Chef Louis Re-Opens Bigger for New Canaan Restaurant Week

After being closed for three months —  —  reopened this week. The restaurant was closed while undergoing an expanded into the space vacated when the  moved to Park St.

General Manager Anthony Ruggiero said the restaurant at 129 Elm St. now seats about 80 (the original restaurant could seat 32). Chef Luis now has a liquor license and full bar they call a "Boquitas Bar" where patrons can enjoy light fare. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and Chef Luis still serves take out.

Ruggiero said he and  worked together in the restaurant business before—including some time at . When Luis expanded, he called Ruggiero “out of retirement” to manage the expanded space.

The menu, , will be familiar but not static. "He changes it faster and more frequently than anyone I’ve met in my life,” Ruggiero said.

The restaurant opened without any fanfare on Monday, Aug. 15, and Ruggiero said as soon as the doors opened the phone began to ring and diners showed up.

“That was a zoo,” he said. “We’d like to forget Monday. We didn’t expect them to knock the doors down.”

Ruggiero said he is pleased with the progress he and Luis are making, getting “the bugs and kinks worked out,” and by Wednesday, things were going well.

“The weekend is booked,” Ruggiero said. “Reservations are highly suggested even with double the space.”

Editor's note: This article originally was published by .