LeFarm's Spaghetti with Braised Veal Leg

On New Years eve we came across a a dish for Spaghetti with Braised Veal Leg on leFarm's dinner menu. My husband (A.K.A the braise-master) decided to sample the slow-cooked meat to compare it to his own braised meat explorations. The analysis proved positive. Bill Taibe's braise had kicked our "you know whats," and layered atop fresh spaghetti, the dish was richly comforting. When winter weather abounds, it's time to hunker down and get cooking.

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Shout Out: Where & What Did You Eat for V-Day?

With the myriad of Valentine's Day dinners in Fairfield County, and the endless possibilities for a special home cooked Valentine menu, how did your evening pan out? Where did you eat? What did you eat? And most importantly, would you do it again next year? Help your fellow readers make the right choice for February 14th 2012. It's never too early to plan out a good meal. 

Where & What Did You Eat for Valentine's Day?

Would you do it again?

Westport Restaurant Week Starts February 27th

Westport Restaurant Week returns, offering great deals on dining out. From Sunday, February 27 through Saturday, March 5th there is simply no need to cook at home. 

Some of the participating restaurants include: Acqua Ristorante, Blue Lemon, Bobby Q's, DaPietro's Restaurant, La Villa Trattoria, Manolo, Thali, River House, Matsu Sushi, Rizzuto's Wood-Fired Restaurant and Bar, Splash Restaurant & Bar, Coromandel, Tavern on Main, and more!

Participating restaurants will offer a special prix fixe lunch and dinner menu throughout the entire week.

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Savor Pizza: Norwalk's Healthier Pizza (& Gluten-Free)

Pizza is easy to love.  Who doesn’t relish gooey mounds of cheese over even the most basic sauces and crusts? But for diners concerned with their health,  it is no secret that most pizza is loaded with fat and sodium.  For those with gluten allergies or intolerance,  pizza parlor pizza is off limits.

SAVOR PIZZA in Norwalk is a dream come true for pizza lovers with gluten sensitivities and diners who are mindful of eating lower fat, less salt and organic ingredients. For those with gluten intolerance, it may become your go-to spot for take out pizza, the meal you thought you would never be able to eat again.

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VOTE for CTbites! Best of Fairfield County Readers' Poll!

HELP CTBITES WIN BEST LOCAL BLOG!!

It's that time of year again...time to vote for your favorite local blog in Fairfield Weekly's Best of Fairfield County Readers" Poll. 

Voting is easy, and you know you wanna help us win. You can find the "LOCAL BLOG" category under "Media/Education."  While you're there, fill out a few of those DINING categories as well. 

Click here to start voting! 

Help us win a second year.  

Friday Froth: Easy Find, Easy Drink

I was talking to a friend of mine recently, and asked him how he made his decisions on which beer to drink. “Whichever one is closest,” he said. Wit aside, there’s enlightenment to be found in those words. Most people will just drink whichever beer is available to them, so let’s take a look at some brews that are easy to find, but just far enough out of the main stream to be interesting.

Just about everyone who has ever been to an Indian restaurant has had Kingfisher beer as a choice. This and Cobra seem to be the Bud and Miller of the subcontinent, as far as I can tell.

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Reheated: Martha, Anthony & Mario ... Oh My

Batali is coming to Westport! The red pony-tailed chef closed on the former Abbondanza space last Friday. The restaurant will be tentatively called Tarry Lodge Enoteca & Pizzeria.  

Martha Stewart & Anthony Bourdain in Stamford this Saturday: Stewart will be making an appearance at Stamford’s Fairway Market this Saturday, Feb. 12 at 11 am – just prior to Bourdain's appearance at Stamford's Center for the Arts.

Daniel Lanzilotta, aka The Mindful Chef, takes the Fairfield Green Food Guide’s Winter Farmers’ Market Challenge to create a Valentine’s Day Dinner made almost exclusively from farmers’ market ingredients. 

Have you made your Valentine’s Day reservations yet? Check out the CTbites top ten restaurant list in Fairfield County. 

CTbites reader meet-up at Stamford’s The Fez, Saturday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 pm prior to the Anthony Bourdain appearance. Information & RSVP. 

Bonda is featuring Open That Bottle Night, a BYOB evening each Tuesday offering no corkage fees. Read our recent CTbites review.

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Frank Pepe's Opens in Danbury

Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletano opened in Danbury last week, bringing those inimitable New Haven pies just a little bit closer to our northern Fairfield County grasp. But do they reach their full Wooster Street potential? 

 "The white spinach, mushroom, and gorgonzola half was served with mozzarella and a heck of a lot of garlic, oil with a nice blast of salt. The edges of the pie were nicely charred. Ingredients, shape/appearance and execution? Looks like the Pepe's we know and love ..." 

Read the full take on this newest Pepe's outpost, and where things begin to unravel, over at Slice.

The Schoolhouse's Chef LaBant: Extra Credit on Yelp

Chef LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton is doing his homework. The followng is an exchange from a Yelp reviewer, Andrew R. Fairfield, CT, who posted a comment on a dish he had particularly enjoyed at The Schoolhouse,  Braised baby carrots with a harissa sauce, dates, fried crispy chic peas and mâché. A few weeks later, LaBant responded with the recipe for this very dish. Here's the post and the recipe:

"Back tonight 2 weeks later and will add that I was privy to one of the single best first courses I have had in a restaurant in quite a long time.  Braised baby carrots with a harissa sauce, dates, fried crispy chic peas and mâché - there was an underlying hint of garam masala that united the dish and played off the spicy harissa. BRAVO chef! & might I add -not a spec of meat." --Andrew R.

"Here is my personal recipe if you are ever so inclined to make it" -- Chef LaBant

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Robert Sinskey Wine Dinner @ The Dressing Room

On Tuesday, February 22nd, 7PM, The Dressing Room will host a very special wine dinner featuring the organic and biodynamic wines from Robert Sinskey Vineyards. Dressing Room Chef Jon Vaast will create a five-course farm-to-table menu that will pair perfectly with Sinskey’s elegant selections. The complete menu for this evening is below. 

The Dressing Room is known for its commitment to using natural and organic ingredients, a perfect fit for Robert Sinskey’s winemaking philosophy.   I can’t wait to try the two together.  Hope to see you there on February 22nd !

The Menu 

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