Things to Do Spotlight: Stew Leonard's

Fun and Food for all ages!

I have been going to Stew Leonard's since I was a little girl, and still have fun going there and  bringing my kids. It's entertainment combined with grocery shopping. I actually go more for the entertainment and the ice-cream than for the groceries, even though they are the highest quality foods. I always hope they are giving out samples when I go. Everything is the best.

Stew Leonard's is located in Norwalk. It features animated figures on top of the shelves dancing and singing songs about eating nutritious food. There is also a toy train running on tracks above the yogurt and meat sections. My kids like to press the button next to a puppet cow's head and hear it go "MOO." Other puppets flip on their trapezes and a large banana sings and dances when you press the button at her feet. Sean likes to do it over and over and we have to distract him by telling him it's time to get ice-cream. Sometimes, there is a costumed cow walking amongst the customers. Sean loved it when he saw her and gave her a high-five and a hug, but some kids might be intimidated.
If you'd like to get lunch there, you'll find a yummy salad bar that includes Japanese food, Indian food, fried chicken, fruit salad and other prepared foods.

On the way out, have some coins handy to toss into the wishing well. My kids try to hit targets over the wishing well to hear the parrot say "Thank you for your donation." (If they miss the target, they can still press the button to hear the parrot talk.)

The best part of the visit, in my opinion, is getting soft ice-cream cones when you exit the store. The cones are $2.00 for kids and $2.50 for adults.

While you're eating your ice-cream cone, you can walk around the little "farm" which is a fenced-in area for a few small animals, such as chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, and a calf. The last time I went, they were hiding in their shady enclosures, so I wouldn't anticipate actually seeing animals. If I wanted to see animals on a farm, I would go to the Stamford Nature Center.

Stew Leonard's
100 Westport Ave, Norwalk, CT.
http://www.stewleonards.com
-Lisa Kenny