Market Place Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Woodbury

Let me just being here with 2 quick disclaimers, as this place seems to be known for both, but I won't be touching on either.

I don't really care about the whole "farm to table thing", honestly...if it tastes good, I'm going to stuff it into my face hole. That being said, apparently, they do that really well here.

I don't really care about the whole gluten-free thing. I love gluten, and again...if it's good, it's going in the face hole. That being said, they clearly cater to that demographic here, and the menu makes it simple to make a choice that fits your dietary needs.

Okay, now that we got that out of the way! The wife and I had heard plenty of good things about the Marketplace and had been meaning to get down there at some point. The 21st wedding anniversary seemed like the perfect excuse to treat ourselves. We secured another couple to tag along and went ahead and made the reservation, online...through Yelp! Which was awesome by the way.

We arrived for our 6pm reservation on a Saturday and I was pretty surprised that the parking lot was so empty. From what I've heard and read, the place jams on the weekends. More on that later. We were greeted at the door by a super friendly hostess who showed us to our table in the bar area. Some here have mentioned that the bar area was loud and not a really good place to enjoy dinner, but honestly, we thought the opposite. Even by the time we were done and the bar had filled up a bit, we were still okay with the sound level and actually it was kind of fun watching the bartenders making the fancy drinks. Speaking of fancy drinks....

We decided to start with a round of fancy drinks and some appetizers. Honestly, I have no idea what we ordered drink-wise, but they were freaking amazing and worth every penny. For apps the wife and I went with the oysters and our friends opted for the charcuderie platter. I've always been big on the theory that the appetizers will be a good indication of what's in store food-wise. If the apps are a slam dunk, the entrees are likely to be the same. In the case of both of these options, slam dunk. Amazing.

For entree's, I decided to low-ball it and go with a steak sandwich. The wife opted for a crab-encrusted halibut special, and our friends also opted to order off the special menu; one scallop dish and one risotto dish. I'm not going to go on and on about how good the food was...I mean, I could, but there's really no need. The food was a 10/10 across the board. Even my lowly steak sandwich was possibly the best I've ever had. We all were very generous with the sharing and tasting and there wasn't one negative comment about any of it. Seriously, amazing.

Service was also on point, no complaints at all. Waiter, bus people, food runners were all awesome and super attentive. About as good as it gets honesty.

Price-wise it's like this: If you go and order a sandwich and sodas, you'll be happy and get out of there pretty cheap, if you are like us and order a few fancy drinks and fancy entree's, it's going to be a little pricey. But at the Market Place (unlike some places), it's worth it, and you'll get what you pay for. Either way, get down there and give them your business, they're doing it right.

(Just as an aside: By the time we finished our meals and walked out at around 7:30, the place was PACKED, and there looked to be a decent back log of people waiting to sit. Make reservations, or get there early. Also, for you ladies out there, apparently they hire waiters straight out of an Abercrombie catalog. While this made my friend and I feel a bit inadequate, the wives...

The Market Place Kitchen and Bar is a regional Farm to Table restaurant chain with five restaurants throughout Connecticut. It specializes in Farm To Table dining, to include seafood, meat, poultry, pasta, salads, and other choices.

Our party chose to dine at the Woodbury branch on a Friday evening, and due to the rather late hour (approximately 9:15) we had plenty of tables from which to choose. Our pleasant server served us some beverages while we decided what to eat from the menu, which offered a variety of dishes. Market Place offers small plates, shared plates, boards, seafood, meat, poultry, and pasta.

Not in the mood for a large meal, I chose the Short Rib Focaccia, consisting of beef short rib, caramelized onions, white cheddar and provolone cheese, natural jus dipping sauce, and a large cup of fries. The meal was delightful, with the focaccia fresh and the beef very tender.n The au jus wasn’t your standard “brown water” type, but a rich, reddish sauce that was tangy and mouthwatering. The fries were also pleasing.

The Butternut Squash Ravioli, however, was disappointing. The dish consisted of roasted butternut squash and sage brown butter in a creamy gorgonzola sauce, sprinkled with walnut gremolata. The problem with the meal was that the sauce drowned out the squash and ravioli. Overall, it lacked a balance of flavor.

The restaurant’s exterior is a barn-like structure. The wooden interior is very spacious, with a vaulted ceiling supported by wooden beams, and illuminated by string lights and hanging lamps throughout the dining area. From where we were sitting, we had a glimpse into the kitchen. The establishment is very clean and inviting.

The Market Place Kitchen and Bar offers a varied selection with a rustic atmosphere. The service is decent, and the place has a distinct charm. Although the pasta dish was wanting, it shouldn’t deter those looking for...

Delivery order in April 2022. The Airline Chicken and Veggie Poke Bowl are just amazing. I've had them before and keep coming back for more. I could eat them every day. And because each of these servings is worth about three meals for me, I will be for the near future!

The chicken is cooked perfectly, as well as the fingerling potatoes. The gravy is nice and light and you can spice it up as much as you want, but I think it's great on its own. The pea pods are nice, plump and crunchy aside the perfectly-done carrots.

The Vegetable Poke bowl is something that I discovered at Market Place. Their sticky rice is the correct texture and not starchy. The magic they spin with the vegetables is something I can't understand. An alchemy that will leave you swooning. Who needs dessert?

Delivery order, just exquisite!

Have a Lobster Bisque, Rigatoni Bolognese, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Side Salad, Bread and Pecan Pie with Pumpkin Ice Cream. I've tried everything except the Pecan Pie so far, and just needed to review because I'm so pleased!

This is the best dinner I've had in a long, long time. I wouldn't make these items for myself, so I can appreciate the effort that goes into making them. I'm a fussy person, and it was well worth the price to me. I actually have enough for about three or four meals for myself.

The hostess at Market Place, Wendy, was great to work with and went above and beyond to help me.

Home delivery May 26, 2022 Ordered the Ahi Tuna-Avocado Sushi Roll. I've never had anything like it and I find it fascinating. I don't know what the tuna is wrapped in, but it's so delicious. Maybe it's soy paper and I'm not familiar. Underneath a centerpiece hill of coral-pink ginger (with optional crushed peanuts on the side), sits a nice pile of delicate ramen noodles combined with shredded vegetables. This is definitely a dish for two, and everyone...