30 minute read
STATUS REPORT
buzz STATUS REPORT
by julee kaplan
Mauricio Umansky
IN CONTRACT
MAURICIO UMANSKY PLANS TO SHAKE UP FAIRFIELD COUNTY’S REAL ESTATE SCENE
WITH THE OPENING OF THE AGENCY IN NEW CANAAN
As far as real estate agents go, Mauricio Umansky could be one of the most recognizable faces in the business. He’s closed some pretty major deals in California over the years—the Playboy mansion (which was the first home in Los Angeles to sell for over $100 million), the Walt Disney estate and former homes of Michael Jackson, Prince and Michael Jordan to name just a few. His successes have even played out on Bravo’s hit show, Million Dollar Listing. But now, his luxury real estate agency, simply called The Agency, has opened at 2 South Avenue in New Canaan, one of the first outposts on the East Coast for the rapidly growing brand. He’s partnered with longtime Fairfield County agents Cliff Smith and Todd David Miller, who own and operate the franchise territory throughout the county. Umansky says that with Smith and Miller at the helm here, he plans to “disrupt” the way real estate business is done in Fairfield County by offering clients a white glove approach to the experience of high-end home buying and selling.
Here, we chat with Umansky about his firm’s growth and how he plans to bring his company’s level of service to our towns.
What makes your firm stand out?
We are a boutique firm with a truly global reach. Our brand is unmatched in its power to deliver results for our agents and clients through our unparalleled marketing and proprietary technology offerings. We are among the most followed real estate brands in the world on Instagram. Our social media, in-house public relations and creative team bring distinct and effective marketing strategies to both our agents and our properties.
Why was it important to open in New Canaan?
Cliff and Todd reached out to me last year with the idea of bringing The Agency to Connecticut. It came at a perfect time as we were beginning to expand the brokerage into other luxury markets in strategic locations on the east coast. With Fairfield County being a suburb of NYC, and New Canaan specifically being such a beautiful and desirable town, we felt very confident this was a natural fit. Cliff and Todd were also our ideal partners to lead the charge as they already had such a strong business and reputation in the area with sales topping $100 million in 2020. They both represent The Agency culture and brand so well. We couldn’t be happier with this endeavor and they have already achieved so much in the few months since joining us.
What is your plan to expand on the East Coast?
The Agency has continued its growth trajectory with the debut of multiple new franchise locations this year, with our expansion on the east coast as a top priority. Introducing and expanding our brand’s presence with our existing offices and in synergistic regions including Boston, Montreal, Las Vegas, Maui, Denver, Seattle and the Cayman Islands is paramount to us. This year alone we’ve already
here and above: The Agency’s listing at 573 Cascade Road in New Canaan is on the market for $6.7 million. launched new franchise locations in Oakville, Canada, North Shore-New York, Calgary and Vancouver, Canada, as well as new corporate office locations in Studio City and Pacific Palisades, California. In addition, we have a presence in the DC Metro area and South Florida, with more expansion on both coasts on the way.
What can a buyer/seller expect when working with one of your agents?
White-glove customer service. We have a fullservice in-house marketing team of specialists, including award-winning digital marketers, publicists and designers. Our support team is dedicated to each and every one of our agents to help them maximize their business and to go above and beyond for clients. Buyers and sellers can expect true collaboration across all our offices and sales agents. We truly operate as one family. Also, we understand real estate is one of the most personal decisions and one of the largest financial decisions a person will make. An app can’t tell you about the school district, neighborhood, history of the home, street or suburb. We are on-the-ground experts in each market we serve and aim to guide clients through this important investment each step of the way.
What is your view on the market in general? Will it stay this active?
On a macro level across the country, we are seeing similar trends with buyers opting for suburban living over dense cities. With the workfrom-home culture remaining, buyers have the option of working from anywhere. This is to the benefit of suburban towns like New Canaan, Darien and others in Connecticut. New Canaan has been a top choice among New Yorkers exiting the city with its beautiful, quintessential Connecticut estates, top schools and the wide variety of dining destinations and boutique shopping.
LEADING WITH RESILIENCE
AFTER LOSING THEIR SON 20 YEARS AGO IN THE 9/11 ATTACKS, THE FETCHETS LOOK TO BRING
PREPAREDNESS AND HEALING TO COMMUNITIES OF TRAGEDIES WORLDWIDE
above: Frank and Mary Fetchet. top right: Mary Fetchet speaks with reporter Brian Williams at the World Trade Center site. bottom right: Mary Fetchet holds a copy of the 9/11 Commission Report in downtown Manhattan in 2004.
It was the morning of September 11, 2001, when New Canaan native Brad Fetchet had just settled in to work at his new position as an equities trader at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods on the 89th floor of World Trade Center’s South Tower. American Airlines flight 11 had just crashed into the North Tower and in minutes, the 24-year-old Bucknell graduate called his dad, Frank, and spoke with him for a bit before leaving a voicemail for his mom, Mary, reassuring her that he was okay and that she was “welcome to give a call. I think we’ll be here all day,” he says.
Those were the last words heard from Brad. Just minutes after he left that message, the North Tower was hit by the second commercial airliner and Brad’s office was located above the impact zone. Brad became one of the 2,977 victims of that day, leaving behind a loving family that included his two younger brothers, Chris and Wes, who were just teens at the time.
“As parents, we are supposed to protect our kids. We are supposed to keep them safe,” says an emotional Frank Fetchet, as we looked back on that last conversation, he had with his oldest
Brad Fetchet died in the World Trade Center’s North Tower on September 11, 2001. He was 24 years old.
BY THE NUMBERS 2,977
deaths on September 11, 2001
600,000
survivors who lived, worked or attended school in the area.
90,000
responders who worked on the recovery effort in the months following the attacks
83,000
responders and survivors who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses and serious mental health conditions.
4,300
people have died due to 9/11 related illnesses (as of March 2021) son 20 years ago. Understandably, it’s still hard for him to speak about what he and his family went through in the days following the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
Today, 20 years later, we sit in the New Canaan offices of Brad’s parents’ nonprofit, now known as the Voices Center for Resilience, the organization that continues to keep Brad’s life, and the thousands of other victims, alive through support and guidance in the years following tragedy. Frank gives well-deserved praise to his wife, Mary, for the countless hours she has worked to help those victims’ families through (and still living with) the same sort of grief she was feeling. Mary, a trained clinical social worker, has worked her whole career at helping families live with grief, so it seemed fitting for her to sit as the force behind their charity. Over the last 20 years she and her team have provided valuable long-term support services to victim’s families, responders and survivors. Through her organization, Mary has worked tirelessly in order to advocate for the rights of victims’ families and survivors, she’s aided in developing an appropriate process for the notification of human remains, the Victim’s Compensation Fund and the creation of the 9/11 Memorial that currently sits at the World Trade Center site. She has testified in front of U.S. Congress on five occasions. She is a fighter and she’s not giving up any time soon.
And, to set her organization up to help even more people work through tragedy, the Fetchets have officially changed their organization’s name from Voices of September 11 to the Voices Center for Resilience. Mary explained that it was back in 2007, after the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, when she realized that their community wasn’t prepared with how to handle the needs of those victims’ families.
“It was then when we saw a real opportunity to help prepare and advance communities in the face of tragedy,” Mary says. “We were already set up and prepared to respond and give needed guidance and support. Whether it’s the recent collapse of the apartment building in Miami, a school shooting or a terrorist attack—there are slight differences in those kinds of tragedies, but the needs of the families are the same. They are dealing with loss and grief, and we can provide them with the support from people who truly understand what they are going through.”
To help shine light on this 20th anniversary, the Voices Center will hold an art exhibition at the Silvermine Arts Center in New Canaan, with an opening reception on September 1. Then, a conference and remembrance symposium will be open free to anyone at the Marriott Downtown in New York City on September 9 and 10. Attendees can register to appear in person or virtually and will be treated to a stellar lineup of speakers including Bobby Valentine who will speak about sports and September 11, doctors on medical updates and lawyers working to bring justice to victims’ families. The annual gala will then take place on November 3 at the New York Athletic Club.
food for thought
GRACE FARMS FOODS LAUNCHES TAKE HOME BUNDLES YOU CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT
Grace Farms is (finally!) scheduled to reopen to the public this month after more than a year of closure due to the pandemic. With expansive spaces and one of the most beautiful pieces of landscape in our reach, Grace Farms has quickly become an essential community space for those of us who choose to gather, dine, work or play there.
While much of what guests will come back to will be the same as they remember, those who frequent the Grace Farms Café are in for a treat. The café will now offer take-home treats and gift boxes thanks to the dedicated Grace Farms Foods team led by cofounders Adam Thatcher and Sharon Prince.
“While on-site I saw firsthand the opportunity for people who loved the experience of coming and gathering at Grace Farms,” explains Thatcher, who was previously in the role of director of operations and sustainability at Grace Farms before branching off to start Grace Farms Foods. “People would come to us and ask if they can purchase bags of our coffee beans because they loved it that much.”
After doing his research and learning how a nonprofit organization like Grace Farms can run something like a packaged food business, Thatcher and Prince were able to branch off in order to launch Grace Farms Foods last year. The idea, he says, was to create take-home foods so that people far and wide can take a piece of the Grace Farms experience with them. The result has been an online launch of curated bundles offering coffee, tea and cookies. Eventually, Thatcher says he plans to launch more items that remind people of the Grace Farms experience.
But, Thatcher stresses, this isn’t your typical food business. Thatcher sees the brand as an entirely new model of social entrepreneurship not only because 100 percent of all of the profits go directly to support the missions of the Grace Farms Foundation, but every single
Choose to make your own bundle of goodies or purchase curated food bundles that include cookies, teas and coffees. All foods can be purchased online or on-site at Grace Farms in New Canaan.
Grace Farms Foods cofounders Adam Thatcher and Sharon Prince in the Grace Farms gardens. product they offer demonstrates all of the values that the organization represents. For example, all coffees are sourced from women led co-ops in Columbia, Indonesia and Ethiopia and ingredients are all organic and in biodegradable packaging. The chocolate chip cookies were even recalibrated by local chef and Grace Farms Foods founding board member Silvia Baldini who helped to gather ethically sourced ingredients and specialty sea salts to create a truly delicious cookie.
For those looking to purchase the products online, they’re available on the organization’s Amazon store or on gracefarmsfoods.com. Curated bundles start at $28 for one container of tea and two boxes of cookies, to $129 for the whole collection. Or you can even customize your own bundle. All products will also be available for purchase on-site.
Looking ahead the organization plans to launch more cookie varieties as well as a gluten-free option.
shop
by megan gagnon
RECIPE FOR STYLE
Mix designer appliances with fabulous finishing touches
1 // CRATE &
BARREL
Acacia wood and gold measuring cups; $24.95 for set of 4. Westport; crateandbarrel.com
3 // BALMUDA Toaster oven; $329. food52.com
4 // BLUESTAR BlueStar by Design Fireclay Tile fridge; $15,690. bluestarcooking.com
6 // ROCKY
MOUNTAIN HARDWARE
Quatrafoil knob; $53. Flute cabinet knob; $99. Tab cabinet pull; $66. rockymountainhardware.com MAKE IT
CUSTOM
2 // GLOBAL Classic 5-piece Teikoku knife acrylic block set; $600. Williams-Sonoma, Westport; williams-sonoma.com
5 // ALLSTONE GROUP Carrara marble 36” stone 60/40 double bowl farmhouse sink; $2,510. thesinkboutique.com
7 // SISTER
PARISH DESIGN FOR COUNTRY FLOORS
Albert ceramic tiles, 6x6; $24.64 per sq. ft. Greenwich Tile & Marble; greenwichtileand marble.com
10 // SAMSUNG BESPOKE 4-Door Flex™ refrigerator, available in eight colors and two finishes; price upon request. samsung.com
8 // CIRCA LIGHTING Akova grande pendant by Sean Lavin; $720. Greenwich; circalighting.com
12 // NESPRESSO Lattissima One espresso machine; $379.95. bloomingdales.com
9 // DACOR 24” Integrated wine dispenser; $5,999. dacor.com
11 // STONE FOREST Polished granite farmhouse sink; $3,180. stoneforest.com
13 // LA CORNUE Château 150 range in Quintessential Teal; $52,300. lacornuecollective.com
14 // KOHLER Tone pull-down singlehandle semi-professional kitchen sink faucet; $797.50. Westport, us.kohler.com
15 // WATERWORKS Keystone Prunella; starting at $117 per sq. ft. Greenwich; waterworks.com
go
Whether you're a sand-and-surf kind of vacationer or a poolside fixture, Playa Largo has you covered.
Relaxation is the Key
DREAMING OF A CARIBBEAN GETAWAY? WHITE SAND BETWEEN
YOUR TOES AND TROPICAL COCKTAILS JUST A FLICK OF YOUR BEACH-LOUNGER FLAG AWAY? BUT DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH CROWDS, AND PASSPORTS AND PCR TESTS? WE HEAR YOU AND OFFER UP PLAYA LARGO RESORT AND SPA
by kim-marie evans
GETTING THERE
The Florida Keys are made up of 1,700 coral isles that curl from the south Florida peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico. Key Largo is the first island on the arrow-thin Overseas Highway. It’s also the largest.
Hop a flight to Miami, rent a car, and it’s a short one-hour drive to Key Largo. As cheesy T-shirt shops and tacky roadside bars float past your window, you might think we are leading you astray with promises of Caribbean luxury. Turning into Playa Largo Resort and Spa from Highway One is like finding a vintage Chanel bag at Goodwill. Sorry Florida, you know we’re right on this one. “The Keys” often get lumped together and painted with a singular Jimmy Buffet brush.
Sailboats at our doorstep? Yes, please.
THE RESORT
Stretched over fourteen acres of pristine white sand on the shores of the Florida Bay, Playa Largo has resorts within the resort. For honeymooners or couples who just really like each other, there are The Hammocks. The cheerily painted bungalows are hidden from the hustle of the main resort in the shade of literal Florida Hammocks (trees). Each of the ten cottages features a master bedroom encompassing the entire second floor, lookout decks, full kitchens, living rooms and secluded back porches.
The hotel has 177 rooms decorated in a contemporary style and blessedly free of kitschy oceanfront décor, and outfitted with $400 illy coffee makers.
For the ultimate retreat or destination wedding, there’s The Beach House. It is on the far end of the resort beach and has a private pool overlooking the ocean, wrap-around deck, private beach and event lawn. With three bedrooms, endless lanai seating and hammocks strung from the branches of the waterfront sea grape trees, it’s no wonder The Beach House is already booked every weekend for the next year.
Hotel room rates start at $400 per night. The Hammocks at $900 per night. The Beach House $3,500 per night.
If you want to bring the entire family or your entourage, book one of the brand-new Ocean Residences by Playa Largo. These luxury homes are across the street on the Atlantic side of the island (that’s how narrow Key Largo is), offering both privacy and full service. (Note: You can’t walk from the homes to the resort, but it’s only a two-minute drive.) Each of the five homes feature private balconies, soaking tubs in sprawling master suites, full indoor and outdoor kitchens. Guests of the Ocean Residences have exclusive access to the oceanfront pool, all resort amenities and the clubhouse located at the tip of the community at the watersports pier. The clubhouse offers lockers, showers and a full lounge— making it easy to enjoy beach activities from kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, parasailing and more without needing to drive back “home” to shower and change.
Every stay includes a picnic basket of breakfast goodies delivered every morning with additional options to pre-stock the fridge or invite a private chef to handle dinners.
The homes sleep ten and start at $1,800 per night.
playalargoresort.com playalargooceanresidences.com
THE BEACH
The real stars of the show are the expanse of talcum white sand and warm waters. Choose from a chaise lounge shaded by the beachfront trees or one of the many pods of hammocks. The Florida Bay is a shallow lagoon that connects the Gulf of Mexico with the western side of the Keys. Grab a floatie and drift on the still water until you hear the bell that’s rung daily to warn that sunset is just thirty minutes away. Take a spot at one of the two fire pits, sip a sunset cocktail and enjoy the resort’s Eventide Celebration. The staff lights tiki torches as Caribbean drumbeats fill the air. Guests are offered cocktails and asked to write their worries/stresses on a piece of paper that’s placed on a floating buoy and set off to sea. We couldn’t find paper big enough for our worries, so we just went for the cocktail portion of the evening.
THE POOL
The zero-entry pool with arched gazebo is designed for envyinducing Instagram posts. The Sand Bar services the pool and beach with food and cocktails. It’s not often that we rave about the culinary offerings of a beach bar, but the Sand Bar is exceptional. Try the gluten-free pizza that actually tastes like pizza and the watermelon salad drizzled with basalmic reduction.
THE SPA
The largest spa in the Keys, The Ocean Spa offers a variety of treatments using locally sourced ingredients for scrubs, wraps and more. But the most important factor in evaluating a spa, in our opinion, is the ability to enjoy a post-massage nap. So the expansive relaxation area with double-wide chaise lounges separated from other guests by whisper thin curtains had us hooked.
SETTING SAIL
The highlight of a stay at Playa Largo is getting out on the water with Captain Lolly who commands the mighty Carolina Moon catamaran. Ok, it’s not all that mighty, but with Captain Lolly at the helm, it’s an amazing amount of fun. You can book day trips, sunset trips and champagne trips. The water is as warm as the south Caribbean, the champagne is cold, and Lolly is a gifted photographer who loves nothing more than to send you home with amazing memories of your time in Key Largo. Book through Caribbean Watersports under the pier at the end of the beach. caribbeanwatersports .com
EXPLORING THE REEFS
Surrounded by crystal blue water and thriving reefs, Key Largo is a hot spot for diving. Here you’ll find the only living barrier reef off the continental United States. The area is also known for its remarkable wreck diving. You’ll find the world's largest artificial reef, the 510-foot USS Spiegel Grove (deliberately sunk to create a reef) and more.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was established in 1963 and is the first under-the-sea park in the U.S. Here you can swim with the coral fish and high five the underwater 4,000pound Christ of the Deep (sometimes called Christ of the Abyss), a bronze statue by Italian sculptor Guido Galletti submerged about twenty-five feet under water. The Jesus effigy is robed and barnacled, with arms outstretched and gaze raised to the light above. Though he’s covered in dangerous fire coral, he’s been high-fived frequently enough that it’s been worn off his hands, making it safe for you to do the same. Brides have the option to feel like a mermaid with Playa Largo’s underwater weddings. Couples say “I do” amongst the shallow-water corals, shipwrecks and hidden treasures of the Keys. To anchor their love, they can sponsor the planting of a coral reef fragment that will remain and continue to grow over the years.
BEST BITES
The best food in the area is at Chef Michaels in nearby Islamorada. Anyone who’s seen the moodily atmospheric Netflix series Bloodline, set around a family-run Islamorada beachfront inn, knows the territory. Chef Michaels is a roadside treasure deserving of a Michelin star. Reservations are a must. Order the lion fish cooked whole. Not only is it delectable, you’re helping to save the ocean by removing a dangerous predator. foodtotalkabout.com
On your way back to the resort stop at The Islamorada Brewery & Distillery located at mile marker 82.2 with a bright yellow-andteal-colored tasting
Fly high or dive in—the choice is yours.
room. It’s the only brewery and distillery in the Florida Keys. It turns out gin, vodka and rum from one distillation pot; and as skeptical as we were, the signature rum holds its own against any Caribbean spirit out there.
Make sure you go out back to the beer garden where you can enjoy cocktail flights in one of the Adirondack chairs shaded by palm trees. Grab a snack from the food truck, Spanky’s Kitchen. islamoradabeerco .com G
do
by tom connor
CLOSER TO THE CURE
CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH BRINGS HOPE TO FAMILIES MANAGING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Most of us probably associate Alzheimer’s disease with memory loss and possibly confusion and anger. But less common symptoms such as the loss of spatial reasoning—the inability to recognize or find familiar objects that are in plain sight—can also signal the presence of the disease and its variants. “That’s when you’ve lived in the same house for 30 years but suddenly, you’re confusing which light switch does what,” says Dr. Carolyn Fredericks, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at Yale. “Or you look in the fridge for the orange juice, and even though it’s right in front of you, you can’t pick it out from the crowd of other objects.”
Dr. Fredericks has a special interest in looking at the less-common types of Alzheimer’s, where the prominent signs may be mistaken for dementia or may lie in “completely different realms of thinking,” she says. The danger is that they are masking the onset of the fatal disease, delaying diagnosis and treatment.
She and her colleagues in the Fredericks Lab, a research facility on the Yale University campus, are using advanced neuroimaging technology to understand how variant strains of Alzheimer’s spreads across networks in the brain.
FIVE EARLY SIGNS
Some memory loss can be normal as we age. But here are some of the red flags when Alzheimer’s might be suspected
Disruptive memory loss—when daily life or tasks are too tough to handle because you consistently forget recently learned information.
Challenges in planning or problem solving—you take much longer to complete a task that you’ve done before or can’t keep track of your monthly bills.
Difficulty completing familiar tasks—you have trouble driving to a local grocery store and remembering where it is.
Confused about time or place— forgetting where you are or how you got there.
New problems with words in speaking or writing—repeating the same phrase over and over or struggling with vocabulary.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association
To learn more about the Association’s clinical trial matching service, go to alz.org/ trialmatch. With questions about Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, call the Association’s
24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900.
—CAROLYN FREDERICKS, M.D.
The hope is that their work will result in earlier identification of the illness, more precise monitoring for future drug studies, and identification of targets for direct treatments particularly for patients with atypical variants of Alzheimer’s disease.
Meanwhile, in her clinical practice, Dr. Fredericks sees patients with a variety of cognitive and behavioral issues and concerns.
During an initial visit, Dr. Fredericks asks detailed questions around a patient’s medical history and does cognitive testing to test memory, language, attention, and spatial functions. She also conducts a neurological exam that checks a range of abilities, including a patient’s motor system, reflexes, and coordination. “I get a deep satisfaction from walking through the treatment process with a family, offering resources and medications that can help the patient feel better, even though it won’t make the illness go away,” she says. “Of course, I love it when I’m able to reverse a process for someone. Sometimes, we will learn that a patient’s thyroid is not working well or that they have an autoimmune condition we can treat. Those kinds of catches are amazing to be a part of.”
The Connecticut resident graduated from Brown with a BA in the Classics and a BS in Neuroscience before going on to the Stanford University School of Medicine. In April, Dr. Fredericks was named a Henry F. McCance Yale Scholar, recognizing her as an outstanding young faculty member, granting her funding for research. She also recieved a $175,000 research grant from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Alzheimer’s and its variants do more harm than rob memory or spatial reasoning. They are also usually fatal. Now, death rates from the progressive disease, for which there is no cure, are on the rise: something Fredericks and others are working to stem.
“Research is the path forward with this disease,” says Ginny Hanbridge, Executive Director of the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. “We are so honored and proud to have so many dedicated scientists in Connecticut, including Dr. Fredericks, working to get us closer to new treatments and hopefully a cure for this disease.”
Alzheimer's Association is the largest nonprofit funding research in the world, currently providing $235 million to more than 650 active research projects in 39 countries, including $2 million in research in Connecticut.
eat
Heirloom melon with berry vinaigrette, pea tendrils
General manager Joe Cracco with chef Jared SippelArt Meets Food A MUSEUM CAFÉ SERVES UP CULINARY CREATIVITY FROM BILL TAIBE
by mary kate hogan • photographs by ken goodman
by elizabeth keyser • photographs by venera alexandrova
-HEIRLOOM MELON berry vinaigrette, pea tendrils -CAULIFLOWER black quinoa, blueberries, sunflower seeds
Scan here for more great places to EAT
Cauliflower with black quinoa, blueberries, sunflower seeds
top: sous chef Danielle Mailhot, Bill Taibe, Andrea Dinan, cafe manager Kelly Clement and executive chef Caitlin McGowan top right: Overnight oats with maple, almonds and dried fruits and berries bottom left: The What’s Bill Having—matcha, espresso, pistachio milk and luxardo cherries
True artists keep growing and exploring, and Art Space Café is Chef Bill Taibe’s new medium. Set in the vibrant Art Space Museum, this contemporary spot is a creative oasis on busy West Avenue in Norwalk. Chef Taibe curates locally produced, highquality coffee, tea, nut milk, bread, pastry, cheese and chocolate, to create an all-day menu that hits every flavor note. Embracing healthful trends, the chef and his team have created indulgent vegan and gluten-free “light fare” with plenty of fruit, greens, nuts and grains. Good news for omnivores: eggs, cheese, fish and meats are given the Taibe touch too.
Half of the menu is devoted to refreshing hot and cold beverages: locally roasted ILSE Coffee prepared by drip or in a full range of espresso-based drinks, loose Arogya Teas, Cross Culture Kombucha and artisan nut milks from the Hudson Valley. Art Space Café’s got it covered—cold brews, espresso ginger tonics, matcha lattes, and the Itariahito an eastmeets-west blend of matcha latte and espresso.
First, we just had to try the “What Bill’s Having.” If anyone can bring unexpected ingredients together into a mysteriously delicious blend, it is chef Taibe. Matcha, pistachio milk, cherry syrup and espresso, this is a cold drink in tones of khaki, tan and cream that tastes creamy, nutty and just-sweetenough, with a strong caffeine kick. For non- or pre-caffeinated folks, the most refreshing cold drink is an old-fashioned shrub. The base is fruit steeped in sugar and vinegar. We tried the raspberry shrub. It was light, bubbly, with a thirst-quenching sweet-sour fruitiness.
left: Avocado tofu with queso blanco, sprouts and alp blossom far right: the mixed berry shrub below: Caitlin McGowan shows off two popular dishes.
Here you could start the day with a cup of cafe au lait or a fine Earl Grey tea, accompanied by a warm baguette, butter and matcha pear jam, and feel like you’ve found a touch of Europe in Norwalk. But try a bowl of rich, creamy chocolate coconut “yogurt,” topped with raspberries and raspberry dust over a layer of espresso granola (puffed and toasted grains, bits of chocolate, and a hint of salt). With its smooth and crunchy textures, fresh fruit and dark chocolate, sweetness and essential touch of salt, this was dessert for breakfast or lunch, and we’re all in.
Many of the salads bring together greens, grains and fruits. Heirloom melon salad hit every note, the sweet melon dressed in a berry vinaigrette with pink slivers of pickled onions that brought a taste memory of melon and prosciutto—without the cured ham. That’s our kind of vegan. Pea shoots were treated as vegetables rather than garnish, and why not? Sweet, green, fresh and paired with blueberries and black berries and the vinaigrette, the salad was large enough to share and a welcome addition to the table as it balanced the richer, hearty sandwiches.
The grilled cheese sandwich was a rich, grilled croissant, filled with good cheddar and smoked strawberry-onion marmalade. Plan to cut this in half to share (or take half home). Smoked turkey comes from Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield, which was paired with golden kimchee (made with turmeric) on thick slices of black raisin bread. To our taste,
the avocado toast didn’t need the upgrades of kimchee and cottage cheese. The mashed avocado is seasoned with lemon, scallions and Za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend. There are a lot of alluring sweet toasts on the menu, like strawberry covered chocolate toast and almond butter on chocolate malt bread. The pastries, which come from Flour, Water, Salt in Darien are superb. Kouing-Amann, a fat, sweet, sticky croissant baked in a muffin tin, is a wonder of buttery layers of puff pastry. Pain au chocolate, bombolini, and artistan chocolate bars from House of Knipschildt also tempt.
Chef Taibe is known for cooking with the seasons; the ingredients may change, but the flavor profiles always pop. Like any real artist, he doesn’t just want to repeat his greatest hits. On the afternoon we stopped in, the chef and his team gathered around a table to taste a new recipe. At another table, chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt was having lunch. He recommended the tuna sandwich with sweet pepper conserves on artisan bread seasoned with herbs from the Alps. It was the second time he’d ordered it. A family with children pulled two round tables together and ordered peanut butter and jelly croissants. The vibe was friendly and cool, a place we’d come back to. Put Art Space Café on your list of places to meet.
above: Gluten-free salted chocolate chip cookie with a Cortado Below: Strawberry covered chocolate with strawberry butter on chocolate bread
ART SPACE CAFÉ
455 West Ave., Norwalk 203-252-2840; thenorwalkartspace.org/café
CUISINE
Crafted coffees, teas, baked goods and light fare
HOURS
Wednesday—Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
