Six Fairfield County stops for the season when iced coffee still makes sense, but cinnamon has started looking tempting again.
September has excellent snack logic.
It is cool enough to justify a pastry with your coffee, warm enough that ice cream is still absolutely on the table and early enough in the school year that an after-school treat can still pass as a small celebration.
Fairfield County has also picked up a handful of new bakeries, dessert shops and under-the-radar food projects lately, which gives us a perfectly reasonable excuse to build an entire weekend around sugar and carbs.
No apple orchard required. Yet.
DOCHÉRI | DARIEN
A box from DoChéri looks almost too polished to eat. Almost.
The Darien chocolatier’s new Post Road boutique brings owner Maryna Steadman’s Ukrainian background together with European chocolate-making techniques. Inside, rows of hand-painted bonbons come filled with flavors that can range from pistachio and fruit to caramel and other seasonal combinations.
Take the kids and let everyone choose a few for a box, then try not to become overly invested in which one belongs to whom on the ride home. They also happen to make an excellent host gift, if you manage not to open the box first.
MOMU | WESTPORT
By September, MOMU starts getting particularly interesting.
The Westport ice cream shop makes its ice cream, sorbets and most toppings in-house, then lets the season dictate what ends up in the case. Local farms and the Westport Farmers Market regularly supply the inspiration, which has led to flavors like blueberry cornbread, peaches and cream, plum tahini and raspberry rose chip alongside staples such as salted caramel and cookies and cream.
Even the waffle cones and sprinkles are made in-house. Get a scoop, walk around Saugatuck and enjoy the brief annual window when ordering ice cream while wearing a sweatshirt somehow feels completely logical.
NORWALK BAGEL CO. | NORWALK
South Norwalk got a serious bagel upgrade this spring when Norwalk Bagel Co. opened on Washington Street. Husband-and-wife culinary team Gary and Emily King are behind the shop, and their naturally leavened sourdough bagels take three days to make. The result has the chew you want from a proper bagel with a slightly tangy sourdough finish.
The pastry case makes it dangerous to stop at breakfast. Cookies, scones, muffins and other house-made sweets sit alongside the bagels, and there are plenty of substantial breakfast sandwiches if the treat trail accidentally turns into lunch.
MILKSHAKE FACTORY | DARIEN
Darien welcomed Connecticut’s second MilkShake Factory this spring at Heights Crossing, and subtlety is not really the assignment here.
The century-old Pittsburgh brand makes handspun shakes with its own ice cream, with roughly 20 flavors ranging from Cookie Jar to Campfire S’mores. There are sundaes, chocolates and dairy-free choices, too. The location has already found a natural audience among nearby students, which feels correct. September afternoons were practically invented for walking out of school and convincing someone you deserve a milkshake.
FLOUR WATER SALT BREAD | FAIRFIELD
The newest Flour Water Salt Bread opened in Fairfield this year, giving the bakery its fourth Fairfield County home and giving the rest of us another place to develop strong opinions about laminated dough.
Go early. The pastry case can include buttery croissants, pain au chocolat, almond croissants, bomboloni and the bakery’s cardamom bun, affectionately known as the Cardi-B. There is also a kouign-amann that essentially behaves like the love child of a caramelized croissant and a muffin. The bakery closes when things sell out, which gives procrastination actual consequences.
BITE CLUB | STAMFORD
Bite Club does not have a storefront, and that is half the fun.
The Stamford sourdough micro-bakery launched in June with limited weekly drops of bagels, cinnamon rolls, cookies, focaccia and whatever else its founders Kristi DeSimone and Rodrigo Suarez-Navarro feel like baking. Orders typically open during the week for Saturday pickup, and popular drops have moved quickly.
It feels a little like knowing about the bake sale before everyone else does. Follow along, wait for the menu to drop and act decisively when the cinnamon rolls appear.
By October, Fairfield County will be firmly committed to cider, doughnuts and anything labeled pumpkin. September gets to be less disciplined.
Have the bagel. Split the milkshake. Buy the chocolate box with every intention of saving some for tomorrow.
There will be plenty of time for apples.