Sip and Simmer, the newest restaurant in Milford, located in Penny Square and replacing fondue, held a soft opening on Friday, introducing a brand-new menu, new cocktails and new décor. Zack and Marissa King, owners of fondue, said they sold the restaurant to spend more time with their children.
“I have been friends with Ashley for over 20 some years and they put on Facebook one day that they would like to have a restaurant and bar,” co-owner Kelley Morris said. “I said, well, let’s meet for breakfast. We did and I told them, ‘Give me a week and let me see what I can do’ Within a week, I came back to them and said. ‘let’s go look at some places.’ I reached out to Zack who has been a good friend of mine for over 20 years, and he took me to EasySpeak, but that was a little bigger than what we wanted. Zack said, ‘I have the perfect place’ and showed me fondue.”
According to Ashley, she and her wife, Niki Morris, along with Ashley Savage and David Smith, fell in love with the location. Ashley will be the front of the house manager and bartender while David is the head chef.
“We will keep the full fondue experience, the cheese, entrée and chocolate, and you don’t have to get all of them, but you can,” Kelley said. “We’re not specifically offering the four course they were doing before. You can just come in for cheese and chocolate, just get the cheese as an appetizer or however you want to combine it.”
David began his experience in the kitchen at Smith and Company, a popular restaurant that was in the location where Benvenuto is now. He continued working there when Abbott’s Grill took over the location. He left Abbott’s Grill to take the job at Sip and Simmer.
“I get fresh seafood delivered every day,” David said. “Right now, I have salmon on the menu, we’ve got crab, shrimp, scallops, succotash and all our sauces are made in house.”
When asked what they thought their biggest challenge would be, Kelley joked that they already had it.
“The liquor license was a challenge,” Nikki said. “That was our biggest hurdle to get over, but we have it. We are most looking forward to everyone’s comments on how good the food is. We also plan to give back to the community. All the small businesses in Penny Square have been so welcoming, everyone on Walnut Street. It’s just a really great vibe to be here.”
Sip and Simmer will offer Happy Hour from 2 to 6 PM every day, hoping to address another challenge they think they may face – filling the bar.
“This is a beautiful bar, and it is just not utilized,” Kelley said. “We want to fill these bar seats and hope that a good happy hour will do that.”
Niki pointed out that they had changed the aesthetics somewhat. For those that provided cutting boards as part of the décor in fondue, all of them are now displayed in Penny Square along one wall.
“We want it to feel cozy, we want it to be date night, you can come in, grab a drink, have a great cocktail,” Niki said. “They are beautiful cocktails.”
Ashley stated that some of the drinks on the menu were a Limoncello mule with vodka, limoncello, ginger beer and lime as well as a blackberry lemon crush with blackberry syrup, citrus vodka and fresh lemon juice. They even offer dessert-style drinks like a chocolate covered strawberry or bananas foster martini.
“Our s’mores martini will have marshmallows I made myself,” Nikki said. “With the dessert fondue, you get homemade marshmallows, homemade rice Krispie treats, the cookies are fresh baked, everything is fresh. We hope to partner with some of the local bakeries for fresh bread”
Niki stated that the King’s had been guiding them in steps necessary to start a restaurant and that the former General Manager of fondue, Dalton Carter, was helping as well. The décor of the restaurant, according to Niki, is meant to feel as if customers are witnessing the Northern Lights. They are still upgrading the décor but hope that others will enjoy the new look.
“On Tuesday’s, we are looking to do a locals night and a night for Milford School District,” David said. “You come in with an ID or a badge from the district; you get 10 or 15 percent off. We also plan to do the same thing on Wednesday nights for first responders. We aren’t sure when that will kick off, but it will happen. We will also offer a military discount.”
Sip and Simmer is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 AM to 9 PM. They are also open Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 11 PM. They are located at 39 North Walnut Street, Milford. The new owners say that all currently held gift cards for fondue will be honored by Sip and Simmer.
