Filtering by Tag: Holiday Guide,Norwalk

Spacecat Brewing Company: Now Pouring in Norwalk

Features Interview Craft Beer beer South Norwalk Norwalk Homepage Openings

Andrew Dominick

With Spacecat Brewing Company opening its taproom, South Norwalk finally has a brewery…

Again.

Not counting the two short-lived macrobreweries Guvnor’s and Iron which were located in the same space on Washington Street, the city hasn’t had a larger, buzzed about brewery since New England Brewing debuted on Commerce Street 1989 with then head brewer Phil Markowski, and they eventually moved to Marshall Street with another head brewer, Rob Leonard at the helm.

NEBCO left SoNo in 2001 for Woodbridge and Norwalk has been without a watering hole like it ever since.

A little less than 20 years later, James Bloom—no relation to the famous Bloom Family oyster operation—had an idea to open a brewery along with his friend and co-worker Jeff Dunn.


The Spread and El Segundo Owners Open Magic Five Pie Co. in East Norwalk

Features Interview Restaurant Pizza Norwalk Cocktails Homepage

Andrew Dominick

As if Carlos Baez wasn’t slammed enough as a partner and executive chef of The Spread and two El Segundo restaurants, he has added another gig to the mix as a pizzaiolo.

Located at the East Norwalk train station in a lower level of the new Brim & Crown apartments is Magic Five Pie Co., a name that stands for the five owners including Baez, Chris Hickey, Christopher Rasile, Andrey Cortes, and Shawn Longyear.

But from New American at The Spread and global street food at El Segundo, to pizza?

Baez simply wanted to challenge himself to not only to learn to make something different, but he also wanted to make his favorite food. “Pizza is my favorite thing to eat,” he says. “If I knew a meal was going to be my last, it would be a good pie.”


From Port Chester to Norwalk: Appetit Bistro Brings French Inspired Menu to SoNo

Features Restaurant Interview French Norwalk Port Chester Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Oui, oui! You did hear correctly. There is a new French bistro on the block in South Norwalk and it goes by the name of Appetit Bistro.

And while it may be new to Connecticut, it may not be new to some of its residents. For six years and counting, Appetit Bistro has been a staple in the village of Port Chester.

For Montoya—who co-owns the restaurant with executive chef Ismael Carias—opening a second location three towns and a city away from the original was a no-brainer because of the fanfare they’ve received from the state that’s a stone’s throw away.

So, with that, they’re bringing all the duck a l'orange, chicken paillard, steak frites, and buttery, garlicky escargot you can handle, right to the center of SoNo.

But the pair’s French theme didn’t simply happen just because.

“He (Ismael) ran the kitchen at Crew in Greenwich,” Montoya says. “And I fell in love with French food when I started working at L’escale back in 2002. It was my first job ever and I loved it. I was there for five years. I ended up managing BLT Steak in White Plains and we opened our desired concept because we knew we would be the only French bistro in Port Chester.”

Their love letter to French food is evident at Appetit. Dishes are sometimes classic. The steak frites certainly is. Hard seared hangar steak, crusty on the outside, cool red on the inside, and tender as all hell—whatever that means to you. It’s served as it should be with a pile of salty shoestring fries and some frizzled onions that await the residuals of what should be a generous pour of the black peppercorn sauce. It’s always my ideal French meal when paired with a bold merlot or a strong Sazerac depending on the night. Most often for me, it’s the Saz.


Siena Ristorante Opens Second Location at Hotel Zero Degrees in Norwalk

Features Restaurant Interview Homepage Cocktails Italian Norwalk

Andrew Dominick

The vacancy left by Mediterraneo at Norwalk’s branch of Hotel Zero Degrees has a new occupant.

Siena Ristorante—owned by Pasquale Conte, Pietro Polini, along with new partners in executive chef Foster Lukas and general manager and longtime bartender Jonathan Rodriguez—have been open since early September serving upscale Northern Italian food that the restaurant has dished out in Stamford for about 25 years.

But Stamford residents, fear not, they didn’t move. This is simply a sequel location.

Rodriguez, who you might know from his six-year stint as Mecha Noodle Bar’s beverage directory, clued us in on how it all came together. “Pasquale and Pietro are friends of the owners of the hotel, so they were able to strike a deal and it made sense,” he says. “Foster was the former chef at East End in Greenwich (there’s a close relationship between Hotel Zero Degrees and Z Hospitality Group’s restaurants), so he came on, and I did a small, maybe 8-10 drink program at Siena Stamford, so they approached me about wanting to bring me on as a partner.”

If you aren’t familiar with what to expect from this 130-seat hotel restaurant that provides Silvermine River views, think along the lines of old school Italian marries Tuscan fine dining. The menu can go from light—with a colorful roasted beet salad atop whipped ricotta with salty, chopped pistachios and a beet greens pesto—to soulful and hearty with meatballs, fritti misti (deep fried calamari, eggplant, zucchini, and hot peppers), and a crostini trio that doesn’t skimp on toppings.

There’s pizza, too, and don’t call it Neapolitan. According to Lukas, it’s “artisan.”

“It’s the pizza that I wanted when I moved to Connecticut from New York,” he says. “It’s half 00 flour and half all-purpose, salt, yeast, and a touch of olive oil. It’s fermented for minimum 24 hours but up to two days. We cook it in a combi oven (gas and wood) for some wood flavor. It’s crisp, light, and has no flop.”

The rest of Siena’s menu is chock full of pasta dishes. No, that doesn’t mean spaghetti and meatballs. These carbs include truffle and wild mushroom tagliatelle, duck ragu bucatini, kale and ricotta ravioli with vodka sauce, sweet corn and butter poached lobster risotto, and red wine braised oxtail rigatoni.

“What we’re trying to do it take a Tuscan-inspired restaurant known for years for having good food, where pasta is made in-house, using ingredients you can recognize, that’s as local as possible,” Rodriguez says.

The rest of Siena’s offerings include seafood like wood-fired whole branzino, shrimp and cockles with white bean and broccoli rabe ragout, and grilled salmon. Some of its meatier fare is a wood-fired half chicken, a classic in either veal or chicken Milanese, a grilled Berkshire porkchop with peach mostarda, and your choice of steak with options being a porcini rubbed NY strip or a dry-aged bone-in ribeye. Each steak is accompanied by a stack of parmesan polenta “fries,” sautéed spinach, and a gravy boat full of sweet balsamic shallot sauce.


Dave & Charlie's Hometown Deli Opening in Norwalk From The Folks at Dave's Planet Pizza

Restaurant open Deli Sandwich Breakfast Lunch Norwalk Take Out

Stephanie Webster

If you don’t know Dave Kuban from Dave’s Planet Pizza, you really should go introduce yourself. Sure, he runs Planet Pizza’s highly successful Norwalk location, but this restaurateur offers so much more to the Norwalk community beyond pizza and oversized grinders. Dave is the guy who will unfailingly step up to help his neighbors or support a local fundraising effort. Whether he rolls in with his pizza truck to raise money for a family whose house has burned down overnight, or is feeding the homeless in the midst of Covid, he has been there for Norwalk for 30 years, and continues to be an anchor with his mobile pizza truck and storefront.

Now, Kuban has a new project underway, and again, he has stepping up to support Norwalk. Kuban and his brother in law have taken over Marinelli’s deli in the town’s Strawberry Hill neighborhood. Marinelli’s was an institution, serving Norwalk for over 70 years, and locals were devastated to see it shut its doors in the midst of the pandemic. Kuban is taking the reins to preserve the heritage and community spirit that Marinelli’s had embodied.


314 Beer Garden Opens at Former SoNo Marketplace

Features Restaurant Craft Beer beer Beer Garden ct beer BBQ Norwalk

Andrew Dominick

Some of you may remember the multi-vendor and artist space known as SoNo Marketplace at 314 Wilson Avenue. Don’t worry if you think it passed you by, it was sadly only open for a blink. But if you do recall, the courtyard area of the “market” was always set up for events and an outdoor bar with draft lines. Some years ago, SoNo Marketplace did host a chili cookoff and a pig roast with Half Full Brewery.

In 2021, that patio space has been resurrected as 314 Beer Garden, complete with 13 taps and all the essential biergarten décor with Adirondack chairs, picnic tables, string lights, and a massive fire pit smack dab in the center of it all.

314’s intro beer list on draft and in cans included a strong Connecticut brewery presence. New England Brewing Co.’s signature, hoppy Sea Hag and Supernaut were both available, as was Evenflow, a crushable lager from Hamden’s own No Worries.


RHK Seafood Boil and Bar Opens in South Norwalk

Restaurant Features Seafood Cocktails Burgers seafood boil South Norwalk Norwalk Homepage

Andrew Dominick

South Norwalk is boiling over…with seafood. Seafood boils, that is. And SoNo is set to get that times two.

RHK Seafood Boil and Bar is one of two Cajun-inspired seafood joints to open its doors downtown, the other being SoNo Boil, just a block away.

This isn’t a comparison between the two, but rather a focus on the former in RHK. You can compare and contrast on your own time, eating your weight in shellfish, chorizo, corn, and potatoes for research purposes.

RHK—located in the former Mama’s Boy, then Beach House space—comes to Norwalk from the folks behind Round K Coffee & Roasters in New York City.

But how does a seafood boil idea stem from coffee shop owners? It’s simple. Hospitality.

“Coffee is the most common and traditional way to show hospitality,” says owner Ockhyeon Byeon. “At Round K, we are able to provide locals and visitors with all-in-one hospitality, from greetings to serving foods and drinks. I’m looking forward to introducing lower Fairfield County to Cajun-inspired seafood boils, where the goal is to gather, eat, and have a good time.”

Byeon also likened South Norwalk to where he’s from in South Korea, where seafood is a main food source. He even purposely parks his car on the top level of The Maritime Garage because the ocean view reminds him of where he grew up.


The Galley Waterfront Cafe: Great Sandwiches & Sea Breezes in Norwalk

Restaurant Norwalk Lunch Waterfront Breakfast Egg Sandwich Sandwich Brunch

April Guilbault

Sandwiches with sea breezes, comin’ up….

Ok, not the cran-grapefruit-vodka-lime type of SeaBreeze, the actual sea breezes. I think we can all agree that everything tastes better eaten outside, or better yet, by the water. The warm sun on your face, a slight breath of air coming off the Sound and subtle scents of briny water wafting. You hear the clink-clank of ropes on masts, a boat horn here and there. Hello, seagull, nice to see you and no, I won’t give you a fry. These fries are too good to give to the gulls, that’s why.

Fries and more, The Galley Waterfront Cafe is a place to head this summer. Motor up by boat and grab lunches to go or sit awhile at their outdoor seating and take in views of Norwalk Harbor while you hungrily gobble up bites of their fantastic sandwiches.


Smoking Again: Pitmaster Leland Avellino Opens Takeout-Only Avellino Family BBQ

Features Interview BBQ Pitmaster Norwalk Homepage Comfort Food Catering

Andrew Dominick

Leland Avellino is a name that might be familiar to local BBQ enthusiasts. Even if you can’t recall, there’s a good chance you ate at the Stamford branch of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que at least once. Avellino, who was a partner, didn’t only open that location in 2012, he went on to become the company’s corporate executive chef before he transitioned away from that role to return to the BBQ pits in Stamford because as he puts it, “I met my wife, had two kids, and life on the road wasn’t good for that, so I came back.”

When Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Stamford decided to pull the plug in June 2020 due to COVID-19, Avellino got antsy. He wanted to feed people clamoring for his smoked meats and he needed to get back to work to feed his family.

“I was sitting home, I was bored, and I wanted to feed my people,” he says. “I bought this 500-gallon converted propane tank smoker on a whim. I looked at tanks in Texas, Kansas, I talked to pit bosses all over to find a good one. I bought this one (built in Austin) locally from a guy who was going to do something in Greenwich, and he didn’t because of COVID. I bought it without telling my wife! I pulled the trigger, and boom! Here we are!”

The “here” is in the Glenbrook section of Stamford, at 47 Larkin Street, past Lock City Brewing and Marcia Selden Catering, at ONTHEMARC Events where Avellino uses a commercial kitchen space and parks his smoker by the front door.

At Avellino Family BBQ, he’s not doing the same ‘cue he did at Dino.


Coals Brings Grilled Pizza, Burgers, and Wings to Norwalk

Features Restaurant Openings Pizza Norwalk Chicken Wings Burgers beer Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Regulars of the Port Chester location of Coals Pizza got some bad news towards the end of 2020 when they announced December 30 would be their final day after eight years on N Main Street.

But in the case of Coals, when one location shuttered, another opened. In early February, they quietly debuted their third restaurant (their others are in Bronxville and Portland, Maine) in the former Fat Cat Pie Co. space in Norwalk.

According to Billy Etzel—who owns Coals along with Nick Restaino (whose wife, Blanca, steps in when he’s coaching baseball at Sacred Heart University), and Joe Rossi—opening in Norwalk was the plan way back when. “Nick lives in Norwalk and always kept his eyes open for a space and Fat Cat was available (after 16 years),” he says. “Way before we opened Port Chester, this was the first place we looked at before it was Fat Cat. Back then, we would have done what they did with wine and pizza.”

As far as why they left Port Chester, Etzel said it was a myriad of reasons including the redevelopment of the area where Coals PC occupied, plus the pandemic, but more so that it was time to move onto a new chapter.

Coals’ new chapter will only be new to those unfamiliar with what they became known for in the neighboring county, grilled pizza, wings, an award-winning burger, and a credible craft beer list.

“People know us because of the grilled pizza,” Etzel says. “What we do is food that most people consider simple food. We try to do it in the most ultimate way, and we put a lot of effort into that.”


Antojos Colombian Restaurant: Updated Menu Drops at This Hidden Gem

Restaurant Columbian Norwalk New Menu Comfort Food Delicious Dives Take Out To-Go Lunch

Stephanie Webster

Nestled in a strip mall in the Broad River section of Norwalk, you could easily miss Antojos Columbian restaurant. You’ve probably driven by, and barely noticed it, or you may remember our write up on this hidden gem back in 2017. Whether you’re new to Antojos, or a loyal customer, you’ll want to pay attention. They are serving up some seriously tasty authentic Columbian fare, and some exciting new menu items have recently dropped. We felt they were ready for their close-up. Enjoy the photo journey, complete with menu names for easy ordering. Get that drool cup ready…


Badass Bagels: A Pandemic Pivot Yields Wild Yeast Bagels At Sugar & Olives in Norwalk

Features Restaurant Bagels Pop-Up Breakfast Carbs Take Out Norwalk Homepage

Amy Kundrat

If in times of crisis we tend to go back to our roots, then in times of pandemic I suppose it’s only fitting we reach back to our biblical roots. Sourdough may have been discovered by the ancient Egyptians but it has been perfected by Jennifer Balin of Sugar & Olives in the form of Badass Bagels.

These naturally leavened bagels have a light crunch on the outside, light as air and chewy with a slight tang on the inside. Badass Bagels come in six varieties, including sesame, poppy, smoked sea salt, everything, caraway, and plain, as well as an offering of unique cream cheese flavors including green goddess and pimento scallion—these sourdough bagels may become your new weekend obsession.


El Segundo Debuts New Brunch Menu in South Norwalk and New Haven

Features Restaurant brunch Norwalk New Haven Global Cuisine Mexican Latin American Asian Breakfast Homepage

Andrew Dominick

The owners of The Spread and El Segundo have had an extremely busy 2020.

Chris Hickey, Andrey Cortes, Christopher Rasile, Shawn Longyear, and Carlos Baez decided to close their Spread sequel in Greenwich at the end of July, an announcement that came on the heels that they relocated their South Norwalk flagship to the former Harlan Publick space in the Ironworks development, adjacent to their global street food concept, El Segundo.

Oh, and that’s not all. Their follow up to a closure and a relocation, was to open a Downtown New Haven double of El Segundo at the tail end of August.

That’s a lot of action.

But with all that comes even more change in the form of El Segundo’s brunch menu.

Brunch was always a thing at El Segundo Norwalk but it’s the New Haven opening that sparked the change according to Hickey.

“The new menu is totally in line with the New Haven opening,” he says. “Brunch was instantly popular in New Haven, so we wanted to bring it to SoNo, too.”


Zul Cafe and Grill Brings Authentic Filipino Fare to Norwalk

Features Restaurant Filipino Norwalk Lunch Openings Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Quick! Name a Filipino restaurant that’s close by!

Time’s up!

Stumped? Don’t worry, all of us in lower Fairfield County had no clue until now.

But before Zul Cafe and Grill opened its kitchen in Norwalk in early June, you likely had to venture to Yonkers, Nyack, or Queens to get your fill of Filipino fare.

The “why” behind Zul is simple. Owners and Norwalk residents Rob and Gladys Luz not only saw a void in Filipino cuisine in the area, but they also wanted it more readily available for themselves. Opening a restaurant of their own became all the more real when Rob had one of his cravings for the food of his culture.

“We would always just go to Queens because they have a lot of Filipino food in one small area, but we got tired of traffic and casually discussed opening a Filipino restaurant ourselves,” Gladys says. “We saw this house for sale and Rob said, ‘This is a nice spot for a Filipino restaurant,’ to which I replied, ‘Where?!’ I didn’t notice it because it’s residential. The roof was falling apart, the grass was high, there was a big tree out front. You couldn’t even see the building! It was a fixer upper. Rob had the vision. He saw it. I didn’t!”


Pizza for a Good Cause: Letizia’s Pizza Creates Specialty Pies for Two Local Charities

Restaurant Events Pizza Norwalk Letizia's Pizza charity

Andrew Dominick

Letizia’s Pizza is no stranger to helping out local charities. It’s a simple win-win concept; buy a specialty pizza, devour it, and ALL the proceeds from each pie sold are donated to a good cause.

This September, Letizia’s brought back their taco pizza to benefit Filling in the Blanks, a charity that’s geared towards fighting childhood hunger by providing children with meals on the weekends.

Partnering with charities is something Letizia’s owners Dennis Letizia, Dave Cook, and Danny Segers say they’ll always be a part of. “It’s our way to give back,” Segers says. “Our community is so supportive of us whenever we ask, so when we find local charities like Filling in the Blanks and see all the hard work, they put in to end childhood hunger, we’re ecstatic to help.”


Savory Smoke Barbecue Food Truck Launches in Norwalk Area

Restaurant Food Truck BBQ Homepage Norwalk

Andrew Dominick

When cruising around the Norwalk Town Green on random weekdays or perusing the Rowayton Farmers Market on Fridays, you may have noticed a big neon green food truck with the words “Savory Smoke Barbecue” decaled on the side. On board is Ryan Cuber. His name might be new to some of you, but be assured, he’s not new to the BBQ game.

Cuber, a Norwalk resident, has been around if you’ve really paid attention to the food scene. He has catered privately, held BBQ pop-ups at Sand Wedge Deli and at Winfield Street Coffee, and he ran the pits for the short-lived (but very good) Mason Dixon Smokehouse in Stamford.

BBQ aside, Cuber was around the business at an early age. “I was exposed to the restaurant business as a kid and I learned a lot; my mom was a restaurant manager,” he says. “I’ve done almost everything from folding pizza boxes to being a busboy. I’ve managed. I’ve been a chef.”

Cuber’s BBQ journey began in 2011, at a time when there wasn’t much of it around here. “There wasn’t really anyone doing it when I started…maybe Bobby Q’s was the only one back then,” he recalls. “I was overworked, over schooled, a little bit hungover. I woke up in the middle of the night, made a sauce, and said, ‘This is it. This is what I’m gonna do.’ I knew the area needed more BBQ.”


Haruki Ramen & Izakaya Brings Authentic Japanese Pub Fare to Norwalk

Restaurant Ramen Noodles Asian Japanese Izakaya Norwalk SONO Openings Lunch Homepage Waypointe

Tiffany Tu

Amongst the bright and airy courtyard of the Waypointe Apartments resides Haruki Ramen & Izakaya.

Owners, Lily Nimonjiya and Ben Chan, first opened Haruki’s doors in February 2020. They wanted to bring a new side of the Japanese culture to Fairfield. Most importantly, they wanted to showcase what you’d normally find in an izakaya in Japan. “I want to highlight that there is more to the Japanese cuisine than sushi and ramen,” says Nimonjiya.

So, what is an izakaya? In Japanese, it directly translates to, “stay sake shop.” It is a casual drinking establishment with small bites. A more colloquial comparison for an izakaya would be a pub or a tapas bar. Alongside their izakaya offerings, there are also options for ramen and rice dishes. And of course, craft cocktails and an extensive list of sake—47 kinds to be exact.


Allora Coffee & Bites: Jolt of Java (and More) at The Waypointe

Restaurant Norwalk Coffee Healthy Eats Toast Homepage

Andrew Dominick

With the likes of Barcelona Wine Bar, Colony Grill, and ramen newcomer Haruki all filling vacancies at The Waypointe in Central Norwalk, it’s only fitting that potential visitors have a place to get caffeinated, too.

Allora Coffee & Bites—located at the development’s Orchard Street side—can provide you with a pick me up in the form of a classic cup of an exclusive house blend, a refreshing and equally jolting cold brew, or a foamy vanilla latte, complete with a fancy leaf decoration, all super fresh and roasted weekly by Redding Roasters out of Bethel.

The idea for a simple menu of well-made coffee drinks came from the husband and wife team of Reid and Kim Steinberg. Allora, though, was derived from Kim’s background. Her dad was born in Italy. She studied abroad in Florence. And as it reads on their website, she has fond memories of the smell of espresso being prepared on the stove as a child, and her parents showed their hospitality by offering a cup of coffee to a neighbor, post dinner, at a gathering, and to one another.

The Steinbergs wanted to bring that same warmth to their business, not only with fast, friendly service, but with a simple aesthetic design that’s inviting, and reminiscent of Italian coffee shops.


Takeout Chronicles: Mr. Frosty and David’s Soundview Catering

Features Restaurant Take Out To-Go Home Delivery ice cream Dessert Caterers Lobster Lobster Roll Norwalk

April Guilbault

This review is going to go in reverse because the first thing my family ordered for take-out in the early weeks of quarantine was…ice cream. We fancy ourselves pretty healthy eaters in this house, so our intense want of ice cream one evening will get chalked up to the need for some unabashed comfort food in the face of world events. Mr. Frosty’s Ice Cream in Norwalk is an institution. It (ice)screams summer and salty air evenings, sweatshirts, sandy hair, and flip-flops. However, their newly minted pickup kits will keep you entertained while we wait for any semblance of summer to return. We ordered the “Survival Kit.”

Our next take-out order involved another hungering for summer. A summer in our house is not complete without a lobster roll and we knew where to get a good one: David’s Soundview Catering in Stamford.


The Spread in SoNo Moves IronWorks Complex, Re-Opening This Week!

Restaurant Openings South Norwalk SONO American Global Cuisine Cuban Asian Happy Hour Bar Cocktails Norwalk Homepage

Stephanie Webster

The Spread you know and love from Main Street in South Norwalk has some new digs and a whole new summer look. Spread owners Andrey Cortes, Chris Hickey, Chris Rasile, Shawn Longyear and Chef Carlos Baez have taken their much heralded menu and rustic industrial vibe, and moved down the street, next door to their sister spot, El Segundo. The new spot resides in the old Harlan Public location within the IronWorks complex, and it comes with one of the most beautiful outdoor dining spaces in Fairfield County. Loyal diners and regulars….don’t worry. The menu will feature all of the usual favorites such as their Brick Chicken and Ricotta Gnocchi but Chef Baez has a few surprises up his chef’s coat.