A 100-year-old grandmother really did teach the staff at a Connecticut restaurant how to cook.
Not only that, she also helped develop the recipes and even the menu at Filos Latin Fusion.
“We worked on this restaurant for about two years, and a lot of that was time with my grandmother, teaching us how to make her food,” said Manny Rivera, co-owner and manager of the relatively new restaurant in New Milford.
The restaurant welcomes customers into a bright, tropical space with hand-painted murals, decorative lighting and plenty of space for couples and groups seeking a place to eat.
Since Filos Latin Fusion opened, Rivera said, he’s established a faithful clientele and continues to welcome new customers every weekend.
Filos Latin Fuision, a new restaurant, opened in the Staples plaza on Route 7 in New Milford. The owners and their friends created the festive interior and décor and did
the space renovations themselves. The restaurant features hand-painted murals, decorative glass lighting, marble tile floors and plenty of seating. ( Emily M. Olson)
The eatery, with it windows brightly painted in tropical colors on the outside, is located in the Staples/Planet Fitness plaza at 116 Danbury Road, or Route 7.
Rivera owns Filos with his brother and sister, Edward Perez and Carolina Alvarez, who chose New Milford because of its growth and potential, he said.
“We thought New Milford needed more Latin food, hospitality, color,” Rivera said, speaking from the restaurant on a recent afternoon. “What we make here is old favorites with Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican and Italian flavors, with our own twist.”
From left, kitchen staff member Jose Rodriguez, co-owner Manny Rivera and bartender Charles Soles at Filos Latin Fusion, located in the Staples plaza on Route 7 in New Milford. (Emily Olson)
The recipes, he said, come from his grandmother, Filomena, who is 100 years old. She and another family member created the recipes and curated the menu at Filos, then worked in the kitchen last summer to teach other cooks how to make that menu, he said.
She also is the namesake of the restaurant, Rivera said.
“My grandmother’s 100 and she’ll probably outlive all of us,” Rivera said.
The menu is why people keep coming back, including Celia Pomerantz, a 30-year New Milford resident who is a native of Puerto Rico.
“Friends from my swimming club told me about it, and it’s wonderful, the food is just great,” she said, as she picked up a takeout order of tostones (plantains), red beans and rice.
“I’m seeing a lot more interest in Latin culture,” she said. “This is a beautiful restaurant; everyone is very nice. I’m so impressed with it.”
Filos Latin Fuision, a new restaurant, opened in the Staples plaza on Route 7 in New Milford. The owners and their friends created the festive interior and décor and did
the space renovations themselves. The restaurant features hand-painted murals, decorative glass lighting, marble tile floors and plenty of seating. ( Emily M. Olson)
The restaurant’s appetizer menu offers grilled octopus, shrimp, fried calamari with homemade salsa and ceviche (seafood), wings and other dishes. Mexicana a lo Dominican features fried plantains with pork belly, guacamole and pico de gallo. Another platter provides a sampling, with wings, salami, Dominican loganiza sausage, fried cheese, tostones and yuca fries.
For dinner, there’s roast pork or chicken; a surf and turf with shrimp or lobster and steak, and pasta dishes with chicken or seafood. There’s also Dominican stew with chicken, pork, beef, root vegetables, rice and corn; mofongo with chicken, steak or seafood; and Boca Chica (red snapper), made Caribbean style.
“We give great portions; people are always really happy with their dinner comes,” Rivera said, with a laugh. “Our dishes are just a little different. They have that special Latin flavor.”
Charles Soles tends bar at Filos, and mixes specialty cocktails with “good liquor and lots of fruits and juices,” he said.
The restaurant’s long dining room features a mural of brightly colored, oversized butterflies, flowers and faces on a black background. Along with the spacious dining room with tables for two, four or more, there’s seating at the bar, which also has two large-screen TVs.
A large sign reading ‘Filos’ on the rear wall is adorned with decorative moss, painted in the same bright, tropical colors.
Filos Latin Fuision, a new restaurant, opened in the Staples plaza on Route 7 in New Milford. The owners and their friends created the festive interior and décor and did
the space renovations themselves. The restaurant features hand-painted murals, decorative glass lighting, marble tile floors and plenty of seating. ( Emily M. Olson)
Rivera, who’s a basketball fan, said customers come to watch hoops, soccer and football games weekly.
Rivera lives in Naugatuck with his wife Carley and their four children. He grew up in New Jersey.
“When I was growing up, everything was kept nice, clean, to be proud of,” he said.
“My family taught me that. When we started renovating the restaurant, my sister Carolina put her decorative touch on everything and we feel that same pride, to make things beautiful,” he said. “I think the customers like it too.”
The restaurant is located at 116 Danbury Road in New Milford. Reservations can be made online at Open Table; visit the Facebook page or go to filoslatinfusion.com. Or call 860-799-0009.
