This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Mill House Cafe & Bar is opening soon on Winsted Road in Torrington. Fred Rizvani, owner, stands before large sliding doors he built of antique barnboard inside his new restaurant.

The Mill House Cafe & Bar is opening soon on Winsted Road in Torrington.

The Mill House Cafe & Bar is opening soon on Winsted Road in Torrington. A wooden wagon wheel graces the entrance, with the dining area in the background.

Fred Rizvani is opening the Mill House Cafe & Bar on Winsted Road in Torrington.

The Mill House Cafe & Bar is opening soon on Winsted Road in Torrington. Pictured is the U-shaped bar with booths in the lounge area.

The Mill House Cafe & Bar is opening soon on Winsted Road in Torrington. The restaurant will have a private dining area for events.

The Mill House Cafe & Bar is opening soon on Winsted Road in Torrington. Clams over linguine with garlic sauce is an expected menu item also served at Rizvani's Pizza Restaurant in Watertown.

TORRINGTON — Fred Rizvani is a Renaissance man, and his many talents are coalescing into his latest endeavor: the opening of Mill House Kitchen & Bar on Winsted Road.

“I’m a fisherman, I’m a hunter, I’m a carpenter, I’m a fighter, I’m a lover, I’m an American, I’m a veteran, I’m a chef,” Rizvani said. “I like to deal with the public.”

For 21 years, he has owned Rizvani’s Pizza Restaurant in Watertown, now managed by his son, Arber. He also has owned restaurants in Ansonia and Naugatuck, both now under new ownership. He recently helped his cousin, Resmi Rizvani, open Goshen Pizza, and then got the itch to open a new restaurant in the Torrington area.

He was shopping in Torrington in October last year and noticed a sign that said, “Restaurant Building For Sale.” It was the long-vacant, former T-Place Sports Bar & Grill, a 5,500-square-foot building with ample parking.

“There was an option to buy, so that was the name of the game,” Rizvani said. Throughout the winter months, he used his carpentry skills to construct large sliding doors of barn wood he found in upstate New York. The massive doors separate a spacious dining area from a private party and event room. As many as 120 diners can be seated comfortably in the dining area, and up to 70 can gather in the private room, he said.

Rizvani said at least 50 people can sit at the separate, U-shaped bar and in booths along a wall. He fashioned the 116-square-foot bar from two-inch-thick pine boards that were delivered in 19-foot sections, he said. The bartender’s island, totaling 27 square feet, is made from the same material. Rizvani trimmed, planed, mitered and joined the boards himself inside the space.

An antique barnboard theme sets off walls, window frames and door frames, lending the place a rustic, warm feel. A wooden wagon wheel hangs on a wall near the entrance; a Western saddle hangs from a wall in the dining area.

“I added that because I’m a horseman, too,” Rizvani said. Add that to the list.

“The doors and walls were built in a couple months straight, nonstop, every day, right inside here. It was winter, and it was cold in here. I had part-timers helping me, relatives, my son, my daughter, my wife,” he said.

He has been married to his wife, Martha, for 34 years. Besides his son Arber, he has a daughter, Mimoza, and three grandchildren ages 1, 5 and 7.

He took a break from the interview to pour fresh coffee, adding a spoonful of honey to the cup. “I have no cream here yet, but I have honey,” he said. “This is from my own beehives. I’m a beekeeper.”

Another skill to add to the list.

He said he picked up his many skills just by working. “I was in Canada working in a high-end restaurant, a steakhouse, [serving] only steaks, every single day. Now I’m 38 years in my own business. I worked a little bit for my brother. I’m an outdoor guy, I never stop working,” he said.

Mill House is the name his daughter suggested for the new restaurant. “She’s a Google freak, and years ago Torrington was very well known for its mills,” he said. His wife selected the LED sconces that hang above booths in the dining room.

“The whole restaurant has LED lighting, kitchen, bar, dining area, private event area, everywhere,” he said. There also will be a 2,000-square-foot outdoor seating area, built by Rizvani.

Mill House will have something for every taste, he said. The sign over the entrance lists steaks, burgers, pasta, chops, pizza and fish. Rizvani’s specialty is steaks, he said, and when representatives from meat vending companies were showing their portion-controlled, vacuum-sealed samples, he displayed his understanding of ideal cooking times and thicknesses of various cuts.

“My freezer will hold 1,000 pounds of meat, easy,” he said. “I have all infrared ovens and a salamander. Infrared won’t stiffen the meat, because the heat is there. Slice it, serve it.”

Rizvani flitted from one task to another, now loading a 72-bottle-capacity, scalloped wooden wine rack (yes, he built it himself) with a variety of brands. “Prices of wine will be reasonable,” he said. “Not for here, but I also make my own wine, for family and friends,” he added.

The Mill House Kitchen & Bar is at 367 Winsted Road. Rizvani is aiming to open his doors to diners in late May. Hours and a full menu are still in the planning stages, but the restaurant aims to offer a wide selection of steak entrees. For information, call 860-618-3068 or 860-618-3069.