The Buzz About Bees Knees Bistro in Wallingford

Driving along Center Street in Wallingford, you can find the Bees Knees Bistro across the street from the post office between North Main Street and Wallace Avenue. With a classic red brick exterior, glowy lanterns, and a string of bistro lights, the Bees Knees Bistro charms you before you even set foot inside. Run by Wallingford-native Jena Schlosser and her two aunts, Patti Schlosser and Catherine (Cathie) Muzio, the neighborhood bistro opened in December of last year. The trio is there every day of the week, working hard and wearing many hats. 

As a women-owned family business, it was only natural that they name the restaurant after their family’s matriarch. “My grandmother used to use the saying ‘you’re the bee's knees’ often. And, we wanted to give homage to her when we were thinking of an idea of what to name the bistro,” Schlosser said. “She actually owned a shop on the same street. She had a love for entrepreneurship and passed that love down to her family.”

The 45-seat family-run bistro serves breakfast and lunch, with a comprehensive coffee and beverage list. With such a large variety of offerings, the bistro is family-friendly (there’s a ‘Honey Bees Menu’ for kiddos under 12 years of age), but also great for casual dining for couples and get-togethers among friends. The Bees Knees team also crafted the menu with dietary restrictions in mind with ample offerings for those following a gluten-free or vegan diet.

To learn more about the Bees Knees and the history behind Wallingford’s newest bistro, we sat down with Schlosser, co-owner and General Manager, and Reagan Wildman, Executive Chef. The two were full of energy and it was clear they really love what they do. When asked how they connected, Schlosser shared a story of fate. “During the renovation process, I met Nick, my tile guy, who brought up that his girlfriend Reagan is a chef. At the time, she worked at a vegan bakery and catering company,” Schlosser said. Upon connecting and learning they were both Johnson & Wales alumni, Schlosser immediately knew she had to extend an offer to Wildman for the Executive Chef position and couldn’t wait to begin menu planning together. 

“For the menu, we try to have a wide variety for dietary restrictions while doing an elevated twist on classics, such as our smash burger, buffalo chicken sandwich, and steak and cheese sandwich,” Schlosser tells CTbites. “We wanted to make a warm, welcoming space for our community centered around high quality food. I love to bring something different for the breakfast and lunch crowd here in Wallingford.”

Chef Wildman and her team make almost everything from scratch and bring in fresh produce, breads, and overall food inventory on a daily basis. All of their spreads, dressings, and condiments are house-made. “For our speciality lattes, we do all cold foams made in house. Currently, we have a raspberry, blueberry, and cookie butter cold foam, all house made. And, we’ll be rotating throughout the seasons,” Chef Wildman says.

The team also tries to source as much locally as they can. For their beverages, Schlosser says they utilize their liquor license to highlight local breweries, ciders, and wines. “We have beer from Center Street Brewing who are our neighbors in Wallingford, Downeast Cider from Boston, and Willoughby's Coffee & Tea in Branford roasts all coffee and espresso beans,” Schlosser says. The burrata, mozzarella, and ricotta come from Liuzzi in Hamden, the sourdough is from Alberto’s Bakery in Meriden, select pastries and sandwich breads are from Bread and Chocolate in Hamden, and the sprouts and microgreens come from Upper Grassy Greens in Woodbury. “Coming in the spring and summer, we aim to work more with local farms in CT,” Schlosser shares. 

The Bees Knees’ breakfast offerings are expansive, ranging from comforting classics, like egg sandwiches and pancakes, to more health-conscious options, like smoothie bowls and toasts. Those with gluten sensitivities can opt for the gluten-free pancake stack or request gluten-free bread for any of the sandwiches. There’s also an option to swap out any of the cheeses for vegan ricotta, cream cheese, feta, or cheddar. 

While all of the Bees Knees offerings are plated beautifully, the breakfast dishes are particularly jaw-dropping. The Wildberry Toast, which was topped with edible flowers and delicate ribbons of mint, was almost too pretty to eat. Served on grilled sourdough and a pillow of whipped Liuzzi ricotta, the white balsamic marinated strawberries packed a punch. That day, Chef Wildman also added house-made honeycomb, which added a wonderful crunch. The Banana Smash Toast was nostalgic and a fun twist on a peanut butter banana sandwich and was topped with a peanut butter drizzle, coconut flakes, local honey, and chia seeds. 

The coffees and hot beverages are an absolute must at the Bees Knees. We had a Berries and Cream Latte, which had an iced vanilla latte base topped with a vibrant purple layer of house-made blueberry cold foam and blueberry syrup, and garnished with violas. While that was the daily special, there’s no shortage of creative drinks on their regular menu. The salted maple latte, honey lavender latte, snickerdoodle latte, and honeynut latte are just a few that caught our eyes.  

The lunch menu currently has five different salads, all with an option to add grilled chicken, crispy tofu, or grilled salmon. The Winter Citrus Burrata Salad served bright charred sumac-spiced blood oranges and cara cara oranges over a bed of arugula. It was light and simple, highlighting quality ingredients like Liuzzi burrata and extra virgin olive oil. The Kale Harvest Salad was a bit heartier with local apples, figs, pomegranate seeds, toasted pepitas, and your choice of cheese. 

All of the sandwiches come with a side of pasta salad that was delightful. While originally Schlosser’s recipe, Wildman has recreated it with ditalini pasta, a dollop of mayo, salt and pepper, celery, red onion, carrot. It has a delightfully strong pepper flavor, a little sweetness from the carrots, and is an overall well-balanced, light side. That being said, you can substitute the pasta salad for french fries, sweet potato fries, or a side salad. 

The Stinger, a buttermilk brined fried chicken sandwich, came on a delicious brioche bun and was flavor-packed. You get sweet and spicy from the buffalo sauce, acidity from the pickles, and creaminess from the house-made ranch. Bees Knees also offers a vegan version of The Stinger with a chickpea patty. The What the Falafel sandwich was a fun take on a traditional falafel pita. Rather than using fried falafel balls, Wildman opted for smashed falafel patties to make it easier to eat and to ensure you get each flavor with each bite. In addition to these two sandwiches, Schlosser says The Carpenter Bee is another fan favorite. It’s similar to a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, but it comes on toasted ciabatta that is slathered with their tomato jam and garlic aioli both made in-house.

And, last but certainly not least, are the house-made cookies that are made daily and rotate based on the Chef’s inspiration. Schlosser says that people come in at 7 o’clock in the morning to snag one before they sell out. We got to try the salted tahini chocolate chip cookie and miso honeycomb cookie, which frankly left us speechless and wondering how soon we can make it back to Wallingford. 

The Bees Knees Bistro offers breakfast Monday through Friday 6am to 11am and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 11am. Lunch is served 11am to 3pm Monday through Friday and 12pm to 3pm on weekends. During the spring, summer, and fall, the Bees Knees will be offering limited outdoor dining, first come, first serve. As a small, cozy space, the Bees Knees does not take reservations at this time

Bees Knees Bistro @beeskneesbistro

350 Center St, Wallingford

(203) 303-1955