~The Intern Series~
At Pier 131, owned by Shelton’s own Artan Ismali, you can experience a fabulous dining experience paired with a breathtaking view! Their menu features refreshing takes on old classics along with a balanced mixture of American cuisine and other cultural favorites. At Pier 131, the atmosphere will make you feel like you’re at a 5-star restaurant in Manhattan, while the food will make you feel right at home. With events and deals going on seemingly every night, we will be sure to be back soon!
Here’s what we tried!
To drink, we sipped on the sweet and spicy Blackberry Margarita:
For our appetizers, we enjoyed the Lobster Lollipops and the Chicken Dumplings:
Lastly, for our main courses, we had the Skinny Zucchini Pasta along with the Sliced Steak bowl:
Now that you have a taste of the beautiful restaurant Pier 131, you should try it yourself! With its breathtaking view, refreshing menu, and amazing cocktails, we’re sure you’ll love it. Be sure to read our interview with owner, Artan Ismali, below to find out about their amazing events and history behind the establishment.
See my Q&A with the owner of Pier 131,Artan Ismaili , below!
Tell me a little about yourself and why you decided to open up Pier 131!
“My father has been in the restaurant business my entire life. He used to have Casanova on River Road and he opened up Artan’s off exit 14. Then I went out to Danbury and opened another, where I ultimately decided it was just better to come back to Shelton! You know, where the roots are. ”
How did you come up with the name “Pier 131”?
“The railroad track near us is the 131 point on the system, and then I just threw the word “pier” in there haha.”
How would you describe the food and atmosphere here at Pier 131?
“I would say we have American cuisine but we try to dabble into a lot of different cultures. For example, last year we had the Pho soup, which will be coming back in the fall. You know, we just want to play around with different ideas and different tastes.”
What would you say are your top three dishes on the menu?
“The Butter Crab Roll, the Chicken Dumplings, and honestly any of the bowls really hit!”
Tell me about your happy hour!
“We have a happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-6. We have $5 drafts, $5 margaritas, $2 off High Noon’s!”
What is your personal favorite drink and dish?
“Definitely an espresso martini without Baileys…and for my favorite dish, I’ve grown up in the Italian industry so I would have to say the pizza or chicken parm.
Do you have anything fun coming out- any special events?
“We have a lot! We’re doing Monday night football where we’re doing our happy hour menu at night at 8:00. Tuesdays, we do $5 margaritas all day, and have taco trays for $9. Wednesday night’s we do trivia. Thursday,Friday, and Saturday a majority of the time we have a live band and Sunday we have a DJ for Brunch. There’s always something going on!
Do you have any new menu items coming up?
“Yes! The new menu will actually be rolling out in the first or second week of October. The Pho will be on there and we have some new Mediterranean dishes we’ve been playing around with as well. We are also going to refresh the bowls to give the people something new. We know people love them, but we never want the people to get tired.”
About Pier 131: Pier 131 will bring a much different experience to downtown Shelton. Our 1600 square foot patio will overlook the Housatonic River and breathe more life into the newly developed area. The menu will feature comfort classics with some new twists and also focus on creatively constructed craft cocktails. We support all LOCAL, including farms, breweries, etc. More details coming soon!!!
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