By Sara Poirier Correa
Sentinel Reporter
Restaurant life wasn’t the life that Caren Vizzo ever thought she’d be living.
A kindergarten teacher for 13 years, the Cos Cob native found herself in uncharted territory in 2011, when she and three partners opened the Cos Cobber. Now with a fairly new name—Caren’s Cos Cobber—and sole ownership, Vizzo is continuing to learn her new trade and make her establishment her own as it carries on in its fifth year.
“This opportunity just kind of fell into my lap,” Vizzo said of getting into the restaurant business. “I kind of learned [the business] as we built the restaurant.”
The Cos Cobber opened at 31 East Putnam Ave. on July 11, 2011, after some major renovations to the space, home to the former Lighthouse Diner. In April 2014, Vizzo said she bought out her partners and changed the restaurant’s name to reflect her new role as its only owner.
Vizzo admitted to a “rocky start” getting to know the industry, but said that as the restaurant grew, so did
her knowledge.
“I continue to learn even to this day,” Vizzo said. “It’s been a wild ride… a wonderful one. Through it all, it’s
been amazing.”
“I’m in this,” she said of her commitment. “This restaurant’s my baby.”
The owner credits her staff and her customers for keeping her grounded and helping make the business successful.
“It couldn’t run without everyone’s help and working together,” Vizzo said.
She added, “My goal for this restaurant was to make people feel that they were walking into my own dining room in my house. From the feedback I’ve been given, I think I accomplished it.”
Serving a large menu of items, ranging from burgers to Vizzo’s personal favorite—Linguini Vongole (linguini with clam sauce)—to Chicken Francese to fish and chips, Caren’s Cos Cobber is a mix of American standards, Italian favorites and more that helps make this hotspot a neighborhood draw.
And with many family members living in town, Vizzo said at any given time at least one relative is sure to be dining at her restaurant.
“Cos Cob is such a wonderful community,” she said. “When people walk in it’s like, ‘Hey, people know each other.’ It’s a neighborhood place.
It’s those people, Vizzo said, that keep her doing what she’s doing every day.
“I love the interaction with my customers,” she said. “Through life’s trials and tribulations, they kept
me going.
“You build relationships with everybody, which
is wonderful.”
Vizzo said that when she took over as sole owner, she made some slight changes to the menu. Now, she says, a revamp is underway, with some new steaks being added to the dinner menu and some new sandwiches coming to the lunch menu.
In addition to a full bar and restaurant seating, Caren’s Cos Cobber offers live music every couple of months. Most recently, the popular band Merlin played on Halloween.
Caren’s Cos Cobber is open for lunch and dinner during the week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and brunch on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The restaurant will participate in Greenwich Restaurant Week from Thursday, Nov. 12 through Wednesday, Nov. 18, offering prix-fixe lunch and
dinner menus.
To kick off the event, Vizzo and her team will host a fundraiser Nov. 12 for its neighbor Kids In Crisis, an organization that provides free, 24-hour help to area kids dealing with abuse, neglect, family conflict and more. Vizzo said her restaurant, which will offer a portion of its proceeds to the organization, will open for the usual lunch and dinner, but will also be open for breakfast that day to maximize donations.
For more information on Caren’s Cos Cobber, stop by the restaurant, call (203) 992-1333, e-mail carenscoscobber@optimum.net, or visit the website carenscoscobber.com.
