"She's got a set of gills, like no fish I've ever seen Long…read moreblonde hair and a tail in between I'm in love with a creature from the sea And she's bringin' out the crustacean in me " (Jimmy Buffett) To The Gills brings "fresh hand cut seafood to Litchfield County, CT". They share a funky space with New Curds on the Block cheese shop in an old brick mill building. We climbed a rickety wood staircase in the back of the building to get into the shops. Don't enter through the front of the building or you'll end up in a karate dojo. They sell super fresh fish and shellfish - Atlantic Salmon, Yellowfin Tuna, Black Sea Bass (MA). Blackfish, Sardines, Pink Shrimp, Scallops, Soft Shell Crabs, Steamers, Littleneck Clams, Gem Clams, PEI Mussels, and Crab Cakes. You can order online and pick up at their Oakville Shop, Bantam Farmer's Market, or Washington Depot Farmer's Market. We swung by yesterday and had a hard time deciding what to buy. I was tempted by the soft-shell crabs because I never had them before. But ultimately, I chickened out and went for three of their big crab cakes. They were $7 each and worth every dime. They weighed in at 4 ounces and were PACKED with crab meat and very little breading or filling. A few minutes in the air fryer at 350 and they were as good as any I've ever had. As I said, they share retail space with the New Curds on the Block cheese shop (after all, the two owners are married), and after we bought the crab cakes, a wedge of Dutch Knuckle cheese, a tin of smoked mussels, some addictive Maple Toffee Almonds, all of the purchases rang up on a combined receipt.

ORIGIN: Zachary Redin, with fifteen years as an Institute of…read moreCulinary Education-trained chef and fishmonger, opened To the Gills in 2022. The shop's name refers to an idiom that is used to express something being completely full. CONCEPT: The shop provides a curated collection of seafood, and associated seasonings, to Litchfield County. LOCATION: To the Gills shares a second floor corner suite with a cheese shop and knife sharpener. The suite is located in a building that long served as the site for Seymour Smith garden tool manufacturing. AMBIANCE: The shop is decorated with many unique items, such as an old cash register and oven. Tremendous windows line the time-worn brick walls of the former factory which had been built in the early 20th century. FOOD: The shop sells custom poke bowls and prepared chowder, crab cakes, and seaweed salad for quick meals. Shellfish, fin fish, smoked fish, and seafood seasonings are also sold, including uncommonly found fish such as parrot fish. SERVICE: Service is friendly and knowledgeable. TIPS: To the Gills also sells through the Washington Farmers' Market during warm weather Saturdays. There is no seating in the building, but there is a gazebo with two outdoor dining chairs and a side table in the parking lot. Neighboring Steel Creek has a bench overlooking the bridge. There is no elevator in the building. The second floor can be reached via an outdoor ramp that stretches across one side of the L-shaped building. To the Gills periodically serves raw oysters at neighboring Lasting Brass Brewery. Check the brewery's event calendar. To the Gills occasionally arranges informative events at the shop. In November I participated in a caviar tasting event in which eight different fish roes that are sold at the shop were featured and their provenance described. Follow the shop's Instagram account for future event announcements. A cheese shop (New Curds on the Block) and blade/knife sharpener are located in same suite.

From the moment we walked in, everything was en pointe. A Friday afternoon 2pm, not busy which was…read moreperfect for us since we were hungry and didn't have a lot of time to spare. Ordered and food delivered within 10 minutes, granted it was off hours, but we were pleased. My partner & I ordered some things to share. Buffalo wings were exceptional-crispy and a nice spice that had just the right amount of bite. Figgy Piggy with a burger. Insanely tasty. Burger cooked to perfection, fig jam gave it a nice sweetness, the bacon was really crispy, and the sourdough was perfect. Served with house made fries/chips that were a great accompaniment. Meatballs, where do I begin? First, we had to take them to go because we were already too full. 3 large meatballs in a cute cast iron skillet with a generous amount of marinara sauce and melted mozzarella. Served with 3 giant wedges of pizza to sop up that sauce or make a lil sandwich. Delicious, every last morsel. Highly recommend. Not a large menu which is refreshing and what they've chosen to serve is done with care from the kitchen. Cute bar area for cocktails too. Oh and the other great thing.... Kenny our server was a joy AND they have really nice and clean bathrooms.

The restaurant is in a corner slot with limited parking in the parking lot so keep that in mind if…read moreyou have physical limitations you may need to park on the street further away. The inside is large ! They accept reservations which is great. The restaurant is lit nicely and dining room is clean. In this past visit the waitress did not introduce herself, ask if we need help on the menu or welcome us to the restaurant. I would say the waitress was the only disappointment that night, especially getting our check before asking if we wanted anything else. Moving onto the food- claps for the chef !!! The appetizer of crispy Brussels sprouts was the best choice! Perfectly crisp but not burnt. Hot honey, soft/mild goat cheese, crispy bacon.. you just can't stop eating it. I went with the lemon shrimp pasta and it did not disappoint!! Just enough cream with a hint of lemon that wasn't overpowering. The shrimp were large and succulent. Plus the fresh pasta-ahhh so good I was saying mhmmm every bite!! My friend got the sweet heat pizza on a cauliflower crust. She enjoyed it but criticized that the crust was not evenly crunchy and there was a lot of flop. The spice level was on point though. We both had cheesecakes which were good. Not the best I had but good to finish with a nice dessert. The drinks were worth every penny!! I gave it 4 stars because of the service that night between dirty dishes not being removed from our table, to not being checked upon to finally getting a check without being asked if we want anything else. Had service gone better I would definitely give them 5 stars. The food really is high quality!

I was pleasantly surprised by this place. You don't expect amazing food from a place attached to a…read moremall, but this was. I ordered two pounds of crawfish and one pound of snowcrab legs. Everything was piping hot and delicious. I really don't know what else to say. Eating giant crawfish in November is amazing. I'm looking forward to going again!

Although they serve other food items their seafood boils are definitely the star of the show. I…read morehave been coming here for several years and the waitstaff is always great as well as the ambience.

Excellent good as well as service, had the chicken Frances's which was awesome, service was great…read moreas well. Thank you we will be back.

Visiting a friend in Waterbury & not wanting to have lunch in an urban area, we ventured out to…read moreOakville to visit Roma Ristorante. In a great location with its own parking lot, Roma Ristorante also has a nice bar that was busy serving drinks & lunch entrees to patrons on this Thursday afternoon. We chose the dining room off the bar for a quieter experience. Roma is best described as providing elevated Italian-American cuisine. The garlicky broccoli rabe, grilled sausage & fried potatoes with long hots was an ample starter for two. Bread basket filled with real Italian bread. My entree of Chicken Milanese with an up charge side of linguine in marinara was great as was my friend's Arthur Avenue sized Italian cold cut sandwich accompanied by what looked to be fresh sliced french fries - which we found addictive. The only pedestrian selections were their Wines by the glass & the chocolate cake. Our visit accommodated our need for a turn up of the a/c & that made us very happy.

The oxtail was cooked to perfection and not over salted or over seasoned. Every bite was perfect…read more All the flavors of meshed exceptionally well, with the rice and beans and cabbage veggies. Goat curry had an excellent spice, very curry forward. So much that it stained around my mouth and fingers. Cute casual restaurant, def a gem.

Always a great stop and to see what's today's yummy meal but, always the pasta pasta, Rasta pasta…read moreRasta pasta is the way to go bad day Rasta Pasta good day Rasta Pasta just works. Jerk wings, soup, and patties. The owner is lovely and the staff they have right now are lovely. That's all I got nice clean smiling faces I like it.

The ambiance was great. The waitresses and waiters were awesome. The service was fantastic and the…read morefood was out of this world delicious. Definitely would go back and they have gluten free options which is a must in my celiac world. Cannot say enough about this place. One needs to visit to experience the best tasting food in the area. Thank you for your great service and staff.

Don't come if you're Black! They make it clear that you're not welcome so definitely don't trust…read morethem to provide an unadulterated meal to you and your family. Wait staff ignores you and you won't be seated. Take your Black dollars where you're appreciated but not here.

El Cardenal has become one of my new go-to spots. The food is delicious and comes out quick, the…read moredrinks are great and always flowing, and the staff is awesome! I highly recommend the macho burrito, tacos al pastor, and the birria tacos. Definitely come check it out, especially on Wednesday nights for trivia!

Food and services were great! Would definitely return! I went on a Friday for lunch and appreciated…read moreeverything.

Always fresh Always Delish! 5 star staff Zuppa di peshe fra diavlo is amazing! Portion size is very…read moregenerous!! Complementary mussles and bruchetta

Amazing portions on frying pans and great food. Eating here is an experience. Hard to get a…read morereservation on a weekend so if possible try to come on a weeknight