Made in Connecticut: Nodine's Smokehouse, a leading manufacturer of smoked meats for nearly 60 years
Nodine's Smokehouse in Torrington has been a leading manufacturer of smoked meats for nearly 60 years
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Nodine’s Smokehouse has been perfecting the art of smoking meats for nearly 60 years.
The family-run business is one of only a handful of commercial smokehouses in Connecticut, and its roots trace back to a farm in Goshen.
Owner Calvin Nodine says his father was an engineer, but as those jobs began disappearing, he looked for a way to stay in Connecticut and purchased a farm. Learning the smoked meats business wasn't easy.
"It was a lot of trial and error, many mistakes. Some mistakes worked out good. Usually that's the way it goes," Nodine says.
Success soon followed. After earning USDA approval, the family took its products to New York City, where a meeting with famed restaurateur Andy Balducci helped put Nodine's on the map.
"He loved the product," Nodine recalls, and word quickly spread.
Today, nearly six decades later, the family is still using old-world techniques.
Their meats and cheeses are handcrafted in small batches and smoked over real hardwood.
While the smokehouse moved its operations to Torrington in the 1980s, the Nodine's Smokehouse retail store remains at the original Goshen farm. Visitors can stop in for homemade sandwiches, smoked meats and cheeses, and a variety of specialty products.
To experience a true Connecticut classic, visit Nodine's Smokehouse at 39 North St. in Goshen.
