A long-awaited restaurant opens in iconic spot on the Connecticut River

The long-awaited Tate’s restaurant has opened its doors along Middletowns’s iconic riverfront.

The large restaurant and bar space, located at 80 Arbor St., sits inside the former Mattabesett Canoe Club that closed in 2021. The building, which for decades was home to the former Harbor Park restaurant and Middletown Yacht Club, was built in 1930, according to the city. Tate’s owners and husband-wife duo Aubrey and Rocco LaMonica, who also own the popular Eli Cannon’s Tap Room downtown and Noah’s at 63 Main in Essex, celebrated the re-opening of the well-known spot on Monday.

“We’re very relieved to be open today, it’s been over three years since we put the bid in for this building,” Rocco LaMonica. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Initially, the restaurant was expected to open by May 2022, according to LaMonica. But several hurdles, including a rising price tag and extensive flood mitigation efforts, pushed back the opening by a few years. The building would routinely flood every spring as warm temperatures melted snow and swelled the banks of the Connecticut River. The city gutted portions of the building and made significant renovations, including installing concrete flooring on the lower level to prevent flood damage.

“This building about a year and a half ago was completely down to the studs,” Rocco LaMonica said. “It was a major renovation project and redesign. We really made the building our own.”

As customers enter Tate’s they are greeted with a spacious dining area and bar on the first floor. Inside, plants, flowers, bright murals and walls lined with faux-green leaves give a feeling of growth and vibrancy.

The bar area, with seating for 24, features several large windows that offer a wrap around view of the Connecticut River. The indoor restaurant and bar has seating for around 120, according to LaMonica. Outside, a patio area with exterior bar is set to be completed by Memorial Day weekend. The outdoor area, once completed, will seat around 100 people.

“I didn’t want people to walk in here and not feel like they are on the river anymore,” said co-owner Aubrey Lamonica, who helped design the new space. “The greenery is really just a connection to the outside and the windows offer that feeling of being on the river all the time.”

Tate’s second and third floors are reserved for banquets and events such as weddings, baby showers, and small dinners or parties. The upstairs floors will be limited to around 150 people, according to LaMonica.

“We have already received several inquiries, which is wild because we just opened,” said Aubrey LaMonica. “The space upstairs is really large and we just wanted to bring an event space that is simple enough for any occasion.”

Tate’s logo, a black frog with the letter “T” incorporated into the design, is a nod to the nature along the riverfront.

“I wanted an animal that wasn’t a fish or something that would be confused with the ocean, I really wanted it to be reflective of the river itself,” said Aubrey LaMonica. “I found myself landing on a frog because it’s a creature that can live in and out of the water, sort of like this building does. So it became this reflection of what we want to do here.”

With Tate’s opening, a crucial component of the Return to the Riverbend master plan for redevelopment is now complete; the restaurant serves as the anchor along the riverfront. The ambitious plan aims to revitalize Middletown’s riverfront over the next few decades.

“It’s part of our culture here to have that restaurant along the river, so we’re really excited that we’re now going to have Tate’s there with a patio for people to sit by the river and eat,” said Middletown Director of Economic and Community Development Christine Marques. “To our redevelopment master plan, Tate’s is very important, the location really anchors that part of the riverfront. We’re very excited about the opening.”

Fresh seafood for the whole family

Tate’s focuses on casual seafood offerings made fresh inside a family-friendly atmosphere.

Executive Chef Jeff Gorski, a longtime friend of the LaMonicas, worked at Westbrook Lobster for 10 years and has extensive experience around seafood. Gorski, who also worked at the more upscale Noah’s in Essex, said that he wants to make sure Tate’s is accessible to families.

“Westbrook Lobster was family oriented and casual seafood. Tate’s will be similar fare but a little more upscale.” Gorski said. “Tate’s whole concept is to be on the water and bring your family or come here for your first date night. Just a nice and comfortable place to be. Nothing that feels intimidating.”

So far among the more popular offerings is marinated tuna nachos with fried wonton chips.

“They’re marinated in soy and lime and we top them with some diced cucumbers and avocados,” Gorski said. “We then drizzle them with a soyaki glaze and sriracha crème fraîche. So it’s sweet and salty with some spice as well. It’s a very flavorful dish.”

Tate’s also features classic seafood fare like oysters, steamer clams, clam strips, fried whole-belly clams and fried shrimp dishes along with several varieties of fish. For those that don’t like seafood, Tate’s offers burgers, chicken sliders and a mango sesame chicken wrap among its other offerings.

“I’m a fan of this black Mahi-Mahi dish that we’re serving,” Gorski said. “It’s got a nice Spanish yellow rice with a red pepper coulis. The fish has blackened seasoning on it and we top that with a mango pineapple salsa and avocado with some toasted coconut. We’re trying to keep it simple but also trying to jazz up the dishes and put a little twist on them.”

For those looking for more sweet than savory, the south side of the building will feature an AL’s Ice Cream Shoppe takeout window, which is expected to be completed soon. Middletown’s beloved Perkatory Coffee Roasters will supply coffee. A snack shop called Dragon Shack, with hot dogs, hamburgers and similar fare, will be run by Middletown High School students and located on the north side of the structure. The idea, the LaMonicas, said is to get people outside by the river and create a sense of community.

Tate’s is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday’s from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information on the menu offerings and for booking events go to www.tatesmiddletown.com

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com