Restaurants in Norwalk

Upon entering Tuscany Ristorante, guests are greeted by the sweeping country landscapes that pepper the bright-yellow walls, evoking summers spent under the Tuscan sun, sipping wine and dancing the tarantella until the INS showed up. The warm interiors paired with crisp white linens and hardwood floors infuse the restaurant with a casual elegance to match its classic, flavorful fare. The chefs whip up rich Tuscan dishes, including hearty pasta; prime, dry-aged steaks; and decadent housemade desserts. Pasta and risotto entrees showcase carb sculptures such as the rich rigatoni boccelli, which, like any marble statue, comes doused in pancetta and light vodka sauce. As guests dine, they can indulge in a bottle of wine plucked from the floor-to-ceiling wine rack that lines the walls with rustic wood planks and elegantly displays hundreds of bottles.

Martha Stewart has lent her name to bath, bedding, and charger plates full of etiquette. But on her 2008 Martha's Favorite Hot Dogs list, she stamped her seal of approval onto the mustard, relish, kraut, and bacon that piles into the buttered bun of a "works" fried hot dog at Rawley's Drive Inn. According to owner Nick Frattaroli, it is now their most popular hot dog, joining the naturally encased ranks of several other specialties. One, the hot Chihuahua dog, is dosed with Mel's Hellish Relish, a recipe Nick would share "if [he] knew it"—he hasn't been able to pry a list of its sweet and spicy ingredients out of his secretive chef.

The "works" has drawn plenty of noncelebrities to this two-story, red roadside restaurant. Locals and repeat customers join diners from as far away as California and Texas who've seen Rawley's featured on Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Inside, they're all treated to food that is made to order—including hand-cut fries and thick ice-cream shakes—and old-timey decor that reflects the building's roots in the 19th century. Guests place orders at a short counter before retreating to booths or high-top tables, both surrounded by wood walls that past patrons have thoroughly tattooed with carved initials and florid love sonnets to sausages.

In the evening, Grand Restaurant/Lounge caters to the foodie set, serving upscale bar food amid elegant minimalist decor. Later at night, an array of colored lights begins to glow beneath stairs, along windows, and in the eyes of visiting Terminators. DJs crank up the volume while bartenders sling cocktails below supernova-like chandeliers, but intimate clusters of armchairs provide a respite from the carnival on the dance floor. As they lounge, diners can savor dishes such as lobster ravioli or burgers topped with deviled eggs or fig-balsamic glaze.

Hailed by none other than the New York Times for eclectic dishes that combine “a homey touch with a dash of originality,” The Pine Social throws a sophisticated spin on traditional American comfort fare. Chandeliers cast a soft glow on tables situated side by side within the tavern-like restaurant and lounge, which anchors its menu on free-range meats, ocean-fresh fish, and locally sourced produce. The kitchen’s homemade sausage and slow-braised beef short ribs are not to be missed, based on their own merits as well as their shared ability to whet palates for the dessert menu’s warm apple spring rolls. Sips of aged scotch and spiked, hot apple cider thaw jaws frozen agape at the tavern’s dark-stained walls, rustic wooden accents, and plush furnishings. Light from high-definition TVs glints off the bar’s full-service spirits station, beside which guests can treat their ears to music that pours forth from live bands on Thursday and Friday nights.

Kansas City isn’t in Kansas, and it certainly doesn’t reside on the East Coast. But its cuisine does. Diners only need to step inside the wood-covered confines of Bobby Q’s, a family-friendly barbecue joint known for tender, pit-smoked meats smothered in award-winning sauces and celebrating their 8th year in the business. The eatery’s imported culinary stylings have earned it a spot on the Food Network, as well as the title “Best of the Gold Coast” from readers of Westport Magazine, who were undoubtedly delighted by favored items such as the slow-smoked pulled pork and the grilled Gulf Shrimp. Roasted atop an open beer can for proper moisture, their beer can chicken is far more delicious than proving you are not too chicken to eat a beer can. Their half-pound burger patties, meanwhile, come with zesty toppings such as Smokehouse chili, blue cheese, and frizzled onions. On weekends, the barn-esque dining room and outdoor patio transform into a bustling bar, with live music from local bands and house specialty drinks, such as lemonade infused with huckleberry vodka, or down-home punch, a mix of Jack Daniels, apricot brandy, orange juice and Sierra Mist.

Open seven days a week and located right on the beach, the ocean dances along the sandy edges of the earth outside the windows of Marnick's Restaurant, hinting at the provenance of the seafood there. Inside, three generations of owners draw on that bounty, toasting buns to hold lobster sautéed in drawn butter. They hand-form fish cakes with a special blend of seasonings, and a butter glaze lets the soft texture of broiled swordfish shine. Burgers and pancakes sizzle on a grill as hot as a knight in shining armor who has been waiting in his car for an hour, and fryers froth with loads of fish 'n' chips and monte cristo sandwiches.