Meridians in Fairfield to reopen with new name, and a new kind of menu (2024)

FAIRFIELD — A popular farm-to-table restaurant and associated wine and cheese shop that closed in January will reopen June 21 under a new model.

Meridians Kitchen & Bar at 166 Main St. downtown has been renamed Meridians: The Bar, and its shop, which formerly was across the street in the Gerald Hotel, will be located in the restaurant building itself in what used to be the lounge.

Instead of an appetizer-entrée-dessert model, Meridians will offer an expansive version of “boards,” including a charcuterie board, pickled vegetables board, cheese and fruit board, cured seafood board, grilled board, fried board and dessert board, according to owner David Gulak.

“People can come in, get some food to share,” Gulak said Tuesday. “There are still lots of choices, but it’s more informal.”

Meridians will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at first, as the business tests out the new model to see who comes and when, and what they want, according to Gulak.

The restaurant opened in 2019. Gulak decided to close in late January to pause and reflect during a time when the restaurant industry was upended by the pandemic. Restauranteurs faced staff shortages and high costs and had to figure new ways to operate and be sustainable, he said, and many eateries experienced high stress, low profits and long hours.

Now, restaurants are testing new models as the labor market continues to be tight and costs for everything have increased, said Gulak, who owns the building in which Meridians is located. He will be the main chef and is looking for someone to work side by side with him in the kitchen — not a professional chef, but someone who is creative and wants to learn, he said. Wesley Osterhout, who was bartending before the closure, now is restaurant manager and will bartend at times as well. The eatery will employ one or two part-time workers, Gulak said.

He noted that Meridians is reopening on the first day of summer, as well as on a full moon.

“I’m psyched to have people in there again, and have the energy and the joy,” he said.

Gulak grows all of the vegetables served at Meridians at his Benton farm.

“We do carrots, lettuce, broccoli, a variety of peppers, beets, potatoes — pretty much all the vegetables,” said Osterhout. “We do all our own pickling and and sauces.”

Osterhout said Meridians works with small farms to purchase meat and dairy products.

“We try to keep it as local as possible,” she said. “All our vegetables, we grow with our own hands.”

Both she and Gulak said those they have spoken to are excited about the return of Meridians.

“Anybody I mention it to is just ecstatic,” Osterhout said.

Meridians is a beautiful space where people can come for any occasion and feel at home, whether dressed up or wearing blue jeans and a ball cap, Osterhout said.

“I really like that David wants to offer something a little different that you can’t find at other places,” she said. “We have that in common: Create a space that we would like to go to.”

The dining room seats about 55 and the bar has 10 seats. The shop will be open the same days and hours as the restaurant, except on the opening Friday and Saturday, June 21 and 22, when the shop will be closed. It will open on June 28.

The shop, which opened in 2014, is named Meridians: The Shop. It features wines, cheese, craft beers, sake, ciders, lots of meats, crackers and other charcuterie items.

Reservations will be required on June 21 and 22 and people may make them by calling 742-0036. After that, reservations will be available but not required.

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