Former Nosh Hound Food Truck Owner Maycie Ralbovsky Joins Broken Symmetry as Executive Chef

Blackened salmon tacos are almost too pretty to eat. Each is topped with slaw, pomegranate salsa, and chipotle-lime aioli. Photo first, eat second.

Ask any Fairfield County food truck fanatic what their favorite one was over the past handful of years and they’re likely to mention Nosh Hound if they know what they’re talking about.

The stacked sandwiches, the tacos, the burgers, and the bowls, and yes, even the “F” word…FUSION. It all really worked for Nosh Hound. I, for one, sought out Sam and Maycie Ralbovsky’s truck at every Mill River Park event. My final Nosh Hound memory was at Half Full’s Oktoberfest in Downtown Stamford when I obliterated a pork schnitzel sandwich.

Jerk chicken taquitos

Then one day Nosh Hound wasn’t around anymore. 2020 happened. And for this husband and wife chef duo, a family happened, too. “We had kids, and the truck became unreasonable to keep up,” Maycie says. “And we started a catering and events company.”

Called “Feast & Fest,” the Ralbovskys kept cooking, especially Sam, who has been a private chef for the past three years. One day, the pair catered a meeting for Broken Symmetry Gastro Brewery. That catering gig led to a January 2022 pop-up at the Bethel microbrewery as a Nosh Hound resurrection that featured the truck’s popular southern fried chicken sandwich, a Korean cheesesteak, and tacos with an Asian twist.

Maycie Ralbovsky and owner/brewer Christopher Sanzeni

“We were on their radar already, we did the pop-up, plus no one was asking for catering after the holidays, so Rachel at Broken Symmetry reached out and asked if I wanted to work here,” Maycie says. “I was going a little crazy at home, so I came in as executive chef and to mentor the team.”

What was important for Ralbovsky and for owner and head brewer Christopher Sanzeni was to revamp and streamline the menu but without losing the original identity of the brewery’s food which is an offshoot of the popular Mexi-Cali burrito food truck, The Green Grunion. Sanzeni followed suit with the same sentiment that a complete menu overhaul wasn’t necessary, but that it was important to progress and provide the kitchen staff with a mentor to help them excel.

Under that crispy, salty griddle fried cheese are two smashed beef patties.

“We’re one of the few breweries that has their own kitchen and I’ve always thought we had excellent food,” Sanzeni explains. “Alex and Dylan are still in the kitchen—and my partners in the brewery (from The Green Grunion) are still involved—but there was a need for a leader in the kitchen to help them grow. There’s such good chemistry between Ralbovsky and the team and there’s lots of respect between them. We want this team and this kitchen to use their fullest potential.”

First, take a big, deep breath. Those burritos aren’t going anywhere, although Sanzeni brought up the fact that a few minor secret changes were made by Ralbovsky to improve them. And now it’s a “pick your protein” option with carne asada, chorizo, mojo pork, chicken tinga, or blackened shrimp to choose from. The same DIY approach applies to Broken Symmetry’s griddle nachos and quesadillas.

Cornmeal fried chicken sandwich that’s also available in a spicy upgrade

What’s new in the former train station where they now brew beer are a stunningly beautiful order of blackened salmon tacos, winter squash tostadas (though that should change seasonally), and jerk chicken taquitos with a side ramekin of sweet, smoky, spicy mango habanero sauce.

But…you had to expect, even with a smaller menu, that some of Ralbovsky’s Nosh Hound type handhelds would edge its way into Broken Symmetry. A cornmeal fried chicken sandwich with house brined pickles and spicy aioli, plus a wildly creative, delicious double smash burger topped with bacon-onion jam, lettuce, special sauce, and a big ol’ slice of griddled crispy cheese, are a few sammies that would’ve been expected from former food truck. They’ll be favorites in Bethel soon enough if they aren’t already.

Beer pairings at the tastings come in a variety of sizes. Some are tasters, others are half pints, some are loftier. You’ll experience a range at Broken Symmetry from sours and pilsners to seasonal marzens and this hoppy-malty balanced Bavarian IPA.

And you’ll get dishes like a this bowl of fresh cavatelli with braised oxtail ragu, mushrooms, rainbow chard, pecorino, cocoa nibs, and crème fraîche. This was Ralbovsky’s play on stroganoff. Not your typical brewery food.

It's also not uncommon to run into specials like poutine, beer and cheddar soup, fried cheese curds, Filipino pork belly rice bowls, short rib mac & cheese, and fried chicken biscuit sandwiches. And when those new beer releases hit, watch out for chef to create something to pair alongside your pint. “Maycie’s creativity is fantastic,” Sanzeni says. “Whenever we do a beer release, she’s excited to create something that’ll go nicely with that beer. We had a pineapple sour come out and she did a Hawaiian pork plate for that one. We’ve always wanted to have food that matches our beer.”

And, if you’re lucky, you’ll be the first to try one of Sanzeni’s latest brews. Kryptos Belgian Stout was on the drier, roastier side, but light and paired well with the oxtail cavatelli.

Sticky date cake, salted miso butterscotch, cinnamon ice cream.

And every month, they do match the beer, just minus Broken Symmetry’s usual fare. Think fancier, using all locally harvested seasonal ingredients, and a handful of courses, each paired with one of Sanzeni’s brews. As of this article, they’ve hosted a half dozen Harvest Dinners using produce from the very nearby Holbrook Farm and from Cherry Grove Farm in Newtown with meat coming from Stuart Family Farm in Bridgewater. Each allows Ralbovsky to flex her culinary chops and create a tasting menu with input from the entire Broken Symmetry squad.

“I get to showcase more of my high end side,” Ralbovsky says. “In June, we did a game dinner theme, and I did venison tartare with quail egg and truffle. We’ve done a whole fried black bass. We went full Belgian for another one. People are digging it. We get to talk about the beer, the food, the pairing. It’s so much fun to collaborate on menus with Chris and create pairings as a team. And it’s fun to educate the crowd and have people be really into it.”

5 Depot Place; Bethel
203.826.9907; brokensymmetrybrew.com