Little Pub Wilton To Open Next Week

Daneen Grabe and her husband, Doug, weren’t experienced restaurateurs when they opened the Little Pub in Ridgefield a little under four years ago, but judging by their success there, the Grabes have done well with their foray into the culinary world.

Now, Wilton residents will get the chance to claim a Little Pub outpost as their own when the Grabes open their second location, at 26 Danbury Rd. in South Wilton next week.

“Wilton is a great family town, we feel very blessed to open here. This is a great space for us, and it will be a great space for Wilton.” Grabe said.

She gave Wilton Patch a sneak peek tour in advance of opening in the space formerly held by the restaurant Dina, as they neared the end of almost completely renovating the location. Dina had a much more contemporary space and was very different from how the Grabes wanted their restaurant to look—which was almost exactly like the Ridgefield spot.

In fact, they hope people will feel right at home when they see interiors and exteriors very reminiscent of the original. “We have an amazing builder, we recreated a lot—the fireplace, the coat of arms above the fireplace… you’ll recognize it right away,” Grabe said.

She and her husband scoured antique stores for special pieces to lend the restaurant a special character—there’s a large “Prescriptions” sign stretching above the length of the bar, antique light fixtures and an old church pew lining one wall of the dining area. The bar has been handmade to look like the original one in Ridgefield, and all the fixtures—tables, chairs and the like—will be identical, or as close as possible, to those in the Ridgefield spot. They also built the interiors with reclaimed wood and materials.

The Grabes are making an effort to keep as much the same as they can—the two locations will share the same chef, the same menu and the same longtime managers. “At first we’ll keep the same menu, but the kitchen here is huge, much bigger than the other restaurant, so our chef is excited to have a little fun, and create new things too.”

When the first Little Pub opened, customers flocked from day one, and it’s been consistently busy and popular. Grabe said she knows exactly why they were successful:  “Besides a great chef, it’s a great location—location, location, location. And now that we created that there, people will find us here.”

The restaurant is known for its award-winning beer selection. Grabe also credits the restaurant's popularity to their waitstaff and managers, many of whom have been working with them since the start. She's really proud of the staff and said they feel like a family, crediting the employees for the reason diners feel at home at the Little Pub—that and the food.

“It’s good food. It’s not pretentious. And it’s not expensive. You can afford taking your kids out and enjoy. We’re generous with a pour—we don’t measure and these are all little plusses. These things make me happy. And it makes the customers happy."

The Little Pub Wilton is located at 26 Danbury Road., (203) 762-1122.