Connecticut-based supper club among the world’s best restaurants for wine.
Josie & Tony’s Italian Deli and Supper Club, owned by award-winning sommelier, Joshua Meskin, has been honored for its outstanding wine program in Wine Spectator’s 2024 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the world’s best restaurants for wine. The semi-private restaurant located in South Norwalk opened in December 2023 with 50 founding members and last month launched a gourmet “Arthur Avenue” style deli. It is the first restaurant in Connecticut to incorporate the semi-private membership concept.
“The restaurant industry is growing and thriving, with restaurant openings surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. To take advantage of the uptick, restaurateurs are re-investing in their wine programs,” said Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator. “Restaurants that make wine a priority are what the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards program is all about. I’m pleased to congratulate all 3,777 restaurants for their dedication to wine and exemplary wine lists.”
Mesnik is one of the only sober sommeliers in the country and has one of the largest non-alcoholic beverage programs in the State. “This is a very important award for me as a new restaurant owner,” explained Mesnik. He continued, “I’ve been in the hospitality industry for over two decades and to have my own concept is so rewarding. This business is a tribute to my maternal grandparents, Josephine and Anthony Aronica and, although they are not here, I know they are so proud of this accomplishment”.
Josie & Tony’s has won the two-glass award, Best of Award of Excellence. The Best of Award of Excellence recipients display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation. Wine Spectator’s special Restaurant Awards issue becomes available to readers July 9.
Follow Wine Spectator on Instagram (@wine_spectator), with hashtag #WSRestaurantAward, and at https://www.winespectator.com/Restaurants featuring guides to the winners, interviews with leading wine directors and wine picks, and pairing tips from sommeliers at award-winning programs. In the Restaurant Search, all winners can be searched by name and location, along with attributes including proximity, award level, cuisine, wine specialties, and pricing. Winners are also profiled in the free Restaurant Awards app, available for iPhone and iPad users.