Water Street Cafe’
143 Water St.
Stonington, CT 06378
860.535.2122
Water Street Cafe’ is a Fred Bollaci Enterprises Preferred Dining Destination. Located in the heart of the charming, historic seaside village of Stonington Borough, minutes from Mystic Aquarium, Water Street Cafe is known for their mouthwatering Oyster Bar, fresh local seafood and daily specials that include Stonington fisherman’s catch of the day and seasonal produce from local and organic farmers.
The cuisine is multicultural, innovative and consistently delicious. Very good food becomes excellent at Water Street Cafe’ with little touches that go a long way: owners brought in Iggy (Ignazio), an Italian native who was working in New Jersey to be their full-time, in-house fresh mozzarella maker! Having traveled extensively in Italy, I can tell you that Iggy’s mozzarella is the real deal: pulled fresh and still slightly warm when served along with local organic tomatoes and fresh local basil, drizzled with balsamic syrup was pure Heaven! The addition of fresh dill to their hearty New England Clam Chowder was a nice touch, and the Curry Lentil Soup, a daily special, was a pleasant surprise! The Seared Sashimi Tuna over organic salad greens was perfectly seared rare, and my dining companion enjoyed some of the best Eggs Benedict she’s ever eaten, atop exquisitely fresh, perfect smoked salmon that made you want to dance in your seat! My friend and I both enjoy a lot of smoked salmon, and this was among the best ever, a really bold statement from two aficionados!
In addition to the great food, the ambience was warm and convivial, the staff friendly, and extremely accommodating, the drinks were perfect (an excellent Bloody Mary), full bar, and a small, but thoughtful, reasonably-priced wine list, and excellent Jazz on Sunday afternoons by local musicians, make Water Street Cafe’ THE place to be in the Stonigton area, and definitely worth the ride up the beautiful Connecticut coast or a must stop in your travels. The brunch menu and level of quality reminded me of some favorite brunch spots in New York City.
Fred Bollaci, CEO/President New York and Palm Beach-based Fred Bollaci Enterprises, THE definitive international healthy, gourmet lifestyle expert and Deborah Burns, Brand Architect and Media Strategist of Southport, CT-based Burns Communications enjoying lunch at Fred’s newest Preferred Dining Destination, Water Street Cafe’.
Head Chef/Owner Walter Houlihan, an accomplished chef with a very impressive career grew up in Westchester county New York. His culinary experience began at various restaurants in California and New York and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. He was Sous Chef at the Grand Hyatt in New York, then worked at the United Nations Plaza Hotel. He was Executive Chef for Mr. Robert Abplanalp at Eldredge Preserve in upstate New York and at Walkerʼs Key, Bahamas. He has cooked for President Nixon, Bebe Robozo and many dignitaries from the United Nations. Walter returned the United Nations Plaza Hotel in 1990 as Chef of the Ambassador Grill Restaurant.
His specialty became wine dinners working with the Robert Mondavi family and other wineries. Walterʼs culinary style is contemporary American, influenced by French and Asian cuisine. He was also mentored by the most renowned Chefs of Gascony, France. While in New York he was a Member of the James Beard Foundation and cooked at the James Beard House. He was also a member of the Escoffier Society where he participated in a benefit held at Windows of the World under the auspices of Julia Child. He has received numerous awards and accolades.
Owner Stephanie Hayes-Houlihan grew up in Europe and the United States, the daughter of Air Force pilot Chuck Hayes. She lived and worked in the hotel industry in New York City, focusing primarily on catering sales, as well as working in restaurants. She met and worked with Walter at the Ambassador Grill.
Stephanie started her career in catering at the United Nations Plaza Hotel under June Martinez. She became Banquet Sales Manager at the French owned Parker Meridien Hotel in 1989 and at Peter Kalikowʼs Hotel Millennium across from the World Trade Center in 1993. Stephanie speaks English, Italian and Spanish and is a student of environmental studies, supporting the restaurant’s philosophy of featuring fresh, local, seasonal, and organic.
