Southport CT

Today, I am going to write about a place that some of you might not even know about, Southport, Connecticut! This is a census-designated place that is located in the town of Fairfield along the Long Island Sound and borders Westport. In this post, I will be discussing some of the interesting places in Southport in hopes that it will encourage all of you reading to go check it out.

One notable thing about Southport is that it is home to a collection of historic residences and institutional buildings in New England. Southport Village was also selected as a Connecticut Historical District in 1966, and a National Historic District in 1971. These buildings were made from the 1760s to the 1890s, and some of the architectural styles that were used to build them include Greek Revival, Federal, Queen Anne, Italianate, Stick Style, and more. 

One of the main features of Southport is the Pequot Library, which is a public association and special corrections library. It also has robust special collections, including William Shakespeare’s “First Folio,” John James Audubon’s “Birds of America,” William Morris’ work with the Kelmscott Press, and the first cookbook ever printed, “De honesta voluptate et valetudine,” which translates into “On Honest Indulgence and Good Health.” The library also has a collection of over 105,000 books and other materials. The library also hosts three large used book sales every year, with the summer sale being considered the largest one in the state of Connecticut. The former drummer for Talking Heads, Chris Frantz, wrote a portion of his memoir at the Pequot Library, has spoken at the library multiple times, and has performed at the annual Onion Festival. 

Two movies were also filmed in Southport. The first one was the multiple award nominated 2007 film “Revolutionary Road,” which starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon, Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour, and Kathy Bates. The second one was a 2014 film called “And So It Goes,” which starred Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton.

Another interesting feature in Southport is something that is a recent development in the town, the Southport Globe Onion Festival. This event originated as a result of Southport’s economic history in the 1800s. The Southport Onion, which was considered a high quality onion, was developed and grown on Westport’s and Fairfield’s hills and shipped in Southport market boats, making it a highly profitable form of agriculture. The festival itself celebrates the Southport Globe Onion, and in the past has featured music from a band called Lackluster Brother, pizzas from a food truck called Proof Pizza Truck, the opportunity to make onion block prints, and play onion-inspired games. Guests have also had the chance to learn about the Southport Globe Onion from heirloom expert Heron Breen. In the past, there has also been an Onion Drop, which in 2024, was kicked off by what the website describes as a very special drum roll, which was a very special drum roll because it was from former Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz. 

There are also some interesting restaurants in Southport. I will now go over some of them, as well as some of the interesting foods on their menus. 

The first restaurant is called The Gray Goose. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include turkey meatballs, steamed chicken dumplings, pan seared filet tips, vegetable spring rolls, crispy calamari, homemade tomato soup, creamy macaroni and cheese, lobster macaroni and cheese, eggplant parmesan stack, Philly cheesesteak, lobster roll, steak frites, rigatoni, pan seared scallops, pan roasted half parmesan crusted chicken, chicken Milanese, zucchini pasta, sesame crusted ahi tuna tacos, and Baja shrimp tacos.

The next restaurant is an American restaurant called Artisan Restaurant. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include fried pickles, beef sliders, artisan beef burger, cod fish and chips, New England seafood chowder, jumbo lump crab cake, beet risotto, artisan pot roast, shrimp ravioli, lobster fra diavolo, catch of the day cioppino, prime hanger steak, harira soup, harissa lamb chops, chocolate hazelnut torte, apple tarte tatin, artisan cheesecake, ricotta donuts, mint chocolate chip profiteroles, and a sundae that consists of banana sherbet, candy peanuts, chocolate, and caramel sauce.

The next restaurant is an Asian restaurant called X Ramen. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include a variety of ramens, including miso, shrimp tempura, and vegetarian, vegetable stir fried udon, seafood stir fried udon, chicken stir fried udon, bao buns, gyoza, prawn and cheese croquettes, harumaki, which are Japanese spring rolls, Korean fried chicken, pork shumai, black pepper beef short ribs, crystal shrimp dumplings, shrimp shumai, lotus chicken, egg, and sausage sticky rice, roast pork buns, pan fried shrimp and chive dumplings, egg custard buns, pork soup dumplings, and pork and crab soup dumplings.

The next restaurant is called Southport Diner. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include French onion soup, fried coconut shrimp, mozzarella sticks, homemade meatballs, chicken fingers, jumbo baked stuffed clams, crab cakes, soup of the day, nachos, fried appetizer sampler, quesadillas, garlic bread with cheese, spanakopita, macaroni and cheese, popcorn shrimp, reuben sandwich, patty melt, meatball parmesan, Italian sausage parmesan, chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan, French dip sandwich, crispy chicken sandwich, grilled cheese, Philly cheesesteak, fried fish sandwich, gyro wrap, French wrap, Italian wrap, baked penne ricotta, penne Ala vodka, moussaka, Greek fries, pot roast, meatloaf, roast beef, fried chicken, broiled stuffed shrimp, grilled ribeye, carrot cake, baklava, brownie delight, jumbo chocolate cookie monster, coconut custard pie, chocolate layer cake, and Napoleon.

The next restaurant is called Blackstone’s Steakhouse. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include soup of the day, French onion soup, lobster bisque, crab cakes, fried calamari, several different cuts of steak, lamb chops, pork chops, veal chop, chicken parmesan, rigatoni bolognese, lobster ravioli, fresh Maine lobster, crabmeat ravioli, chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, chocolate mousse, carrot cake, chocolate cake, pistachio and chocolate tartufo, tiramisu, cheesecake, and creme brulee. 
The next restaurant is an Italian restaurant called Paci. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include cream of cauliflower, eggplant parmesan, marinated filet tips, sausage and peppers, meatballs, rigatoni bolognese, orecchiette a la vodka, cavatelli pasta, chicken scarpariello, veal Milanese, veal stew, apple crisp, coconut macaroons, pumpkin cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, chocolate molten cake, coconut cake, toasted almond cake, torta caprese, tartufo, and ice cream. 

The next restaurant is an Asian restaurant called Mama Chow. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include fried chicken bao buns, pork belly bao buns, crispy Vietnamese rolls, hot oil dumplings, mushroom dumplings, grilled pork with sticky rice, pho, laksa, ramen, ice cream, bubble waffles, fried bananas, and pandan cotta. 

The next restaurant is called Martel Bistro & Bar. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include mussels au gratin, mushroom ricotta ravioli, truffled macaroni and cheese, onion soup gratinee, seafood soup, pork Milanese, steak frites, grilled lamb chops, seared scallops, braised short ribs, meatloaf, lobster risotto, braised beef sandwich, croque monsieur sandwich, and lobster roll.

The last restaurant I am going to talk about is called The Sinclair. Some of the interesting foods on their menu include cheeseburger egg rolls, New England clam chowder, buffalo cauliflower, fried calamari, goat cheese cakes, chowder fries, fried meatballs, pork fried rice, lamb lollipops, chicken tinga taquitos, jambalaya rice balls, chicken parmesan wedge, steak sandwich, cubano sandwich, jambalaya, sesame chicken fried rice, steak frites, shrimp and grits, grilled lamb chop, chicken parmesan, penne vodka, zucchini noodles, and ribeye. 

There are also many cool neighborhoods to walk in, many of which have some cool looking houses, some of which are along the water, and some of which will take you to some small beaches.

Overall, there are many cool things to see and do in this small town in Connecticut, so go ahead and check it out!