At Paloma, a restaurant in Stamford”™s Harbor Point, the celebrity of owner Aarón Sánchez, the location and the Latin cuisine have proved a recipe for success.
Sánchez, known for starring in the Food Network TV show “Chopped,” is chef/partner at Paloma, a 250-seat, two-story restaurant in a glass building overlooking the water. Chris Bateman, the chef de cuisine, said Paloma has been busy since opening a little more than a year ago, attracting fans of Sánchez who become fans of the food.
Paloma has outdoor seating with wooden tables and flower benches on the dock and upstairs on a terrace. Indoors, the decoration is a mix of modern and rustic elements with polished concrete floors. There is a stone-facade bar near the entrance. Upstairs, a fireplace and a private dining room can be used for private events.
- Diners in the outdoor, dockside dining area at Paloma. Photo by Danielle Brody
Bateman said the restaurant is family-friendly and most diners come from throughout the county and from New York. Paloma serves dinner on Mondays, lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Fridays and brunch and dinner on weekends.
On a Tuesday night in July, Paloma hosted some 150 diners, Bateman said. On Fridays and Saturdays the restaurant sees 400 to 500 people. Sunday brunch is very popular, he added.
“A year later that”™s a really good sign,” Bateman said.
Bateman, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the restaurant, has been with Paloma since its beginning. Coming from working at the Four Seasons in Hawaii, he said his new work environment is more fast-paced and requires changing the menu every few months.
This summer he is adjusting the menu, taking some dishes off and adding options with seasonal ingredients like watermelon and peaches, Bateman said.
The restaurant offers cocktails from the fully stocked bar, meats from the wood-fired grill and seafood from the raw bar. Some dishes include braised short ribs, shrimp cevice and Mexican street corn. Prices range from $8 for desserts, $9 to $19 for appetizers and $20 to $42 for entrees.
Bateman said he and Sánchez collaborate on the menu and put their own spin on traditional dishes.
“We try to spice it up and change things to make it a little bit different,” Bateman said. “We try to have some fun with the food.”
