New Neighbors: The Porch at Christie’s Opens Today
Andrea and Bill Pecoriello welcomed the first customers to The Porch at Christie’s early this morning as the new community-based restaurant opened their doors. Westport’s northern neighborhoods will regain their beloved country store after this morning’s opening of The Porch at Christie’s at 161 Cross Highway.
The 101 year old building has served for decades as meeting house and gastronomic locale for many far-out Westporters and herds of nearby middle and high school students. Owner Andrea and Bill Pecoriello of Westport founded The Porch not only on the basis of good food, but to provide a community space for both their customers and their beloved employees.
In 2020, the Pecoriellos founded the non-profit Sweet P Bakery in Norwalk as a way to provide job training and employment for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Through their work with Sweet P, they found that they needed a storefront to continue that training at the front of a house - resulting in their creation of The Porch; “We can't think of a more perfect spot in town to support Sweet P Bakery's mission” they described when speaking about the opportunity to have Sweet P Bakery graduates work at the front of the house. Graduating members of Sweet P’s 4 week internship program are able to bake alongside the Porch’s three pastry chefs to create the baked goods sold at the store while building skills and celebrating their accomplishments.
Guests are greeted by the historic building’s stone front porch as they step through the door into a bright and newly renovated dining room and food counter. Opening at 6:30 AM, The Porch offers a variety of coffees, teas, smoothies, and breakfasts while offering a comprehensive lunch and supper menu, too. A separate ice cream hut will serve the frozen dessert later into the evenings, allowing families to watch the traffic go by while preventing ice cream drips from hitting the grass.
Operating on-and-off in the most recent years, the previous tenant - Chef’s Table - closed less than a year after they opened in April 2019. The property was last sold in 2008 for 1.65 million dollars.
Being the northernmost restaurant in Westport, the space has always been beloved by those who want to avoid the noise of Post Road and the traffic of downtown. “Christie’s” has been a pillar in the community for nearly 100 years, serving snacks, cold drinks, ice cream, and locally sourced foods to generations of Westporters. Owners Andrea and Bill are excited to welcome the next generation to The Porch.
Staples Jazz Combo Wins First Place at 2021 National Jazz Festival
The Staples High School Jazz Band records for the National Jazz Festival.
Press Release, Westport Public SchoolsThe Staples High School Jazz Combo received First Place honors in the Small Ensemble Division at the 2021 National Jazz Festival, a premier competition that took place in a virtual format in Philadelphia, PA on May 22. 2021. The five accomplished members of the instrumental music department recorded a live performance that adjudicator Oscar Perez described as being very enjoyable and cohesive. The competition drew both live and studio recorded performances from across the country.
Pianist Lucas Lieberman was recognized as the Superior Musician for the entire caption, while trumpeter Delaney McGee and drummer Witt Lindau were named two of the three Outstanding Musicians in the caption. The other members of the combo are Noah Jahnel on tenor saxophone, and Abe Rubin on bass.
The Staples High School Jazz Ensemble also participated in the Large Ensemble caption among a fiercely competitive group of the best high school jazz programs in the United States. Adjudicator Wilbur Wittemann described the group as a “swingin’ band” that was “one of the better bands that we’ve heard, in a tough division.” Wittemann highlighted the stylistic soloing of Lieberman, Rubin, and Jahnel, calling them “stars.”
Staples Band Director Phil Giampietro described the results for both ensembles as “a huge testament to the spirit of our music department students. They have worked so hard from the start of September and they continue to push forward in the face of adversity. In particular the five students of the combo should be commended for the chemistry that is present in their playing, which creates a strong nucleus for the full jazz ensemble and pushes all of us to do our best.”
Performances from the National Jazz Festival are available for viewing on the organization’s YouTube page. A link for their channel can be found at their website, www.nationaljazzfestival.org.
Previously the Staples Jazz Ensemble finished in first place at the Darien High School Jazz Jamboree to high acclaim of adjudicators John Mastroianni and Earl MacDonald, who are both members of the jazz faculty at the University of Connecticut.
Director Phil Giampietro looks to expand the jazz program and their public concert offerings this coming school year, his third as the Director of Bands.
Morning Weather Report [05/25/21]
Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 71. South wind 8 to 11 mph.
Low Tide: 5:03 AM, 5:12 PM
High Tide: 10:57 AM
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
Tomorrow
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind 7 to 14 mph.
Tomorrow Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.