PastaPresta Opens at the SoNo Marketplace

The SoNo Marketplace—with its hive of local food purveyors, artisans,  weekly farmers’ market, and plans for a summer beer garden—may be best argument to never set foot inside a supermarket again. I was recently lured back to the Marketplace by the opening of PastaPresta, a new fresh pasta vendor anchoring the entrance of the market’s vast 50,000 square-feet.

One evening of fresh pasta and market nibbles, and a closer look at the people behind the market later, I was reminded why this culinary hub deserves a regular visit and why, despite its recent vilification, gluten is good (maybe great).

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Ten Best Restaurant Burgers: Greenwich to New Haven 2013

One year, hundreds of miles, close to thirty pounds of various cuts and blends of meat, thousands of fries…searching for the ten best hamburgers.

Nestled between Shad Roe, Bahn Mi, Shrimp & Grits, Nonni's Meatballs and Montauk Black Bass was “The Burger.” It was the equalizing dish amongst the best chefs in the area.  As I tasted the creativity that each of the chefs placed into their version of this 100+ year old tradition, I was in awe. The combinations were brilliant, how the flavors balanced and complemented each other, the choices that they made to place their individual mark on this dish, each was unique. 

Most of the meat was sourced locally, many from the same vendor with slight variations in blend and grind...some used a medium-grind while others requested a third, finer grind. Cheese and bacon played a major supporting roll, and the choices varied amongst the chefs.

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Mama's Boy Southern Table & Refuge Opens in SONO

With little fanfare, Mama’s Boy Southern Table and Refuge, the newest addition to the SONO food scene is slowly opening its doors. Based on traditional Southern hospitality and cuisine, the restaurant will deliver the comfort food of the south combined with a relaxed atmosphere.  As the website states, “Mama’s Boy is putting the “South” in South Norwalk.”

The interior has been completely redesigned. Using woods and material from an old water tower from Florence, South Carolina, owners Greer Fredericks and Ami Dorel created a warm environment from top to bottom. The lighting is soft and inviting, the music gives a perfect background through various genres and the service is straight from Charleston, friendly and incredibly helpful. Upon entering you can choose a seat at the long bar or one of the tables along the wall with a long comfortable banquette. In the rear is a second dining area that is guarded by two windows that were reclaimed from Al Capone’s summer residence. This dining area features a traditional “mirror wall,” you have to see it to completely understand and appreciate.

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Melt Mobile in Stamford: Great Sandwiches Day & Night

CTbites is pleased to welcome Eliza Schlesinger as a new contributor. She will help guide our readers to great tasting venues perfect for 20-somethings in the Stamford area.

When the weekend night bar scene in Stamford comes to a close, a girl has two options, take home a man or take home a sandwich, and this single lady prefers a sandwich. As my friends and I were finishing another night of laughter and dancing, I looked around to see if anything caught my eye. I peered across Bedford Street and instantly had my answer, the Melt Mobile.

As a little girl, there were few things as delicious and comforting as a grilled cheese, and Melt Mobile’s creations bring me back to my childhood while igniting the flavors that my adult taste buds love. The scene is exactly what I would expect around 2 am, utter drunken chaos and sloppy flirtation combined with an aroma that makes it all bearable. Until this visit I’ve always ordered the same sandwich, the Caprese, for two simple reasons. The first, it’s typically listed towards the top of the Specials menu, and the second because I swear it’s always tasted like heaven. The sandwich is a wonderful balance of fresh mozzarella and Prosciutto di Parma, accompanied by my favorite combination of roasted red peppers, arugula, fresh tomatoes and pesto aioli on Kalamata olive bread. But I am here to be objective and thorough, so I let my eyes wander down the rest of the deliciously cheesy menu to look for new and exciting options.

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New Haven Meatball House

As a part of our ongoing effort to cover more of the state, we will be publishing more frequent, shorter posts on some of our favorite spots in New Haven, Hartford and beyond. If you have a place you love or would like us to cover, please email us!

New Haven Meatball House

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Late Night Dining, Craft Beer 
Price: Less than $10 (per entrée)
Our Highlights: Chicken meatballs with pesto, beef meatballs with tomato sauce, black garlic mashed potatoes, spiked milkshakes
Hours: Open Daily, Monday - Thursday at 5 pm, Friday - Sunday 11:30 am
Online: Official Website | Facebook 

Four types of meatballs, four types of sauces and three ways to eat them. Do the math and that could keep any comfort food-seeking foodie returning to explore the menu at New Haven's Meatball Shop on Chapel Street. Owner Bob Potter, the man behind New Haven's popular meat mecca, Prime 16, and the East Rock neighborhood tequilar bar, c.o. jones opened New Haven Meatball House in mid-2012.

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Plan B's Chef John Shares 8 Tips for Making Great Chili

Chef John Brennan of Plan B in Milford knows a LOT about making Chili. This is why when it came time to plan my Super Bowl party, I turned to him for advice. Chef John's 8 simple tips will turn your Super Bowl menu into a huge win. Enjoy the game. Enjoy the chili. 

1. Start by using the best Ingredients. The heart of the chili is the meat that you use. At Plan B we use premium certified humane beef and pork from ranchers that don’t use antibiotics or hormones on their cattle. It’s a simple step, the better the meat…the better the chili.
2. At Plan B we use a mixture of ground and cubed chuck and ground pork. Think of your chili like a meat ball, the perfect blend of pork and beef can make your chili a success. When purchasing the meat for your chili I suggest finding a local butcher that grinds their meat fresh daily, freshness equals flavor.
3. Start your chili by sweating your vegetables. Treat your chili like a soup or a delicate sauce and sweat your onions and peppers to release their flavor. I suggest bell peppers and Spanish onions. When doing this be sure to heat your pot at medium to high and keep an eye on your veggies, stirring regularly.

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Little Pub Opening Second Location in Wilton

It’s true...the murmurs, rumbles and rumors are all true! We recently had the opportunity to chat with Doug Grabe, owner of Little Pub, and they are indeed opening a second location. The new location is slated to open its doors in January 2013. The feel and the cuisine will be much the same of what we all have come to know, love and expect at Little Pub. The new spot, conveniently located at 26 Danbury Road in Wilton, will offer the same fare, and thanks to a much larger kitchen, will also be offering some new items. We're hoping that the Shepherd’s pie will be back on the radar, perfect for a cold winter’s night!

We will bring you more on this exciting new opening as the date gets closer. 

Connecticut Burgers Go National via “A Hamburger Today”

For those who love hamburgers, The Spotted Horse Tavern in Westport offers two pre-designed alternatives. The Saugatuck Craft Butchery Burger is a simple hamburger with lettuce and tomato with additional toppings available (major recommendation is the bacon) and the Black Truffle Burger includes one of my new favorite additions, a fried egg. Both offer incredibly delicious meat from Westport’s own Saugatuck Craft Butchery.

Now the “Hamburgers of Fairfield County,” as well as Connecticut, will receive justifiable attention nationally in America’s most widely read hamburger review site, A Hamburger Today. My first review focused on a long-standing favorite in New Canaan, Cherry Street East and my most recent entry presented Westport’s new entrant, The Spotted Horse, where guests can enjoy hamburgers in a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere.

“The highlight of the burgers is the incredible meat; it's one of the most flavorful patties I've ever tasted;

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Bodega Taco Bar Opens in Darien

The upscale, inspired Mexican street food and vibrant bar scene that Bodega has ushered in to Fairfield, has migrated south, opening in Darien this past weekend. The trio behind the original Bodega—Michael Young, Luis Chavez and Mario Fontana—have continued to perfect a brash menu that embraces the Americas, skewing from South America to North, and settling centrally on Mexico. In a markedly larger setting, the new Darien outpost has successfully duplicated much of the same menu, from antojitos to mezcal, with a few noteworthy additions. Bodega will be officially open starting Monday, November 12 at 5 pm for dinner, and will be open 6 nights a week Monday through Saturday, and open for lunch and brunch beginning January 6, seven days a week.

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Bar Sügo Opens in Norwalk w/ Authentic Italian

The culinary landscape of downtown Norwalk improved significantly with the opening of Bar Sügo, offering Italian cuisine that Chef/Owner Pat Pascarella’s describes as “food that Italians eat every day.”

Bar Sügo’s menu features a wide variety of cicchetti, e primi, and meatballs as well as larger servings of pasta and pizzas to accompany several beers on tap, including Allagash White, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Strubbe Pils or Thornbridge Raven, or one of the numerous bottles of wine. The interior features a large red and white tiled floor, a copper-topped bar, rustic walls covered with large canvassed photos, with one wall dedicated to displaying the restaurant’s diverse selection of wines…the setting allows for a vibrant atmosphere to complement the delicious food. Chef Pat will prepare variations of Italian cuisine using fresh, flavorful ingredients and keep the price of each of the dishes under $20.

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