South End to Open in New Canaan
The expanding number of New Canaan restaurants continues with the announcement of the newest addition, South End, which will open prior to Labor Day on Pine Street next to New Canaan Wine Merchants and feature the culinary creations of Chef Nicholas Martschenko. He is joined at South End by his business partner Keith Siskind, the former General Manager of Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, who will oversee the front of the house.
Chef Martschenko and Siskind are currently redesigning the interior at South End to create a much lighter feel and greater sense of relaxation. They are both excited about expanding New Canaan’s restaurant footprint and feel the name South End aptly describes the location of their restaurant. In discussing how South End will fit into the burgeoning New Canaan restaurant scene, Chef Martschenko stated he wanted to deliver a “home-style feel” with “great, comfortable service and a knowledgeable staff.” Siskind describes his front of the house philosophy as “anticipating the requirements of the customer and then deliver in an unobtrusive manner.”
Chef Martschenko’s love of cooking originated as a child while helping his grandmother in his upstate New York home; and his admiration clearly shows with the inclusion of his grandmother’s “Nana’s Meatballs stuffed with pork, veal and ricotta” on the opening menu. His formal education commenced at the Culinary Institute of America with his skills and philosophy initially honed with legendary chef and James Beard award winner Chef Melissa Kelly. They were further refined while working at other restaurants that focused on local, fresh ingredients including the positions of Executive Sous Chef in the iconic Gramercy Tavern kitchen and Executive Chef at I Trulli. Chef Martschenko relocated to the suburbs and joined Solaia restaurant in Greenwich as its Executive Chef, where he received a rare “Excellent” rating by the NY Times. For the last three years Chef Martschenko was the Executive Chef at Winged Foot Country Club.
The menu at South End will continue to emphasize Chef Martschenko’s focus on local sources. He will purchase ingredients, when available, from the numerous relationships he maintains with local vendors. The anticipated opening menu will present a large and eclectic variety of ingredients from local greens to Wagyu flat iron steaks. The appetizers are divided into three categories, “Ruffage,” “From the Sea” and “From the Range” and will include a roasted baby beet salad with beet chip carpaccio and tarragon vinaigrette; chilled pea soup with Peaky Toe crab and crispy polenta; prosciutto wrapped figs stuffed with blue cheese, blistered grapes and saba; and grilled baby octopus with caponata, fennel and lemon vinaigrette. The entrees will include a wide selection of pastas, fish, poultry, beef and pork. Of particular note are the peppermint tea rubbed duck breast with rhubarb chutney, shelled peas and shoots; wild halibut with a fricassee of wild mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, fava beans and asparagus vinaigrette and veal cannelloni stuffed with spinach, sheep’s milk ricotta, and a Sicilian pistachio sauce. The menu will also include more straightforward entrees including a roasted Amish chicken, grilled chicken paillard and a spaghetti arrabiata with calamari.
Stay tuned for a “Behind the Scenes” look as opening day approaches.
South End is located at 36 Pine Street in New Canaan, CT, 06840 and will open this summer.
New Canaan, Openings
Reader Comments (11)
We love chef Nick at Winged Foot...and New Canaan will love him as well...Enjoy!,,
The number of restaurants in New Canaan is not expanding, as this blog states. It is contracting, and I would expect it to continue contracting in the next two years. More closures coming down the road, afraid to say.
Hey Amanda
Thanks for the comment and it is a very interesting point on whether they are expanding, contracting or just moving the deck chairs. When I wrote the article I had the same concern so I developed the following list:
- Four increases (Kouzina, Tuscan, Caroline’s Crepery, Farmer’s Table (understood it was over a year ago)),
- Four swaps (Carpe Diem, Boulevard 18, elm and now South End) and
- I can think of only one decrease (Harvest Supper).
I think that gives a net increase of three. Did I miss one?
Thanks
That argument doesn't really fly, because you can always pick a date in the past where there were less restaurants than there are now. Why not just pick 1998 as a starting point? You could say restaurants have quadrupled. I'm talking since the peak of new restaurants in New Canaan when elm opened this spring; you will continue to see a decrease in restaurants in that town. More closures are right around the corner.
Hey Amanda,
I agree that the timeframe is important and the most recent changes of Harvest Supper closing and Pine Social changing to South End definitely point to a dip in the numbers.
Here are three items that I consider when I think about the New Canaan restaurant landscape. Which restaurants do I think are at risk? If the restaurant closes do I think that another restaurant will take over the space or will it turn into a different retail store? Do I think any current retail store will convert into a restaurant?
I agree with you that in the next 6-9 months we will see more than one restaurant close, but, I also think that a different restaurant will open in the space of all of those closed restaurants. I just do not see any of those turning into a non-restaurant space, other than one that I think still has a run of at least twelve months. Likewise, at most I see one restaurant opening in a space that is not currently a restaurant. So my prediction is that by next summer we will have the same number or one greater, but the names on the signs will be different at two to three of the current line-up.
In any event it should keep me busy eating and writing articles.
Ciao.
Amanda, on what do you base your claim that a decrease of restaurants is coming? I live in town and eat out quite a bit. Most of the restaurants have a good amount of diners on any given night, packed on certain nights and kind of quiet other times. No different than anywhere else.
If you thought that the environment and the appetite for restaurants in New Canaan was on a downward spiral, I'm sure the investors at Elm and The Tuscan would not have spend the huge sums of money they did to open up.
Just curious.
it's not the lack of restaurants in New Canaan, it's the lack of great restaurants in New Canaan. I can only think of three, and only one was mentioned above. The rest are same old same old---and I have very little desire to go back to most. I suppose if you are easily pleased this may work for some. But for the discriminating diner, there is little to love in so many of these restaurants.
also I don't know what they were thinking when they decided to call it South End...sounds so riff raff. The menu will have to be different compared to the rest , and the service must be 5 star from the beginning. I am sure working as the chef has at Gramercy Tavern will be to his advantage. ITrulli was exceptional once. As a foodie, I await your grand opening.
Hey ctfoodie95
I'll bite...which three would you place in the"great" category?
Curious minds and all that...
I think Elm is fantastic.....which ones do you think will be closing?
All of us living in or near New Canaan are lucky to have South End opening -- a resturant is the embodiment of the chef. In this case, Nick is a talented chef and is a gift for those of us who appreciate fresh, creative and delicious food. I look forward to being a regular customer!