Chef Robert Milano is returning to Vitti Street.
Vitti Street Market will open at 31 Vitti St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
The former owner and operator of Eclectic, a gourmet eatery that closed after more than one year though it garnered high praise from foodies, is coming back to the standalone commerical building at 31 Vitti St. with a breakfast and lunch spot that will feature “the best of the best.”
In contrast to the wide-ranging menu he put out with Eclectic—a menu featuring a cheesesteak that Terry judged to be one of New Canaan’s top-10 sandwiches—Milano said he has “narrowed down” the offerings at Vitti Street Market.
“For breakfast, we’ll offer a couple of sandwiches and a bunch of quiche and then for lunch there will be prepared options—salads and sandwiches, roasted chicken and ribs.”
Here’s a rendering of the proposed new sign for Vitti Street Market. P&Z will take up the sign application at a meeting on Nov. 14.
Milano said the market will be “cozier” than its past iterations, with limited seating and mainly serving customers on a take-out basis. Though there’s no hard timetable for opening, he said locals can expect to get food there “some time soon.” He is scheduled to go before the Planning & Zoning Commission Monday night to get approval for a new sign.
Vitti Street, and the entire Cross-Vitti corridor, is undergoing a transformation under the guidance of P&Z that Milano said he hopes will bring more diners to the neighborhood.
A new mixed-use building is taking shape on Cross Street and an 8-unit structure is planned for a pair vacant lots next door to Milano on Vitti.
The new Vitti Street Market building had been occupied by a locally owned prepared meal business, Good2Gourmet, which closed this past summer after one year.
A 2003 Trinity High School graduate and Stamford resident, Milano said that in the years since Eclectic, he’s been working with private clients.
The new market could serve as a launch pad for a full-scale restaurant in New Canaan, he said.
“I like the idea of having a restaurant here and that will, at some point, come to fruition,” Milano said. “This, essentially, may be a prelude to that.”