Wildcat

By Brian Scott Lipton

Dining-wise, there’s little question that Connecticut is most famous for New Haven-style pizza (although whose–and which flavor–is definitely a bone of contention among students and connoisseurs alike). But the state is full of hundreds of inventive, delicious eateries that appeal to residents’ more sophisticated taste buds.

Wildcat, which opened in late May in Hamden, definitely fits that bill. Owned by brothers Kris and Shane McGowan–42-year-old identical twins–the restaurant focuses primarily on creative cocktails that can be paired with a small but thoughtful selection of delectable appetizers and main dishes, from charred grapes and olives to catfish and airline chicken breast.

Connecticut Voice recently spoke to Kris about his background in hospitality, the creation of Wildcat, working with the local community, and his plans for the restaurant’s present and future.

CV: Are you and Shane natives of Connecticut?

KM: No, we grew up in Pawling, New York. I went to the University of Hartford, and Shane went to SUNY Albany. I’ve aways been in the hospitality industry since college, whether bartending, managing, or opening restaurants. And I’ve been in Connecticut since 2019. Shane has also been in the industry for a long time, and we wanted to do something together. Starting in the summer of 2023, we did Tiki pop-ups throughout New Haven, some at friends’ restaurants and hotels. We would redecorate these spaces with disco balls and Christmas lights, play 1980s music, and serve Polynesian-style food and our take on Tiki cocktails. It was like a big, really fun party.

CV: What happened next?

KM: Shane and I started looking for a permanent restaurant space, first in New Haven. We knew we wanted to do a cocktail-forward restaurant with a lot of small plates. Then we met Mike Farber, the former owner of the Wildcat space for over 20 years, and he told us he wanted to move on but also wanted to make sure someone would do something special with it.

CV:

Did you instantly fall in love with the space?

I did love the idea of this 20-foot bar and a fairly small dining area. But we totally revamped it from the studs down. Now there are 50 seats at the bar and 25 at dining tables, although they are all high-top seats. Our goal was to create a refined but casual setting that is not just for date nights or weekends, but somewhere you can go every night of the week.

CV:

 Have you been pleased by the initial response?

KM: Yes, we now have a lot of regulars, some from New Haven and more from central Connecticut. Our area has a lot of Italian restaurants and burger joints, so people are happy to have something different. But we’re still working on different ways to get people to come to Wildcat, via community events, the Chamber of Commerce, local universities, charities and collaboration with local groups and businesses. We work with the Honeybee Project which does outreach to urban youth via beekeeping. We’re participating in New Haven Cocktail Week. And we always try to be an ally of the LGBTQIA community. In fact, our younger brother –who is not in the business–is gay. We truly love having diversity among both our staff and our customers.

CV: Tell me about the cocktail menu and  why that is so important to you?

KM: Shane and I devised the cocktail menu. We have both been bartenders, and he had a cocktail consulting company and worked for the hotel chain Andaz. We are rooted in classics like the Old-Fashioned and the Manhattan, but we like to be able to do our own thing. What’s most important to us is that every drink is well-balanced. We created a shaken section and stirred section. Stirred is more booze forward; while shaken is lighter, often more tropical. We also try to make things easier for customers who might not know what they want by making thoughtful suggestions. And if we get new spirits from suppliers, then we like to figure out a creative way to use them!

CV: Let’s move on to the food. What’s the philosophy there?

KM: Like with the cocktails, we try to stay seasonal as well. But we would never roll out a whole new menu. Our philosophy is to evolve not replace. You’ re always worried if you take something off [the menu] then a customer can get upset, but it’s usually replaced by something better. It’s hard not for chefs to get bored; one reason we do small plates is they allow them to be more creative. We’re also always trying to create balance in the menu. I think we’ll be adding more handhelds and burgers, but our regular burger won’t ever leave the menu. And we will always have a veggie entrée on the menu, not just for our customers, but because that also allows a chef to think outside the box. Most importantly, nothing on either menu should ever feel like an afterthought!