ATTENTION EVERYONE: A wonderful new European-style marketplace has come to Fairfield County. It offers a shopping and dining experience like no other. Some of the area’s best eateries, artisans, craftsmen and specialty shops have come together, all under one roof, to create a hip and happening one-stop shopping experience for all.
SoNo Marketplace on Wilson Ave., is truly worth a visit. Last Sunday was their grand opening, complete with Santa, carolers and a magician! Here, over 45 local merchants offer a wide variety of crafts and edibles all under one GIANT roof. You can purchase anything from jewelry to pickles to belt buckles to olive oils to cookies to chocolates. And you could do all that while you munch on wonderful soups ‘n sandwiches or fish ‘n chips or savory ‘n sweet crepes or raw oysters ‘n clams! Well! You get the idea, right?
I thought that it is a very well planned venue, with isles full of surprises worth exploring. There are also lots of family style benches arranged all around so you can take a break from all the shopping and exploring as you sit back, relax and enjoy a bite to eat.
As soon as you enter, you are greeted by a fabulous coffee shop: Flat White. This coffee purveyor from New Zealand is worth a try. I could not resist a cup of their cappuccino as I started my exploration of the marketplace.
Right smack in the center of the whole venue is a really great bar named “Up The Creek Wine and Beer Bar”…. offering yummy cocktails, beer and wines. How very cool!
I was so happy to see some of my favorites: Wave Hill Breads, Chocopologie and Bloom Brothers. Bloom Bothers are selling raw oysters and clams…Yum! Chocopologie offers their signature truffles and desserts along with sweet and savory crepes. Divine! Wave Hill Breads offers their wonderful breads along with a selection of soups, salads and sandwiches. Yesss!
Some of my other favorite and noteworthy food purveyors are Maura and Nuccia (with delectable dessert pies and biscotti), Festivities catering, Olivette (with a great selection of olive oils), Bella’s Berries (with yummy berry preserves), Horman’s Pickle Factory, Gotta Nibble (with delicious Fish ‘n Chips)…..
Please Note: being a foodie, I am mainly focusing on food in this article - but I want you to know that this marketplace is so much more than that. It’s a total experience, worth spending a few hours of your day. If you haven’t already, I hope you go check it out - soon!
Now through the holidays SoNo Marketplace will be open Wed-Sun. The rest of the year they will be open only on weekends. Do check out their website for details and hours.
There are plans for events like cooking classes, bouillabaisse dinners, Moroccan tajine night, long table dinners on the premises in the near future. So do keep an eye on their event calendar if these are of interest to you.
