Who Knew: Taking the Eight Sandwich Challenge

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‘Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. Once upon a time, men dressed like Cary Grant, and sandwiches were what people ate for lunch. From kindergarten classrooms to corporate boardrooms, one could observe people at midday consuming an ingeniously portable combination of ‘bread’ and ‘things.’ There was an order to life, and while I’m not suggesting that correlation is causation, it’s worth noting that, back when we all ate sandwiches, nobody wore Celtics jerseys on airplanes or flossed their teeth on the subway. 



Perhaps it’s a profusion of choice–granted, much of it positive and health-minded—that’s gotten us away from such norms. Kindergarteners, if Instagram is to be believed, now dine on elaborate bento boxes of hand-shelled edamame, hummus, and gluten-free, organic pretzels. Office folks can now Uber Eats an uninspired hexagonal tub from Sweetgreen, undertip the guy in the lobby, and sprint back to volley emails into oblivion. 

It’s also the sandwich’s fault, or at least the modern fast-casual incarnation of the sandwich’s fault, that our ardor for a handheld square of lunchtime bliss has cooled. Have you ever been to a Panera?

Business

Town Officials Approve Outdoor Location for Walk-In Fridge at Silvermine Market (Expanded Menu To Follow)

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Town officials on Monday approved a request from the owner of Silvermine Market to locate a new walk-in refrigerator permanently outside his 1895 building, freeing up more kitchen space inside for a soon-to-expand menu. Noting the narrow lot at 1032 Silvermine Road and saying that the market has coexisted with the Silvermine Arts Guild next-door for many decades, the Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 in favor of granting a variance (which was needed because the walk-in unit is located within a side yard setback). The market’s owner for nearly 10 years, Lou Aloupis, said that following an approximately $25,000 interior renovation, the kitchen has a new hood, grill and pizza oven. He and Chef Scott Kaluczky are perfecting their homemade Neapolitan pizza-making process now and plan to offer it on their menu after Labor Day, and also will add freshly grilled burgers and hot dogs after September, Aloupis said. Silvermine Market customers “are all excited,” he said Tuesday afternoon during the lunch rush.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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Scroll through the gallery above to view five new signs and awnings that soon will appear in downtown New Canaan, following approval Tuesday night by the Planning & Zoning Commission. ***

“I’m for toilet equality.”—That’s what Town Hall Building Committee member Kathleen Corbet had to say about a matter that came to the forefront in the weeks after Town Hall reopened following an $18 million renovation and expansion. The architects on the project created two water closets but no urinals in the men’s rooms, citing space and compliance issues. For the record, fellow committee member Neil Budnick said: “I don’t see what the big deal is.”

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A mixed-breed dog struck by a car near the intersection of Oenoke Ridge and Country Club Roads last Wednesday around 2:15 p.m. appears to be faring OK after the animal was brought to Cornell Veterinary Hospital in Stamford. ***

This week, 31 New Canaan kids attended a basketball camp in Stroudsburg, Pa.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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We’re hearing that the wonderful New Canaan Beautification League hosted its second annual Mead Park Breakfast on a recent sunny morning, as a way to say ‘Thank You’ to town employees including many DPW crewmen for their support and partnership in making our village lovely throughout the year (see gallery above). The event was held in the colonnade at Mead Park (a popular spot that had been WPA-era children’s wading pool, originally). Recognized at a recent Town Council meeting for its effective local work, the nonprofit organization creates the hanging baskets downtown and manages many of the traffic triangles around New Canaan. “This non-profit organization of volunteers is open to all, whether for social, civic-minded or educational purposes,” league memberts tell us. “No green thumb is necessary.

Around Town

New Canaan’s Top-10 Sandwiches

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There is an amazing ratio of sandwiches to people here in New Canaan. So amazing, that a couple of places (most notably the Best Würst and the Forest St. Deli) closed while we compiled this list. It’s important to note that this specific list was relegated to counter service restaurants or delis only. We are well aware of many of the amazing sandwiches that are served at traditional sit-down restaurants here in town.