Norwalk's New Tables Know Exactly Where They Come From

In 1891, a brick building went up at 2 Wilton Avenue to generate electricity for Norwalk's streetlights. Later it became a paper factory. In the mid-1920s the Norwalk Hat Co. took it over and expanded it for hat manufacturing, according to Preservation Connecticut. Since then it has been Ash Creek Saloon, The Lighthouse and, until 2025, 1920 Bar & Bistro. On Oct. 20, 2026, it became Falco.

Falco is one of three Norwalk restaurants that have opened or celebrated their arrival since summer. Each is built around one specific origin. Falco has its building's history and a chef with deep roots in the area. Ilios Greek Taverna & Bar is run by a family from Naoussa, Greece, who would rather you not call it Mediterranean. Bar TerraMare cooks from the Italian coast under a chef born in Naples. None of the three is a generic "Italian place" or "Greek spot." They are specific about who is cooking and why.

Falco: Pizza and Pasta in a Former Hat Factory

The Hour reported that Falco opened on Tuesday, Oct. 20, serving handmade pizzas, fresh pasta and cocktails.

The executive chef, Jared Falco, will be familiar to anyone who eats around lower Fairfield County. In 2021 he co-founded Rosina's Restaurant & Bar in Greenwich with Coby Blount. Before that, he worked at Fortina and was executive chef at Washington Prime, Amore and Speedy Romeo. If you've followed his cooking from Greenwich and Stamford, Falco now puts it on the Norwalk side of the line.

The building gives Falco its sense of place. It has been a powerhouse, a paper mill, a hat factory and a run of local restaurants. Falco is the newest chapter at an address that has been part of Norwalk's working history for more than 130 years.

Ilios: "We Want to Be Known as a Greek Restaurant"

Ilios Greek Taverna & Bar has been open in South Norwalk since late spring. Nov. 5 was the date set for its grand opening celebration with the city of Norwalk's Economic and Community Development agency.

The restaurant is family owned and run. In an interview with The Hour, co-owner George Valouktzis said the recipes came from his family's home in the village of Naoussa, Greece. He and his sister were born in the United States, and many of their relatives arrived from Greece in 1971. He was direct about the label. "We want to be known as a Greek restaurant because that's what we are, we're Greek," Valouktzis told The Hour. He added that the family does not want Ilios called Mediterranean, a term that covers cuisines from many countries.

The wine list follows the same idea. According to The Hour, it already includes several Greek wines, and the family plans to eventually pour only wines from Greece. "Most of our wines are from like 10 minutes away from where my family is from" in northern Greece, Valouktzis said.

Valouktzis told the paper that diners tend to order several small plates. Here is what he and the city's tourism office pointed to:

• Cheese Saganaki: pan-seared kefalograviera cheese, flambéed at the table with Metaxa brandy and finished with fig compote
• Greek Bifteki: flame-grilled beef patties seasoned with fresh herbs and spices, served with tzatziki
• Loukaniko: grilled Greek sausage with citrus peel and herbs
• Melitzanosalata and Skordalia: a roasted eggplant spread with tomato, garlic and herbs, and a traditional potato and garlic purée, both good for vegetarians at the table
• Larger plates: moussaka, pastitsio, branzino fillets, souvlaki, gyros, and honey thyme baked feta in phyllo

Alex Cross, the city's assistant director of business development and tourism, told The Hour that he ate there on a date. "We shared the Ilios Signature Board so we could try a little bit of everything. I'm still thinking about the bifteki and lamb chops," he said. If it's your first visit and you can't decide, the Signature Board is the easy order.

Bar TerraMare: The Italian Coast on Washington Street

Falco ties itself to an address and Ilios to a village. Bar TerraMare ties itself to a stretch of coastline. Finding Connecticut reported that the restaurant at 122 Washington Street in South Norwalk held its soft opening on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026.

Bar TerraMare comes from chef Giuseppe Castellano, a Naples native, and his partner, restaurateur Raffaele Gallo. Castellano also runs Gallo Ristorante and Lantern Bar & Gastropub in Ridgefield, along with Gran Gusto Trattoria in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The menu takes its cue from Italy's coastal regions, with seafood, meats, handmade pastas and seasonal ingredients.

Some of the dishes Finding Connecticut highlighted:

1. Tuna tartare with limoncello dressing
2. Burrata with fried artichokes
3. Lobster paccheri and seafood scialatielli, both handmade
4. Branzino baked in parchment paper
5. New York strip steak with salsa verde

The space was completely redesigned before opening. It now has limestone-inspired walls, natural oak finishes, ocean-blue tile, soft globe lighting and banquette seating. The look matches the coastal menu.

The Three, Side by Side

Two of the three are in South Norwalk. That matters most on one Saturday in December.

The First Weekend of December

The city's two biggest early-December events fall on back-to-back days, and the second one takes place a short walk from Bar TerraMare's door.

Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5: Rowayton Holiday Stroll

The Rowayton Civic Association's Holiday Stroll opens Friday, Dec. 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with the second annual Holiday Bike Parade. Riders are encouraged to light up their bikes, and spectators gather along Lower Rowayton Avenue.

Saturday runs from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Here's the schedule as the civic association has posted it:

• 10:30 a.m.: Watch parties start along the Five Mile River ahead of Santa's arrival
• 11 a.m.: Santa arrives by boat at Pinkney Park and stays about two hours for photos. There's no official photographer, so bring your phone. A bounce house, letters to Santa, milk and cookies, and a mechanical reindeer keep kids busy at the park.
• All day: An expanded Holiday Market with more vendors, next to the Gardeners Christmas Market
• 5 p.m.: The Light Up Rowayton countdown with Rowayton Elementary School
• Into the evening: The cocktail contest returns at the Firehouse, plus a holiday beer garden and post-parties on Rowayton Avenue

Saturday, Dec. 5: Holiday Extravaganza in SoNo

Visit Norwalk lists the city's 5th annual Holiday Extravaganza for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 50 Washington Street in South Norwalk. The event is free. It features an outdoor market with more than 25 local vendors selling handmade gifts, art, candles, jewelry and holiday treats, along with food from Norwalk eateries.

The Roton Middle School Choir, the West Rocks Middle School Choir and the Ladies of Finesse perform at the tree lighting. Holiday characters rappel 150 feet down the SONO50 building, and then Santa takes over for meet-and-greets and photos. Kids can also ride a carousel and a trackless train.

The Saturday portions of both events fit into one day. Santa's boat arrives in Rowayton at 11 a.m., and the SoNo market opens at 4 p.m. If you'd rather eat indoors after the tree lighting, 50 Washington Street and Bar TerraMare at 122 Washington Street are on the same street. If you want a table on a night when SoNo will be full, book ahead.

For the morning of that busy day, Norwalk now has its first 7 Brew, a drive-through coffee stand that The Hour reported opened Nov. 2 in the Raymour & Flanigan parking lot. Its address is 641 Connecticut Avenue.

If a new Norwalk dinner spot has you thinking about which part of town fits your days best, whether that's near the Washington Street restaurants, by the Five Mile River in Rowayton, or somewhere quieter, I'm glad to talk it through. Niels Pennings can share a local's view of the city, one neighborhood at a time. Let's Connect.