to open a breakfast-and-lunch place off the beaten path in Bristol’s Federal Hill area.

“No one will find it,” “Who’s going to drive all the way to Bristol for breakfast?” and “There’s too much competition from the chains on Route 6” were the comments and criticisms as the self-taught chef launched his culinary career.

Years after that launch, and years after racking up a wall full of “best of” awards and online kudos for his Parkside Cafe, Rusgrove is doing it again, this time in a small plaza storefront in Wolcott at Café 2 North at Cedar Lake.

Opening their new restaurant this past fall, Rusgrove and wife Leeanne are not only offering yet another off-the-radar spot for better-than-good, eye-appealing breakfasts and lunches, but at long last, offering a sophisticated dinner service.

“I always wanted to offer dinners,” says Rusgrove, whose limited space and parking in Bristol made it nearly impossible. “I had the chance when I opened Garnish in Forestville,” he says, referring to a short-lived, dinner-only eatery he attempted a few years ago. “But the kids were still small, and trying to run two places, it just wasn’t our time then.”

Tucked away in a plaza on the cusp of Cedar Lake, Café 2 North is an even cozier version of Rusgrove’s Bristol eatery. Neutrals rule the décor and there is just one television, tuned to soothing music and seasonal scenes rather than the sports of the day. A few booths and tables provide comfortable, intimate seating. The dinner menu ranges from simple fare to flat breads to entrées that allow Rusgrove and executive chef Matthew McFadden to go above and beyond in the kitchen.

The C2N meatloaf is not your mama’s comfort food beef loaf. Wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon, the Café 2 North version features a sweet-and-spice glaze, served on a bed of garlic red mashed potatoes and baby carrots. New Brunswick salmon is tastefully dressed in a pomegranate horseradish glaze, while Amber’s pork shoulder boasts a cider and port wine braising. (The pork dish is named after Amber Buczko, the daughter of Rusgrove’s longtime linen driver, Walter Buczko. Amber was killed last fall in a crash in Coventry.)

Entrées, which range from $15 to $26, also include a flank steak with an interesting and tasty Brussels sprout and applewood bacon slaw. Soups include the smooth house-made French onion and always a special of the day. The New England harvest salad features roasted beets, blue cheese, baby greens and apples as well as the Café 2 North signature salad of field greens, carrot noodles and hard-cooked egg, topped with cabernet dressing.

Desserts are prepared on site and include the signature C2N bread pudding with white and dark chocolate, raspberry coulis and Nutella.

While breakfast and lunch are served every day, dinner is Wednesday through Saturday only, for now.

“We didn’t know what to expect when we opened here,” says Rusgrove. “The first couple of days we were open for breakfast and lunch we had people come in, but it wasn’t everyone flocking to our doors.”

But there is nothing like word of mouth and social media such as Facebook and Instagram. Within a week, Rusgrove had lines waiting for the place to open in the morning. And on the first night of dinner service — a usually dead Wednesday the week between Christmas and New Year’s — he was serving a full house.

The new place is catching on fast in an area where dining options are pretty limited even though it is within minutes of the Route 69 Bristol town line as well as the Southington, Plainville and Waterbury areas. Rusgrove sees the opportunity.

“I am already planning on taking over some of the space next door in a couple of months,” the self-taught chef notes as he prepares to expand his 55-seat restaurant to about 85 seats. “I want to have a bigger waiting area for people and add more booths as well as a bigger service bar,” he explains. And that’s not all. Plans for the spring include an outdoor patio area, another amenity lacking in most of the restaurants in the area.

Set in his ways when it comes to his restaurants, Rusgrove’s business model is trendy casual dining with a fine-dining twist.

“We are not a 30-page-menu kind of place,” says Rusgrove. “I see this place as the one where I can satisfy my culinary curiosity, try things out that I think have merit, make something new, take chances,” he says. “And I want my guests to come along and enjoy that tasty ride.”

Hours: Breakfast and lunch: Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-2 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-1 p.m., dinner: Wed.-Sat. 5-10 p.m.