After traveling around the country for six years gaining valuable experience in the restaurant world, Kate and Clark Neugold have returned to Connecticut to call Sandy Hook home and reopen Foundry Kitchen & Tavern as its new owners.

The husband and wife team bought the Foundry on April 3, 2017, and were eager to share their story and cooking influences with family, friends, and the local community.

While living in Hawaii for five years, Mr Neugold, a professionally trained chef, helped open three restaurants in Oahu, two of which were for celebrity chef Lee Anne Wong. The couple later relocated to Charleston, S.C., where Mr Neugold worked at Sean Brock's Minero Restaurant and as sous chef at Bill Murray's restaurant, Harold's Cabin.

Foundry Kitchen & Tavern still has many qualities that regulars love and keep coming back for, but now has an updated menu. Mr Neugold has put his personal touch on the restaurant's upscale pub food by incorporating a Southern flare to some dishes and a Hawaiian twist on others.

New additions can be seen in the expanded seafood selection; more sandwiches, burgers, and salads; gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly options; and the new drink menus. The Beer Program features more craft beers, local New England brands, and as a variety of West Coast beers. Bar manager Kristina Ciancio says that guests can look forward to specialty cocktails on the menu, as well as a Whiskey Dinner events.

With a focus on fresh food and drink, the Foundry has partnered with many local groups, such as Waldingfield Farm, Mitchell Farm, Shortt Farm, and Sepe Farm.

In February, manager Nicole Arvin joined the staff, bringing more than 20 years of professional experience in the restaurant business. She has already introduced a number of new programs, including implementing the Green Movement to reduce the restaurant's carbon footprint. The Foundry has begun transitioning toward environmentally friendly to-go containers and the straw-by-request policy.

The overall atmosphere continues to be welcoming to all, seating roughly 200 people throughout its lively tavern, quiet dining area, relaxed outdoor patio section, and private upstairs dining area. Those looking to have their private party at the Foundry can book the entire upstairs that accommodates up to 70 guests or the side dining room that seats up to 25 people.

Foundry Kitchen & Tavern even offers live music every Wednesday, Saturday, and during Sunday Brunch.

"We want people to come in and feel relaxed, hang out, and eat food," said Mr Neugold.

The past year may have been a whirlwind for Mr and Ms Neugold, starting up their own business and welcoming their first child, Ruscher, but they could not be happier to share their story with customers each day and learn more about the community they live in and serve.

A Sample Of The Menu

Starters: A new on-trend appetizer, inspired by Mr Neugold's travels to Hawaii, is the Poke dish. It comes with sashimi grade ahi tuna, tobiko caviar, green onion, black salt, sesame seeds, and warm rice for $16.

Salads: The Bibb salad has beets, radishes, oranges, pickled onions, goat cheese, candied walnuts, and charred scallion yogurt.

Seafood: A seafood highlight is the scallops with miso corn puree succotash, dried chorizo, rainbow carrots, pickled corn, and herb oil.

Handhelds: With eight handheld meals to choose from, some of the standouts include the Reuben with corned beef, swiss cheese, braised cabbage, fancy sauce on rye for $13 and the new Foundry Burger with two house ground patties, onions, pickles, American cheese, secret sauce, and a sesame potato bun for $18.

Entrees: Foundry Kitchen & Tavern offers a cornmeal crusted red snapper with summer squash risotto, roasted carrots, and red pepper butter.

Brunch: Every Sunday, from 11 am to 3 pm, there is a brunch menu available. A bestselling item is the lobster scrambled eggs with truffle cream and home fries.

Foundry Favorites: Some past dishes have been so frequently requested by regulars that they will remain on the menu, such as the fish tacos with mango salsa, avocado, Mexican crema, pickled onions and peppers, tomato, and yucca fries for $15, and the pretzel crusted tuna appetizer with kimchi aioli and scallions for $14.

Vegetarian Friendly: Many dishes on the menu have been designed to accommodate vegetarians/vegans. In addition to all the salads all being vegetarian, so are the shishito peppers and the vegan Banh Mi, which is made of crispy furikake tofu, pickled daikon and carrots, cabbage, fennel harrisa slaw, cucumbers, and cilantro.

Kids' menu: There are many healthy and organic items, such as the turkey burger and the side of veggies option.

Drinks: The drink menu at Foundry Kitchen & Tavern has been revamped to include a new wine list that caters to a broad price point.

The Foundry Kitchen and Tavern, 1 Glen Road in Sandy Hook, is open seven days a week, Monday through Thursday, from 11:30 am to 9:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, from 11:30 am to 10 pm; and Sunday, from 11 am to 9 pm. Takeout and seating reservations are accepted by calling 203-491-2030. To book a party in advance, contact Patty McCartney at patty@fktct.com. For more information, visit foundrykitchenandtavern.com, follow on Facebook, or e-mail Kate Neugold at kate@fktct.com.