This was a week that bounced from the grill to the seaport, with stops at a legendary NYC pizza slice, a first-time Wonder order, and a genuinely excellent BBQ dinner in Westport that might be the sleeper find of the summer. The in-laws came over for grass-fed and bison burgers, a basement project ate up two days, and the week closed out with a trip into the city to look at an apartment for my daughter followed by a beautiful outdoor dinner near the Seaport. Some weeks are about one big meal — this one had four or five worth writing about.
Monday: Family Burgers, Straight From the Farm
The in-laws came over Monday, and I went with a blend I hadn’t tried before — 93/7 grass-fed beef mixed with bison, all sourced locally here in Easton. The bison brings a little extra richness without tipping the burger into gamey territory, and paired with roasted potatoes and onions and a pile of green beans, it made for a simple, satisfying family dinner. When almost everything on the plate came from Easton farms, it’s hard for the meal not to taste a little better.
Tuesday: A Working Lunch and a Fast, Good Dinner
Tuesday was an NYC day, but a heads-down one — no pizza stops, no real food story to tell beyond sandwiches grabbed for a working lunch meeting. Dinner made up for it. I threw together penne with Carbone tomato basil sauce and some hot Italian sausages from the farm, and it came together in the time it takes water to boil. Not every weeknight dinner needs to be a production — sometimes a great jarred sauce and good sausage is exactly the move.
Wednesday: A First Try at Wonder
Wednesday was a Wonder day — my first time ordering from the multi-restaurant delivery platform, and I went with the El Diez Mexican chicken fajita bowl. I went in without huge expectations, and came away genuinely impressed. The fajita bowl was fresh, well-seasoned, and didn’t have that reheated-delivery quality that so many bowls end up with. This is going back into the rotation.Thursday: The Joe’s Pizza Verdict, Then a Dinner Pivot with My Daughter
Thursday: The Joe’s Pizza Verdict, Then a Dinner Pivot with My Daughter
Back in the city Thursday, and I finally made it to Joe’s Pizza on Fulton Street for lunch. I got there early enough to skip the line entirely, which is notable because the line for this place regularly wraps around the block. Here’s my honest take: it was good, but I wouldn’t wait in that line for it. The pepperoni slice was the better of the two I tried — the spicy pepperoni did a lot of work cutting through a sauce that leaned slightly bitter on its own. The crust held up well, foldable and crisp at the edge. A solid NYC slice, but not one I’d call worth the wait that so many tourists put in for it.
📍 Joe’s Pizza | 124 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The original plan was to head straight home after work, but a last-minute pivot turned Thursday into something better. I met my daughter for dinner at Serafina on Madison, and it was exactly the kind of spontaneous evening that’s easy to be grateful for. I ordered the cavatelli, and it was excellent — the pasta had that perfect bite, and the sauce didn’t overpower it. A relaxed dinner with my daughter in the middle of the week, no big plan required, and then we headed home together.
📍 Serafina | 241 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Friday: BBQ Excellence in Westport
Friday was a day off dedicated to the basement, which meant we were fueling on odds and ends until dinner. Dinner, though, turned out to be one of the best meals of the week. We went to Walrus Alley in Westport for BBQ, and it exceeded every expectation. We got the Piggy Smalls, a platter with a little of everything — baby back ribs, pulled pork shoulder, brisket, smoked turkey, mac and cheese, cornbread, coleslaw, and house pickles. Every single component delivered. The spiced pickles had real bite, and the brisket was tender enough to fall apart without any help from a knife.
We finished with the Double Chocolate Brown Butter Sundae, which was the kind of dessert that makes you glad you saved room. Walrus Alley has picked up recognition as one of Connecticut’s top barbecue spots, and after this meal, it’s easy to see why. This one’s going into regular rotation.
📍 Walrus Alley | 90 Post Rd E, Westport, CT 06880 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Saturday: Basement Wraps Early, Beach Day Begins
Saturday started with basement work, but it wrapped up faster than expected — and a free afternoon on a nice day only means one thing around here: the beach. On the way, I stopped at Firehouse Deli on Reef Road to grab sandwiches, and went with the Fairfield U. It’s the kind of no-frills, packed-with-meat sandwich that makes for the perfect beach lunch — easy to eat, satisfying, and worth the stop every time.
From there it was off to Penfield Beach for some sun and a well-earned break from house projects. After a few hours of that, we made the obligatory stop at Oggi Gelato for a post-beach treat, and I picked up their lemon olive oil cake to bring home. That cake might be the best thing I’ve had from Oggi yet — bright, moist, with just enough olive oil richness to keep it from being purely sweet. A gelato stop that turns into a cake purchase is never a bad outcome.
📍 Firehouse Deli | 22 Reef Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📍 Oggi Gelato | 1499 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sunday: Apartment Hunting, Seaport Pasta, and a Wind-Down at Eataly
Sunday brought a trip into the city to look at an apartment for my daughter, right near my office in FiDi — a great spot, and exciting to think about her being that close by. Afterward, we headed to Osteria del Porto on Front Street for dinner, and it turned into a genuinely great night. We sat outside and started with the carpaccio, which was excellent. For drinks, I went with the Queen Mary, a gin spritz built with cucumber, prosecco, and basil that was light and refreshing for a summer evening.
For my entrée, I ordered the cavatelli alla salsiccia, and it delivered exactly what I wanted — hearty, well-balanced, comforting. My wife went with the salmon, and my daughter ordered the cacio e pepe, presented in a baked parmigiano wheel that was as much a spectacle as it was a dish. Osteria del Porto’s spot in the South Street Seaport gives it a relaxed, almost European energy, and with outdoor seating and a menu this solid, it’s easy to see why it’s become a neighborhood favorite in FiDi.
📍 Osteria del Porto | 212 Front St, New York, NY 10038 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After dinner, we walked around the World Trade Center for a bit, letting the meal settle before making our way to Eataly for cappuccinos and dessert. There’s something about ending a night there — coffee in hand, wandering the aisles — that never gets old. We picked up a little olive oil, some chocolates, and a loaf of bread on the way out, the kind of small haul that turns into the start of next week’s cooking before you’ve even unpacked it.
📍 Eataly NYC Downtown | 101 Liberty St, New York, NY 10007 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Closing Reflection
This week had a little bit of everything — home cooking with the in-laws, a fast weeknight pasta save, a first (successful) Wonder order, an honest verdict on a hyped NYC slice, a last-minute dinner pivot with my daughter at Serafina, a standout BBQ dinner in Westport, and a Sunday that mixed apartment hunting with a beautiful outdoor meal near the Seaport. Not every week needs a theme. Sometimes it’s just about showing up for the meals as they come, and letting a few of them turn into something worth remembering.