As the old saying goes: When kids are at sleep-away, parents will play. With the Progeny off at camp, the Pardner and I are partying hard. And by hard, I mean we're staying up until 11 p.m. instead of going to bed at 10. (Cue Forever Young. Just not too loud, ok? ) Our recent date at Rebellion Gastro Pub in Danbury, CT was absofreakinlutely great. The company was alright, I guess. But the drinks and decor were stellar. The latter reminded me of hip joints in Reykjavík, with its vaguely volcanic / below-decks-on-a-Viking-ship + 1920's lounge aesthetic. Food was sophisticated, but fun, and extremely likable, about 10x better what's usually served in most pubs or even gastropubs. We had: - Beef Tartare (cured yolk. anchovy. caper dust. coal toast. $20) -- The finely chopped beef was tender and very umami on the tongue, sharp with mustard and topped with some grated, salty cheese. I found the dish spectacular. - Beet salad (citrus. feta. mint. toasted sunflower seeds. $16) -- well executed. Sweet, fresh roasted beets + excellent mesclun + neatly suprêmed sweet oranges. - The Glizzy (Waygu beef. street corn. lime crema. cojita cheese. cilantro. chili oil drizzle; $22) -- In case you can't tell from the description, The Glizzy is a hot dog. A very, very good one. Tender, juicy, flavorful, all the good things, like master butchers Erica Nakamura and Jocelyn Guest used to make and sell via J&E Small Goods. It's about a foot long, but comes in a regular size bun. Corn was a wee bit chewy, but nicely dressed, and contributed some welcome vegetable matter. - Brick Chicken (crispy airline chicken. rosemary jus. whipped yukon potatoes. braised kale. $34) -- Airline chicken is a certain cut of chicken, also called Statler chicken, which includes a boneless, skin-on chicken breast with the first wing joint (the drumette) attached. This was nicely made with moist protein and flavorful skin that had either been seared in a pan or by a torch. Kale was a bit tougher than ideal, but the whipped potatoes and jus were likable accompaniments, retro, yet chic. (Perhaps out of nowhere, it made me think of Crown Shy in NYC.) Now a note on service. I had originally ordered the Mussels (saffron broth. fennel. herbs. $18) and was served a beautiful, generously portioned bowl with what appeared to be fat bivalves. Unfortunately, they smelled odd -- strongly and weirdly of human urine -- though the one mussel I ventured to eat tasted fresh and unspoiled. I was Googling for possible benign causes of such a smell and actually prepared to power through if I could -- prima donna types who send dishes back to the kitchen irritate me to no end -- but our amazing server, Mia, noticed my perplexed face, and graciously offered to take the dish away and off the bill. Later, the fantastically nice and charismatic co-owner, Tim Medina, stopped by the table to apologize and chat. And after that, they even generously comped us a dessert. I was too full to want to indulge, but the Pardner ended up requesting the whimsically named C.R.E.A.M. (see below). Even before all this, we were impressed by the gracious staff's sense of hospitality and their excellent team play. The hostess was occupied with other guests when we first arrived and the lovely bartender / mixologist immediately came out from behind the bar to greet and seat us. - C.R.E.A.M. = The CEREAL RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME (vanilla or chocolate gelato. choice of cereal. $10) -- This was deeply nostalgic for me. Like probably just about every other kid, my sister and I made similar concoctions as children. Our favorite was vanilla ice cream mixed with peanut butter and either corn flakes or saltines. Rebellion's version came with an off-menu salted caramel gelato (good mouthfeel) and, at the Pardner's request, Cocoa Pebbles. Fun and irreverent. Also -- shhh -- sophisticated. Given our well-paced and leisurely meal over conversation and the World Cup, we were able to try quite a few cocktails, yet drive home completely sober. The mixologist(s) -- Google tells me chef Tevin Snider is the man in charge, here -- know their game. More than anything else, the drinks stole the show. All cocktails are $15 and well made classics served with those big, classy cocktail ice cubes. The menu is organized by primary spirit. We had: - Mexican Firing Squad (tequila, fresh lime, grenadine, bitters) - Oaxaca Old Fashioned (reposado tequila, mezcal, agave, bitters, orange peel) -- strong, fragrant, not-too-sweet -- my fave - Penicillin (blended Scotch, lemon, honey-ginger, smoky Islay Scotch) - Gold Rush (bourbon, lemon, honey) -- evidently invented at one of our favorite NYC establishments, Milk and Honey, in the early 2000s. Back when we lived a few blocks away. This makes me feel old. - Vieux Carre (rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, benedictine, bitters) It's been a while since we've been to such a fun, funny, classy place. I'm in love! read more

All right folks! I don't typically, if ever, write a review. However, I would not feel like I am doing my duty as a Danburian if I neglected this one. First off, this is a review for two concepts, one staff, and one man. Both Rebellion Gastropub and Rebellion Kitchen + Bar are fantastic. Let me start with the staff, who are excellent in each establishment. Upon entering either location, I am greeted warmly by everyone I see. Special shout-outs to Dorian, Mia, and Julie! These three have made every experience (for both me and anyone I bring along) top-notch. They are knowledgeable, skilled behind the bar, and super kind. They consistently go out of their way to ensure that each item brought to the table, whether a bite or a pour, is perfect. Next, I would like to talk about the Chef/Owner, Tim. Now, I like to fancy myself a foodie; I am a home cook with a ton of technical skill and knowledge. Generally, if I can cook better than the establishment in which I am dining (which in Danbury happens quite often), I simply do not come back. However, the "OG" Rebellion on Padanaram is a mainstay for me. This new space? EVEN BETTER!!! Tim is wildly enthusiastic about food. He consistently pushes his knowledge and skillset to the point of excellence. I understand that some people may look at the prices and say, "no thanks." That would be a mistake. In my mind, you get what you pay for, and in this economy, you certainly have to pay for quality. That is exactly what you get from Tim--day to day, plate to plate. Tim has never served me a dish that I did not happily eat and enjoy. Furthermore, I know firsthand that his kitchen and food prep practices are impeccable. He takes great pride in his food, his facilities, and his desire to grow his business acumen. All one needs to do is visit the new Gastropub. We are talking "80s neon drip" meets modern high-end dining meets sports bar. It has everything anyone could ask for in Danbury: -Date Night: Whether it's a first date or a night out with your spouse, this is the spot. -The Fellas: It's a dope setting to hang out and watch the playoffs. -Girls' Night: It is a great space for friends or colleagues to gather. -Events: It's a wonderful space to host an event where guests will be impressed by the food, ambiance, and drinks. Simply put: don't sleep on this one, folks. There are very few spots around Danbury that live up to the hype and the price, but Rebellion Gastropub is right there as a contender for the top spot. Sorry Rein, sorry The Reserve, sorry Costello's--those are places that, for me, do not live up to the price point or the hype. For my money, if I want a sure thing, I'm going to see Tim and his crew. read more

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We've been waiting for a few months for the new Rebellion Gastro Pub to open since we are fans of the existing Rebellion on the other side of town and we're happy to report that it's just as good! When you enter Innovation Studios (which was a Crowne Plaza back in the day) you head straight back to Rebellion, which is identified by it's sexy looking backlit sign. We walked into the restaurant and were greeted by a friendly hostess. The room itself is interesting...very sleek and modern looking, with a up-tempo club soundtrack. There are televisions everywhere showing sports, but they don't overwhelm the space. If you want to focus on the TVs, they are there but if you don't, they're not intrusive. Also there's a lovely garden view behind the bar. Service was great from start to finish (shout out to Javier). We started with cocktails and all you have to do is look at the menu to know this is a serious cocktail place! Our drinks were great. For an appetizer, we had the mushroom crostini. It was really delicious...very savory, great texture. I had the brick chicken for my entree and everything about it was top notch. The chicken was moist and flavorful with extra crispy skin. The potatoes were delicious and there was a generous portion of greens included so I didn't feel too guilty eating every last bit. The desserts are all fun and innovative. I was tempted by one that had funfetti frosting and shortbread, but went with the brownie instead. It was great. I loved the fudgy yet crisp texture of the brownie and the ice cream and sprinkles were a perfect complement. We were there fairly early for dinner but the bar was getting packed by the time we left. I hope everyone on the west side of Danbury checks out this new gem of a restaurant. I think you'll like it just as much as we did. read more

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We were driving to Simsbury from Philly and decided to pull over and get some food to wait out rush hour. We were under dressed but this place had rave reviews and was not far off the highway. They welcomed us anyway. It was happy hour so we ordered some bar bites, mushroom crostini and gochujang wings. Both were delicious. We also got a Cobb Salad to share. Both the presentation and taste were commensurate with the $25 price. This is a beautiful place to linger with friends and I wish we were not driving through. read more

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Food quality/price (value) rating 9. The atmosphere is "private lounge". This venue is a cross between a night club and a Manhattan bar. The food menu is pretty straight forward, the cocktail menu is every cocktail aficionado's dream! I had the 12 hour Pork Chop with sweet corn polenta (delicious) and the wife had the Shroomz, and stated that it was very flavorful, moist and delicious! Our bartender Evan was polite and entertaining. They have live entertainment on alternating weekends depending on circumstances. A very large outdoor seating area with three fire pits adds a separate dimension to this large space. The restaurant & bar are located in the Innovation Studio building on Ridgebury Road, in Danbury, bringing a steady attendance of singles to the table, so to speak. Very sleek and contemporary decor makes this place a first date great memorable experience. read more

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Great spot with amazing cocktails and food! The truffle fries are the best ever; sit at the bar and service is outstanding! Trendy vibe with the most comfortable chairs!! read more

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We were driving through Connecticut on our way back to Massachusetts and found this restaurant online. It was a bit hard to find -- I drove by and missed it. It's in an apartment building which I wasn't expecting. This place is probably too hip for us, but the menu had some interesting items. We shared the Duck confit tacos and the fish and chips. Both were excellent and different. The staff were very friendly and helpful. It's too bad we still had a 3 hour drive left or I would've definitely tried one of their cocktails. We would definitely stop again. read more

Great bartenders and even better drinks. Consistently a good experience. Would definitely recommend.

We are driving from Nova Scotia and decided to stay in a hotel in Danbury rather than drive all the way home. Saw that Rebellion Gastro Pub was less than a mile away from our hotel. It's in an office building type setting and I wasn't sure what to expect. We sat at the bar and the bartender Marcello was friendly and made some awesome adult beverages. I had the brick chicken which was amazing. My wife had a burger and loved it. It was also nice seeing the owner walking around and speaking to customers. You know your food and service are spot on if you are that visible. We wish this place wasn't 200 miles away from home or we would be back tomorrow! read more