Groovy’s is much more of an environment as opposed to just a restaurant. Besides the delicious food, people are treated to live music and a plentiful amount of rock and roll themed art work, which hand in hand creates the unique Groovy’s setting.
Without places like Groovy’s, formerly known as Chef’s Table, it is fairly easy to forget that we live in a college town. The town of Fairfield can appear pretty dead otherwise, since most of the time people come into town to get their shopping done and then immediately get back to campus. Groovy’s reinforces the forgotten fact that we are a community here.
We’ve all zoned out during a meal looking at the Keith Richards painting that hangs on the wall at Groovy’s. It’s too difficult not to. Some of these paintings are collector’s items, such as the one of Ron Wood and the paintings by Sebastian Krueger. The owner, Rich Herzfeld, is a licensed art dealer, and all of these paintings are for sale.
On May 6, Chef’s Table evolved into the Groovy’s we now know it as. Herzfeld commented on the new focus of the restaurant, the importance of the students and college town atmosphere and also contributed his personal advice on making it out of the parking lot alive.
“I wanted to put more of a focus on music and art. I wanted to reflect what we do here,” said Herzfeld on the decision to change the name. “There were three Chef’s Tables in the area; this place was the only one with live music and rock art.”
As far as the menu goes, there has only been a slight change. Groovy’s reworked their menu to be less gourmet, so that it would be more appropriate for the college students and the restaurant’s more music- and art-focused environment.
“The other Chef’s Tables don’t have Fairfield University students to cater to. It’s a different demographic,” Herzfeld said.
There had been musical performances at the restaurant beginning six months to a year before the name change. If you have been to Groovy’s recently, you will have noticed the many different musical styles that are played. Everything from solo jazz guitarists, to unplugged rock bands playing acoustic sets. Fairfield alumni Mike Falzone plays on Thursdays, Voice of Memory plays on Fridays, and a jazz rock fusion band plays on Saturdays.
“There is a big emphasis on quality,” said Herzfeld on picking Groovy’s musical lineup. “There are very limited spots; I get a bunch of CDs every week. It’s a great place for up and coming bands to get exposure.”
“I love coming into town and having it feel alive. Groovy’s and [the local coffee shop] Las Vetas help make it more of a college town here. I hope more stuff like this open up for the students.” said Herzfeld. “This place has evolved because of the students.”
Herzfeld is always looking for suggestions. Check out www.chefstable.com to find out how to contact him about food, music or anything at all.
One last comment Herzfeld has was about the parking lot next to his restaurant. Anyone who has been to Groovy’s this your or years past knows about the parking lot next to the restaurant. You can park there, but pulling out can be impossible.
“There’s nothing I can do about it, I’ve talked to the land lord. The trick is to back out. Or park elsewhere of course,” Herzfeld said.
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