Zagat released partial results of their 2011/12 Connecticut Restaurants Survey this morning and Branford's Le Petit Cafe came out on top with an exemplary 29 (out of 30) Food score. Residents of Westport, Stamford and New Haven might squabble with a Branford restaurant taking the title, but the "down to earth" French dining destination has boasted a high-twenties rating for years. The New York Times even gushingly referred to Le Petit Cafe as "The Miracle on Montowese Street."
The tastemaking guide used information culled from 4,146 diners at 902 restaurants. Hartford's Polytechnic ON20, a lux outpost perched on the 20th floor of the Bedford Steam Boiler building, lorded over both the Decor and Service categories. New Haven's beloved Frank Pepe Pizzeria was recognized as Connecticut's most popular restaurant, a claim sure to be labeled dubious by fans of nearby rival Sally's Apizza.
Fairfield County wasn't totally ignored by voters: Westport's Boathouse at Saugatuck won Top Newcomer and Stamford's The Fez and SoNo's Red Lulu Cocina also fared well. Perhaps the most surprising news was that the average price of a meal in Connecticut stayed relatively unchanged, increasing only two cents from last year's poll to $37.73.
