Bar Sugo feels like a first try at running a restaurant - maybe a few friends from the industry striking out on their own about 3 years before they are actually ready. Â It's embryonic, but it has potential.
There is certainly no problem with the food. Â Our four-top sampled a little tour of the menu: a fantastic (and unique) mozzarella sampler served with cured meat bases and savory toppings, the meatball sampler which ranged from pork/veal to chicken, a fig and prosciutto pizza, a fusilli/oxtail ragu, and a mint tagliatelle with lamb ragu. Â It was more than enough for the four of us to share. Â With a bottle of wine and two rounds of cocktails, the bill was average for the area, with the food exceeding the median. Â
Everything was tasty, the pastas were filling and cooked well, the pizza was fresh and crisp - a very good artisan variety (although the toppings were poorly spaced, with large barren areas between the oases of ricotta and prosciutto. Â The wine list has many choices under $40, and they are keeping it simple with the cocktail menu, with good negronis and a nice white sangria (served in a wine glass with a straw).
Decor is simple and casual - lots of woods. Â The wine bottle wall seen on the website is mostly void of bottles. Â I suspect having a wall of dust collectors might have been a youthful indiscretion. Â Maybe they just rotate the empties - hard to tell. Â The wood, tile, and brick work together well, in any event, and the simple placemats and formal settings are very welcoming.
So far so good. Â But then, the rains came...
The service is creaky. Â You can see it in the watistaff's eyes. Â The way they stare you down when you try to order from the tapa-style menu in a tapa-style way, a few plates at a time. Â They are warning you that the kitchen might not manage that very well. Â The way they wince slightly when you order cocktails on a busy evening, knowing you'll be waiting, maybe 1/2 hour, for two glasses of prosecco, a negroni and a simple gin martini. Â
They are wise, those waitstaff, but they are not very friendly, and they don't make up for the flaws they know by keeping the water, the bread, the silverware flowing. Â Quite the opposite. Â There were no serving utensils offered for the two sampler appetizers. Â The pastas were cold before any spoons appeared for those. Â
In short, this is not the place you want to go during a swine flu outbreak with a date or couple you don't know very well. Â Especially if the conversation is hard work, since you'll be sitting there awhile.
Bar Sugo would be an easy four stars were it not for the service issues, which I chalk up to growing pains. Â I'm certainly rooting for this place!
First visit was on Mother's Day. Â We enjoyed brunch. I had the french toast and two egg whites. Â Delicious. Â This place is trendy and hip. Â Love the windows / doors that open right to the sidewalk. Â 2nd visit. was Father's Day. Â We ordered brunch again. Â Lots of mimosas! Â Live music and GREAT food. Â They were having a pig roast - right on the sidewalk!
Yummy food, great atmosphere. Â Excellent service.
Went here as a party of 3 on a Saturday night off several high recommendations.
Several complaints:
- Drinks took forever to come and as it turned out they came AFTER we received our entrees.
-One drink was a vodka tonic and took literally 2.5 sips to finish. Hardly worth $9.
-Service was nonexistent. Waitress was super inattentive. Offering no apologies for anything.
-Ordered the Cavatelli as an entree. At $19 it was a tiny portion. Didn't even come close to fill me up.
Cool atmosphere but awful service which always ruins the experience.
My fiancee and I absolutely love this place; we live right around the corner and have to actively fight the urge not to come here on a nightly basis (it's just that good...and yes, just that expensive; but that old adage about getting what you pay for couldn't be more true. I've never left Sugo without a full belly and a grin on my face.).
One of our first visits to this place was on our 5th anniversary. The night saw us still hungry after dinner at the first restaurant we went to, so we decided to hit up Sugo for a glass of wine and a meatball tasting flight.
Service is very friendly (Lindsay is great!), though at times a little slow. I think that maybe an extra waitstaff member on Thursday/Friday/Saturday nights might not be a bad move, but I also know that this is a relatively new business still figuring out customer flow. Either way, the food takes front and center anyway--and when I'm paying for a meal, that's really the most important component in my book.
Pat is a great guy who does a lot of innovative stuff with flavors; he clearly has a passion for what he does and it shows in everything he does.
Keep up the good work--we'll be back soon!
P.S.--The half priced bottles of wine on Sundays and Mondays is a fantastic deal; it's a great chance for people to try a bottle that might normally be out of their price range.
So I went to Bar Sugo with a group of my friends, there were 7 of us to be exact. Â It is restaurant week so 5 of the 7 of us ordered off of that menu, and the other 2 off of the normal menu. Â It took over an hour to get our first of 3 courses. Â One person received their entree before any of us had received the 1st course of our 3. Â I would understand if the restaurant or bar was busy but there were only 2 other tables sat.
The music was loud. Â It was also not a great selection of music, being Z100 popish. Â At a place like this I would expect a bit more ambience. Â
The food was great. Â If you have the time, and don't care that your dinner may take 2 plus hours, then please try.
It is a shame that the service was so poor otherwise I would likely frequent here.
I will say that there is room for improvement at Bar Sugo. I'm glad that they're making a go of it in my neighborhood but there are some issues that need to be addressed.
First: Service speed and efficiency. The servers are nice enough but they seem overwhelmed and will disappear for 10-15 minutes at a time. This is the kind of place where, if you ask for a second glass of water or a new napkin and it doesn't come immediately, you're going to have to hunt your server down to get it. Also, don't bring me wine glasses with fingerprints on them. Don't take my dirty flatware off the dish you're bussing and put it back in front of me, bring me new. Make sure all the food on a ticket comes out at the same time; we waited almost a full 10 minutes after everyone else got their food for one of our party's entrees to come out.
Second: Food. Don't get me wrong. The food here is passable. In fact, it's better than what you're going to get in most other places in Norwalk. However, it stops just short of being really great. There's an attention to detail which is absent, here.
Bar Sugo has meatballs as a kind of  featured menu item. In fact, they are in their own separate red bordered box on the menu and have names like, "Mommy's Meatballs" and ingredients like wagyu beef. We ordered two orders to try: one order of  Mommy's Meatballs and one order of Foie and Duck Confit meatballs. Neither was fantastic. The Mommy's Meatballs tasted like the meatballs that your friend who raves about his own meatballs makes. They were the kind of meatball that makes you wonder what all the hype was about. The foie and duck confit meatballs had only the mere suggestion of containing either of those ingredients. I don't know if Bar Sugo is trying to appeal to a more diverse or less sophisticated clientele with these meatballs but they barely tasted of foie. I get it, even bulk foie is an expensive item and assuming that they do the confit in-house; making it takes a fair amount of invested time. That said, don't have an item on the menu just because you like the way it looks in print.  Both meatballs were under-seasoned and clearly reheated. I'm not talking about them having been made at 7 and then heated up for service at 9. I'm talking about them most likely being made at least a day before and kept in the refrigerator until being heated in an oven and then sauced when they were ordered.
The pizzas were just ok, as well. Not the best pizza I've ever had but clearly a solid attempt at "real, artisan" pizza. I feel like Bar Sugo should concentrate on making their pizza really stellar. A noisy, hip, real neapolitan pizza joint in Norwalk would be great!!
It seems like Bar Sugo is going through growing pains. I don't think that any of these issues is unfixable or on purpose. However, these are the types of things that will sink a place if they aren't addressed. Worth a trip but it won't become your new favorite. Not unless they fix a few small things. I'm optimistic but cautious.
EDIT- 25 May 2013: It's strange to me that Mr. Pascarella would suggest that I don't know where I was dining and that I "get all my info about" his restaurant. Especially since the dishes that I spoke about are specifically noted on his own website page: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fvs5D9Qz.jpg&s=78d389ddad75985296e1e90185da0cbd2cbf31c48e9fa961cc3fc9bbd422006b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://i.imgur.com/vs5D9…</a>
If his menu has changed, perhaps a more appropriate response would have been, "We've already made some great changes!! Come back in and give us another shot."
We've been coming here for several months once a week or so and I have to share how good the food is here. Â Selfishly, I want to keep it to myself, because we went on Wednesday and all the tables were full! Â
Pat and his team do an AMAZING job though and he and the staff are such good people, I can't keep it a secret. Â The taste combinations Pat comes up with are really remarkable. Â The food is fresh as the chef, Pat Pascarella, follows the farm-to-table ethic. Â He changes the menu every couple of weeks, so there are always new things to try. Â
I definitely recommend the creamed kale and the meatball tasting. Â The salads are great. Â He does an Italian tapas kind of thing, small plates so you can experience lots of different tastes. Â We had the beet salad the other night. It has buffalo mozzarella, two guys lettuce and pistachios - tremendous! Â All of the pizzas are excellent. Â The pastas are fresh. Â He's bringing back a lasagna next week that I can't wait for. Â
The biggest decision each time we go is what to order - everything is outstanding. Â My big fear in posting this review is that more people will come and we'll have trouble getting a table. Â They're on OpenTable though, so we can always make a reservation. Â Don't be turned off by the location. Â It's in a series of storefronts by the post office. Â They added an outdoor seating area that'll be fun as the weather gets warmer...
Whatever you do, don't miss Bar Sugo!
Hhhhm - learned a very important lesson here which I inherently knew but forgot to practice...never ever under any circumstances break bread (ie, dine) with any person who is not of your vibration. Â In other terms, do not eat someone who brings you down, has underlying motives, isn't of the same level of purity as you are, etc. etc. Â
I did this very thing and enjoyed not a thing ordered at this restaurant. Â So, it is not necessarily Bar Sugo's fault. Â I will give them another chance one day for sure. Â But, the wines ordered and the dishes sampled left me with a bloated, bad feeling in my stomach.
A caveat was the margherita pizza which can stand on its own and supersede any negative vibes. Â It's the same lovely pizza they offered at their old Norwalk location, which is sadly missed.
Bar Sugo offers all day dining, which I love as I tend to dine at off afternoon hours. Â
I wish them all the best as the selection of wines and dishes offered were well thought out. Â And, I happen to like that little Wall Street area. Â It's chill.
In a forgotten area of Norwalk, Bar Sugo certainly stands out. Â The interior is extremely well decorated with a red checkered floor, a must have for any authentic Italian joint. Â I decided on getting one of the meat ball dishes, which was dynamite. Â However, my eyes nearly fell out of my head when I saw how small the serving was. Â The meatballs were done really well but the fact that I got so little food was a little upsetting. Â Maybe if they offered a side of pasta with the dish or just let the customer know how little they were getting, less people would be surprised. Â The server was the man; we ended up just talking for a good 20 minutes and the espresso finished the meal off nicely. Â I really want to give this place 5 stars because of its atmosphere, staff, and food quality but the tiny portions really were a tease. Â Throw some more on the plate and you guys have a winner!
Review Source:We visited Bar Sugo about 2 weeks ago with another couple. Our reservations were at 7 pm on Friday night and the place was packed and lively. We ordered the beef meatballs, proscuitto wrapped french fries, calamari, tuna tartare, and burrata cheese. Aside from the portions being a bit small for people who like to eat, they were all fantastic. Main meals included the braised short rib ravioli and cavatelli. All delicious. Desserts were average as nothing really jumped out at us as something unique or something we had to have but they were tasty. Due to the crowds, the server asked us if we were finished, could we pay the bill as people were waiting. We said sure and they picked up the tab for a round of drinks at the bar for us. Bonus! That's the right thing to do. Nice touch.
My wife and I ordered take-out a few days later. I'm impressed with the food but again, the portions are too small. We spent 60.00 on take out and were both still hungry after we ate. Beef up the portions a bit, even if you need to raise the price a few dollars. I think it would make a big difference. All in all, awesome food and despite the portion sizes, I will continue to eat there. The food is worth it. Thanks for great food and we'll see you again soon !
I really enjoy Bar Sugo and have visited twice in the last few months. Â The food is creative, interesting, delicious, fresh Italian and I wish them much success - perhaps they can then move out of their current digs into something more expansive. Â We ate here again Friday night. Â The wait staff is terrific. Â If you have never visited be ready for a hot, cramped and loud atmosphere if dining on a weekend night. Â Seating is packed in very tight. Â I would give Bar Sugo 5 stars except I think they should move to a different location or figure out a way to use the current space more creatively.
Review Source:This is going to be a very thoughtful review, and by thoughtful I mean I am putting a lot of thought into how my thoughts about this restaurant and particularly the "iron chef" artisan dinner are expressed. I understand that Im not reviewing a regular night at this restaurant and I am certain I will return to Bar Sugo for dinner and update my review accordingly.
Let me start by saying, that I understand that Bar Sugo is still relatively new. I think this place still being new has to work out some kinks. And I believe this was their first tasting-menu style event. So in my effort to be diplomatic, I must note the following:
-They sold far more tickets than they should have. It was obvious they tried to maximize capacity, by using folding tables and metal folding chairs in the rear of the restaurant. For $75pp?? Tacky.
-The service was slow. This dinner took four hours (imagine four hours on a metal folding chair). The first two courses alone (which were bite size) took upwards of an hour. No one complained that I could see, and the servers were mildly apologetic and kept us busy by pouring more and more wine. But with no food, no bread, nothing, all that wine on an empty stomach was starting to get to people, as I could see the table next to us were clearly getting tanked. The small basket of greasy tortilla chips was not going to cut it.
-Many of the plates had obviously sat too long and were cold. I don't think the kitchen had the manpower to plate and serve all the dishes at the same time or in a timely manner. They should consider having seatings or fewer people in the future.
-They were running out of glassware by changing the glasses for each wine. I can understand using the same glass for whites and then changing the glass for reds..but using the same glass for a cab after a sweet gewürztraminer, eeehhhhhh..
Now for the good, and there WERE good things about this event and I want to end my review on a positive note:
-The food was very good. I especially loved the pan fried gnocci with lamb shoulder sugo. I just wish it was warmer.
-The wine pairings were fabulous
-The Saugatuck Craft Butchery and Fairfield Cheese folks did a great job of explaining about the meats and cheeses, their obvious passion for the products they served and sell was well-received. Theres something to be said for quality and care when it comes to food. The chef did justice to these wonderful meats, and produced a fun menu. There was a small "pork-related" course, tacos with different fillings, beef course, a lamb course, a duck course, and cheese.
-The servers were friendly and personable through the duration of this very long dinner..by the end I could tell that they had pretty much had it and it just made me recognize how difficult their job is at times.
Overall the menu was great and reasonably priced ($185 for 2 people for 6 courses and wine, tax & automatic 20% tip) but I wouldn't pay a cent more than that considering the slow service. I could have been scathing about it, but I believe that this place will improve and I would like to give them another chance.
Cavatelli was delicious! Â Pizza was great- similar to Pepe's pizza but with very inventive combinations for toppings- love the all the different meatball choices on the menu and the tapas menu. Â GREAT wine list. Â The service was wonderful and the staff was very welcoming. Â Looking forward to their monthly wine dinners.
Review Source:We were a party of 5. Â The meal and service was top notch. Â We loved the meatball sampler, which is perfect for sharing, Â The small plates are amazing and the pizza is very inventive. Â The pastry chef is incredible. Â We had one of each of his three offerings for the night, and for me the lemon tart stole the show, but each were very well done. Â We can't wait to go back.
Review Source:Our experience was disappointing. Â The food was okay, but towards the end of our meal, two servers came within a span of five to ten minutes to ask if they can box up two slices of pizza. We had insisted we were still working on it as we had become engrossed in conversation with our friends. However, it started to become obvious that we were being rushed. We just then decided to ask for our check and have the pizza boxed. We paid for our check promptly but when the leftover pizza arrived, they were each folded in half and squished into a small box. We were surprised as other restaurants we have patronized of the same quality usually offered a takeaway box that preserved the quality and presentation of the food. We flagged our server down to inquire about the box, but he just said that was the only thing they had even as he acknowledged that our pizza was indeed all squished. He then promptly walked away. To add insult to injury, we were then asked to move to the bar as there were customers waiting for a table. It was certainly understandable but given the hospitality we were shown that evening, it just left a bad taste in our mouth. At this point, we just decided to leave.
Review Source:Returned for Visit #2 - better second time around.
Meatball sampler, still as good as first impression.
Brussel sprouts - delish with balsamic glaze and mmmmm bacon (10 year old claimed it for himself and finished it...'nuff said).
Caesar salad - ok. Slivered almonds are a nice touch.
Calamari - tried again. Â Perfectly fried. Â Still could use salt... but really well prepared.
Meatball/pepperoni pizza -scrumptious... razor thin slivers of pep that are crispy and delectable!
Arugala/fig/prosciutto/ricotta pizza - very very nice with super fresh arugala, creamy ricotta and fig preserve.
Service excellent.
Vibe hip and cool.
Hopping on a Friday night at 7:30 in a forgotten part of town.
This place is a ray of hope for the long-overdue and over-promised revitilization of the neighborhood. Â Worthy of support - GO!
Really, really, really good! Â The ambience of this restaurant is so cool. Best music I have ever listened to at a restaurant and at the right sound level. Â The food was amazing. Â We had the farro and herb salad - delicous. Â And the meatball sampler was to die for - every one of them was excellent. Â We had the CT Bites pizza - which was incredible. Â This is a gem of a restaurant which we really needed in that area of Norwalk. Â You must try Bar Sugo!!!
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