HAPA Burger is Creative, Bold and Delicious

Almost a year ago I visited Hapa Food truck and ordered three tacos. Little did I know that the smiling face of owner Chris Gonzales, who prepared those delicious tacos was hiding an incredible talent of delivering bold, balanced and creative cuisine. After I finished the tacos he told me I needed to try the burger. I was too full at the time and told him I would come back. Shame on me for waiting a year. Since that time Hapa has developed quite a following and Chris recently opened Miro Kitchen in Fairfield, and a colleague who visited Miro told me it was fantastic.

Well…fast forward and I recently returned to Hapa for the burger. The smiling face of Chris was replaced by an equally smiling and friendly face of his wife, Nicole. I ordered the HAPA burger with fries and she asked if I liked Brussels sprouts, of course I do.

The HAPA burger consists of grass-fed beef topped with pork belly, Vermont cheddar, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, house aioli, encased in HAPA’s signature ube bun.

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Latte Art Throwdown at NEAT Westport. And The Winner Is…

I had no idea.  Like most people, I enjoy a good cup of coffee.  My personal preference being a latte, the Americanized version of a cappuccino, but with a more densely foamed steamed milk. 

So when I was invited to represent CTbites as one of three judges at this past weeks Latte Art Throwdown at NEAT Westport, frankly I envisioned a couple local baristas serving up some prettily topped lattes.  Hearts, Flowers, Tulips, etc.

Little did I know, but being a barista has taken on a new respect in the coffee world.  Third Wave coffee, Single origin, specialty coffee, French Press, pour overs and simple are words that have crept into our vocabulary as true coffee aficionados seek out the best baristas in local independent coffee houses. 

NEAT is one of the original boutique coffee houses in CT, opening its first location in Darien, and in the last year coming to Westport in the former Vigilante Fire House on Riverside Ave. 

This past week, they hosted their first Latte Art Throwdown, a judged bracket style competition not for the faint of heart barista. 

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The Seehund German Pub & Restaurant: New London’s Coastal Culinary Treasure

When Ryan Benoit and Jon Turgeon first met as freshmen at St. Bernard’s, they didn’t even like each other. But through a mutual love of sports and food—and being forced to car pool—they wound up being best friends. Now they’re business partners at The Seehund German Pub & Restaurant in New London.

Even in their younger days, they thought someday they’d have their own restaurant. But someday came sooner than anticipated when The Seehund’s previous owner moved out of state to be closer to family. At the time, Jon was already executive chef and Ryan was a fry cook. “He kind of pitched it as a joke to us—you wouldn’t want to buy this from me, would you, HA HA HA?” And no kidding, that’s exactly what they did. Ryan’s since taken over the front of the house while Jon continues his executive chef role in the kitchen.

Whether you choose lunch, dinner, a bite from the pub menu, or breakfast on the weekend, you’re in for a treat and won’t leave hungry.

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Brew Pub Planned for Former Bethel Train Station

Photo: Carol Kaliff / Hearst Connecticut Media

We are VERY excited about this week's Bethel food news covered by our friends Hearst Connecticut:

Several local entrepreneurs hope to open a brew pub in the former train station, which they believe will bring a new demographic to downtown [Bethel].

Lisa Tassone, owner of La Zingara on P.T. Barnum Square, and several partners have been discussing a brew pub when space at the station became available. Bethel Cycle closed last fall after operating in the building for about five years. “As soon as we walked into the space we knew it was a perfect fit,” said Tassone, who opened La Zingara about 13 years ago. Chris Sanzeni, an experienced brewer, said the historic building and the artistic nature of making beer is a perfect fit — adding Smirnoff vodka was produced for the first time in the building next door.

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Donut Crazy Doughnuts Now Available in Bridgeport's Black Rock Neighborhood

I recently headed over to Donut Crazy’s newest location in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport with Jessica Grutkowski, owner of the Buzz Truck, who shared that she will be adding this local vendor to her offerings. While I fully admit I have never met a donut I didn’t like, these aren’t your typical donuts; they’re indulgent and decadent, and enormous!

As you step inside you’ll notice how physically different this donut joint is. Most don’t share a space with a Vietnamese restaurant, which in this case is the recently opened Nom Eez. So I asked Jason Wojnarowski, founder of Donut Crazy about this curious new home and this most unusual pairing, because as I saw it, Pho and donuts don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Wojnarowski, a builder by profession, was hired by Matt Storch (owner of Nom Eez) to renovate Match a couple of years ago. What resulted was not only a friendship but the current Pho-Donut partnership.

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Crabby-Cado + Plantain Chips Recipes

Chips + guacamole go together like lime and tequila! We’ve kicked our guac up with fresh crabmeat. It’s guaranteed to be a hit at your Cinco de Mayo party. Make sure to taste it because you won’t have leftovers for this recipe. Check out the full recipes for Crabby-Cado and Plaintain Chips below. 

CRABBY-CADO

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados

3 t fresh lime juice

½ C chopped cilantro leaves

1 T minced jalapeno

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Top 25 CT Food Trucks: New Haven & Beyond (2016 Edition) Available For Catering All Over CT

We recently told you about the array of food trucks travelling the streets of Fairfield County and bringing delicious food straight to you (view Top 20 Fairfield County Food Trucks here).  New Haven, and its surrounding areas, is also a hub for some truly excellent food trucks!  They also have a bevy of food carts. From sweet cupcakes to aromatic java to finger-lickin’ good barbeque, there is a diverse assortment of mobile cuisine to savor. 

Here are 25 Food Trucks & Carts in New Haven and beyond worth visiting. 

1. The Cheese Truck, New Haven: The Cheese Truck brings grilled cheese sandwiches, soup, sausages, salads, and more to the streets of New Haven. It comes from the team behind Caseus, the popular New Haven bistro.
2. The Little Red Seafood Truck, Shelton & New Haven: Nothing captures summertime in New England more than fresh seafood. The Little Red Seafood Truck is an offshoot of Szabo's Seafood, located in Shelton. They have seafood sandwiches like the scallop roll, lobster roll, and salmon burger. They also have soups and salads.
3. Farm Belly, New Haven: The Farm Belly food truck and caterer brings farm-fresh food to the streets of New Haven. They visit local farms and farmers’ markets to find produce, meat, and dairy. One of their signature items is the egg-and-cheese sandwich, made with local eggs and farmstead cheese. They even make their own ketchup and hot sauce.
4. Cowabunga, CT: The Cowabunga Food Truck has soft serve ice cream and grilled selections. They use pasture raised, grass fed beef. Try one of their tasty burgers, like their signature Cowabunga Burger. It comes with pepper jack, bacon, grilled onions and peppers. Book the truck for an event, or select their Backyard BBQ package.

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2016 Guide to Fairfield County Farmers Markets via Fairfield Green Food Guide

It's that time of year, and Fairfield Green Food Guide always does a great job of keeping people in the know on all things Farmers' Markets. The following is their 2016 Guide to Fairfield County Farmers' Markets. 

Farmers’ markets in Fairfield County, CT will begin opening in May and early June and we will update the listings below (from 2015) with 2016 information as it becomes available. Here are the markets updated so far:

• Ridgefield will not have a farmers market this year
• Fairfield may have a second, downtown market
• New Canaan opened on April 23
• Westport opens May 19
  
• Fairfield @Greenfield Hill opens on May 21
  
• Greenwich @ Arch & Horseneck Streets opens on May 14
• Trumbull opens May 19
• Old Greenwich opens May 25
• Darien opens May ?
• Rowayton opens May 27
• Stamford opens June 18
• Black Rock opens June 18
• Bridgeport Downtown opens July 14

Read the complete article with detailed market information here. 

Recap: Savor, A Celebration of Wine, Food & Spirits @ Foxwoods

What if I told you that you could feast on Hudson Valley Foie Gras Torchon, nurse a glass of Fess Parker Ashley’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, get cooking tips from Chef Mary Ann Esposito, and dance the night away with celebrity chefs- all while raising over $70,000 to help veterans and military families?  That by indulging in  a bite of Truffled Tenderloin Beef Tartare you could help a young girl receive a much-needed bone transplant?

Savor, now in its second year, makes all of that possible.  Dishes from Connecticut’s best restaurants, wines, spirits, beer, and merchandise are all available under one roof.  Proceeds from the celebration go toward the Robert Irvine Foundation.

CTBites was invited to both sessions of the walk-around Grand Tasting as well as the Savor In Style Charity Gala.  Here all of the delicious details.

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Restaurants for Mother’s Day in CT: 2016 Edition

Sunday May 8 is all about Mom!  Connecticut restaurants are helping us celebrate the mothers in our lives with prix fixe menus, special a la carte items, buffets, and more.   Here are many places serving Mother’s Day meals. Please add more in your comments.

1. Bernard’s, Ridgefield: Bernard's, which can be found in Ridgefield, will serve Mother's Day brunch from 11am-12:30pm and dinner from 1:30-6pm.
2. Morello, Greenwich: On Sunday May 8, Morello Italian Bistro will offer Mother's Day brunch and dinner from 11am to 9pm.
3. Harbor Lights, Norwalk: In Norwalk, Harbor Lights will offer a 3 course prix fixe menu for $59.99 per person. Kids are welcome too. There is a children's menu for $25.99.
4. Millwrights, Simsbury: Millwright's in Simsbury has created a 3 course prix fixe menu for Mother's Day. Starters include dishes like a Baby Gem Salad and Smoked Salmon Rillette. Then, choose an entree and dessert.

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