This week started with two days off spent on house projects: a handmade wooden riser for the bar and, yes, more wallpaper. Then came a 20-ounce filet at Testo’s, espresso and biscotti at Best Sicily Bottega, and a long Tuscan lunch at Pepolino. Thursday brought a new slice for my FiDi pizza list and a Stone Street dinner with both daughters, now officially New Yorkers. The weekend added Martel, Project Pizza, Ryebird, a football win, and smoked grass-fed filets at home.
Monday: A Day Off, a Bar Riser, and Leftover Meatballs
Monday was a day off, and I spent it in woodworking mode. I built a wooden riser for our bar area. There’s something deeply satisfying about measuring, cutting, sanding, and fitting a piece of wood until it sits exactly where it should. Building something with your own hands is its own kind of reset.
And lunch was easy: leftovers from Sunday. Spaghetti and meatballs, round two. Yum.
There’s a reason Sunday sauce tastes even better on Monday. The flavors have had a night to settle, the meatballs have soaked up more sauce, and all you have to do is reheat. It’s the perfect fuel for a day in the workshop.
Tuesday: Wallpaper (Again) and a 20-Ounce Filet at Testo’s
Tuesday was another day off, and yes, wallpaper again. After doing my daughter’s room a couple of weeks ago, I apparently didn’t learn my lesson, because this time I wallpapered a wall in the kitchen. Measuring, cutting, lining up the pattern, smoothing out bubbles. It’s tedious work, but seeing a wall transformed makes it worth it.
After a day like that, I was in the mood for steak. We went to Testo’s with friends, and I ordered the 20-ounce filet. It was very good and hit the spot.
Twenty ounces of filet is a commitment, and this one was worth it: tender, well-cooked, and exactly what I was craving. Add good friends around the table, and a project day turned into a night out.
📍 Testo’s | 505 Main St. Monroe, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wednesday: Espresso at Best Sicily Bottega and a Long Tuscan Lunch at Pepolino
Wednesday was an NYC day, and it started the right way: espresso and biscotti at Best Sicily Bottega on Beaver Street. This small Sicilian shop in FiDi is lined with Italian dry goods and pastries, and it feels like a corner of Palermo dropped just off Wall Street. A strong espresso, a crisp biscotti for dunking, and a few minutes of calm before the workday. That’s the Italian way to start a morning.
Lunch ran a little longer than usual. 😊
I went to Pepolino on West Broadway in Tribeca, a Tuscan restaurant that has been a neighborhood staple since 1999. I chose the prix fixe.
The first course was pappa al pomodoro, the classic Tuscan tomato bread soup with basil and extra virgin olive oil. It’s peasant food in the best sense: bread, tomato, and olive oil turned into something warm and soulful. Each spoonful tasted like a Tuscan kitchen.
Then came the fettuccine al coniglio, fettuccine with braised rabbit and slow oven-roasted tomato. EXCELLENT. The rabbit was tender and rich, the roasted tomatoes added sweetness and depth, and the fresh fettuccine carried it all perfectly. It’s the kind of dish you rarely see outside Italy, and Pepolino does it beautifully.
Since it was a late lunch, it held me over through dinner. That’s the sign of a proper Italian lunch.
📍 Best Sicily Bottega | 87 Beaver St, New York, NY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍 Pepolino | 281 W Broadway, New York, NY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thursday: A New FiDi Slice, Then Stone Street With My Daughters
Thursday was another NYC day, booked back to back. Then my 1pm canceled, and that bonus hour meant one thing: pizza.
I ran out to Friendly Gourmet Pizza on Nassau Street, a spot I hadn’t tried yet, so it goes on my FiDi pizza list. It was good, a bit doughy, but good. My rating: 6.5, maybe a 7. A solid slice for a quick break in the middle of a hectic day.
📍 Friendly Gourmet Pizza | 59 Nassau St, New York, NY ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The evening was the real highlight. I met up with both of my daughters. One starts her new job in NYC next week and came in to find her office. The other has been living in the city for a month now. Wow, time flies.
We met at Adrienne’s Pizzabar on Stone Street. I skipped a whole pie but had a slice of the Romana, a white pie topped with arugula and prosciutto. Yummy. Then I ordered the orecchiette with sausage, and it was excellent. Those little ear-shaped pasta pieces catch all the sausage and sauce.
The whole Stone Street scene was super cool. The cobblestone street was packed with people and tables, all set up outside for Oktoberfest. Watching my daughters settle into their New York lives over pizza and pasta on one of the city’s oldest streets was a great time and a moment I won’t forget.
📍 Adrienne’s Pizzabar | 54 Stone St, New York, NY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Friday: Martel for Lunch, Project Pizza at Night
Friday we were heading to friends’ for the evening, but first we wanted a late lunch, early dinner. We went back to Martel on the Post Road in Fairfield.
I opted for the braised beef sandwich, and it was excellent. Tender braised beef, roasted red pepper, spicy horseradish, and fontina cheese. The horseradish gave it a kick, the peppers added sweetness, and the fontina melted it all together. It hit the spot. My wife ordered the burger, and it was outstanding.
That night at our friends’ house, we had pizza from Project Pizza in Newtown. It had been a while since I’d had it, and I forgot how good it is. Pizza with friends on a Friday night is hard to beat.
📍 Martel | 2316 Post Road, Fairfield, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Saturday: Omelettes, Mums, Football, and Ryebird
Saturday was a gorgeous fall day, and we made the most of it.
We started with breakfast at the Trumbull Cafe on Daniels Farm Road. I had a spinach and bacon omelette, and it was excellent. It’s a great way to start a fall Saturday.
📍 Trumbull Cafe | 2 Daniels Farm Rd, Trumbull, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Then we worked around the house, and a day this beautiful called for mums. A few pots of mums by the door and fall is official.
In the afternoon we went to watch our nephew’s football game. They won! Cheering from the sidelines on a crisp fall afternoon is about as good as autumn gets.
We finished with a late lunch, early dinner at Ryebird in downtown Fairfield. I ordered the Smasher double burger, and it was very good. My wife had the salad with chicken, and it was excellent.
Ryebird is known for its bar program, so we ordered fun drinks. My wife had the Aperol Spritz and so did I but with a twist. I went with the Thrilla, a Miller High Life with Aperol. It sounds unusual, but it works: light, bubbly, a little bitter, and very refreshing. Yummy.
📍 Ryebird | 11 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sunday: Smoked Grass-Fed Filets for the Family
Sunday we had family over, so it was time to cook.
I picked up a bunch of grass-fed filets from Whole Foods and kept them simple: just salt. I fired them up on the grill for a sear, then moved them to the smoker to finish. Wow. The smoke added a depth that filet usually doesn’t get, and the meat stayed tender and juicy all the way through. When the beef is that good, salt really is all it needs.
For sides, I made roasted Parmesan potatoes, crispy and golden with a salty cheese crust. I also made a bed of zucchini over whipped feta with toasted almonds. The creamy, tangy feta, the tender zucchini, and the crunch of the almonds made it fresh and a little unexpected next to the steak.
A full table, smoked filets, and family around it was the perfect end to the week.
Closing Reflection
This week had a little of everything. A handmade bar riser and leftover meatballs. A freshly wallpapered kitchen wall and a 20-ounce filet at Testo’s. Espresso and biscotti at Best Sicily Bottega, then a long Tuscan lunch of pappa al pomodoro and braised rabbit fettuccine at Pepolino. A new slice for the FiDi list. Orecchiette and Oktoberfest on Stone Street with both daughters. Braised beef at Martel and Project Pizza with friends. Omelettes, mums, a football win, and a Miller with Aperol. And smoked grass-fed filets at home.
But the moment that stays with me is Stone Street: two daughters, both building their lives in the city, around one table. The food was great, and the company was even better.