The Goose Set To Land Wednesday

After months of anticipation and a smattering of delays, The Goose is finally set to open for business Wednesday.

The restaurant will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony sponsored by the Darien Chamber of Commerce at 4:30 p.m. and begin serving food at 5:00 p.m., according to co-owner Michael Gagliardi.

The Goose does not plan to serve lunch for the first few weeks of business but will unveil a dinner menu described by co-owner Michael Friedman as "largely American but [with] some French and Italian."

Included on the inaugural menu are some reliable barroom classics—burgers, BBQ, pizza, and the like—alongside less common offerings such as "roasted beets with farmer goat cheese fritters, rocket, red onion, passion fruit vinaigrette" and "cornmeal crusted rare tuna topped with toasted pistachios & micro greens with carrot ginger coulis."

Gagliardi said that the original draft of the menu had been modified slightly after feedback from a private pre-launch gathering on Sunday, but that "95 percent" of it was unchanged. In charge of the restaurant's offerings is chef Piergiorgio Nanni, a native of Rome with a long culinary résumé and Cordon Bleu training.

Menu prices are generally moderate, with soups and Salads ranging from $7 to $14; small plates from $8 to $14; pizzas from $9 to $12; sandwiches and burgers from $10 to $14; entrees from $16 to $26; and pasta from $16 to $18.

The menu also features 17 wines by the glass from $7 to $17, 27 bottled and draught beers from $4.50 to $9, and about 50 wine selections from $27 to $290.

A peek inside the restaurant reveals an environment heavy on dark wood, subdued lighting, and goose-themed decor. The bar remains largely unchanged from the days of the Black Goose Grille, which occupied the space until closing in 2008.

On Monday, The Goose received some good news from the Board of Selectmen, which earlier this month had tabled the restaurant's plans for outdoor dining on a town-owned patio due to concerns over the size of its umbrella insurance coverage (down to $2 million from the $5 million held by the Black Goose Grille). 

After researching similar arrangements in neighboring towns, the board concluded that The Goose's policy—$2 million umbrella, $1 million liquor liability, and $2 million general liability—was sufficient and unanimously approved the lease agreement, effectively giving the green light to outdoor dining.

The restaurant, located at 972 Boston Post Road, marks Gagliardi's first culinary venture, while Friedman is currently the co-owner of the Ash Creek Salloon in Black Rock and Norwalk.