The Negroni experienced a bit of a viral moment in 2022 when actor Emma D’Arcy from the HBO series ‘House of the Dragon’ shed light on their drink of choice: “a Negroni Sbagliato with Processo in it.” While bars around the world likely saw a boom in customers ordering the “broken” or “mistake” version of the Negroni, the classic version – one part Gin, one part Sweet Vermouth, and one part Campari, garnished with an orange twist – has been a favorite among cocktail connoisseurs for decades.
This year, from September 16 through 22, bars across the country will participate in Negroni Week, a celebration of all things, well, Negroni. Many restaurants and bars around the state will serve Negronis the classic way, or you may encounter several fun variations that experiment with the traditional gin/Campari/Sweet Vermouth formula.
Rowayton’s Arden’s is continuing their “After Hours” dinner series for the third summer in a row, and we were lucky enough to sit down with owner Jill Lukeman to get a first look at what’s to come.
For those who aren’t familiar, Arden’s is a neighborhood cafe located in the heart of Rowayton. Its coastal decor and delicious fare makes it the perfect spot to enjoy a delicious breakfast, lunch, or cup of joe. Since opening in 2022, the team has hosted monthly dinners to expand beyond their daytime offerings.
“We have always been passionate about entertaining our friends and hosting dinner parties at home. When we opened Arden's, we thought why not bring this same spirit to our cafe and offer something that feels like dinner at a friend's house (without the headache of planning and the clean-up!). We are also passionate about music so we incorporated a music element to make the evenings even more unique and intimate,” Lukeman shared with us.
Negroni: one part gin, one part Vermouth Rosso, one part Campari, garnished with an orange peel. Possibly first mixed up in Florence, Italy around 1919. Supposedly, Count Camillo Negroni asked the bartender of the evening to spruce up his favorite Americano with a splash of gin. Had an orange lying around and ka-pow, a classic poured into being! Well, from September 12-18th, Negroni Week heralds 7 days highlighting this classic cocktail, all the while raising money for important causes. This year, monies raised at these establishments will support Slow Food, a movement that seeks to change the world through food and beverages. Their goal? To help create a world where “everyone can enjoy food and beverage that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet”. Raise those glasses and enjoy this classic along with some new spins…
It’s Nantucket meets the Mediterranean. Arden’s, Rowayton’s newest eatery, is a community cafe offering up simple seasonal fare that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
Inside the beachy décor is minimalist with hints of flea-market vintage finds. You’ll find antiquated oyster tins, vases filled with vibrant fresh flowers, beechwood furniture, a curated marketplace with specialty gourmet food items, locally fabricated linens alongside local honey, assorted spices, hot chili oil in beautiful glass jars, ceramics and other wonderful finds. Wonderful, whimsical floppy rattan shades resembling oversized straw hats hang from light fixtures overhead. Arden’s welcomes you in immediately with a warm embrace that doesn’t want to let you go.
Stay a while and linger over a simple menu of salads, sandwiches and toasts. While the concept is simple the recipes are elevated using ingredients from several local purveyors including Wilton’s Millstone Farm and Darien-based Flour Water Salt Bread, Nit Noi Provisions and Ilse coffee. Ingredients matter at this health-forward café. At the helm of the kitchen is Moises Aguilar formerly with Southend Backend. Here he is tasked with delivering the ultimate flavor profile from the simplest of ingredients which he has clearly mastered.
help raise funds for LivFree, a local non-profit that supports families of children battling pediatric cancer. Campari (including Aperol) is matching their $1 per cocktail donation. RHK Seafood Boil + Bar will donate a percentage of Negroni Sales to benefit the James Beard Foundation’s Industry Support Programs, and Shipwirght’s Daughter in Mystic will gives back to No Kid Hungry, whose mission strives to end child hunger in America by ensuring that all children get the healthy food they need. Lastly, Ordinary Bar in New Haven will be donating to CORE Children’s Charity.
Go forth a drink at any of the spots listed below, and if you’d like to celebrate in the comfort of your own home, check out the Negroni Cocktail recipe c/o MECHA’s new Beverage Director, Dan Rek.
Last week I had the privilege of attending a truly wonderful and informative dinner at Wakeman Town Farm on the importance of sustainable seafood. We first heard from Norm Bloom of Copp’s Island Oysters, followed by Kevin Conroy, owner of The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood and the Rowayton Seafood Fish Market. He was joined by Chef Charles Hoffman the restaurant’s executive chef who prepared a most memorable meal.
The Blooms have been in the oyster business since the 1940s and currently operate one of the last standing traditional oyster farms in the United States. Norm Bloom and Son is a fourth generation family-owned farm that prides itself on high quality, consistent and sustainable products. They have a fleet of 15 boats and their dedicated crew harvests oysters and clams year round from the deep, cold, and nutrient-rich waters along the coast of Connecticut.
LobsterCraft opened its first storefront location today at the entrance to Rowayton on Tokeneke Road, serving the same menu that many of our readers enjoy from its trucks.
When the River Cat shuttered its doors in March, after 12 years on Rowayton’s main drag, the closure of the beloved neighborhood restaurant and bar left a gaping hole in Rowayton’s dining and social scene.
So when I returned to check out the recently launched SAILS, a new American bistro with a spiffed up nautical vibe, I wasn’t surprised that the highly polished teak bar was three-deep with old-timers and new fans, making themselves right at home in a familiar, yet completely transformed haunt.