I had the opportunity to attend a media dinner at the newly opened Isla, a restaurant featuring Australian fare. I wasn’t sure what Australian cuisine was but I was excited to check out this new eatery located in the heartbeat of downtown Fairfield right next to the community theater.
The restaurant itself is small, but when the weather is good it can take advantage of the wonderful courtyard area outside and more than double its seating capabilities. The restaurant’s design is minimalistic with dark green subway tiles lining the lower half of the crisp white walls dotted with hanging greenery and navy banquettes with café tables offer up seating. The back of the restaurant opens up to show diners the “behind the scenes” where they can watch bartenders crafting up delicious cocktails and, beyond, the chef in the kitchen preparing delectable fare. Let’s move on to that, shall we?
The Shops at Farmington Valley will debut the first Connecticut restaurant location for 110 Grill, rated as “Top 10 most allergy friendly restaurants in America”. 110 Grill is New England’s Fastest Growing Restaurant Group and the opening of 110 Grill Canton will mark the 32nd location for the six-year-old Modern American restaurant group.
Located at 110 Albany Turnpike, the restaurant will feature 110 Grill’s signature modern-American fare with an array of comforting classics and unparalleled gluten-free and dietary restricted menus. Every 110 Grill location features a contemporary, yet inviting atmospherewith a spacious dining room and lounge, private dining room, outdoor patio and a large bar area.
If you hear anyone mention Flinders Lane in Stamford, it’s not a street they’re talking about, it’s a restaurant. More specifically, it’s an Australian-influenced restaurant. If you’re as bewildered as I was when I found out this type of cuisine had arrived in Downtown Stamford—and as curious too—keep reading.
I sought out more info. The common-sense thing to-do was to check out Flinders Lanes’ website, where “Modern Australian” is described as “We take inspiration from the cuisines of nearby Southeast Asia and subtle influence from the food of British settlers mixed with that of Greek and Italian immigrants.” I still found myself scratching my head, wondering if this was accurate. I have a few Australian friends so I fact checked with them and both said that this sounded right, and one added, “We don’t have much ‘real’ Aussie food. Meat pies and tomato sauce, maybe.”
In the ever changing landscape of the Stamford dining scene, there are consistencies: Pizza places, Steak Houses, Italian restaurants, etc.. etc … I’m not complaining. I love it all. But when I have a chance to share news of something a bit different, I get excited. That’s how I feel about Flinders Lane.