South Norwalk Italian supper club Josie & Tony’s opens
Josie & Tony’s Italian Deli and Supper Club in Norwalk officially opened its doors for dinner on Dec. 20, but some people have already had a chance to try it out. The restaurant runs on a membership model, in which those who pay an annual fee get access to certain perks. One of them was getting to dine in the restaurant early.
Now, Josie & Tony’s is open to everyone who wants to try its upscale Italian food. Owner Joshua Mesnik said that non-members can make reservations through Resy. They’re available one week out, and some may become available same-day. He said that members can make reservations via text and email. If there are seats left for a given night, they’ll go on Resy.
Those who make reservations or snag a walk-in seat will find a menu of classic Italian and Italian-American dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, clams oreganata and eggplant parmesan.
“The braciola is the sleeper hit,” Mesnik said.
The restaurant also does table side Caesar salad service and has a raw bar.
Some menu items may be familiar to regulars at Pasta Nostra, which
H John Voorhees III/Hearst Conn. Media used to occupy Josie & Tony’s 20 North Main St. location. The executive chef of Josie & Tony’s worked under Pasta Nostra owner Joe Bruno.
“The way they make their eggplant parm, there’s no reason to change that,” Mesnik said. “The way they make spaghetti and meatballs, no reason to change that.”
Those same chefs make all pasta in-house, except the gluten-free offerings, as well as mozzarella, mascarpone and gelato. Other dishes, like the zucchini pancakes, squash blossoms and “Josie’s Lemon Chicken” (actually a Cornish game hen) are inspired by Mesnik’s childhood and family, he said. The restaurant is named after Mesnik’s grandparents.
Mesnik’s background is as a sommelier, and he said he was able to work closely with distributors to put together wine and spirits lists that include some hard-to-find pours. Wines by the glass range from $14140 for Cristal Champagne. Bottles range from $50 into the thousands.
The liquor selection is similarly varied, with Fireball cinnamon liqueur on draft, as well as cocktails that can take up to 10 minutes to craft. Mesnik credits James Lucchesi, recently of Taproot, with creating a complex, serious cocktail menu.
For Mesnik, though, the ambiance is just as important as the food and drinks menu.
“Dining like this doesn’t have to be precious,” he said. “It’s meant to be serious food with some whimsy and fun.”
To start, Josie & Tony’s will be open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday. Mesnik said that in January, he plans to add a “Sunday Supper” service that starts at 3 p.m. It will offer family-style dining in addition to the regular menu.
The next phase for Josie & Tony’s will be opening its deli, which will sell sandwiches to go, as well as some pastas and products used in the restaurant, like single-origin beans from Victus Coffee in West Hartford. Mesnik previously said there would be pop-up versions of the deli in January, with it set to open in early spring.
Mesnik said that for now, all membership spots are full. He encourages those who are interested to reach out anyway, as he will create a waiting list and open back up once he has a better sense of how often members are dining in the restaurant.