Visitors to the recently opened Red Brick Tavern in Sandy Hook, may order a drink inspired by the vintage champagne cocktail named in honor of Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller who lived in Roxbury.
According to local lore, Monroe shopped at the old general store, named The Red Brick Store, when it sold dry goods and groceries, said Ben Zirolli, who co-owns the restaurant with John Gazzola.
Now the place at the site of the shuttered Foundry Kitchen & Tavern, is getting another new life as The Red Brick Tavern which opened earlier this month. The Foundry operated there from 2013 until March of this year.
The bubbly drink named after the famous couple, called the “Marilyn & Arthur,” is made with prosecco, cognac and pomegranate syrup. This throwback drink Zirolli said is “also a big piece” honoring the building’s storied past.
The team at Towne Hall Hospitality are trying to preserve the building’s history with their renovation of the 1850s brick building, Zirolli said.
They kept original woodwork where they could and retained an authentic tin ceiling, installed by a previous eatery.
“People love the history,” Zirolli said. “We brought back the old name and have retained parts – the old junk store bar for some of the woodwork.”
New furniture in warm wood tones and vintage-looking wallpaper lend the space a cozy feel. The brick patio overlooks the Pootatuck River, that once provided water power to much industry in that part of Newtown in the 19th century, according to local historian Bill Harding.
The store was the hub of village life and not only offered goods for sale but was the home of the local undertaker and pharmacy and operated as a civic building with a library and post office, according to Harding. This continued into the 1950s, he said when it was “a full-fledged general store selling paint, hardware, cutting glass, dry goods, groceries (and) meat.”
With the renovations the aim was to keep that “old time feel” of the old store, Zirolli said.
“The goal was to create a New England tavern-esque feel, but with casual fine dining service and kind of a fun atmosphere – not super stuffy. But approachable,” Zirolli said.
The menu features comfort foods and traditional New England fare – some with their own twist, such as beer battered fish & chips served with a charred jalapeño tartar sauce and malt vinegar fries. Clam chowder and lobster rolls are also on the menu.
The new tavern has upscaled their pasta dishes to include black truffle mafaldine with wild mushrooms, mascarpone and parmesan.
