Chef Dan Kardos Opens Café Melba in Milford

Roasted lamb rack chops - roasted cauliflower, oyster mushrooms, red wine jus

No outside signage. No phone number. No problem.

Aside from a fair number of whiny complaints (you know who you are), Dan Kardos’ newly opened restaurant, Café Melba, is doing just fine.

People are finding it, you know, by using Google Maps, that useful app on our cell phones.

So…you’re telling me there is a sign.

Just grabbing a drink? A drink and a few small plates? There are lounge areas for that if you don’t want a table or a bar seat.

For Kardos, he found the space, right next to a Dollar General, a while ago. The only problem was, it was occupied by a juice bar.

“I was always looking for something low key and close to me,” he says. “I drove by it a lot and thought if it ever became available, it would be a good neighborhood spot. My wife, Julie, and I took a vacation, like a belated honeymoon, and we spent a couple weeks in Europe, starting in Paris and made our way to Budapest. We went to café after café, and lots of cool bars. It would be cool if a place like this existed by us.”

Another lounge area in the back is decorated with stadium seats and airplane seats. That’s a rotary phone, if some generations require clarification.

Most of the art on the walls is either from Kardos’ travels or it’s local, free of price tags, because it’s stuff he likes. “A lot of it is done by John Tarka, who has done a lot of the art at my previous restaurants,” he says. “I could be one of those places that has art hanging up with price tags on it. I bought it because I like it and it keeps the ecosystem going.”

One random day, Kardos’ wish came true. He saw someone outside the space ready to put a “for lease” sign up. She ended up being the property manager, and he told her, “You don’t need to look any further.”

Right around a year ago in January of 2023, Kardos and his landlord reached a verbal agreement, then a few days later he signed all the paperwork, then he got right to work renovating the space with the help of one of his former Make-A-Wish culinary mentees, Hunter, who painted the entire place and helped him with all the necessary renovations.

Shishitos, sweet soy sauce, kewpie mayo, sesame seeds

While getting the space up to snuff, Kardos kept pretty busy by teaching mozzarella lovers all over Connecticut how to pull their own cheese with hands-on classes.

“Over 12,000 people have attended a class,” he says. “It helped pay for different things and equipment in the restaurant. People really enjoyed them because they’re not meant to be mega serious. It’s a fun activity, you learn a little history, and learn the entry level process that goes into stretching and making fresh mozzarella. No disrespect to paint and sip classes, but you do that, throw it in your garage or basement. In this case, you take your cheese home and you eat it.”

Even though Kardos opened Café Melba, his first sole restaurant venture, in the last quarter of 2023, mozzarella classes, both on the road and at his spot, will continue.

When he’s not teaching people how to pull cheese, Kardos is cooking Thursday through Sunday at Café Melba, a place that he’s dubbed, “a workshop.”

Those who have followed Kardos’ cooking career, especially in the past 7 – 8 years, back when he helped reopen Liberty Rock Tavern in Milford, then moved on to bring Stratford Oar & Oak and its fast casual sibling, Oar & Oak Birdhouse, should be able to guess that there’s a fried chicken sandwich on the menu that’s very similar to those of the past; a juicy, crispy Bell & Evans breast, pickled, pickled jalapeños, cheese, bacon, and homemade ranch on Texas toast. 

“There will always be staples and there will always be a version of a chicken sandwich and a bar burger,” Kardos explains. “Seasonally, other stuff will change. Expect a piece of fish and a steak, but the components will change. I want it to be approachable and familiar, but with a twist that makes it not boring. All plates are small to medium and it’s meant for you to order a few things and share.”

Sometimes you need light, and that’s where expert light holder, and Director of the Westport Farmers Market, Lori Cochran Dougall comes in handy.

Caramelized fig toast - whipped blue cheese, aged balsamic, pistachios, arugula

The menu—based on Kardos’ experience in the industry, combined with his inspiration from travels, and his tweaks on those dishes—have included country fried quail with sausage gravy and grits, cheese ravioli and beef Bolognese, and plenty of others with origins in French, Mediterranean, American, and Italian cooking. Steak has been served as a cut with pan sauce and crispy potatoes, but it has also been on the menu as an order of tacos. Salmon has made an appearance in several ways; blackened with grits and bacon braised green beans, and even Dijon rubbed with crunchy bread crumbs and creamed spinach.

In a nutshell, Café Melba’s style is whatever Kardos wants it to be.

But once we’re past winter… there’s a whole courtyard that’s part of Café Melba that’s going to be something, too.

“I have this courtyard, beverage garden that seats 250-plus,” Kardos says. “It won’t just be beer. It’ll be chill with relaxed live music, lobster bakes, all kinds of stuff as the weather becomes appropriate for it. I want it to be family oriented. Kid friendly outside, adult oriented inside where it’s very much a European style café and bar.”

Roasted scallops - cauliflower puree, bacon, sage, hazelnuts

As for the present, Kardos did mention that while they’re open on Sundays, a lot of private events are already on the books. Check Café Melba’s Instagram for any updates. And while they don’t take reservations for parties less than 10 people, you should be able to walk right in, especially right at opening or if you show up after prime-time dinner hours.

And now, back to that whole deal about Café Melba getting a sign. There is one, it’s just inside the restaurant, currently on the floor, in the back of the restaurant, leaning up against a wall. Kardos is has no plans to hang it up.

“Nah, never,” he says. “It ended up becoming a troll level of marketing. People would come in and say they couldn’t find it. But you did…because you’re here…You only have to find it once.”

232 Melba Street, Milford
cafemelbact.com
But it’s best to direct your inquiries to Instagram @cafemelbact