Saybrook Point Resort & Marina Carries on a Welcoming Tradition

It’s impossible to think about the Saybrook Point Resort & Marina without thinking about the water. The Old Saybrook Resort sits at the mouth of the Connecticut River where it meets Long Island Sound providing a panoramic view of boats and sky and sea. No matter where you sit at Fresh Salt, the resort’s restaurant, your eyes will be drawn to that view. This wide-angle water view is also one of the reasons the location has been an attraction for…well…centuries.

Indigenous peoples harvested fish from its water and established a thriving culture prior to the arrival of the first European settlers in the early 1600s. Later the area became a shipyard and then beginning, all the way back in 1871, a hotel and restaurant called the Pease House. More recently but still quite a long time ago, in 1957 The Pease House was replaced by a new resort and marina called Terra Mar and became a famous attraction said to have been frequented by members of the Rat Pack who would arrive by boat from the Hamptons.

In 1980 the Tagliatela family took over the resort and gave it its current name. Today the family continues to run the resort and takes pride in providing visitors with memorable experiences.

“Hospitality means service with a smile,” says Stephen Tagliatela, managing partner of the resort who began working on the family business more than 30 years ago. “We believe in going above and beyond taking care of employees, who then take care of our guests. Our family has been in hospitality for three generations, and we pride ourselves on making our guests feel welcomed and wanting to return.”

“Our family has been in hospitality for three generations, and we pride ourselves on making our guests feel welcomed and wanting to return.” —Stephen Tagliatela

(top left)Lunch with a view of the harbor; (top right)fresh clams; (bottom left)the Choo Choo Lounge bar; perfect Manhattan with a side of water; (bottom right)aerial view of the resort. AERIAL SHOT COURTESY OF SAYBROOK POINT

This welcoming spirit may be one reason vacationers and locals continue to be drawn both to those water views and the establishment’s other attractions including its 102 rooms, most of which feature water views. One popular overnight destination is the Lighthouse Suite, a 900-square-foot waterside oasis that sits at the end of the marina docks and is open seasonally from May through October and was recently voted the most romantic place to stay in Connecticut, by Connecticut Magazine. There is also a full-service spa offering treatments in massage therapy, aesthetics, and a variety of seasonal specialties. Visitors to the spa get access to the resort’s two year-round pools, sauna, hot tub, and health club.

Recently the resort opened a new bar called the Choo Choo Lounge. The lounge is dominated by a striking “Les Zinc” pewter bar top made in France and murals painted by Connecticut artist Tony Falcone. Inspired by the late 1800s and early 1900s train travel to Old Saybrook, the lounge has a sleek cocktail bar feel that hearkens back to the resort’s Gilded Age history. It also offers more than 60 bourbons and ryes.

Then of course, there is the resort’s popular restaurant Fresh Salt, which features justplucked- from-the-water seafood alongside Italian and American specialties.

Fresh Salt opened in 2011 in replacement of the resort’s former restaurant which had kept its Terra Mar name. Fresh Salt’s manager Anna Lacoletti previously worked at Terra Mar and says Fresh Salt is more approachable. “Terra Mar was a location where customers would only dine on special occasions,” she says. “Once a year they would treat themselves.”

The goal at Fresh Salt was to keep the best elements of that fine dining experience but present it alongside more casual options in a more casual atmosphere. So now you’ll find a wide range of offerings from burgers and sandwiches to fine-dining fish and meat dishes.

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is its cioppino, an Italian American fish stew first made by Italian American immigrants in San Francisco. Fresh Salt’s take features a tomato sauce with the essence of lobster, fennel, and saffron, as well as a grab bag of seafood including mussels, squid, and shrimp.

Another longtime star of the restaurant is its raw bar. The secret of its success is the relationship the restaurant has with local shellfish farmers. “We use a lot of Niantic Bay oysters,” says executive chef Jeffrey Renkl. “Niantic Bay is about 20 minutes from here and when we order our oysters, they're usually delivered the same day they were in the water, and we get those a couple of times a week. So those are extremely fresh, and they're a beautiful oyster.”

The Niantic Oysters are known for their bright character and medium salinity. “It's not overly briny, and there's a nice sweetness to them,” Jeff says. “There's no muddiness to them. They always have a very fresh, clean flavor.”

Other shellfish offered at the restaurant are sourced as locally as possible, from providers in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, or occasionally a little further afield someplace like Maine.

Garnishing the Fresh Salt Chowder

Another popular dish is the “Fresh Salt Chowder”, a combination of the creamy New England clam chowder and the clear Rhode Island variant of the dish. Fresh Salt’s take combines the best strengths of both chowder styles in one steaming bowl.

This food is complemented by a strong bar program that is known for wellexecuted classics like the Martini and Manhattan. Beyond these food and drink attractions, however, there is s warmth that draws people to the resort. One of Stephen’s fondest memories of running the resort came in its early days. Katherine Hepburn was having a wedding and needed guestrooms prior to the resort’s 1980 opening in its current form. Stephen took her on a hard hat tour of the hotel before it opened. When it came time to tour the resort’s upper floors, she was offered the elevator, but true to her classic fiery and independent style, she insisted on taking the stairs. Hepburn became an enduring fan of the place and would routinely have her out-of-town guests stay there, Stephen recalls.

Regulars and repeat customers are still a big component of the resort’s success. For instance, Anna is the face of Fresh Salt and is constantly interacting with regulars and newcomers. Her co-workers repeat the phrase “everybody loves Anna,” so often that they joke it should be the title of a sitcom.

“Customers come here, and they always ask for me, they look for me, and they even call me at home for suggestions!" she says.

There’s also a sense of excitement that runs through the place.

On a recent visit on a Friday afternoon, a family could be seen carrying luggage to the docks clearly embarking on an overnight boat voyage. Another large group of friends had traveled to the resort from Boston and were meeting up for a pre-happy hour drink at Fresh Salt— their genuine joy at seeing each other added to the charm of the place, building on the enjoyable food and drink. And then, of course, there’s always that water view.

• Saybrook Resort & Marina is located at 2 Bridge Street, Old Saybrook.
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