Farm-fresh food, creative libations, and a 120-year-old train depot turned restaurant
bring locals and tourists alike to the charming Windsor Station
restaurant in Windsor, Vermont. Husband and wife Jon and Stacy Capurso
are the team behind the delicious food and appealing drinks—he is the
executive chef, and she is the front of the house operations manager.
Now starting their tenth year in business, the couple has found the
perfect recipe that brings diners back week after week for an
exceptional dining experience in a one-of-a-kind historic venue.
Jon
and Stacy have been Hartland residents for the last 21 years. Prior to
Windsor Station, they owned and operated the beloved Stella’s Restaurant
in Hartland for six years. Jon grew up in Rhode Island, Arizona, and
Texas, where food and cooking were always part of his family, dating all
the way back to bootlegging through his family’s restaurant during
Prohibition. Stacy grew up in the southern tier of New York. She was
raised in a strong Polish community where her mother hosted family
parties and her father owned a local bar. She graduated from Elmira
College with a double major in business management and economics.
“We
decided to buy the place because were looking for more of an evening
operation,” says Jon. “The space had been vacant for about two years. We
discovered it was available and put all the pieces together.”
A Modern Historic Space
In
the 1800s, Windsor was among one of the stops on the Vermont Central
Railroad due to its importance as a manufacturing town. After the
original station suffered extensive damage in a fire, the railroad built
this present Windsor depot in 1900, opening its doors on January 1,
1901. Located in the historic district of Windsor, it is on the National
Historic Register.
“At
the time, this was a modern building; it had electricity and hot
water,” says Jon. “They took the time and money to make it the
centerpiece of the town. And to us, it still is. The station was
restored and converted into a restaurant in 1977, but we have continued
to modernize it. We have put a lot of time, effort, and money into
preserving and renovating the building so it can function as a
restaurant but still be a historic space.”
Seasonal Food and a Nod to the Past
The
food at Windsor Station is often sourced locally and always fresh and
in season. “Being part of the Vermont Fresh Network, there is a
responsibility that we buy a good portion of our food from local sources
for better and higher quality,” says Jon. “We buy our provisions
locally such as beef, vegetables, honey, eggs, and maple syrup.”
The
menu is full of comfort food that is made completely in-house. Windsor
Station offers five to six fresh pastas every day, one of the aspects
that makes them special. A customer favorite is the Basin Street
Alfredo, made with chicken, andouille sausage, and shrimp in a Cajun
cream sauce with homemade linguine.
For
dessert, pastry chef Jenny Williams creates such indulgences as
maple-frosted carrot cake and chocolate cream pie, as well as seasonal
specials like dulce de leche cheesecake. And they always offer three
flavors of homemade ice cream and sorbet.
Many people
come in for the local craft beers and spirits and Stacy’s signature
libations. “All of our specialty cocktails have always featured Vermont
Spirits, and some I dedicate to the spirits of our past,” says Stacy.
“The martini named after Elijah West, who owned the old Windsor Tavern
in 1777 where 72 delegates met to form the Republic of Vermont, is
popular. We have one for Romaine Tenney, who in 1964 protested the
building of I-91 that cut right through his farm in Ascutney. The night
before they were due to bulldoze through his property, he burned it all
down with himself inside. In the original recipe I used Wild Hart
Distillery Burning Embers Vodka, switchel, and apricot juice and it was
topped with Alice & the Magician Bonfire Cocktail Aromatic, so you
can imagine the smell.”
Stacy
continues, “We did a lot of historical research when we bought the
restaurant, which has inspired these cocktails. One of our best sellers
is the Virgil Ferguson, named for the ghost who haunts the station. It
is made with Smugglers’ Notch bourbon, muddled oranges, rosemary, and
simple syrup topped with a rosemary honey spray.”
Jon
and Stacy admit there is a ghost who has been quiet for the last few
years. In the past, people have been shoved, paper towels in the ladies’
room have moved, and the door has locked itself from the inside. One
day the ghost spelled his name out on the Ouija board. Jon and Stacy did
some research and found out a Virgil Ferguson had died in a train
accident.
Unlimited Potential
Whether
for the food, the spirits, or the “spirits,” Windsor Station is a
success in the up-and-coming downtown. Jon is on the board of directors
for the Windsor Improvement Corporation and sees the potential that
Windsor has for more businesses in the center of town.
“The
future could include connecting the historic downtown area to the
Artisans Park where Harpoon, Simon Pearce, Silo Distilleries, and Blake
Hill Preserves are located. We would like to expand the business
potential for a proper downtown. Over the years our customer base has
expanded with locals and a spike in tourists and visitors to the area.
We are not that far off I-91, so we get people traveling through or
staying in the area. There’s unlimited potential for us and for downtown
Windsor.
“We
are creating a special experience here in Windsor,” says Jon. “What I
hear the most from people is how well the staff takes care of them and
makes them feel like family. They can get their favorite table, and the
staff knows their names, so they feel at home. Not a lot of places in
this area have what we have to offer. We focus on value, pair it with
quality, and give people what they want.” I
The Cecilia Gullivan Martini
A
popular cocktail that is currently on the list is Cecilia Gullivan.
Murdered in the early hours of Nov 7, 1926, she was an executive at
Windsor’s Cone Automotive. Wounds to her face were so severe that they
removed her head, preserved it in a jar, and put it on display as
evidence. Cecilia watched her own murder trial.
This
martini is made with Barr Hill Gin, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, basil
simple syrup, and grapefruit juice that are shaken and poured into a
martini glass. Metcalfe’s Raspberry Liqueur is added at the end so it
sinks to the bottom (like blood). It’s garnished with one Toschi cherry
on a pick that drips into the cocktail.
“One
night in July, descendants of Cecilia drove up from Massachusetts
specifically for the cocktail and had a wonderful time talking to their
server about it. They visited her grave and let us know that the head of
Cecilia had never been found. I just love this,” recounts Stacy.
Windsor Station
26 Depot Avenue
Windsor, VT
(802) 674-4180
