Gastropub To Open In Black Rock

BRIDGEPORT, CT — The Black Rock neighborhood will add a new dining destination next month with the opening of the Black Rock Social House.

The restaurant, which will offer a new spin on the traditional gastropub concept, will open March 15 and be located at 2895 Fairfield Ave. in a historic landmark building.

Black Rock Social House will be spearheaded by Mark Turocy, who has 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Under his management, Rizzuto’s Oyster Bar and Restaurant in Westport was named one of the Top 100 Restaurants in the United States by OpenTable. Turocy has also worked on the West Coast, where he launched Spoonful, a popular Hollywood location for shooting movie scenes.

"I am honored and excited to be a part of the diverse Black Rock community,” Turocy said in a news release about the restaurant opening. “It has always been a dream of mine to create a space that encourages social interaction, provides 'feel good' comfort food from around the world, and offers unpretentious service to anyone who visits."

The menu at Black Rock Social House will feature an international representation of hearty comfort food, and will be 100 percent gluten-free. Highlights will include noshables such as togarashi spiced-rubbed confit chicken wings and charcuterie like domestic goat and cow milk cheeses and house-made African merguez sausage. Comfort food options will range from roasted half-chicken paprikash with herb spätzle to shrimp fettuccine with house-made pasta.

Beverages will include hand-crafted cocktails, top-shelf spirits, a curated global wine list and a craft beer selection. Black Rock Social House has partnered with Firefly Hollow Brewing Co. and will feature exclusive draft offerings of gluten-removed beer.

The restaurant's culinary team will be led by Executive Chef Jacob Raitt II, who opened his first restaurant, Fells In Point, in 2009 in Baltimore. Raitts’ experience with Japanese, French, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Mexican, and South American cuisines has contributed to menus such as The Chelsea in Fairfield, Cask Republic in Stamford, and Mezon Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Danbury. A Black Rock resident, Raitt has created a menu that aims to add a broad flavor palette to the neighborhood’s thriving restaurant scene.

The historic integrity of the 1924 building that will house Black Rock Social House has been meticulously preserved. Iron fixtures and large windowpanes wrap the restaurant’s multiple levels and dining areas, which are filled with dark wood furnishings and vintage lighting.

For more information, visit www.blackrocksocialhouse.com or @blackrocksocialhouse on Instagram.