Food Highlights from The Greenwich Wine + Food Festival

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What a great day at the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by Serendipity Magazine wondering around the grounds, sampling food and wine from 100 different restaurants and wine shops, chatting with chefs, owners and fellow food lovers and listening to the chef interviews in our CTbites’ Blogger Lounge. Fairfield County chefs were well represented and each did our little neck of the culinary world proud. It is impossible to go through each of their offerings but several deserve individual shout outs. [VIEW MY PHOTO GALLERY HERE] In alphabetical order:

- Cava/Harvest/Scena/Bar 55 – Four chefs were led by Chef Nube Rivera of Cava presented three great dishes including a shredded Brussels sprouts and Parmesan cheese sitting atop a risotto cake, and two tartars, one tuna over a dollop of guacamole and a simple steak tartare. The sprout / cheese combination was delicious with the risotto cake and the two tartares were excellent.

- Fortuna – Many of the people I spoke with thought the candied butternut squash over Burrata and finished with a drizzle of Vino Cotto atop a baguette slice was the hit of the day. The candied squash cubes were delightful and the Burrata added creamy decadence to the dish and then the earthy-sweet Vino Cotto elevated all of the flavors.

- Ginger Man – Ginger Man’s Ahi flatbread was delightful. A simple baked flatbread was topped with slices of raw Ahi and finished with bi-colored sesame seeds to add textural contrast. This was a refreshing offering.

- Harlan Social – On the other end of the palate spectrum was the rich and earthy flavors of Chef Steve Lewandowski’s short rib pierogi. The deep flavored short rib mixture was further enhanced by rich beef sauce. Similar to the restaurant menu, the combinations delivered a very wide range of flavors.

- Napa & Co. – Chef Adam Truelove’s newest interpretation of this Napa classic adds a sweet element to the exterior with the addition of a fig jam. The sweetness worked well with the deep interior flavors and the crispy on the exterior was a balance to the light and soft interior.

- Oak & Almond – At the CTbites’ Blogger Tent Celebrity Chef Michael Psilakis described Chef Jeff Taibe’s Cubana sandwich best…“There’s some dude back there deep frying head cheese and making a Cuban sandwich. That’s where cooking is today.” This combination of crispy head cheese, country ham, house pickle, cheddar and spicy mustard on a roll was delicious. It was full of flavors and textures…this was one great sandwich.   

- Parallel Post - Chef Ali Goss created a delightful apple and pumpkin ravioli. Taking advantage of the current fall flavors, this dish perfectly paired the sweetness of the filling with a simple brown butter sauce.

- Spread – Since opening almost a year ago, the beef tongue with truffle, and arugula on a baguette has been a rich and delightful appetizer. Chef Carlos Baez’s presentation was delicious.

Each of these were fantastic and were my favorite offerings by the CT chefs. Many of these choices can be seen in our photo gallery.