It’s February, so here at KMS Partners we’re thinking about love. There is so much we love about selling real estate in Westport and the surrounding towns. The locale, the amenities, the resources, the people and the businesses they operate with strength, resilience and creativity. In short, we love our communities!
When introducing our towns, we love recommending restaurants to potential buyers and new homeowners. There are many great ones, featuring every cuisine and style.
This February, we especially love the faith that so many people have in our restaurant scene. Despite the pandemic, folks from all over Fairfield County support their favorite places. They dine in, at socially distanced tables. They eat outside, in heated tents and cabanas. They pick up takeout, and order deliveries.
But what we really, really love is that nearly a dozen new places have opened in Westport since March. That’s right: at a time when restaurants around the country are struggling, these owners and chefs signed leases, redesigned spaces, created menus, fired up ovens and opened their doors. Now when anyone asks “What’s for dinner?” we’ve got even more options!
The newest of the new is Capuli. Chef Armando Brito had over 20 years’ experience in the Bay Area. When he and his wife Andrea came east to be near family, they searched all over for the right spot. They found it on the Post Road across from Design With Reach. The cuisine is California-Mediterranean, which means fresh, healthy and fantastic.
Almost as new is Basso. Chef/owner Renato Donzelli needed more room, so he moved his popular Norwalk restaurant to Jesup Road. The two-story space offers views of the Saugatuck River. Jazz plays in the background, while the Venezuela-born chef prepares flavorful, intriguing meals – from tapas to full entrees – with a Mediterranean/South American flair.
This stretch of downtown Westport could be called Restaurant Row. In between Basso and Capuli (and near established spots like Jerra Thai, Finalmente, Amis, Wa-Fu and Spotted Horse), two new spots share a stone building (Westport’s old Town Hall). Bill Taibe – owner of the immensely popular Kawa Ni and The Whelk – opened Don Memo with fun, creative takes on Mexican fare. Tortillas, tostadas and quesadillas are miles beyond Chipotle; other dishes will be new, exciting and zesty. There’s plenty of well-heated outdoor seating in front; the tables on the side (and in the building’s lower level) belong to Walrus Alley. That’s the new incarnation of the former Walrus + Carpenter in Black Rock. The Southern-inspired menu includes baby back ribs, pork shoulder, brisket and smoked turkey, with sides like collard greens, baked beans and cornbread. See y’all there!
Don Memo is not the only new Mexican restaurant. Across the river, Mexica is one more muy caliente spot. The Osorio family serves traditional dishes with a twist, plus new items highlighting Mexican food and culture. Each table and every chair is individually crafted and painted. Come for the food; stay for the décor (and the margaritas!).
Over at the Main Street/Canal Street corner, Hudson Malone quickly became a Westport favorite. With a large bar, classic cocktails, “upscale pub grub,” walls filled with local photos and memorabilia – Paul Newman, anyone? – and bow-tied owner Doug Quinn (formerly of New York’s P.J. Clarke’s) welcoming everyone like long-lost friends, Hudson Malone is our own special “Cheers”. A few steps away is Westport’s newest pizzeria: Outpost.
And though not classic restaurants, Organic Krush (Compo Acres Shopping Center) offers tasty fast-organic food, while GG & Joe’s (in the back of Parker Harding plaza) is filled all day with fans of acai bowls, smoothies and baked goods.
Those are a few options we love for Valentine’s dining – or any other day. Just tell ‘em KMS sent you!