At New Haven’s Fest Faves, the carnival is year-round
NEW HAVEN — Craving a fried dough in the middle of winter? Don’t want to be in a long drive heading to the nearest festival? Soon-to-be opened downtown food spot Fest Faves has you covered.
With passion for cooking and love for carnival foods, wife-and-husband couple Victoria Streeto and Eric Balcerzak are set to open the new restaurant Sept. 7 at 15 Whitney Ave.
“We have always been very much into going to festivals and carnivals,” Streeto said. “There’s never been a carnival spot before, and this is the very first place that’s going to be an all-year fair and carnival where you can get these foods that are only available usually summertime and fall.”
The couple’s menu features classic carnival treats such as fried pizza dough, funnel cake, cotton candy, corn dog and pretzel. Customers can also get taco rolls, buffalo chickens egg rolls and different new interventions. And of course — lots of deep fried candy bars.
Streeto came up with all the recipes herself with help from her chef father who specializes in Italian cuisine. She added that all the Italian things served in the restaurant are traditional recipes and made from scratch.
She said deep-fried food at Fest Faves would be a little bit different from what people normally get at fairs, however, “because it’s better.”
“I have to say I’m extremely proud of the recipe that we came up with, deep-fried Oreos and deep-fried treats because it’s all very special to us and we spend a lot of time on it, and when everybody tries, I think they’re going to know why we love it so much,” Streeto said.
Balcerzak was asked to choose one recommended menu item. He picked three: cheesecake, triple chocolate and fried pizza dough.
“It seems like a fan favorite,” he said of the latter. “I think we’re really going to stand out in that category because, again, with the homemade sauce and whatnot, it just gives different flavor and we’ve been getting a lot of good feedback, people requesting that.”
Besides carnival-like food, customers also will get to experience the colorful, festive decorations that give a vibe of being in a white- and red-striped circus tent. They said they don’t only want people to taste the carnival, but feel it, as well.
“When people come in, we plan on having popcorn, complimentary, carnival music playing in the background, just really giving people that old, traditional, family vibe,” Streeto said.
When asked what types of people should visit the new restaurant, both agreed on “everybody fun, freaky, fabulous, all ages.”
“This is the kind of stuff that puts a smile on your face as you’re eating it, you know,” Balcerzak said.
Fest Faves’ soft opening, which the couple called “a secret opening,” will be Sept. 7, with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting planned for the week after.
According to its website, Fest Faves will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
chatwan.mongkol@hearstmediact.com
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