39 minute read
STATUS REPORT
buzz STATUS REPORT
HISTORY LESSON
AMY ALLEN, THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE MUSEUM OF DARIEN, NOT ONLY SHARES THE TOWN’S PAST—SHE’S A PART OF IT
by elizbeth hole
When a bicentennial quilt was found in the basement at the Museum of Darien (MOD), Amy Allen decided to display it in her office. Allen, the newly appointed executive director, had a special connection to it—she helped sew it as a seventh-grader in 1976.
Back when Allen worked on the junior quilt, her mother and the Goodwives Quilters created a larger version depicting local landmarks to celebrate the bicentennial. That historical quilt hangs in Darien’s Town Hall, where Allen had the pleasure of seeing it at work when she served as Darien Arts Center’s executive director for 13 years.
“I’m meant to be here,” says Allen, a Darien native, who marvels at the serendipitous path to her role at MOD. Even during her interview at the museum, she experienced an unexpected moment.
Since starting her position in March, Allen’s main objective is to “better understand our collections” and archive them properly. With a CTH SHARP Grant provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the NEH Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) initiative, MOD is modernizing systems and cataloging everything.
“Thanks to this grant, we have the support to archive our collection of historic documents, articles, books, artwork, photographs and artifacts,” says Allen. “It also affords us a new computer, printer and scanner for volunteers with new museum collection and contact management software as well as archival boxes and materials.”
Allen also plans to “build more interest from newcomers” and “find groups of people who have not yet heard about us and invite them in for a visit.”
These goals are aligned with the museum’s name change, which coincided with Darien’s 200th birthday. Before adopting the new name in 2020, MOD was known as the Darien Historical Society since it was founded in 1953. The word “society” was removed from the name to make the cultural center feel more welcoming. As part of the branding, the museum launched a new logo and modern website.
Amy Allen at the Museum of Darien
The quilt, found in the basement at the museum, is now hanging in Allen’s office.
—amy allen museum of darien
“We feel the name Museum of Darien is in keeping with the Society’s actual mission, which is to invite the community to learn more about and celebrate its town story,” says Robert J. Pascal, President of the MOD Board of Directors.
To follow the board’s lead, Allen continues to make the museum an inviting place, which includes sharing historical facts through social media and programs.
In addition to hosting field trips for schools and giving tours to the public, the museum currently has an exhibit called State of Inspiration: Connecticut’s Art Colonies, which will run through July 31. On display are 40 Impressionist works from the collection of Tom and Marianne Davies. Featured artists are from Cos Cob, Silvermine, Westport, Old Lyme, Mystic and Kent, where they painted in art colonies established in the late 1800s.
Allen is planning a “then and now” exhibit for the fall called Our Town in Photographs, which will include a series of antique postcards and historic and contemporary photographs. “I think this will be very fun for kids and excite all the newcomers coming to town to see what downtown looked like before it was developed,” she says.
An artist in her own right, Allen was one of the youngest artists to be accepted into the Silvermine Guild in 1997. She studied photography in college before receiving a degree in Sculpture from the University of Connecticut and a Masters of Arts in Sculpture from the University of Massachusetts. She became interested in nonprofit work after running the UMASS student gallery and helping “keep it afloat.”
Following graduate school, she worked for six years at Weir Farm National Historic Park in Wilton. She ran art and nature classes as well as an Artist-in-Residence program. Most important, she “learned the Connecticut Impressionist story, which was so coincidental” in helping Allen mount her first exhibit at MOD, State of Inspiration: Connecticut’s Art Colonies.
For Allen, history has truly come full circle.
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Styled with Swimwear
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IT’S NOT WHAT YOU WEAR, BUT HOW YOU WEAR IT Clothing can be a great tool. It can influence how you are perceived, how you go about your day, and how you set yourself apart from the masses. Whether it’s a colorful statement skirt or casual cocktail attire, use your swimwear as integral pieces of your summer look that transition from one activity to another. Bonus: These pieces fit in a suitcase easily and move well from beach days to sunset nights!
by janel alexander
4 Beach Party BBQ
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style note:
This statement skirt needs no introduction. Ground it with a great low-key mesh polo layered over a sunshine shade of swimwear.
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1 TORY BURCH Printed string bikini top, $98, and bottom in yellow garden rose, $98. Tory Burch, Greenwich; toryburch.com 2 WANDER BEAUTY Double Date lip and cheek, $24, bluemercury, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Westport; bluemercury.com 3 PUNTICANA Every occasion handmade sustainable silk skirt, $560, Maison Marche; maisonmarche.com 4 MINNIE ROSE Cotton mesh short sleeve polo, $117, WEST, Westport; west2westport.com 5 JCREW Lucie double-strap block heel sandal, $168, JCrew, Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport; jcrew.com 6 TORY BURCH Reva square sunglasses, $171, Tory Burch, Greenwich; toryburch.com
1 2 Pool Side Chic
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style note:
Using separates to layer up or down through your day is a great way to keep cool, comfortable and chic!
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1 CASTAÑER Carina ankle-tie espadrille wedge sandal, $140, Bloomingdale’s, Westchester; bloomingdales.com 2 SWIM TOP Recycled crepe scallop bikini top, $98, Unsubscribed, Greenwich, Westport; unsubscribed,com 3 SWIM BOTTOMS Recycled crepe high-waisted bikini bottom, $88, Unsubscribed, Greenwich, Westport; unsubscribed,com 4 MR SMITH Sea Salt Spray, $37, and Paste, $37 5 TOP Beach PJ robe, $225, Unsubscribed, Greenwich, Westport; unsubscribed,com 6 PANTS Beach PJ pant, $178, Unsubscribed, Greenwich, Westport; unsubscribed,com 7 STEPHEN PINK Porcelain bead earring, $38, Chou Chou, Rowayton; shopchouchou.com 8 BOTTEGA VENETA String jacquard towel tote bag, $1,900, Richards, Greenwich and Mitchells, Westport; shop. mitchellstores.com
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Hate cruises? Hate even the idea of cruising? This article is for you. Like many new canaan, darien + rowayton magazine readers, the thought of eating buffet food with a few thousand strangers trapped—I mean floating—at sea, has never sounded like a vacation to me. I was allowed to write this piece with that editorial caveat.
Sir Richard Branson also hated cruising, despite never having set foot on a ship deck. But instead of avoiding cruises, he created his own cruise line. It’s the only ship he’s ever sailed on. Since he has yet to invite me to cover a space voyage, I embarked on the Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyage's first ship of what will be a four-ship fleet, to give an honest review.
The ship was pitched to me as a “boutique hotel on the sea.” I scoffed. How can a yacht with more than 1,300 cabins feel like a boutique hotel? I hate being wrong, but at every turn, I had to tip my hat to Sir Richard and Virgin Voyage’s CEO, Tom McAlpin. (Over dinner one night, I learned that Tom served as the head of Disney Cruises, the only other cruise I've ever—mostly—enjoyed.)
From the designer décor to the Zagatworthy restaurants, the Scarlet Lady did feel like a boutique hotel. “We've done away with some of the traditional cruise formalities but have not compromised on offering refined luxury that allows sailors [sailor means guest in Virgin speak] to curate their experience in their own way,” says McAlpin.
The cabins are fabulous, and the public spaces really set Virgin Voyages apart from the mall-like environment often associated with cruises. From The Dock at the stern of the ship designed to feel like your favorite beach club on the Vineyard to the DJ booth with authentic vinyl to the games area with wooden swings, endless free candy and Pac-Man machines, there’s the perfect spot for every mood.
Virgin Voyages' first ship, Scarlet Lady, will sail from Port Miami for her inaugural season with itineraries to the Caribbean. Virgin Voyages' second ship, Valiant Lady, will sail with seven-night Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona, where she recently debuted. Prices vary widely, depending on itinerary, ship and class of cabin.
this page:
The DJ booth
opposite page above:
Grab a Boozy Sailor and Chicago hot dog at The Social Club
opposite page below:
Sailors enjoying a meal at one of the ship’s twenty restaurants, Gunbae
SEA TERRACE CABINS
I shared my cabin with my daughter, and despite having piles of shoes, bags of makeup, and dueling curling irons, we both had more than enough space. Each cabin at this level has a spacious balcony with a red hammock woven by female artisans from Thailand’s Mlabri tribe for swinging and watching the sea go by. A digital tablet controls everything, including the mood lighting. Our favorites were “Hangover” and “Zen.”
ROCKSTAR QUARTERS
Being a rock star has its privileges. You get an agent—kind of like a butler, but cooler. You also have access to Richard’s Rooftop—a secluded getaway on the top deck with daybeds, personal service and smooth jazz. Sailors
top: The Dock Bar bottom: The living room of the Massive Suite
staying in RockStar quarters have their own wardrobe team to help unpack and repack, complimentary pressing service and a nightly express swimsuit drying service—because no rock star should ever have a wet bottom. All of the suites have in-room bars, with the first round on the house. If a sailor needs to restock, your RockStar agent can assist. And, of course, the rooms are more spacious. There are four categories, the largest being the Brilliant Suite at 481 square feet.
MEGA ROCKSTAR SUITE
In true rocker fashion, sailors can send a rider stipulating specific needs and requests ahead of time. There are four levels of Mega RockStar Suites— the largest aptly named the Massive Suite (2,147 square feet). I'm confident this is where Virgin Voyages’ investor and Chief Entertainment and Lifestyle Officer Jennifer Lopez stays when on board. It has a music room stocked with guitars and an amplifier and a vinyl turntable in the adjacent living room. Invite friends for dinner on your massive terrace with a private hot tub, stargazing loungers, hammocks and an outdoor dining table with a staircase to encourage table dancing. All Mega RockStars get complimentary access to spa amenities.
above:
The ship’s DJ spinning tunes
DON’T MISS
Dine at Gunbae, the signature Korean restaurant where you cook your meal on the specially engineered flameless grill in the middle of the table. The night begins with a waiter leading a game of Sam Yuk Gu, also known as Three Six Nine. It seems simple enough. You count around the table, clapping for each number that has a three, six or nine in it—taking a shot when you inevitably mess up.
Dance in the pool at the Scarlet Night outdoor dance party. The pool floor rises to a reasonable four to six inches, so no worries about submerging your best cocktail attire.
Use the Shake for Champagne feature on the app. Shake, push the button, and a $95 bottle of bubbly will find you. The magic of technology.
In addition to the Bahamas, the Fire and Sunset Soiree cruise stops at Bimini, where Virgin takes over the Resorts World beach club for the day. Snag an inflatable unicorn and have your drink delivered to the pool during the flotilla party. Rock stars, of course, have a private beach setup sectioned off by a velvet rope.
The spa is its own destination with mud baths, heated quartz beds, a salt room and hot and cold plunge pools. Access is complimentary with a treatment, but it's worth $39 for the three-hour pass to enjoy the amenities. Branson has focused on those things we all detest about cruises— even if we've never been on one.
CRUISE DETERRENTS
Branson’s answer
1. OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN
All ships are strictly eighteen-plus.
2. NASTY BUFFET FOOD
There are twenty restaurants, each with its own kitchen and executive chef— no buffets.
3. ENFORCED DINING TIMES
Eat when you want (reservations needed for some) and no assigned seating, ever.
4. CHEESY ENTERTAINMENT
Performances include acrobatic shows, sex therapy shows (yup), and more.
5. CRAMPED DARK CABINS
The cabins are sleek and hi-tech, with 86 percent featuring a balcony and 93 percent an ocean view.
6. YOUR GRANDMA CRUISES
The first at-sea tattoo parlor, Squid Ink, will make the hipsters happy.
7. BEING NICKELED AND DIMED
There are no restaurant upsells, you won’t see a separate line item on your bill for gratuities, and group workouts and Wi-Fi are included in the fare.
do
by liz barron
Freshen Up
AHH, SUMMER…IT’S TIME TO SLOW DOWN, SPEND TIME IN THE SUNSHINE AND CATCH UP ON SOME MUCH-DESERVED SELF-CARE. HERE, SOME GREAT
LOCAL SPOTS TO UNWIND, RECONNECT AND FEEL BETTER THAN EVER
With the quest for inner harmony constantly growing, the options for finding such solace in Fairfield County are seemingly always expanding. With options ranging from light and cryo therapies, to yoga, massages and tachyon chambers, there is sure to be something for everyone in southern Connecticut looking to improve overall well-being.
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CHECK BODY-MIND
883 Boston Post Road, Darien
checkbodymind.com Founder Amber Kemp is a certified clinical hypnotherapist, mindfulness coach, yoga instructor, Reiki practitioner, licensed massage therapist, life coach, and advocate of Biohacking for longevity. The goal of CHECK Body-Mind is to help clients feel their best by tapping into the mind, body, soul connection by placing equal importance on each element. CHECK Body-Mind offers monthly membership plans as well as one-off specialized treatments such as cryotherapy, LED light therapy, compression therapy, massage and assisted stretch sessions. Its Tachyon Meditation Chamber allows for clientsto be induced into a meditative state and experience deep relaxation and peace. “Tachyon is a subatomic energy particle that is said to move faster than the speed of light” and its health benefits range from relaxation to long-term boost of the immune system and detoxification.
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KAIA YOGA
kaiayoga.com Kaia Yoga has your workouts covered with locations in Darien,
Greenwich, Old Greenwich,
New Canaan and Westport. Sign up for power flow and hot yoga classes to barre, meditation and stretching-based offerings. The belief that all aspects of the mind and body must be integrated in order to achieve balance is why the Greenwich and Darien studios also offer massage therapy. Kaia understands that healing touch “is essential to help relieve the daily stresses of your high-paced life.” All locations also offer live stream and interactive classes via Zoom and on demand for those who would prefer to find their Zen at home. Additionally, Kaia provides educational programming such as teacher trainings and workshops in a variety of modalities. RESTORE HYPER WELLNESS
1055 High Ridge Rd., Stamford 877 Post Road East, Westport
restore.com Less inflammation, better sleep, more energy and aging slower—sign us up. Restore Hyper Wellness is all about “proactive healing to help people do more of what they love,” says Uwa Osagie, general manager of the Stamford Restore. With an additional location in Westport, Restore Hyper Wellness creates individualized treatment plans for clients to assist in achieving health and wellness goals. Their list of services ranges from cryotherapy to IV drips and biomarker assessments to oxygen facials. IV drips, they claim, allow for high doses of nutrients to be delivered directly to the bloodstream. Restore offers drips with taurine, an organic amino acid that aids in muscle recovery and increases energy and focus. For those looking for immune support drips with B vitamins, vitamin C or glutathione, the “master antioxidant” are ideal choices.
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ELEMENT MEDICAL AESTHETICS
80 Main St., New Canaan
elementct.com There is nothing quite like the feeling of refreshment and renewal that comes with taking time for yourself. Skin care is part of self care and Element Medical Aesthetics helps clients to bring out their inner glow with both a relaxing and educational experience. Owner and skincare expert Merry Thornton prides herself on providing long consults so clients have time to understand her recommendations. Her approaches can involve improving skin texture and tone with peels and lasers, restoring lost volume with fillers, addressing lines and wrinkles with wrinkle reducers such as Botox, among other treatments. “My favorite part of my job is that I can instill confidence in my patients so that they feel as beautiful,” she explains. “I have been seeing a lot of patients postpartum lately. Between pregnancy and caring for a new baby, they haven't been able to devote time to themselves. When they leave my office, they have a little more pep in their step.”
GOOD READS
KATIE TAYLOR OF @THE_GRATEFUL_READ PICKS SOME OF HER FAVORITE BOOKS THAT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PUT DOWN THIS SUMMER
by liz barron
Darien local Katie Taylor quite possibly loves books more than most people. When she left her post at Penguin Random House earlier this year, she kept on reading—averaging somewhere between one to three books a week. Last year alone she read 80 books. “It’s a beautiful thing when something hits paper and is able to transport you and completely take you away,” she says. Now she documents her love of reading on Instagram as @the_grateful_read all while supporting local businesses along the way. Her growing audience of over 30,000 followers led us to ask Taylor for her summer reading list. Here’s what she recommends:
Women’s Fiction
THIS TIME TOMORROW
BY EMMA STRAUB
Ever wish you could rewrite parts of your own history? Pick up this exquisite novel if you’d like to take that vacation to your past where bringing new meaning to your life is possible. You’ll also be surrounded by lots of heart and humor the entire way.
Historical Fiction & Women’s Fiction
THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE
BY ADRIANA TRIGIANI
From one of the most powerful storytellers I know, comes a new novel about the value of understanding where you came from and what family truly means to us. Trigiani delivers us three generations of Tuscan artisans with one shocking secret—and a book you won’t be able to—or want to— put down.
Contemporary Romance & Women’s Fiction
BOOK LOVERS
BY EMILY HENRY
This hilarious and steamy novel is the perfect summer rom-com. It has all the ingredients: a small town, a bookstore to save, editor and agent drama, and very charming characters. A total delight you’ll recommend to all your friends.
Suspense & Thriller & Literary Fiction
WHEN WE FELL APART
BY SOON WILEY
This coming-of-age debut novel carefully examines cultural identity, romance and lovers, family bonds and secrets—with a considerable side of suspense, and what it ultimately looks like to really belong in this world. A favorite novel of 2022 (so far) for me.
Memoir
ADMISSIONS: A MEMOIR OF SURVIVING BOARDING SCHOOL
BY KENDRA JAMES
From the first AfricanAmerican legacy student to graduate from The Taft School comes the story of former admissions officer Kendra James specializing in diversity recruitment for independent prep schools. James’ is funny, and her real-life story is fascinating and surprising; highlighting race and privilege in the world of powerful elite prep schools.
by maeson wagner
Calling Little Worriers
A LOCAL THERAPIST AND WRITER TEAM UP TO LAUNCH A BOOK WITH A MISSION TO HELP KIDS WORK THROUGH FEAR AND ANXIETY
Marion Green and Liz Barron at Elm Street Books
When New Canaan mom and writer Liz Barron was working on an article about mental health during the pandemic, she turned to Stamford-based licensed marriage and family therapist Marion Green for advice.
Barron became fascinated with the strategy Green uses with children to better relate to what they are feeling.
“Often when a child has struggles, I offer the metaphor that our feelings are like hats. So a common intervention I use begins with the question ‘what hat are you wearing as we’re talking about this,’” explains Green. “After processing with them where they are at, I follow with the question ‘So what ‘hat’ would you like to wear instead?’”And with that, a children’s book idea was born. The result is the newly published What Hat Are You Wearing? written together by Barron and Green. The book tells the story of a girl named Nina who creates her own special hat that helps her redirect her unpleasant feelings into more desirable ones. As the story unfolds, Nina discovers how to have power over her emotions and shift her mindset so she can avoid falling victim to her fears and anxieties. The hat strategy Nina uses has helped give children a relatable language to communicate their struggles with adults.
“The intention of the book is to help children learn that they can influence the way that they feel about themselves in everyday situations. I call it early mindset training,” Green says. “If a child is afraid of going to bed at night, they may not realize that they have a choice to not be scared. By choosing to wear a brave-hat instead of a scared-hat they can adopt a different perspective about it. As kids realize they can choose more desirable feelings, the strategy can become really empowering for them.”
The book gives parents a way to relate to how their children are feeling at home, but can also be used in a school setting.
“At my son’s school they read the book in his classroom and then did a corresponding activity where they colored favorable and unfavorable hats that helped them shift their mindsets,” Barron explains.
The events of the past few years have made this project extremely timely.
“Kids of all ages have been impacted by everything that’s happened the past few years but witnessing my own children’s struggles made this project very personal," Barron said. "The book has a really positive message; it is a story that kids can relate to and also a tool they can use when they are feeling uncomfortable.”
What Hat Are You Wearing? is available locally at Elm Street Books, Barnes & Noble or amazon.com.
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home
by megan gagnon
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OOMPH
Capri large vanity; $3,575. Oomph, Greenwich; oomphhome.com
we permanently added a pastel pink shade called ‘yours truly’ this winter, and the color is hot! historically, it was being used for the nursery, but now we are taking orders for coffee tables, lanterns and even dining tables.
—whitney childs, director of sales & marketing at oomph
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ROSEMARY HALLGARTEN
Chalk stripe throw in White/Party Favor; $950. Norwalk; rosemaryhallgarten .com
calming color
SORBET SHADES TO SWEETEN YOUR SPACE
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HAY
Matin wall sconce; $225. us.hay.com
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FLEUR
Carnival Zulu circle mirror; $2,600. fleurhome.com
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MODA DOMUS
Tall glass candlesticks; $260 for set of two. modaoperandi .com
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BOTTEGA INTRECCIO
Lisetta high-back armchair; $9,980. artemest.com
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block party
GET DOWN WITH BOLD COLOR COMBINATIONS
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colorblocking feels fresh, modern and sophisticated, allowing color lovers like me to introduce not one, but two or three complementary tones at a time.
—diane rath, the rath project
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1 MOMA DESIGN STORE
Dual-tone table; $235. store.moma.org
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2 ROCHE BOBOIS
Bombom sofa by Joana Vasconcelos; starting at $7,670. Greenwich; rochebobois.com
3 CLARA VON ZWEIGBERGK FOR LOUIS POULSEN
Cirque pendant; $672. louispoulsen .com 4 CLÉ
Cement hex clip tiles; $13.50 per square foot. cletile.com 5 HERMÈS
Avalon tangram blanket; $4,750. Greenwich; hermes.com 6 LA DOUBLEJ
Soup and dinner plate sets; $95 for set for two. ladoublej.com
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7 MORITZ BANNACH
Abbondio dining table; $7,780. 1stdibs.com
eat Scan here for more great places to EAT
What The Pho
by elizabeth keyser photographs by venera alexandrova
by mary kate hogan • photographs General manager Joe Cracco with chef Jared SippelFAB NEW FLAVORS TO TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE FARE A NEW SPOT IN DARIEN BRINGS by ken goodman
-HEIRLOOM MELON berry vinaigrette, pea tendrils -CAULIFLOWER black quinoa, blueberries, sunflower seeds
When a pho place opens on Main Street, it’s become mainstream— and that’s good news for fans of Vietnamese noodles, aromatic broth and fragrant herbs. Foodies have long sought out little pho joints in Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport, and as word spread of Pho Fan’s arrival in a bright, contemporary space with an open kitchen of gleaming stainless steel on the Post Road in Darien, its seats have filled with the towns’ diverse and well traveled populace. Pho Fans is the second outlet of this family-owned restaurant (the other is in Smithtown, Long Island).
No other cuisine evokes an herb-filled garden more than Vietnamese. A plate of mint, basil, cilantro and bean sprouts accompanies almost every dish, bringing a sensual element as you tear mint and basil leaves into hot bowls of soup, sprinkle them over bowls of rice vermicelli, or wrap lettuce and mint around crisp spring rolls. Shrimp summer rolls, the most popular order at Pho Fans, require no work other than
Fresh ingredients lead every dish at Pho Fans, from the grilled beef salads to the summer cocktails and long-simmered broths for the steamy bowls of pho. Pho Fans is a great spot to gather for lunch or dinner.
dipping into peanut sauce (just add a squirt of siracha for heat). The rolls are expertly, tightly wrapped in rice paper, revealing pink shrimp and mint leaves. They’re packed with julienned lettuce, and each bite is like eating a refreshing salad in a roll.
The shrimp and crab roll is extra crisp because it’s got a textured layer of cellophane noodles around the wrapper. A variation on the Vietnamese spring roll, it comes with lettuce and mint to wrap around the roll before dipping into nuoc mam, a sweet-sour dipping sauce. Pho Fans’s nuoc mam, geared to the American palate, is predominately sweet, rather than balancing sugar with lime and diluted fish sauce. Pho pros might want to doctor it with more fresh lime and hot pepper. What is fish sauce? A key ingredient with a deep funky flavor, it’s made from fermented anchovies, and along with lemongrass, is in the marinade for the choices of proteins—grilled beef, pork, chicken or shrimp—in the soups, salads, sandwiches and rice vermicelli bowls at Pho Fans.
Papaya salad is an excellent accompaniment to shared appetizers. Unripe green papaya is more like a vegetable and julienned and paired with purple carrot, mint, pickled carrots, peanuts and the grilled protein of your choice. It is a lighter dish, especially topped with shrimp. It too is tossed with nuoc mam, which I found cloyingly sweet while a dining companion couldn’t get enough of it, asking for extra and more to take home with her leftovers.
Pho is the main story here, served in huge, white ceramic bowls. These are shareable, which transforms the usual slurping over a bowl into a more dignified affair, as we used tongs to lift noodles into two smaller bowls, then used the shallow ladle to add the broth. The long-simmered beef broth has hints of cinnamon and star anise. The decision is what kind of beef for the pho? My favorite is the eye round, rare slices placed in the steaming bowl of soup at the last minute, where it cooks to your liking, and slices of soft, simmered brisket— a combination that satisfies my carnivorous cravings with two different textures.
Manager Sherry Dong and her business partner, Perry Zhang at Pho Fans.
Beef tendon sounds ominous, but cooked to tenderness and sliced thin, it adds more beefy flavor and gelantious texture to the beef combination, which along with beef round and brisket, includes Vietnamese beef meatballs with their distinctive springy texture. Topped with finely sliced white onions, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts and a squeeze of lime, and filled with rice noodles, these soups will restore you.
Pho ga is a clear chicken broth filled with something I’d never seen in a bowl of chicken pho—velveted chicken. This Chinese technique of pre-cooking chicken in cornstarch gives the white meat a soft, silky texture.
The friendly staff was ready to offer forks to anyone they sensed might be unfamiliar with chopsticks. In fact, the noodles appeared to be prepared for novices. On our two visits, they were cut rather than left long. Fans of pho know the pleasure of lifting long rice noodles from the bowl. Pro Tip: Ask the chef not to cut your noodles.
I crave pho in warm and cold weather, but Vietnamese brothless rice vermicelli dishes are more suited for warm. It’s a room temperature salad of rice noodles tossed with fresh cucumbers, pickled carrots, bean sprouts, mint, fried onions and peanuts. The choices of toppings range from crisp spring
PHO FANS
971 Post Rd, Darien 203-656-2225 phofans.com
CUISINE
Fresh Vietnamese noodle soups, salads and sandwiches
HOURS
Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
rolls to grilled lemongrass pork chop to combinations.
Later I realized something was missing from the herb plates—the usual slices of fresh hot peppers or jalapeno. If locals don’t use the peppers, the kitchen stops serving them. Pro Tip: Ask for fresh hot peppers for the pho and rice vermicelli bowls.
Bahn mi, Vietnamese sandwiches, are simplified at Pho Fans. They combine the familiar flavors of the well-seasoned choice
clockwise from left: Papaya salad with grilled shrimp and shrimp summer rolls and peanut dipping sauce. The inside decor offers a modern vibe. Spicy and sweet sauces.
of proteins with pickled and fresh vegetables and herbs. Served on a light, crunchy hero roll, they are a satisfying alternative to a sub, even though they don’t have the traditional layers of Vietnamese cold cuts and pate.
To drink: Classic Vietnamese drip coffee is a dark brew that is transformed into a coffee milkshake with sweet condensed milk. Served hot or over ice, it’s rich, sweet and potent. Fresh lemonade tasted as if it has been boosted with a mix the day we tried it. Pho Fans serves beer, wine, sake, and sakebased cocktails. Mixers of fresh cucumber juice, fresh pineapple, and lots of mint portend well for the future cocktail menu when Pho Fans gets a liquor license.
When pho comes to Main Street, it adapts to main street palates. The American sweet tooth and fussy palate (hold the cilantro!) can transform Asian cuisines. Longtime fans of pho will want to add Pho Fans to their list. Just make sure they don’t cut your noodles.
LIFE CHANGING VANILLA topped with homemade rum caramel and crisp pearls
by liz barron photography by venera alexandrova
Here’s the Scoop
LINDSAY’S HANDMADE CREATES GOURMET ICE CREAMS IN TO-DIE-FOR FLAVORS
BLUEBERRY LAVENDER Fresh berries mixed with the fragrant herb
COFFEE BROWNIE caffeinated ice cream with chunks of homemade brownies
BAKLAVA All the buttery, nutty flavors with pieces of actual baklava in the mix
HAPPY ACCIDENT Mandarin passion fruit ice cream with dark chocolate bits and candied kumquats
All ice cream is not created equal and there is nobody better to attest to that than Lindsay Grega, owner of Lindsay’s Handmade in South Norwalk.
It all started in 2020. We were knee-deep into quarantine when Grega decided to whip out her ice cream maker and play with different ingredients. Her kids, Kyle (now 8) and Axel (6), tend to go for vanilla soft serve when given the choice, but Grega was on a mission to tempt their palates with new fun flavors. While she jokes that she’s still working on her boys, she has enticed her customers who already can’t get enough of her fab flavor concoctions.
“If your ice cream has candied figs in it, I candied them myself. If it has cranberry jam, I made the jam. If it has fudge, I made it. If there’s bacon—and there IS bacon—I cooked and crumbled and candied it, if there’s toffee, I agonized over it and probably threw away two batches for every one that came out right,” Grega explains. “The best part is being able to create everything the way I want it to be, the best way I possibly can.”
With flavors like I Love You So Matcha (matcha latte ice cream with hand-dipped white chocolate coated bits of rice cake), Happy Accident (Mandarin passion fruit ice cream with dark chocolate drizzle and bits of candied kumquats) and The G.O.A.T (goat cheese-based ice cream with figs and honey) to name just a few, there’s clearly a flavor to tempt any dessert lover. Grega makes her ice cream out of her newly renovated commercial kitchen space in SoNo in batches of just six quarts at a time so that she can ensure each pint comes out exactly the way that she wants. While it’s a more time consuming and costly process, it produces a superior end product—a high-end gourmet ice cream with flavor that is likely never found elsewhere. And speaking of flavor, Grega is always open to suggestions. One of the best parts of being a small batch business is that Lindsay’s Handmade can create practically anything that customers want. Browse Grega’s current offerings and place orders on lindsayshandmade.com.
Q&A :
LINDSAY GREGA
Have you always had a passion for making ice cream? It was always something I did a few times a year, after picking strawberries or peaches. I hadn't used my ice cream maker in years when I took it out during quarantine and began playing with different flavors.
How has business been since you officially opened in 2020? When I launched in November 2020, I was not prepared for the overwhelming response. It was thrilling. The community has been extremely supportive and encouraging, which really keeps me going.
How did you choose your location? It took me a full year to find a location. I really wanted to stay in Norwalk because I live here. There was very little space available that I could afford as a start-up. I literally had one developer say to me, "call me when you're not a start-up.” Talk about a reality check. In the end I got a great space that I hope to stay in for a long time.
Any other helping hands on your team or is it just you? I have one "friendployee" as I like to call her. My friend Laura has been on this journey with me since the beginning and I would be lost without her. She is so helpful and an eternal optimist. She reminds me to always focus on the positive, especially when I get frustrated. Once I have the ability, I will definitely be hiring more people.
by julee kaplan
Challah Back
A NEW CANAAN HIGH SCHOOL GRAD WORKS TO BRING ARTISANAL CHALLAH BREAD TO THE MAINSTREAM
When Dolly Meckler graduated from New Canaan High School in 2010, she had her sights set on a career in entertainment. She had no idea that by 2022, she would become an in-demand baker of some of the most delicious challah breads you will ever find.
When the pandemic landed her stuck inside her small Los Angeles apartment in 2020, it turned out to be the incubator for the happiest accident that could have happened.
The sourdough thing never really worked out since Meckler was not interested in the time it would take to create a “starter.” It seemed more complicated than she was willing to deal with. And so, she turned to her Jewish roots and decided to try her hand at challah, a traditional Jewish bread that Meckler always loved. She looked up a recipe in The New York Times and off she went to create her first loaf in March 2020. Over the next few weeks and months she worked to adjust and perfect her own spin on the traditional recipe and documented the whole process on her personal Instagram account.
THE ORIGINAL Challah Dolly founder Dolly Meckler with her challah bread she developed in her own kitchen while in quarentine in 2020. Today she offers four different flavors—original, everything, honey cinnamon and raisin.
“I would film the whole entire process— walking to the grocery store and not being able to find yeast anywhere,” she explains. “And then when I posted my first challah, it was beautiful and I was so shocked that I could make that. Followers started asking me where they can buy it and I literally started selling them from my apartment.” By June 2020 Meckler says she just wanted to come home. Like many other industries, the entertainment business was at a standstill as the pandemic raged on. She had only moved to Los Angeles from New York in October 2019, so she wasn’t as established in her own industry as she would have liked to have been when everything shut down. She packed up and moved back to Manhattan. That was when her challah business really took off. “My network in New York was just bigger since it was where I was from,” she explains of her time in New York, working in social media and content creation for HBO and then YouTube before moving to Los Angeles. “People were already following me when I was in LA so I had this customer base waiting here to buy my challah.” She moved into an apartment on the Upper East Side and started baking out of her tiny oven where she could only fit about five loaves at a time. She woke up at 5 a.m. and baked and baked, selling out each day. Then one day, Time Out New York did a story about her and her challah and everything started to really speed up. She needed to get out and look for a commercial space to do her baking. Meckler ended up renting time at a bakery on the Lower East Side.
“They needed the business and I needed
— DOLLY MECKLER, OWNER AND BAKER, CHALLAH DOLLY
TOP IT OFF Challah Dolly shows off how diverse this bread can be—served sweet with ricotta and honey or savory with chive cream cheese and onions. Delicious. GET IT FRESH Meckler sells her artisanal challah bread in several stores throughout New York City, but the only local place to grab it is at Walter Stewart's in New Canaan. She delivers it freshly baked on Fridays.
the oven space, so it worked out so well,” she explains.
Meckler was soon selling out every day she baked—over a hundred loaves a day. Eventually, she ended up outgrowing that space too, so she moved operations to where she is now, in a larger commercial kitchen space in the Bronx.
Meckler says her mission is to bring this traditional Jewish food to the mainstream—but with a twist. She bakes four different flavors of challah—original, everything, honey cinnamon and raisin.
In addition to Challah Dolly, Meckler continues to work on her career as a freelance entertainment consultant.
left: Elm owner and chef Luke Venner right: Elm's exclusive wine is available at the restaurant by the glass or bottle.
Rosé All Day
ELM CELEBRATES 10 YEARS WITH AN EXCLUSIVE
WINE LAUNCH by julee kaplan
Elm chef Luke Venner knows that nothing says “celebrate summer” quite like a crisp and cool glass of rosé.
It’s only fitting that Venner is commemorating his New Canaan restaurant’s tenth anniversary by launching an exclusive in-house rosé that comes from the single estate Château Paradis, situated between the picturesque Sainte Victoire Mountains and the Luberon Valley in central Provence. This particular wine was selected by wine importer Serge Doré and Venner with aromas of white peach skin, sliced cantaloupe and citron zest that mingles with delicate wildflower notes.
In addition to being served at Elm, the wine will also be available for purchase for $48 per bottle. Here, we chatted with Venner to get the dish on his newest wine offering.
What made you decide to launch an in-house rosé? I have dreamed about working with a winemaker to produce a wine that was unique to our establishment. Last year I floated the idea to a friend of mine in the wine business—Serge Doré. Using his expertise and relationships, he was able to help bring the dream to fruition for the 2021 harvest. What made you specifically go with a rosé? Pink wine has been on the rise for some time and it's not going out of style. During the spring/summer season almost 40 percent of our wine by the glass consumption will be rosé. For me, it was an easy choice.
What do you have on the menu to pair well with this wine? Why these items? It's very versatile and pairs well with several of our dishes, but my favorites are the jamon iberico with arbequina olive oil, the smoked trout dip with pickled onions and the saffron fusilli with Maine crab.
What do you look for in a rosé? I look for something that is refreshing and easy to drink, but still has nuances and complexity. I am partial to the Provencal style produced in the South of France. I knew I wanted the wine to have that terroir and sense of place, which is why we chose Chateau Paradis as the vineyard site to produce our wine.
What makes this wine great for summer? The pale color reminds me of a beautiful sunset and the aroma conjures up images of sliced peaches and wildflowers. It was thoughtfully crafted with sun-soaked days in mind.
