Ken and Chris Kitchings are ready to welcome guests to the Inn’s celebratory weekend.
The Old Lyme Inn and its on-site Jazz Club, The Side Door, at 85 Lyme Street in Old Lyme, invite the public to one great weekend, with two reasons to celebrate.
On Saturday, May 10, The Side Door will celebrate a one-year milestone of hosting talented jazz artists, each and every weekend throughout this first year. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. for a “birthday party” that includes free champagne toast, hearty hors d’oeuvres, and, of course … cake.
Performers taking the stage at 8:30 p.m. that night include jazz virtuosos, Larry Corvell, Buster Williams, Javon Jackson and Lenny White. Tickets are $75 each and may be purchased online at http://thesidedoorjazz.com. Seating is limited in this intimate club setting and early reservations are suggested.
For more information about the anniversary weekend performers visit, their websites at:
www.javonjackson.com www.larrycoryell.net
www.lennywhite.com www.busterwilliams.com
On Sunday, May 11, from noon to 7 p.m., the Old Lyme Inn will host moms and their families with a three-course meal from a specially prepared menu. Offering a fresh take on traditional favorites, including: oyster Rockefeller, filet of beef, passion fruit crème brulee, and many other options, mom will be assured an delicious experience filled with great memories.
To add to the occasion, and in recognition of our Jazz Anniversary Weekend, Guitarist Tommy Giarrantano will be entertaining in the lobby for the enjoyment of all guests to the Inn that afternoon. Seating is limited and reservations may be made online at http://oldlymeinn.com or by calling 860.434.2600. This three-course meal is prix fixe at $55 per person/$25 for children 12 and under.
To review the full Mother’s Day menu, visit http://oldlymeinn.com/restaurant/mothers-day
The view from the veranda at the Old Lyme Inn long ago.
The Old Lyme Inn building was constructed circa 1856 by the Champlain family. The 300-acre-estate was a working farm until the Connecticut Turnpike construction began in the early 1950s.
It once housed a riding academy, where Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reportedly took lessons. At the turn of the century, many of Old Lyme’s famous impressionist artists hauled their painting wagons into the beautiful fields and Connecticut woodlands behind the Inn. The Inn’s barn also served as a studio for artists from the Florence Griswold
When the turnpike arrived, the Champlain family home was sold and ultimately became the Barbizon Oak Inn. The Inn was named after the Barbizon School of painters, as well as the 300-year-old Oak tree located on a hill behind the Inn property. It was a friendly establishment with rooms for boarding.
In 1965, the building endured a major fire that ultimately closed the Barbizon Oak. With its staircase and interior walls destroyed and not replaced, it passed through the hands of new owners several years later that ultimately restored the building and deemed it the Old Lyme Inn.
In 2011, Ken and Chris Kitchings, long-standing members of the Old Lyme Community purchased the beautiful, but sadly neglected, Old Lyme Inn. Following an extensive and passionate renovation, the Kitchings have brought this icon back to life, providing the community with a place to eat, drink and celebrate.
The Sidedoor Jazz Club is the realization of a long cherished dream. Ken Kitchings has always been a true fan of jazz music and brought many great artists to The Garde Theatre in New London, CT during his time there.
Once the inn became an established part of the community, Ken set his sights on an unused “side door” space attached to the inn, visualizing the perfect jazz venue: intimate, welcoming, elegant and a quality, great sounding room in which the very best jazz artists would be happy to play.
George Wein cuts the ribbon to signify the opening of The Side Door while a delighted Ken Kitchings stands at right.
On May 10, 2013 its door and stage was opened by none other than the venerable George Wein and his Newport All Star band, cutting the ribbon and giving his blessing to an awestruck Ken Kitchings. This gala night opening set the standard and placed The Sidedoor firmly on the jazz venue map.
In likely one of the lowest turnouts on record, Lyme and Old Lyme voters passed the Region 18 budget by a substantial margin of 401 votes in both towns combined. The results showed 69 residents voted against the budget in Old Lyme and 21 in Lyme, while 258 supported it in Old Lyme and 143 in Lyme.
Fried Shrimp with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce