I was meeting up with a few friends I hadn't seen in what felt like forever, so I wanted to find a spot that would make the occasion special. After doing a little research, I came across The Wheel, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. I made a reservation for Sunday brunch. Finding the entrance was a little confusing at first, and parking took a minute to figure out, but I eventually learned you can park for free at the Village next door, which made things much easier. Once I arrived, I was immediately greeted and shown to the outdoor seating area. Walking through the restaurant, I was impressed by how beautiful the property is. It is incredibly spacious, sits right on the water, and even has an additional outdoor area next door where you can relax away from the restaurant. The views alone make this place worth visiting. Our server, Freddy, was fantastic. He was friendly, personable, and knowledgeable. He took the time to explain the menu, answer questions, and offer recommendations, which made the experience even better. Now onto the food. To start, we shared the Breakfast Pizza, topped with smoked bacon, crispy potatoes, roasted garlic, mozzarella, two eggs, and fresh cracked black pepper. It was a fun twist on brunch and had great flavor. We also ordered the Shrimp and Grits, made with cheddar grits, wild caught shrimp, a poached egg, and chimichurri. Rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. The Crispy Chicken Sandwich looked outstanding. Made with organic Murray's chicken, hot honey, coleslaw, and dill pickles, it came with fries and disappeared quickly. For my entrée, I ordered the Steak and Eggs, featuring grilled hanger steak, two eggs, breakfast potatoes, and chimichurri. The steak had excellent flavor, although I ordered it medium and it came out closer to well done. It was my only real issue with the meal. We also tried a couple of cocktails. The Orange Crush was refreshing and perfect for brunch, while the bourbon, Aperol, peach, Earl Grey, and lemon cocktail was smooth, balanced, and equally enjoyable. Dessert was the perfect ending. The Take 5 Sundae with peanut butter crunch, pretzels, whipped cream, vanilla bean caramel, chocolate ice cream, and hot fudge was absolutely delicious. We also had the Tres Leches, topped with strawberries and vanilla whipped cream, which was light, moist, and a great way to finish the meal. Overall, everything we ordered was delicious. Aside from the slightly confusing entrance, parking, and my overcooked steak, the entire experience was outstanding. The waterfront setting, excellent service, beautiful atmosphere, and quality food make this one of the best brunch spots in Stamford. I will definitely be back. Next time I already have my eye on the Banana Buttermilk Bread, Village Breakfast, Braised Short Rib Hash, Wheel House Burger, Margherita Pizza, Smoked Salmon Pizza, and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich for myself. For drinks, I want to try the Charred Citrus, One in a Melon, and the Orange Crush. And I definitely need to save room for the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake. read more

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Solid first visit to The Wheel! Portion sizes were excellent for sharing, as we tried a variety of starters, seafood, and sides. Favorite dish selections per voting of the table, were the brussel sprouts (~$20), calamari (~$20), and NY strip (~$50) specifically because of the tallow fried rice that laid underneath the steak! Although we enjoyed the quality and quantity of food, the service was quite slow. Our waitstaff didn't come by very often to take drink orders, refill water glasses, or follow up. It didn't seem too busy that evening, so we were a bit surprised. We stayed in the dining room on this trip, but hope to come back for a nice evening when the outside patio area is available. read more

We arrived for dinner with friends on a hot July 4th evening at 7:30. The music loud, techno and distracting from ourconversation.. Decided to move outside due to the high noise level even though it was hot outside. Speakers outside were also blasting music, It felt intrusive, but still quieter than inside. Repeated requests to lower the volume feel on deaf ears. Mussels were tasty. Eggplant dip akin to dog food. We were advised to move inside due to impending threat of storms. We all grabbed our drinks and expected the remainder potion of our appetizer that was left (a handful of muscle and dog food sip would be brought inside. When it didn't come I turned around and saw one of the women cleaning up the tables outside tossing out the remainder of our 1st course and clearing the plates. I said to our friends that we paid for that and they ahouldnt have assumed we were finished. Our friends did not want to make a scene and chose to let it go. Main course was decent branzino tasty, decent portion, my friends did liked the scallops and my husband enjoyed his pasta. Dessert was chocolate Carmel with gelato not bad not great. Never to return or recommend. Place May work for you if you're in your 20's, early 30's. Every place you dine at today you're probably dropping $200/couple. Time to elevate your standards and don't settle for places like The Wheel. read more

Great service & great food. You can dock your boat here too but no dock hand. Great pizza and lobster. read more

The Wheel - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

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Very cute! Made a Mother's Day reservation and it was packed - they gave out a little tulip to the women there. Space is huge! Lots going on and the wait for food was a little long but the place was packed so not surprising. Everything was really yummy! They have something for everyone. read more

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I love this place, the ambiance, staff and food all 10/10, I will definitely be going back. We had a 7:15 reservation and was seated with 10 minutes, we opted for outdoor which was exactly what i needed, its such a serene environment, indoor and outdoor, i can't wait to go back for brunch. Service was in point and everything was tasty, i would have liked the order if fries to be bigger and also tve shrimp cocktail sauce was kinda off but I also had tempura shrimp roll and the spicy rigatoni pasta was delicious. We also had 2 of the blood orange margaritas they were on point and desert can't forget it was a salted caramel chocolate cake, i stuffed my face, can't wait to go back . read more

The Wheel - Blood orange Margaritas - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

I went to The Wheel for brunch for the first time and had such a lovely time. The menu was great. My table shared the breakfast pizza, the smoked salmon pizza, and the oysters. All three were fantastic. The breakfast pizza had us craving more, and the oysters were fresh, delicious, and delicately shucked. I tried the chilaquiles and the short rib hash. The chilaquiles were very good, despite being a bit different from the red-sauce version I'm used to. But omg, the short rib hash was SO GOOD. This is an absolute killer dish. I've never been a huge fan of hollandaise sauce, but they put it on the side for me, and honestly, it blended extremely well with the flavors of the hash. The "5 O'Clock Somewhere" cocktail is refreshing and gave me a very light buzz that paired well with the delicious options we ordered. The staff is friendly and very attentive, and the spot itself is very clean, spacious, and stunning. I would definitely visit this spot again. read more

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I've been to The Wheel a number of times - Generally, it is very good in terms of both service and food. It's a spacious, beautiful restaurant and on nice days during the warmer months, you can sit on their outdoor patio on the canal. The 48-hour braised short rib over polenta is my absolute favorite dish; tender and flavorful. I also recommend the Hiroshi Roll, Salmon Crispy Rice if you're into sushi. Next time, I'd like to try the tallow fried rice! read more

I've been to The Wheel at the Village a handful of times now, and it's honestly become one of my go-to spots. The whole "industrial chic" vibe usually feels a bit overdone, but they nailed it here--especially with the waterfront location. During the day, the floor-to-ceiling windows let in so much natural light, but if you go for dinner, the candles and chandeliers make the whole place feel really warm and intimate. The food is consistently great. I've tried pretty much everything on the menu at this point, and I haven't been disappointed yet. You can tell they're serious about using fresh, local ingredients (I heard they source from over 40 local farmers and fishermen), and it shows in the quality. My favorite part is the open kitchen. They have this massive hearth oven right in the center where they roast all the meats and veggies. If you're a pizza person, their Neapolitan-style pies out of that oven are a must-try. Everything always comes out looking beautiful, and the service has been excellent every time I've visited. Definitely worth a visit if you're looking for a solid New American spot with a view. read more

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We went to The Wheel in Stamford, CT for New Year's with my fiancée, my cousin, and his girlfriend, and it was an awesome night. The food was excellent across the board--everything that hit the table felt thoughtfully made and plated. We ordered the pizza, a shrimp tempura roll, and the wild oyster mushroom dish, and every single item was a hit. The mushrooms were especially memorable--great texture, big flavor, and just something different in the best way. The pizza was also legit, and the sushi roll was fresh and satisfying. The vibe is what really ties it all together: great energy, cool décor, and a lively atmosphere that feels fun without being chaotic. It's also right on the water, and I can already tell this place must be amazing during the day with the view. Shoutout to the team too--friendly, attentive, and on top of everything, especially for a busy holiday night. We had an incredible time and will absolutely be back. read more

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Great location and ambiance! The outdoor deck on the water was lovely and it wasn't too busy. We started with cocktails. I got the 5 o'clock Somewhere which I loved. We split an order of the banana bread, it came out warm and it was fantastic. It was perfectly moist and crumbly. My shrimp and grits were pretty solid. I especially loved the cheesy grits. The braised short rib hash jalapeño hollandaise was the right amount of spicy. The chilaquiles and fried chicken sandwich were bland. Unfortunately the service here was not great. Our server took our drinks and appetizer orders. He brought out the appetizer and asked if we wanted more drinks (we didn't) but never came back. After that we waited a good 45 minutes for our food until he realized we never received it and after that we never saw him again. We had to flag him down to get our check. If I came back it would be for drinks and apps. read more

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Great experience. Incredible service and the food is amazing. We were a big group from work but we enjoyed it very much. I ordered the salmon, it was delicious. Thank you again for such an excellent experience! read more

The Wheel - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

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I have become one of the most frequent customer at The Wheel and whenever someone is visiting me I end up bringing them to this place. It is not at the most visible location, but once there, you can find plenty of parking, either in the front or at the garage towards the left. This place has o e of the most gorgeous interior, a bit on the rustic side but very classy. There is both I door and outdoor seating and in the summer, as long as the lantern flies are not around, you can have the best experience sitting next to the river. They also have a small private room in case you have a party of 15-20 with glass windows all around. The food is consistently good, and their pizzas are phenomenal. Do not skip the desserts either. Simply love this place. read more

The Wheel - The little bird...not so little - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

Everytime we go the food is fantastic and service is great! Haven't had one bad thing on the menu, and the vibe is very nice right on the water read more

We came here for lunch and made a reservation maybe 20 min before we got there. This place was gorgeous! If it was warmer I'd ask to sit outside because it's right on the water. We ordered blood orange margaritas to start along with the whipped ricotta hot honey bread which was delicious. For lunch, I ordered the wheelhouse burger medium which was cooked perfectly, and subbed out regular fries for truffle fries - which was the correct choice! For dessert I got the chocolate cake which was very decadent but not too sweet. Overall wonderful experience and service & they allow dogs because we saw some people bring their furry friends with them! read more

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What's not to love about a waterfront restaurant selling great pizza, pasta, and other specialties like braised short ribs? Although a little bit more on the pricier side, you're paying for excellent quality while being directly on a marina. No matter if you're seated inside or out, the entire team from front of house to the back is there to make your service as great as possible. My only note - if you're driving in, expect a difficult time to find parking. You'll need to find street availability, or go to the far back of the adjacent parking lot. Otherwise, sit back, relax, and enjoy a meal with friends or loved ones. read more

The Wheel - Short ribs - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

I went to The Wheel in Stamford with a few work friends and we had such a lovely dinner. We shared a variety of appetizers -- calamari, crab cakes, pizza, meatballs, and shrimp ceviche and brussel sprouts -- and everything was delicious. I tried the blood orange margarita and the pom pom with tito's, both were refreshing and well-balanced. For my main, I ordered the short rib, which was incredibly tender and flavorful. The creamy polenta that came with it paired perfectly with the meat. We finished with a trio of desserts -- the salted caramel chocolate cake, gelato, and tres leches cake -- and loved every bite. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service was attentive without being rushed. We all left happy (and very full!). read more

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The food was ok, too overpriced for the quality. There were some mistakes in the service. Beautiful restaurant though. My favorite was the fig and beet salad. read more

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I came here for dinner, which took longer than expected, the time between appetizers, entrees, and dessert was quite long. For an appetizer, we ordered the margarita pizza, I would definitely order it again. It was cooked to perfection and had a great sauce. For entrees, we got the little bird and the 48-hour braised short rib. The short rib was our favorite. We also ordered the mushrooms, which were odd (I will put a picture)it wasn't a normal mushroom dish. For dessert, we ordered the Take 5 sundae, which had Take 5 candy on top with pretzels in the ice cream. The ambiance was great, right along the water. Just beware of the wait times! read more

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Highly recommend The Wheel! The ambiance is super vibey, it's giving upscale date night energy without the outrageous price tag (which is always a win). Everything felt thoughtfully done from the service to the presentation of the food. The whipped eggplant is easily my favorite thing on the menu. Absolutely unreal. Creamy, flavorful, and honestly worth going back for alone. We indulged in the brick oven pizza as well. The Funghi was exceptional! Looking forward to going back again soon! read more

The Wheel - Funghi - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

Food was good but very small portions . Pizza petite in size , ceviche extremely petite in size. Wait staff fair at best . Expensive . This place is a few years old and already booth seating Upholstery is ripped and worn out . Certainly not rushing back to this place . read more

Excellent food and service! Beautiful restaurant and view. On the pricey side so likely would save for a special occasion. For reference, brunch for three with two appetizers (banana bread and sweet ricotta both insanely yummy) and three main dishes was almost $170 (20% tip included). My husband ordered a beer and the rest a coke. read more

I have visited the Wheel on numerous occasions last season . The place is beautiful but there has to be a new chef in the kitchen . 1Fried Calamari was small and overcooked the sauce was different from last year it was a tasty thai sauce .This time i don't what it was . 2 beet salad was watery 3 Ceasar salad was all tough outer leaves the kind that a good restaurant would discard. . They lost me for the summer . read more

Loved my visit to The Wheel. The Korean rice bowl with extra tofu was so delicious, and the restaurant has a really nice, welcoming setting. Definitely a spot I'll be returning to. read more

The Wheel - Korean Rice Bowl - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

Food was great as we'll as service. My go to restaurant when I am in Stamford. Great for after work drinks as well sitting outside.

The Wheel was a solid four stars! We visited for the first time to celebrate my brother's 30th birthday. Though the weather kept us indoors, we really enjoyed the ambiance. That said, there was a slight outdoor smell near the entrance--not the restaurant's fault, just something we noticed. To start, we had the charred avocado, which is essentially guacamole with chips. It was tasty, though a bit oily for my preference. Next time, I'd love to try the whipped eggplant with pita--it looked delicious. For my entrée, I had the chopped salad with kale (no romaine) and added salmon, cooked medium. The toppings were mostly at the bottom, so I had to dig a bit. I wish there had been more sweet potato, and the pieces could've been larger for more flavor. The dried corn added a nice crunch. My dad let me try the marinated tomato in the simple greens salad, which was quite fresh and tasty. A few others in our group also got salads with salmon, and we all felt the salmon portions were on the small side. Mine was slightly pinker than expected, so I might order it medium well, but not a big issue. Dessert was a crowd-pleaser --a rich chocolate cake with salted caramel sauce, complete with a birthday candle for my brother. Overall, we had a pleasant meal, but I'm not sure I'd return soon. If we did, we'd likely try the whipped eggplant and maybe split some salads or pizzas. read more

The Wheel - Chopped Salad with salmon - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

Came on a Thursday for lunch, a very work place during lunch time, but Hampton Water, was delicious, calamari very good and sandwiches nice!! Highly recommend read more

The Wheel - Hampton Water, Côtes de Provence, France, NV - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

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Came for brunch without reservations. You should 100% make reservations; when we went they were apparently understaffed and the complete front of the restaurant with booth seating was empty. There was only one young man who seemed to be stretched thin, having to manage the entrance host/hostess station, seat guests towards the back and outdoors, get diners settled into their table, assist other tables and rushing back and forth to the host/hostess stand. He initially told us we might not be able to get accommodated because they were understaffed, had to speak w/ the floor manager, offered us the first booth where no one was sitting and then was eventually able to arrange an outdoor table under the shade for us. Keep in mind, the front half the restaurant was empty, all the diners were seating in the back and outside. What happened wasn't his fault but this is a recuring management and staffing issue according to other reviews, this was not the first time and other diners received similar experience. The Wheel should be fully staffed and not allow those who show up for work be stretched thin. It created a stressful environment for the employees, not fair for diners including walk-ins who come from near or afar to be potentially turned away. That said, he was wonderful and so pleasant, really went out of his way to try his best to accommodate us and had a true understanding of restaurant hospitality. He is a 10 star individual. Tall young person with curly hair. The Wheel's location off a small, newish side street at the end Canal Street in the area where both the old Pitney Bowes and Starwood headquarters were once located. The restaurant is housed in a newish building called The Village that's used for food film production and had backing with Food Network's Guy Fieri. Because it's on the fringe of Harbor Point rentals and away from the downtown area, its secluded location and weekend businesses shut down, it's easy for people to forget that this is an alternative. Interior is very pleasant with coastal contemporary/industrial decor with an open kitchen slightly reminicent to Au Cheval. It's actually very pleasant, calming space by the water with no street noise. The deck is very nice and very clean, a good portion shaded, the other half full sun. Water views are not the greatest as it's really along a narrow inlet and not an open view of a harbor or the Sound. Across the way is a bunch of overgrowth and past that is industrial where Sprague and I think Ponus once was. There is a nice boardwalk down below to walk off some of the food. The food at The Wheel was excellent, more developed and refined than most of Stamford's mid-grade places. Farm-to-table delicious flavors all around. Hiroshi roll was tops, burger, children's mac and alfredo (cheese) sauce, two pizzas, dumplings, french toast, NY Strip and two other items I don't remember. Also really delicious mocktails, my favorite kind where the fizziness is really refined and champagne-like, not big club soda bubbles. Other than the beginning, service was very professional. During brunch there's also a small menu for children. I did taste the children's mac and cheese, a little too soupy but very nice flavor, more of an alfredo sauce. read more

My wife and I came here for dinner after making a reservation, but the experience from the moment we arrived was underwhelming. We stood at the doorway for a good five minutes because there was no hostess at the desk and no staff acknowledged us as we waited. When a hostess finally appeared, she was dressed rather sloppily and didn't greet us -- she just grabbed menus and literally darted across the dining room in a zigzag pattern, about ten feet ahead of us. She never asked if we'd been there before or mentioned the note in our reservation. Once seated, our waiter walked up casually and said, "What kind of water do you want?" -- not exactly the warm, professional tone you expect when dining out. It took ten minutes to get water, and another ten for our drinks to arrive. For appetizers, we ordered the salmon crispy rice, tuna tartare, and beet salad. The salmon had that distinct "refrigerator taste" -- the kind that only happens when something's been sitting too long in a poorly maintained fridge. The tuna was basically diced chunks on top of mid-grade guacamole, and while the miso sauce added flavor, there was so much of it that it pooled at the bottom of the plate. The beet salad, however, was excellent -- well balanced and beautifully presented. Whoever made that dish clearly cared. For entrées, we had the 48-hour braised short rib and the New York strip. The so-called short rib was absolutely not short rib -- it was a hunk of chuck roast cut to resemble one. Anyone familiar with the difference would spot it immediately. My wife had never had braised short ribs before and, unfortunately, still hasn't. My NY strip was overcooked and tough, despite ordering it medium. We didn't complain, just finished our meal and asked for the check. The waiter seemed almost annoyed that we didn't want dessert and dropped the bill without much of a word. One odd thing worth mentioning: there's a giant mural of a cow on the wall, but from the right angle, it looks more like an evil clown -- something straight out of Spawn. It actually took me a minute to realize it was supposed to be a cow. All in all, the restaurant could have potential. The interior is modern and visually interesting for a Connecticut spot, but the service and food execution just don't match the atmosphere. After this visit, my wife and I agreed -- if we're going to spend money dining out in Fairfield County, there are only two places we'd consider. If you've read my reviews, you already know which two those are read more

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Delicious food and great service! Their outside patio is a great atmosphere. I had a hard time choosing an entree, but I loved the pork chop and wagyu meatballs. My boyfriend enjoyed the brisket. The salmon crispy rice was good, but the group consensus was that it was our least favorite item of everything we got. read more

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What a great find. The restaurant had a great vibe and lots of energy. The service was excellent. And the menu is very diverse with lots of great choices from the causal pizza to excellent seafood dishes. And everything tasted amazing. It does get busy and it can take awhile for your food to come out but it's worth it. read more

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The host seated us outdoors in the heat although there was more than enough space indoors. After sweating a bit, a lovely server came and was able to seat us indoors without any hesitation. Besides that, the food was good and the servers were great. read more

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Really loves the setting. Host area was very friendly and accommodating. We were able to sit outside which was great. Our server was fine. It did take quite a while for our food to come out. But it was very good. The pizza and calamari were okay. The rest was very good and good size portions. We had to ask a few times for refills on our water. Our cocktails were good as well. We would come back. Maybe they were just short staffed. read more

The Wheel - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

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Food and Ambiance are really perfect! Well deserve 5 star. :) Thank you so much for the Coffee! read more

The Wheel - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

Easily one of the best pizzas I've ever had -- seriously... I recently visited The Village Wheel for a work dinner and I can't stop thinking about how incredible their pizza was. Without exaggeration, it was top 5 best pizzas I've ever had. The crust was perfectly crisp yet chewy, the sauce was bursting with flavor, and the toppings were so fresh and perfectly balanced. Every bite was absolute perfection and i have no shame when I say that I ate the entire thing by myself in one sitting. Haha The atmosphere at The Village Wheel is warm and inviting, making it a great spot for a casual meal or a special night out. The staff was super friendly and made the experience even better. If you're a pizza lover (or just someone who loves amazing food), you have to check this place out. I'm already looking forward to going back and trying more of their menu. Highly recommend! read more

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Nice brunch location. Good food and staff. Very clean place. Wil is a great manager! Very accommodating. Outside deck is a nice option if the weather is good. read more

We went there for a bite to eat on a Sunday in the "brunch" timeframe. I got the smoked salmon on toast, two people got the hot chicken sandwich with French fries, and another got the French toast. The latter was extremely decadent and tasty. The chicken sandwiches were crispy and juicy and the fries were very good. My lox on toast was excellent with capers. Recommended for sure! read more

This is a fabulous place to dine. Luxurious setting, friendly and knowledgeable staff and the food and beverages are spot on delicious. I wish I took some photos. We were a party of six and started with shared apps. Margarita pizza, octopus (special) and Brussel sprouts. For dinner we had the sesame tuna, pork chop Milanese (special), halibut over clam chowder, lobster gnocchi, Korean rice bowl (swapped out tofu for salmon) and short ribs. Well .... Not one of us was disappointed with our choices. Oh and be sure to have the gelato. All were delicious but the salted caramel was sinfully good. read more

Great atmosphere. Great food. Not just the typical brunch fare. Amazing Bloody Mary's. Check it out if you're in the area.

Really good food, but took over an hour to get served the food we ordered. They were pretty on top of everything, more or less, wish they were a little more attentive for the price. Nice place and table area. read more

The Wheel - Desert menu - New American Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

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