Romanacci Craft Bar & Kitchen Opens In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Ricci brothers, Maurizio and Graziano, may have grown up in Italy, but it's safe to say that they have definitely made Fairfield County their home.

This month, the brothers opened their seventh Italian eatery in Fairfield County, the new Romanacci Craft Bar & Kitchen at 116 Post Road in Fairfield.

The brothers have Romanacci locations in Norwalk, Trumbull and Westport, which has two sites. Additionally, the brothers also have two Osteria Romana restaurants in Norwalk and Monroe.

The new Fairfield spot serves "exquisite coffees, panini sandwiches, pizza, pastries," and also an Italian take on Spanish tapas, called piatto, which are small meat, fish and pasta dishes designed for sharing.

Maurizio Ricci told Patch that opening the Fairfield location was long-desired, because he and Graziano always liked the community.

"We tried to open a place in Fairfield seven or eight years ago, but we couldn't get the location," Maurizio said. "We've always had a soft spot in our hearts for Fairfield."

The Fairfield location is in the 2,000 square foot space that previously held Fairfield Social, and Maurizio said the site is exactly what the brothers were looking for.

"We wanted to keep it intimate and warm," he said of the interior, which includes wall paneling made from the wood of pallets that carry wines that are produced by the Ricci family's vineyard in Veneto, Italy.

Those wines, which run the gamut of reds and whites, are served exclusively at Romanacci locations.

This week, the brothers held the official ribbon-cutting at the Fairfield spot, which was attended by local officials:

• Constituents Relations Coordinator Paula Tommins
• Director of Community and Economic Development Mark Barnhart
• Communications Director Lisa Clair

"Hopefully, we've learned from the mistakes we've made over the years, now that we're in Fairfield," Maurizio said. "We love it here."

Romanacci is open seven days a week: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit the website.