Westport Chamber Serves Up Fun, Food At Slice Of Saugatuck Festival

WESTPORT, Conn. — A steady crowd came out to enjoy the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce’s fourth Annual Slice of Saugatuck — sampling specialties from all 26 restaurants in this rejuvenated neighborhood.

Adults listened to the bands dotting area venues and visited the shops, while younger children jumped around in the bouncy toys and older ones gave the climbing tower a go.

Guests purchased $10 “meal tickets” that listed all the restaurants. At every stop, a volunteer server checked off their restaurant’s box. After visiting as many their stomach allowed, visitors provided an email address, dropped the ticket in a collection box and entered a drawing for $25 gift certificates from many of the participating eateries.

The writer and his wife volunteered as servers at Julian’s Brick Oven Pizza — with New Haven-style thin crust, their website reports. Visitors could sample the Pizza Margherita, a cheese, sliced tomatoes, garlic and basil pie, or a “plain” mozzarella and tomato sauce slice, along with a small cup of penne pasta. This one seemed to be a favorite.

Other favorite spots? Tarry Lodge, The Whelk, Kawa Ni — and the ice cream at Saugatuck Sweets — drew praise from the crowd.

Walking around as the afternoon was ending, we enjoyed Dunkin’ Donuts' two seasonal offerings — iced dark brew coffee and a bite of its pumpkin doughnut, then wound up at the Black Duck just in time to help polish off leftover Duck Spicy Wings: Spicy and delicious.

And there was music, music, music. Silver Steel at Bridge Square, Grosvenor Square at the Duck, Suzanne Sheridan at Tarry Lodge, and a half-dozen others were spread throughout Saugatuck. 

A Battle of the Bands featured three groups from Staples High School at Luciano Park, followed by a Voodoo Carnival and Miss Suzy’s Opus to entertain those who stayed late.

The park also hosted Human Foosball and a handful of Maker Faire demonstrations.

It was a great afternoon, as the forecasted rain skirted Westport, visitors enjoyed treats from the restaurants, and the money raised funded a donation by the Chamber of Commerce to Homes With Hope’s Gillespie Center Food Pantry.

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