Brass & Bone: Bringing Live Music + New Orleans Inspired Food to South Norwalk Features Interview Restaurant Norwalk Music Live Music Cocktails Southern Food New Orleans Cuisine Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick May 17, 2026 Third times a charm, right? That’s what the ownership quartet of Maxim Schiavone, Joseph Magrath, John McGraw, and Jonathan Ackerman is hoping for with Brass & Bone on Norwalk’s Washington Street. Replacing two short lived music venue, restaurant and bar concepts before it in Music & Industry and Washington Social, Brass & Bone’s foursome of friends believe they have the recipe to make it work, especially with their respective backgrounds. Schiavone is an entertainment guy, McGraw has a tech and marketing background, Ackerman is a veteran bartender, and Magrath is a chef. Read More
How Crust Issues Evolved from a Local Takeout Spot to Destination Dining Features Interview Restaurant Crust Issues Norwalk Pizza Sandwiches Supper Club Breakfast Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick April 19, 2026 When John Nealon opened Crust Issues, three years ago, he wondered if he’d be able to pay the electric bill each month. He knew going in that giving it another go as an owner after Fortina and after Taco Daddy, The Lila Rose, and Cugine’s Italian, that the restaurant game is a gamble. And he was already up against it by taking a lease across the street from Bob’s Discount Furniture, next to a car wash, and in a spot in a strip mall next to a hair salon, a tattoo parlor, and an adult novelty store. Oh, and the parking there, it sucks. But Nealon’s early mornings slaving over his dough recipe wouldn’t be for nothing. He kept at it and kept pushing, daring to create pizza, pasta, and sandwich combinations that not many others would attempt. Read More
The Blind Rhino: Past, Present, and Future Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Norwalk Black Rock Bridgeport Milford Chicken Wings Burgers Beer Food Truck Andrew Dominick March 25, 2026 In 2015, three longtime friends and lifers in the hospitality industry decided to open a sports bar in South Norwalk. Over 10 years later, The Blind Rhino, and co-owners Casey Dohme, Matt Bacco, and Jamie Pantanella have seen one location in SoNo grow into another in Black Rock, another in Milford, and two food trucks. And that’s not all. They’re present at events all over Connecticut and beyond and they do a lot for charity—including hosting their own golf tournaments to raise funds for local organizations. Still…not done. Read More
The Haven Opens in Norwalk Featuring a Speakeasy, Rooftop, Cafe, and Event Space Features Interview Restaurant Speakeasy Cocktails Pizza Late Night Norwalk Interview Rooftop Opening Andrew Dominick February 06, 2026 The restaurant space on the corner of Washington and N Main has seen its share of flips. Evarito’s had an over five-year run, then it was The Pompano for a blink. Drive or walk by it now and you’ll notice the dining room is empty-ish, but more like a clearing, and that the lights are on. And the lettering on the glass door reads, “The Haven.” Behind all of those previous concepts, and behind The Haven, is Christian Burns, who you’re familiar with as the brains behind The Ginger Man and The Cask Republic locations. With The Haven, Burns and his landlords, Joe and Aldo Criscuolo, are teaming up on all four aspects of what this is and what it’s going to be when it’s whole. Read More
Breaking News: Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk Announces New Concept + Renovations Features Interview Restaurant Valencia Luncheria Venezuelan Latin American Norwalk Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick January 08, 2026 Valencia Luncheria as you know it is closing. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but it made you sit straight up, didn’t it? In a social media post on January 7, 2026, Valencia announced that after service on January 18, they’ll be closing for renovations. But those first four words in the caption on their Instagram reel is what you should be focused on… Read More
LobsterCraft Food Truck X SONO 1420 Weekend Tasting Room Fireside Collab Features Norwalk Distillery Lobster Lobster Roll Opening Food Truck CTbites Team October 13, 2025 SoNo 1420, America’s Maritime Distillery in South Norwalk, CT, recently introduced its new food service partner, Norwalk’s popular LobsterCraft food truck. The partnership between SoNo 1420’s Double Gold Award-Winning whiskeys and spirits and LobsterCraft’s #1 voted lobster roll, make for a great new weekend visit in the Norwalk food scene. This collab takes place amongst outdoor firepits, SONO 1420’s outstanding cocktails c/o mixologist Blake Poon, every Thursday-Saturday 5-9PM, with live music every Friday! Read More
Tacos 203 by Taco Guy Opens at South Norwalk Train Station Features Interview Restaurant Tacos Norwalk Tacos 203 Cocktails Grab-n-Go Mexican Homepage Fast Casual Opening Andrew Dominick August 25, 2025 As summer dwindles down in Connecticut, lobster rolls are out, tacos are in. At least that’s the case at the South Norwalk’s Metro-North station’s eastbound side. When the vacant space where LobsterCraft once slung rolls, lobster mac, and bisque, is now home to Tacos 203, a spinoff of Taco Guy. Owner Adrian Hurtado, who started his Taco Guy brand, first as a successful food truck, then a brick-and-mortar in Norwalk’s Wall Street area in 2023, snagged the train station spot by putting in an application bid for it with the Norwalk Parking Authority, not knowing whether he’d get it or not. Read More
Preview: Taco Guy Opening Tacos 203 at the South Norwalk Train Station Features Interview Restaurant Opening Norwalk Preview Tacos Mexican Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick April 23, 2025 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. Read More
Dippin Chicken Opens in East Norwalk with Fast Casual Korean Fried Chicken Features Ingredients Restaurant Korean Fried Chicken Korean Fast Casual Chicken Sandwich Fried Chicken Norwalk Interview Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick April 15, 2025 Fast casual fried chicken is a hot craze that’s seemingly not cooling off anytime soon. Haven Hot Chicken, Birdcode Hot Chicken, the new to Connecticut Dave’s Hot Chicken, and smaller spots like Stamford’s Cwispy Chicken are proof of that. But even newer to the coop is Dippin Chicken in East Norwalk where Korean fried chicken is their menu’s centerpiece. Read More
First Look: Mighty Quinn's BBQ Opens at The Waypointe in Norwalk Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant BBQ Norwalk Mighty Quinn's BBQ Interview Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick January 07, 2025 Most Connecticut residents who were unfamiliar with Hugh Mangum before he and his family started making donuts in Wilton four years ago, may be oblivious to a few tidbits. Mangum, you see, isn’t only a French Culinary Institute graduate who worked under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, but he’s the founder of the popular Mighty Quinn’s BBQ. Now that his family’s donut shop, Rise Doughnuts, has gone from a pop up to its own physical location, paired with the fact that the Mangums reside in Wilton, the time to open another Mighty Quinn’s in nearby Norwalk in the former Bobby Q’s and the short lived Lechon Smokehouse space at The Waypointe. Read More
Restaurateur Jody Pennette Opens Live Music Venue Meets "French Dive Bar" Music & Industry in Norwalk Features Interview Restaurant Cocktails Bar Live Music French Norwalk Music Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick December 29, 2024 Veteran restaurateur Jody Pennette is no stranger to opening restaurants and bars all over the world, but his latest, Music & Industry in South Norwalk is different from the rest. This one, you see, is his, and his alone. “This is the 505th one I’ve opened, and it’s the only one I own,” he says. “I’m like a songwriter versus being a singer—I’m creating things for other people to perform. I size them up to see what I can do for them and try to deliver something that’s going to be a market worthy story.” Read More
Magic 5 Pie Co. Expands Menu in Norwalk...And It's TASTY! Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Norwalk Magic 5 Pie Co Pizza Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick September 27, 2024 Now almost three years old, Magic 5 Pie Co. has had no problem with repeat diners. But the people have to first find it before they can return.Tucked away in the parking lot of the East Norwalk Metro-North Station, even longtime Norwalkers won’t even see it from the usual slow crawl of East Avenue traffic. You’ll have to go all the way in the back. Or you can plug in “Magic 5 Pie Co.” in Google Maps for an assist. “Lots of people still don’t know we’re in Norwalk,” says Shawn Longyear, who along with Chris Hickey, Andrey Cortes, and Christopher Rasile, are also all co-owners of The Spread and El Segundo just across the bridge in South Norwalk. “But once they find us, they come back.” Read More
Wave Hill Breads Expands in Norwalk with New Cafe Featuring Pizza, Coffee, + More Features Ingredients Interview Bakery Norwalk Pizza Pastry Baker Wave Hill Breads Homepage Andrew Dominick September 05, 2024 When I sat down with Tim Topi to talk about his bakery’s expansion, and second location, this time in the form of a sit-down café, I jokingly told him that Wave Hill Breads could very well be the most mentioned place in the history of this website. It may not actually be a joke, though. Countless restaurants swear by Wave Hill and prominently feature their sourdough or burger buns on their menu and others have a deal with Topi’s bakery for custom loaves or buns. Off the top of my head? Damon Sawyer’s 29 Markle Ct uses their brioche buns, Jeff Taibe of Taproot serves Wave Hill sourdough with either butter or pimento cheese and bacon jam, Josie & Tony’s has them custom bake semolina for their terrific sandwiches, and they bake milk buns for Cwispy Chkn’s tasty fried chicken sliders. I’m sure I’m leaving out dozens more, but you get the idea. Read More
Norwalk's Hidden Gems: Perfect Venues for Corporate Holiday Festivities (sponsored post) Features Homepage Norwalk Catering Events Private Dining Private Party Holiday Guide CTbites Team August 11, 2024 As the holiday season approaches, finding the perfect venue for your corporate holiday party in Norwalk, CT is key to setting the right tone for celebration. From classic restaurants to modern event spaces, Norwalk offers a range of venues designed to accommodate every style of corporate gathering. Join us as we discover seven standout locations known for their charm, amenities, and ability to create memorable experiences for your team. Read More
Wave Hill Breads To Open New Retail Space In Norwalk Features Opening Norwalk Bakery Bread Shop RJ Scofield June 27, 2024 Wave Hill Breads, an artisan micro-bakery located on High Street in Norwalk, plans to open a new 3,000-square-foot retail space on Westport Avenue.Co-Owner Angela Topi confirmed to Patch plans to open a the new retail space, which will also include kitchen space and two back rooms for educational workshops and team building events, at 239 Westport Avenue.Though an official opening date has not been set yet, Topi teased the new Wave Hill space will soon be ready to open."We feel that there is a need for fresh, local, high-quality artisan food on the best bread around," Topi said to Patch. "Also, our wonderful and loyal customers kept asking us to open up a retail space."Wave Hill currently sells breads, pastries and other items from its High Street bakery, which Topi said will still be the main production facility for their wholesale accounts and farmer's markets while the new Westport Avenue facility will mainly be used for retail.Read the full article on The Patch. Read More
Scoop This: OGGI Gelato Opens First Shop in the U.S. in Norwalk Features Ice Cream Ingredients Interview Gelato ice cream Ingredients Norwalk Interview Italian Andrew Dominick June 03, 2024 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. Read More
Josie & Tony’s in Norwalk Opens Arthur Avenue Inspired Deli Counter: No Membership Required Features Ingredients Restaurant Deli Sandwich Sandwiches Norwalk South Norwalk Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick May 24, 2024 Joshua Mesnick is well aware that his restaurant, Josie & Tony’s Italian Deli & Supper Club, is polarizing.He dared to be different and opened a fine dining membership-based restaurant in South Norwalk, catering to paid club members first, and the general public second. Scoff it you want, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in. It’s not impossible, and if it’s not for you, Mesnick will be the first to tell you, that that’s totally fine. “I’ve always done through this project what I’m passionate about,” he says. “Membership has been sold out. We have plenty of great regulars that aren’t members. There have been doubters all along and that’s OK!”Supper club aside, let’s talk about that other part of the name…Italian Deli. Read More
The Pompano Opens in Norwalk with Seafood Concept from Evarito's Owners Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Opening Seafood Interview Norwalk Homepage Andrew Dominick May 01, 2024 Back in 2018 when Christian Burns opened Evarito’s on the corner of N Main Street, just past the 50 Washington Street building, “Hola!” was the restaurant’s catchy little social media term. Six years later, Burns, and the public, can say “Hola!” to the new concept that inhabits 14 N Main, The Pompano.Before we get to what The Pompano is all about, a lot of folks are itching to know why Evarito’s is no more after announcing its last days earlier in 2024. While there were a few factors, the simplest answer is they never fully got back on track financially after 2020. “We just did OK,” Burns explains. “We were popping in 2019. In the winter, we still had a crowd. Then we never really popped out of COVID the same way. 2021 came and it was less (customers). 2022 came and it was even less. I knew it was time for a change and I thought Evarito’s had run its course.”Burns—who you know from The Ginger Man and Cask Republic locations—had to think about if he wanted to relaunch the Evarito’s space, and if so, what would he want it to be. Travel was that inspiration. If Evarito’s was inspired by Burns’ trips to and love of various parts of Mexico, his new idea for a restaurant would be a New England seafood restaurant meets a South Florida seafood restaurant. Read More
Jeff Taibe Opens Southeast Asian Concept “Next Door” Inside of Taproot in Norwalk Features Interview Ingredients Restaurant Southeast Asian Asian Homepage Jeff Taibe Norwalk Opening Andrew Dominick February 25, 2024 Jeff Taibe had a big 2023. Not only did Taibe relocate his six-year Bethel restaurant, Taproot, to South Norwalk, he received much deserved recognition at December’s edition of the CRAzies Awards in the form of a “Best Restaurant Fairfield County” win. Read More
"Neighborhood Bar" Flying Scotsman Opens in Norwalk's Wall Street District Interview Features Norwalk Homepage scotch bourbon classic cocktails Cocktails Opening Whiskey Bar Andrew Dominick February 15, 2024 A few days after I interviewed owner and bartender, Alan Heron of the Flying Scotsman, he posted one of the portraits I captured of him on Instagram along with the caption, “Mediocre service guaranteed.” Read More
