Stephen Cavagnaro
Stephen Cavagnaro is the owner of Cavey’s French and Italian Restaurants in Manchester CT. He is also the co-owner of The Straight Wharf Restaurant on Nantucket Island, MA. Steve acts as the Executive Chef in all three restaurants.
Cavagnaro grew up in the restaurant business. Cavey’s Italian restaurant was conceived by his grandparents seventy –five years ago. His father continued the tradition and thirty-five years ago Steve became the driving force behind the Cavey’s restaurant of today. After his graduation from the University of Connecticut , and a brief stint as a high school English teacher, he realized that his heart was in the business of food and wine. He set out to learn as much as he could about both subjects and soon added the French restaurant to create the dual concept of Cavey’s : a hearty regional northern Italian restaurant upstairs and an elegant, refined French restaurant downstairs. It is Cavagnaro’s conception of modern French cuisine that has made Cavey’s French restaurant so highly regarded.
Besides learning the business at his father’s knee, Steve has also spent time in France, working at Jamin, Joel Robuchon’s three star restaurant in Paris and has continued to travel to both France and Italy yearly for the purpose of continuing his culinary education and to bring a real sense of authenticity to both the Italian and French restaurants. He is well known in the restaurant community for his long-standing pursuit of excellence in his kitchen and among wine afficionados for the depth and breadth of both wine lists.
Under Steve’s stewardship, Cavey’s Restaurants have garnered awards and accolades too many to mention. The restaurant has been awarded the highest rating in Connecticut from the “Zagat Restaurant Guide”, three stars from “The New York Times”, the “Best of Award of Excellence” from the “Wine Spectator” and the prestigious DiRona award.
Steve is married and lives with his wife of thirty five years in Glastonbury,CT. He is the proud father of two children, both of whom now reside in New York City, and a doting grandfather as well.
Cavey’s is able to accommodate private parties in both restaurants. And in both restaurants there is a sense of personal service and attention to detail. Menus are custom designed to meet the individual needs of clients, whether it be a very small and intimate gathering or large; business or strictly pleasure; casual or formal. There are private areas available for groups as small as 6 and as large as 150.
Cavey’s Restaruant is divided into two distinctly different restaurants: a Nothern Italian restaurant on the ground floor, known as 'upstairs' and a Modern French Restaurant on the lower floor, known as 'downstairs'.
Each restaurant has its own separate kitchen and its own staff. Steve Cavagnaro, the owner/operator of the restaurants is the executive chef in both.
DiRona Guide: Best Restaurants - International
Zagat Guide 2007: Rating of 28 out of 30 (exceptional)
Wine Spectator: 'Best of Award of Excellence'
Connecticut Magazine: Best French
Hartford Magazine: 4 forks
New York Times: three stars