A new restaurant featuring a fusion of American comfort food and Italian cuisine is opening in a Connecticut town that is on the top 150 list of places in the country perfect for escaping the rat race.
And it sounds like an apt fit because Karabella Catering and restaurant strives to be relaxing and cozy with great food, surrounded by quaint shopping, art, and theater, said chef and owner Michael Foltyn.
The restaurant owned by Foltyn and his fiance, Kara Barcomb, is scheduled to open Nov. 15.
Foltyn’s job is to make the food tastes pop. A self-taught chef, his food is a fusion of the best tastes he’s learned to create in a 20-year career.
“I like seeing people happy after they eat and bringing people together,” he said. “I like making someone’s special day memorable.”
The restaurant that will serve lunch, dinner, deli items and chef’s quality grab and go meals also has an artsy feel like the quaint village of Chester in which its located.
The new restaurant owned by Michael Foltyn and his fiance, Kara Barcomb, is scheduled to open Nov. 15 in Chester, Connecticut. (Courtesy)
Along with traditional fare such as burgers and wings they’ll put an emphasis on dietary variety by offering dishes that are keto-friendly, gluten free, vegan and vegetarian.
In a fun twist to add to the chill atmosphere, the restaurant has a large tabletop unit that can be moved around and offering old-fashioned board games like Monopoly, Battleship, Operation, and Clue in electronic form.
They don’t have a liquor license yet so guests are welcome to bring their own alcohol, he said.
This is the couple’s second Karabella Catering, as they’ve owned one in Middletown where the restaurant portion, located in the Elks Lodge is only open to members.
They also have two event spaces there, a ballroom that holds hundreds and a smaller one, for weddings, showers and other parties.
In Chester, at 52 Middlesex Turnpike, Karabella Catering is open to all and close to lots of the town’s quaint boutiques, shops, and art venues. They also have an event space for parties.
He said the restaurant is a perfect place to stop for a meal or cup of coffee after shopping on Main Street in the quaint village, a popular tourist attraction. The eatery is at the end of that stretch.
The restaurant’s main dining space seats about 60 inside and 30 outside. The white walls are adorned with light up blue flowers cascading down the walls like vines and paintings of food.
The woodgrain tables are fashioned from wooden spools by a Chester artist, Foltyn said.
Foltyn, a self-taught chef of 20 years. said both he and Barcomb, who have two children, will be hands-on in both businesses, and also have others working. Among other items, Barcomb works magic with a charcuterie board, he said.
Aside from an extensive catering menu they will carry many dishes similar those in Middletown, rotating specials.
The new restaurant owned by Michael Foltyn and his fiance, Kara Barcomb, is scheduled to open Nov. 15 in Chester, Connecticut. (Courtesy)
Their dinner entrees will include chipotle cheddar meatloaf, steak, chicken Francaise, Guinness-braised short ribs, flat iron steak marinated in Dr. Pepper, chicken Piccata. Then they have pop up surprises such as a mobile sushi station.
Foltyn said their wings are known as “the best around.”
They slow bake, then flash fry them, and they come in many interesting flavors, he said.
Seasonally, if it’s a good market price, they’ll carry lobster rolls and other fish options. Some of his interesting lunch dishes include a garlic, bacon, brie burger, buffalo chicken gyro, and crispy chicken Caesar sandwich on a brioche bun.
He said they also have a popular caramel bread pudding.
The Chester restaurant will be open Tuesdays through Sundays. They are closed Mondays.
Chester, a village of about 4,000 has been chosen by JoyOrganics.com as one of the country’s top 150 towns for escaping the grind, along with Mystic.
The Selden III gets ready to dock on the Chester side of the Chester – Hadlyme Ferry crossing along the Connecticut River. (Aaron Flaum/ Hartford Courant)
Chester, on the Connecticut River, came in at 109th for folks “seeking a blend of cultural richness and small-town charm,” its art galleries and historic sites make for a perfect match. It’s about a 35-minute drive from Hartford, and 45 from New Haven.
Dining and Cooking