Sparrow Bar & Restaurant Opens in New Milford With Delicious Global Menu

Nestled in the hills of Litchfield County’s charming New Milford’s Bank Street is Sparrow Bar and Restaurant. John Bourdeau who’s been a fixture in the restaurant scene since opening Lucia Ristorante right next door, Main Street Grill in Watertown, and The Owl Wine & Food bar in nearby New Preston, has teamed up with Chef Mike Sorenson, formerly at the acclaimed Foundry Restaurant in Newtown. Here Bourdeau hangs up his chef’s hat and leaves the menu entirely up to Sorenseon who has created an eclectic, global selection with influences from South America to Asia. You won’t find specials on the menu as it tends to get changed up every few days.

Bourdeau who once owned a successful high end cabinetry business in New York City was greatly influenced by the food scene there and those exposures have parlayed into his, thus far, successful restaurant career. Sparrow, which has been open since mid-December, is already showing signs of success. “The response has been so overwhelming,” he told us. “People come in to check us out and then return with friends.” He’s modest with receiving compliments and credits his team, some of which have been with him for 15 years, since his Lucia days. “The restaurant isn’t mine, it’s ours,” he explains. 

The restaurant is large enough to feel as though you’re not dining on top of your neighbors and small enough to feel cozy. The inside seats 45 with an additional 45 seats outside during the warmer seasons. A separate private dining space will accommodate 50 for a sit down dinner and 75 for a more casual standing event. The walls proudly displays art from local artists and, whenever he can, he sources ingredients from local vendors including a mushroom forager and a local baker by the name of Bob who bakes their rye bread. All other breads are baked in house. 

Sparrow’s bar program features select craft and classic cocktails including a properly made Manhattan and creative cocktails which reflect the menu’s global inspirations. Tokyo features lemongrass infused vodka, green tea kombucha, Midori and apricot jam which rounds out the flavors nicely. Sao Paolo’s earthy flavors and pinkish colors come from beet juice along with ypioca cachaça, cane syrup and muddled lime. Don’t let the word beet worry you – According to Bourdeau, even those who profess to hate the plump purple vegetable are quite taken with this beverage. London’s lavender hue is as soothing to look at as the flavors are on the tongue. Made with Nolet’s gin, Earl Grey, crème de violette, velvet falernum and egg white with an end result that’s smooth and delicate. As more and more are preferring to stay away from the hard stuff, Sparrow has an impressive Zero Proof selection of mocktails. The Nojito was made with lime, simple syrup and mint was zesty and refreshing. A handpicked and impressive selection of wine offers enough options to remain creative.

For those preferring to sit at the bar and wanting a little something to nosh on without eating a full meal, Sparrow’s The very limited double secret bar menu should have something that will pique your interest. The Caviar Grilled cheese seemed intriguing with a flavor profile was interesting and unexpected. The caviar, the rye and “all the fancy cheese” created an ooey-gooey-crispy-crunchy-soft-and-chewy-decadent-meets-nutty-earthy-sour-and-salty for a fun and tasty treat.

On the menu you’ll find starters ranging from a Kimchi focaccia (DO NOT miss this) to start to Okonomiyaki onion rings, Chili Crunch Shrimp to Tuna Tataki. Mains include Strip Steak Frites, Local Mushroom Bibimbap, Pan Roasted Cod and Fried Chicken. An assortment of salads and sandwiches like the Smashburger and Harissa Hot Chicken to tacos like Chicken Tinga and Roasted Mushroom. In addition to the diverse flavor profiles, there are also a slew of gluten-free and vegetarian options.

The mushroom potstickers made with miso, local mushrooms and fruikake were soft, tender and generously filled with the earthy vegetables in a hearty broth featuring a complex, savory umami flavor. A crispy onion ring is always a winner in my book, but the Japanese-influenced Okonomiyaki Onion Rings brought this to another level. Panko fried with okonomi sauce, kewpie mayo, scallion and furikake adds a fun and creative touch. The Tuna Tataki’s seared tuna with rice, tempura crumble sambal aioli, sweet soy, rice and furikaki is a bowl of comfort dressed up. The sweet and salty complemented the spicy kick of the sambal offering a wonderful, thorough flavor profile. A selection of tacos – beer battered cod, roasted mushroom, chicken tinga, and beef barbacoa reflect the restaurant’s global flavors, each one shining with an unexpected flavor combination. I would also suggest you do not miss the bold flavors of chef’s Chili crunch shrimp with peanuts, chili crunch, pickled chiles, local basil, nuoc cham, scallion, cilantro, and sesame.

As we move on to larger plates, we were pleasantly surprised to find one of the best smash burgers we’ve had in CT, with chef’s signature “comeback sauce,” -a perfectly cooked double patty with American cheese. And the Banh Mi speaks to Sparrow’s love for Asian flavors with succulent griddled pork, smoked pork pate, sambal mayo, daikon, carrot, cucumber, pickled chiles, cilantro, nuoc cham on the classic French baguette.
The vibrant flavors of the evening were completed with a decadent flourless chocolate cake accompanied by coffee mushroom ice cream. Yes, you read that correctly. This final unexpected pairing took us quite by surprise. The coffee flavor was more prominent of the two but the earthiness of the mushroom offered a welcome supporting role which worked beautifully with the chocolate.

For many of us Sparrow in New Milford is a destination spot. It’s surrounded by lovely shops and the scenic, bucolic drive with verdant fields, farms dotted by horses and cows and quaint antique houses make for a wonderful road trip. 

Sparrow Bar and Restaurant

31 bank street
NEW Milford, ct 06776
860-799-7111