Guide Updates

My heart skips a beat when I see a handwritten envelope in my mail. Greeting cards make me smile. I love to receive them and I have a wonderful time selecting and sending them. Sometimes it’s fun to send a card for no reason at all – like – Happy Spring!!

The gift shop at Christ Church is overflowing with glorious cards. As I handed my selection to Marijane Marks, the wonderful manager, I said “I am so glad you carry Caspari Cards”. Though I hadn’t intentionally selected Caspari, each one of my selections was from that company. Marijane echoed my praise for these artist inspired cards on fine quality paper, all reasonable priced.

 

The owners of this international stationary company, Caralyn and Doug Stevens are Greenwich residents. In 1977 they bought the Caspari Company from H. George Caspari, continuing the same traditions, publishing cards reproducing the work of established artists and museums around the world. Some of the same European printers and suppliers who began working with Caspari in 1945 are still working with the company. Caralyn and Doug have expanded the company, adding many pretty gifts, paper linens, plates, napkins, place cards, and playing cards. www.CaspariOnline.com

When I first met Caralyn she told me she was a “sales rep”. Yes, she is indeed a sales rep-plus. This delightfully modest person, an active volunteer in Greenwich, works with her husband to keep Caspari a world class company. Caralyn and Doug have just returned from a trip to Kyoto where they met with one of the artists. How fun is this! You will note there is a wide selection of designs- classic and contemporary- from artists around the world.

 

In Greenwich, Caspari greeting cards are available at the following stores:

 

Christ Church Gift Shop
254 East Putnam Avenue, (203) 869-9030

Greenwich Hospital Gift Shop
5 Perryridge Road, (203) 863-3371

 

J. Papers
100 Bruce Park Avenue, (203) 769-5104

 

Party Paper and Things
410 East Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob, (203) 661-1355

We have a pop-up store in town! The CASHMERE Sale sign is on the store last occupied by Kate’s Paperie. Enter and you will discover a high-end luxury shop- with cashmere sweaters and accessories for men and women - displayed and sold like bargain basement merchandise.

 

To understand this out-of-sync shop, you need to understand this is a temporary store. It just popped up and it will disappear on Dec. 20. Steven Sall, owner of Republic Clothing and his wife Angie, Greenwich residents, brought this store to the Avenue - as a way of sharing their cashmere favorites below retail prices with friends and neighbors. Angie’s father was helping at the check-out.

 

“Do we like it?” My bright pink bag was full. I couldn’t resist the stylish selections and gift giving time is just around the corner. I left my e-mail address with the promise they would let me know where they will pop-up next year.

 

Cashmere
125 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich CT
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10 AM - 6 PM; Sunday: noon - 5 PM.
Store closes Dec. 20, 2011.

Greenwich is lucky to have several brick and mortar photo shops. We hope they are here to stay. Photo shops disappeared rapidly in the 90s. With digital cameras we no longer needed to buy film and drop it off for developing. What accounts for the survival of our Greenwich shops - Personal Service?

 

The Memory Studio is located on Havemeyer Lane. Their large showroom is filled with photo frames of all shapes and sizes. Craig Ketover, the manager gave me a tour, telling me about all their services – custom framing, slide transfers, photo editing, event photography, photo gifts, and yes, even prints from film.  I dropped off a box of old movies Jerry and I inherited. (I felt safe leaving these movies in their hands)  Seeing them for the first time on DVDs was almost surreal – we were seeing his parents and grandparents, moving, vibrant and young. Now we can share these films with all the relatives. The Memory Studio has invited the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce for a special event in March where everyone is invited to bring their camera, film or digital, and they will have hands on developing of their own pictures. Smart business!

The Memory Studio
1 Havemeyer Lane, Old Greenwich 06870, (203) 990-0290
www.TheMemoryStudio.com

 

Images on Sound Beach Avenue has had our business for years. Marcos Torno has welcomed us into his shop for 21 years! If you haven’t stopped by recently, you must visit now.  Marcos is a supporter of the arts and he has redesigned his shop and created a marvelous bright gallery for artists to display their paintings .Unlike traditional galleries he does not take any commission on the sale of the art. He simply rents a section of the wall for a modest fee. Now we have the photo services we have always enjoyed plus the fun of seeing interesting art. Marcos frames photographs, restores damaged photographs by removing scratches, tears and stains, enhances photographs to correct color and brightness. When I asked Marcos if he were an artist, he said I am a needle pointer. If you have needlepoint to frame, you can count on him to do it beautifully. I dropped off some old photos to be copied for gifts at Jerry’s Harvard reunion. His roommates will love them!

 

Images
202 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich 06870, 203-637-4193

 

Ritz Camera on Greenwich Avenue is where we buy our cameras. They are the largest retailer of cameras in the US with over 300 stores. They offer camera education and private tutoring. They do one hour photo developing. You can upload your pictures to www.RitzPix.com and pick them up within one hour, or get next day delivery. They have a huge selection of photo gifts such as mugs, bookmarks, calendars, 3D & animated cards, and stationary. They are very helpful in creating a photo book or scrapbook. The manager, Daniel Parker, sat right next to me as we decided on the type of book, the order of the pictures and the layout.

Ritz Camera
82 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich 06830, (203) 869-0673
www.RitzCamera.com

Glenville Photo and Image Center in the Glenville Shopping Plaza has been a favorite since their opening nine years ago. When you stop in here you feel like you are entering a neighborhood gallery. As Amy Zeeve pointed out, you are likely to recognize almost all of the portraits hanging on the wall. The owner, Chuan Ding, is a photographer. She takes photos in her shop as well as at your location. You can tell by the way she captures the smiles on children’s faces that everyone likes her. This is a good place for your passport photo or a business head shot. They convert movies, slides and photos to digital formats. The big 44” wide photo posters are popular gifts. All prints are done in their own lab. They can print from film, transparency or any digital media up to size 24” x 36”. For Chuan, personal service comes naturally.

Glenville Photo-Image Center LLC
25 Glen Ridge Road, Greenwich 06831, (203) 532-1211
www.ImagesByChuan.com

Saving Family Memories
On the top shelf in your closet you may have a box of “to be sorted” photos, a box of slides, or home movies. If not in your closet, check your Mom’s. Fortunately, help is here.  Take that box and head to one of these great resources.

When Brian Desrosier opened the Super Center in 1984, Jerry and I were among the first customers. Jerry simply has to have the latest technology. This store, from its very beginning, was always up-to-date. It is still our favorite. They regularly attend the Consumer Electronics Show, bringing back the news and innovations.

 

Every member of their technical staff has a 4-year degree in computer science. When you buy here you are helped by knowledgeable IT professionals who have the skill to make things simple for non-technical people. I have yet to ask Jonathan Gould, the store manager, a question he couldn’t solve. They sell, support and service major vendors such as Apple, Lenovo, HP and Sony. If you need help with home networking, migrating from a PC to an Apple, recovering data from a damaged hard drive, or just want to buy the latest computer, you can be sure you will get expert help.

 

The SuperCenter is more than computers. They specialize in home audio and Sony Flat screen TVs. Whether you want a 22-inch or a 65-inch one, they have it. I heard another customer say he had driven from Westchester to buy his TV, because he knew he could count on installation and service.

 

This store charges the same prices that the big box stores charge. You can park in their handy lot and walk in, any time, without an appointment - no lines! Once you have experienced the Super Center’s good prices, good service and good products you are likely to become a regular too.

 

Computer SuperCenter
103 Mason Street, Greenwich CT, (203) 661-1700
www.ComputerSuperCenter.com
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm, Saturday 10 am - 5 pm.

In my list of New Year resolutions - Sort the spices, chuck the old ones, and date the new ones. Cooking a global repertoire and adding a dash of this and that -my spice cabinet was jammed. As I pulled out all the spices, checking color, crushing, tasting and smelling, many were tossed and I was off to Penzeys to replenish my supply.

 

Old spices aren’t dangerous which is why there is usually no expiration date on the jar. They simply lose their flavor and aroma and won’t give the kick you are hoping for. McCormicks, the popular brand on grocery shelves, suggests on their web site keeping ground spices two to three years, whole spices three to four years, seasoning blends one to two years, herbs one to three years and extracts four years.

 

Oh what a wonderful smell at Penzey - a store devoted just to spices and herbs - over 250 choices. This was my reward. The fresh caraway seeds smell divine! Checking out, I asked how many people come to replenish their supply and I was told that my basket full was not unusual. One of their customers replaces everything as a regular habit the day after Thanksgiving. That might be excessive but I have written the date on my new purchases and I will love an excuse to return.

 

Bill Penzy has now opened 65 shops in towns across the United States. Our closest shop to Greenwich is in Norwalk. Knowing you are buying spices in a spot where the spices are flying off the shelf gives you a head start in owning fresh ones. Penzeys is worth the trip.

 

Penzeys Spices
197 Westport Avenue, Norwalk CT, (203) 849-9085
www.Penzeys.com
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 6 pm
Sunday 11 am - 5 pm.

Pinkberry opened on January 5th and hundreds of people arrived. This was understandable. To celebrate the opening, the soft frozen yogurt was free. Would the crowds be there the following days? The lines keep appearing. The party is still on!

Once inside, the line moves rather swiftly. We had time to count the number of seats - 18, and we had time to read the charts giving us calorie counts and many choices. Did we want original, pomegranate, coconut, chocolate, blood orange or mango? Did we want a cone, or mini, small, medium or large cup? What did we want for toppings? There were more toppings than I could count. I chose a swirly mix of three yogurts, topped with raspberries. Jerry chose the coconut yogurt with a mix of fruit toppings. The yogurt is not too sweet.

 

The first Pinkberry opened in California in 2005 and now there are over 100 franchises. Jamie Karson the owner of the Greenwich franchise, also owns Pinkberry in Fairfield. Check the web site for Pinkberry www.pinkberry.com. The jingles are lively and there is apparently a “groupie-like” following.

 

Pinkberry is an experience. Yes, its yogurt and that has health benefits but its not just that. Its more about dipping up fun that makes it the “go to” place. Charlie Zeeve says its Great!

Pinkberry
369 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, (203) 863-2000
www.PinkBerry.com
Sunday - Thursday 11 am - 10 pm
Friday - Saturday 11 am - 11 pm

Diane’s Books is the perfect place to find gifts for everyone on your list. Spend a few minutes in this shop and leave with a bundle of wrapped books bound to please friends and relatives of all ages.

 

This cozy well stocked shop is bubbling with activity. The book smart staff is everywhere helping customers find the books on the shelves and answering questions- “My friend loved reading Rules of Civility. What would you suggest for her next read?” “What book would you suggest for a boy age 12?” Listening to the questions and answers is more fun than reading the New York Times book reviews. You have the feeling the staff reads everything.

 

This cherished bookstore, a haven for book lovers, is celebrating 21 years in Town. The owner’s mission (Diane Garrett) is to encourage reading and to make books a part of everyone’s lives. I highly recommend reading Diane’s Holiday Catalog, dianesbooks.com. Click on “A Note From Diane”. In a time when many are questioning whether there will be readers in our future, Diane states in Greenwich we are raising readers. Bravo! Diane also has a great checklist of holiday books with reviews.

 

So don’t take a chance on gifts being delivered on time. Simply stop in Diane’s and have fun browsing the shelves and making selections in a real-life bookstore.

 

Diane’s Books
8A Grigg Street, Greenwich, (203) 869.1515
www.DianesBooks.com
Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm

Skip the gift wrapping, boxing, mailing hassle and head to Packages Plus N More. They are conveniently located with easy parking in the Mill Pond Center in Cos Cob. Wow, within minutes, my packages were itemized and placed in a bin ready for wrapping, packing and shipping. For sixteen years Don Migliardi, a Greenwich resident and the owner of this super useful shop has helped Greenwich residents with their shipping needs.

Holiday gifts are not the only thing being shipped. Don ships lots of skis, luggage and golf clubs giving travelers a way to fly unencumbered and worry free. Long ago an airline damaged Don’s golf clubs. You can be sure he packs his customers’ clubs as carefully as he does his own.

 

Greeting cards, festive holiday papers, party favor crackers, balloons and ribbons, plus gift boxes and shipping boxes in 35 different sizes are available. They are an authorized UPS, DHL and FedEx shipping center.

 

It’s easy to be spoiled here and it sure does feel good to leave this shop knowing everything is safely on its way!

 

Packages Plus N More
Mill Pond Center
215 E. Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob, 203.625.8130
www.PackagesPlusNmore.com
Monday - Thursday 7am - 7 pm
Friday - 7am - 6 pm
Saturday- 9am - 4 pm
Open Sunday Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, 10 am - 3 pm

At a fast clip our cook ware shops are closing. Not long ago we had two on Greenwich Avenue. Fortunately, Cook and Craft in Old Greenwich is going strong.

 

Brian Ebzery, a chef, opened this shop eleven years ago and cooks all around town soon spotted this place with chef selected items and they remain loyal customers. When Brian’s culinary work moved him from Greenwich to California, he placed his cherished shop in the capable hands of his manager, Carla Bicalbo .

 

I needed only a candy thermometer and I left the shop with a bundle of presents. It is amazing that this size shop has Le Creuset in so many sizes and colors and they had the white one I wanted. Morgan will love the snowman cake pan. Gorgeous pots, lots of gadgets, jams, cook books, and pottery abound. Plus the shopping is so civilized. While I sipped an expresso, my gifts were wrapped free of charge.

 

Cook and Craft
27 Arcadia Road, Old Greenwich CT, 203-637-2755
www.CookAndCraft.com
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 am -5 pm.

A pop-up store near the top of Greenwich Avenue is open now and closes December 24th. If Santa had a gift shop in his North Pole workshop, it might be just like this store with presents for everyone of all ages, even the dog.

 

Ann Cantrell, “Annie”, opened her first shop 4 years ago in Brooklyn. Discovering many of her on-line buyers lived in Greenwich, she decided to open a shop in Greenwich for the holidays. Ann’s good friend, Sharon Elkayam, a Riverside resident manages the shop and like Santa’s helpers, she is having fun.

 

Many gifts are small, just right for stuffing stockings. Her selections include games, books, mugs, Greenwich coastline coasters, party favors, and many whimsical items such as, the bedside Babushka carafe.

 

Ann’s choices show she has a good sense of humor as well as good taste. She wants her items to make people happy.

ANNIE’S BLUE RIBBON GENERAL STORE
51 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich CT
www.BlueRibbonGeneralStore.com
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 am - 6 pm, Sunday Noon - 5 pm
Open: November 19 - December 24th

Often when you go green, you have to pay more. At Cartridge World you pay less.

Their moto is save money, save time and save our environment. This concept is resonating across the globe. First started in Australia, this company now has over 1,700 franchised stores world wide and over 700 in the USA.

 

Cartridge World refills used printer cartridges. Return an empty cartridge and they give you a dollar. They sell their recycled cartridges for about 30% less than standard retail and they seem to have any cartridge you need immediately available. Ours works perfectly.

Everyone is helpful and makes you feel welcome. The owners of this franchise are Annette and Marco Grieco. The manager is Jeffrey Ferris. My favorite greeter is Ashley, a beautiful Golden Retriever, the store mascot. Be sure to give her a pat.

 

Cartridge World
388 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich CT, 203.769.1505
www.CartridgeWorld.com/usa/usa854/
Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am - 7 pm, Saturday 10 am - 4 pm

Philip, our resident pizza connoisseur, is a fan of their pizzas. His favorite is the Pesto. My favorite is the Four Cheese.

 

Sleekly modern, with black tables and a friendly staff. The kitchen can be slow, throwing off reservation times in the evening.

Doppio
41 East Elm Street, Greenwich CT, 203.340.9470
www.EatDoppio.com
Hours: Lunch every day noon-3 pm, Dinner every day, 5 am - 10 pm.
Prices: Pizza (personal size) $13-$20, pasta $15-$18, small plates $10-$18, entrees $16-23.
Seats: 36 inside.

 

We love discovering a fun restaurant, and this is one. Can you imagine good crepes in a florist shop? We can now. We have become regulars for their pear, honey & goat cheese crepe, and their Nutella & banana crepe.

 

They have 12 recommended savory crepes and 14 sweet ones. Plus you can design your own. A few chairs and stools are in the midst of flowers. Take out may be your best plan.

Give them a try! The crepes here remind us of the tasty ones on the ski slopes in France.

 

LA CREPERIE CAFÉ
604 North Main Street, Port Chester, NY, (914) 934.0026
(at Albert Florist, on the NY/Greenwich border, behind Carvel Ice Cream)
www.CrepesFlowers.com
Hours: Monday - Thursday 9 am - 8 pm, Friday & Saturday 9 am - 9 pm, Sunday 10 am - 6 pm.
Prices: Sweet crepes $4 - $10, Savory Crepes $6 - $11.
Seats: 8 inside, 6 outside

If you have Texas roots (Jerry Anderson was born in Texas), you will understand our periodic cravings for real Mexican food. Casa Villa makes us happy - warm chips, good salsa and guacamole. The tacos (Adobada and Tacos al Pastor) top our list of must-haves. Skip the entrees.

 

When we crave Mexican food, our priority is the food, not the decor. Although, this bright, tidy, informal restaurant is plenty comfortable. The wait staff is ready to please, and probably still wondering why we wanted an order of fried ripe plantains and fried green plantains. The ripe plantains won hands down and would make a good dessert.

 

Casa Villa still has its tiny original, hard to park, location on West Main Street. But we prefer the larger East Main Street location. It is not far, just beyond the Stamford Town Center and there is easy parking in the lot.

Casa Villa
866 East Main Street, Stamford CT, 203.348.0622
www.CasaVillaRestaurant.com
Hours: Open every day 11 am - 10 pm.
Prices: Tacos $3 each, entrees $9-$17.
Seats: 40 inside, 20 outside

The street food of Mexico, Tacos are now a fast food favorite in the USA., rivaling pizza and hamburgers. It is easy to see why this casual food is so popular. Tortillas can be stuffed to suit your fancy with just about any filling, some spicy, some not.

 

Moe Gad, who created Moe’s Burger Joint, has created another winner - Tomatillo Taco Joint. Like Mo’s it has a bright and simple decor. At Tomatillo be prepared at the counter to make your choices: soft or crispy tortillas; fillings of chicken, beef, fish or pork, and toppings and garnishes of all kinds. You can even have a vegetarian, guacamole taco.

 

We keep returning for a plate of three soft tortillas filled with hacked chicken and topped with shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes and spicy hot sauce. Theodore, age 2, loves the Churros for dessert.

 

Have a plate of tacos and a smoothie. You will be coming back often.

Tomatillo Taco Joint
65 East Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob CT, (203) 869.0928
www.tomatillotacojoint.com
http://www.facebook.com/tomatillotacojoint
Hours: Monday - Saturday 11 am - 9 pm, Sunday 11 am - 8 pm.
Prices: Tacos $2.75 each.
Seats: 18

With 30 public tennis courts plus many in-town private and club courts, Greenwich is a racquet sport community. A shop devoted to racquet sports is destined for success.

Gut reaction opened recently on Lewis Street. The owner, Chris Fitzgerald, opened his first shop in Darien. The small shop in Greenwich is filled with racquets, shoes and clothing for tennis, squash and paddle. The customer ahead of us was picking up his six re-strung racquets for his next tournament. We found a racquet and oversized beginner balls for 2 year old, Theodore. Besides 24 hour re-stringing, you can demo a racquet before buying it.

 

Gut Reaction
16 Lewis Street, Greenwich CT, (203) 769-5329
www.Gut-Reaction.com
Hours: Monday - Friday, 10 am - 6 pm, Saturday 9 am - 5 pm.