Gabagool Wine Bar is the newest incarnation of the former Fairfield favorite, Toto Restaurant, which shut its doors suddenly and unexpectedly about a year and a half ago. I worried that, tragically, this too had succumbed to the pandemic, but alas – and thankfully, such was not the case.
The restaurant that occupied the main level in the red building on Reef Road sat vacant and dark for over a year. This was all due to massive flood caused by a ruptured pipe. With water everywhere, the restaurant’s interior needed to be completely gutted and rebuilt. Thankfully for us restauranteur and owner Antonio Ninivaggi does as only Antonio does… He turned his lemons into limoncello, and thus Gabagool Wine Bar was born.
Nestled in a quiet corner of a shopping plaza located right off of the hustle and bustle of Fairfield’s Black Rock Turnpike is Vespino Pizza + Restaurant. Located in the space that was formerly Stefano’s, Vespino fills a void in the area’s restaurant scene. Best described as elevated casual in a stylishly modern setting, Vespino is an ideal choice for a quick neighborhood lunch, casual dinner with friends and family, or an after work cocktail. Vespino has already established a loyal clientele and has earned praises for their pizza, pasta, appetizers and main dishes. Sister restaurant to longtime local favorite Quattro Pazzi Café, Organika and the newer kid on the block, Pizza Lyfe in Westport, we came in with high expectations, eager to try a few dishes ourselves.
Mercato Italian Kitchen is a new favorite spot for inspired beverages, and they are newly open in the Farmington Valley serving drinks that are more fire than their pizza ovens (which both have names. I never knew pizza ovens had names.)
After doing a live creative session on Instagram with Bianca Giuliano, their bar manager and beverage curator, I was instantly intrigued by her ingredients and drinks that were based on classic cocktails, but with crowd pleasing twists and riffs.
The bar staff was just as enthusiastic and passionate about the menu as Bianca, so rest assured: you’ll get the full Mercato experience no matter which one you choose.
The Canton Location just opened its doors for dinner this week, and is a “must try” for anyone in the valley that loves amazing drinks (her 0%ABV menu ROCKS, by the way!) perfectly rustic wood fired pies, and great ambience. (SIDE NOTE: I had a great burger with burrata)
For those of you who have been craving a good New York style pizza that you can really sink your teeth into, let us introduce you to Pizza Lyfe, a slice of heaven in the heart of New Haven style pizza country.
Pizza Lyfe prides itself on using only the best and freshest of ingredients. Their specially made mozzarella comes from the Bronx, a location so secret they wouldn’t even share it with us ‘off the record.’ The dough is made from a special unbleached, high-protein flour that is fermented for two days before becoming a delicious pizza crust.
The menu is diverse with traditional cheese and pepperoni pizza pies (that are also available by the slice and very reasonably priced) as well as their specialty pies which are best described as a Neopolitan/New York, hybrid.
Traditional cheese slices and pies can be augmented with toppings such as sausage, meatball, onion, red peppers, bacon, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, and olives to name a few. Their specialty pizzas include Salad Pizza, Margarita Pizza, White Pizza, Spicy Pizza Lyfe, Veggie Pizza, Truffled Mushroom, Pineapple and Ham, Buffalo Chicken, Burrata, Meatlovers and Artichoke. There are also two weekly specials on rotation.
If you work hard enough and put in the time to learn your craft, then success is sure to follow. Just ask Saul Medina of the newly opened Il Pellicano in Fairfield. Medina’s journey to this point in his culinary career proves that there are many different paths one can take, and if followed, will lead to the same desired destination of becoming a head chef. Born in Puebla, Mexico, he migrated to the U.S., and like so many before him, landed in New York City. He brought with him a deep love of food and cooking, both taught to him at a young age by his grandmother and aunts. Without any formal training, Medina started at the bottom as a dishwasher but quickly worked his way up the kitchen ranks. His strong work ethic, desire to learn, and ability to travel gave him crucial experience and the necessary exposure to many different styles of food very quickly.
Long-time New Haven restaurateurs Tim Cabral and Avi Szapiro (Ordinary) have worked with contracting partners Anthony and Gerard Bianco to breathe new life into the former Tony & Lucille's at 150 Wooster Street. Gioia ("Joy" in Italian) should spark plenty, with a wood-fired grill and rotisserie, Italian grocery, full bar, gelato stop, and a rooftop deck.
Thin crust. Roman style. Pan pizza. Bar pies. Artisan. Grilled. Foldable New York slices.
Norwalk has all of that. And you can insert your own quip about there being “too much Italian” if you want.
What Norwalk has been missing in its dining history is a true wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria.
Check that. “Had been missing.”
Newly opened on N Main Street is SoNo Wood Fired, where owner and pizzaiolo Besnar Kaba ferments, forms, stretches, and tops each pie, then slides each one using a long peel into his 800° Forza Forni Pavesi.
Kaba is meticulous about it, though. He will only cook three or so doughs at a time, turning them feverishly for 90 seconds to two minutes, to achieve that perfect leopard spotted char that’s indicative of a proper Neapolitan pie.
Okay, let’s be honest. When a foodie hears Michelin star, we can’t help but take notice. There’s a reason the ding and shine of that star draws attention. It means someone’s talents have not only been noticed, but they have consistently delivered The Best of what they do. And that is why making a special trip to Athithi Indian in Wilton was a must for me, and I now declare, a must for you. This new gem opened in the fall and is led by the first Indian Chef to receive a Michelin Star (now two) Chef Hemant Mathur.
I will never call myself an expert of any culinary realm or culture—even though I truly geek out over a few–I can say Indian food continuously has me under a spell. I also never seem to have an Off switch with it either, but that is something I rarely regret. There is just something about the combination of spicy, warm, floral, and earthy aromas and flavors that hit more intensely than other cuisines that I can rarely shake. Even before I continue, I promise, if you are a fan of this cuisine in the slightest, make a reservation; you will be under the spell too.
The Michelin Guide on Chef Mathur opens with, “If there’s a creative force behind New York’s trending Indian Restaurant scene, it’s Hemant Mathur.” Now a few years later, with the experience of six restaurants to his name, Connecticut diners get to experience some of that magical force with Athithi in Wilton.
A couple of months ago, right before the holidays, I wandered into the newly opened Tümüin Fairfield in the Harry’s Corner shopping plaza.
Tümü, the Mexican word for butterfly, embodies the beauty and passion of Karla Krassin, a Weston-ite who was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. The chef and caterer now has a storefront that is part home décor boutique and part takeout restaurant (although there are two tables if you chose to eat in). Through her food and stunning items made by Mexican artisans, she brings the flavors and colors of her homeland to us and in so doing she honors the true recipes and techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation.
If you listen to Marc Taxiera talk about his style at his newly opened Mamaroneck restaurant, Augustine’s Salumeria, he speaks about it passionately.
“It’s born in Italian cooking, but I’m using ingredients from the market, things that turn us on,” he says. “My food was always about taking ingredients that we can get and showcasing them in the best way. Most Italian tends to be heavy on the sauce, fried calamari, chicken parm, but we’re taking the seasons and playing with it, doing it a little differently.”
Bottega Italian Kitchen + Bar, Craft Kitchen + Bar, and now, with the very quiet opening of Quattro Osteria in Newtown, we officially have a trio.
The “we” is the partnership between Michael Hayek (Square One Bar & Grill in Danbury) and Jasson Arias, who was the brains behind the popular food truck, Rice & Beans.
Casa Me elevates the local restaurant scene with its exceptional Northern Italian vacation-inspired cuisine.
For months Westporters and passersby wondered what was to become of the slightly rundown restaurant in Sconset Square in the midst of a massive renovation and remodel that seemed to take forever. Rumors began to circulate… a Mexican restaurant was coming to town (another?). A Spanish restaurant was moving in. (That’s across the street.) There was also some speculation that a new concept by restauranteur Mario Fontana, owner of the Bodega restaurants both in Fairfield and Darien was going to open. Fontana was indeed opening a new restaurant, Case Me, but the cuisine would be distinctly vacation-inspired Italian cuisine. This time he would be joined by his wife, the lovely Pina Ferlisi, who would take on the role of Creative Director after leaving a long and successful career as a fashion director for such esteemed brands as Henri Bendel and Alexander McQueen.
This just in from Gretchen Webster ofWestport Journal, on a new spot for fresh pasta and authentic Italian goods in Westport.
Two years after his quest began to bring authentic Italian pasta and sauces to Westport, Frederico Perandin, a native of Venice, Italy, has opened Il Pastaficio, a downtown shop and restaurant.
The business, at 135 Post Road East, features a display case filled with samples of more than 15 kinds of freshly made pasta.
If linguini and rigatoni sound familiar, some of the other fresh pastas at Il Pastaficio — bucatini, cavatelli, ravioli ricotta e spinaci or raviola Emilla — may not. Another case is filled with freshly made sauces, including pesto Genovese, puttanesca and cacio pepe sauce.
Chef Danilo Mongillo continues to bring his vision of Italy to Milford with the newly opened Strega Market. On the same block as the Strega restaurant he opened after the pandemic had closed his original location in Branford, the Market showcases the same sauces and ingredients used just two doors down, as well as sought-after tastes of home for Italian expats, like Mongillo himself.
The market layout is simple, but its contents are rich with multitudes of flavors. First, though, Mongillo takes me to the side, past rows of gleaming jars, and selects a small package.
“Cards,” he says, “From Naples. You go into a little market like this in Italy, they always have the cards for people.” It’s indicative of the outlook he has, wanting the market to feel instantly familiar to anyone who grew up in Italy, and to bring that experience, that food, to Connecticut.
Last spring, Materia Ristorante, a most enchanting restaurant nestled in the bucolic town of Bantam in the Litchfield Hills, quietly opened its doors. Like descending upon a picturesque Tuscan villa, entering the scene at Materia is truly an experience from the moment you pull into the driveway. Do allow yourselves to take a moment or two to admire the magnificent setting. The expansive land behind the restaurant, the sights and sounds of the river flowing past all set the stage for what’s to come. You know something spectacular is about to happen.
Occasionally, food writing doesn’t go as planned. And with lots of restaurants taking summer breaks, it’s easy for us to screw up a random visit, like a recent one at Dante’s Pizza in New Canaan.
Steph and I both pulled into their parking lot, then we grabbed a seat at a picnic table on their patio only to notice a note on the door saying, “We’re on vacation until September 13.”
Summer bummer.
This sucked for two reasons: we desperately wanted pizza and from a writing standpoint we needed content!
“Everything we have here is straight from Italy — besides the Poland Springs” quips Stefano Cutugno, manager and part-owner of Norwalk’s new Pausa Caffè. On March 6th, Cutugno’s family opened the doors to Main street’s youngest coffee shop, applying the expertise gained from years of operating restaurants in Sicily and Naples to craft an authentic Italian dining experience.
Pausa’s menu offers a robust selection of coffee and pastries, reading like a list of Italy’s most popular drinks and sweets. From marocchinos to double espressos and crostatas to cannolis, there’s an option for every customer. For their coffee beans, Pausa uses Borbone, a Naples-based company that Stefano says is “quickly [becoming] the most famous brand in Italy.” “We started with a different company, but after two weeks, we changed it, and [our customers] knew right away that it was better,” explains Stefano, illustrating Pausa’s commitment to quality.
Recently, news broke that Taco Daddy owners John and Morgan Nealon would completely switch their next door concept in The Lila Rose to Cugine’s Italian, focusing on a sit-down, upscale Italian experience.
If The Lila Rose—which closed for good on May 8—was Taco Daddy’s only slight alter ego, Cugine’s is its polar opposite. Think NYC speakeasy vibes—when you walk in, there’s a mini flower shop “front”—complete with dim lighting, antique chandeliers, and a nice touch in a tribute wall of notable area chefs the Nealon’s are friends with and inspired by before you hit the restroom.
For John, it’s not only the Sinatra you’ll likely hear through the speakers that’s meant to bring you a bit back in time, but also the overall experience, including the food and Cugine’s focus on classic cocktails, even if there are a few small liberties taken. “Fortina (where John was one of the founders) ushered the way for casual Italian in this area, and Roberta’s really sort of originated it way back when, and that’s great,” John says. “I wanna bring back the sit down upscale Italian restaurant.”
Stamford restaurateurs John and Morgan Nealon today announced the opening of Cugine’s Italian in Stamford’s Harbor Point community at 121 Towne Street. The restaurant, expected to open later this Spring, will feature alluring, well-plated Italian cuisine, coupled with refined cocktails and a robust wine list.
“Our goal with Cugine’s is to offer not only Harbor Point, but Fairfield County as a whole, an entirely new Italian dining experience,” said John Nealon. “This sophisticated restaurant will invite our guests to take a step back in time and dine in the era of Frank Sinatra, with dark interiors and furniture, beautiful soft mood lighting, a period playlist and classic Italian cuisine.”
