By Chéye Roberson
Sentinel Correspondent
Ada’s Kitchen and Coffee, formerly a beloved variety and candy shop in Riverside, will be serving up new treats when it reopens after renovations, but will continue the same family-oriented mission.
The shop is expected to open on Feb. 22.
“I want it to be a hub for the community and residential neighborhood,” said Mike Pietrafeso, the head chef and manager of operations for Ada’s, which was named for longtime proprietor Ada Cantavero, who died in 2008 at the age of 88.
Pietrafeso has worked as a chef for 14 years and studied at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan. Pietrafeso worked at LeFarm, a farm-to-table restaurant in Westport, and also spent time in the town as a private chef. He intends to have all the food served at Ada’s grown or purchased from local vendors.
“We use a lot of vendors from Connecticut for produce, eggs, milk,” said Pietrafeso. “We make our own mozzarella for meatball parmesan. We grind the coffee. Anything we can’t make ourselves, we get locally.”
The coffee, for example, comes from Path Coffee Roasters in Port Chester; their coffees are roasted by hand in small batches.
Ada’s will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch, and prepared dinners that are vegetable and produce-driven.
The Ada’s building has a rich history in Riverside, dating back to the horse-and-buggy days.
“It was the Solid Rubber Carriage Tire and Cycle Repair Shop before becoming Riverside, Conn.’s first U.S. Post Office,” said Ron Romaniello, a co-owner of the shop, whose mother was Ada’s younger sister.
Later the site was purchased by Agostino Cantavero, Romaniello’s grandfather, who converted it into a convenience store and variety shop.
“Under the loving care of our family, the Riverside Variety Shop provided a deep involvement and concern for the neighborhood as well as providing grocery staples, standard deli fare, fresh sandwiches, and what it was best known for, candy,” said Romaniello. “It later became known to the community as Ada’s.”
Ada was the warm face that each greeted customer during the many years she ran the store.
“Ada was friendly, outgoing, kind, and the most patient woman in town,” said Romaniello. “She remembered every family member name for generations, watching children grow up and have their own families.”
Over the years, the shop—a white clapboard structure with a peaked gable and a friendly front porch—had become worn and in need of repair. Ron’s brother Kelly Romaniello began the task; after his death two years ago, at age 52, his siblings finished it.
“Our late brother, Kelly Romaniello, had begun the process of restoring Ada’s to its previous state as a deli. With his unfortunate passing, we decided as a family to honor his dream and finish what he had started,” said Ron Romaniello.
During the restoration the Cantavero family sought to maintain the shop’s 19th century charm.
“As we peeled back the layers of time—seven layers of roofing, four layers of siding—the building displayed a shell that needed to be brought forward to today,” said Romaniello. “We had to shore up the foundation of the structure with in excess of 150 tons of concrete. The existing foundation was built upon stacked field stone, including the chimney in rear.”
The chimney is no longer functioning, but was kept for aesthetic appeal.
During the renovation, the builders constructed special windows to replace the deteriorating ones, and did the same for the door. Ada’s now houses state-of-the-art kitchen equipment, HVAC, electrical, lighting and plumbing.
“We chose the exterior colors”—light cream-yellow with white trim—“to maintain a residential feel as we are within a neighborhood community,” said Romaniello. “For every decision we made, we had a keen awareness of the history we were trying to replicate and preserve, so we wanted to respect the integrity of the building and its location.”
After evaluating multiple candidates to lease the store and run the business operation, Romaniello and Pietrafeso’s paths crossed, and Romaniello knew he was the right person for the job.
“Mike’s stellar background and personality was a driving force in his selection,” said Romaniello. “The approach Mike takes we felt to be best suited for the Riverside community. We know he is just as committed as we are to continue to serve the community with the same passion and demeanor that generations have experienced through the decades with the Cantavero and Romaniello families.”
There will still be a candy corner, as in the original Ada’s. Kids can mix together their favorite tiny treats and weigh them on a scale at the counter. Moms and Dads can get smoothies and lattes. There will be full catering available for parties, corporate lunches, and breakfasts. Coffee-centric deserts will be placed on display.
“Hopefully,” said Pietrafeso, “there’s something for everyone.”
