Big News @ Wave Hill Breads: New Location...New Bread!

When husband and wife team Margaret Sapir and Mitch Rapaport first began delivering their signature bread to farmers markets in 2005, it was with a signature bread crafted from one recipe. Not that this has been a bad thing. Their Pain de Campagne is what started it all and has brought them the recognition they receive to this day. 

Now, in addition to the fabulously addictive three-grain country loaf that we all know and love, Wave Hill Breads is proud to announce the launch of two new breads for your dining pleasure (+ spoiler alert...come May, you can dine in their new bakery/cafe in Norwalk). But first, let's talk about these magnificent loaves..

Click to read more ...

Easter & Passover Eats in Fairfield County, CT

Easter & Passover are just around the corner, and we've been vigilantly scoping out interesting holiday sweets & savories, restaurant reservations, and catering tips to share with you. Here are a few nibbles to get you started on your holiday planning, but this is just a sampling. If you have come across an holiday event or product find, please let us know by posting a comment below. 

What's Easter Without Chocolate?

Belgique Chocolatier in New Canaan is Easter central with 3-feet high chocolate rabbits weighing in at approx. 23 pounds. They also make smaller sizes, as well as chocolate nests with chocolate/hazelnut speckled eggs, chocolate hens and chicks, chocolate eggs to fill with chocolates, bunnies pulling carts with chocolate eggs, etc.

Click to read more ...

Michele's Pies (& Cafe) Opens in Westport

Michele's Pies of Norwalk has arrived at its latest home in Westport! Situated at the old Baskin and Robbins location at the corner of Bay Street and the Post Road, Michele's Pies is a welcome newcomer to the area - finally, a great place for a patisserie-style breakfast in Westport. Michele Albano and fiance' Kelly Stuart opened the new pie haven last month and it's time to "sing a song of sixpence!" With a variety of delectable treats, Michele's Pies has something for every craving. From scrumptious CHOCCOLATE/BOURBAN/PECAN to KEY LIME to COUNTRY APPLE to the many savory delights including CHICKEN POT PIE, AUSTRALIAN BEEF, and outrageous LOBSTER QUICHE, Michele's Pies are sure to satisfy. And the pies are just the beginning! The shop opens for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and serves BEAN & LEAF coffee (single origin, fair trade and organic) out of New London.

Click to read more ...

It's All Good At Lakeside Diner in Stamford

How many CTbites contributors does it take to order chicken salad, a breakfast burrito, a Grecian omelet, a reuben sandwich, grilled blueberry muffins, pancakes, apple pie, coffee milkshakes and the worlds' BEST homemade donuts to top it all off? Apparently only 3. But the full bellies and groans were all worth it due to the great food and fantastic retro atmosphere at the LAKESIDE DINER in Stamford. Located at the bottom of the ramp of exit 34 off the Merritt, this joint offers the quintessential diner experience. So much so, it has been used as a location in several films including "College Road Trip." It isn't large and it isn't fancy. This is authentic diner fare done right. Mel, I would kiss these grits anytime. 

Click to read more ...

Cherry Pecan Granola via The Parsley Thief

I've been going through a granola obsession lately. I eat it for breakfast, sprinkled on low-fat Greek yogurt, with some agave syrup over the top. I was intrigued by this recipe from the new cookbook, Power Foods, (published by the people of Whole Living magazine), because it's packed with healthy ingredients...I love the addition of ground flaxseeds. I did adjust it quite a bit, because as written, it was a bit flat. I think they were going for a more healthy, low calorie take on granola & of course, I made it a bit less healthy. This is my take on it.

Click to read more ...

Lucky Corned Beef Hash via Sugar & Olives

If you can't make it out for St. Patty's Day, why not try enjoy a taste of the Irish in the comfort of your own home. Jennifer Balin of Sugar & Olives knows her way around a simple but tasty Corned Beef Hash, and what better to serve up on March 17th? Bonus: This recipe also features her "secret" for extra delicious overnight shredded hash browns. Check it out:

Click to read more ...

Chai Spiced Quinoa Porridge via Healthy Living Blog

On cold winter mornings, there's nothing like a hot bowl of whole grain porridge to start the day off right. Whole grains take longer to digest and they release their sugars slowly, so they make you feel satisfied longer. My standard breakfast whole grain is oatmeal, but other whole grains such as quinoa, millet, wheat berries, amaranth or brown rice can easily be substituted for oatmeal, and make breakfast that much more interesting as they all have different textures and consistencies.

I came up with this Chai Spiced Quinoa Porridge recipe because I love the warm spices in chai tea. Topping this hot breakfast cereal with fresh berries and walnuts makes this breakfast cereal fun to eat and adds a burst of extra nutritional value.

Click to read more ...

Best Doughnuts in CT via Fairfield Weekly

Doughnuts are a big business in America, but the doughnut shops that are really worth visiting are not the big businesses, but rather the small shops cranking out these sweet fried gems by hand. As a lover of this low country doughy snack, I was intrigued when I recently came across an article in Fairfield Weekly by Adrienne Kane titled "Where to Find The Best Doughnuts in CT." 

On a plate, and ready to dip into your morning cup of coffee, or in a paper bag and handed to you through your open car window at the drive-thru, doughnuts are that sweet American treat that gives you a jolt of sugar in the morning. Whether you prefer the cake variety (essentially made with cake batter and fried crisp) or you prefer the yeasted, risen doughnuts — those deceptively light, air-filled masses — chances are you daily pass one of the many doughnut shops that dot Connecticut’s culinary landscape.

Read the full article here and while you're in a doughnut frame of mind, check out our review of Coffee An', Westport's Doughnut haven.

Scratch Baking Debuts in Milford

Chances are pretty good that if you’ve ever lusted after a baked good in Fairfield County, Lesli Flick of Milford's newest bakery Scratch Baking may have literally had her hands on it. Scratch is a beacon of baked goods, opening in a cozy space adjacent to the Milford train station just this past weekend with seasoned pastry chef Lesli Flick at its helm.

Flick has been moving steadily north since attending culinary school in Manhattan, beginning her baking trajectory on the upper east side and then (thankfully for us) moving to Connecticut. 

Click to read more ...

Overnight Steel Cut Oats c/o Healthy Living Blog

Steel cut oats are the holy grail of breakfast food, but to achieve optimal texture and taste, they require about 45 minutes of cooking time…time most of us don't have in the morning. To solve this problem, cooks (like Mark Bittman) have developed recipes for "overnight" oatmeal reducing am cook time to a scant 10 minutes. This recipe from Jeanette's Healthy Living blog delivers a nutrient and flavor packed meal for everyone in the family, and although Bittman's version is pretty good, Jeanette's has a few extra ingredients that speak to me. 

Click to read more ...