Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro Launches Express Alternative

By Nancy K. Crevier

Members of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce celebrated the close of the Thursday morning meeting, May 6, at Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro, with Sal e Pepe owner Angelo Marini as he and Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra snipped the ribbon joining the restaurant at 97 Main Street to the new Sal e Pepe Express space next door.

Sal e Pepe Express will be open for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 7 pm, and on Saturdays from 7 am to 4 pm, beginning Tuesday, May 11. The Express will also carry a line of prepared dinner foods made on site, said Mr Marini.

The breakfast menu will feature breakfast burritos and sandwiches, home-smoked bacon from Butcher’s Best in Newtown, muffins baked on site, and H&H Bagels from Manhattan, Mr Marini said. Connecticut roasted Bironi coffee will be brewed throughout the day.

“We will be making gourmet wraps and panini sandwiches for lunchtime,” Mr Marini said, “and baking our own chocolate chunk cookies and brownies.”

First Selectman Llodra offered Mr Marini congratulations, adding, “I’m thrilled to see a new business open. We know it will be successful and typical of the quality we’ve enjoyed at Sal e Pepe Bistro these past years.”

Prepared food offerings will include lasagnas, homemade soups, stews such as beef stroganoff, lamb stew, and beef bourguignon, pasta sauces including Alfredo, Bolognese, and pesto, and fresh pasta made by Sal e Pepe. “None of the food will be frozen; all of it will be fresh only,” emphasized Mr Marini.

“I want to provide an alternative for those who want quality food but might not feel like going out to eat. I’m not afraid of this cutting into our restaurant business, because I think that if you want the dining experience, you want to be out,” he said. Nor will there be a lot of overlap on the menus of the Sal e Pepe Bistro and Express, Mr Marini said. “I think this is going to be a good thing for Newtown.”