Frank Way has found success in his newest venture, called simply frank. It opened May 12 on the West Cornwall, Conn., property that was known for many years as the Pink House (although it is now a more subtle shade of cream).
The new eatery is in a barn space/carriage house behind the formerly pink building; its owner is a former New York City “branding” executive whose first food venture was frank.food on Main Street in Kent, Conn.
Previously a creative director for major brands, living in California and New York, Way decided he “wanted to do something with more integrity, something more related to being in Connecticut.” So, when a friend suggested Way open a food shop in Kent, he did.
“I’d never owned a shop like that before,” he said. “But, I was just building a brand, and I’d done that my whole career.”
In 2017, frank.food company opened its doors as a breakfast and lunch place and was a wild and immediate success, with long lines out the door. The restaurant maintained its popularity even as the pandemic closed down other restaurants and put an end to “dining out.” With COVID-19, Way adapted by reducing the size of the staff and by catering gourmet meals.
“We survived the pandemic by reinventing ourselves so did not close as a result of it,” Way said.
“I ended up closing the location after Thanksgiving last November because Kent became an over-saturated market. And that gave me the time to fully focus on getting the restaurant open.”
Moving to West Cornwall
In the time before frank.food closed down, the West Cornwall Development Group had asked Way if he’d like to open a restaurant in West Cornwall. He did and began planning for the new, larger eatery.
But as with all renovations during the pandemic years, there were supply chain interruptions that kept pushing back the date of the restaurant opening.
A particular refrigeration glue from China never seemed to come, for example.
However, Way said, “I just got really patient and focused on building the space and making it beautiful.” All in all, he said, “there were delays, but only for about 3 months.”
When you enter the new frank.food, the space opens to a high vaulted ceiling with a welcoming 3-foot tall “HI” in carved letters. Taxidermy and hooked rugs hang on the whitewashed barn walls. For Way, it’s “very eclectic, homey and bright.”
A walnut tree cut down during construction has been transformed into gorgeous wood tabletops.
“I love the local story,” said Way. “We were able turn a tree we had to lose into something really precious.”
Along with 35 seats around the walnut tables, there are eight bar seats. Outside, on a flagstone patio perched above the Housatonic River, there are an additional 36 seats.
The long-awaited opening proved worth the wait, apparently. “I’m doing probably three full seatings each a night,” Way said. “Which is ridiculous.”
Happily, his staff has risen to the challenge. “I’m taxing my kitchen like nothing else, and they’re really performing well.”
John Carlson is the chef for frank.food. Some of the other staff are new to the restaurant world, and are learning together. But they’ve learned enough to stay open for a Memorial Day brunch that had to end at 1 p.m., when the restaurant ran out of food.
First, there is pizza
So, what’s on the menu? Way said, “We wanted to keep the menu really accessible.”
This starts with a Neapolitan-style pizza program, featuring three $16 pies: the classic margherita with just basil, mozzarella and tomatoes; soppressata with hot honey and oregano; and white pizza with lemon ricotta, asparagus and peas.
One favorite item on the menu is the kale salad ($13), which has had rave reviews.
“It was kind of how I paid my rent in Kent,” Way said of the winning appetizer.
Main course choices include the burger on brioche, made with grass-fed beef from Cornwall’s Hurlburt farm ($19); wild cod and chips ($24); and a buttermilk brined chicken ($24).
To finish, Way keeps his customers on their toes, often switching the dessert menu around. He said, “I’ll make devil’s food cake one week or High Five Pies another.”
Brunch keeps the local burger, adding a French toast casserole, avocado toast, a quiche of the day and an omelet of the day. Way plans to soon add a grain bowl with farro, spinach and a poached egg.
For now the restaurant is only open Thursday through Saturday for dinner; and Saturday and Sunday for lunch. The full future vision is to increase hours, and offer a coffee service, perhaps with a light breakfast or a lunch.
For now, Way is focused on establishing the restaurant’s rhythm and spreading the name.
“I feel it’s important that people understand that ‘frank food’ is not about my name,” Way said. “It’s about what it is to be sincere and honest. My food is honest to goodness food, it’s elevated home cooking.”
frank.food company is open for dinner Thursday through Saturday, 5 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Learn more at www.frankfoodco.com or call 860-248-3250.
Aradev LLC’s plans to redevelop Wake Robin Inn include four 2,000-square-foot cabins, an event space, a sit-down restaurant and fast-casual counter, a spa, library, lounge, gym and seasonal pool. If approved, guest room numbers would increase from 38 to 57.
LAKEVILLE — The public hearing for the redevelopment of Wake Robin Inn is over. Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission now has two months to make a decision.
The hearing closed on Tuesday, Sept. 9, after its seventh session.
Michael Klemens, chair of P&Z, had warned at the opening of the proceedings that “this might be a long night” due to a last-minute influx of material from experts hired by Wells Hill Road residents William and Angela Cruger to oppose the project, but this turned out not to be the case.
These 11th hour submissions set a sour tone to the start of the meeting, with commissioner Robert Riva stating that it was “not very professional to pull this stunt on this Commission.” Riva said he had diligently reviewed the already substantial documentation provided by both the applicant and the opposing experts, and was surprised to find a “dump” of additional information submitted just hours before the meeting’s start time at 6 p.m.
Tensions were quickly eased, however, when William Cruger offered his concise summation of his platform’s opposition to the expansion, which is the second iteration of the project after an earlier version was withdrawn late last year.
“It’s important for you all to hear from me that there was never any disrespect intended to the Commission, the commissioners, and to the process,” Cruger said. He defended the last-minute submissions as an effort on the part of the experts to be thorough in their analysis: “Our intention… has been and remains to do our best to get whatever we think will be helpful in your deliberations into the record.”
The Crugers formally entered the hearing process as intervenors for the first application from Aradev LLC, the applicant, in the fall of 2024, meaning they and their hired consultants had full party status in the hearing proceedings. During this cycle, however, they chose not to petition for intervenor status, yet during this round of hearings their role has been similar. Klemens described them as having “almost intervenor status — not quite.”
William Cruger summarized the consultant’s findings for Aradev’s revised application, noting they found it to be “virtually identical in scale to the previous proposal.”
“Our position is that the proposed expansion would absolutely negatively impact the usefulness, enjoyment and value of the surrounding properties,” he said.
Aradev’s attorney Joshua Mackey countered by saying that the special permit conditions would elevate the currently non-conforming hotel in the zone, describing it as a “community asset that is improved, regulated, and safeguarded for generations to come.” He characterized Aradev as “the next steward of this storied property.”
After Mackey and Aradev co-founder Steven Cohen concluded their remarks, Klemens closed the hearing with no public comment, which he had stated would be the case at last week’s hearing session on Thursday, Sept. 4. Klemens said that P&Z will begin deliberating the proposal in early October after the commissioners have had the chance to review the information in the record.
A total of 45 letters, including the Crugers’ experts’ testimony, were submitted since the Sept. 4 meeting alone, alongside hundreds of pages of application materials and additional testimony.
As the Commission deliberates and reviews, all of this information is available for public viewing on the “Meeting Documents” subpage under P&Z’s section on the town website, www.salisburyct.us.
The Commission must issue a decision on the application by Nov. 13, the end of the statutorily defined deliberation window.
The Weavery is Stanton Home’s oldest activity space, featuring a collection of vintage and modern floor looms. It offers opportunities for building dexterity, creative expression, and social connection through fiber arts.
Stanton Home is holding its annual Harvest Roast fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Great Barrington, an evening of farm-to-table dining, live swing music, and community connection.
For nearly 40 years, Stanton Home has supported adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential programs, therapeutic services and skill-building activities.
“Here in the Berkshires, adults with diverse abilities often face barriers like limited housing, tricky transportation, and fewer opportunities for meaningful work,” said Executive Director Peter Stanton. “Stanton Home flips that script. Our mission is to partner with adults to pursue healthy, self-determined lives.”
The Harvest Roast features locally grilled meats, roasted vegetables from Stanton’s own gardens, warm apple crisp with SoCo Creamery ice cream, and beverages —all set to the swing and gypsy jazz rhythms of the Lucky 5 Band.
“The Harvest Roast is a celebration of what makes our community strong, inclusive, and vibrant,” Stanton said. “Every ticket and sponsored table supports programs that make a lasting difference.”
Guests will begin in the gardens with a signature cocktail before gathering at long farm tables for a shared meal and celebration.
“Though this night matters, the work is year-round,” Stanton added. “People can help by shopping locally at the farm store or buying handmade weavery goods, pitching in with time or skills, gardening, lending a hand at events or by partnering with Stanton’s programs like composting or sourcing local goods. Folks can also speak up for inclusion in their workplace or community circle. Even the smallest action helps keep the mission alive.”
Tickets are $125 per person. Proceeds support Stanton Home’s inclusive programs. Reserve at donorbox.org/events/771775/steps/choose_tickets or call 413-441-0761.
Following the memorable benefit reading last season of Charles Busch’s Tony-nominated Broadway hit, “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife,” the Sharon Playhouse will present a one-night-only staged reading of his riotous comic melodrama “Die Mommie Die!” on Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
The production —a deliciously over-the-top homage to classic Hollywood mid-century thrillers — continues the Playhouse’s artistic partnership with Busch, who reprises his iconic role of the glamorous yet troubled songstress Angela Arden.
The playwright and performer is no stranger to the Playhouse and, luckily, he’s supported by a truly stellar powerhouse cast of top-notch comic actors — some returning to the Playhouse stage, and some making their debut. The cast includes Richard Kind; two-time Tony Award nominee Kristine Nielsen, who was part of the original New York cast; Tony Award winner Celia Keenan-Bolger; Andrew Keenan-Bolger; and Claybourne Elder.
The production also marks a fortuitous alignment of talent and history. It is directed by Sharon Playhouse Artistic Director Carl Andress, who performed in the play’s Los Angeles premiere in 1999.
“I have a long and happy history with this particular show,” Andress said. “At the Sharon Playhouse, we’re thrilled to offer unforgettable, one-of-a-kind live experiences. With Charles Busch and this phenomenal cast, ‘Die Mommie Die!’ will surely light up the Olsen Stage with laughter, wit and glamour.”
The original music is by Lewis Flinn, whose score for the 2007 Off-Broadway production is being adapted specially for this event.
The play is a classic Charles Busch concoction that, like all his work, lovingly and intelligently spoofs some of the greatest talents and tropes of stage and screen. The original production was praised by critics as his “funniest, most accomplished and, without question, raunchiest work.”
In 2003, Busch won the Best Performance award at the Sundance Film Festival for the film version of “Die Mommie Die!” His indelible contributions to American theater have been recognized with countless awards and he was recently inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.
The event promises to be an unforgettable night of laughter, glamour and theatrical fun, with all proceeds going to benefit Sharon Playhouse’s productions and educational programs. The funds will help ensure that the Playhouse continues to thrive as a cultural destination for audiences and artists alike.
For tickets, visit: sharonplayhouse.org. Running time: 90 minutes.
Richard Feiner and Annette Stover have worked and taught in the arts, communications, and philanthropy in West Berlin, Paris, Tokyo, and New York. Passionate supporters of the arts, they live in Salisbury and Greenwich Village.
