Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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Chef Luis Lopez, known locally for his eponymous restaurant on Elm Street, has been seen cooking in the open kitchen at Spiga on Main. ***

After school Wednesday, a man was seen trying to enter cars in a New Canaan High School parking lot, according to a communication from NCHS Principal Bill Egan. “We do not believe he was successful, nor do we anticipate his return,” Egan said in an email. “However, please make sure you lock your cars on campus. I would keep them locked before and after school.

Business

Spiga on Main Street Launches Sunday Brunch, Adds Soundproofing and Stool Cushions

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Even with a strong opening and positive reviews from locals, the owners of New Canaan’s new Italian restaurant on Main Street say they’ve taken in early feedback regarding food and overall dining experience, and have made several changes. Complaints about high levels of noise led Spiga to reinstall soundboards in the ceiling at 136 Main St., and cushions have been added to seats at the row of tables up the middle of the restaurant, according to owner Dan Camporeale. On Sunday, Spiga also launched a new Sunday brunch menu—a collaboration among Camporeale, business partner Gino Racanelli and executive chef Jose Marcos. “We wanted to put out a different type of brunch,” Camporeale said. “Everybody does bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s.

Business

Third Time’s the Charm: Spiga Opens on Main Street

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After two failed restaurant ventures at 136 Main St., owners of the recently opened Spiga are hoping to buck the trend that first sank Tuscan and more recently, Barolo. And if foot traffic and response are early indicators, it seems as though the third time is indeed the charm. Since its soft opening earlier this month, Spiga has New Canaan denizens abuzz with favorable and enthusiastic praise for their Northern Italian cuisine. The motto at Spiga is ‘Eat – Drink – Play,’ and while I personally can’t speak for the ‘play’ part of it there is something for everyone on the voluminous menu for diners of all types. Gone are Barolo’s sectioned dining areas, walk-in wine refrigerator and antipasti bar, replaced with a large, open space replete with oversized booths, communal tables with seating for 130 people.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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The Planning & Zoning Commission at its most recent meeting decided to forego approving two signs for new businesses that had been submitted to the town (see photos above). Commissioner Elizabeth DeLuca, head of P&Z’s sign committee, said that a sign for Spiga, the new Italian restaurant opening on Main Street, was meant to be “burnt orange” according to its application “but it appears to be a very bright orange color.”

“They put it up,” DeLuca said at the July 26 meeting. “It’s up. It’s there.”

Though P&Z did not specify just why, the group also forewent voting either way on a new sign for the New Canaan Psychic, to open at 179 Cherry St. Regarding Siga, Town Planner Steve Kleppin noted window signage and said that it is more attractive than banners inside downtown businesses that hang behind the glass.

Business

PHOTOS: Sneak Peek Inside ‘Spiga’; Aug. 1 Opening for Italian Restaurant on Main

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An owner of Spiga at 136 Main St. in New Canaan said the Italian restaurant is expected open Aug. 1 following a major interior renovation that will deliver a unique dining experience. Located in the former Barolo space downtown, Spiga will offer not only an extensive wine list and wood-burning pizza oven, but also a custom copper beer tower with eight craft beers at the 21-stool bar and a throwback, fresh-made foods area in front of an open kitchen, according to Dan Camporeale. Specifically, prosciutto, soppressata and other dry-aged meats will be featured in a glass case and hang from the ceiling there, beside a “gentleman that makes fresh pasta all day long—some pasta red because of beets, some green with basil, all different shapes and sizes,” Camporeale said.