Chef Bill Taibe Opens All Day Cafe at The Norwalk Art Space

It’s always exciting to hear about a new concept opening from one of your favorite CT chefs, but it is even more exciting when that chef partners with a groundbreaking philanthropic organization on a mission to educate young adults and celebrate local artists, while creating a free destination for fine art and music in the city of Norwalk.

Chef Bill Taibe and his team (Andrea Dinan, Caitlin McGowan and Kelly Clement) have officially opened the doors to their brand new Art Space Cafe, located inside the breathtakingly beautiful Norwalk Art Space. The Cafe will be open for breakfast and lunch, 9am-4pm, just steps away from Norwalk’s Waypointe and downtown SoNo. The Art Space Cafe is an order-at-the-counter, casual affair, and will likely become a go-to spot for breakfast meetings, grabbing a quick latte, or a lunch hang in the serene sundrenched dining space.

Surrounded by works of art from The Art Space’s resident artists and fellows, and curated by museum Director, Duvian Montoya, diners can enjoy their meal in a gallery overlooking the main exhibition space. True to both Taibe’s and Norwalk Art Space’s founder, Alexandra Korry’s vision, the cafe purposefully highlights local Connecticut culinary artisans and products. But, aside from the commitment to community, Taibe’s menu is just straight up delicious. When I asked him how he came up with the concept for the cafe’s offerings, as I suspected, it reflects the food Taibe likes to eat himself. Guests will find lighter simpler fare, with exceptional CT sourced ingredients that the team has used in creative ways to craft their all day dining menu.

[NOTE: Before we launch into the food, in full disclosure, I’m writing this article while clutching their Hoodoo Brown Smoked Turkey Sandwich (c/o Hoodoo Brown) in one hand, and typing with the other. ]

And now, back to the the menu, which is broken into four categories depending on your cravings. These are: Eggs + Grains + Salads; Sandwiches; Breads + Toasts and Pastry + Cookies. Morning begins at 9am, where guests can enjoy the full line of baked goods c/o Flour Water Salt in Darien, featuring Rob VanKeuren’s famous Bombolini, croissants, and croissinamon rolls. The pastry offerings will change daily based on what Rob’s making in the bakery that morning. You will also find Kelly Clement’s wonderful @kisforcookies GF cookies on this sweets menu.

To get the day started, The Art Space Cafe serves the full espresso & tea service with all the usual suspects, but Taibe pushes the boundaries with a few very unique beverages that are worth noting…and drinking. The “What Bill’s Having” (seen above) was my personal favorite, an iced combo of Matcha, pistachio milk, a shot of espresso, with luxardo cherries dropped in. This play on the “Dirty Matcha” is visually stunning as the cherries create red streaks throughout the drink, almost working to match the art in the room. It’s totally unique and darn good. They also make beautiful Turmeric Lattes as well as Chai and Matcha…all served hot and cold.

In addition to the coffee and tea service, there are a few unique items in the Refreshments section that are pretty special. Both freshly “Juiced” beverages are definitely worth an order. The Avocado has quickly become a daily craving for me, a light refreshing iced drink featuring avocado, lemon, coconut water and aloe gel. Another mandatory order is the fresh Carrot Juice (it’s not your average juice, as it has been thickened with coconut yogurt) with an unexpected and satisfying heat from longshot chilis. And for the kids…Blue Moo with Dr. Seuss vibes from the blue butterfly pea powder, as well as a Choco Moo, both made with cashew milk.

Moving into the Eggs, Grains & Salads section, there are Pecorino Scrambled Eggs with add-ins including CT based Riverbank Farm’s Golden Kimchee (apparently Taibe puts this on just about everything at home), warm green peas, or cultured cottage cheese, as well as breakfast greats including: Pineapple Chia and Overnight Oat Milk Muesli as well as some lovely locally sourced salads. They also have a cheese plate curated by Darien Cheese Shop. When I asked Bill what his biggest breakfast seller was in week two, he reported that the Wild Rice & Eggs with pickled chilis, avocado and cabbage was the current winner.

In the Sandwich section, things really start to get exciting. Let’s break it down. A great sandwiches requires a great bread and these elegantly stacked sandwiches are mounted on locally sourced IdyllWild naturally leavened organic bread. What’s nice about this partnership is that each sandwich is paired with a unique bread variety that enhances the flavor of its interior elements. The Avocado, Tofu, Queso sammy as well as the Tuna Salad appear on Idyllwild’s Alp Blossom toast, while the Mozzarella Sandwich with Pistachio Pesto is embedded in Sesame & Gochujang bread. And the above mentioned Turkey Sandwich with smoky turkey c/o HooDoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield, Kimchee, and Bomba Mayo is on a subtly rich Black Bread that supports the lightly smoked meat and fermented kimchee. Each component for every one of the Art Space Cafe sandwiches is unique, local, perfect in their own right, and when the flavors are layered, they merge to create something beautiful.

And then there are the Breads & Toasts. On a recent visit, we went with the AB, T & J (Almond Butter, Tahini, Red Plum Jam, Chocolate Malt Bread). To say that this was delicious would be an understatement. The jelly is hand made by team member, Caitlin McGowan, and is less sweet than your average jam.
Paired with the savory, slightly bitter tahini and the lightly sweet chocolate bread, we are approaching dessert territory but somehow this sandwich never quite gets there, as the toast remains a wonderful balance of salty and sweet. We have no words for the Croissant “French Toast.” Just order it, and grab the decadent PB & J on a croissant for your little one.

The bottom line? Just go eat for yourself. And while you’re there check out the incredible Norwalk Art Space founded and built by Alexandra Davern Korry, a trailblazing M&A lawyer, educator, civil rights advocate, and philanthropist. This entire project is a huge gift to our community. Alexandra’s goals in creating and funding The Norwalk Art Space were to enhance opportunities and equity in the local arts community by promoting  local artists, offering free educational opportunities to underserved students, and providing the public a beautiful, welcoming space to enjoy art and music.  The ADK House, which was named for Alexandra, includes a museum, sculpture garden and studios for artists, as well as a classroom and workspaces for students.   The Norwalk Art Space’s music events and classes will be open to the public free of charge.  

For more information on our exhibits, classes, music, cafe and more visit www.thenorwalkartspace.org or email info@thenorwalkartspace.org

Hours of operation:

Wednesday - Sunday 11am - 6pm

Monday and Tuesday - Closed

Cafe Hours 

Wednesday - Sunday 9am - 4pm

Monday and Tuesday - Closed

Additional Parking in Matthews Park

The Art Space Cafe / The Norwalk Art Space are located in ADK House at 455 West Avenue, Norwalk Connecticut.