As Stowe Street Café approaches its decade anniversary in early June, owner Nicole Grenier announced that AJ Barr has replaced the restaurant’s original head chef, Stephanie Biczko, and will gradually put his spin on the menu.
Barr, 40, joined the kitchen team at Stowe Street Café in October. He was previously executive chef at the now-closed Hatchet in Richmond and kitchen manager at Kismet in Montpelier, also closed.
Biczko, 51, and Barr worked together for about six months before she stepped away in March “after almost 10 years of putting in the hard work,” Grenier said.
The breakfast and lunch spot recently received what Grenier described as a “glow-up, inside and out,” including fresh interior paint and a new deck. It will continue to serve café favorites such as breakfast sandwiches and burritos, grilled sandwiches, soups, salads, and house-baked pastries.
So far, Barr’s additions to the menu have largely focused on weekend brunch. He has introduced dishes such as Middle Eastern-style shakshouka, porchetta eggs Benedict, curry tofu scramble, and French toast stuffed with blueberries and lemon curd. Grenier said the brunch menu will expand to weekdays this summer.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Stowe Street Café in Waterbury Welcomes Head Chef AJ Barr”
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2025.
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