Sweet'N Up with Jeff Spencer

Eileen Bradshaw is the founder & owner of the infamous and wonderful Facebook Group: Newtown Eats. 

Newtown Eats was launched in March of 2020 right as the Covid-19 lockdown took affect. Eileen saw that local restaurants in Newtown & surrounding towns were going to experience tough times so she thought how can I help? What can I do to support? Hence Newtown Eats was born now massing over 4k members. 

Eileen is a true inspiration and I was so glad she could join me in the studio to speak about how Newtown Eats came together, the work involved and so much more. Eileen gave Newtown a great gift and its fitting that this Episode drops today, CHRISTMAS DAY.

Kevin P. Lembo is a Democratic elected official, currently the Connecticut State Comptroller, the statewide elected official responsible for reporting on state finances, administering health care plans for public employees and retirees, and paying the state's bills. He first took office on January 5, 2011

Neviana Zhgaba is the owner of a brand new vineyard located in the Sandy Hook area of Newtown, Connecticut called Aquila's Nest Vineyards! 

Neviana and her husband Ardian have always enjoyed the outdoors while also visiting local vineyards and when they came across a stunning 46 acre property off Exit 11 on I-84 in Fairfield County they knew they found the right place. In what seemed like a short time they were able to cultivate the land and build a beautiful landscape and space for the community to come together, drink delicious wine, enjoy each others company & become inspired.

We had a wide ranging conversation from how the idea of a vineyard was hatched, the journey of the vineyard, Neviana’s background, a touching story about her late father who was a major inspiration, her favorite music, the ins and outs of the vineyard and so much more!

Erica Sullivan is the owner of Castle Hill Chocolates right here in Newtown, CT which is home to some of the best chocolates Ive ever had and that the state has to offer.

Since opening in early 2016, Castle Hill Chocolate is a proud member of the Connecticut Chocolate Trail, has been featured on the cover of Connecticut Magazine, the coveted Holiday Gift guides for both Connecticut Magazine and Unlocking Connecticut in 2018, 2019 and will be featured again in 2020, has been written up as one of the top chocolate shops in CT in a variety of publications  (too many to list) and awarded 2nd place in Best of Hartford 2020.

Clark & Kate Neugold are the Owners of The Foundry Kitchen & Tavern in downtown Sandy Hook, CT a hot destination in Fairfield County’s booming restaurant scene, but they are also the owners of the soon to open restaurant on Main Street in Newtown called Marygolds on Main - previously the Inn at Newtown so of course I wanted to speak to them not only about The Foundry, but about the new venture, especially during COVID, the process of renovation and restoring the building and so much more.

Vincent Cappelletti is the owner of Lucas Local Oyster Bar & Wood-fired Cookery in Newtown, CT and the owner of CENTRICO in Bethel, CT two amazing destinations for not only the food and the vibe, but the amazing staff and team.

We had a really great conversation diving into Vince’s start as a restauranteur which is now spanning 38 years, his past endeavors, the renovation and opening of Lucas Local as well as Centrico, his thoughts on a culinary icon & so much more!

What started as quietly thinking about relaxing at the end of the day with an IPA quickly flourished from pining over the success of other craft breweries to the reality of creating floor plans and refining beer recipes.

Reverie Brewing Company’s vision is to create and promote high-quality great tasting beer for beer-lovers to enjoy. We strive to be a positive and honest partner to the community and to brew craft beers with integrity while focusing on sustainability.

The first ever brewery to come to Newtown, Connecticut! *please be advised this episode contains strong language*

Chris Ciskey is the general manager and owner of Yankee Wine & Spirits in Newtown, CT a major destination for craft beer enthusiasts not only in Connecticut, but across many states. He began working in the liquor industry for Yankee Discount Wine in the Spring of 2007 as a sales associate and became a manager from 2011 to 2014 before becoming owner.

Michael Luzzi's interviews with American poets, writers, actors, and leaders in the business community have appeared The New York Times, The Daily News, USA Today, Playbill, Nautilus Magazine, Goodlife Magazine and many regional New England publications. He teaches English and his film-as-literature course, “Learning about Life Through Film” part time at Workspace Education, an innovative private program in Bethel, CT.  Michael Luzzi lives in Newtown, Connecticut with his wife, Cornelia and two cats.

His most recent book "Trumpty Dumpty 2: From Mother Goose to Wonderland" is now available on Amazon!

Michelle McCabe is a democratic candidate running for the 28th Senate District here in Connecticut. which includes Fairfield, Newtown, Easton and sections of Weston and Westport. She is the Director of the Center for Food Equity and Economic Development (FEED) with the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. Michelle lives in Fairfield with her 3 boys.

Michelle has spent her career taking on some of the biggest challenges that face our community and will head to Hartford ready to fight for gun violence prevention, affordable healthcare, small businesses and the workforce, and building a green economy.