Must Try: Lao Sze Chuan Chinese Restaurant in Milford

“How adventurous do we want to be?” Maria asks.  “On a scale of one to 10?”  She’s poring over the menus at Lao Sze Chuan and says it’s so authentic, some of these dishes aren’t found in Chinatown in New York City. Diced rabbit with peanuts. Hot and Sour eel with cellophane noodles. Pork intestines with blood cake.

“We have to have frog’s legs,” she says. “And the clams.” She starts making a list.

Donna and Mark’s list is already on their ipod. They’ve been looking  at Lao Sze Chuan’s menu online since three in the afternoon.  Maria passes me her list. Yes, the spicy ox-tongue and tripe is on it and I’m happy not to make more decisions. The menus – two of them, the main large, multi-plastic-paged booklet and the additional four page menu of Szechuan specialties  -- are overwhelming. Pages and pages of intriguing descriptions like “Silky fowl with black mushrooms and bamboo shoots in casserole.”  

I pass Maria’s list to my husband, who glazes over at the sight of her tiny script of five appetizers and 11 entrees. He passes it to Donna and Mark. They cross-reference against their i-Pod list, and add a couple dishes to the feast. Yes! The pig’s ear. 

There’s nothing like dining with the right group of people at the right place, and our crew of 10 is excited about our adventure to the commercial belly of Route 1 Milford to see if Lao Sze Chuan makes the most authentic Szechuan cuisine in Connecticut.  

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Last Chance! Bacon Week @ Plan B Burger Bar in Milford

How does Plan B in Milford celebrate its 1-year birthday? With a cake? NO! This meat-loving restaurant celebrates with BACON! Bacon Week runs from September 10th - 16th at Plan B Burger Bar in Milford.  John Brennan, the executive chef was nice enough to invite me to come opening night.  I alerted my cardiologist. Armed with a big appetite and an open mind, I brought my bacon LOVING husband Marc along to help me taste everything on the menu.  The meal began with the 3 signature drinks- all made with bacon infused bourbon. Plan B prides itself on its bourbon selection, and I’m a fan. I tried the bourbon straight and it was really nice, with just a hint of the bacon- nothing overpowering.

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Don't Miss "Bacon Week" at Plan B Burger in Milford

Plan B Burger knows that everything is better with bacon. Hence, in celebration of their one Year Anniversary, Plan B Milford presents “Bacon Week,” Monday September 10-Sunday September 16th. This bacon bounty includes a full menu of bacon inspired savory and sweet treats including everything from “The Divine Swine” aka “Drop Dead Burger,”  (100% ground bacon burger topped w/ thick sliced bacon, bacon aioli, bourbon bacon red onion jam, and a fried egg all sandwiched in between a grilled cheese) to Bacon Candy Bars and Bacon infused Bourbon cocktails. Did I mention the Bacon Cotton Candy? There's one for the ages. The full menu is below, but if you love pork like I love pork, I'd say make your way over to Milford. 

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Plan B Burger Bar: Pre Prohibition Dinner

Many have described me as a Plan B Burger Bar addict! As a professional chef, most people assume I am a food snob, only interested in 5 Star dining venues. This is not the case. When I eat out, I am looking for quality and ambiance. Ambiance can mean elegance but it can also mean, as in this case, just plain fun! While Plan B’s special Prohibition event was all about the past, it is important to note that the Plan B Burger Bar's everyday menu shines with top notch natural beef burgers (veggie, portabella, salmon, and chicken versions are available too), salads, fun starters, a great assortment of fries, and weekly specials. 

If you have never been to Plan B Burger Bar before, last week’s Pre Prohibition Dinner would not have been an accurate introduction. Their Pre Prohibition Dinner was a forage into a new land. It was more of a Five Star dining experience, with expertly plated food and service, and even more unique top-notch drinks.

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Taste and See Cupcakes in Milford

Is Taste and See Gourmet Cupcakes in Milford worth a 30-minute drive from Westport? The answer is a resounding “yes”! Recently, I’ve diagnosed myself as cupcake obsessed. There are worse obsessions, right? Through mail order, vacation excursions, and day trips, I estimate I’ve tried more than 50 cupcake purveyors. With complete honesty, Taste and See is my winner.  

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GotChef Gourmet Food Truck in Milford

Biagio’s Barone’s is reinventing the wheel. Literally.  His GotChef gourmet food truck, which is parked on the Eastbound side of the Milford, CT Metro North Station, is turning the mobile canteen concept on its head.  From Monday through Friday, 11:00am-8:00 pm, and Saturday 3-7pm, Chef Biagio and his crew offer up-all natural, creative, delectable cuisine out of his neon yellow restaurant-on-wheels.

You won’t find the typical taco, BBQ-grilled cheese-Belgian waffles-cupcake food truck fare on the GotChef menu.  His selections, which vary with the season and change daily, are comparable to anything you can find in an upscale Italian bistro. Some of the recent chalkboard specials include:  Capesante Farcito (Stuffed Scallop with Lobster, Shrimp, Sweet Bread Lemon Stuffing in a Scallop Shell, drizzled with Lemon Gremolata), Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi, Slow Roasted Short Ribs--served over a mushroom truffle risotto, Wild-Grilled Salmone Agrodolce-- topped with a pineapple Sweet and Sour sauce and served over balsamic glazed green beans, and an Osso Bucco

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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. 

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