New Eats in Windsor

Ever since Windsor Station Pub closed late last year, residents have bemoaned the absence of the casual eatery. Earlier this year, chef Todd Raymond checked out the former railroad station as a possible locale for his new farm-to-table café. He ended up choosing another spot, formerly occupied by the No Name Café.

If all goes according to plan, Raymond will open his Redhead Bistro [1] at 131 Main Street this December, promising a welcoming vibe and at least 80 percent of the fare sourced from local farms.

Raymond, who used to be executive chef for the Upper Valley mini-culinary empire Blue Sky Restaurant Group, says he thought it was time to strike out on his own. “I wanted to get back to real cooking and not just feeding the masses,” Raymond says of his previous job.

Now he’s busy planning an eclectic yet approachable menu based on whatever’s fresh, local and available. “One day you might see spring rolls on the menu, and on another, duck breast or filet mignon,” says Raymond, who wants to serve ethnic and vegetarian fare alongside dishes such as rack of lamb and a grass-fed-beef burger.

To that end, Raymond, a native of Burlington, has been building a network of farms: He’ll source meat from the Robie Farm in Piermont, N.H., and Jersey Girls Dairy in Chester, as well as chicken and eggs from a farm across the river in Cornish, N.H.

The café will have an open kitchen and a small bar serving microbrews and local wines, but Raymond confides that desserts might become the bistro’s hallmark. “I have a sticky-bun recipe that people die for,” he says. All pies and cakes will be homemade.

Those eager to try the killer baked goods once Redhead Bistro opens will be able to eat there Tuesdays through Saturdays for dinner, and Thursdays through Saturdays for lunch.