NORWALK – The Washington Street Historic District has live music once again as the restaurant Music & Industry opened at 136 Washington St. last month.
Restauranteur Jody Pennette brought the edgy Greenwich Village-type music venue and eatery to South Norwalk on Nov. 15 as an homage to the SoNo of the 1990s and early 2000s. Pennette books up-and-coming musicians to play at the new venue in the hopes of being noticed by record label talent reps.
“Music & Industry is where our fellow music and hospitality industry friends can come jam, end their shift or their gig with a cocktail and bite to eat, unwind from the night, and feel that they have a place that speaks to them, “says Pennette, a musician himself. “This is a place that will resonate with anyone who craves great food and entertainment with a social ethos that creates a community.”
Music & Industry is part of a 27 property property portfolio that AGW SONO Partners acquired. The properties are comprised of 26 contiguous ground floor commercial condominium units and a three-story office building. It spans over 500 linear feet along Washington Street, and features uses including restaurants, retailers, creative spaces, office and more. Located in a highly-preserved waterfront historic district, the portfolio benefits from rich history, prewar architecture, commutability into Manhattan, and over 15 neighboring new-construction apartment buildings. AGW is the largest owner of street-level retail space in the City of Norwalk.
The kitchen at Music & Industry is led by Chef Jacob Rait II, whose kitchen cred includes The Chelsea in Fairfield, Cask Republic in Stamford, and Mezon Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Danbury. The menu runs the gamut from fanciful (osetra caviar, moules frites, Provencal onion tart, and duck cassoulet) to more current versions of Haute French cuisine (French onion dip with chips, disco poutine, and a Maison smash burger). Creative cocktails are named in the spirit of rock classics, including Love Me Tender, Smoke on the Water, Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon, and Kiss and Fly.
The Music & Industry design aesthetic is that of a French bistro. Dark wood furnishings fill the dining room. Globe light fixtures hang over the zinc countertop bar. The walls are adorned with rock royalty pics and vintage music venue flyers.
Pennette has gone to great lengths to produce a music venue that respects talent, building a stage and sound system that musicians can rely on and be seen and heard in the best possible light for an intimate club setting. Bands perform nightly. Musician and seasoned restaurant industry professional Tor Newcomer is the general manager.
