"First Thursdays" Start in Middletown's "NoRA" Neighborhood

Click pics to enlarge

With the slogan "It's All Good In the Hood", three businesses on the very north end of Main Street are inviting everyone to "come hang out in the neighborhood."

Last night, Eli Cannon's Tap Room, NoRA Cupcake Company, and Krust Pizza Bar kicked off what they expect to be a monthly event.  So far, so good.

"We started planning this a week ago, and it just blew up on social media" said Carrie Carella, owner of the wildly successful cupcakery.

"NoRA"--meaning north of Rapallo Avenue--was coined by Eli's owner Phil Oullette to help promote the district.  Combining food and drink specials, along with a "pop-up market" at the cupcake shop, all three businesses were hopping last night.  Eli's and Krust offered an "East Coast vs. West Coast" tap takeover, with Eli's featuring Sierra Nevada beers and barley wine from the left coast, and Krust throwing down with Brooklyn Brewery.  Carella has developed connections with a variety of businesses and artisans at various farmer's markets where her cupcake truck is a regular feature.  They offered jewelry, tea, beauty products, hand printed goods and more while a DJ spun beats.

Rory Gale of Hartford Prints said "I feel like Hartford and Middletown need to be more connected.  There's the same level of vibrancy, so much going on here."

Eli's was doing it's usual brisk business, and Krust was stuffed.  Probably a good thing they're expanding into the space next door.

Carella said next month she hopes to include even more of the neighborhood in the planning.  There may be a theme of all-Connecticut produced food, beer and goods, but nothing's decided yet.

"Beer Gods" Raise Over $2K For Oddfellows

Eli Cannon's Taproom kicked off its "Beer Gods Week" promotion with a fundraiser for the Oddfellows Playhouse.
With the restaurant closed on Mondays, Eli's made it's slightly-fantastical-yet-ever-soothing beer garden(s)  available, welcoming a couple of dozen brewers (many from CT, one from Middletown) who offered ticketholders tasting samples of various brews.
Eli's temporarily removed a section of fencing, allowing people to buy grilled cheese, tacos, and cupcakes from food trucks parked out back in the Kings Avenue city lot.

Oddfellows board member Quentin Phipps with Executive
Director Matt Pugliese.

The tasting tables were very busy.  Owner Phil Ouellette estimated that over $2200 dollars was raised for the children's theater thanks to about 180 paying guests (and a raffle of beer-related swag).  That's twice as much as last year.  No doubt the perfectly comfortable weather helped.

Stubborn Beauty Brewing Co.
moved into the Remington Rand Building earlier this year.

Eat Your Art Out

Oddfellows Playhouse's 2nd Food Improv Fundraiser takes place tonight at the Wadsworth Mansion from 6-9pm.  Tickets are available at the door.  $75 per person, and $125 for a couple (two people is a couple.)

A tasting style event, Food Improv will showcase a variety of dishes created by some of the best chefs and restaurants throughout Connecticut.   Returning restaurants include: Riverhouse Catering, The New England Emporium, Eli Cannon’s Tap Room, NoRA Cupcake Company, Tschudin Chocolates & Confections, and Cold Stone Creamery of Middletown.  New participants include Lan Chi Restaurant and The Lace Factory.  The event will also feature a signature cocktail mixed and created by RIPE Craft Bar Juice and Onyx Moonshine.

SPONSORED BY

Producer Sponsors
Citizen’s Bank

Connecticut Rental Center 

The law offices of Farrell, Geenty, Sheeley, Boccalatte & Guarino, PC, 

Patron Sponsor

Updike, Kelley and Spellacy, PC

Who Doesn't Like to Eat and See a Broadway show?

If you like to munch, mingle, and make donations that support the best youth theater in Connecticut, we’ve got the event for you! If you missed it last year—Oddfellows is willing to forgive you for that— or came and hoped we would do it again, you are in luck. On Thursday, June 6 from 6-9 pm, Oddfellows Playhouse will be hosting Food Improv: Where the Performing Arts Meets the Culinary Arts- Take 2!, at the Wadsworth Mansion.

A Unique Holiday Celebration

This is not a review.  This is not a press release.  Just an invitation. 
 
 A Civil War Christmas:An American Musical Celebration opened on Thursday night at Oddfellows Playhouse.  The production is a collaboration between CT Heritage Productions and Oddfellows Playhouse, bringing a multi-generational cast together to tell this story.

It is a different show than you might expect to see onstage around the holidays.  It is a play, with music - not a musical. Traditional carols and other popular folk songs and hymns of the time serve to weave together a series of vignettes of characters, both historical and fictional, to tell the story of Christmas 1864. 

It is a play that contains history, thought, heartbreak and humor.  It is not saccharine sweet holiday-fare, but thoughtful and thought-provoking.  It is history, so yes, you might be cynical and say "I know how it ends", but what it does offer in ending is not fact, but hope.  And isn't hope something we all could use a little more of these days?

We hope you'll join us.

A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration
by Paula Vogel
Music by Daryl Waters
Made possible by CT Humanities, 
Middletown Commission on the Arts 
Eli Cannon's Tap Room & many CT Heritage Production Donors
Friday December 7 - 7:30pm
Saturday December 8 - 7:30pm
Thursday December 13 - 7:30pm - JUST ADDED!
Friday December 14 - 7:30pm
Saturday December 15 - 7:30pm
$15 Adults / $8 Students & Seniors
860-347-6143 or www.oddfellows.org

The reservations are getting pretty full.  So we recommend calling in advance to order tickets.  860-347-6143. 

City Already Dealing With Brownfields

At their monthly meeting Monday night, the city's Economic Development Committee heard a final plan to deal with some of the city's brownfields-- a plan already being put into action.

The report, done by the firm of Milone & MacBroom, was funded by a $400,000 grant from the EPA. Clusters of "brownfields"-- vacant industrial sites with probable pollution problems -- were identified in the North End and just south of downtown. Among the plan's recommendations were acquiring properties in the North End and developing them for needed parking. The city has already begun this project, acquiring property behind Eli Cannon's Tap Room, formerly home to Mid-State Auto Body.

City planner Bill Warner said just doing contamination testing (also with EPA funds) made the properties more likely to be developed, as testing is so expensive. "We're way ahead of most cities regarding this. Other cities are filled with these brownfields, they don't turn around," he said.

Richard Harral, of Milone & MacBroom, said "This is the first time a city has implemented some of the recommendations before the final report is even presented", complimenting the city and its staff for moving so quickly.

The committee also voted unanimously to extend the lease on a community garden run by Middletown United Fathers. The garden is located on Long Lane and the current three-year lease has just one year left on it.

Larry Owens told the committee his group wants to hold classes, develop a walking path with native plants, and implement other plans. Many of those plans are contingent on partnerships with merchants and other community organizations. But those partners would be more comfortable knowing the lease would not soon run out, according to Owens, who is studying at UConn to become a master gardener. The committee voted to extend the lease to five years. City planner Bill Warner noted that the group had "cleaned up the property nicely".