Raise $$ for The Shelter for the Homeless by consuming large quantities of dessert & wine at the Chocolate, Dessert & Wine Lover's 'Tasting' Event Feb 9th.
Check out the new CTbites store: Shirts, hats, aprons, bags & more.
CTbites Wins BEST BLOG!
CTbites wins 2011 BEST BLOG, BEST WEB SITE & BEST ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY from The CT Press Club.
Name this drink to WIN Brunch for 2 @ The Ginger Man.
$35 Cooking Demo & Lunch w/ Chef Helton of Barcelona Fairfield. Feb 28th & March 6th. More info.
Killer Croques, Mussels and other French classics @ Cafe Luc's in Ridgefield.
Osianna in Fairfield serves up truly tasty Greek-Mediterranean in style.
Friends and family were treated to a sneak preview of The Whelk, Bill Taibe's latest venture in Westport on Wednesday evening. Steeped in the sea with unmistakable flashes of leFarm's seasonal luxury, The Whelk is poised to establish Saugatuck as the culinary center of Westport, and perhaps Fairfield County.
Up until yesterday, if you had asked Bill Taibe for the name of his new Westport based seafood restaurant, he'd tell you what he told the town when they needed a name for the phone directory, "The oyster place in Saugatuck." But as of this morning, this seafood haven has been given a brand befitting its waterfront surroundings in Westport's burgeoning restaurant scene. "The Whelk" will be opening in roughly two weeks, and the restaurant is poised for its first round of guests.
The interior reflects the clean lines of a beautiful ship with beadboard paneling, industrial metals, and warm woods, but despite the seafaring undertones "there is a sense of responsible kitchiness here. We didn't want to go obvious nautical," says Taibe. He describes The Whelk's clean architectural interior as "The South of France meets Maine." Green park bench inspired seating runs the full length of the sunlit dining space and 2 high communal tables stand proudly behind the white marble bar. In keeping with Taibe's passion for local sourcing, everything in the restaurant was made in the USA.
Barbecue and Crab. That may not be a combo found in nature, but the two do live together, albeit on separate sides of the menu, at the new B.an.C House of Norwalk, a restaurant packed with flavors and patrons, (The name is an acronym for BBQ an' Crab.)
B.J. Lawless and Buckley Ryan -- founders of the popular Norwalk pub BJ/Ryans -- believed Southern Connecticut needed a great crab and seafood house. However Northern seafooders have trouble surviving the winter, so BBQ not only winterproofs the menu, it conveniently taps into America's hottest food trend. The ribs also serve as a sentimental salute to the late Norwalk Rib House, Cogburns, which once occupied the same space and where B.J.and Buckley first met and began hatching their restaurant concepts.
BBQ, Norwalk, Seafood, kid friendly 
This CSA's are for land lubbers only? Think again.
The Thimble Island Community Supported Fisheries program is a joint venture between Miya's Sushi Restaurant and Thimble Island Oyster Co. modeled on land-based CSA's. This program is a way for seafood lovers to eat local, help restore the shoreline’s ocean ecosystem, and support local shellfish farmers.
This program is designed for New Haven, so it's currently only available for people located in the New Haven-Guilford-Madison. This is admittedly too far for many folks who live and work in Fairfield County but for those of you who work in or around the Elm City, this could work for you. It also begs the question, why not a Fairfield County CSF?
Seafood 
Gossamer thin slices of novy, redolent of smoke, salt, and the sea, layered on a bagel with a schmear -- I salivate as I write the words -- used to be a food group you couldn't easily find in Fairfield Country. We might as well have been in Kansas.
Then, as if by wizardry, a piece of the Upper West Side was transplanted to Stamford's South Side last year. That's when Fairway Market opened its new 80,000 square foot foodie emporium on Canal Street. And the most outstanding feature of this wonderland greets you just past the spectacular array of cheeses: a deli case featuring 10 varieties of smoked salmon and lox from oceans around the world.
Seafood, Specialty Market, Stamford, breakfast 
An American Italian restaurant dressed in elegant steakhouse clothes, Gabriele's in Greenwich is the bespoke incarnation of Luca's, the Italian restaurant and caterer that's inhabited Church Street for the past fifteen years.
Greenwich, Italian, Seafood, Steakhouse 
This classic New England dish is featured on the Dressing Room's dinner menu and is one I've always wanted to make in my own kitchen. Aromatic and satisfying, Chef Vaast's New England Lobster & Mussels is a great recipe for spring entertaining. The Dressing Room uses Wave Hill Bread for dipping, but The Flaxette would do the job nicely as well.
2 References | tagged Chef Talk, Recipe, Seafood 
For my money, there is nothing better than being a fly on the wall in a top notch kitchen. Watching a talented chef doing what they love is akin to a trip to the opera (or maybe that's just me). I had such a experience when I asked Arik Bensimon, Executive Chef at Napa and Co. to share a recipe from his current repertoire. And what's a recipe without a proper beauty shot? For this, we had to make the dish. Join us in the kitchen for Chef Arik's Black Sea Bass with Chickpeas, Artichokes and Blood Oranges.
Growing up in California, fish taco’s were very common. When we moved to the East Coast, they were almost impossible to find. I’ve been making this dish for years and everyone loves it! These Salmon Fish Tacos are a little bit o'sunshine with the crunchy purple cabbage and blood orange slaw.
I still remember the first time I had ever seen a blood orange, my husband and I were in Venice and we wandered past a fruit stand selling Sanguines- blood oranges. We peeled one and the ruby colored flesh immediately took us by surprise. The flavor is similar to an orange, but a little sweeter and a little tarter.
Ask Chef Nicole, Chef Talk, Mexican, Recipe, Seafood Shrimp cocktail is the perfect holidays starter, but purchasing good ready-to-eat cooked shrimp can be a tad spendy. This classic appetizer is so simple to make at home, there is really no need to ever buy out again. There is just one trick to this dish. The shrimp must be boiled in court bouillon NOT water (unless you like your shrimp rubbery and tasteless). The key to the perfect shrimp cocktail lies not just in the quality of the seafood but in the boil. Here's how to do it right, complete with zesty homemade cocktail sauce.
Ask Chef Nicole, Chef Talk, Entertaining, Recipe, Seafood 
When Chef Nicole came over with her sushi grade tuna claiming that she was going to make that great Sesame Crusted Tuna appetizer I tend to gravitate towards on any sushi menu, (and she was going to prepare the whole dish in under 5 minutes), I was dubious.
If you watch the video below you will bear witness to the simplicity of this recipe and you will have a new go-to menu item for any dinner party or gathering. These days, sushi grade tuna can be found at many local fish mongers. We like Fjord Fisheries, but if you live in Westport, the Double L Farm Stand is now getting shipments of tuna and salmon every Thursday from Boston and it is spectacular!
Sesame Crusted Tuna w/ Wasabi Creme Fraiche
Asian, Ask Chef Nicole, Recipe, Seafood, sushi 
Reheated is a weekly round-up of bite-sized food news in Connecticut and beyond.
In Connecticut...
Author Coleman Andrews will be speaking in CT Oct 14 @ New Canaan Library & Oct 28 @ Old Greenwich Library.
The Pinkberry Opening Party is Oct 14. Info CTbites.
Plan ahead for the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival is Oct 16 in Darien featuring Burger, Shakes and Fries, Heights Pizza and Upper Crust Bagels.
A bake sale fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society CT Chapter on behalf of Breast Cancer Awareness month on Oct 20 at 535 Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk CT.
You'll have to look to Stamford for the nearest Cosi, the Darien Cosi location on the Post Road is apparently now closed.
....and beyond.
Photo of kids: c/o Mike Von Wahlde, mvwstudio.comRecently, a CTbites reader, Mike Von Wahlde, commented on our Beach Picnic Shoutout, posting this hilarious and informative rant/recipe extolling the pros and cons of the Classic New England Crab Boil. It was too good not to repost, and with the summer winding down, why not celebrate our last days of outdoor cooking with this quintessential culinary experience?
Nothing says “I live in the North East” like mollusks and crustaceans swimming in a boiling pot in the yard or on the beach. The classic New England boil is the best thing going for large group gatherings if your picnic area allows for propane. You say "Of course, they're great, but..."
But what? Why you gotta be so afraid of everything? Let's look at the pros and cons.
Seafood 
My favorite culinary moment this week? That’s easy.
I got to savor (read: inhale) this year’s inaugural lobster roll at Flanders Fish Market in East Lyme, CT. It’s served simply at Flanders, warm with a bit of butter and scallions with a toasted hot dog roll. I love the DIY of the take-out lobster roll here because it means I can ignore the superfluous and focus on the main star. And that would be the glistening warm and buttery lobster.
A lengthy road trip, warm salty sea air and a toasted hot dog bun are essential components to the perfect lobster role, but that’s just my preference. I don’t know if subsequent trips will taste or feel quite as good as this one, but that’s okay. This one will stay with me all summer.
Flanders Fish Market 22 Chesterfield Road, East Lyme 860.739.8866
It's summer, and most of like to cook outdoors in these hot months. If fish is what you crave, but you don't feel like cleaning up a messy grill, we've got a great solution. Why not pouch it? As the spokesperson for Norwegian Salmon, Chef Nicole is constantly inventing new preparations for this healthy and delicious seafood favorite. Today she has paired an aromatic pouch technique with a wonderful White Bean & Fig Salad. It couldn't be easier to prepare, and is amazingly nutritious.
You can find more salmon solutions on her blog at http://blog.salmoninseconds.com.
Greek Grilled Salmon With White Bean & Fig Salad
Ask Chef Nicole, Chef Talk, Recipe, Seafood 