Hunan Pavilion: Chinese in Fairfield for 22 Years

I’d been lamenting the lack of good Chinese food in Fairfield County, a complaint I’ve shared with quite a few food lovers here, including a friend who’s a Westport transplant from Singapore. To stop my whining, said friend took me to her family’s favorite Chinese restaurant in Fairfield, Hunan Pavilion. Ever since, I haven’t been deprived of good Chinese nearby, and now neither will you. 

Hunan Pavilion has been in the same Post Road location in Fairfield for 22 years and it’s very good. But to insure a truly exceptional experience, skip over the conventional menu and jump right to the Shanghai Bund Select (or Shanghai New Menu), an edited list of house specialties and an eclectic mix of Shanghai, Szechuan, and Hunan cuisines. Also ask for the menu in Chinese, even if you don’t speak a word of any dialect. The Chinese menu isn’t overly extensive, and if you aren’t shy about it, the staff will patiently translate, and this is where the hidden treasures can be found. 

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MESA- Modern Mexican on Fairfield's Black Rock Tpke

There's a new muchacha in town, and her name is MESA! Bold as brass and situated in what has been, at least during my 10 years in Fairfield County, a most unlikely zone, this modern Mexican is worth its weight in oro. It is fair to say that my last choice when picking an ethnic food destination has always been Mexican. (Having been to Mexico many times, and having eaten the absolute freshest delicious food there, I have always found American-Mexican to be heavy, loaded with too much cheese and way too saucy.)  But the times they are a'changin and Mesa is making its way to the top of my destination list. Why you may ask? I'll tell you. 

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CTbites Invites: Barcelona Iberico Ham Event Recap

Hearty souls splashed through the rain Dec. 7 on the way to Barcelona Restaurant in Fairfield, and were rewarded with a tornado of pork. Old world cheeses supplied by event host Michele Buster of Forever Cheese sat on the tables, piled on wooden boards, and would be joined by small blocks of quince jam and a roast suckling pig that ought to be legally classified as a mind-altering substance, but the star of the show, from start to finish, was a shoulder of cured Iberico ham.

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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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A Good Crêpe is Hard to Find...A Guide to FC Crêpes

I’m tough on crêperies.  I can’t help it.  I’m constantly comparing their crêpes to the ones of my French childhood summers spent in Brittany, the northwest peninsula of France and the crêpe’s birthplace.  My great-grandmother made them in her two room farmhouse –– she poured the mixture of buckwheat flour, salt and water onto a billig, a hot, round, buttered, grill surface, then with her rozell, a small toothless rake, she spread this batter into a fifteen-inch-round sphere the thinness of butterfly wings.  As the batter bubbled there and the edges browned, she coaxed the half cooked, wobbly, crepe onto her long, wooden spatula and flipped it over, intact.  The crêpe continued cooking this way until completely golden, signaling to her to scrape this fragile delicacy gently off the billig with her spatula.  From here she held the hot crêpe between her fingertips and the spatula.  She then placed it onto a waiting plate, setting the crêpe down with the same carefulness as though she was putting a drowsy baby onto a pillow. 

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Shiki Hana Japanese Bistro in Fairfield

As a recent Westport transplant from New York City, one thing I find myself pining for from my former life is good sushi. A recent visit to Shiki Hana in Fairfield has changed all that. Located in a strip mall in Fairfield, Shiki Hana has the nondescript atmosphere of countless Japanese restaurants, but the surprise is in the food: some of the freshest, well prepared sushi I’ve had in a while.

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The Stand Juice Company Opens in Fairfield

Liz Rueven is a CTbites contributor and the founder of a new blog, Kosher Like Me.

The Stand Juice Company opened a second location in Fairfield , CT five weeks ago and they are rockin’ already.  Carissa Dellicicchi and Mike Hrizdo, the dynamic husband and wife duo behind the Stand in Norwalk (opened in 2006), complement each other perfectly.

Carissa is the cook and creative force and Mike is the organizer and funny man. They first met in Miami at a raw foods market and bonded over their love for organic vegetarian eats and their passion for exploring the connection between better eating and healing the body.

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Ad: Big News for Pinkberry Fans...Greenwich & More

Attn. Fairfield County fro-yo lovers. Pinkberry has some big news and great new services coming to their Fairfield location! And if you reside further South, they've got something for you too. Downtown Greenwich store is opening soon.  

Curbside Pick Up

For those times when you need your Pinkberry fix but you don't feel like braving the parking challenges of downtown Fairfield, let the fro-yo come to you. Yes…I kid you not. Just call in your order 15 minutes prior to desired pick up time and sidle (or idle) up to the curb. One of Pinkberry's friendly servers will happily walk your frozen dessert to your car.

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Chip’s Family Restaurant on Black Rock Tpke Fairfield

The following is our first mother & daughter review.  Jessica Ryan is in the 7th grade. 

Rebecca: The other day my mother, brothers and I went to try Chip’s, a new restaurant on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield (where Blockbuster’s was) for lunch. The restaurant was busy, sunny and clean. As soon as we walked in a waiter brought us to a booth by the window. The restaurant is spacious with lots of tables in the middle and booths all along the sides. There were a couple of large TVs hanging from the ceiling and we could see the kitchen from where we were sitting.

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Fairfield Cheese Company Classes Are Back in Session

School is back in session, and I don't mean the kind that requires boarding a yellow school bus. I'm talking about an education involving terms like bloomy, soft-ripened, blue-vein, washed-rind, and brined. Fairfield Cheese Company's Fall/Winter cheese class schedule is out with a full offering for any level of cheese appreciation. Check out the full line up below:

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Bon Appetit Cafe & Creperie Opens in Fairfield

I didn’t much pay attention to the new blue awning located next to Billy’s Bakery on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield until I was asked to cover a new restaurant opening.  An Easton resident, I spend a good bit of my time there and I have always been disappointed by the lack of quality restaurants in that part of town.  Until now.  

I was running late for my lunch with Stephanie and fellow CTBites contributor Sarah Green, parked on the side street next to Billy’s and ran down the blue awning-covered stairs to the back of the building where Bon Appetit Cafe & Creperie had just recently opened. One has no idea what’s in store until one sits down to read the menu.  I was thrilled to learn that the food had been ordered without me. I truly would not have been able to decide on my own!

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Pacific Foods Reopens in Fairfield as Saigon Deli

Lovers of Bánh mì, the Vietnamese sandwich, were crestfallen when Pacific Foods (1561 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield (203) 220-9450) closed just a few months after opening.  I’m thrilled to report it’s back, under the same management.  Good news is that this hole-in-the-wall storefront now has three tables for eating in.

As CT Bites previously reported, the menu offers summer rolls, pho and bubble tea, and there’s a small grocery section.  But here’s what you have to order: the bánh mì.  It could be described as a Vietnamese sub.  Like a sub, the classic version combines cold cuts and crisp vegetables. But this light, well-proportioned sandwich is not an over-stuffed meat- feast, and each component reveals the way that the French colonization of Vietnam melded the flavors and cooking techniques of the two cultures.

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Asian Treats at Pacific Food in Fairfield

Every once in a while something new comes to town that we just have to explore! This time, it’s Pacific Food on the Black Rock Turnpike that adds a little bit of Asian flavor to the shopping options in Fairfield. We visited Pacific Food recently to see what kind of eclectic goodies we could fill our shopping carts with. After all, it’s about time we started using our wok pans for something worth wok-ing!

Pacific Food is a unique Asian market open almost three months in a small shopping center just as Blackrock Turnpike splits into Tunxis Hill. The small footprint of the grocer packs a punch – offering counter-style favorites such as Vietnamese sandwiches, Japanese-style smoothies in a rainbow of flavors and a decided-upon favorite, traditional Chinese Bubble Tea.

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Fresh Finds at FIN Sushi in Fairfield

Some things just NEED to be fresh - my dental hygienist's breath, hotel bed sheets, and most definitely - my sushi. That is why FIN in Fairfield is my pick for outstanding Sushi restaurant in the area. We sat outside for this latest visit, overlooking the Post Road. But the indoor seating is just as comfortable with capacity for about 50. FIN isn't fancy and it isn't trendy. The decor is simple and unassuming and the wait staff is as friendly as they come. But most importantly, the fish - well - it's delish.

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"Line Entertainment" @ Pinkberry of Fairfield

Pinkberry's Fairfield CT location has turned those tiresome weekend lines into an evening's entertainment..."line entertainment" to be exact. While customers contemplate "salted caramel" or "watermelon," and ponder the wide array of topping possibilities, they can also enjoy the musical stylings of the bands listed below. This lineup is slated for the weekend of June 24th, but it has been such a hit that I would expect this tradition to continue throughout the summer.  

Gage Elliot Frank performs Friday night 7PM - 9PM with  friend and their beautiful acoustic guitars

Carter Vail performs Saturday night 7PM -9PM 

Ajohnny returns Sunday night 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM with the Caribbean steel drums