Silvermine Market in New Canaan

Written by Fran Sikorski
Thursday, 11 December 2008 15:28

As owners of Silvermine Market since 2006, Scott Kaluczky and Lou Aloupis have revitalized the historic 100-year-old landmark that was once Guthrie’s Ice House, then a butcher shop and grocery store for many years before becoming a breakfast and lunch café developed by a previous owner.

During my visit, Scott Kaluczky, who lives in Trumbull, said he has always enjoyed cooking, but never trained professionally. He earned two mechanical engineering degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and worked at Sikorsky Aircraft and Pitney Bowes before making the decision to “follow his dream” and purchase Silvermine Market when it was offered for sale. He has been adding new culinary features to the menu, including Thursday and Friday evening dinners, and on-the-go beef, pork, and chicken entrees.

Mr. Kaluczky is the chef at Silvermine Market, and prides himself that “everything is made from scratch.” Mr. Aloupis, a Norwalk resident with whom he had worked for many years, handles the front end of the business.

Full breakfasts are available, along with daily baked corn, blueberry, pumpkin and cranberry-nut muffins. Also available, from another source, are croissants, pastries, and a variety of tasty breads. I also found the largest jelly donut I have ever seen and claimed it as mine.

Three or four soups are offered daily, recent choices including pumpkin, Hungarian mushroom, and Maryland crab. Mr. Kaluczky, is Hungarian, and so am I, and we shared some well remembered European recipes from grandparents.

I enjoyed a pumpkin soup, and a most delightful butternut squash and goat cheese lasagna with a béchamel sauce with wonderful flavors and much lighter than the tomato sauce version.

In addition to pasta salads, there are spicy Thai noodle, orzo with feta cheese and kalamata olives, and pasta primavera salads. Green salads are mixed baby field greens, grilled chicken Caesar and Pacific Rim.

Among the new dinner entrees served Thursday and Friday evenings are seafood risotto with shrimp, clams, scallops and lobster; veal or chicken scarpariello with sausage and hot, sweet or mixed vinegar peppers and sliced potatoes; lobster ravioli; and spaghetti carbonara with pancetta, parmesan cheese, butter and egg. Pumpkin ravioli with maple cream sauce or brown butter and nut sauce is also special.

Housemade New York cheesecake, apple crisp, brownie sundae, carrot cake, and an assortment of pies, and fresh fruit salad are the favorite choices for ending a dinner at Silvermine Market, where the dining room is totally recreated as an intimate setting.

Scott Kaluczky’s grandfather, George Deima is so proud of his grandson’s new business that he made a contribution to the décor: wheelbarrel napkin holders he made himself.

Silvermine Market is the ideal spot for breakfast with friends, lunch during a busy day, or dinner on an evening that calls for relaxation and good service.     

Breakfast and lunch, 7 to 5 Monday to Friday; 8 to 2:30 Saturday and Sunday; dinner Thursday and Friday from 6 to 10.

Dinner reservations accepted; handicap entrance; major credit cards; child-friendly; BYOB, corkage fee $7 first bottle; $4 for each additional bottle; American home cooking for breakfast and lunch; regional Italian menu for dinner; vegetarian selections; entrees to go; take-out; off-premises catering; in-house private parties up to 30; casual dress; seasonal outdoor dining; parking adjacent to restaurant.

Soups: $4.50 to $6.50

Salads: $6 to $7

Sandwiches, paninis: $6.50 to $8.50

Dinner entrees: $17 to $26

Desserts: $6 t0 $8

Side dishes

The new Le Gourmet Store, 41 East Elm Street in Greenwich, features a food and wine Farmer’s Table for 12 and a Wednesday evening Fondue Savoyarde Night with wines every week. Plat du jour and baguette du jour specials are available daily. Space is limited to 12 persons per Farmer’s Table event. For more information, call 203-340-2780...A three-course Monday to Saturday Early Bird lunch for $14.95 is featured at Saint Tropez Bistro Francais, 52 Sanford Street in Fairfield.  A three-course Early Bird dinner, served from 5:30 to 6:30, is $21.95. Reservations, 203-254-8094.