Posted onMarch 17, 2024|Comments Off on The Blondinit: Long-Awaited Israeli Restaurant Opens Thursday
It took 11 months longer than expected for The Blondinit to open.
But when the first diners arrive on Thursday (March 21), they’ll know it was worth the wait.
A preview of the Israeli restaurant on Saturday showcased the ultra-fresh, ultra-good food.
And the very cool décor, handsome marble bar, and attentive wait staff.
Guests and staff at the Blondinit bar. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Owners Solomon and Inda Sade run several other businesses. But the attention they’ve given their newest venture is clear.
The former Manna Toast has been completely renovated. Brunch, lunch and dinner menus include salatim (salads, with a twist), nish nush (snacks), bowls, pita sandwiches, platters, skewers, specialty dishes and sides.
The Sades are particularly proud of their baklava pancakes, mafrum (potato, ground beef, lamb, spiced tomato sauce, couscous) and chraime (fish of the day, spicy tomato sauce, blistered tomatoes).
Despite a reliance on meats and salads, Israeli cuisine is not exactly the same as Middle Eastern, Mediterranean or Greek, Solomon notes.
Shakshuka features eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, with Israeli cheese and spices. It’s served with charred pita bread.
Two examples: there is no pork. The seasonings are different.
And this: the Bulgarian cheese Israelis use is soaked in brine, rather than fresh water.
The wine list includes many from Israel. Cocktails feature herbs, spices and fruits, like The Blondinit (Gregy Goose, feta brine, feta olives), Ya-Rok margarita (Tito’s Handmade Vodka, espresso, cinnamon and cardamom) and Boker Tov (Herradura Silver, s’chug, agave, egg white, sumac).
All food is scratch made. Ingredients are delivered fresh daily. The Sades will not use freezers or microwaves — “nothing out of a box,” Solomon says.
Leftover food will be donated to pantries and food rescue organizations.
The Blondinit owners Inda and Solomon Sade flank 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker. (Photo/Dan Woog)
“We want people to feel like they’re a family, coming to dinner,” Inda says.
It felt that way Saturday. The “family” that filled the new restaurant came from all over Westport. They left smiling — and very well fed.
The Blondinit a great complement to 2 other very different restaurants, directly across the street: Spotted Horse and Pink Sumo.
So what’s with the name?
“Blondinit means ‘female blonde’ in Hebrew,” Solomon explains.
“It’s named for my wife.”
PS: How’s this for a delicious twist? The new Israeli restaurant is located on Church Lane.
(The Blondinit will be open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It will be closed Mondays.)
Bourekas are a puff pastry, stuffed with Israeli cheese, meat or potatoes. They’re served with a dipping sauce.
Comments Off on The Blondinit: Long-Awaited Israeli Restaurant Opens Thursday
Cory Stalling was born and raised in Missoula, Montana.
But you may have met the 23-year-old, swimming or kayaking in Long Island Sound, or zipping around downtown Westport in his wheelchair while visiting family here.
Cory Stalling
If you lived in Westport between 1956 (when Cory’s grandparents Ed Sr. and Barbara bought a house on Hickory Drive) and 2015 (when Barbara passed away), you likely knew a Stalling or two.
Maybe all 7.
Ed Sr., who died in 2003, was scoutmaster of Troop 36 for more than 30 years, and a popular boat guard at Compo’s Ned Dimes Marina, where he enjoyed telling a lifetime’s worth of fishing stories. There is a plaque at the marina in his honor.
He and Barbara, a longtime Post Office employee, raised 5 children here. All graduated from Staples High School: Susan (Class of 1974), Ed Jr. (’76), Bob (’78), Dave (’79) and Tim (’85).
After serving in a Marine Corps Force Recon Unit, Dave Stalling moved to Montana. He married Christine Trimp. In 2000 they had a son, Cory.
“In December 2008, when Cory was 8, I took him skiing for his last time,” Dave recalls. “Prior to that he loved it. But that day he kept falling, got frustrated and wanted to stop. His legs no longer held him up.”
Soon after he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic, fatal, muscular degenerative disease for which there is no cure.
He is on medication that slows the disease’s progression. More treatments are being developed now. There is hope a cure may be found soon.
Cory Stalling and friend.
In the meantime, Dave says, “he lives life to the fullest. He’s grown into an amazing young man – smart, happy, fun, adventurous, and more independent than his mom and I could ever have hoped for.
“He goes to the University of Montana. He studies environmental science, he drives, lives in an apartment, loves to canoe, camp, fish, cook and write poetry. We couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Of course, living independently with DMD isn’t easy.
“It can be difficult to adjust to things without my parents at school, but I have people who can help when I need it,” says Cory.
Cory Stalling, enjoying Montana’s Big Sky Country.
A major challenge as he navigates an independent life is transportation. The Stalling family does not have an appropriate vehicle to rely on for visiting each other, attending medical appointments, or transporting Cory during daily activities. Cory’s parents must lift him in and out of their car, then take apart his manual wheelchair to fit into their vehicle. That is not safe, as his power chair provides more stability and independence.
“I’m often late to appointments or have to reschedule them because I don’t have the correct transportation,” Cory says. “School is very important to me, so having a safe, reliable way of getting to and from campus would help my family a lot.”
Accessible vehicles are not cheap. Even used ones cost $60,000 to $70,000. Recently, Cory applied for and received a competitive award from the nonprofit Jett Foundation. The Accessible Vehicle Fund branch of the Jett Giving Fund will match half the cost of an accessible vehicle — if Cory raises the other half.
Cory is working to raise $33,500. You can help him attain freedom and independence by clicking here.
Cory has created a Facebook page to keep people updated on his efforts. Click here to see.
Cory Stalling with his dad Dave, at last year’s Missoula Pride Festival.
The first year with First Student — Westport’s new school bus company — has gone well.
Now, the long-awaited bus tracking app is live. FirstView can be downloaded on any smartphone, desktop or laptop.
The app lets families track the location and direction of their child’s bus. Other features include customizable bus proximity notifications; custom alerts and messages, and multi-stop views.
Click here to get started. Questions? Call 888-889-8920, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email support@firstviewapp.com.
You may come to “Dante: Inferno to Paradise” for the subject.
You’ll stay for the music.
Ric Burns’ new 2-part series on the 14th-century poet airs this Monday and Tuesday (March 18 and 19) on PBS. Dante’s “Divine Comedy” — his account of a life-changing journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise — is one of the greatest works of art in Western history.
The 4-hour show was filmed across 6 years in Italy, England and the US. it includes paintings, drawings, manuscripts, frescoes, and interviews with scholars, writers, poets, politicians, clergy and historians.
But the 4-hour show soars on the beautiful, deeply moving soundtrack. It was composed by Burns’ long-time collaborator, veteran Grammy, Oscar and Peabody Award winner Brian Keane.
The very accomplished composer/musician is a 1971 graduate of Staples High School.
Brian Keane
Keane’s hauntingly beautiful score brings alive Dante’s life and work, in a hallucinatory, almost cinematically vivid way. It captures the depth and breadth of Dante’s experiences in the 3 realms of the afterlife.
“Dante” will stream for free on PBS for 2 weeks after the broadcast. It will then go to PBS subscription, and eventually pay-per-view.
Excerpts of the music score ere premiered at the Westport Library Orchestra Lumos concert earlier this month.
The single will be released March 22. The album follows a week later.
There is a new date for the fundraiser to provide new AEDs in all fire, police and Emergency Medical Service vehicles in town.
Automated External Defibrillators are portable devices that deliver electric shocks to the heart during cardiac arrest. The current ones are reaching the ends of their useful lives.
On April 24 (5:30 to 10 p.m., Autostrada), the Westport Firefighters Charitable Foundation hosts its 2nd annual Whiskey Tasting.
The evening includes drinks, light bites, and a silent auction. The target is $75,000.
Many of us know people whose lives have been saved by AEDs. Any of us could be next.
When Amazon Fresh planned to open in the old Barnes & Noble — that’s the long-vacant store in the Angelina’s Pizza plaza, for you newcomers — they ran into some issues with their sign.
Last year, they bailed. The site became a “zombie store” — one of a number of Amazon Freshes nationwide that were abandoned, after being announced with great fanfare.
Next month, astronomy buffs across the world head to Texas. That’s where, on April 8, they can see a total eclipse along the totality line.
But Westport will be part of the event too.
The Westport Astronomical Society and its amateur radio station club (K1WAS) — along with other amateur radio operators and balloon enthusiasts — will help launch high-altitude balloons with cameras, sensors and radio transmitters, to capture the eclipse from a vantage point high above the Earth’s surface.
The WAS project is a collaboration with the University of Bridgeport and the University of New Haven, through the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project.
“We are thrilled to contribute to the scientific community’s understanding of this celestial event,” says WAS board member. Dan Wright. “These high altitude balloon missions will offer a perspective of the eclipse that is both breathtaking and informative, helping researchers study the Sun’s corona and the Earth’s atmosphere in new and exciting ways.”
Amateur radio operators and astronomy enthusiasts can follow the balloon’s location, and participate in related events and discussions. Details will be posted soon on the Westport Astronomical Society website.
The total solar eclipse, a rare event in which the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, will be visible across parts of North America. The sun is only 90% obscured in Westport and much of New England.
But the WAS will host a “watch party” at the Westport Library (April 8, 2 to 4 p.m.).
In Connecticut, the next partial solar eclipse is not until 2028. It will not obscure the sun anywhere near what we’ll see in April, though.
For that, you have to wait until May 1, 2079.
Mark your calendars now!
Here’s what the April 8 eclipse will look like. You saw it here first!
And finally … in honor of next month’s Westport Astronomical Society event (story above):
(Today — and every day — “06880” serves up a potpourri of news, information and “stuff.” But we couldn’t do it without reader support. Please click here to help. Thank you!)
We began this feature in the early days of the 2020 pandemic. It served a few purposes — for instance, a chance for people, stuck home for a long time, to be creative.
And with actual galleries closed, it was a way for artists to showcase their work.
Plus, it provided a bit of inspiration and joy to all of us, during a frightening, miserable time. (Click here to see that very first online art gallery.)
I thought the online art gallery would be something fun, for a few weeks. But the submissions kept coming. The range of themes widened; so did the mediums.
So — like COVID — the online art gallery is here to stay.
Unlike the coronavirus though, we’re happy it’s hanging around.
So remember: No matter what your theme, or medium — and whether you’re a first-timer or oldtimer: We welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
Email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Curtain Twitcher.” Artist Ken Runkel says: “It was inspired by one of my Nextdoor followers, who shared his story of a ‘curtain twitcher’ he remembered as a kid. I took it from there, and created this in the style of Norman Rockwell.”
“Imagine” (Patricia McMahon)
“Spring is Coming” (Ellen Wentworth)
“Sunset” (Karen Weingarten)
“Cousins House” (E. Bruce Borner)
“Another Red Barn” — artist Steve Stein says: “The reason barns are red is because early farmers painted them with a protective coating of linseed oil mixed with animal blood or ferrous oxide, to prevent weathering and the growth of mold and fungus.”
“The Koi Pond Getting Ready to Surface” (Dorothy Robertshaw)
Untitled (Tom Doran)
“Schooner in the Jungle” — acrylic painting (Peter Barlow)
“Let the Sleeping Cat Lie — You Can’t Run Fast Enough” (Mike Hibbard)
“A Hard Day on the Front Line in Ukraine” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Real estate statistics for the first 2 months of 2024 are in.
The market has definitely cooled. Every number is down from January-February 2023: number of sales (29, down 22%); median sale ($1,850,000, down 14%); average percentage over asking price (2.73%, down 5); total volume ($72,027,500, down 7%); number of new listings (72, down 24%).
But our friends at KMS Team at Compass have done a deeper dive into the figures.
They looked at 2 areas: the number of sales by the age of homes sold, compared to the number of bedrooms.
During the first 2 months, 2 homes built before 1900 were sold. One had 3 bedrooms; the other, 4.
Three homes built between 1900 and 1950 sold. Two had 4 bedrooms; the third had just 2.
The smallest home to sell in Westport so far this year was a 986-square foot, 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom home on Morningside Lane. Built in 1939 on 0.3 acres, it went for $850,000.
The most number of sold homes — 7 — were built between 1950 and 1970. Six had 4 bedrooms; one had 3.
Of the 5 homes that were built between 1970 and 1990, three had 4 bedrooms; the others had 5.
Four homes built between 1990 and 2010 sold. Two had 5 bedrooms; the others had 4 and 6 each.
One 5-bedroom home built between 2010 and 2020 sold; so did a 7-bedroom home.
Of the 6 homes that were built after 2020, 5 had 6 bedrooms; the other had 4.
While it’s obvious that newer homes have more bedrooms, that’s a bit counter-intuitive. After all, the average family size has decreased over time.
The difference is that today nearly every child has their own room. There are more guest rooms and nanny quarters too.
The most expensive home sold in Westport so far this year — on Hidden Hill Road, near Compo Beach — fetched $5,750,000. Built in 2014 on 0.83 acres, its 10,061 square feet includes 7 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms.
The median age of US housing stock is 44 years old. Westport’s is older: around 60 years (based on tax records).
By and large, our KMS friends say, Westporters value history. Yet they still appreciate — and can afford — the comforts of the 21st century.
That’s why many older homes have been renovated or enlarged to serve today’s lifestyle. More than 50% of all Westport homes built before 1950 now have 4 or more bedrooms, as evidence of this.
Buyers who want charm and appreciate old world detail and graciousness in a house seek out older homes.
They have often restored a residence in the past. or grew up in a house like these. They want the same feeling for their young family.
Some are buyers from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Others are already Westporters who have fallen in love with a specific neighborhood or street. They like the nostalgic feel. Some are downsizing into antique homes, as empty nesters.
Our friends at KMS Team included another chart, comparing the number of bedrooms to square footage.
The 2-bedroom home that sold in the first 2 months of 2024 was 986 square feet. The 3-bedroom home was 1,749.
The averages for 4-bedroom homes was 3,282 square feet; 5-bedrooms, 4,880, and 6-bedrooms, 8,136.
The average square footage for all 29 homes that sold this year is 4,611.
This 2,162-squre foot Compo Road South house is smaller than the average 4-bedrooom home that’s been selling. With 2.5 bathrooms on 0.4 acre, it was purchased for $1.125 million last month.
The huge jump in square footage from 5 bedroom homes to 6 bedrooms (almost all built from 2020 on) is telling, KMS says.
“Finished on 4 levels,” or showcasing finished basements that serve as second family rooms and recreation areas, is common in this type of new build.
Newer and larger homes with 6 or more bedrooms are in high demand by people who need the space.
They have frequent visitors — family and friends — and often several children. One or more family members work from home, and require office space.
Busy professionals seek “move-in ready.” That trumps all.
Move-in ready is important for those seeking homes in the middle, post-1950 build too. Updated mechanicals, kitchens and baths go far. Buyers are willing to tackle the cosmetics, but few want to go through a full restoration.
For more information on sales of Westport homes, click here, then scroll down. A series of charts illustrates housing trends, by size.
This chart shows the inventory of homes for sale in February of 2022, ’23 and ’24, based on square footage. Click on or hover over to enlarge.
Sure, Wheels2U Westport is the Westport Transit District’s on demand, group ride, door to train platform shuttle service.
But every year, it also sponsors a poetry contest.
The first 2 were for limericks and haikus. This year’s event features acrostic poetry. (That’s where the first letter of each line spells something special — in this case, “Wheels2U.” Duh.)
Here’s a sample, from Westport poet laureate emirita Diane Lowman:
Where shall I go How shall I get there Everywhere traffic snarls Everywhere parking dilemmas Let us be your chariot Simply call Wheels2U 2 take you door to door Ur transport dreams come true
Gift certificates to Westport restaurants of their choice will be given to the top 7 poems. One first prize winner will receive a $100 gift certificate; 2 second prize winners get $50 certificates, and 4 third prize winners receive $25 each.
Wheels2U
Here’s another sample from Lowman:
What a joy Having not to worry Every morning Every evening Let us do the driving Sip your coffee 2 station and back home Ucan rely on Wheels2U
Want to win the contest, but don’t know a thing about Wheels2U?
Westport residents and commuters to Westport can use the Wheels2U Westport app to request a pickup between 5:45 and 10 a.m., and between 4 and 9:30 p.m. You’ll be taken to or from the Saugatuck or Greens Farms train platform, and your home or workplace anywhere in Westport.
Pickups should be requested 20 minutes before you would normally leave to drive to the station. The fare is $2 when paid with the Wheels2U app.
For more information about Wheels2U, click here. For more information about the Westport Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities, clickclick here.
Whisking you away Home to train and back again Exceptional service Every rider pleased Lively conversations with fellow passengers Spark lifelong friendships 2make commuting happy Use Wheels2U
The rules:
The contest is open to all residents of Westport. Enter as often as you like.
Entries should be sent to pgold@westportct.gov no later than March 30. Put “Acrostic Contest” in the subject line; include your name, address and email.
Winners will be chosen by Lowman, and Peter Gold and Karina Betfarhad, directors of the Westport Transit District, at their sole discretion.
All entries become the property of the Westport Transit District. Entrants give the WTD permission to use their entries without compensation to promote the operations of the Westport Transit District and Wheels2U Westport as the directors see fit, including, but not limited to, using the entry as an advertising poster at the Westport and Greens Farms train stations or in marketing emails. The Westport Transit District may modify entries to meet its needs.
Where do you want to go? How about the train station? Exactly where Wheels2U takes you Every weekday. Lovely service. So give it a try 2day. U bet!
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog — and a great place to learn about contests like this. Please click here to support our work. You may not win the Wheels2U contest, but you’ll be a winner for us.)
On Saturday, this little guy created quite a stir in Westport.
He was first spotted near the Sherwood Island Connector (where it is suspected he was abandoned) in the early morning hours.
He led Westport Animal Control Officer Peter Reid all around town. Compo North, Long Lots, downtown — Forest was everywhere.
Peter was assisted by Westport Police, and several residents. While they came close, they could not catch him.
Over the next few days he was spotted in Fairfield, Easton and Trumbull. Meanwhile, Peter maintained communications with concerned residents.
Peter requested the assistance of Connecticut Dog Gone Recovery.Flyers were disseminated throughout statewide, through social media.
Finally, last night in Shelton, his odyssey ended.
He had established a 2-mile route that enabled skilled individuals to set a trap. Melissa Carpenter and Jill Bishop captured him, and named him Forest (for obvious reasons).
He spent the night at the Melissa’s home. This morning she contacted Officer Reid, who had advocated for his return to Westport for shelter and recovery.
This morning Melissa, Peter and Julie Loparo of Westport Animal Shelter Advocates met at Schulhof Animal Hospital. They immediately offered to provide any needed vet care (which will be funded by WASA).
Forest with Westport Animal Control Officer Peter Reid, and Melissa Carpenter of Dog Gone Recovery.
Forest is friendly — though a little shy, tentative and very tired. He is being examined today: vaccines, blood work, and ultimately, neutering surgery. He has already been found to have heartworm.
Amazingly his paw pads are quite healthy, despite his adventure.
With no owner coming forward, Forest will need a new forever family — one that will love him, and keep him secure and safe.
If interested, email wasa1@optonline.net. Click here to make a donation for Forest’s care. Click here to donate to CT Dog Gone Recovery.
In the 1960s and ’70s — before strict building codes, and regular inspections and enforcement by the Fire Department — there were spectacular fires at Westport businesses.
Carousel Toy Store burned twice: in Compo Acres Shopping Center (along with Franklin Simon and others), then again in Sconset Square (at the time, called Sherwood Square; the Paint Bucket next door burned to the ground too).
The furniture store opposite Brooks Corner went up in a memorable winter blaze in 1976; it was a midweek afternoon, and downtown was thronged.
Several years earlier, the Westport Lanes bowling alley caught fire in the middle of the night. Unlike Carousel or the furniture store (now The Gap), it was rebuilt.
Another large fire took out the entire block between Taylor Place and the entrance to the Jesup Green parking lot, across from what was then the Westport Library (today it’s the downtown Starbucks, and others).
On the evening of Saturday, November 10, 1974, the businesses — Muriel’s Diner at one end, Klaff’s Lighting at the other, and a jewelry store, smoke shop, shoe repair, plus 2nd-floor offices and apartments — caught fire.
The aftermath of the “Klaff’s fire.” (Photo courtesy of Gail Comden)
The blaze did at least $1 million in damage, and cut power to much of downtown.
The block was rebuilt, and Klaff’s returned. (The space is now South Moon Under.)
But a historic block — housing the very first, pre-Morris Jesup library, among others) — was gone.
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