Bartender Michael Hajj with The Sgroppino.
Fat Tuna
378 Rope Ferry Road
Waterford, CT
Opened in March 2023, Fat Tuna is a new restaurant and bar with outdoor dining and beautiful views of the Niantic Bay. Owner Anthony D’Angelo has spent his career in the hospitality industry, working and eventually taking over management of his father’s well-known New London venue, Tony D’s Pasta Shop. Moving into Sunset Ribs’ former location, the renovated space is accented with nautical touches and a casual-yet-sophisticated ambience. Serving lunch and dinner year-round, the menu is focused on local fish and seafood, with fresh pasta from Tony D’s Pasta Shop. Guests will find a variety of fun cocktails to try while enjoying views from the new patio, including classic cocktails, a variety of bubbly Martinis and frozen drinks in the summer months. The craft cocktail menu will change with the seasons, D’Angelo said, and his philosophy on both Fat Tuna’s cuisine and its beverage program is, “We try to get the reaction of ‘Wow’—that’s what we’re looking for. It’s the same as in the kitchen. There are so many different techniques and variations and sometimes you just take the classics and add a modern twist to them. Because the foundation is there for most things so you just put your own character into it.”
Bartender: Michael Hajj
Cocktail: The Sgroppino
Ingredients:
» 1 oz. Caravella Limoncello
» 4 oz. Josh Cellars Prosecco
» ¼-½ cup passion fruit sorbet
Method: Add all ingredients to a blender. Mix and pour into a chilled martini glass.
The Sgroppino at Fat Tuna.
The Sgroppino has been on the menu in other variations, depending on the flavor of sorbet used. “The drink on the menu uses lemon sorbet, but we’re using passion fruit sorbet in this one, which gives it a twist,” D’Angelo said. The cocktail was a hit with guests this summer. “As soon as it hits their lips, they’re like, ‘Oh my God.’” As it should. The sgroppino sees its origins date to the 16th century, when a similar drink was enjoyed by the aristocracy in between meals as a refreshing palate cleanser.
