“By day, an Arthur Avenue-style sandwich shop. By night, an elevated dining destination and private membership.”
So says the website for Josie & Tony’s, which has just opened the gourmet Italian delicatessen part at 20 N. Main St. in South Norwalk. The deli offers hot and cold sandwiches made on local breads from Wave Hill, alongside homemade mozzarella, fresh pasta, cured meats, rainbow cookie desserts, specialty sodas, coffee and other Arthur Avenue-inspired products. Hot sandwiches include chicken parmigiana, Italian dip, meatball parmigiana, sausage and peppers and roasted vegetables. Cold sandwiches include Italian combo, spicy soppressata, Caprese and Italian tuna salad.
“The deli will be something the whole community can enjoy, and we look forward to expanding our services to include catering and boat provisioning this summer,” said owner Joshua Mesnik. It will also be the face of the Josie & Tony’s Pasta Club, a subscription-based service offering fresh pasta and sauce to cook at home.
In December, Mesnik, a sommelier who has run some of the top wine lists in Connecticut, New York City and Florida, opened the restaurant portion of Josie & Tony’s with 50 founding members – it being the first membership hospitality concept of its kind in Fairfield County.
“I wanted to bring something to the area that felt like New York City,” said Mesnik. “Our restaurant is a modern fantasy reminiscent of a timeless classic inspired by the traditional supper club model. As a child, I grew up frequenting old-school, red sauce joints with my family — the type of restaurants where the maître d’ knew your name and drink order.”
Membership at Josie & Tony’s offers patrons access to advanced reservations, including guaranteed reservations within 24 hours; a discount for the first 24 months of membership; a private concierge text service; preferential table placement; an option for house accounts; personalized table placards; complimentary menu additions; monthly wine education classes; and exclusive member-only nights and private events. Additionally, members have a caricature displayed in the restaurant, drawn by artist Mark Hill, formerly of Pixar. The menu focuses on classic Italian dishes prepared with a modern sensibility and boasts a world-class wine program.
Mesnik’s early career included front-of-house roles in high-volume luxury concepts in Manhattan such as Sushi Samba and Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. Along the way, he discovered a passion for wine and interned with master sommelier Virginia Philip at the Breakers in Palm Beach. As his career developed, he went on to serve as the lead sommelier at The Standard Highline, The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island and the White Elephant on Nantucket.
For more, visit josieandtonys.com.
