Embody Fitness Gourmet in Westport: Fitness Inspired Functional Food

When I first walked into Embody Fitness Gourmet after it opened last September, it was a hot sticky day, the kind that melts the asphalt in the road. I could barely breathe and was in the midst of my usual daily stress. My car had almost died and the AC was acting quirky so I rolled into the parking lot off Riverside Ave across from the gas station. I ordered a GT Surge, a blend of crushed ice, green tea, freshly pressed lemon and agave nectar accented with fresh mint. Suddenly, my mind drifted off as the cool mojito-like flavors hit my tongue. I was transported to some palm-tree beach far away. Now, that the days of hot sunshine are long gone, I pull over and grab a homemade bean and kale soup as well as another GT Surge, if only to return to the summer in my mind. It seems these days, after much bad news and crazy weather, I need to escape often. 

Click to read more ...

Knipschildt & Red Bee: Chocolate & Honey Tasting Event

Fritz Knipschildt of House of Knipschildt/Chocopologie and Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey are teaming up for a very unique evening of tasting and pairings. Marina and Fritz will present tasting flights partnering Artisan Chocolate & Single-Origin Honey at Chocopologie's SoNo location. Sweet! This event includes hors d’oeuvres & Cava, in addition to the tasting flights seen below. 

Tasting Flights Include:

• Farmhouse Honeycomb Enrobed in 96% Dark Chocolate
• Orange Blossom Honey Drizzled Over Cocoa Nib Brittle
• Buckwheat Honey Ganache Truffles 
• Red Currant Honey Drizzled Over a Raspberry and Pink Peppercorn Bonbon
• Goldenrod Honey and 71% Ecuadorian Single Bean Dark Chocolate Fondue 
• Creamed Honey Spread Over Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread

Click to read more ...

Tutto Pasta in Fairfield: Fresh Pasta & More Made Daily

When Harry’s Liquor Store and the Fairfield Cheese Shop decided to tear down the wall they shared between them, customers could wander back and forth, tasting wine and snacking on crackers and cheese.  It was the perfect symbiosis of oenophiles and cheesemongers. It couldn’t get any better. But yeah. It could. And it did.

Brothers David and Andrew Tavolacci, who sold fresh pasta and sauces at their little and much- loved store in Georgetown, made a smart decision to move to Fairfield and share the parking lot with Harry’s. Now we can shop for the trifecta of food – wine, cheese, and pasta – without re-parking the car.

Tutto’s is where you go to purchase fresh pasta and home-made sauces, Wave Hill Bread, pesto, soups, and a variety of specialty foods.

Click to read more ...

DAVIDsTEA Opens in Westport

On the twelfth night of Christmas, my true love brewed for me,” 1 buddha’s blend, 2 matcha matsu, 3 long life oolong, 4 la la lemon, 5 chocolate orange...and so the song goes. New to Main Street in downtown Westport, just in time for the holidays, is DAVIDsTEA, a Canadian company started by two cousins who wanted to introduce the masses to the ancient world of loose leaf tea in a fun, modern environment. Initially successful in Canada with over 80 stores, the cousins decided to set up shop in the U.S. with Westport following the likes of NYC, Chicago and San Francisco.

Click to read more ...

Pagano's Seafood in Norwalk: Restaurant & Insiders Shop Here

When a recipe called for whole uncleaned squid, I knew that the ingredient would be difficult to find.  However, I did not expect it to be impossible.  After 4 grocery stores, 4 markets, 6 restaurants, multiple phone calls and exactly 0 success, I began to think otherwise. Fortunately, a friend with ties to the food industry gave me a little tip as I was about to surrender: Pagano’s Seafood in Norwalk.  Sure enough, they had plenty of whole squid for purchase.  I started on my recipe within the hour.

It turns out that Pagano’s is greatly respected in both the restaurant community.  They provide fish to some of the area’s most popular dining destinations including The Homestead Inn, Quattro Pazi, Napa and Company, Barcelona, Match, The Spotted Horse, and Bartaco.  They even serve restaurants and markets in Massachusetts and New York.  When I asked Allen Pagano, a founder and owner, why Pagano’s was so sought after, he chuckled and responded simply, “Because we’re the best.”

Click to read more ...

SoNo Market Place Opens December 1st in Norwalk

A week prior to the official opening on Saturday December 1^st, SoNo Market Place decided to sponsor a soft opening on November 23^rd and I decided that tasting some good local food was a whole lot better than fighting the crowds at the mall.

All of the food purveyors were in full test-mode and my first stop was Flat White Coffee to taste the coffee described to CTbites by owner, John Palino, back in September. This was a creamy blend of rich coffee and steamed milk, a brand brought over from New Zealand, and one that should meet with great success in CT. 

But it's not just about coffee at SoNo Market Place. With over 20 food vendors and eateries, this European style market is poised to be a foodie destination. Guests lined up at Wise Guys Pizza for New Haven style pies; Norm Bloom served up fresh oysters and clams straight from the Norwalk waters, and Fish & Chips were on the menu from Gotta Nibble.  Caterering company, Festivities, has a permananet spot here with their take-out biz, "Party Express." Local specialty purveyors and well known brands such as Knipschildt Chocolatier, Wave Hill Breads, and Nothin' But Granola have also opened shop at the market. 

Click to read more ...

The Pantry in Fairfield: Market & Catering for Food-Lovers (sponsored post)

You won't believe what's in our PANTRY! Located at 1580 Post Road in Fairfield, Ct, The Pantry is much more than a food shop - it is Mecca for foodies as well as a one-stop-shop for busy consumers. Established in 2003 through the collaborative effort of chefs & food lovers, The Pantry has blossomed into a bustling marketplace stocked with an array of products and services for today's savvy clientele.  What have they got? Top quality butchered meats & seafood (delivered daily from various New York markets), award winning desserts and pastries (the bakery has received "Best Desserts in Fairfield County" from Fairfield Weekly for 9 consecutive years), restaurant quality prepared foods & catering services, a full deli and salad bar, groceries, produce and floral & customized gift baskets. Whether you are looking for a freshly tossed salad,  pan seared salmon with citrus, basil & olive oil or a chocolate chip cookie - The Pantry is the place to shop. This Pantry is stocked!!

Click to read more ...

Cinch Gourmet Meal Market & Cooking Classes

Years ago, around the time The Brady Bunch was infiltrating almost every T.V. set in America, it was unlikely that your mom would have picked up dinner in lieu of cooking a homemade meal.  While it’s true that familiar words in your household at the time may have included Wendy’s, Burger King and Arby’s, you weren’t pulling up to the drive-in window to order healthy, gourmet food.  At home it may have been a casserole or a roast while mom always remained neatly coifed, and eating meals at the table as a family were normal.  

Fast - forward 40 years and life is a lot different. In our fast paced world today we often find ourselves in a pinch, pressed for enough time to prepare a well-balanced meal for our disappearing family dinners due to time constraints.  Enter Cinch, Fairfield’s newest “Gourmet Food Market.”  A market where you shop for high quality meals that you just heat and serve in your own home.  “Eat your heart out Carol Brady, let me tell you a little bit about the life of a 21^st century family on the go.” 

Click to read more ...

Food News: Openings, Parties, Election Day & Wine

Half Full brewery in Stamford will host a Halloween party this Saturday, starting at 7p.m. For $50, you'll get open taps of Half Full Bright Ale, InaugerALE, IPA and Pumpkin Ale, Oktoberfest inspired food and Pumpkin Ale floats, via Station Eats, and a costume contest. Half Full recommends taking a cab to this one. 

Feeling stressed about Election Day? Fairway Market in Stamford has a solution. Eat cupcakes.. Go Donkey or Elephant - for $1.49 each - celebrate or sob into your sweets.  

The Spread opens TODAY in SoNo with Executive Chef Arik Bensimon. Don't miss out on this hipster scene and spectacular menu. More here. 

Looking for a good brunch spot? Bar Sugo, Chef Pat Pascarella's new killer Italian venue in Norwalk, is serving a regional Italian brunch Saturday and Sunday with rotating menu items including: Crispy Pork Belly w/ Sunny Side Up Eggs, Sausage & Broccoli Rabe omelettes, pancakes, and all the usual suspects. View menu here. 

Click to read more ...

Walter Stewart's Market Fall Shopping Guide (sponsored post)

Fall is here and Walter Stewart's Market, a fixture in downtown New Canaan since 1907, is celebrating the season with great products for your whole family. For those who haven’t shopped this local gem, take a a trip down the aisles of Walter Stewart’s Market, where you’ll find an amazing array of local, seasonal and specialty items...not to mention the Stewart’s wine shop.  Finally one stop shopping. 

How better to enjoy in these crisp Fall months, than with local apple and apple cider from Lyman Orchards in Middlefield CT or the exceptionally delicious Cider donuts from Blue Jay Orchards in Bethel. 

Click to read more ...