Canaan’s new Industry Kitchen & Bar aims to tempt a variety of palates

Arjo, along with his father, Benny, runs Roma Pizza, a popular spot for pies and grinders, a short walk from the new restaurant at 14 Railroad St.

“We have pizzerias, we have Chinese, but we need a place that serves a wide range of food, from Italian to modern American with a touch of creativity, all in a very nice setting.” , said Torrington, 26. resident, who got into the restaurant business by doing the dishes at Roma Pizza when he was just a child.

Arjo and some of his entrepreneur friends have completely emptied the Railroad Street space, a restaurant, and given it a new “industrial” look, but with a sober and very fashionable design. Tables are custom-made, there are metal doors, recycled brick on the walls, a wine cellar, and a vaulted ceiling in the dining room, which is separated from a bar area by a partial wall.

The bar area is also fashionable and trendy, with a metal counter, suspended alcohol shelves, recessed bottom lighting and a corrugated galvanized steel ceiling. The facade of the building facing Bank Street is black on brick.

“We want this place not to be known as a bar, but as a restaurant that has a bar,” said Arjo, who also does a little outsourcing work next door. “We want families to feel comfortable coming here with their children. I can’t stand bad language and bad behavior. We want it to be a special place that I think is really needed in Canaan. “

He hopes to attract locals as well as customers from Litchfield County, Massachusetts and even New York.

“I brought in many local people to build the restaurant and I hope the community will return the favor and support me,” said Arjo.

He’s also busy building a team that he wants to be “a team”, similar to what he and his dad have at Roma Pizza.

“We have people who have been with us for eight years and one who has been with us for 15 years in Roma,” he said. “And I want that same sense of family in the new restaurant.”

Opening a restaurant as the COVID-19 pandemic continues has had its challenges. One of the most important jobs he faces is always finding staff, Arjo said.

“It’s so hard to have people. I need servers, ”he said. “And much of the equipment I needed to open the restaurant had been out of stock for four months or more, which slowed the opening, which I was hoping would happen last June. And the price of meats has been so volatile; this is why we will have to adjust our prices on certain dishes according to the market and availability.

Nevertheless, he is delighted to finally open the doors to the general public.

“We’ve had smooth openings this weekend and if all goes well we hope to open to the general public later this week,” Arjo said last week as he sat in a booth at the restaurant. I couldn’t be happier with the way the place turned out. It’s even better than I imagined.

Chef Julio Nunez keeps track of the back of the house and has developed dishes that aim to appeal to the many and varied palates of the guests who will visit the restaurant, which is close to bustling Bank Street.

“We’ve tried different dishes, tweaked things and seen what’s popular,” said Nunez, who lives in Millerton, NY. “It’s about having a broad menu that will appeal to everyone. We’ve tried things. , some have been popular, some less, so we are changing things.

“I want to prepare food that is fresh and tasty with a minimum of spices which tend to mask the true taste of the food if there is too much of it. We think people will love our menu, ”he said.

The bar will serve specialty cocktails as well as the regular fare.

A peek at the opening menu includes appetizers like Point Judith calamari – crispy calamari with fried cherry peppers and gorgonzola cheese – and buffalo meatballs, meatballs homemade with fried poblano peppers, marinara and whipped ricotta.

There’s the industry chili – homemade chili served with grated cheese, sour cream, and scallions – and an arugula salad with orange slices, candied pecans, beets and goat cheese. fried mixed with honey and tarragon vinaigrette. Salad boosters are always an option. There are a dozen burgers to choose from, along with the industry’s fil-a chicken, wings, and tacos.

An assortment of starters includes multiple cuts of steak, dry-aged pork chops, roast chicken with herbs, Atlantic salmon and pasta dishes including chipotle penne with infused vodka sauce chipotle with fire roasted red peppers and broccoli. A five-cheese mac and cheese, with gobetti pasta in the restaurant’s “Industry” cheese sauce, is served with chili, Buffalo chicken and lobster to complement.

“We don’t know what to expect when we open to the public, but we think we have something special, people seem excited and I knew we are excited to start,” Ajro said.

Visit the restaurant Facebook page at Industry Kitchen & Bar.