From Novas To Nachos

When Ryan and Dana Kavarsky decided to open their restaurant – the No Name Tortilla Grill - there was only one place for it to be located and that was their hometown of Berlin. “We’re Berlin born and bred, and we both attended Berlin High School,” said Ryan as I spoke with him inside the restaurant located on New Britain Road during the regular Sunday evening cruise.

 “We’ve been in business for a little over a year now. The name came about when we were working on menu designs. We were doing mockups with “No Name” as a fill-in name, as we didn’t have anything in mind at that time. After three months of looking at it, the idea stuck and the No Name Tortilla Grill was born!

 “The cruise night came about because we’ve always been into cars, as have both of our families. We noticed there wasn’t anything happening on Sunday evenings, so we decided on a cruise night. We started holding them last year. I used to have a Chevy Nova, but my focus has shifted to concentrate on my family and our business.

 “The cruise is more of a social gathering. We hold a 50/50 raffle with the monies raised donated to the Joseph Manzi Foundation. Joe was a close friend of mine and a fellow graduate of Berlin High School. He was killed in a snowmobile accident in December 2002. He was a member of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department. Proceeds from the foundation support local charitable organizations and persons in need.  It also donates supplies to the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department. It keeps Joe's memory alive, and in doing so, helps other people.

 “The cruises run into October depending on the weather. All cars are welcome. There’s no cut-off date and no entry fees. People arrive, meet old friends, make new ones and enjoy some great food in the restaurant.”

 I left Ryan and went outside to enjoy the gathering of cars (and a boat!) and spoke with Dave Clement, the owner of a beautiful blue 2010 Dodge Viper. “I’m, a regular at the No Name cruise.  I live five miles away and it’s an ideal way to spend a Sunday evening.  There are some great cars, the music’s good and the people are very nice. I love the food, especially the steak Quesadillas.”

 Parked next to Dave was regular No Name cruise night visitor Bob Tuninsky with his yellow late-model Dodge Charger Super Bee. Bob can be found at many of the local cruise nights in the area with his striking Super Bee or his other ride, a rare 1970 Dodge Challenger.  Bob said, “I enjoy coming here, it’s relaxing and I always enjoy the food!”

Bob Serra, a member of the Connecticut Street legends car club, and his wife Diana, were first-time visitors on Sunday. They made the short trip from Newington in Bob’s 1969 Mustang. “This car has always been in my family.  In fact, this was the very car that I learned to drive on!  We’ll be back for sure. It’s a nice cruise and the Nachos are excellent.”