Ed. Note: This is the second in a series on local business, in a partnership between the Voice and the Economic Development Commission.
Picture it: work’s done for the day, and you and your Circle of Friends, or you and that Special Someone – are ready for a fun evening in the wilds of West Haven. There are several options for your Night Out pleasure, and the Economic Development Commission would like to spotlight just a couple for your edification.
Let’s begin on Captain Thomas Boulevard at the Savin Rock Roasting Company, long revered for delicious fare. Owner and manager Ryan Collier inherited the restaurant from his father and stepmother, who opened it 14 years ago.
“We’re from West Haven, born and raised – all of our homes are in West Haven – it was really a no-brainer” to open in the city, Collier says.
SRRC specializes in their own roast beef and pastrami roasted in-house, as well as dishes with an Italian flair. Collier says that the chicken carbonara is one of his most popular dishes, although the restaurant’s giant, juicy meatballs and the eye of beef give that creamy poultry a lot of competition. All of SRRC’s salad dressings and desserts are made in house as well. Collier says that this attention to homemade quality, and the freshness of the ingredients, are what set the restaurant apart.
Additionally, one of the place’s greatest strengths is its neighborhood vibe. There are plenty of regulars. One can only imagine Norm Peterson (“Norm!”) would feel as at home here as he did at Cheers.
“People enjoy the crowd…and people who greet you by name when you walk in,” Collier smiles.
On Tuesday nights, SRRC hosts Trivia Night. It starts at 7 p.m., and there are prizes for 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place winners. The contest is run by Best Trivia Ever, a professional company that does 80-100 shows per month around the state. Collier says that the contest attracts quite a crowd. Patrons can play in the lounge area, at the bar, or in the dining room. And if you’re still wondering if you want to make your night out a trivia night at SRRC, as Collier continued speaking about it, one of the regulars overheard and exclaimed from across the lounge, “Everyone has such a good time!” And thus the people have spoken!
A short distance away up on Jones Hill Road, Mark Laoue presides over the Off-Shore restaurant, another hot spot for West Haven night out fun. Laoue worked as a bartender at the location when it was Dibs, and bought it 28 years ago. Also a West Haven native with lifelong ties to town, it was natural for him to choose the city for his business.
Popular specialties at Off-Shore include the Chicken Off-Shore (sauteed with onions, mushrooms and cherry peppers), shrimp scampi, and the omnipopular New York strip steak. There’s also a wide variety of sandwiches and appetizers on a full menu. From the gooey block of fried mozzarella to the rich pasta sauce to the popular hand-pounded, hand-breaded chicken tender appetizer (big enough to be a meal) and the rest of its fare, Off Shore also prides itself on offering housemade selections.
Laoue says that people come back for the food, as well as the newly expanded outdoor patio – and let’s not forget the entertainment.
Every Friday night from 9 to 2, Off-Shore offers karaoke with Jimmy D., who boasts a long history of being a premier karaoke emcee. Laoue says that karaoke attracts a good-sized crowd every week – approximately eighty singers and listeners on a normal Friday night crooning and rocking into the wee hours. Off-Shore also periodically hosts bands – popular local bands as well as special visitors which have included the backup for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels as well as The Chords, The Academics and The Five Satins. And, Laoue also hosts outdoor parties during the year – Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 3, and a doo wop party in August. He also holds an outdoor fireworks party, which will be held on Sept. 3 this year celebrating the Centennial Fireworks.
Laoue says that people “like the relaxed atmosphere, where they can eat, drink and listen to music” at a place which was ranked 84th in the United States among small privately-owned business that offer entertainment.
Time to grab those friends and dates and head out – great food and drink and a fun time will be had by all, no questions asked. Except for those trivia questions, of course.