Darien Social is Officially Open for Business

Overlooking Darien's Metro North station, Executive Chef Nick Bilello has reappeared in the kitchen of Darien Social, a modern American "neighborhood bar and restaurant," set to open today. 

Having opened the original Burger Bar & Bistro in South Norwalk in 2006 and worked in the kitchens of Habana and Ocean Drive, Bilello adapted his style and approach to Darien, with a menu that will include “snacks and small plates” such as local oysters, pork belly “BLT sliders” and Swedish meatballs (with foie gravy). An organic beef “social burger” topped with caramelized onion, black pepper truffle mayo, and Shelburne cheddar should also figure prominently on the menu.

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Tim’s Philly Steaks Opens in Norwalk

Tim’s Philly Steaks opened on Westport Avenue in Norwalk several weeks ago and I am not one to resist the calling of bread, meat, cheese and grilled onions. So I braved the weather to try one of my favorite sandwiches, and I was not disappointed. 

Many years ago I was taught that eating a cheesesteak is always performed while in “the position.” This entails standing with your legs positioned directly beneath your shoulders, a slight bend forward at the waist, a second bend at the neck with your jaw protruding and always use two hands on the sandwich. The goal is to avoid any of the delicious ingredients landing on your chest or stomach. So when I sampled Tim’s cheesesteak while seated at a table (there are three booths and four tables inside) it was an unusual feeling, but I still assumed “the position” of leaning forward and I successfully consumed the sandwich sans accident 

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Hope Pizza in Stamford: Best Greek Pizza in Western CT?

"Gooey," that's what my late great mother craved in her pizza, and this woman loved food more than any person I've ever known. ("Don't talk to me," she would admonish. "I'm eating."}

Well, Mom would have devoured the pizza at Stamford's Hope Pizza, maybe the best of the thirty some Greek pizzerias hidden throughout Fairfield County. What makes Greek pizza gooey is what distinguishes it from the more heralded Connecticut Italian pizzas. Bearing no New Haven char, Colony heat, Batali chic, much less any passionate defenders or detractors in the food press or blogosphere, Greek Pizza flourishes under the radar, boasting few fancy frills, though, admittedly, more oil.

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The Whey Station Grilled Cheese Truck in Middletown

Jill Moskites works the grill while her husband, Josh, takes lunch orders from a hungry crowd.  It’s a cold Wednesday afternoon in October, perfect for what The Whey Station is serving up -- gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, hearty, “truckmade” soups and specialty hot dogs.  Fortunately for all of us, The Whey Station is the newest local addition to the handful of food trucks hitting the streets.

It’s a new endeavor for the Moskites, who until recently were familiar faces at their family’s gourmet foods shop, The Wild Raspberry in Cromwell, and together they have about 19 years restaurant and specialty foods experience.

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Chilibomb Opens in Fairfield: Calling All Chiliheads!

Calling all chiliheads:  On a portion of Fairfield's Black Rock Turnpike that should be dubbed “restaurant row,” sits a newly opened storefront restaurant, Chilibomb.

The brainchild of Stamford native, Peter Weberg Jr., Chilibomb is the first in the area to serve an impressive array of mouthwatering chilis in addition to having created an Oscar worthy brand for his business. Peter started making chili simply because, he liked it...a lot. From there, he started entering his chili into the numerous fairs and chili contests around the area.  You may have also known him back in the late 80’s when he ran a food truck called Buffalo Pete’s serving hot dogs ‘n’ chili.  After jobs in the food industry behind the scenes, he decided it was time to bring his chili dream to life. “Chilibomb,” aptly named after his hot selling chili of yester year, was finally coined and trademarked in 2008.

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Texas BBQ franchise opens in Bridgeport via ctpost.com

This just in from ctpost.com.

The biggest barbecue fast food chain in the country is coming to Connecticut in the North End of Bridgeport. Dickey's Barbecue Pit will have its soft opening Sunday and its grand opening Dec. 8.

Cohen is a Dallas native, and often ate at Dickey's growing up. The first Dickey's Barbecue opened in Texas in 1941. The original location is still open for business, and Dickey's Barbecue is still owned and operated by the Dickey Family, according to the company website. The company began franchising in 1994.

Customers can expect to get their food in three minutes or less, Cohen said, but the meat is smoked for hours. The brisket, for example, is smoked for 14 hours before it hits a plate. "We have fall-off-the-bone ribs," Cohen said. "Most restaurants use a thermometer to test if the ribs are done. We test our ribs by picking them up and if they don't break in the middle, we know they're not ready to serve."

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Rubbing Elbows At Rory's in Darien

Rory's is a neighborhood bar in search of a neighborhood. Surrounded by the Orvis/Trader Joe's plaza, a nail salon, and an unfinished furniture/firearms emporium on the more commercial end of the Post Road in Darien close to the Norwalk border, Rory's somehow manages to have a "walk up and join the locals" feel. The tiny pub sits on a bit of raised land above Rt. 1 traffic like a little beach cottage above the tide line. Not too many people live within walking distance though, which is why you may find yourself parked next to a Rolls Royce or Ferrari. Maybe it's not your average local pub, after all. 

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Chilifest 2011: Everyone's a Judge

Local area restaurants from Norwalk to Fairfield will engage in a culinary battle for the area's best chili on Saturday Oct. 29th from 11:30am - 3:30pm at the Unitarian Church in Westport.  Admission is $6 for adults, $5 seniors (60+) and $2 kids (5-17).  Unlike most competitions, everyone is a judge and can sample and vote for their favorites.

The competition is expected to be 'hot' as the list of restaurants include chili cook-off veterans as well as restaurants you might not expect to see in this type of contest.  Chef Pietro Scotti of DaPietro's in Westport is always up for a culinary challenge and will be entering a traditional as well as a "creative" entry.  Chef Chris North of Rowayton Seafood will be cooking up a seafood chili, and Chef Troilo of Nicholas Robert's Restaurant in Norwalk will throw down with his special recipe. 

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Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar in Monroe

And now a word from our 10 years old food critic....

Hey kids, guess what? Want to win a free Mac Daddy’s T-Shirt? Mac Daddy’s will give the first 10 kids to correctly guess the amount of macaroni boxes used to fill the pan on the wall (described below) a free t-shirt Contest ends on November 20th. Mention CTbites to enter. 

What do you think of when you think of macaroni and cheese? A small box of Kraft mac and cheese? Well… now I think of Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar, an amazing macaroni and cheese restaurant with at least 20 different kinds of macaroni. I had thought that Macdaddy’s was going to be bigger than it was (they can seat about 25 people) but that didn’t mean it wasn’t good. Macdaddy’s is a quick service restaurant (which means that you order at a counter and they bring the food to your table). 

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Caprese Burger w/ Pickled Tomatoes c/o Parsley Thief

Usually, when I make burgers at home, my toppings are fresh mozzarella, pesto, and tomato. But, for this post, I wanted something more creative than just that. Something worthy of being called a "recipe"...otherwise, I'm basically just telling you how to build a sandwich.

For a twist on the traditional Caprese ingredients, this burger is made with pickled tomatoes. Something that seems to be catching on these days...at least according to all my Food Network TV viewing. The basil and balsamic vinegar elements come in the form of a basil mayo...which works out well for me, as I'm also known to enjoy mayonnaise on a burger. The rest is the usual...forming the patty by hand, between two pieces of wax paper {makes a perfect patty every time, in my book} and searing it in a hot, "salted" cast iron skillet {a method I learned from my MIL}. Lastly, my favorite parts...creamy, salty fresh mozzarella cheese, and a crusty, airy bread, like ciabatta. 

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Tavern in Monroe: Modern Comfort Food in N. FC

Utter the word “tavern” and the mind conjures images of dimly-lit rooms, Hungry-Man portions of protein and white starches, with deep fried renditions of both. Upsell this concept to northern Fairfield County in the hands of two seasoned restaurateurs and you get Tavern in Monroe.

Located on a busy stretch of Rt. 25 just between Newtown and Trumbull, Tavern is already attracting a steady crowd in just under two months of operation. The after-work crowd is drawn to its handsome whiskey barrel studded bar and families clamber to fill the outdoor patio and comfortable vibe with family-friendly menu.   

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Grande Burger Opens in Stamford

Sometimes you just want to go out - no specific plans, no goals for the evening besides just wanting to go hear loud music and blow off steam. It would be nice to have a few drinks, you think, but whatever will do: just get me a beer/cocktail/shot, man. Sometimes you're just in an "eat to live" kind of mood, and anything filling will do. Other times you're more discerning, selective: you could really go for a burger, but generic "burger" arriving wrapped in paper won't cut it. For those times, there's the new Grand Burger in Stamford. 

Yes, the former G/R/A/N/D ultra lounge has been re-imagined as a burger place, and the menu is the result of the discerning eye of Executive Chef Nick Bilello, creator of Burger Bar in SoNo.

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The Filling Station Co. August Burger & Shake

The August 2011 Filling Station Special Burger and Shake combine another full flavored hamburger with a sweet flavorful tribute to another of my favorite fruits with the “Steak Burger” matched with a sweet Cherry Shake. 

The Steak Burger includes the Filling Station’s farm-raised hamburger topped with the newly introduced secret-recipe steak sauce, raw onions and tomatoes. Similar to last month’s BBQ Special, this month’s special delivers bold flavors to complement the mild organic beef. The FS steak sauce was developed over many months of experimentation to deliver a flavor profile that pays tribute to the Peter Luger Sauce’s vinegary-tomato based variety.

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The Making of the MATCH Restaurant Burger

Start with a patty of locally raised (Roxbury, CT) grass-fed beef. Throw in some bacon-cheddar sauce and sweet and sour onion jam. House it all on a caramelized onion brioche bun. And don't forget those fries.

No, this is not a new burger joint, this is Match's new Thursday Night Burger offer and CTbites was there for its beefy birth.

CTbites sent burger guru, "jfood," into the kitchen with Match Restaurant's Chef Matt Storch to develop this recent menu addition. From concept to reality, we bring you the new Match (SONO) Hamburger. Here's how it went down. 

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Shake Shack Opens Today in Westport

Delicious…that’s my opinion and I’m sticking with it.

The ShackBurger: Shake Shack brought its world-famous (yes they have a location in Dubai) offerings to Westport today and I enjoyed one of the best hamburgers, hot dogs and shakes in the area. With all the hype of opening day I felt a bit nervous as I waited with dozens of other customers for my ShackBurger, Shack-cago Dog and fries.

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