
10/02/2025
Le Cordon Blue was one of a string of restaurants to occupy the building at 1700 Watertown Avenue. The French restaurant opened sometime before 1965 and closed in 1982.
Going back to the 1930s, it was Bruneau's Tavern after which it was the Royal Windsor, then Angelo's Restaurant which dated back to at least 1948.
After Le Cordon Bleu closed, the building became home to the Sea Loft which operated until 1990.
In the 90s, The Willows Restaurant opened here.
More recently it was Gridley's. Then Vasi's Restaurant and Bar, then the River Hill Restaurant.
Vasi’s gained a great deal of attention when it was the subject of the reality TV show “Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back” where the celebrity chef visited struggling restaurants across the country in his state-of-the-art mobile kitchen and command center, Hell On Wheels.
Back when the location was Bruneau's Tavern, a murder took place there.
In the early morning hours of February 28, 1937, Harold "Cider" Maxwell, 37, savagely beat and kicked Harry B. Watts, 27, to death at the tavern.
Both men were from Watertown.
Maxwell had been drinking earlier at Daveluy's Tavern in Watertown before making his way to Bruneau's. He was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Today, the old restaurant building has a brand new mission, offering job skills and supportive programs to intellectually disabled individuals under Easterseals of Greater Waterbury Inc.
Seen here is a vintage matchbook cover.
"Le cordon bleu" translates from French to English as "the blue ribbon". Historically, this referred to the blue ribbon worn by members of the Order of the Holy Spirit, the highest order of French knighthood. The name has become a symbol of excellence.