Vintage, Table and Brews: Bridgeport

Vintage, Table and Brews: Bridgeport

DAVE AND CARA MARCOUX

WINTER CAPLANSON PHOTOS

Our perfect

Sunday

has a pretty simple formula: good food, local beer and old stuff. In the fall of last year, we started hearing rumors of a new “antique shop” opening up in Bridgeport. If just one person had referred to it as what it really is - an antique and salvage superstore - we wouldn’t have waited six months to make the trip. Mongers Market is located at 1155 Railroad Avenue in Bridgeport. One of us is a full-time antique dealer; the other is an obsessive collector. So while antiquing is what usually leads us to new and unfamiliar locations, (e.g. Bridgeport), it’s food and drink that keep us there longer.

Once we had the antique aspect of our Sunday locked down, we had to figure out our culinary plan of attack. Luckily, Mongers Market lies on the outskirts of the Black

Rock section of Bridgeport, which offers many options. Black Rock is situated on the shores of Long Island Sound, offering the feel of a small seaside town while being part of New England’s fifth largest city. The neighborhood attracts artists, academics and young professionals looking for a small town feel and a short train ride to New York City.

Since opening in August of 2018, Mongers Market has become a destination for many: high-end interior

designers, hipster upcyclers and DIY types with an antique aesthetic. The store’s Sunday-only hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. make it the perfect opportunity to get out of the house one last time before getting

back to the weekly grind. The cavernous 75,000-square foot location boasts an impressively well-organized, floor-to-ceiling collection of beautifully curated antiques, vintage pieces and architectural salvage.

Immediately after we walked through the front door, we spied our colleague and owner of Mongers Market, John Hiden, hustling past us with a gaggle of shoppers at his heels. Eager customers fumbling with tape measures

and lists were led through the aisles, and one by one united with the items they sought (and a few things they didn’t know they needed). Looking for antique doors? Head up to the mezzanine and take your pick from several hundred, stacked like books in every color, shape

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and size imaginable. Stocking up on steamer trunks? There’s more than 100 of those as well. Of course, you’ve got your galvanized wash tubs, nautical hardware, farm sinks, porcelain signs, cast iron table bases, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera... it’s all there.

After we picked our way through roughly half a football field of floor-toceiling aisles, we found ourselves among the individual dealer’s spaces. Each beautifully merchandised booth has its own distinct flavor and the “mongers” were on hand to answer questions and make deals. Vintage sweaters, fine antique jewelry, records, art, and sleek mid-century furniture are plentiful and reasonably priced. We left with a few treasures of our own and more than one thing added to our “when we have a house” wish list.

Pro tip: Be sure to bringcargo straps and padding for that unexpected must-have item that will, of course, only fit on the roof of your car. We’ve been in that situation enough times to always be ready for anything we may find.

After working up an appetite exploring every nook and cranny of Mongers Market, we made the seven minute drive to Harborview Market. Located at 218 Harborview Avenue, in the heart of Black Rock, Harborview began its life in the late 19th century as an importer of Scandinavian goods but by the early 90’s was nothing more than a run-down corner store. In 1993, the Torres family began renovations to transform the location into the cozy neighborhood hub that it is today. Even on a freezing winter day, the patio is alive with families sipping coffee and nibbling on freshly baked cookies.

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If just one person had referred to it as what it really is - an

antique and sa

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lvage superstore - we wouldn’t have waited six months to make the trip.

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Stepping through the front door, it becomes immediately apparent why Harborview Market has remained a community staple for over 25 years. The tables are filled with people enjoying a late breakfast, and there’s a line of customers waiting for the next batch of sweets to come out of the ovens. Housemade pastries and cookies are sold so quickly that they never make it into display cases as customers help themselves right off the trays they were baked on.

The kitchen is situated in the center of the room and creates an almost performative, “theater in the round” atmosphere. The cooks put out creative and delicious takes on breakfast staples like the “Son Of A Beach:” a breakfast sandwich featuring sautéed baby kale, egg, cheese, avocado, hot sauce & red onion on an English muffin (an absolute dream of a sandwich). The large breakfast menu boasts a broad selection of sandwiches, omelets, hotcakes, French toast, make-your-own Belgian waffles (personal favorite) and a yogurt and toppings bar. The lunch menu is packed with mouth-watering salad and sandwich options, including The Ratzen Burger, a nod to Black Rock native John Ratzenberger (whom you may remember as fictional postal worker Cliff Clavin on “Cheers”). And just when you thought Harborview Market couldn’t get any better, it does: no menu item is over $10.

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good food,

Our perfect Sunday has a pretty simple formula:

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local beer and old stuff.

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With antiquing and breakfast checked off of our Sunday ‘to do’ list, we grabbed some coffees to go and rounded out the day with a trip to our final destination: Aspetuck Brew Lab (http://www. aspetuckbrewlab.com). Located at 3389 Fairfield Avenue, the Lab was opened in 2015 by the husband and wife team of Peter and Tara Cowles, and was the first brewery to open in Bridgeport since 1940. As “chief beer scientist,” Peter

says he approaches brewing as a science experiment. It all comes down to molecules, doesn’t it? H2O, to be precise. Peter credits the Aspetuck River watershed with providing them with exceptional brewing water, allowing them to produce clean and crisp tasting beers in a wide variety of styles.

Expect a rotating selection of IPAs, pale ales, sours, barleywines and more on draught in the bright,

lab-like tap room. Make sure to check out the light fixtures made from retired laboratory glassware; you may be inspired to head back to Mongers market for some beakers and flasks of your own! The location is family friendly and they encourage patrons to bring snacks, games and spend some time there. We like to order a few beer flights to share so we can each try all the beers and choose which ones to get to go.

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“While antiquing is what usuallyleads us to new and unfamiliarlocations, (e.g. Bridgeport), it’s food and drink that keep us there longer.”

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Pro Tip:

Always keep a clean, empty growler or half-growler in your car. With the opening of so many breweries throughout the state, containers are a must-have when you find yourself in close proximity to a fresh brew.

From antiques to delicious food and craft beer, Bridgeport is so much more than the smokestacks and grim architecture you glimpse while driving on I-95. It’s a vibrant, eclectic community with its own identity and history. Every place that we visited was filled with positive energy and happy faces. Revitalization efforts and

support for small business in recent years have paid off there in ways that make it a model community for the rest of the state. We had the itinerary for our next visit planned before we were even outside of the city limits; now we just need to narrow down that Mongers Market shopping list.

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Other notable Bridgeport and Black Rock locations:

b WALRUS + CARPENTER - 2895 Fairfield Ave Black Rock, Conn. - Situated in the heart of Black Rock, Walrus + Carpenter provides a refreshing take on the cuisine of the American south. While their custom built smoker rolls low and slow out back, live tunes and bottomless cocktails flow inside during Saturday and Sunday brunch. Be on the lookout for exclusive W+C collaboration brews with Connecticut-based and other acclaimed breweries from around the country.

b BREWPORT - 225 S. Frontage Bridgeport, Conn. - Pizza and fresh brewed beer done right. Housed in a 1940’s newspaper distribution warehouse, Brewport harnesses the energy of Bridgeport’s forgotten brewing history. 10,000 pounds of American-made brick oven pumps out crispy, perfectly charred thin crust pie that pairs perfectly with any one of the eight house-made beers, or any of the 15 or so rotating guest taps.

b PIOUS BIRD OF GOOD OMEN - 3142 Fairfield Ave Black Rock, Conn.- This small store offers an eclectic mixture of vintage and locally made items. From handmade Swedish dish towels to card catalogs stuffed with crystals, this is the perfect place to shop for the hard-to-please person in your life. Just blocks from Walrus and Carpenter, the Pious Bird of Good Omen is a perfect destination for an after-brunch stroll.

ABOUT US: Dave Marcoux is a carpenter and Co-founder of Hartford Denim Company. Cara Marcoux is the owner of Juniper Vintage.

“Expect a rotating selection of IPAs, pale ales, sours, barleywines and more on draught in the bright, lab-like tap room.”

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