Having grown up as a New Yorker, I didn’t know much about Westport other than the fact that Paul Newman lived there. I’d met plenty of Westport folks over the years—regulars at my place in Midtown Manhattan who’d stop in for a steak and a drink beforecatching the train back home. They kept telling me, “Doug, you’ve got to come to Westport and open a place there.”
It took a few years but I was finally able to do some recon. I spent time walking Main Street, visiting restaurants and just talking to people. I started to get a sense of what Westport was like and the type of place I could create that would bring something magical to the community. When I stepped into the old 323 Main Street space, I knew it was the perfect spot to bring my vision to life—a classic, inviting and elegant space where everyone could feel at home.
Now, I won’t lie, there was a little resistance at first. Westport is a town that protects what
it loves, and I respect that. We came up against some obstacles early on, but we overcame them with some grit and a lot of good will. And I love how that initial skepticism has turned into a deep appreciation. Because what I’ve come to learn is that Hudson Malone isn’t just a restaurant here—it’s part of the fabric of this town.
It’s where teams come after championship games, still in their jerseys, parents and coaches toasting a season well-played. Where new parents celebrate baby showers and grandparents raise a glass at milestone birthdays. It’s where couples settle into a corner booth for date night, where friends meet to catch up over a drink at the bar, where families stop in after a long day at the beach and where the Wise Men come for lunch on Thursdays. It’s a place where people celebrate the big and the small—the everyday and the extraordinary.
And the people? It’s the people who give Westport its magic, and I’m lucky to count
so many as guests. It’s the local business owners who put their heart and soul into every shop and café. The local celebrities
who come in, not as celebrities, but as parents and neighbors, sharing a meal with their families. The eccentrics—the ones who
have become Westport staples, the storytellers, the characters you can’t imagine this town without. Plus, the visitors from neighboring towns who come in, drawn to what Westport has built and nurtured.
At Hudson Malone, we see all of it.The history, the relationships, the moments that matter. And every night, when I look around the room, I don’t just see guests—I see a community. A town that haswelcomed us, not just as a restaurant, but as part of its story.
Westport, I’m grateful. For your trust, for your support, and for the way this
town has taken us in. You’ve made Hudson Malone more than a place to dine— you’ve made it a place to belong. And I’ll raise a glass to that every time.