Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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Studio Elan, an established business on Burtis Avenue, is moving into the former Candy Scoop space on Elm Street, up the alley by Chef Luis and next to New Canaan Music. ***

New Canaan Public Schools cafeterias recently earned the No. 1 “Best Food Ranking” from Niche.com. Here’s a peek at the top-10 (Darien is No. 23—nanny nanny boo boo):

New Canaan
Middlefield
Weston
Westport
Wilton
Chester
Killingly
Waterford
Simsbury
Glastonbury

***

Police responded to a call at 1:28 p.m. last Saturday that a dog near Forest Street and Locust Avenue was “going crazy in a car.” The dog’s owner, who was inside the nearby New Canaan Diner, paid her bill and left the restaurant to take care of the barking animal.

Around Town

Parks Officials Support May 22 and Oct. 16 Caffeine & Carburetors at Waveny

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Following a successful trial of two Caffeine & Carburetors gatherings at Waveny in 2015 that yielded zero complaints, the event’s founder on Wednesday night secured support from parks officials to pursue two more dates this year. The Park & Recreation Commission voted overwhelmingly in favor of May 22 and Oct. 16 for Caffeine & Carburetors at Waveny—both Sunday mornings. Commissioner Jason Milligan was the sole member of Park & Rec not voting in favor of the event. Doug Zumbach, owner of the eponymous gourmet coffee shop on Pine Street where Caffeine & Carburetors was born as a far smaller gathering of automotive enthusiasts, told the commission at its regular monthly meeting that he’s already garnered Police Commission support for April 17 and Sept.

Around Town

PHOTOS: Caffeine & Carburetors Wraps Up 2015 Season with Strong Turnout at Waveny

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Antique, classic, muscle, racing and speciality car enthusiasts descended on Waveny Park on a crisp, cool autumn morning Sunday for 2015’s final Caffeine & Carburetors gathering. Town officials had approved four installments this year of the popular event, launched by New Canaan’s Doug Zumbach and sponsored primarily by Bankwell (whose Lucy French provided us the photo at right), between April and October: two downtown and two at Waveny. After foul weather forced a cancellation of the September gathering downtown, thousands of spectators ventured to the park. Town resident and collector Peter Bush of The Fox 95.9 FM took to the microphone to emcee the event, tapping an encyclopedic knowledge of autos to describe many of the cars parked in the forecourt of Waveny House and elsewhere, while spectators sipped coffee—much of it purchased from Zumbach’s eponymous gourmet shop, which operated a stand near the center of the action—leash-walked their dogs, shot photos and video, talked shop and connected with fellow enthusiasts. Zumbach estimated the crowd at 3,000 to 3,5000 and the car count was at 800-plus.

Around Town

SLIDESHOW: Caffeine & Carburetors Opens 2015 Season Downtown

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Thousands of car enthusiasts joined local families, business owners and volunteers on Pine and Elm Streets Sunday morning for the first Caffeine & Carburetors of 2015. Sponsored by Bankwell and Hagerty Insurance, the popular gathering of classic and specialty car enthusiasts—founded by New Canaanite Doug Zumbach, owner of the eponymous gourmet coffee shop at Pine and Grove—saw camera-toting spectators, many of them families with kids and dogs, strolling around downtown New Canaan under clear, sunny skies. “I want to thank everyone who participated—CERT, New Canaan Police Department, all the commissions that approved us, Mother Nature and everyone who is enjoying the show,” Zumbach said, noting that the April gathering includes partners on Elm Street such as New Canaan Library, New Canaan Society for the Arts and the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce. “Bankwell is pleased to sponsor Caffeine & Carburetors,” said Elizabeth Buzzeo, branch manager in New Canaan. “It’s a great local event and a great way to get people out on a nice sunny day.

Around Town

‘Va Va Vroom’ Opens at Carriage Barn Arts Center [PHOTOS]

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Dozens of patrons of a widely anticipated new show at Carriage Barn Arts Center got a sneak peek Saturday evening during a special Patron Preview Opening Reception. “Va Va Vroom! The Art of the Vehicle” will run April 19 to June 14, with the correlating Monaco Grand Prix Fundraiser (tickets here) scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 16. Featuring contemporary paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures by 35 artists from Connecticut and New York as well as vintage advertising posters, motorcycles and car models, the show celebrates the 1895-built Carriage Barn’s own heritage as the Lapham family’s garage for horses, carriages and cars. With live tunes from New Canaan Music playing in the background and three vintage motorcycles from Buzz Kanter on stage, guests mingled over small bites and wine on a picture-perfect evening, greeted by a row of classic cars outside including from Caffeine & Carburetors (it’s on tomorrow morning, downtown) founder Doug Zumbach and “The Drive through Waveny: A Vehicular Timeline” series of poster boards, from Rose Scott Long of the New Canaan Preservation Alliance.