Spring Workshops at Millstone Farm

This just in from The Fairfield Green Food Guide: Millstone Farm's spring workshops series has been announced. These events range from Pig Carving 101 with Chef Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse to Raising Backyard Chickens with Millstone’s Master Farmer, Annie Farrell. You'll want to check these out. 

Pig Carving 101

Saturday, March 17: 12pm – 2pm

Tim LaBant, Chef and owner of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale Restaurant provides a comprehensive how-to on carving a full pig. We’ll also discuss benefits of the different cuts of meat, and how best to prep and cook them.

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Cactus Rose Cantina -- Santa Fe Meets Wilton

“What’s a nice Greek girl like you doing running a place like this?” I ask Maria Pertesis, who with her mother Katrina, has just opened Cactus Rose, a vibrant new Southwestern themed cantina in Wilton.    “My family has owned a Greek diner in Fairfield for almost 40 years,” she offers. “So my mother and I wanted to try something new and exciting.”  

And that’s exactly what these amazing women have wrought.  Under their husbandry, the former Mediterranean Grill in the Wilton Center has blossomed into a fun-filled, warm, and welcoming hacienda. Indeed, the restaurant came up almost overnight, as if itself a desert flower.

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The Schoolhouse Restaurant @ Wilton's Millstone Farm

On a perfectly clear and balmy night last week, 60 diners gathered at Millstone Farm, Wilton, to dine alfresco in the field adjacent to  Betsy and Jesse Fink’s farm house . Tim LaBant, Chef and owner of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale Restaurant,  was focused and in good humor as he checked last minute details and greeted familiar faces. Enthusiastic attendees sauntered down the hill towards one very long, white draped table dotted with glowing candles and jam jars filled with brightly colored  flowers from the fields.   

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Babycat Milkbar Opens in Wilton

With a cup of iced Ruby Slippers tea in hand, I made my way through Babycat Milkbar, Fairfield County's latest pop up shop and cafe in Wilton.   

The brainchild of Jeena Choi, Babycat Milkbar is a temporary shop designed as a gathering space and small retail hub for coffee, tea and often hard-to-find locally sourced treats. The shop's items include the owners own brand of tea, Mamacat’s Q. Tea and others we know and love such as Cake Box in Ridgefield, SoNo Baking Company in Norwalk, Red Bee Apiary in Weston, Zumbach's Gourmet Coffee in New Canaan as well as other local artisans, photographers and crafters. 

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Sunset Picnic on the Hill @ Ambler Farm in Wilton

Enjoy a bit of the Berkshires in our own backyard at the "Sunset Picnic on the Hill" @ Ambler Farm. Spread out your picnic blanket on the hill a la Tanglewood or join your friends under the tent for farm-fresh fare and live music as the sun sets over Ambler Farm. 

The evening will kick off with a champagne greeting complemented by local artisanal food prepared by A Delicious Affair and homemade desserts. Celebrate our local harvest with the tasty menu below. 

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Ten China Bistro in Wilton: 10 For 10

Why TEN? The new TEN China Bistro in Wilton had a lot to live up to, giving itself a number like that. We would be the ones to decide if TEN was indeed an appropriate rating. We were diners on a mission. Chef/Owner Eric Xie would have a lot of "splainin" to do if the food at TEN ended up as anything less. There was only one way to find out...EAT! So eat we did. There are many reasons to try this new Asian fusion restaurant, (in the same plaza as SOUP ALLEY). Would we give it a 10? Well, here's the verdict:

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Fairfield County's Top 10 Spots for Valentine's Dinner

Looking for that perfect restaurant to woo your significant other this Valentine's Day? Try one of these great romantic spots in Fairfield County, CT. 

Schoolhouse - Wilton This quaint renovated schoolhouse is the quintessential special occasion spot (if you can get a reservation). Local ingredients and nuanced flavors highlight this menu.  

Paci - Southport Nestled in the Southport train station, Paci's unique interior combines a renovated freight depot with urban modern chic. This Southport favorite has been serving some of the best Italian fare in FC since 1996. 

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The Schoolhouse At Cannondale: A Wilton Gem

The Schoolhouse at Cannondale was built  just after the Civil War, in 1872  and has been owned and operated by Chef Tim LaBant, a native of Wilton, since 2006.  The setting of this authentic one room schoolhouse along the banks of the rushing Norwalk River, makes for an unusual destination dining experience.  The deep chocolate hue on the walls, the comfortably upholstered banquet seating that runs under the windows that frame the river just outside, the simple decor accented by 4-5 framed photos of classes of students and teachers from over 100 years ago, sets the tone.  This quintessential New England scene is authentic, inviting and superb.

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Chef Talk: The Schoolhouse Serves Apple Tart Tatin

If you have dined at The Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton, you have experienced the sense of wonder at the magnificent dishes that emerge from Chef LaBant's kitchen. The ingredients are pristinely fresh, locally farmed, and beautifully prepared. An evening there is an experience and a treat.

There are so many recipes I have wanted to take home with me from The Schoolhouse, and for that reason this is just the first in a delicious series.

Enjoy this gorgeous Apple Tart Tatin...It will take you right back to the bakeries of Paris.

The Schoolhouse: Apple Tart Tatin 

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Bon Appetit Cafe: Wilton’s Petit Star

For as long as I can remember, Roget Martin presided over Voila! in Fairfield, a jam-packed French bistro housed in a homey, red shingled building across from the Town Green. Then, one day, Voila! had disappeared and, in it’s place stood the very fine Osianna, an upscale Mediterranean newcomer and a worthy replacement. 

Still, I wondered what had happened to the affable and ruddy-cheeked Roget, who, as maître d’, had lovingly presided over Voila!, sharing jokes and stories and dispensing large pours of Beaujolais to throngs of happy repeat diners. 

Imagine my surprise when a friend introduced me to Bon Appétit Café, a charming yet unassuming French café, tucked into the Stop and Shop plaza in the heart of Wilton. Though Roget was nowhere in sight when I entered, his fingerprints were all over the place. Though the décor and vibe were night and day from Voila! to Bon Appetit, the food and service were a dead giveaway.  

Whereas Voila! was known for its rollicking Saturday night scene and standing-only room crowds, Bon Appetit is first and foremost a casual neighborhood lunch and dinner spot, popular for both dining in and takeout.  

Ladies who lunch have put it on the map

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What The Heck Is A CSA? Ambler Farms Event Tells All

Community Supported Agriculture, also known as CSA, has been around for nearly a quarter century (even longer in Europe). However, thanks to growing demand for healthy local food and support for sustainable farming practices, it has never enjoyed as much popularity as it does today. 

For those unfamiliar with CSA, here are the basics: "a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season." - Localharvest.org

On January 11th, from 7-9 Ambler Farm in Wilton, CT, is presenting a CSA information program, featuring three CSA farmers talking about their challenges, their successes and their visions for the future. More information about the event -- and access to the required registration tool -- is available on the Ambler Farm website.

The three speakers are Paul Bucciaglia of Fort Hill Farm in New Milford; Dina Brewster of The Hickories in Ridgefield; and Patricia Popp of Sport Hill Farm in Easton. The event is free of charge for Ambler Farm members, $5 for all others. Contact Neil Gluckin with inquiries at ngluckin@gmail.com.

Ambler Farm 257 Hurlbutt Street Wilton

Chop Chop to the Village Luncheonette in Wilton

Those in the know have raved about “that salad” at the Village Luncheonette in Wilton center.  After trying it, I’m hooked; I will go as far as to say that it easily rivals the oft praised Kitsa Pella Salad at Jordan’s that a fellow contributor wrote so eloquently and adoringly about a few months ago.

The Fresh Salad is the Luncheonette’s version of a Greek-style salad piled onto pita bread.  What makes it unique is that it comes really chopped (I find that a lot of eateries claim a “chopped” salad, but the chopping step seems to have been missed).  Crispy lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers…all perfectly chopped, dressed with the right amount of zesty vinaigrette and loads of tasty feta, heaped onto home-baked thick pita with a side of garlicky tzatziki.  Can it get any better than this?  Yes!  I chose the Gyro meat from a selection of toppings, which was a savory and delicious complement to this perfect salad.  My friend, who always orders hers sans topping, finds that her biggest challenge in digging into this salad is “what to eat first, it’s all so good?!”

In addition to the legendary Fresh Salad, the Village Luncheonette offers other well-priced diner fare and pizza, fast service and a super kid-friendly vibe.  

Lunch anyone?

Village Luncheonette & Pizza 88 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton.  203.762.5883

A Better Bread: Wave Hill Breads in Wilton

My first experience with Wave Hill Breads was at The Dressing Room in Westport. Ordinarily, when the "bread course" arrives, I sample but only pick as I like to save my appetite for the main event. That evening, however, when the waiter strolled to the table, the smell of freshly baked bread immediately altered the dining plan. It was warm to the touch, had a strong crunchy crust, and the kind of dense spongy inside that has great mouthfeel. It required no spread. It was perfect all by itself... although the sweet creamy butter slathered on sure didn't hurt. When asked where this resplendent loaf had whence come, they answered Wave Hill Breads.

Googling Wave Hill Breads from the restaurant, I found to my great excitement, that these lovely loaves were made locally in Wilton, in a small bakery right off Route 7. I was there the following day. I had to find out more.

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