Sadness and Fond Memories Mark the Closure of The Pub

By Bridgette L. Rallo

Thursday nights at the Pub have always had a certain cachet. The Norfolk Dart League competed to the cheers of regulars, plates of tasty “Pub Burgers” and spicy wings covered the table tops. Ice cold beers were happily shared with friends and visitors alike. Last Thursday night was very different from the others. David Davis, who has owned and operated the Speckled Hen Pub for 16 years, has decided to retire. And, in appreciation for the years of support shown to him and his wife, Louise, Davis hosted a “thank you” party for long-time patrons. As always, food and drink were plentiful. The chatter was lively and the conviviality evident. But sadness was also in the air because everyone at the bar knew that an era of good times had come to a close. First Selectman Sue Dyer was among those who came to mark the occasion. She, too, is sorry to see the Pub close its doors. “This is an utter shame,” she said. “Norfolk needs someplace where we can all gather. I understand that people need to retire, but I hope that someone comes in to reopen it soon.” Dart League member John “Hutch” Hutchinson pointed to regulars George Dyer, Greg Currier and Gus Mosimann, who were sitting in their usual chairs at the end of the bar. “Look at those guys,” said Hutchinson, “where are they going to go?” Louise Davis, who spent the evening hugging regulars and thanking them for their kind words, reminisced about the days when she and David first opened the then Norfolk Pub. “David had always been in the hospitality business,” she said. “When he sold Stonehenge (a Ridgefield, CT, restaurant Davis owned with a partner for more than 20 years), his idea was that he wanted to run a different kind of place, somewhere where you didn’t have to dress up in silk dresses and suits to enjoy an evening out.” “David wanted to create the kind of place he grew up with in England, a warm and friendly environment where you could catch up with your friends over a plate of good food at good prices. I think he succeeded.” Catching up is just what an extended group of friends, the “Romeos,” have done almost every Wednesday afternoon for more than 15 years. The moniker is an acronym for “romantic older men eating out.” The group of anywhere from six to ten men gathered to talk over town happenings. “We discuss politics, of course, and what’s happened to somebody…good or bad,” said Wheaton Byers, one of the original Romeos. Byers recalled that the men’s outing began at the suggestion of their now-deceased friend Hugh Robinson and has included such past and present stalwarts as Alec Vagliano, David Potter, Bill Vaun, Jack O’Malley, Carl Bornemann, Ted Briggs, Peter Vosburgh, Lloyd Garrison and Bob Bumcrot. The men have been fellow Romeos for so long that when member Robertson Alford passed away, they had a place at the table set for him at the next meeting. The space Norfolkians know as the Pub hasn’t always been an eatery. At first, it served as the town Post Office and then, for many years, housed the Norfolk Pharmacy. That is how older locals remember it. Most residents, though, know the corner bay in the Royal Arcanum Building as a bar and restaurant. And while they are aware that a new restaurant is slated to open in Infinity Hall sometime soon, most feel that Norfolk still needs a casual establishment where, as longtime Pub bartender Rachel Wilkinson put it, “everybody knows your name.” According to Royal Arcanum building owner Bob Pallone, residents won’t have to wait too long. The current lease runs out on January 31 and Pallone has received multiple proposals. “I’ve had a lot of interest… a great deal of interest,” he said. “More than ten people have approached me and I’m seriously considering three or four of those offers. I’m just undecided yet about which one to accept.” Any prospective owner will find that the fixtures are available either for rent or purchase. Like many restaurant owners these days, Davis rented much of the kitchen equipment and all of the tables and chairs. Hard wired components like the kitchen range and the beer cooler will be sold, as well as wall decorations and other small items. The interior is likely to change to some degree. All of the interested parties have told Bob Pallone that they intend to renovate the space. For now, the town’s displaced Dart Leaguers, Romeos, burger aficionados and sports fans will be forced to wait until a new owner is in place. “It shouldn’t take very long,” said Pallone reassuringly. “It really shouldn’t.”