Baldanza Moves to Wilton & Takes Over The Schoolhouse

School is officially back in session in the Cannondale neighborhood of Wilton. We’re not talking education but rather The Schoolhouse’s new “teachers,” Angela and Sandy Baldanza and their son, Alex.

Before the family’s move to the historic Cannondale School, they were restaurantless. No, you aren’t crazy to imagine that they had a few restaurants at one point. They owned and operated Baldanza Cafe for 8 ½ years in New Canaan with six of those spent where SE The Back End is now. They even ran Baldanza Bistro in Darien behind Ten Twenty Post.

Visitors to Baldanza at The Schoolhouse might recognize a few familiar faces from The Schoolhouse at Cannondale while dining. “After we signed the lease, we went to Craft 14 for lunch and we recognized Mario and he recognized us,” Angela says. “We told him we signed the lease and hired him and his brother, Lauro, immediately. They worked for Tim (Labant) for a long time.”

“When COVID hit, we closed that space (Darien) because it was too small for outdoor seating,” Angela says. “We took a lease at 21 Forest (in New Canaan). A few months in, we received complaints from the condo board there. We cut our losses there and our Darien lease ended. And we only left 17 Elm because of the place in Darien, so we were left with no restaurants at all.”

Cue the 1872 building we’ve all known as The Schoolhouse at Cannondale under Tim LaBant and most recently the home of Hugh Mangum’s popular Rise Doughnut pop-up who subleased from LaBant for a year. LaBant, who had a 14-year run at The Schoolhouse decided not to renew for a few reasons. “I left to focus on Parlor Wilton and the new Parlor Darien,” he says. “My lease was up and in these crazy times, I decided not to renew.”

All of the moving, and the closings, led to a coincidence.

Schoolhouse Salad with crispy chicken and avocado

Beet salad

“Ironically, Tim has our old spot in Darien where he opened Parlor and we took over The Schoolhouse on July 1,” Angela says. “Here we are, and we love being here. Sandy and I used to come here for dinner when we had a break from our restaurant. We love Tim.”

At this iteration of Baldanza, diners can anticipate a local, organic, and homemade approach. Brioche and Tuscan bread are sourced from Balthazar Bakery, while the naturally leavened, freshly milled sourdough comes from 123Dough Bakery in Pound Ridge. They also get seasonal produce from Connecticut farms, citing Wilton’s own Ambler Farm as a primary supplier and seafood is by way of New Wave Seafood in Stamford.

Bolognese is a staple at Baldanza

Beef, pork, and veal meatballs cooked the old school way…in the sauce!

The approach to “local and fresh” applies in the kitchen where Baldanza’s longtime chef, Rodrigo Pacheco executes a menu mostly curated by Angela and Sandy. Pasta, as you’ll see in a hearty pappardelle Bolognese, is made in-house, as is the fluffy ricotta gnocchi tossed in roasted tomato vodka sauce, the cheese ravioli, and the tagliatelle caprese with buffala mozzarella and cherry tomato sauce.

But it’s not all pasta. Baldanza’s menu has range. You’ll see healthy (and stunningly presented) salads and a lengthy lunch menu of sandwiches and a grass-fed Niman Ranch burger with bacon-onion jam and hand-cut fries that’s offered for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Much of Angela and Sandy’s menu is made up of a lot of their favorite dishes, some of it was inspired by their respective Italian upbringings (Angela’s father and grandfather were chefs and she won Cooks vs Cons in 2016) and their past life in the New York City fashion industry when the couple worked for Jones Apparel. “We modeled the menu around everything we love to eat,” Angela says. “We make Bergdorf Goodman’s Fifth Avenue Salad and we used to have their cauliflower steak years ago. The chef there gave us the recipes because we liked it so much.”

While most portions are plentiful, Baldanza doesn’t stop with salads and carbs. A trio of fish dishes, a prime NY strip, a double-cut Berkshire porkchop, and chicken Milanese are offered as dinnertime entrées.

Alex Baldanza told us that the cocktails and beer will switch as the seasons do. Think ales in the summer, stouts in the winter.

Stay for dessert!

Baldanza at The Schoolhouse is open Wednesday through Friday for lunch and dinner and on weekends for brunch and dinner with plenty of outdoor patio seating with heaters coming for when chillier weather sets in, plus they have an outdoor hearth to help keep you toastier.

Since they’ve just debuted in Wilton, the Baldanzas are hoping to pass on their favorite local, homemade fare to a new customer base. We’re sure their loyal clientele from all those years in New Canaan and Darien combined will have no trouble making the short trip over.

34 Cannon Road; Wilton
203.309.5777; https://baldanzarestaurants.com/