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Sunday
07Feb2010

Osianna Taverna: A Lunch Oasis with Great Value

AuthorDeanna Foster | DateSunday, February 7, 2010 at 4:38PM

Going out for lunch carries specific expectations. If you’ve gone beyond the decision to just get a bite to eat, other desires come into play:  In addition to good food, you want a certain atmosphere, efficient service, and ideally, a reasonable price. A recent mid-day visit to Osianna Mediterranean Taverna in Fairfield satisfied all our requirements for a delightfully laid back lunch with excellent food that nourished, but didn’t stuff us, and proved to be an exceptional value.

An energetic buzz greeted us when we entered the restaurant

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Saturday
06Feb2010

Super Bowl Soup, Skins, and Chili 2 Ways

Authormultiple Authors | DateSaturday, February 6, 2010 at 8:40AM

If you are doing a little last minute Super Bowl menu planning, you need to look no further. Here are a few recipes you can make for the masses that are tried and true delicious group pleasers. Don't miss the Trader Joe's shortcuts in Ronit's Lentil Soup recipe. Everyone should have these in their back pocket for simple soup prep. 

Chef Nicole brings us healthy recipes for Vegetable and Meat Chili, and of course the ever-popular...Mini Potato Skins. Enjoy the game and the food.

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Wednesday
03Feb2010

Valentine's Day Dinners: Where to Eat Out

AuthorStephanie Webster | DateWednesday, February 3, 2010 at 5:22PM

Ok...I'll admit it. I'm not really all that romantic. I'm a practical girl. That being said, I relish any excuse for a good meal out, and I'm always happy to assist my nearest and dearest in making their Valentine's Day plans memorable. Given the deluge of texts and calls I have received recently asking for advice on where to take wives, husbands, or girlfriends, it seemed prudent to do a little research.

Here are some of our favorite restaurants offering "special" Valentines Day dinners on February 14th. A few places like leFarm and Harvest Supper, which are normally closed Sundays, will open their doors. Napa & Co and Nicholas Roberts have prix fixe menus, while others have half price bottles of wine. We are still waiting for details from a few chefs who haven't nailed down their menus. Take a look at the list below and see what works for your budget and your palate. 

Happy Valentine's Day...Enjoy the food...and other things. 

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Tuesday
02Feb2010

The Great Stamford Taco Crawl

AuthorAmy Kundrat | DateTuesday, February 2, 2010 at 9:16PM

I have yet to meet a taco I don't like. Or so I thought when I began hosting a series of Taco Crawls in Connecticut last fall with some adventurous foodie friends.

Inspired by Jonathan Gold, considered the high-low priest of the Los Angeles food scene, and my favorite San Francisco neighborhood, the Mission District, I have become determined (read: obsessed) to discover the best taco in Connecticut. Fairfield County is no Mission District,  but I contend that there are some amazing pockets of authentic food in southeastern Connecticut if you know where to look. One shining example is the El Charrito taco truck in Stamford. Their devotion to the taco and other traditional Mexican dishes in their quality ingredients contribute to what I consider to be a near perfect taco.

A few things I've learned along the way is that the word ‘authentic’ or 'traditional' is tossed around entirely too often and can be deceiving. The only "real" Mexican taco you are going to experience is probably South of the border or in the kitchens of Mexican grandmothers. That being said, every restaurant expresses, interprets and defines their cuisine differently, and (with the exception of Taco Bell) I respect their efforts.

With the El Charrito taco truck in our sights, we decided to begin our culinary journey in Stamford,  Four taco joints would be no problem on a recent Sunday for four seasoned Taco Crawlers. Our destinations: 1. El Charrito, Richmond Hill (across from Beemers) Stamford, CT 2. Casa Villa 182 W Main St. 3. Tacos Guadalajara 217 Atlantic Street. 4. Ole Mole 1030 High Ridge Road.

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Monday
01Feb2010

Granola 3 Ways: Let Them Eat Oats!

Authormultiple Authors | DateMonday, February 1, 2010 at 5:39PM

If you spend any time in any grocery store these days you can't help but notice a serious proliferation of high end granola. Everyone and their grandmother is packaging their "one-of-a-kind" recipe for this oat-some breakfast treat.  Many of these are high in fat, loaded with sugar, and quite frankly, not that good. We decided to consult our experts for their takes on this perennial favorite.

All of these recipes are highly customizable and have an endless array of add-on possibilities.  

Here is 'Granola 3 Ways." At long last...three reasons to wake up in the AM. 

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Monday
01Feb2010

Farmer's Cow Ice Cream Naming Contest

AuthorStephanie Webster | DateMonday, February 1, 2010 at 5:08PM

We found this little info morsel over at The Fairfield Green Food Guide. All of you aspiring branding gurus, young and old...get to work. 

The Farmer’s Cow is holding an Ice Cream Naming Contest for their 10 new flavors starting February 1 so start thinking of names! For those unfamiliar with this local brand, The Farmer’s Cow is a cooperative of six family-owned CT farms that supplies milk to retailers throughout Connecticut and parts of New York and Massachusetts. 

Contest Rules:

You may enter up to 10 names, one per flavor, making sure that the names reflect something about farming and the benefits of local agriculture. Entries will be accepted online from 12:01 a.m. February 1, 2010. through midnight on February 14, 2010.

Ice cream flavors are: Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, Strawberry. Cookies & Cream, Black Rasberry, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Cup, Cherry Vanilla, and Coffee.

One lucky entrant will receive a summer’s supply of ice cream from Memorial Day 2010 until Labor Day 2010.

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Sunday
31Jan2010

Bustling French Bistro & Seafood Fare @ 1020 Post

AuthorAmy Sarbinowski | DateSunday, January 31, 2010 at 3:36PM

Don't let the lace curtains and stately brick entrance fool you.  Behind the doors of this new French Bistro, named for its location on the Post Road in Darien,  is an airy room with coffered ceilings and a sleek zinc bar that buzzes--loudly at times--with the chatter of locals every night of the week.  Located within walking distance of the Darien train station, 1020 Post, which opened its doors a little more than a year ago, pulls people in like a magnet for dinner and drinks after work and lunch during the week.

On a chilly Tuesday night, I arrived with four friends to find packed tables and a bustling bar, which was lined with large glasses of Malbec and Pinot Noir. Nearby, people dined on bar stools at one of two tall community tables, where small groups can enjoy a quick bite without a reservation

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Thursday
28Jan2010

Chef Talk: Chef Rob Troilo, Nicholas Roberts

AuthorStephanie Webster | DateThursday, January 28, 2010 at 4:33PM

Many of us at CTbites are loyal followers of Chef Rob Troilo and the inventive fare served up at Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro. His food is creative, yet not overdone, and always exceptionally delicious. Last week I had the pleasure of dining with him for lunch and encountered this special; Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Roasted Fennel & Caramelized Pear Stew. The fennel in this dish is very subtle, and the squash and pear work nicely together to create a richness that does not come from 2 sticks of butter, but from the depth of the ingredients themselves. Rob's preparation of these Winter fruits and vegetables almost makes you forget about missing Summer.

Now if I can just get ahold of the recipe for Rob's Maker's Mark Mac-n-Cheese...

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Tuesday
26Jan2010

Beautiful Baked Goods @ CakeSuite

AuthorLiz Rueven | DateTuesday, January 26, 2010 at 11:04AM

 

Westporters have had their cake prayers answered with the recent opening of Michelle Klem's designer cake boutique and bakery storefront  CakeSuite.  Actually, given CakeSuite's proximity to I-95, pretty much everybody in Fairfield County should be feeling pretty lucky.

CakeSuite opened just before Christmas but launched officially last week with a festive tasting event. Eager to sample the goods at this new sweet shop, we arrived hungry. The retail space is a bright, pristine, white tiled bakery with a glass case filled with trays of cookies and other elegant treats. The work area of this bakery is in full view for all you cooking voyeurs. For this celebration, Michelle had prepared a generous variety of miniatures to taste. Supporters and cake lovers mingled in the bakery, sipping champagne and nibbling on the irresistible cookies and cakes. The tiered trays were piled high, but S. and I managed to taste everything.

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Tuesday
26Jan2010

CTbites Votes: Best Italian in Fairfield County

AuthorStephanie Webster | DateTuesday, January 26, 2010 at 9:00AM

Who needs Zagat's? Our 5000 CTbites readers have spoken, and they have rated Fairfield County's Italian offerings. Let's check out the numbers: 

Quattro Pazzi  21%

Strada 18  17%

Pasta Nostra  16%

Paci  11% 

Columbus Park Trattoria  9%

Tutti's Ristorante  11%

Molto  6%

Liana's  9%

Watch for our next CTbites Votes poll coming soon.

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Sunday
24Jan2010

Cult Pizza Following @ Colony Grill in Stamford

Authorj food | DateSunday, January 24, 2010 at 7:59PM

What is the attraction of Colony Grill in Stamford? What creates almost a cult-like fascination, while simultaneously evoking harsh criticism? Why do regulars protect their turf so dearly? And most importantly, what is a Hot Oil pie?

Colony has a pizza reputation that extends for decades. The walls are adorned with numerous Military and team photos from the 50’s and 60’s plus other local heroes. Twelve stools, six booths, four TVs and two video games occupy the room with a long and always occupied bar, while the second room contains ten booths and twelve additional seats around tables. The kitchen is in the back where you can see a stack of oven-ready pies, each awaiting the requested toppings. The bar offers four beers on tap plus other varieties in bottles housed in the refrigerator behind the bar.

Colony ONLY serves pizza. Upwards of 1,000 in-house and take-away pies are created on a normal Saturday or Sunday

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Saturday
23Jan2010

Don't Miss "Food 4 Haiti" January 30th

AuthorStephanie Webster | DateSaturday, January 23, 2010 at 12:10PM

On January 30, food world celebrities will band together to raise money for the United Nations World Food Programme's Fund for Haiti under the direction of a Westport resident and with the sponsorship of Saugatuck Nursery School and Saugatuck Congregational Church.

In an atmosphere of Caribbean music and food, the fundraiser's emcee, Food Network’s Daisy Martinez, will auction dinner for four with her at famed Puerto Rican dining establishment Don Coqui in New Rochelle, N.Y. She will also personalize two copies of her latest cookbook for two winning bidders.
Up for bid will be signed copies of “Julie & Julia” from Julie Powell, food writer and cookbook author Molly O’Neill’s “New York Cookbook” and “Mostly True,” cookbooks from Rick Moonen of “Top Chef Masters,” and a cookbook signed by its illustrator, "The New Yorker" cartoonist Ed Koren.
All proceeds will go to the United Nations World Food Programme's Fund for Haiti.
Auction winners will be announced at 3:15 p.m. the day of the fundraiser.

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Friday
22Jan2010

The Food Network is Back!!

AuthorStephanie Webster | DateFriday, January 22, 2010 at 8:48AM

We can all breathe a sigh of relief.  Granted, we all interacted with our families a little more last month with the massive food programming void, but we're happy they're back. Here's what The Food Network has to say about their reappearance in the Cablevision lineup:

"We are pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached that will allow the return of Food Network and HGTV to Cablevision customers in the New York Tri-State region beginning today. This has been a trying three weeks for all of us – most of all you, our loyal fans.  We know that that many viewers have been disappointed and upset with the circumstances. We want to thank you for your patience and extend our most sincere apologies to Food Network viewers for the interruption of programming.

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Thursday
21Jan2010

Wine Chat: Wine Dinners Worth Checking Out

AuthorStephanie Webster | DateThursday, January 21, 2010 at 9:28PM

Calling all lovers of wine and food (isn't that all of us?)...We have gotten wind of a few wine dinners that are worth checking out in the next few weeks. Cafe Lola in Fairfield, Da Pietro's in Westport, and Coromandel in Norwalk are all offering food and wine events that look promising. At Cafe Lola, Bons Vivants can sample the 2007 vintage of Jean Luc Colombo's wines. Da Pietro's Chef Scotti has partnered with Castle Wine & Spirits to create the beautiful French-Northern Italian menu below. And last but not least, Coromandel will be hosting Joanne Davis from World Wide Wines as their special guest/ wine expert for their monthly wine dinner. 

You can review some of the menus below. Make reservations ahead of time as these events do sell out. If you do make it to any of these three dinners, let us know how you liked them.

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Thursday
21Jan2010

The Flaxette: There's a New Artisan Loaf in Town

AuthorStephanie Webster | DateThursday, January 21, 2010 at 3:00PM

Attention bread lovers. There's a new artisan loaf in town…"The Flaxette," a beautiful crusty, nutty bread featuring organic ground flax seeds and a marvelous chewy tender interior. The bread is made by a Michael Mordechai and his startup, The Fairfield Bread Company. 

A few months ago, we attended a gypsy dinner where we sampled "The Flaxette" for the first time. It accompanied a bread and cheese platter, and while the cheese was very good, it was the bread I couldn't stop eating. When I heard he had taken his bread on the road, I raced over to The Pantry in Fairfield to purchase the delicious loaf. Moments later I was ripping off the ends and hoping there was some left once I got home so I could sample the product with butter. Mind you..it's not a long drive. 

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