Business At Red Brick Tavern Is Growing Quickly

By John Voket

Collectively, Newtown resident Missy DeMeglio and her partners Chris Ghitsa and Eli Reynolds spent almost 50 years helping a Westport restaurateur grow his thriving business. But now the trio is quickly building a success story of their own here in Newtown — brick by brick.

The three experienced entrepreneurs have been operating the popular Red Brick Tavern for only about four months, but they are already witnessing all that time spent paying dues at Westport’s popular Mario’s paying off in their new venture.

“We’re doing incredibly well here,” Mr Ghitsa told The Bee in between greeting patrons earlier this week at the high profile eatery located at the crossroads in the center of Sandy Hook. But despite the well-traveled area, both Mr Ghitsa and Ms DeMeglio know that a good location will only get you so far in the highly competitive restaurant business.

That is why the team “did their homework,” when researching where to open their new venture, and choosing the dishes for their menu. Once those major hurdles were crossed, it only left one other significant piece of the puzzle missing: who would be their chef?

That question was answered with a call to longtime acquaintance Ritchie Atterberry, who put his masterful finishing touches on thousands of dishes at such notable establishments as the Redding Road House, McKenzie’s at the Cos Cob Inn, and Mulligan’s in New Canaan.

Together with Mr Atterberry, the trio set to work crafting a menu that Mr Ghitsa insisted had to provide customers with “something more than pizza and pasta.”

“We wanted a menu with hearty dishes like steak, chicken, chops, a variety of appetizers, and seasonal specialties you really can’t get anywhere else in the area,” Mr Ghitsa said.

The result is a menu that delivers starters like steamed littlenecks, fresh clams casino, smoked salmon, baby back ribs, crispy crab cakes, and a tangy spinach and artichoke dip to name a few. Follow that up with a choice of creamy New England chowder, French onion soup, chili or their daily soup offering, or perhaps a cool and crunchy salad topped with gorgonzola, grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, or sirloin.

“Or, you can really spoil yourself with our lobster Cobb salad, which is a meal in itself,” Mr Ghitsa asserted. Late risers or second and third shifters can even enjoy four different egg dishes served day or night, with home fries and an English muffin.

The lunch menu offers stuffed wraps with blackened chicken, turkey, tuna, or grilled veggies for the calorie counter in the group. And if you are ready to work it off for the rest of the afternoon, order the open faced turkey, roast beef, or sliced steak sandwich with mashed potato, gravy, and vegetable on the side.

Dinner service is pretty straightforward, where Ms DeMeglio said quality and quantity outweigh any desire to provide diners with an adventure into more exotic fare. Whatever you choose, plan to take some home after, whether it’s the tender center cut pork chops, the grilled veal chop, 16-ounce New York strip, or the chicken piccata.

And while the menu may seem pretty sophisticated, the best part is, you don’t have to dig out your fancy duds because the Red Brick Tavern serves it all up in a low key and family-friendly atmosphere.

“This is not a jacket and tie kind of place,” Ms DeMeglio said. “Any day you can come in here and see corporate executives sitting next to tradesmen.”

Ms DeMeglio stressed that the tavern is really a family establishment, run by families who all have young children. So they know a few tricks when it comes to making a dining experience there a positive one for parents as well as kids.

“Being a parent myself, I know that the trick is to get the kids served quickly, so mom and dad can relax and enjoy their dining experience once their orders arrive at the table,” she said. The children’s menu features favorites like mac and cheese, chicken fingers, pasta with butter or sauce, burgers or hot dogs, and each meal includes beverage and an ice cream sandwich for dessert, each for just $6.95.

The full-service bar has every libation one could desire, including a large selection of ice cold beers by the bottle or on tap, and their international wine list will tempt even the sophisticated pallet with an accessible and affordable variety of vino.

The Red Brick Tavern recently added Sunday brunch to its offerings, with a buffet incorporating a raw bar with shrimp cocktail, stone crab, salmon, and fresh clams; a carving station that on any given Sunday may offer sliced turkey, roast steamship beef, lamb, or ham; a bagel station with croissants and a selection of fresh bagels and breads; even an egg station with omelettes made to order with your favorite fillings, eggs benedict or just good old-fashioned scrambled, all served to adults with a complimentary cocktail.

Currently the Red Brick Tavern is gearing up for Oktoberfest, with Chef Atterberry preparing German favorites like bratwurst, wiener schnitzel, German smoked pork chop or sauerbraten, all served with rotkraut (red cabbage), potato pancake, and spätzle. And be sure to leave room for a slice of German Black Forest chocolate cake for dessert.

Newtowners too busy to tear themselves away from their desks by day can get the gang together and order in, with complimentary local delivery for multiple orders. And the Red Brick Tavern’s upstairs banquet room is ready for booking for fall and holiday parties.

The relatively short period since the restaurant’s opening has flown by for Mr Ghitsa, but he is happy to hear all the compliments from patrons and even competitors.

“I’ve seen several other restaurant owners in here checking the place out,” he said with a wink. “We’ve only been here four months, but in some ways, it’s like we’ve already been here four years.”

Ms DeMeglio concurred, saying that she is as pleased with the new friends she is meeting as she is to see old friends making the trip to Sandy Hook from New Milford, Greenwich, Westport, and Fairfield.

“No matter where you’re coming from, we really just want to be considered Newtown’s neighborhood family restaurant,” she added.

The Red Brick Tavern opens for Sunday brunch at 10:30 am and daily at 11:30. Dining room service ends around 10 pm weeknights and 10:30 pm on weekends, with the bar remaining open until 1 am weekdays and 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Call 426-4380 for delivery, reservations, and catering room booking.