Fine Dining For Less at a Westport Landmark: Da Pietro’s

Once Le Chambord vacated its location on the Post Road (you have to be a true townie to remember it), Da Pietro’s staked its claim as Westport’s standout “classy joint” from the late 1980s on, and today is like the town’s elder statesman in the restaurant realm.  A seamless fusion of French and Italian cuisine, a tour de force of European refinement and classic technique, Chef Pietro Scotti’s repertoire has evolved with the times, but his establishment is still a benchmark of classic fine dining in the area, and he's still in the kitchen. 

Happening by Riverside Avenue recently you might have seen a chalkboard sign subtly advertising DaPietro’s weekday lunch and dinner prix fixe deals. For real?  Yes, $12.00 gets you a two course lunch, three courses for $15.00, and at $33.00 for dinner (drinks excluded), you can enjoy a three course meal and be privy to the chef’s wonderful creations. 

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Cafe D'Azur Opens in Darien w/ French-Lebanese Fare

What do you get when you combine a Greek-Lebanese restaurateur with a French chef?  A Mediterranean bistro with brasserie flair. In Darien, a town long on Asian eateries and upscale pub fare, a true ethnic restaurant is a welcome addition. In fact, Cafe D'Azur Mediterranean Bistro & Creperie's opening was highly anticipated by those of us familiar with Myrna's eponymous restaurant in Stamford, a popular lunch spot.  

I dropped in on Cafe D'Azur a couple weeks after it opened

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Versailles Restaurant: French Fare in Greenwich

Ah, Versailles.  So distant. So unreachable.  So . . . French.  

Well, that’s how our group felt after canceling /rescheduling our planned trip to this well-established Greenwich eatery THREE separate times.  As it turns out, each date was snowier, icier and slushier than the one before.  It took three snow storms, three snow days and nearly a month, but we finally made it.

The new location (a few doors down from the original on Greenwich Ave.) is lovely and trimly elegant.  We arrived early for lunch … and it’s a good thing we did. The dining room was full to capacity -- with a line out the door -- by 12:20.

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Macarons with Chef Emilie

Whether you are a hopeless Francophile or just a lover of confections, macarons are the pinnacle of dessert perfection. A cross between a tiny cake and a cookie, macarons boast smooth and delicately crisp exteriors that give way to light and pillowy interiors and are filled with sweet and occasionally savory fillings. In the right hands, they can be the miraculous result of a few deceptively simple ingredients of almond flour, eggs and sugar. 

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Bastille Day in Connecticut, Célébrons!

Each year on July 14 citizens of France, francophones and francophiles across the globe celebrate La Fête Nationale or Bastille Day, France's independence day that commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789.

So what better way for CTbites to celebrate this holiday than to look back at a few of our French-inspired fare we've featured over the past year such as Lucs Cafe, 1020 Post, Meli Melo and Isabelle & Vincent. We know there are many more in our neighborhood here in Fairfield County and we look forward to exploring them in the months to come.

I hope our list inspires you to célébrer la fête nationale française. I know I am already thinking about where I'm going to order a Croque Monsieur and scare up a game of pétanque.

How will you celebrate Bastille Day? 

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Bustling French Bistro & Seafood Fare @ 1020 Post

Don't let the lace curtains and stately brick entrance fool you.  Behind the doors of this new French Bistro, named for its location on the Post Road in Darien,  is an airy room with coffered ceilings and a sleek zinc bar that buzzes--loudly at times--with the chatter of locals every night of the week.  Located within walking distance of the Darien train station, 1020 Post, which opened its doors a little more than a year ago, pulls people in like a magnet for dinner and drinks after work and lunch during the week.

On a chilly Tuesday night, I arrived with four friends to find packed tables and a bustling bar, which was lined with large glasses of Malbec and Pinot Noir. Nearby, people dined on bar stools at one of two tall community tables, where small groups can enjoy a quick bite without a reservation

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The CT Bites Suzysaid Lunch Recap

Yesterday a group of CT Bites and Suzysaid readers enjoyed their first in a series of lunch events, this one at Cafe Lola in Fairfield. The dining room was abuzz with satisfied diners who, for a mere $15, savored a wonderful 3 course meal in the warmth and elegance of owners Ivanina & Henri's Donneaux French bistro.  

We arrived early to check out the scene.  In the kitchen, Chef Henri had things under control and was beginning to prep his first plate of Ratatouille. Ivanina (who manages the restaurant and creates their excellent wine list) was greeting guests and making sure things were running smoothly. And they were! I sat down with two of our CT Bites contributors, Sarah Green and Jenny Vynerib and began strategizing the meal. 

Here is what we ate:

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Café Luc’s: Real-Deal French Bistro Fare in Ridgefield

Back when I lived in the city, I hit my corner bistro when I craved comfort food. There’s one on practically every corner. But since I moved to Westport, the authentic bistro has been elusive. That is, until friends turned me onto Café Luc’s, a homey, out-of-the-way Parisien gem tucked behind Ridgefield’s main drag, for real-deal peasant fare in one of the town’s oldest and most rustic buildings.

To get to Café Luc’s, you cruise up the winding Rte. 35, past antique farmhouses and sprawling country spreads, until you hit Ridgefield’s postcard-quaint town center.

Admittedly, it’s a bit of a schlep for a weekday lunch, but the payoff is a steaming crock of soupe à l'oignon gratinée or a heaping bowl of moules marinières with addictively thin and crunchy pommes frites—perfect cold-weather food. It’s a taste of Paris secreted away in the ‘burbs.

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CT Bites Lunch Event @ Cafe Lola: Free Gifts!

On Tuesday December 8th & Wednesday Dec 9th 2009, CT Bites and Suzysaid invite you to an exclusive lunch event at Cafe Lola in Fairfield. This $15 prix fixe lunch includes a fabulous goody bag with products and coupons from local vendors, and a 3 course meal. Menu is below.

Reserve your spot now by calling 203-292 8014, and mention CT Bites.  Lunch is available from 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM.

Read the Cafe Lola review on CT Bites.

$15 Prix Fixe Menu

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Cozy French Bistro Fare @ Cafe Lola in Fairfield

While I was admiring the outdoor seating with it’s Paris cafe chairs and flower boxes brimming with red geraniums, The restaurant with it’s quaint buttercup yellow exterior turned out to be Café Lola, the self professed “love-child” of owners Henri and Ivanina Donneaux. The couple dreamed of a casual, cozy bistro with French comfort food, inspired by their love of Paris and Provence. This wonderful Fairfield cafe is right on the mark. And the Croque Madame is out of this world...

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