Salvatore’s Steakhouse recently opened with little fanfare in Hamden’s Spring Glen neighborhood, but the news ripped through town like wildfire. It was fortunate that the kitchen and staff practiced extensively on friends and family before opening, because within just a few days Salvatore’s was fairly humming, even on so-called “slow” nights.
Salvatore’s owner, Victoria Ferraro, must have realized the restaurant was likely be busy from the get-go and would need to hit the ground running. You see, Victoria has a secret—she’s a third-generation Ferraro. Arguably New Haven “royalty,” the Ferraro family has been in the grocery business for over 70 years, tracing back to Salvatore, Sr. and wife Joan’s humble beginnings at Mohawk Market on State Street in 1952. Then, for almost half a century, Ferraro Foods operated on Grand Avenue, with the couple’s sons—Salvatore, Jr., John, Peter and Mark—joining their parents in running the business. Oldest son Salvatore, Jr., Victoria’s father, eventually became the company president, but sadly passed on in 2010. In spring of 2021, Ferraro’s Market moved to its current convenient quarters on North Haven’s Universal Drive next to Target, bringing with it its huge fan base. Victoria, oldest child of Salvatore, Jr. and Nancy, had to know Salvatore’s would have a built-in audience even before it opened.
The former Easton Village Store on Sport Hill Road has a new tenant and it’s a chef you know. Award winning chef, Prasad Chirnomula, and his business partner, Ron Berry, have transformed the space into Gourmet United, a takeout and delivery-based concept that, with Chirnomula involved, definitely features his lauded Indian cuisine alongside Mexican food under one roof.
Few foods stir as much passion—and appetite—as tacos. The humble taco has made its way from the streets of Mexico to American taco trucks, roadside stands, Tex-Mex eateries, and trendy taquerías, all of which strive to find that perfect blend of taste, texture, and tradition that an exquisite taco can offer. Handmade tortillas. Sizzling meats. Crispy fried fish. Grilled veggies. Fresh toppings. Spicy salsas. Endlessly adaptable and oh-so-satisfying, the taco delivers bold, layered flavors in a compact, hand-held tortilla that seems so simple but is anything but. In this article, we’re diving into the best taco spots found in every Connecticut county, from hidden gems serving up authentic street-style tacos to innovative eateries offering well-crafted taco creations. These local favorites are sure to incite the passion and satisfy the appetite of every taco enthusiast in our state. Cinco de Mayo may have come and gone, but tacos are forever!
At No Mames, there are also no rules. The modern Mexican cantina by DORO Restaurant Group, which opened in Wethersfield April 30, is intended to be a fun escape with fresh flavors and beachy Tulum vibes.
No Mames (a Mexican slang phrase for “no way,” says executive chef and partner Ryan Van Grouw) opened this week on the Silas Deane Highway, in a shopping plaza between a Marshall’s and a pet supply store. Van Grouw says he wants guests to come in and “be blown away by the experience.”
“They’ll come in here after [shopping], not even realizing that we’re here, coming in to get tacos, and the next thing you know, they won’t know what hit them,” he said. “They walk in, the place is beautiful…everything is done with purpose, everything is done for a reason.”
The 120-seat restaurant’s decor is inspired by restaurants in coastal Tulum, with high ceilings and a breezy feel. A semi-open kitchen gives diners a glance at the work behind the scenes, as cooks press fresh tortillas, grill peppers and tend to a slowly rotating trompo, or vertical rotisserie, cooking a stack of marinated pork to be shaved for al pastor tacos.
Everything you’ve heard about Adrian Hurtado and his Taco Guy brand opening a new taqueria in Norwalk are true, even if some of the details weren’t originally clear or correct.
Numero tres for Hurtado, if we’re counting the taco truck first, then his Wall Street spot second, is Tacos 203, not Carnitas Michoacán, regardless of what you may have heard. Tacos 203 will be inside of Metro-North’s South Norwalk Station and the concept won’t resemble the fare that Hurtado’s fans have experienced from the truck or his restaurant.
Once again, Strega owner Danilo Mongillo is celebrating a prestigious honor for his authentic Italian fare – but this one means more, he says.
Gambero Rosso, an Italian authority on food, wine and travel, awarded Mongillo’s New Haven restaurant a “due forchette,” or ‘two forks” designation in a recent ceremony in New York City. Restaurants are honored with a rating of one to three forks, similar to Michelin star ratings.
Last week I had the opportunity to check out Josie & Tony's newly launched lunch menu. The restaurant which opened just over a year ago for dinner, offered a lunchtime deli service featuring hot and cold Arthur Avenue-style sandwiches made on local Wave Hill bread, homemade mozzarella, fresh pastas, cured meats, assorted desserts and beverages. The lunch menu features all of the previously available sandwiches and most of the dinner menu dishes at an approachable price point.
There’s a special je ne sais quoi about Josie & Tony’s, named after owner Joshua Mesnik’s grandparents, with its old school vibe that offers a touch of formality without any pretention. The white table clothes, the framed Hershfield artwork, the black and white photos and whimsical Hershfield-like cartoons of friends, family and patrons grace the elegant walls that perfectly fit the “dinner club” aesthetic. This isn’t just a restaurant, but a beautifully executed dining experience.
The DORO Restaurant Group has covered French brasserie fare, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern and upscale northern Italian cuisine with its three West Hartford Center restaurants. For its newest concept, the group has planted a flag in a new town, with a southern Italian red-sauce menu friendly to families.
The new spot features casual Italian dishes, including pizzas, housemade pastas and its own takes on classics like chicken parmesan, lasagna and veal Milanese. Scott Miller, DORO’s chief operating officer and partner alongside CEO Dorjan Puka, said Casadoro’s cuisine is “a crowd-pleaser menu.”
“Yale asked me if I was interested in the space, and I took it as a challenge. A small space, few tables, no pizza – I was able to focus on fine dining.” I’m in New Haven, talking with chef Danilo Mongillo about Strega, his second restaurant of the same name, but with a very different concept.
“You have excellent food here – French, Spanish, American – and I took bringing this level of Italian to downtown, not in competition, but just to bring more good food here. That was the challenge.”
The first time I ate at Strega was the location in Milford (both restaurants are just off the corners of their respective city greens) and I’d returned many times for his creations which were just a little different – the way a sentence is altered when the pen is in a different hand – and made with exceptional ingredients. I ask if the new Strega is based on anything regionally Italian, and he shakes the question off, moving in another direction.
“Fine dining is about the technique. It’s about the balance of the flavors – something sweet, something sour – and the balance with the wine. The balance of the bite.”
When Don Memo posted on Instagram that they’d be serving a burger during their Hora Feliz (that’s happy hour in English), their fans were pretty stoked, present company included. Show me a good happy hour AND throw in a limited cheeseburger, something Don Memo has never offered before, and I’m there.
On the heels of their quarter century anniversary, Bailey’s Backyard, and its original and forever owner, Sal Bagliavio have a sequel. And no, it’s not following in the exact footsteps of Bailey’s—one of Connecticut O.G. farm-to-table restaurants. Ristorante numéro dos for Bagliavio and chef/partner Forrest Pasternack, who returned to Bailey’s recently, are entering the world of tacos with Taco Dia—because every day is taco day, not just Tuesdays.
If you’re at least a little familiar with Bailey’s, Bagliavio and Pasternack entering the realm of Mexican cuisine isn’t that shocking. Bailey’s is very New American, and if you’ve eaten there, Mexican pops up on the menu frequently, and especially on their Wednesday night Market Table tasting menu.
Last month, Greenwich welcomed to the area Constantino’s Pasta Bowls, a family-owned and operated fast-casual restaurant with a unique take on Italian cuisine. Robyn Bordes and her husband, Michael, are also the owners of the beloved Constantino’s Pizza and Ice Cream on Putnam Ave and Love You a Latte (located right next to Constantino’s Pasta Bowls).
Robyn Bordes has worked in the food industry since she was 13 years old, starting as a waitress and eventually working her way up to restaurant business owner. She purchased the popular Villaggio’s Italiano Restaurant in Hartsdale and owned it for several years until she decided to sell it in 2020. In 2022, Bordes and her husband brought their expertise to Greenwich and opened Constantino’s Pizza and Ice Cream, which had previously been the location of Stateline Deli. Now, just two years later, the couple decided to expand their empire by bringing a new style of Italian food to the Greenwich community.
Ever find yourself daydreaming about salty, oily tuscan bread with fresh prosciutto and earthy lettuce? Instead of booking that eight hour flight to Italy, the easier — yet equally tasty option — is located on Tokeneke Road in Darien. Cucina Daniella brings a mix of prepared Italian classics, fresh sandwiches on homemade bread and Italian-imported quality ingredients to Fairfield County.
While the gourmet grocery store opened in January, the project has been a long time coming for Chef and Owner Daniella Palazzolo. Palazzolo grew up in a food-centered Italian home with a love for the food her family in Sicily made. After 30 years in corporate America, she began selling her favorite imported Italian products — namely olive oil — at local farmer’s markets in 2019. During the pandemic Palazzolo obtained her carterring license and began selling prepared foods like meatballs and homemade pasta sauces. After seeing her success on a small scale, she worked with a women’s business development team to apply for a loan for a physical storefront and expansion of her team.
Tucked away in a small residential neighborhood just off of Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield is a small and unassuming restaurant. Some may recognize this as the former home of Liana’s Trattoria which closed its doors during the pandemic. Just over a year ago, Joanne Monroe took over the empty space and brought life back inside the four walls. Joanne, no stranger to the hospitality industry, was with Liana for nearly 15 years. No one knew the restaurant as well as she did, except perhaps Chef James Agoglia, who worked with Liana for about 5 years and returns to the helm of the kitchen with all of his unbridled talent and creativity. These two are a talented duo. The new restaurant plays homage to the former while moving forward to create new traditions.
Last week we took a little trip to Puerto Vallarta to the restaurant’s newest and flagship location. There are presently eight restaurants in Connecticut including Avon, Danbury, Fairfield, Orange, Middletown, Newington and Southington. The Stamford location is unique in its offerings and it’s looking to change the way that Americans perceive Mexican food. We sat down with owner Esaul “Saul” Rodriguez who talk about the brand’s past and future and shared his story and vision. The Stamford restaurant is unique, and Saul described it as a “little laboratory” and explained that he wanted to change things up a little. “I want to change the way that people think about Mexican food. I think Mexican food is going through a revolution.” He added that the coastline plays a large role in the country’s cuisine and this is very evident at the Stamford location.
Trattoria A’Vucchella is the epitome of a hidden gem. Open for a tick over a decade, directly across the street from The Bijou Theater in Downtown Bridgeport, it might be one of the city’s best kept secrets if you’re not a local, and if you didn’t somehow discover it naturally.
“It’s a tough location, but we have a loyal following,” says co-owner Pasquale De Martino. “They all found us organically, and once they find us, they come back and from all over. I love the community here.”
Martino—who opened the restaurant back in 2014 with Jennifer Galletti and Thomas Bepko—was formerly the owner of a limoncello factory for 10 years in his birthplace of Sorrento, Italy before selling it and eventually getting into the villa renting business in Italy with Galletti.
Shouting great news, quite literally, from Gioia’s rooftop!
Gioia Restaurant and Bar has just unveiled their new 2000 sq ft rooftop space which features two levels of tables and bar seating. The open air space gives off tree-house like vibes. The wooden structure is resplendent with lots of verdant greenery, branches dressed in string lights and fabulous views of New Haven’s historic Chapel Street below. The area was designed to be used during our stunning three seasons and can be enclosed to protect diners from inclement weather.
The magical, whimsical setting sets the tone for the rooftop inspired menu with dishes that are meant to be shared, and some that you won’t want to share. (Sorry, not sorry!) Selections include antipasti, crudo, salads, “Wooster Squares,” pasta, panini and dolce. You can expect the same level of flavor and execution you’ve experienced downstairs.
If you’ve dined around the Connecticut restaurant scene with regularity, it’s pretty common to see familiar chef faces. Edgar Marcial is one of those.
Just under two years ago, Marcial opened exactly the type of spot he was looking for in Downtown New Haven.
And what he’s doing at Tacos Los Gordos is all love.
And judging from the waves of customers that wander in here and smash tacos and wash them down with a Mexican Coke out of his vintage Coca-Cola cooler, they’re loving it, too.
What’s represented, taco wise, is from all parts of Mexico: carnitas from Michoacán, beef birria from Tijuana, of course crispy cod taco that reps Baja and SoCal, and al pastor, cooked on a spit, from Mexico City that’ll immediately catch your eye upon entry.
Udine, Trieste, Pordenone, Rome, Barcelona, Santiago, Athens, and…Norwalk, Connecticut? So, you usually don’t see six European cities and one South American city mentioned in the same breath as Norwalk, but when it comes to gelato and master gelato maker, Carmelo Chiaramida, this is perhaps the one time it applies. What Chiaramida is doing in Norwalk, opening his first OGGI Gelato shop in America, is simply every local ice cream lover’s good fortune.
Call it a coincidence through connection, actually. And it’s best spelled out by Maurizio Ricci, who along with his brother, Graziano, are the founders of Romanacci and Norwalk’s Osteria Romana.
When trying to come up with the “what is it?” as it pertains to his new pizzeria in Greenwich’s Glenville section, Joe Criscuolo uttered the phrase, “it’s the evolution of the neighborhood slice shop, without the slices.” That’s exactly what Luca’s Pizzeria—named after Joe’s father, who founded the legendary Pizza Post in Cos Cob back in 1972—is all about. You won’t find doughy pizza that sits in your stomach like a brick. No wilted, colorless salads either. The cheesesteak, served on pizza bread? It’s not as dry as cardboard.
And to think, Criscuolo, who you don’t only know from his family’s Pizza Post, but Meatball & Co. in Darien, almost didn’t open anything. The reality is, he almost left the state, and country, altogether.
