Who Knew: A Very New Canaan Gift Guide

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‘Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. 

The fun thing about getting older (besides knowing where all the candy is hidden) is that you start to enjoy giving gifts more than receiving them. There’s a midlife shift toward benevolence, whether brought on by parenthood, maturity, or working with a therapist to develop a more sensible attitude toward hoarding Legos. Turns out, ‘tis actually better to give than to receive. 

And when the holiday season rears its $960 billion head in mid-October, we all start to get the Gift Sweats. Not that we won’t find anything; that’s impossible when consumer culture confronts each of us with 4,000 to 10,000 advertising messages per day. But we fear that it won’t be the right thing.

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There’s One Place Like Home: Chef Luis

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Over the past decade, give or take a couple of rounds of musical chairs on the New Canaan dining scene, Chef Luis has created a restaurant that’s more than the sum of its parts. It’s a game-day go-to, a fixture on the local shortlist for lunches with friends and date nights, and a dog-friendly outdoor patio in warm weather. Just don’t call it Mexican. Owner & head chef Luis Lopez will always crank out a dependable list of greatest Tex-Mex hits, like perfectly-turned pork shoulder Al Pastor and skirt steak fajitas. His La Americana Burger is decidedly one of the town’s very best.

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Who Knew: What’s New is Old Again

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This column is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. And that’s great, because while antique sideboards are fine, antique lettuce is not. 

 The discount chain HomeGoods has a time and a place. If you’re looking for mercury glass pumpkins, a decorative sign for a wino pal, or a wobbly lamp, it’s an absolute necessity. I’ll never be mad at cheap housewares, at least not for as long as the trusty Ikea footstool purchased with my 1999 assistant’s salary sits squarely at my feet. I just don’t 100% understand why we’ve started feathering our nests with stuff that was essentially made to be thrown away. 

Look, I’m not going to judge unsustainable decor choices, at least not publicly.

Who Knew: Toto, I Don’t Think We’re Technically in New Canaan Anymore

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‘Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. Generally, this column covers restaurants, activities, shops, and experiences in New Canaan. While Tavern at GrayBarns is technically in Norwalk, don’t tell that to the many New Canaanites who claim it as their hometown’s best special occasion restaurant.  Here’s one for the suggestion box: Unspecial Occasion Dining. 

I’m never mad at birthday dinners, anniversary dates, or the swilling of swanky holiday cocktails while a jazz trio plays nearby. Those are all perfectly fun, if well-trodden, occasions upon which to break out the Dry Clean Only. But I would, and often do, trade every single one of them in for the grown-up thrill of impulsively convening a nice restaurant meal for no reason whatsoever.

Who Knew: Seize the Tomato, New Canaan

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‘Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. It’s worth noting here that, while the Farmer’s Market is a special Saturday ritual, Walter Stewart’s keeps our community going 364 days a year with excellent produce, prepared foods, and THAT chicken dumpling soup. Check out the Connecticut Grown sections in their produce department for a farmer’s market any day of the week. – Laura

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 Growing up in California, I was deeply intrigued by the idea of a life with four distinct seasons. It seemed like living in a movie, having a real-deal Northeastern fall like When Harry Met Sally and a cozy, entrancing winter like, well, like something other than The Shining or Misery, but as a kid, I was super into Stephen King.