Downtown | Economic Development | Food & Drink | Youth Arts Journalism Initiative | Culinary Arts
The inside of Fest Faves on a recent weekday. Laila Mohammed Photo.
Victoria Streeto was in the middle of taking an order when the door to Fest Faves swung open, and another few customers came through the door. Near the counter, warm, puffed yellow kernels multiplied in a popcorn popper. Chocolate-covered cookie dough beckoned from a glass case. White, wobbly stools extended behind her. A sign on the wall read: Beware of Clowns.
Streeto is one of the owners at Fest Faves, a shop at 15 Whitney Ave. dedicated to sweet and salty carnival foods and diner fare. Since opening in September of last year, the store has been serving up deep fried double Oreos, buffalo chicken egg rolls, and maple bacon donut cheeseburgers as part of a menu inspired by carnival and state fair food.
It's part of Streeto's vision to bring a little slice of The Big E to New Haven year round. She owns the shop with her husband, Eric Balcerzak, and is currently working to open a second location in Hartford.
Streeto at the front counter. She had high praise for the Big E, one of the inspirations for the store. Lucy Gellman Photo.
“We get a ton of love from Hartford, which we really appreciate because they're a good 45 minutes away,” she said in a recent interview with the Arts Paper. “And the city is very similar to New Haven, so I think we would do well kind of spreading our wings throughout the state.”
Streeto and Balcerzak started Fest Faves because they wanted to share a love for carnival foods with people in New Haven all year round. As a kid, Streeto grew up cooking Italian food with her dad, who was known affectionately as “Chef Bob” and “Bobby Street.” At work, he was known for both his culinary dishes and his spectacular ice carvings, she said.
In their spare time, the father-daughter duo bonded over recipes and meals. Seeing how her dad celebrated his love for food inspired her to pursue the arts. Before Fest Faves, she was a dancer and painter for decades, and owned a dance studio in East Haven.
Lucy Gellman Photo.
Meanwhile, she and Balcerzak also fell in love with The Big E, a massive carnival and celebration held in Springfield, Mass. each year. Each year, she said, they’d go back just for the food. Ultimately, something clicked.
“So some of the recipes have been inspired by the Big E,” she said. “Although I would say that we really take the time to put extra love and craft into every item.”
Last year, she and Balcezark found their current location at 15 Whitney Ave. by looking for properties around New Haven. Streeto said that they were lucky to find a spot, as downtown is a competitive area. Moving in was a lot of work, she added: the couple had to tear down the walls and ceilings for a complete renovation. She credited architects Richard Turlington and Kevin Naimoli, who are both from New Haven, for the renovation.
Laila Mohammed Photo.
The storefront formally opened in September of last year. So far, she said that business has been unpredictable, just ¨like a wild carnival.” One week, the store might be very busy. The next week, it's quiet. “As the city realizes this new concept and tastes our delicacies, we grow more traction day to day,” Streeto said.
Kiomi Rincon, a senior at Hill Regional Career High School and a fellow member of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative, has been to Fest Faves a few times. Her favorite thing on the menu is the chocolate-covered cookie dough, she said.
She likes Fest Faves because of the interior design, but also because of the atmosphere, she said. It brings her back to being at a carnival or the Big E, where the air is filled with the smell of fried Oreos and hot, freshly buttered popcorn.
“At first when I went in there, I went in because I was intrigued by the bright colors and gimmicks,” she said. ¨But I found myself continuously going back, not only because of the delicious food but because of the people you meet there. They're always so welcoming and friendly and up for a conversation.”
Lucy Gellman Photo.
City Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli also expressed his enthusiasm for the shop. In the past year, it is part of a flourishing of new, independent downtown businesses that are helping the city thrive.
"The city is excited for Fest Faves, a creative new format on Whitney Avenue,” he said in an email last Friday morning. “We celebrated their opening last fall and we were all inspired by the vision of Viki and Eric, who share their joy with customers.”
He added that the city’s restaurants are part of what earned New Haven a spot on the New York Times’ list of “52 Places to Go in 2023.”
This article comes from the 2023 Cohort of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative. Laila Mohammed is a senior at Hill Regional Career High School.