For 84 years, the Candlelight Concert has been the Staples High School music department’s gift to the town.
With its “Sing We Noel” processional, “Hallelujah Chorus” finale, and wondrous performances by the choirs, orchestras and bands, Candlelight is timeless.
Scores of musicians make Candlelight magic.
But there is always something new, too.
This year, it’s the debut of band leader Kevin Mazzarella. He joins veteran orchestra director Carrie Marasco, choral conductor Lauren Pine, and the rest of the outstanding Staples music department, in presenting the beloved holiday concert that is always fresh and exciting, yet also warmly traditional.
This year’s concert is Friday, December 13 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, December 14 (3 and 8 p.m.).
Tickets will be available to the public at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 25 (online at www.staplesmusic.org). There is a maximum of 4 tickets per order.
There is no charge for Candlelight tickets. However, donations to support the music program are graciously accepted.
(Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
This year’s Candlelight Concert features inspiring selections and familiar favorites.
Susato’s lively “La Morisque,” a brass and wind rendition from 16th-century Germany, leads seamlessly into the “Sing We Noel” processional.
The haunting “Sing We Noel” proessional. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
The full orchestra will highlight “March of the Toys” from “Babes in Toyland,” followed by the combined choral ensembles’ Liberian folk song “African Noel,” “Ave Maria,” and a vibrant arrangement of the Ashkenazic folk song “S’Vivon.”
Mazzarella’s band debut includes a stirring rendition of Aaron Copland’s “The Promise of Living” from “The Tender Land” — a hopeful, reflective close to the year — followed by the vibrant and dramatic “Bacchanale” by Saint-Saëns.
After Alan Silvestri’s “The Polar Express,” Handel’s “HallelujahChorus” provides a rousing and popular finale.
In the spirit of the season, the Staples Tri-M Music Honor Society will conduct a “CanDelight” canned food donation drive, to benefit the Homes for Hope food pantry. There will be collection bins in the auditorium lobby, before each concert.
Veteran Candlelight-goers know: Tickets sell out fast. Mark your calendar now for 9 a.m., November 25. And remember the website: www.staplesmusic.org.
This year’s Candlelight poster was designed by art and music student Connor Yuan.
The Sunrise Rotary and Westport Rotary Clubs have pledged $2,500 each, to Ukraine Aid International.
Rotarian Ken Bernhard is seeking more funds, which the national club will match. The goal of $15,000 would purchase water filtration systems, for use in the war-torn nation.
The need is critical, in areas where Russian forces have destroyed water supplies.
UAI founders Marshall and Brian Mayer — who grew up in Westport — described the water filtration systems, and other aid their non-profit provides (including communications equipment, vehicles, and funds for children’s therapy camps) on Sunday, at a special dinner provided by Nômade.
Among the attendees: Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes. Both provided insights into the current status of US aid to Ukraine. Blumenthal — who has traveled there 6 times — noted the bipartisan support, with ties forged on his trips with Republican senators like Lindsay Graham.
Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes at Nômade. (Photo/Dan Woog)
The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee holds a public meeting this Thursday (November 21, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall Room 307-9).
The agenda includes reviews of the parking lot project, a review of the public engagement process, and an update on the parking study and feasibility analysis.
Meanwhile, the Long Lots School Building Committee meeting scheduled for today (Tuesday) has been canceled.
The Westporter debuted his stunning new documentary, before a large Westport audience crowd.
“Pat Tillman: Life, Death, Legacy” is a profound and impactful look at the life and legacy of the NFL star who volunteered to serve in Afghanistan, then was killed by friendly fire.
Missed it? Click here for details on how to stream the video.
Jeremy Schaap, at the Westport Library. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Briggs)
Also last night: A nearly sold-out audience enjoyed the Westport Country Playhouse’s latest Script In Hand reading.
“A Danger to Yourself and Others” took place — appropriately — the week before Thanksgiving, It involved a gas station robbery, library card revocation, love, and much more.
Script in Hand readings are regular — and very popular — Playhouse events.
Script in Hand readings give a great flavor of interesting plays. This is a scene from “A Danger to Yourself.” (Photo/Dave Matlow)
But there was plenty of Staples blue in Cary, North Carolina on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Paddy Donovan — a 2022 Staples High School grad — saved one penalty kick, in the ACC men’s soccer final.
But 2 Clemson teammates missed theirs, and Wake Forest captured the league championship, 7-6, after regulation and overtime ended 1-1.
Among the other local connections: Clemson is coached by 1979 Staples grad (and former state champion) Mike Noonan. He’s led the Tigers to 2 national titles in the past 3 years.
In the stands: Paddy’s parents, Dan and Nicole Donovan. Both are SHS alums too. Dan is a former Wrecker soccer state champion. And his late brother Doug was Noonan’s teammate, on that ’78 state title squad.
Also on hand: former Staples teachers Dave and Marianne Harrison (social studies and physical education, respectively). Both now live in North Carolina.
Next up for Clemson: The NCAA tournament. Donovan and his teammates earned a first-round bye.
From left: Nicole Donovan, Dave and Marianne Harrison, Dan Donovan. All sport Clemson orange.
Speaking of sports: The Staples girls rugby program hosts a clinci for all current interested girls, in 8th grade and above, on November 24 (12:30 to 2 p.m., Staples football field).
Players from the University of New Haven Women’s Rugby Team will be lead the event. It’s a chance for girls (and their parents) see what rugby is all about, ask questions, and meet athletes. No prior experience is required.
The Staples girls rugby season runs from March through June.
Staples High School girls rugby. (Photo/Dylan Chatterjee Photography)
And finally … on this day in 1493, Christopher Columbus landed on an island he first saw the day before. He named it San Juan Bautista. Today we know it as Puerto Rico.
The island has given the world many great gifts. Among them: our neighbor, longtime Weston resident José Feliciano.
(“06880” is where Westport — and Weston — meet the world. If you enjoy the connections you find here, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
At 15, Dylan Diamond built an app. Now, his Staples High School classmates had an easy way to view their schedules and grades.
Most people would have stopped there.
Diamond rolled it out nationally. It’s evolved into Saturn — a must-have calendar and time management app for high school and college students.
Customizable and shareable, it includes classes, clubs, sports practice and games, concert and show rehearsals, and more.
Dylan Diamond
As CEO of Saturn Technologies, Diamond oversees 100-plus employees, at its New York headquarters.
Long before he earned a dual degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, Diamond’s Staples Class of 2017 teachers and classmates knew he’d go far.
Diamond is just one of a remarkable crop of recent SHS grads who are creating companies, raising tens of millions of dollars in funding, and redefining entire industries.
Max Hammer graduated a year before Diamond. He too went to Penn, where he majored in international relations and affairs.
Today, Hammer and classmate Josh Karol — a fellow 2016 Staples grad, who earned a degree in compueter science and mathematics at Emory University — are CEO and CTO, respectively, of CrowdVolt.
Max Hammer and Josh Karol.
Their start-up solves a problem bedeviling their generation: how to exchange rave and EDM tickets, without the hassle of buying them of Facebook Marketplace or Reddit, or paying high fees on other sites.
How serious are they? Hammer and Karol are backed by Y Combinator — the most prominent start-up accelerator in the world.
Jack Sharkey is even younger than those three. The University of Texas computer science and business grad — now CTO of Whop — is a 2018 Staples alum.
His platform connects buyers and sellers in the digital economy, focusing on influencers and content creators.
Jack Sharkey
Whop secured $17 million in a Series A funding round. Investors — including Insight Partners, the Chainsmokers fund and Peter Thiel — valued the startup at $100 million. With a million customers and 3,000 sellers, Whop has facilitated $100 million in transactions.
Like Diamond, Hammer and Karol, Sharkey got his start in Staples’ computer science program. He created an app offering schedules, sites and other info on all 27 sports played at any of Connecticut’s 183 high schools — including varsity, JV and freshman.)
Next Monday, November 25 (6:30 p.m., Westport Library), they’ll all pay it forward.
The 4 creative, hard-working entrepreneurial superstars will be featured at Startup Westport’s Young Innovators Forum.
Molly O’Shea
The Staples connection continues with the moderator. Molly O’Shea
A 2014 Staples grad who earned a BA in design and entrepreneurship at New York University, she’s a venture capital investor, and founder of Sourcery, the VC deal and startup trend newsletter.
Previous Startup Westport forums focused on women and minorities.
Now, Westport’s public-private tech and innovation partnership shines a spotlight on a new group of entrepreneurs. All are younger than 26.
Next week’s Young Innovators Forum is open to all ages.
“We are excited to welcome Staples High School students, their parents, alumni and all other Westporters for an evening celebrating the success of these extraordinary, home-grown innovators — and to hear how they journeyed from classrooms here to the pinnacle of innovation,” says Startup Westport co-founder and president Cliff Sirlin.
The panelists will discuss the challenges they’ve faced, the creative solutions they’ve pioneered, and how Westport and Staples shaped their journeys.
Hammer looks forward to inspiring others, and building connections — just as he did, a few years ago here.
Diamond adds, “The mentorship I received, and the encouragement to build products that served the community, were hugely motivating. I’m thrilled to return, to share my experiences.”
O’Shea — who is coming from California to moderate the evening — notes, “Each of these companies has achieved incredible milestones and legitimacy.
“This is not just a typical panel. They’ve collectively raised from top-tier Silicon Valley firms, hit significant growth, and reached product market fit.”
And, looking back at her alma mater, O’Shea says, “I’m excited to support Staples’ growing role in tech.”
(The Young Innovators Forum is free, but registration is required. Click here for details.)
(“06880” often highlights the success of Staples graduates, of all ages and types. If you enjoy this coverage on your hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Winnie Balboni — a longtime Westporter, whose eye for Westport’s beauty was matched only by her enthusiasm for it — died September 24. She was 101.
Hope Hageman offers this obituary:
Born in Closter, New Jersey on April 16, 1923, Winnie was educated at the American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter she married US Air Force Major Chester George Williams, and gave birth to sons Jeffrey, John and Jason.
She and Major Williams divorced in 1954. He died two years later.
For a time she was a single parent, living with her parents in Springfield.
Winnie married Anthony “Tony” Balboni, a pilot for United Airlines, in 1956, the year that she moved to Westport.
She soon became a mainstay of the Westport Garden Club. She played a major role in the effort to transform landfill on Imperial Avenue into Grace Salmon Park, including persuading the town to fund it.
Winnie Balboni at Grace Salmon Park.
She was the long-time editor of the Garden Club newsletter, and a tireless volunteer in the organization’s many projects. In 2006 she received an award from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut for her work.
She established Westport’s first Tree Board, which she served on for many years.
One of Winnie’s favorite spots was Sherwood Island State Park. Through her friendship with the park superintendent, forged during her afternoon rambles there, she learned that Connecticut ranked 50th in the nation in per capita expenditure on state parks.
With guidance from the Friends of Connecticut State Parks, Winnie formed a board of directors, developed a mission statement and by-laws, and almost singlehandedly founded the Friends of Sherwood Island.
A vibrant non-profit today, it has provided many enhancements over the past 25 years.
Winnie Balboni (far left) with her 2006 Connecticut Federated Garden Clubs award. (Photo courtesy of “A History of the Westport Garden Club 1924-2014,” by Louise Demakis)
In her mid-60s Winnie joined the Westport League of Woman Voters, and quickly became a board member. She organized the group’s first Memorial Day parade marchers. The sashes and suffragist outfits worn in the parade are lasting reminders of Winnie’s vision.
Her obituary calls Winnie “funny and feisty, generous to a fault, endlessly energetic, always curious and fiercely outspoken.
“She was an outdoorswoman, a tireless volunteer, a quilter, a seamstress, a mentor, a leader who believed that homemade baked goods were key to a successful and well-attended meeting.
“She hiked the Appalachian Trail in manageable portions whenever she could, she started the Jolly Gardeners to engage youngsters in outdoor work, she wrote letters regularly to every friend she ever had, she was committed to mental health advocacy and research at both state and local levels, she was a presence, and not always a silent one, at innumerable yown meetings.
Winnie Balboni, with a cloth bag. In 2008, before Westport’s Representative Town Meeting voted to ban the use of plastic bags — the first municipality east of the Mississippi River to do so — 85-year-old Winnie made a ringing speech urging it to do so.
“But her true and larger legacy now lies in the hearts and memories of countless friends who were fortunate enough to experience her warmth, humor and generosity at close range.”
Winnie was predeceased by her son Jeffrey, in 2007. She is survived by her sons Jason Williams of Cambridge, Massachusetts and John Williams of Richmond, Virginia, her devoted caregivers for the past 5 years; John’s wife Pamela Susan King, and “an incredibly long list of good friends.”
(Click here for an “06880” story, honoring Winnie Balboni on her 100th birthday.)
Dr. Jonathan Sollinger grew up in Westport. A 1986 graduate of Staples High School, he majored in history at Dartmouth, and got his medical degree from the University of Connecticut.
After training at Montefiore/Einstein, he’s been a beloved Willow Group pediatrician for over 20 years. He knows more about kids than just about anyone I know.
(Full disclosure: I’ve known Dr. Sollinger since he was a kid. Back in the day, I coached “Jono” in soccer.)
We got togther the other day at the Westport Library, for “06880: The Podcast.” our conversation centered around youngsters: what it was like growing up here back in the day, what it’s like now, and what tomorrow may bring.
Click below, for Dr. Jonathan’s Sollinger very intriguing insights into his — and our community’s — life.
The Westport Library has plenty of both. And right now, viny is on display on the main floor, near the reference desk.
The collection ranges from classics like Bob Dylan’s “Blonde on Blonde” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” to newer releases like Hozier’s “Unreal Unearth” and and Beyonce’s “Renaissance.”
There are over 100 records across 9 genres: rock, pop, R&B, hip hop, jazz, folk, blue:s, country, and local artists (including the Library’s home-grown “Verso Records: Volume 1.”
Patrons can check out up to 3 records at a time, for up to 10 days. For more information on viny collectng, click here.
Also in the Library of Things: 2 Nintendo Switch consoles, plus 50 games like Mario Party, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and more.
Westport Library vinyl and video game collections.
Speaking of music: Jeff Franzel — the Westport native and current Saugatuck Shores resident who played piano for the Hues Corporation (“Rock the Boat”), Les Brown, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme and Bob Hope, then wrote hits for Taylor Dayne, the Temptations, NSYNC, Shawn Colvin, Josh Groban, Placido Domingo and Clay Aiken — recently received his first Grammy Award nomination.
It’s for his song “Big Mama-Latto,” in the Best Melodic Rap Song category. (The multi-talented Franzel is a rapper too.)
Earlier this fall he won the Netherlands’ Edison Award — that country’s Grammy equivalent.
Jeff and his wife Joanne went to Amsterdam for the ceremony. (Hat tip: Prill Boyle)
Remarkably, they’re not the only field hockey champs in town.
Yesterday, Greens Farms Academy won captured its first-ever New England prep title. The Dragons edged New Hampton 1-0, in the Class C final at the Ethel Walker School.
Almost as thrilling was the reception home. After getting off I-95, the team received an escort back to GFA by the Westport Police.
Greens Farms Academy: New England field hockey champs!
PS: Congratulations too to senior Grace Almeida. GFA’s all-time leading scorer will play field hockey next year at Brown University.
As audiences laughed, applauded for and loved Staples Players’ production of “Elf,” they had one question: Where was the peppy, great-sounding pit orchestra?
Conductor Lauren Pine and her 16 musicians were nowhere to be seen.
With no room on stage, they played from the band room, down a hallway behind the stage.
Staples High School’s “Elf” pit orchestra, in the band room.
They were hardly out of sight, out of mind. Despite the distance — and thanks to a TV monitor — they did not, um, miss a beat.
The show was particularly meaningful for bassist Larry Perlstein.
Exactly 50 years ago — in 1974 — he was a Staples junior, playing in his first pit for Players’ production of “Oklahoma!”
His daughter Avery is now a junior herself. She runs lights for “Elf,” carrying on the family tradition.
There are still 4 chances to see the show that has the entire town buzzing. performances are set for this Thursday and Friday (November 21 and 22, 7 p.m.), and Saturday (Nofember 23, 2 and 7 p.m.).Click here for tickets. Though some shows may be sold out, tickets are often available at the door.
Robert Haydon Jones, Jr. died peacefully on November 10 in Fairfield. Alice, his wife of 50 years, was at his side. He was 86.
Born in New York City and raised in Westport, he was a graduate of Staples High School, Portsmouth Priory (now Abbey) in Rhode Island.
He left Miami University in Ohio before graduation, when he married Carol Lindblom.
Moving back to Westport, Bob was hired by advertising firm Ogilvy, Benson & Mather. He spent his career on Madison Avenue agencies alongside giants in marketing, advertising, public relations and literary publishing. Malachy McCourt was a good friend, until his death earlier this year.
Bob founded his own shop, Robert Haydon Jones & Associates, in Westport in 1972. He helped create a new genre of customizable, direct-to-customer, targeted-outreach marketing tools.
He crafted “some of the greatest direct marketing strategies ever conceived,” said Denny Hatch, editor of DM News.
A fundraising letter aimed at holding President Nixon to account in 1972 started “Dear Fool.” It broke response records, and became a major fundraising package.
He was passionate about baseball. Generations of young players around Fairfield County still talk about his coaching of their Babe Ruth, travel and Collegiate Summer League teams.
In the 1980s and ’90s he helped revive the Over-18 Westport Advertisers club, which barnstormed throughout New England.
After stepping back from coaching, Bob became a youth and school umpire. He called his last game well past his 80th birthday, finally retiring in 2020.
His family says, “One of Bob’s greatest journeys was forging and maintaining the path to sobriety, a journey for which he was often armed with vats of coffee for his regular meetings. He found great solace in his community, and was always willing to talk to and guide others navigating their own rock bottoms.”
In addition to Alice, Bob is survived by brother Christopher “Kit” of New York and Westport; sisters Jeremy of Philadelphia, Jude Anne of Norwalk, and Pam of Fairfield. He was predeceased by his youngest brother, Jeffrey.
He is also survived by sons Andrew (Francesca Gori-Montanelli), Evan (Margaret Mitchell-Jones), Charles and (Meg), and Robert H. III (Sylvia); stepdaughter Catherine (Sean Beaudoin), and stepsons James Lewis (Noel Casiano) and Tom (Kim), along with 8 grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, spread across 4 continents, along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
His decades-long companion and trusted aide, Henry Glasford of St. Kitts and Bridgeport, who stood by Bob’s side throughout his decline and into his final days, also survives.
A funeral service for Robert Haydon Jones Jr. will be held this Friday (November 22, 10 a.m.), at Assumption Church.
After the service, his wife Alice will host a celebration of life gathering at her Fairfield home.
The family asks that any memorial donations inspired by Bob’s memory be directed to the study and treatment of Prader-Willi Syndrome, a cause to which he and Alice have dedicated decades to supporting themselves on behalf of their son Beau.
Bob Jones
===============================================
A dog, low tide, sunset … what could be more natural for our “Westport … Naturally” feature?!
Posted onNovember 18, 2024|Comments Off on 60 Great Reasons To Save Holiday Stroll Date (December 7)
Nearly every day, there’s a new addition to the “06880” Holiday Stroll.
With a big boost from the Westport Downtown Association, the 4th annual event gets bigger — and more fun — than ever.
For the first time, for example, there will be a DJ at Brooks Corner. Vendors on Elm Street. A Westport Police Department Toys for Tots collection box.
Mark your calendar now for Saturday, December 7 (5 to 7 p.m.)!
All the favorite attractions return, including Santa, face painting, s’mores, a photo booth, holiday music from Staples High School’s elite Orphenians, and Staples Players costumed characters.
What’s a Holiday Stroll without Santa? (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
Already, 60 retailers, restaurants and others have signed on, with gifts, giveaways, discounts and more.
The town-wide event includes participation from merchants on Post Road West and Saugatuck. Some offer specials all day, all weekend — even through December 31.
They include:
Advanced Dog Behavior Solutions:$150 off Puppy Dog Training program (mention “Holiday Stroll”; through December 20
Arezzo:Half-priced appetizers; 1 complimentary glass of wine per person
AROGYA Holistic Healing:Complimentary hot tea
Bella Bridesmaids: Champagne bar (all day)
Bloom Salon:Complimentary hair tinsel; refreshments; 10% off future service
Bobbles & Lace:Wine; $10 off future purchases (all day)
Candle Caboodle:Buy 1 candle, get dessert candle mini for free (while supplies last)
Castle Wine & Spirits: Free tote bag with purchase; get 5% off applicable wines when used in the future (all day)
Staples Orphenians sing carols. (Photo/Jerri Graham)
Catherine H:Chance to win with every purchase (through December 24)
Clarendon Fine Art:Complimentary coffee table art book with purchase (through December 24)
Cobs Bread: Buy 6 scones, get a free cranberry & sea salt French bageutte (through December 11)
Core Burn Pilates:1 free 30-minute session, or 1 free group class, plus 10% off any regular-priced package; sign up during Stroll for free grip socks (all day)
Cove Collective: 15% off, and festive treat (all day)
Crafty Kids Westport: Arts and crafts station
Diana Blau:Free bear ornament crafts for kids
Don Memo: Complimentary horchata
Strolling along Main Street. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Earthplace:Free t-shirt with new membership (all day)
Glowbar: $10 off facials for non-members (through December 31)
Head to Tail Books: 15% off online purchases with code “Stroll” (through December 20)
Hummingbird Healing Center: Hot chocolate and tea, plus free 10-minute session
Jenny Kayne: Hot chocolate; 15% off
Jeweled Coquette:TBD
Johnny Was: $50 off purchase of $300 or more
Face painting is always a hit. (Photo/Jerri Graham)
Kerri Rosenthal:20% off
Le Beaute Artistry: 10-20% off voucher cards
Lux Bond & Green: Traveling jewelry cases and holiday treats
Madewell:TBD promo; gift with purchase; hot chocolate
Myr’s Designs:Free red cashmere scarf with $100 purchase (all day)
Naturino Kids Shoes: 20% off single item (all day)
NEST Agency: Complimentary OGGI ice cream cart (3 to 7 p.m.)
Office Evolution:All the Starbucks you can drink; free private office until December 31 with signed 6- or 12-month new office agreement beginning January 1; brokers excluded (all day)
Nômade: Free s’mores and holiday chocolate calendar
Everyone loves s’mores! (Photo/Dan Woog)
Old Mill Shell Company: Hot chocolate
Party Harty: 15% off all Westport clothing (Saturday and Sunday)
Pizza Lyfe: Complimentary dessert
Rhone: Complimentary Grace Farms tea
Rowan: 15% off non-piercing jewelry (excludes diamonds); enter to win gift card (all day)
Savvy + Grace: Gift, with purchase of $50 or more
Scout & Molly’s:20% off single item; snacks and drinks (all day)
Serena & Lily:Snacks and drinks; enter to win $500 gift card
Serendipity Lab:Discounts on rooms and meetings (through December 31)
Sorelle Gallery:Holiday poinsettia cocktails and treats; 20% off all in-store and online artwork (all day)
Lovin’ the Stroll. (Photo/Jerri Graham)
South Moon Under:30% off select holiday styles and gifts (all day)
Southern Tide:Gift with purchase (all day)
Spash of Pink: Free Lilly Pulitzer printed mug with $100 purchase; printed plush blanket with $300 purchase (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Studio Cafe: 50% off holiday lattes and peppermint mocha lattes (all day)
Sundance: Save up to 20% with SMS sign-up; season cocktails and light bites
The Clubhouse: TBD
The Sugar Wagon:Candy; 10% off for party commitments
Theory: Via Carota cocktail tasting (1-4 p.m.); gift with purchase (all day)
Unsubscribed: Special promotion
Vince: 15% off signup for SMS; complimentary champagne (all day)
Walrus Alley: Happy hour specials, including traditional Gluhwein
WEST Boutique: Gift with purchase
West Out East: 15% off all accessories (all weekend)
Westport Country Playhouse: Use code Stroll25 for 25% discount for 2 play packages (through Sunday)
Comments Off on 60 Great Reasons To Save Holiday Stroll Date (December 7)
In its 105 years, the small building at the foot of Compo Hill has seen many things.
It’s where neighbors gather for coffee, food and gossip; contractors and tradespeople pick up lunch; thirsty dogs and parched joggers get water.
Decades ago, it was the only place in the Old Mill neighborhood with a telephone. It’s survived more hurricanes and nor’easters than Al Roker.
But until last Thursday, never — in over a century — had the spot that is now Old Mill Grocery & Deli offered a sit-down, 4- course wine tasting and dinner.
Romanacci’s — which, since taking over last January, has breathed new life into the old place — hosted the historic event.
If the smiles and full stomachs of the 18 guests were any indication, it won’t be the last.
Repurposing the community table at Old Mill Grocery.
Graziano and Mauricio Ricco — owners of the very popular Romanacci’s restaurants in Westport, Norwalk and Trumbull — had talked about doing a wine event at their Railroad Place spot.
But the OMG location offered a chance to add another special element to a neighborhood gem.
With just a couple of flyers and social media posts, they quickly sold out the “Evening at Rome.”
The Riccis used their extensive food and wine contacts throughout the US and Europe to create and source the menu.
The wines came from all over Italy. They were provided — and described in detail — by Guliano Parolin, the Romanacci’s business partner who comes from 4 generations of winemakers in Italy’s Veneto region.
Guliano Parolin explains the wine.
All preparation was done on site. General manager Davis Johnson — who in just 10 months has already embedded OMG into the community — arrived early. Chef José Siguencia was already there, preparing the short ribs for Graziano to finish.
Braised, slow-cooked short ribs, with polenta and broccoletti, were a huge hit.
Cooking an elaborate meal in OMG’s cramped kitchen was “no small task,” Johnson notes.
The community table that fills OMG worked well for the dinner party. Guests — nearly all of whom walked over — ranged in age from 30s to 70s. For 3 hours, convesation flowed as easily as the wine.
“Everyone was so happy, so glad they came,” Johnson says. “They loved seeing this place all ‘dressed up.'”
Welcome to the dinner.
The Riccis are already preparing for the next dinner, on December 5. It will feature an entirely new menu, and different wines.
If that meal is a success (and it will be), Romanacci’s may plan one or two a month, in 2025.
Back in the day, Allen’s Clam House and Café de la Plage (later, Positano) offered dining options near Old Mill Beach.
No one expected Old Mill Grocery & Deli to fill that void. But — 105 years after it opened as a valuable local market — OMG is serving memorable meals to neighbors and friends.
(To learn more about upcoming dinners at Romanacci’s — or for information on how to have your own party there — email compobeach@romanacci.com.)
Graziano and Mauricio Ricci, hosts of “An Evening in Rome.” (All photos/James Ricci)
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Hammer looks forward to inspiring others, and building connections — just as he did, a few years ago here.
