Carpenter's Pub Opens in Black Rock From Familiar Neighborhood Faces

Carpenter’s Pub may be the newest haunt on Fairfield Avenue, but the trio of owners behind it are familiar faces in Joseph Farrell, Sean Nye, and Marty McCarthy.

For seven years, Farrell was behind the popular Walrus + Carpenter, originally located a hop, skip, and a jump away from where Carpenter’s is, while McCarthy’s Fire Engine Pizza (with two more spots in Milford and Shelton) has been a neighborhood staple for over 25 years, and Nye, a celebrated barman, who now lives in Black Rock, has likely mixed you a drink at Farrell’s Walrus + Carpenter, The Spread or El Segundo, L’Escale, or one of the two Milestone locations.

How the three came together to open this American gastropub happened in stages.

Fried chicken sandwich w/lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Carpenter’s sauce on sourdough toast

A pub has to have a great pub burger, don’t they?

It’s also important to note, just like Walrus Alley, Carpenter’s Pub’s menu is seed oil free.

“I ran into Sean at Main Street Tavern in Stratford after he left The Spread and we were gonna start working together but he got wrapped up in a consulting gig at Milestone that turned into something larger, opening in Mystic,” Farrell explains. “We were back in touch at least, and we looked at a couple places, then when he was ready to move on from Milestone, he wanted to get into ownership, which I kept warning him, it’s an insane thing to do, but he really wanted to do it, and we kept an eye out.”

A few of the potentials they checked out were the space that was a Subway in Southport where Hotaru is now, and another in South Norwalk across from the police station that Farrell told us was such a blank slate that it would have been a full-fledged restaurant buildout.

McCarthy (bottom right) was instrumental in the process leading up to opening. Not only did he provide the introduction to the landlord, he helped out with the legal paperwork, and his contractors did the buildout.

But Farrell, who’s heavily into music and the local live music scene, was at Park City Music Hall, a place he frequents, followed by a stop into Fire Engine Pizza where he said to McCarthy, half joking, “You gotta get me into that space where Roadrunner and Jolene were.”

Asking if he was serious first, McCarthy gave Farrell an introduction to the landlord at 2931 Fairfield Avenue, he liked the space, seeing the vision of what it could be, and they got to work.

What they saw was something that could be transformed; take away the stage, remove the roof that sort of enclosed the bar, and rip out those metal “bird cages” above the bar that held liquor bottles to open it up. The two kitchens, Farrell said, were something attractive about it, too, as his previous kitchen at Walrus + Carpenter and his existing one at Walrus Alley in Westport were limited in wiggle room.

As for the name, Carpenter’s Pub, it’s totally a callback to the “Carpenter” part of Walrus + Carpenter.

“As far as coming up with the name, I want people to know it’s associated with the other restaurant, so calling it Carpenter’s Pub made sense,” Farrell says. “My best friend (Evan) is a carpenter, cabinet maker. I wanted to call it ‘pub’ as well because when I created Walrus + Carpenter, people would read that name and it didn’t give them any tell as to what type of restaurant it was or the type of food. We would get called all the time for carpentry services. When we opened Rothbard Ale + Larder, people were like, wait, I don’t get it, is it a German restaurant? European? So, I was like, I think I’m gonna use the name carpenter. It’s a beautiful word and the name pub will let people know the vibe they can expect. Let me not confuse things this time.”

But the name meant a little more carpentry work would have to be done when it came to the bar because it can’t be made of metal, right?

“My friend was gonna help us do the bar top and a lot of the finishing work,” Farrell continues. “The old bar that was there since probably Birdman, maybe even since Lady Luck was a big metal bar. He said, ‘You keeping this bar? The place is called Carpenter’s. You can’t have a metal bar, it’s gotta be wood.’ I said, ‘If you had a bowling lane in your back pocket, I’d use that.’ So, his landlord was demolishing Barnum Duckinpin Bowling Lanes in Stratford and we went there to grab the lanes. It was difficult to get those out. Evan did the finishing work on them. People spent a lot of birthday parties there, and it’s a big part of their childhood, so it’s cool we can keep that literal feel alive.”

Confit whole chicken wings come glazed with either fermented fresno chili sauce or sweet teriyaki.

Walrus Alley’s loyal customers should recognize this super soft, extra buttery pretzel.

As of May 8, they’re a full go with Farrell doing more office work since he’s still running Walrus Alley, while splitting operating duties with Nye, who’s doing the day-to-day general manager and front of house stuff.

In the kitchen and executing Carpenter’s menu is another familiar name in Jonathan Vaast who was Farrell’s head chef for over 12 years at Walrus + Carpenter, Rothbard Ale + Larder, and up until recently, Walrus Alley.

“Jon was excited to do a new concept and I was able to promote my brother, James, from sous to head chef at Walrus Alley,” Farrell says. “The whole thing seems perfect and the timing was right. We’re ready to get back at it.”

Bone-in pork chop w/apple-bacon marmalade

Light, but crispy, beer battered cod comes with paprika and herb fried potato wedges

What Carpenter’s is featuring, however, isn’t repetitive of the past. While Farrell did tease that they are planning to bring back a few Walrus favorites as specials like smoked prime rib, fried chicken, and “maybe ribs,” on certain days of the week for old time’s sake, this is not a southern restaurant.

There’s Wellfleet oysters with mignonette and cocktail sauce, confit whole chicken wings, a fried chicken sandwich, a big, soft, buttery pretzel stick, fish & chips, and a signature burger topped with melted aged cheddar, bacon, caramelized onions, and mayo, to name a bunch.

Traditional pub grub aside, there’s a quad of salads to choose from and if it’s protein you seek, there’s a grilled section of the menu with a few steaks, salmon, and a bone-in pork chop with apple-bacon marmalade.

Amelia - Misguided Vodka, elderflower, blackberry, and lemon

Gone Like a Hurricane - El Dorado 3-Year Rum, dry curacao, Chinola Passionfruit Liqueur, lemon, and pineapple

Carpenter’s signature old fashioned uses their own barrel pick of Whistlepig’s 6-year rye.

At the bar, expect Nye’s expertise to shine through in refined classic cocktails, others that he’s created himself, and four different mocktails if you’re having a light night. Local draft beer, including a Walrus Alley – Nod Hill collaboration Italian pilsner, plus wines by the glass or bottle are your other choices for sipping.

Soon, Farrell hopes they’ll add dessert, and maybe one more bowl of pasta.

Now, especially if you’re a Walrus + Carpenter original, you’re wondering about music…that’s something they’re tinkering with as you read this.

“Fairfield Ave has amazing music already and there’s not a lack of it with BRYAC, Park City, and events like Porchfest,” Farrell says. “Matt Rhone and I are game planning of working on a vibe, not just to book any band. What’s the vibe that compliments what we’re doing? Matt and I will find it. Maybe it’ll be Sunday brunch and Thursday evenings, but it won’t be blowout concerts like we used to do like the Johnny Cash Birthday Bash. We’re trying to create something new, fresh, and different. We’re not looking to recreate the past by coming back to Black Rock. It’s about creating new memories, not living in the past.”

Farrell, though, happy to return to the place where he first became a restaurant owner, now with a brand-new bar and partners along with him who absolutely bleed Black Rock, got a little nostalgic talking about being back on the block.

“I was 30-years-old with two Irish twins under two-years-old–there was lots of intensity and everything was new,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot. Lots of maturity. I don’t even know if I was ready for Walrus when I did it, but everyone was along for the ride in the building of that concept. I feel more comfortable in what I do every day. There’s a different sense of pride for what we just built here in Carpenter’s. It’s meant to be a comfortable place for people to congregate on the Ave. People need a break. They can come in here and relax. We’re offering another feature to the Ave to compliment what everyone else here is doing. All the action is going on outside, on the corner, just like when we were at Walrus. You can see the concerts at Park City, a good view of it, and the life of Tautog and Fire Engine. I love this corner. I love this neighborhood.”

2931 Fairfield Avenue, Black Rock
203.380.8636, carpenterspub.com