Customers linger over coffee.
They call hello to friends.
It’s all part of life at a little breakfast and lunch place that’s been in business since the 1940s, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
The secret behind the restaurant’s long history in Torrington is likely that it’s a fallback to the old days in the city, when friends and families met at a homey place where the food is good and “everyone knows everybody,” according to the owners.
By 11 a.m. on a recent Wednesday, many of the tables inside Tony’s Westside Restaurant were full. A few people sipped coffee at the long white lunch counter, while three waitresses took orders, chatting as they cleared tables, topped off a customer’s coffee cup or delivered a plate of food.
Tony’s Westside Restaurant owner Greg Veras is pictured with his daughter, Jill, who works at the eatery party time. (Emily M. Olson)
In the kitchen, owner Greg Veras and chef Darek Miasek worked the grill, making eggs and bacon, Philly steak sandwiches, the soup of the day (clam chowder) and Tony’s popular grinders, with a special sauce from a recipe created by the original owner, John “Tony” Miscikoski, a former state senator and longtime businessman in Torrington.
Miscikoski, who died in 2012 at the age of 90, opened Tony’s in 1946 after returning from service in WWII, according to his obituary in the Hartford Courant. His first food venture was named Tony’s Drive In; in 1949, Miscikoski expanded the restaurant with his wife, Loretta, and his brother Al, and named it Tony’s Westside.
According to his obituary, “Tony’s became a Torrington/Litchfield County landmark. You could have celebrities like the Smothers Brothers making grinders in the kitchen or Governors, U.S. Senators, Congressmen dining at the counter or dining room.”
Miscikoski became interested in politics in the late 1940s, and was elected to the state House of Representatives, serving for 22 years, according to the obituary.
Diners at Tony’s Westside on a recent Wednesday morning included members of a Torrington club, who gather for a meal every week at the Migeon Avenue landmark. (Emily M. Olson)
“His drive, tenacity and pugnaciousness lead to the creation of the Connecticut State Lottery. Tony earned the moniker “Mr. Rt. 8” for his relentless pursuit for the completion of this lifeline to Northwestern Connecticut. The first housing for the elderly in the State was built in Torrington due to the efforts of Representative Miscikoski,” his obituary notes.
And according to the Veras family, which became owners in 1990, the restaurant was Miscikoski’s home base, where he served food and met with constituents, making sure he was in touch with the community’s concerns.
That connection to the community continues today, said Veras and his daughter, Jill.
“I grew up in Trumbull, but my wife Janet; she’s from Torrington,” Veras said. “Tony’s was always a place that people knew would be friendly, would have good food, where you’d see your friends,” he said. “I left my job with Turner & Seymour to take over here.
“My father, William, worked in diners and restaurants when I was growing up, so I was around the business,” he said.
Packed parking lot at Tony’s Westside on a recent day the Migeon Avenue landmark. (Emily M. Olson)
“My dad and uncle, George Veras, opened George’s on East Main Street,” his daughter Jill Veras said. “There was also my dad’s partner in crime, Darek Myzak, who worked here for a long time.”
In the 1940s until the 1960s, Tony’s had a window for takeout, and a smaller dining room. That space was eventually expanded and now seats about 80 people.
“If I ever become the owner, I’d bring back the takeout window,” Jill Veras said. “I love working here, even if it’s part time; the fast pace, the people. It’s just a great place.”
Tony’s breakfast menu includes plenty of eggs, any style, with hash browns, toast, sausage or bacon, and omelets. There also are Belgian waffles with a variety of toppings or pancakes, plain or loaded with fruit and toppings.
For lunch, there are homemade soups, burgers, Philly steak sandwiches, chicken, ham, grilled sandwiches, and grinders, including the original with ham, salami, cheese, peppers, tomato and special sauce.
“People still order the grinders all the time; they remember the sauce and how good the sandwiches were, and still are,” Jill Veras said.
Jill Veras, a librarian at the Torrington Library, also leads about 50 young patrons on the Youth Advisory Board, holding programs and organizing trips. She said her father is generous, always lending a helping hand or making a donation to help people, including “her kids.”
“Anytime I need anything, whether it’s water for a car wash or just donating the last little bit we need for a trip, he’s always there,” she said.
In the dining room, a group of eight women were finishing up their lunch. “Everything’s good here,” one woman said, adding that she’s a lifelong Torrington resident.
“This was the place to go, in the 1950s,” said Laura Rebillard, also of Torrington. “My dad made me come down here, every day, no matter what the weather, to get two hot dogs with the works from Tony’s. Every day.”
Another group of diners, from the Torrington Gun Club, were enjoying their meal.
“We meet here every Wednesday,” said Tony Bucchino, a Korean War veteran and the oldest member of the club, he said. “The club’s been together since the 1900s.”
“It’s a nice place, and the food’s good,” he added.
Waitress Diane Tokarz has worked at Tony’s for 12 years. “Customers love the one-on-one (attention),” she said. “They know my name; I know theirs; they like to be remembered. It makes it more homey.”
Tony’s once served dinner, too, and was open until 9 p.m. Today, it’s open for breakfast and lunch.
“You know, you won’t get rich running a diner, but we’re OK,” Greg Veras said. “People enjoy coming here and we like feeding people. Torrington’s been good to us.”
Tony’s Westside Restaurant is located at 652 Migeon Avenue in Torrington. Find them on Facebook or call 860-482-1400.
