Norwalk Harborside Seafood & Salty Breezes

is Norwalk’s waterfront nautical outpost.

Recognizable from afar with its whale weathervane and its name in huge letters painted on the roof, SoNoSS is not unlike hundreds of other casual, funky, family-oriented seaside eateries.

Here as elsewhere you can wolf down hot lobster rolls and homemade chowders at an outdoor, dockside picnic table or inside amid an array of classic maritime mementos, the mounted sportfish, giant crabshells and fishing vessel geer.

But at least two factors distinguish SoNoSS from all others of its kind.

The first is the view of historic Norwalk Harbor.

Where but here can you swill down raw oysters (harvested locally) with a beer or a fried fisherman’s platter with a glass of wine or a soft drink and watch a waterborne parade of local boats only found here—the Sheffield Island ferry, the Maritime Aquarium cruiser—not to mention locals in their power boats and sailboats who you can wave to even if you don’t know them.

The other big distinguishing feature is longtime executive chef Omar Brito, a native of Venezuela who rises with the shore birds every day to freshly prepare puff pastry for his signature lobster pot pies ($19).

Brito is so accommodating that he even shares his secret ingredients: in addition to fresh Maine lobster, the pot pie consists of chopped onions, carrots, shallots, heavy cream, white wine, Cajun spices, butter and flour. It’s a sell-out.

SoNoSS’s menu is available online, but look for daily specials listed on the chalkboard.

Many have Mexican, Ecuadorean, Indonesian or other transglobal influences. They may include the grilled salmon with basil and olive oil ($19), broiled Cajun grouper ($18) or sautéed soft shell crabs ($21 in season).

Many of the items are not priced on the menu because—happily for lovers of fresh fish—they're delivered fresh from as far away as Maryland or Maine, so they're subject to the ever-changing “market price.”

While the menu features an appealing array of fresh fish and shellfish (fish ‘n chips being the most popular), meat eaters will also find a New York strip steak ($21.95), baby back ribs ($21.95) and grilled chicken teriyaki ($16.95).

Desserts are homemade and can include strawberry shortcake, key lime pie and the popular bread pudding with bourbon sauce.

If you’re dining outdoors you’re likely as not to be joined by a seagull patiently waiting on a piling for leftovers. Four slips are available for patrons who arrive by boat.

Jack Cutrone, general manager for 22 of the restaurant’s 24 years, says what sets the restaurant apart is its waterside ambience and traditional New England seafood.

SoNoSS started out as a fish market at this location in 1983 and the following year added the restaurant. The fish market still sells everything from local Blue Point oysters to mussels, sea scallops, octopus and fresh-filleted fish.

SoNo Seaport Seafood

100 Water St.

Open year-round, seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

203-854-9483

www.sonoseaportseafood.com

Editor's note: For another recent article on a restaurant, see: