It was one of those weeks where the food kept finding its moments. Shaggy Coos beef made two appearances — once as a proper weeknight steak, once as backyard frankfurters on a Saturday. A legendary Italian sandwich at All’Antico Vinaio made Tuesday feel like a treat. Tax Day became an excuse for a tapas celebration at Barcelona with an Argentinian wine that more than delivered. And Sunday ended the week exactly right: slow, homemade, and deeply satisfying.
Monday: Shaggy Coos Sirloin Does It Again
Some weeks start with leftovers. Other weeks they start with a real meal, and Monday was one of the latter.
We fired up the sirloin steaks from Shaggy Coos Farm, and they were exactly what a Monday deserves — honest, flavorful, uncomplicated. There’s something grounding about knowing where your meat comes from, about trusting the source before it ever hits the pan. Shaggy Coos beef has that quality. It doesn’t need much. A little seasoning, a hot cast iron, and you’re most of the way there. By the time dinner was on the table, the week had already started on the right foot.
Tuesday: All’Antico Vinaio and a Charcuterie Wind-Down
Tuesday was Italy from start to finish — just split across a commute.
At lunch, I made my way back to All’Antico Vinaio for their Italian Hot sandwich, and I’ll say this: there’s a reason people queue up for this place. The Mazzanti family has been doing this since 1991 out of Florence, and the New York outpost carries the same spirit — thick-pressed schiacciata bread, layers of cured Italian meats, that unmistakable balance of salt and richness that makes you want to eat slowly even when you’re in the middle of a workday. It’s one of those sandwiches that resets the afternoon.
Speaking of the afternoon, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and it called for a walk. A walk to get some Gelato. Yum.
📍 All’Antico Vinaio | 729 8th Avenue, New York, NY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By the time I got home, dinner wasn’t going to be elaborate — and it didn’t have to be. I laid out some bread alongside capicola, salami, and prosciutto, and that was exactly right. A proper charcuterie spread at home after a sandwich that good. The day had found its rhythm.
Wednesday: A Breakfast Pivot and Tax Day Tapas at Barcelona
Wednesday required some improvisation — and then rewarded it handsomely.
Back-to-back meetings from 11:30 to 2:00 made a normal lunch an impossibility, so I slipped out mid-morning and made my way to Daily Provisions at Brookfield Place. Bacon, egg, and cheese on a poppy seed roll. A lemon blueberry muffin. A cappuccino. It was exactly the kind of meal that fills the gap without making a fuss about it — warm, efficient, satisfying. The Danny Meyer touch is real even at a counter-service spot. I made it back to my desk fueled and ready, then proceeded to power through meetings on muffin fumes for the rest of the afternoon.
📍 Daily Provisions – Brookfield Place | 225 Liberty St, New York, NY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heading home, I was hungry in that specific way that only comes after a long day of talking. But April 15th has its own significance in this household — my wife was officially done with taxes, and that calls for something more than a quiet dinner at home. Barcelona Wine Bar it was.
Barcelona in Fairfield is one of those places that always delivers the right energy. We kicked things off with a round of Bourbon Spice Rack cocktails, which set the mood precisely where it needed to be. Then the table filled: Albondigas, Jamón & Manchego Croquetas, Patatas Bravas, Burrata, Empanadas, and Skirt Steak. Course after course of small plates that build on each other — you start with one, the next arrives, and suddenly the whole table has turned into something festive without anyone planning for it.
The wine was the other standout: a glass of Quieto Gran Corte from Agrelo — a blend of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Syrah out of Luján de Cuyo, Argentina. Deep, layered, a little smoky. It paired beautifully with the skirt steak and made a strong case that Argentina deserves far more attention at the table than it typically gets.
📍 Barcelona Wine Bar | 4180 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thursday: The Granola Bar at Lunch and a Big Italian Night at Testo’s
Thursday had range.
With meetings running late into the afternoon, I grabbed takeout from The Granola Bar in Fairfield — their chicken mojito tacos, which were fine. Solid enough for a desk lunch on a busy day. Not everything needs to be a revelation.
Because Thursday evening was Testo’s in Monroe with friends, and that changed everything.
Testo’s is a family-owned institution — founded in 1976, now in a newer home on Main Street in Monroe — and you feel that history the minute you walk in. The kitchen runs on real tradition: homemade pasta, generous portions, the kind of Italian-American cooking that doesn’t overthink itself.
We started with Clams Casino and the Sicilian Calamari, both excellent — clean, properly done, the kind of appetizers that make you want to slow down and appreciate the company before the mains arrive. I went with the 20-ounce filet with vegetables and potatoes. It hit every mark. My wife ordered the Chicken Milanese and the portions were genuinely staggering — the kind of plate that makes the whole table stop and stare. We ended with New York style cheesecake, rich, dense, and exactly the right call after a meal that size.
The laughter across the table matched the food. Some dinners are just right.
📍 Testo’s Restaurant & Banquets | 505 Main St, Monroe, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Friday: Burgers at the Spotted Horse in Westport
Friday called for something easy and satisfying, and the Spotted Horse Tavern in Westport answered.
We headed down for a late lunch that bled into early dinner — that liminal meal that feels like the best kind of Friday indulgence. The burgers were exactly what we needed. Nothing to overthink, nothing to analyze. Just a good burger in a lively space with good energy. The Spotted Horse has a downtown Westport charm that’s hard to replicate — Church Lane, good light, the feeling that the weekend has genuinely arrived.
📍 Spotted Horse Tavern | 26 Church Ln, Westport, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Saturday: Frankfurters at the Soccer Field and Diner Comfort in Southport
Saturday had an easy, domestic rhythm to it.
For lunch, we cooked up Shaggy Coos Beef Frankfurters — another reminder that when you start with quality, you don’t need to dress things up. We kept it simple, ate well, and headed out to watch the nephews play soccer. There’s something genuinely good about a Saturday afternoon organized around a kid’s game. It simplifies everything in the best possible way.
By evening, after a full day, we landed at the Southport Diner for comfort food. I started with a milkshake — not a suggestion, a necessity after a long Saturday — and followed it with a chicken sandwich. It hit the spot the way only diner food can after a day spent outside. Straightforward, warm, completely right for the moment.
📍 Southport Diner | 3350 Post Rd, Southport, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sunday: Shaggy Coos Bacon, a Sherwood Farm Run, and a Jar Sauce That Stopped the Show
Sunday was exactly what a Sunday should be — slow, layered, and better than expected.
We finally got around to cooking the Shaggy Coos bacon, and it earned its moment. Thick, well-marbled, the kind of bacon that fills the kitchen with a smell that makes everything feel right with the world. With some eggs alongside, it was a proper morning that set the tone for the rest of the day.
After some work around the house, the kids came over, which meant dinner needed to happen — and happen quickly. I made a run to Sherwood Farm in Easton for garlic and fresh bread, which is always the right call when you need to build something fast that still feels real.
The main event was a simple pasta: Carbone Spicy Vodka jar sauce with heavy cream and ground beef over penne. And I was not prepared for how good this was. I’ve had a lot of jar sauces over the years, and I say this without hesitation: it might be the best I’ve ever had. The heat, the richness, the way the cream smoothed everything out without blunting the spice — absolutely the move. I also made chicken cutlets on the side, which rounded out the table nicely.
It was a fun Sunday. Full house, good food, the kind of evening that reminds you why cooking for people you love is never a burden.
📍 Sherwood Farm | 355 Sport Hill Rd, Easton, CT ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Closing Reflection
This week had everything — quality ingredients from farms I trust, a legendary Italian sandwich in the city, a Tax Day celebration that turned into a tapas and wine evening worth remembering, an Italian dinner in Monroe that proved some restaurants hold onto their soul across generations, and a Sunday pasta that made me stop mid-bite and reconsider everything I thought I knew about jar sauce.
The week wasn’t built around spectacle. It was built around the right food at the right moment — a takeout lunch when that was all there was time for, and a 20-ounce filet when the evening called for it. That’s the balance. That’s the life.