You may not expect to find a deli/market on the long Wilton Road stretch between the Post Road and Route 7.
But there — smack in the middle, between Merritt Parkway Exit 41 and the Wilton town line — is The Country Store.
The name is generic. There must be hundreds of “country stores” across the country. (For decades there were 2 others right here in Westport: Christie’s Country Store on Cross Highway, and the Merritt Country Store next to Coffee An’.)
But the easy-to-overlook spot across from Chabad (formerly the Three Bears restaurant) punches far above its weight.
The Country Store, at the corner of Wilton Road and Newtown Turnpike.
Alert “06880” reader and satisfied customer Russell Sherman writes:
“I’ve always been aware of the Country Store, and have been in there a few times over the years, but I never paid much attention to it.
“Today however, I stopped in when I was nearby. It was brighter than in the past. It was well-stocked with staples, candy and food, and a sandwich board that had more selections than most other places in town. My turkey sub was huge and reasonably priced.
“The owner — an older man working the grill — said it was under new ownership since February. The manager was a nice younger guy.
“People should discover this old piece of Westport history, that appears to have received a shot in the arm.”
You may not think of the folks running a country deli/market as “heroes.” But to persevere in times like these; to provide a service to an entire section of town that needs it — and to do so with care and friendliness — sounds pretty heroic to me.
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email dwoog@optonline.net)