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Why You Need to Make a Trip to the 'South End'

The South End is 'your new home outside of home.'

 

The first thought I had when I walked into the South End (which took over the space formerly occupied by the Pine Social at 36 Pine Street in New Canaan) is 'I'm at home' – except maybe a little better than home.

The service treated me as if they’d known me forever. The decor was definitely comfy-chic, with dark colors, wood, and soft antique lights to brighten the decor. The tables were not mashed together as in so many New Canaan restaurants; they were spread out in a normal, civilized manner – the way you might spread them out at home.

One of the things that make the South End stand out in New Canaan is its menu. Each section (such as ‘from the sea’, ‘from the range’, ‘ruffage’, etc) holds a dish that makes you say “hmm, maybe I’ll have that. Wait a minute, maybe I’ll have THAT.” When will one run across Peppermint Tea Crusted Duck on a menu again? Also, you must try the grilled bacon -- and this is coming from someone who (I know, I'm crazy) doesn't like bacon. But this is about as far away from the Oscar Meyer bacon at the Food Emporium as a Ferrari from a Honda Civic.

I had so many questions about the place that I reached out to General Manager/Partner Keith Siskind.

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-I noticed the decor is unique, with unique finished touches. What was the message you were trying to convey?

All the reclaimed wood that we display in the dining room is authentic taken from a barn in New Jersey. We wanted to create an environment of approachability and comfort. We felt that lightening up the interior and opening up the space was crucial in achieving our goal. From the reclaimed wood and modern lighting to the raw butcher block tables and long, comfortable banquettes we are very pleased with the finished product.


-The menu is not divided in a typical appetizer/pasta/entree fashion. Do you think there is an advantage to dividing it by food types?

If you look at the top of our menu, you will see appetizers written on the top of the page on the left and entrees written on the top of the page on the right. I don't believe we would call it an advantage as much as we would call it unique and different. We wanted the layout to be easy-going while serving an affordable, fresh product at the same time. We also wanted something that our guests would find interesting and be a conversation piece.

-There is a New Canaan brewed beer on tap. Will there be other locally-grown or -made items?

We began our relationship with Charter Oak Brewing Co. right around the time we began this project. Scott Vallely (owner of Charter Oak Brewing Co.) has done a tremendous job promoting his local craft beers. We are actually 1 of 3 restaurants in Fairfield county fortunate enough to carry the Charter Oak Brown Ale on draft. We feel that supporting local products is vital and are proud to carry it. We also feature tequila called Paqui which is made by New Canaan resident, John Chappel. In the very near future, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy more of the local fare.


-What are your personal favorites on the menu?

I can't speak for my partner Nick [Martschenko], but I would have to say the Bolognese is the best I have ever tasted. We make our pasta fresh in house every morning and it shines in Nick's dishes. The Pork Saltimbocca as well as the Diver Scallops with Cream-less Creamed Spinach are phenomenal. The wonderful thing about our menu is that it is constantly being updated. Every day, Chef Martschenko is bringing unique and delicious seasonal items to the table (pardon the pun) and really giving the guest something new and exciting upon each visit. As of Friday, our website is up and running and is updated daily with new menu items. Guests will always have the most current version of our menu at their fingertips.

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After three visits to the restaurant (and tasting as much as I could on the menu) just writing this article makes me hungry. I can hardly wait to go back – and you should go too.

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Loraine Szatai May 15, 2013 at 04:12 pm
Are women still interested in Hummel and Lladro figurines, silverware? I have a huge inheritedRead More collection!
Lisa Buchman (Editor) May 14, 2013 at 02:23 pm
Thanks Claire for posting! You can share photos of the event after it's over via your blog, too!Read More I'll send you an email about it.
Michael Dinan (Editor) May 14, 2013 at 11:14 am
Sorry I missed this, opened a bottle of Honig cab yesterday -- absolutely delicious.
Tom May 13, 2013 at 02:23 pm
I voted for Mallozzi but I have to tell you that after I saw his antics in person at TequillaRead More Mockingbird I find him morally reprehensible. He boasted how we was the "mayor" of New Canaan and had two women sit with him and his colleague to discuss how he might be able to find one of the girls mom a job in New Canaan.
Four Jacks May 12, 2013 at 04:21 pm
Ooh...
Michael J. Nowacki May 11, 2013 at 11:25 pm
If you want to see how many members of Mallozzi Marionettes are graduates of the University ofRead More Vermont, please Google Tucker Murphy's name. There are currently 8 people who are UVM alumni. Some day, maybe Tom Stadler, will investigate the issue he has ignored over a year ago. Mr. Stadler was advised that the apron of Tiger's driveway appropriated the use of Town of New Canaan taxpayer purchase products to improve Tiger's home. Mr. Stadler never responded to my request to determine if Town's resources were used to improve Tiger's driveway. Maybe "Johnny Engel-seed" was advised in the acquisition of his home improvements by the Department of Public Works? Mr. Mallozzi, when you decided to retaliate against me last Friday, you should have considered that there are federal laws which prohibit retaliation against federal whistleblowers. As soon as you retaliated against my civil liberties and restricted my access to public document inspection and applied "threats of arrest" to obstruct justice, you have now exposed the Town of New Canaan to a federal suit for violations of U.S.C. Title 42, Section 1983. Mr. Mallozzi says he fears me? No, Mr. Mallozzi fears that the allegations set forth in my criminal complaint alleging Larceny: Defrauding the Public Community will allow for the documents which I acquired pursuant to the FOI Act to be provided to a federal jury as evidence.
Lisa Buchman (Editor) May 10, 2013 at 01:23 pm
Love the start of summer eating! Wash produce, plate, eat. Thanks for the heads up on the opening.Read More Would you be interested in posting a weekly preview of offerings? Here's an example: http://patch.com/B-dtTg We'd love to feature it weekly! Just paste this link in your browser to get started: http://newcanaan.patch.com/blogs/new and email me LisaB@Patch.com with any questions!