Take a Walk on the Wild Side

“Sure, it’s a little bit Lou-Reed-ish,” says chef Ginger Costa, as she slides some muffins in the oven. “At this time of life, it’s an adventure.” She is referring to Wild Side Market opened this spring, in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, with husband Steve Reis, after spending 20 years developing a loyal prepared-food following at Wakefield’s Belmont Market. And that came after eight years of catering and running her own award-winning restaurant (Ginger’s Café).

As much as Costa is about making things from scratch—roasting Plainville (Vermont) organic turkey for sandwiches—she is about using local products from both sides of the state line, including Rhode Island’s Narragansett Creamery, Gotham Greens and West Farm produce. Wild Side’s menu is long and strong, with breakfast sandwiches, fresh salads, a hot bar for lunch sandwiches, made-from-scratch take-home dinners, veggie sides, plus all the sundries you’d expect to find in a neighborhood convenience store. And Costa and Reis are making room for more local cheeses and beer. “I live, breathe and eat food,” Costa declares. “I love the excitement of it.”

116 S. Broad St., Pawcatuck, CT. 860.495.2376 and follow on Facebook