Jeff Taibe’s deep love for Southeast Asian cuisine has been unwavering for more than two decades, stemming from his time living and cooking abroad in Singapore and Thailand.
When Taibe and Steph Sweeney originally opened Taproot in Bethel in 2017, they initially focused on farm-to-table, chef-driven new American cuisine. But Taibe’s mind was still on the flavors he loved best — coconut, lemongrass, chilis, star anise — and he kept discussing the possibility of introducing new dishes with Sweeney, even well before COVID-19 disrupted the entire industry.
“It wasn’t the pandemic that caused the change; Steph and I had been talking about it for two years or so,” he said. “It was the not knowing what the end would be…every day there’s a new barrier. It was me kind of wanting to finally change it up, and yes, it is takeout-friendly. It’s fun and…
