Some weeks have a theme buried inside them that you only recognize at the end. This one was about contrast — city energy and quiet backyards, pizza on a lunch break and oysters by the water, the kind of food that fills a moment and the kind that fills your whole afternoon. There was a failed Joe’s Pizza attempt, a great find in the Financial District, a few Fairfield hits and misses, ribeyes from Shaggy Coos, and a Sunday lunch in Old Saybrook that made the whole week worth it.
Monday: Yard Work and Leftovers Well Earned
Monday was still recovering from the weekend weather, but the rain cleared out and I was able to get back into the yard. There’s something satisfying about finishing a project you can actually see — the front is done, and it looks great.
Food was honest and simple: leftovers from Sunday. Not every day needs a story. Some days the story is finishing the front lawn and eating something that didn’t require turning on the stove. Leftovers done right are their own kind of reward, and these hit the spot.
Tuesday: Chasing NYC Pizza — Joe’s Said No, Rosella’s Said Yes
Tuesday brought me into the city with pizza on the brain. I’ve been on a New York City pizza kick lately — working through slices, comparing notes, trying to see what all the fuss is really about from spot to spot.
The plan was Joe’s Pizza on Fulton. It did not go according to plan. The line was wrapped around the block — not exactly a lunch break scenario. Next time, Joe’s. I respect the commitment of whoever was standing in that line, but I wasn’t joining them.
I pivoted to Rosella’s Pizzeria on William Street in the Financial District, and honestly, it was a solid call. The slice was exactly what New York-style pizza should be — proper fold, good sauce, the kind of crust that has some char but doesn’t fight back. Pretty good all around.
Here’s my honest take after a few stops on this pizza kick: they’ve all been good. Each slice, each spot — all solid. I haven’t found one that dramatically separated itself from the pack yet, and I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. Maybe that’s the point. Classic New York pizza just has a consistently high floor.
Dinner was the last of the Sunday leftovers, which felt like a fitting, low-key close to the day.
📍 Rosella’s Pizzeria | 164 William St, New York, NY 10038 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wednesday: A Sandwich Worth Noting at Siena Bakehouse
Wednesday was back in the city, but I wasn’t chasing pizza. I wanted something different — a great sandwich — and I found it.
Siena Bakehouse on Greenwich Street in Lower Manhattan checked every box. I ordered the Calabria Turkey — smoked turkey, Fontina cheese, roasted pepper, avocado, and Calabrian chili mayo on sourdough ciabatta. It was really good. The Calabrian chili mayo brought just enough heat without overwhelming everything else, and the ciabatta held it all together perfectly without getting soggy or falling apart.
The baked goods looked excellent too. Croissants, donuts, pastries — all of it had that quality you notice immediately. I made a mental note for next time. This place is filed under “return soon.”
By evening, dinner went light and decidedly un-fancy: Applegate All Natural Hot Dogs and a Coors Light on the patio. Sometimes that’s exactly the right move. There’s a whole different pleasure in that kind of meal — the backyard, a cold beer, something simple on the grill. No complaints.
📍 Siena Bakehouse | 94 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10006 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thursday: Malibu Taco Bar — Mid
Thursday was Malibu Taco Bar in Fairfield, and I’ll be straight with you: it was mid. The drinks and the food both just kind of landed in the middle — not bad, not great. Nothing jumped out, nothing stuck.
I want to like it more. The patio is nice, the concept is fun, and the Fairfield location should make it an easy go-to. But this visit didn’t give me a reason to rush back. Some nights are just mid, and that’s that.
📍 Malibu Taco Bar | 1177 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Friday: Ribeyes from Shaggy Coos — This Is Why I Go There
Friday was a home run, and it didn’t involve a reservation.
Ribeyes from Shaggy Coos Farm in Easton, roasted potatoes, broccoli. That’s it. That’s the whole story, and it doesn’t need more than that.
If you haven’t been to Shaggy Coos Farm on Center Road in Easton, the quality of the meat alone is the reason to go. A ribeye from there is a completely different experience from whatever you’d grab at a grocery store. The fat, the texture, the flavor — it’s all there. Roasted potatoes and broccoli alongside, and this was as good a Friday dinner as you can have without leaving your own kitchen.
📍 Shaggy Coos Farm | 53 Center Rd, Easton, CT 06612 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Saturday: Pizza Pies from Maione’s
Saturday was a late lunch, early dinner situation — a couple of pies from Maione’s Pizza Kitchen in Fairfield. Maione’s has been around since 1998, founded by Angelo Maione who came over from Calabria and built his reputation one brick-oven pie at a time. The brick oven pizza here has a loyal following in Fairfield for good reason.
Sometimes the move is two pies, no pretense, and an afternoon that doesn’t ask much of you. Saturday was that day.
📍 Maione’s Pizza Kitchen | 1244 Stratfield Rd, Fairfield, CT 06825 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sunday: Fresh Salt in Old Saybrook — A Lunch That Delivered
Sunday was the highlight of the week, and it wasn’t even close.
We headed to Old Saybrook to have lunch with my mom, and the destination was Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point Resort & Marina — a waterfront restaurant sitting right where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound. Before you even look at the menu, the setting does something to you. There’s a reason people drive for this place.
We started with calamari and oysters, and both were excellent. The oysters were a rotating East Coast selection — Pearly Whites from Rhode Island, Wild Goose from Rhode Island, and Niantic Bay from Connecticut. All yummy. There’s something about eating oysters that are named and sourced locally that makes them taste even better — you know exactly where they came from.
For my main, I went with the swordfish. The fish itself was good — cooked well, solid flavor. The couscous that came with it, though, wasn’t my thing. That’s a minor gripe in the context of an otherwise strong meal.
Around the table, the rest of the family went in different directions, and honestly, I was a bit jealous of the salmon my daughter ordered — it looked beautiful from across the table. My wife’s lobster roll looked nothing short of amazing, and my son’s burger had that smell that follows you even when it’s not yours.
Fresh Salt is the kind of restaurant that earns repeat visits not because it’s perfect, but because the experience — the setting, the freshness of what’s on the plate, the occasion it creates — adds up to something worth repeating. Definitely going back.
📍 Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point Resort & Marina | 2 Bridge St, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Closing Reflection
This week covered a lot of ground — literally and figuratively. A finished front yard. City pizza from Rosella’s after Joe’s turned me away. A sandwich at Siena Bakehouse worth going back for. Hot dogs on the patio. A mid Thursday taco outing. One of the best ribeyes I’ve had at home in a while. Pies from Maione’s. And a Sunday lunch in Old Saybrook that was genuinely special.
Not every week lines up like a perfect meal. But most weeks have at least one moment worth the whole thing — and this week, that moment was a plate of oysters on the Connecticut shore with family around the table.
That’s the whole point.