In Our Winter 2022 Issue
The holiday season brings with it a series of annual traditions: feasts with friends and family (with no shortage of eating too much), gift giving (and receiving), celebratory gatherings with those wh...
Community Cafes
Two Longstanding Small-Town Cafe Owners Talk Legacy, Longevity, and Community
Is there anything better during the winter than the aroma of cooking or baking emanating from a warm kitchen? There are two spots in Litchfield County that have continued to keep a pot warm for the community for decades, and despite a changing of the guard, The Pantry in Washington Depot and John’s Cafe in Woodbury continue to keep regulars happy with delicious, homemade staples and a cozy place to commune.
At each landmark location, current owners not only took the reins at the head of the table, but as former employees, knew well what each establishment means to the locals. Chef Keith Bisciotti and Zoe Velush-Rogers of The Pantry and Chef Dennis DeBellis of John’s Cafe accepted the challenge of ownership and now work to keep the spirit of the original eateries alive, all while giving them a new life.
True to its name, The Pantry has a little bit of everything in it. A customer’s nose may lead them to the counter, where popular pies are fresh out of the oven, or where the long list of soups sit bubbling on the stove; or their eyes may lead them to the wall-to-wall kitchen gadgets and tools for sale that decorate the circumference of the room. In the center of it all, however, are simple little tables and chairs, inviting customers to stay awhile. “It feels like you are in someone’s kitchen,” says one visitor. “I’m happy to hear that, because that’s exactly what we were going for,” admits Zoe Velush-Rogers, who co-owns the restaurant with partner Chef Bisciotti.
The couple met while working at The Pantry for several years, Velush-Rogers as Front of the House Manager, and Bisciotti as Chef. “Spending nearly 24 hours a day with your significant other isn't for everyone, and it isn't always perfect, but it works for us,” she says. Growing up in food-centric families, then working for long-time owners, Michael and Nancy Ackerman (who, themselves, had graduated from Pantry staff to ownership some years prior), the young couple fell into their new role naturally.
Business ownership and management is often a daunting enterprise, but their time working in Washington armed them with an awareness of the restaurant’s essential place in the town’s community and history and an understanding that it would support them, even as the previous owners retired. “Washington is a very special community, and we love feeling like a hub and a part of its history,” Velush-Rogers says. One benefit of that history is the forging of customer bonds that have grown over decades. “We have third generations coming into the restaurant, which is so special. [It’s] an exciting place to be cooking; our customers have a diverse range of palates, and they frequently request foods that become favorite dishes here.”
While the history of the cafe is core to its identity, becoming owners has allowed Velush-Rogers and Bisciotti to bring some of their own ideas to the forefront. In addition to renovating the interior and updating the logo, they’ve begun to put their name on a line of specialty items. Chef Bisciotti has created a line of sauces that include Keith’s Memphis Style BBQ, Keith’s Creamy Caesar, Keith’s House Ketchup, and more. They also have their own line of sorbets and dairy-free ice cream, now sold in their freezer year round. From flavors like Toasted Coconut and Strawberry Balsamic to Pear Wild Fennel Pollen and Blood Orange Vanilla Bean, customers will surely find a flavor unlike those found in their nearby grocery store. They have even collaborated with Washington’s own organic, micro coffee roastery, Zero Prophet Coffee, on a coffee blend for the cafe and an ice cream flavor. Although Washington is a town decidedly rooted in tradition, changes like these have been enthusiastically embraced by regulars, reaffirming The Pantry’s longstanding position in the community.
> The Pantry: 5 Titus Rd., Washington Depot
Just 20 minutes southeast along Main Street South in Woodbury, sits John’s Cafe, another beloved staple of the area. Long considered the antique capital of Connecticut, Woodbury has managed to carve out a little food-centric nook amidst the historic shops and inns drawing tourists from every direction.
Like The Pantry, John’s Cafe is owned and managed by a former staff member. Chef Dennis DeBellis has been at the helm at John’s for the past seven years but first began working at the restaurant in 2000 as the sous chef for previous owner, William Okesson. Prior to making his home at John’s, Chef DeBellis studied at the Culinary Institute of America, then worked at the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington under Chef John Farnsworth. The education DeBellis says he received under Farnsworth’s tutelage is echoed in the kitchen today at John’s Cafe, from the manner in which he runs his kitchen to the way he treats his staff. “I saw him be the first one into work and, oftentimes, the last one out,“ DeBellis recalls. “He taught me the right way to hold yourself in a professional kitchen and how to treat the dishwashers or how to respect the ingredients. I still hear his voice saying, ‘treat the dishwasher like he’s your best friend.’”
Speaking of best friends, the ambiance at John’s Cafe feels like the type of place where good friends gather to eat well and enjoy a glass of wine. Don’t let the white tablecloths fool you — the atmosphere is refined yet approachable. Diners will find an array of gems on the menu that range from dressed-up fare, like steak frites, grilled pork chops, and ice cream profiteroles, to New England and Italian-American comfort foods, like chowder, fresh ricotta cheese pizza, arancini, and one of their most popular dishes, the “Sunday Gravy” with house made rigatoni and a meatball and Italian sausage ragù.
Transitioning from staff to owner has meant that DeBellis can’t always be the one at the stove, preparing the dishes — a task he admits to missing — yet he is fulfilling a life-long dream of owning his own place. He appreciates that he is able to explore new culinary options for the cafe’s evolving menu, though he’s sure not to let it stray too far from the menu standards that are favorites with many of the restaurant’s regular patrons. “We have so many regulars,” he says, “and I’ve gotten to know their orders so well that, when I see a ticket come up in the kitchen with special requests, I don’t even have to ask the server who it’s for.”
The pandemic brought incredible challenges to John’s Cafe. Amidst these, DeBellis found renewed gratitude for the restaurant’s regulars, many of whom continued to patronize the establishment once or twice a week. “When we got shut down for Covid and were take-out only,” DeBellis says, “some people treated me and the restaurant like we were family members — like they felt obligated to help out — and that is something that we are so grateful for.”
Many ask Chef DeBellis if he’s the “John” of John’s Cafe, and if not, why he hasn’t changed the name. Although he’s very proud to steer the ship and create a menu that balances his voice as a chef with that of the original restaurant, he doesn’t feel a name change is necessary. “The loyals love John’s. For now, I see no reason to mess with that.”
> John's Cafe: 693 Main St. South, Woodbury
The owners of The Pantry and John’s Cafe are guided by the passion and warmth that comes from nurturing a community with really good, local food; in turn, those communities recognize the warmth each establishment brings, and even though the original owners are no longer in the forefront, the spirit that first opened their doors continues to this day.
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