Fairfield's Gabagool Wine Bar Serves Up Fun With Italian Cuisine

FAIRFIELD, CT — When a busted upstairs pipe flooded Toto Restaurant in January 2022, owner, Antonio Ninivaggi, thought he would have the formal, white table-cloth eatery back up and running relatively quickly.

But the water damage was more serious than he anticipated at the 70 Reef Road restaurant.

"It took a year to reopen," Ninivaggi told Patch. "We thought it would take a couple of months to repair, but it took a full year."

The long delay gave Ninivaggi time to rethink the restaurant's concept, and the father of seven thought back to the early months of the pandemic, when his whole family was together.

"I wanted to create something more casual, more family oriented," Ninivaggi said. "Toto had been a success for seven years, but I wanted to make something with faster, simpler foods instead of fine dining. Something with more sharing, and more fun."

And Gabagool Wine Bar was created. Last week, the restaurant held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to christen the rebranded eatery, attended by First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick and others.

"We hope you have much success," Kupchick told Ninivaggi. "As we like to say, your success is Fairfield's success."

Gabagool offers classic Italian cuisine with lots of small plate foods, a host of gluten-free dishes, and a bar area that can seat nine.

"We feature staples on our menu like our signature 'Panzerottini,' grilled mortadella and Orecchiette Bolognese," the restaurant's website reads.

In addition to the delicious food, the restaurant also serves up fun in the form of "mugshots" that patrons can take in front of a lineup painted on a wall.

The staff will take the instant photos, with customers holding funny "crime" placards, such as "Saucy & Bossy," "Total Diva" and "Party Crasher."

"I want people to laugh and have fun," Ninivaggi told Patch. "Oh, and don't forget to write that we're hiring."

Gabagool is open from noon to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. Visit the website, www.gabagoolwinebar.com, for the full menu and more information.