"Well… after 3.5 years of slinging sandwiches, wrangling food trucks, and debating the correct amount of mayo (there isn't one), I Know A Guy Deli & Food Truck will be closing on 8/11." Patch quoted that Facebook post in August when it reported the closing of the deli at 280 Spielman Highway, Unit E. The same post said the space would go to Geraldine's Social & Supper and called it "an awesome concept."
Three months later the space is about to open as something Burlington's town center hasn't had before. The deli ran on walk-ins, sandwiches, paninis and salads. Its replacement runs on one seating a night that you book and pay for ahead of time. With that change, a lunch address now has a set evening schedule, and on December 2 the schedule overlaps with the Burlington Chamber of Commerce's own evening event on the same road.
From Walk-In Lunch to a Prepaid Dinner
Geraldine's lists its address as 280 Spielman Highway, Unit E, Burlington, the same unit the deli used. Liam Kilmurray first described the plan to the town's Economic Development Commission at its September 15 meeting in the Elton Tavern. According to the meeting minutes, he called it a supper club in an intimate setting, reservation only, that "wants to highlight local fare." At that meeting the target opening was November 6. Geraldine's own site now lists dinner starting November 13, which is tomorrow for anyone reading this on publish day.
Kilmurray isn't new to cooking in Hartford County. FOX61 has featured him as a lead chef at Hop Haus in Southington. His Take a Chef profile says he has 14 years of experience, starting in his father's restaurant and moving on to several kitchens around the county.
The Evening Runs on a Fixed Clock
Most restaurants on Route 4 adjust to when you walk in. At Geraldine's, the dining room sets the schedule. Here is how its FAQ and dining schedule lay it out:
- One seating. Dinner starts at 6:30 PM, Wednesday through Saturday, and wraps up around 9 PM. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday.
- Everyone starts together. The five courses go out on a coordinated schedule. If you're running late, call (860) 305-9054. You can still join, but you may miss courses that have already been served.
- Paid in advance. You must book and pay before your visit. Seating is limited.
- One price, all in. It's $98 per person, with tax and gratuity included in the reservation, so there's no check at the end.
- BYOB. You can bring unopened beer, wine or non-alcoholic drinks. Water is provided. Anyone bringing or drinking alcohol must be 21 or older and may be asked for photo ID.
The FAQ suggests planning on about two and a half hours. In practice, a Geraldine's night takes up a whole evening rather than fitting in before or after something else.
Two Menus Already on the Calendar
According to its FAQ, the menu changes regularly, and the first two are already posted. The November menu runs November 13 to 28. December's starts on December 2 and runs to December 30.
Course | November menu | December menu |
|---|---|---|
1 | Root Vegetable Soup: sweet potato, cauliflower, carrot, turmeric, garam masala | Braised Pear: gorgonzola, radicchio, pecan, fig and pequin reduction |
2 | Butternut Squash Agnolotti: manchego, mascarpone, parmesan, pistachio, prosciutto | Seared Brussels Sprouts: sherry gastrique, carrot velouté, walnut, lardon, parsnip crisps |
3 | Blackfish: sauce choron, spinach, arancini | Sea Scallop: Granny Smith apple, celeriac purée, apple reduction, orange pearl |
4 | Braised Short Rib: saffron risotto, herb oil, fried leek | Black Garlic Strip: potato pave, Northern Farm Beef, demi, chive |
5 | Listed on the November page | Chocolate Terrine: black cherry coulis, vanilla whipped cream quenelle |
Between November 13 and 28, Wednesday-through-Saturday service works out to 10 dinner nights. Opening night is a Friday, so the first week has only two. With one seating each night, the first menu gets 10 chances in front of guests. The December menu is the first to run a full month.
Weekends get a second format in December. Afternoon tea begins December 5, with a noon seating on Saturdays and Sundays that ends at 2 PM. Geraldine's also has a private events page for group bookings.
December 2 Puts Two Evenings on the Same Road
December's opening night is a Wednesday, and it's the same date the Burlington Chamber of Commerce holds its 2nd annual Sidewalk Stroll, from 5 to 7 PM. The route runs from CVS Plaza to M&T/Prestige Plumbing. The listing invites families to "stroll our newly improved sidewalks," with holiday snacks, warm drinks or activities at each stop and a kids' scavenger hunt along the way.
The timing works out neatly. The stroll starts 90 minutes before Geraldine's sits its first December table and ends half an hour into dinner. On paper, a 5 PM walk along Spielman Highway and a 6:30 reservation fit into one evening.
The Chamber's parking list shows how much the center has changed in a year. For the first stroll, on December 3, 2025, it sent drivers to three lots: the Enclave/CVS lot, the IKAG lot and Library Lane. This year's list is Enclave, Barron Financial and Library Lane. IKAG stands for I Know a Guy, the deli that closed in August. Its lot no longer appears on the list, and the event itself has grown from 90 minutes last year to two hours this year.
Where Last Year's Scavenger Hunt Ended
When the Chamber planned the 2025 stroll, its member meeting minutes projected more than 30 participating businesses, an open-house format and five scavenger-hunt stops. The last stop was Elton Tavern.
Despite the name, Elton Tavern doesn't serve food or drinks. According to the Burlington Historical Society, the building at 781 George Washington Turnpike was built in 1810 as Giles Griswold's home, later served as a public house and inn, and was bought by the town in 1974. The name comes from Romeo Elton, who lived there longer than anyone else in the building's history. Today it hosts community and special events, including the September EDC meeting where Geraldine's plans were first discussed.
So the 1810 building where the town once came to eat and stay the night was also the room where Burlington's newest sit-down dinner first came up.
The Daytime Stretch Around It
Geraldine's adds an evening to a part of Spielman Highway that already has steady daytime hours.
The B. Hive Cafe & Roastery, 221 Spielman Highway, opened in April 2025, according to the Hartford Courant. Its website lists hours of 8 AM to 2 PM, seven days a week, for the café, roastery and specialty shop.
The Nevermind Shop, 292 Spielman Highway in Burlington Commons, sells records, vintage posters, clothing, tapes and CDs, according to The Connecticut Scoop. The shop's site says it has been open seven days a week since February 2, with original Beatles memorabilia now on permanent display.
Enclave Grille shares the 292 Spielman Highway address and takes orders and reservations through its own site. Its lot is also on the Chamber's stroll parking list both years.
That stretch of Spielman Highway has covered coffee, records and a full-service grille for a while. What's new is a dinner with a fixed start time that you plan your week around.
Before December, the Library Has the Evenings
Tonight, November 12, Burlington Public Library hosts its Celebrity Book Club on Ina Garten from 6 to 7 PM, with refreshments and copies of her memoir available through the library. On November 24, Farmington author Wendy Swift gives a memoir talk and writing workshop, also from 6 to 7 PM. The library is at 34 Library Lane, one of the lots the Chamber has listed for stroll parking both years.
When a space like Unit E changes hands, it shows what a town center is becoming, and the same shift shows up in what buyers ask about a neighborhood. If you're thinking about how Burlington's changing center fits into your own home's story, Laurie Kane Real Estate would be glad to talk it through. Request your complimentary CMA & staging consultation, and we'll show you how your home stacks up locally and how to present it.
