Arthur Avenue-Style Gourmet Deli Opens At South Norwalk Restaurant

NORWALK, CT — Josie & Tony's, a private membership club in South Norwalk known for its fine Italian-inspired cuisine, recently opened a new gourmet deli that is open to all.

Owner Josh Mesnik opened Josie & Tony's, named after his grandparents, at 20 North Main Street in December with 50 founding members.

For Mesnik, the SoNo area of Norwalk offered the perfect location to make his vision a reality.

"When I moved out to Connecticut from Manhattan in 2020, I was immediately attracted to SoNo and found a great apartment in the area," Mesnik said to Patch. "As a city boy, I needed an area that was diverse, where I could walk to grab a quick bite and wasn't having to get in my car every time I felt like just wandering. There was no other place I wanted to open this concept. It's what the neighborhood needs."

The gourmet Italian deli component of Josie & Tony's opened in April, offering hot and cold sandwiches made on local breads from Wave Hill Bakery in Norwalk, as well as homemade mozzarella, fresh pasta, cured meats, rainbow cookie desserts, specialty sodas, coffee and other products inspired by Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, N.Y.

Mesnik said taking trips to Arthur Avenue, a Little Italy area of the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx, are some of his favorite childhood memories.

"We'd stock up our freezer with sausages," Mesnik said, "buy too much fresh mozzarella to consume, [but] we found a way, and I'd alway end up with a sandwich made with only the best ingredients. That's what I wanted to channel in our sandwich shop."

The new deli's attachment to Josie & Tony's also offers Mesnik and his team the ability to utilize the same items they serve in their fine dining restaurant at the deli.

"We make our own sausage, we grind our own meat for the meatballs in the meatball parm," Mesnik said, "the homemade mozzarella is the same we have become known for. If this wasn't an extension of our restaurant, it would be incredibly difficult to be able to utilize those ingredients."

The deli also offers Norwalk diners an opportunity to enjoy the same great ingredients used at Josie & Tony's "in a more accessible way," Mesnik said.

A membership at Josie & Tony's offers patrons access to advanced reservations, including guaranteed reservations within 24 hours, a discount for the first 24 months of membership, a private concierge text service, preferential table placement, an option for house accounts, personalized table placards, complimentary menu additions, monthly wine education classes and exclusive member-only nights and private events, according to additional press materials provided by the restaurant.

Members also have a caricature drawn by artist Mark Hill, formerly of Pixar Animation Studios, displayed in the restaurant. The menu focuses on "classic Italian dishes prepared with a modern sensibility" and boasts a world-class wine program.

Mesnik also emphasized that while the supper club does have a membership component, public access is also available.

Hot sandwiches served at the deli include chicken parmigiana, Italian dip, meatball parmigiana, roasted vegetables and sausage and peppers. Cold sandwiches include an Italian combo, spicy soppressata, Caprese and Italian tuna salad.

Deli hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The deli will also be the face of the Josie & Tony's Pasta Club, a subscription-based service offering fresh pasta and sauce to cook at home.

"The deli will be something the whole community can enjoy," Mesnik said in a news release, "and we look forward to expanding our services to include catering and boat provisioning this summer."