Molto

1215 Post Road, Fairfield

Trendy, hip pizzeria and wine bar with generous pours of il buon vino and a lively crowd of attractive men.

Robin’s note: There was a perceptible attention shift among male patrons when my girlfriends and I entered. We assumed they thought we were irresistible. Upon further observation of said patrons, however, we wondered if they were just hoping we’d be men.

Who’s drinking here: Small groups of women and men, ages 20-35.

Their specialty: Wine

What you should drink: I loved their chardonnay.

What you may not know but should: They play classic black and white movies on the wall above the bar.
http://www.pizzeriamolto.com

Malta House

5 Prowitt Street, East Norwalk
(203) 857-0088

I love babies. Specifically, mine. But other babies are cool, too.

Evidently Michael O’Rourke feels the same way. He was horrified to see single pregnant women living on the streets, cast from their homes and estranged from friends, family, and their child’s father. These babies, born homeless, were greatly loved but greatly hindered their mother’s future prospects.  Fairfield County had many programs and charities designed to help many people, but too few assisted expectant mothers. In short, they needed help and they had none.

Who they are: In 1995 O’Rourke contacted Good Counsel of New Jersey, who helped him and several others open Malta House, designed after similar residency programs in New York State. St. Thomas the Apostle in Norwalk donated an empty convent and a dedicated group of volunteers spent the next two years building a home and implementing health and education programs for the young mothers. The home is open to all women of all ages, races, and creeds.

What they do: Malta House offers shelter, food, and care for mothers and their young children.

Click to read the rest ... "Malta House"

Thank you

Robinsresources.com is becoming a huge hit in Fairfield County and we couldn’t have done it without all of you, our witty, charming, and attractive readers. As always, please let us know if you have any questions, inside scoop, or ideas.

Neighbor to Neighbor

Christ Church Annex
248 East Putnam Street

To most of the world, Greenwich, CT is a bastion of power, wealth, and super-sized mega homes. And—admit it—I’m not the only one greatly anticipating “Housewives of Greenwich, CT’: a vespiary of overly-toned bottle-blonds back-stabbing each other with hot pink fingernails they can barely lift due to the weight of their 10 karat J-grade diamond rings and inability to do anything besides guzzle white wine, flaunt mammoplasties beneath a straining D&G blouse, and hawk their slapdash jewelry collections. Mmm… But that’s so not what this is about.

Here’s my point: given the riches, it’s all the more shocking that near-poverty exists in this hallowed enclave, leaving many struggling families in Greenwich and surrounding areas to rely on charities such as Neighbor-to-Neighbor. In fact, the economic downturn has increased demand for their services over 50%.

Who they are: Neighbor to Neighbor (N to N) is an inspiring group of committed volunteers who, since 1975, “are dedicated to improving the lives of greater Greenwich by creating caring connections between members of our community. (They) do this by providing for the exchange of simple and basic living essentials in an atmosphere of kindness and respect.” (website)

Click to read the rest ... "Neighbor to Neighbor"

Las Vetas Lounge

29 Unquowa Road, Fairfield

The hodge-podgiest coffee shop I’ve ever graced with my presence, this café boasts an enormous selection of teas and coffee drinks (Flava-Mave, Shizzler’s Toffee Chocolate Shake), retro candy (candy bracelets, Bit O’Honey), single-serve bowls of sugared cereals, wall o’ bagged chips, some baked goods, sandwiches, garage-sale seating …you get the idea. Coffee’s okay but – let’s be honest – completely beside the point.

Robin’s note: Good news is, the environment itself is so loud no one notices when your children act like non-domesticated wildebeest.

Who you’ll see eating here: Fairfield U students, moms with young kids, and a random sprinkling of 50 year-old men.

Their specialty: Coffee drinks.

What you should order: One of their crazy coffee drinks, bag of fritos, handful of mini chocolate bars, and some sort of hard taffy lollipop that’ll keep the kids busy while you enjoy your lunch.

What you may not know buy should: They don’t have a liquor license, but bring in a bottle of wine and they’ll serve it for a nominal corkage fee.
http://www.lasvetaslounge.com

Friends of Ferguson Library Used Book Shop

One Public Library Plaza, Stamford

I come from a long line of book lovers. My dad used to bring home cases of dusty books from local library sales with such provocative titles as “Twelfth and Thirteenth Annual Reports of the Bureau of Animal Industry for the Fiscal Years 1895 and 1896.” I… never read it. Nor, I suspect, did anyone else except my dad and the author. But I do, as many of you, read anything on the Top 10 bestseller list. Which you can get on the cheap at the Friends of Ferguson Library Used Book Shop, operated by Stamford library volunteers.

Who they are: Volunteers who stock and sell “quality used books at reasonable prices to provide financial support for the mission of the Friends of Ferguson Library.” (website)

What they do: Proceeds from sales of music and books support special library programs and, through their Friend-to-Friend Program (F2F), provide free books to select Stamford non-profit agencies to “serve as a free community literacy resources.” Special gifts to the library include transportation for children to and from the library and a special reader for people with macular degeneration. Through F2F, the library has donated over 200,000 books to agencies since 2003.

What you may not know but should:
  1. FF has a rare and collectible book section, including a free training program to teach volunteers how to recognize and value prized publications.
  2. Since 1981, FF has sponsored author luncheons as a “thank you” to the community it services. They have hosted such literary luminaries as Frank McCourt and Elizabeth Strout.

How you can help:
  1. Volunteer your time.
  2, Buy books.
  3. Donate clean, interesting books in readable condition.
http://www.friendsoffergusonlibrary.org

JL Rocks

18 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich
22 Post Road East, Westport

Happiness comes from within: no amount of jewelry will ever make you truly and wholly content. But if you’d like to try, go to JL Rocks and – P.S. – I’m rooting for you! P.P.S. - The Westport shop is juuuust big enough for you, an enabler, and a nice, fat wallet.

Robin’s note: Delicate, shimmering trinkets even a nun would covet. Best of all, they’re some of the most reasonably priced fine jewelry I’ve seen anywhere. Not cheap, mind you, but you won’t get that dagger-through-the-heart feeling when you look at the price tag.

Who you’ll see shopping here: Women 25+ buying for themselves (most often surreptitiously) or selecting items for their husbands to buy for them.

Their specialty: Thread-thin diamond hoops, from small to extra large.

What you should buy: Sweet, sophisticated gold and diamond necklaces or chunky dark diamond necklaces from India.

What you may not know but should:
  1. JL Rocks is carried in Bungalow and Wish List. Wish carries a selection of gold plate, i.e. cheaper, pieces.
  2. If you can’t drop immediate coin, they’ll record your selection in a Wish Book (information my husband might find helpful if he’s reading this.)
http://www.jlrocks.com

The Dressing Room

25 Powers Court
(next to the Westport Country Playhouse)

Paul Newman’s legendary organic restaurant allows you to feel wonderfully smug about supporting a sustainable food culture when you’re really just there for a fabulous meal. 

Robin’s note: The ingredients are natural and organic and the restaurant supports local and regional farmers, fishermen, and producers.

Who you’ll see eating here: Theatre-goers, if it’s early. Otherwise, couples and lively groups of 6-10.

Their specialty: New twists on classic fare in “small plates” portions.

What you should order: “Mini-burgers” with Amish cheddar and house-cured bacon.

What you may not know but should:
  1. Even the wine is organic
  2. Newman’s partner, chef and food policy activist Michel Nischan, began the Wholesome Wave Foundation to provide healthy locally-grown foods to underprivileged domestic communities.
  3. On Friday nights, the manager, Tor, and chef Nischan rock out for unsuspecting diners.
http://www.dressingroomhomegrown.com

Circle Diner

441 Post Road, Fairfield

A big, big diner with good food and fast service.

Robin’s note: The waiters are amazingly efficient. The order was wrong, but holy cow they brought it quickly.

Who you’ll see eating here: Fairfield residents and college students, mostly couples, some tourists. And, inexplicably, a lot of young women with long blond hair.

Their specialty: All day breakfast, Greek coffee.

What you should order: Eggs benedict.

What you may not know but should: BIG portions and one of the very few early brunch spots in Fairfield.