GREENWICH, CT — Bird is certainly the word in Greenwich.
Freebird, a fast-casual chicken restaurant with a unique menu of sandwiches, salads, wraps and more, will officially open on Wednesday at 116 E. Putnam Ave., in the space formerly occupied by Kennedy’s barbershop next to Whole Foods.
The concept was created by husband and wife team Scott and Heather Fratangelo, who have years of experience in the restaurant and food industries. The two also own an Italian-inspired restaurant, L’inizio, in Ardsley, N.Y., which opened in 2013.
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Heather said Greenwich and the spot on East Putnam Avenue was perfect for the Freebird concept, which was born even before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“We were looking in different locations. We felt this space in Greenwich has access to so many different entities, like the hospital and there are so many schools in the area. There’s so much foot traffic. We really liked that aspect about it,” Heather explained.
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On the other side of the pandemic, Heather said she noticed dining behavior had changed. Scott and Heather wanted to open up a place that had more of a casual, fun vibe.
“After the past couple of years, we noticed that people want to go out and relax a little bit and have fun. We wanted to create an atmosphere along with the food that was about having no worries,” Heather added.
Everything on the menu at Freebird is created in-house, from sauces, salad dressings and sides, to desserts. Freebird will be open for breakfast, lunch and will close at 7 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on weekends.
There are customizable options for every guest.
Breakfast highlights include the Bird BEC, a classic bacon, egg and cheese sandwich served on a brioche roll which can be upgraded with a crispy chicken cutlet.
Another breakfast highlight, The Yammy Bird, features sweet potato, egg, pickled red onion, scallion, avocado, and sriracha mayonnaise all rolled into a delicious wrap.
The lunch menu has a variety of chicken sandwiches, and any salad can be turned into a wrap. Guests can choose either grilled or crispy chicken as additions.
The Hot Bird sandwich has red cabbage slaw and sriracha honey sauce, while the All American Bird has bacon, American cheese, house pickles, lettuce, tomato and lemon mayonnaise.
The Squash Bird sandwich, a crispy butternut squash cutlet topped with goat cheese, lettuce, house pickles and balsamic.
In a twist to the traditional cobb salad, the Cos Cobb Salad has romaine, radish, hardboiled egg, blue cheese, tomato, pickled red onion, bacon and tahini vinaigrette.
Side dishes include crispy Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, red cabbage slaw and fry “dippers.”
Scott, a graduate of the NY Institute of Technology’s culinary program, spearheads the savory side of Freebird.
He has years of experience as an executive chef and sous chef at some of New York’s most popular restaurants, including Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Capsouto Frères, Café Centro and Estia, and was the executive chef/owner at Spigolo in New York City.
Heather, an executive pastry chef, handles the sweet side of the menu.
She honed her skills at Union Square Café, where she and Scott met, and at Eleven Madison Park, db Bistro Moderne and Salute. She graduated from the French Culinary Institute.
Freebird offers freshly baked croissants, muffins, brownies and cookies.
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Westchester-based Caffè Ammi Roasting Co. provides coffee through espressos, cappuccinos, macchiatos and more.
The interior of Freebird is light and highlights coastal vibes with a white-washed brick surface compared to navy blue bugalow shutters on the wall. There are rattan pendant lights and sconces. A dark colores bird-inspired wallpaper design is on the back wall.
There are about seven seats inside, and seating outside on the sidewalk.
Diners can order online on Freebird’s website, order in-person, or get an easy ready-made meal from the grab-and-go section.
Freebird is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.,m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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