Back in 2015, a few Yale students, including chef and culinary director Lucas Sin, got together and opened Junzi Kitchen in New Haven. The small counter-serve spot dishes out traditional Northern Chinese cuisine, specializing in bings (flour-pressed wraps) and noodles.
Since its creation, Junzi Kitchen has expanded to New York City, with one currently at Colombia University and a second to open on Bleecker Street this spring.
The New Haven location is bright and welcoming. It has an organic feel with its white brick walls, light wood accents, and lush greenery dangling from the ceiling. On one wall, there is a small display of featured artwork, including ceramics made by the China-based artist Junty.
To commemorate its 80th year, Carbone’s Ristorante in Hartford is serving a Roman Dinner on weekdays from April 2 through June 29. A menu previously reserved for very special occasions –– the Roman Dinner is a 7-course chef tasting menu, including specialty wine to pair and a small gift to take home. True to Carbone’s tradition, certain courses will be prepared and served tableside.
From fig bruschetta with prosciutto di parma and housemade ricotta to grilled diver scallops with shrimp, pepper-crusted petite filet with dolce gorgonzola, and a few of the classics––these courses are sure to impress. The entire experience is $65, or $80 with wine pairings. Reservations are recommended.
There is nothing quite like a fluffy, American-style pancake topped with butter and drizzled with real maple syrup. These breakfast-focused and all-day eateries offer both classic flavors and tasty twists on pancakes perfect for a filling meal to start the day. The CTBites staff have weighed in and we’ve stacked together our favorite pancakes throughout the state of Connecticut.
If you have a favorite pancake spot that is not on our list tell us all about it below.
Anaya Sushi & Ramen has been serving its hungry New Haven crowds (and Yale students) since it opened back in 2015. CTBites.com reported on the venue when it was just three-months-old, highlighting its all-you-can-eat sushi and touching on its soon-to-come late-night ramen house.
Now, two years later, this venue has become a staple in the restaurant community. With its substantial all-day sushi menu (and after-hours ramen delights), casual vibe, and friendly service, owner Soraya Kaoroptham (who is also the mastermind behind Noodle House) and her team seem to have gotten it right.
Exciting news from Chef Brian Lewis and his entire team. Chef Lewis' new Japanese concept OKO will be opening soon
From Lewis: “I have been really inspired by Japanese cooking techniques, culture and ingredients for a very long time, studying and layering Japanese influences into my cooking for many years, but it was the introduction of the Okonomiyaki at The Cottage that was my real ‘a-ha’” moment in defining the direction for my next restaurant.
Introducing the Okonomiyaki, a savory, Japanese pancake filled with seasonally-inspired ingredients, was a whimsical addition to our menu - Japanese street food with some rarefied touches. Our guests absolutely loved this dish and it quickly became a Cottage favorite, which will likely stay on the menu as a Cottage Classic.
Even though snow’s been in the forecast, spring is actually on its way and Easter is right around the corner! Connecticut restaurants are celebrating the occasion with prix fixe menus, traditional dishes, brunches, buffets, and more. Click here to see all of the egg-cellent options… and don’t forget to reserve ASAP so some-bunny doesn’t beat you to it!
Hub and Spoke, Bridgeport: On Wednesday March 28, get into the Easter spirit at Hub & Spoke in Bridgeport. The Easter bunny will make an appearance for dinner at 4pm.
Homestead Inn, Greenwich: Dine on a 3 course Easter prix fixe menu at The Homestead in for $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
Harbor Lights, Norwalk: Harbor Lights in Norwalk will have a three course prix fixe Easter Dinner for $49 per person, plus tax, gratuity, and drinks.
Anthony’s Ocean View, New Haven: At Anthony's Ocean View, enjoy Easter brunch with seatings at 10:30am, 11am, 1pm, and 1:30pm or come for supper at 3:30pm or 4pm. Choose from a meal in the dining room or reserve a private family suite.
Madison Beach Hotel, Madison: The Wharf at The Madison Beach Hotel will serve Easter brunch from 10:30am-3:30pm. They'll have salads, breads and pastries, omelet and carving stations, entrees, house made desserts, and more. It is $54 per adult, $20 for children 6-12, and free for kids under 6.
Throw me into the mix of longtime Norwalkers who were shocked and saddened when the iconic Swanky Franks abruptly closed less than a year ago. What’s done is done. I’ve come to grips with the notion that I’ll be forever sour that I can’t order a ripper with chili and a pile of fresh cut fries heavily drizzled with ketchup. I grew up eating there so I’m entitled to hold onto that nostalgia. That doesn’t mean I won’t support what’s there now.
About six months after Swanky’s called it quits, a banner appeared on the front of the building. It advertised a new roadside joint called No Leftovers featuring Jamaican food. When No Leftovers opened at the start of 2018, I noticed the parking lot was usually full, or close to it, multiple times throughout the day. That’s a good sign. And seeing how I really like jerk chicken, I knew had to check it out.
Corned beef! Guinness! Carbombs! Let’s be honest, March 17 is as much about the delicious food and drinks as it as about St. Patrick. Connecticut restaurants, bars, and venues will be serving up plenty of Irish-themed specials in honor of the holiday. Get out your green, and head to these 50+ spots!
Tigin Irish Pub, Stamford: Tigin is always St. Patrick's Day headquarters, and this year they are shutting down the area behind the pub for a giant block party! There will be live bands, outdoor bars, Guinness, and Irish whiskey. less
BJ Ryan’s, Norwalk: St. Patrick's Day is a weekend long affair at BJ Ryan's in Norwalk. On Saturday March 17 they'll serve up corned beef and a full Irish menu. On Sunday they'll host a recovery brunch until 3pm.
New England Cider Company, Wallingford: On March 17 from 10am-12pm, partake in a St. Patrick's Day Brunch at New England Cider Co. The meal will showcase barrel-aged and cask ciders alongside Irish classics like Shepherd's pie, Irish sausage, cabbage, potatoes, 12 hour smoked corned beef, and more.
O’Neill’s, South Norwalk: O'Neill's in Norwalk always puts on an epic St. Patty's Day bash. This year, they promise an Irish breakfast, drinks, Irish dancers, bag pipers, and live music all day.
Food, like any other aspect of human culture, has its landmarks. Local touchstones, the food you grew up with can be felt from great distances away, even by people who didn't grow up nearby. Ask just about anyone across the world what constitutes American food and chances are "hamburger" will be in their top two answers. The burger's invention at Louis Lunch in New Haven is well known and, regionally, so is Danny's Drive-In in Stratford. This is why a "For Sale" sign on the building has met with such concern - it's only been seen twice before in 83 years.
When Breno Donatti took over the almost century-old Winfield Street Italian Deli back in 2015, one of his goals was to infuse some new school life into the menu while upholding some of the delis traditional recipes and values. What Donatti has excelled at since opening is using his background in fine dining as both an owner and a general manager to improve the business. He uses fresh, local ingredients from nearby farms whenever possible. He and his cooks have tinkered with recipes of deli classics, so you know after your first bite, that you’re not eating a bland, ordinary sandwich.
New Haven pizza icon, Sally’s Apizza, reopened this week. Leeanne Griffin of The Hartford Courant reports on the re-opening...
In its 80th year, Sally’s Apizza, a New Haven icon since 1938, is heading into a new chapter in its history. The Wooster Street pizzeria reopened Wednesday under new ownership after being closed several weeks for transition.
Connecticut Magazine's Mike Wollschlager reports on a new Italian find in Milford.
You don’t have to be Italian to truly appreciate an authentic Italian meal. Conchi and Vicente Contreras, natives of Ecuador and owners of Rustica Ristorante, are proof positive you don’t have to be Italian to prepare one, either. The wife-and-husband, do-it-all duo behind the successful restaurant in Chester opened a second Rustica location last October on Boston Post Road in Milford.
“Fresh ingredients bursting with flavor” is a description that can apply to anything on the menu, which is meticulously planned and executed. The selections change with the seasons, but when a dish proves to be a major hit with customers, it will stay.
Vicente and Conchi came to the U.S. in the mid-’90s and began working at Paci Restaurant, which at the time was a new eatery at the Southport train station. Paci was their entry into Italian cuisine. It was also their education. “I worked all the positions in the restaurant,” Vicente says.
If you hear anyone mention Flinders Lane in Stamford, it’s not a street they’re talking about, it’s a restaurant. More specifically, it’s an Australian-influenced restaurant. If you’re as bewildered as I was when I found out this type of cuisine had arrived in Downtown Stamford—and as curious too—keep reading.
I sought out more info. The common-sense thing to-do was to check out Flinders Lanes’ website, where “Modern Australian” is described as “We take inspiration from the cuisines of nearby Southeast Asia and subtle influence from the food of British settlers mixed with that of Greek and Italian immigrants.” I still found myself scratching my head, wondering if this was accurate. I have a few Australian friends so I fact checked with them and both said that this sounded right, and one added, “We don’t have much ‘real’ Aussie food. Meat pies and tomato sauce, maybe.”
Up until recently, prime rib had all but vanished from restaurants. It remained on menus at less-than-trendy eateries or it was offered at others as a one-day-per-week special, but it never quite reached levels of steak extinction. If you’ve glanced at dinner menus lately—yes, even at hotspot restaurants—there’s a chance you’ve noticed that this beefy blue-plate special has reemerged!
If you’re a prime rib superfan, or if you salivate at the thought of a hearty slice of standing rib roast, Hoodoo Brown BBQ should be on your “Thursday Night Plans” list. Being a BBQ joint, they’re doing what you might imagine they’re doing with prime rib…they’re smoking whole 14 lb. roasts and serving them up until it’s all gone.
There are a lot of good reasons to head to Hartford. I’m particularly love with the collection at the Wadworth Atheneum Museum of Art and its former director’s hoax-house mansion—two of the many things to do in Connecticut’s capital city where you can visit the home of quirky American satirist, Mark Twain.
No less unusual but equally inspiring is Chango Rosa a pan-Latin fusion restaurant in downtown Hartford situated within walking distance of State Capital Park across from Union Station.
Featuring an eclectic pan-Latin inspired menu and vibrant, fun décor Chango Rosa is less about authentic Latin foods and more about creatively using Latin ingredients and cooking methods as inspiration.
“We want our cooks to be cooks and our mixologists to be mixologists. We want them to explore their creativity first,” says David Gilmore, Chango Rosa’s Executive Chef, formerly of Infinity Bistro. “For me that’s about experimenting and finding unique ways to get the best out of the ingredients and flavors.”
A short while back, fellow CTbites writer James Gribbon sent me a text. He asked, “Where’s a good place to get breakfast in SoNo?” I replied with, “There aren’t many. SoNo Baking Company and SoNo Harbor Café. That’s probably it.”
Unless it’s a weekend and restaurants are serving brunch, breakfast in South Norwalk is scarce. I’m not talking wheat grass juice or a pastry at one of the Latin places on South Main Street, when I say “BREAKFAST” I mean eggs, pancakes, and bacon. I want a sit-down place where I can get wired on quality coffee and clean up maple syrup drizzles with that last chunk of sausage.
Chef Tyler Anderson is excited to announce that he has reached an agreement to operate all food and beverage at the historic Goodwin Hotel in Hartford, CT. In a partnership with the hotel’s owners Charles Mallory and Randy Salvatore, Tyler and his team will create a program that works alongside the major redevelopment of the hotel. Charles and Randy have created something very special in the city of Hartford and this team intends to bring something special as well.
Like its sister restaurantsSHU in West Hartford and Fairfield, Chef Xinyu Huang HAN is a study in authentic Chinese cuisine, this time focusing on Huo Guo—hot pot—a popular eating experience throughout China.
For the uninitiated—as I was before visiting HAN—hot pot is a method of table-side cooking best described as Chinese-style “fondue” in which meats, vegetables, seafood and even eggs are poached in well-flavored broths before eating. Unlike fondue, which simply coats bread or fruit in cheese or chocolate respectively, diners actually cook their food in the hot pot.
We are excited to announce that Community Table Restaurant and Bar will be reopening this spring. We don’t have an exact date yet but, we are hoping to open our doors before Memorial Day and work out any ‘kinks’ before the busy season kicks in.
We have spent the past months contemplating what direction Ct should go in next. We turned to Adam Riess, a Washington native and restaurant consultant, to help us define our goals and offer us options. Though many interesting ideas were discussed, hearing from so many of you who simply wanted Ct to come back the way it was, eventually swayed us to move in that direction.
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! If you’re looking to treat your loved one to a romantic dinner for two, Connecticut restaurants are serving up decadent prix fixe meals, love-inspired a la carte menus, and other sexy specials. If you and your significant other prefer an alternative to wining and dining, there are also couples cooking classes and catering options if you want to enjoy the evening at home. Here are 85+ Valentine's Day Dining spots for that special day.
Homestead Inn, Greenwich:Thomas Henkelmann's famous French cuisine will be featured on the Valentine's Day menu at the Homestead Inn. The prix fixe menu costs $85, plus beverages, tax, and gratuity.
elm, New Canaan: At elm in New Canaan, enjoy 5 courses for $55 on February 14.
Red Bee Apiary, Weston: On Sunday February 11, visit Red Bee Apiary in Weston for a honey tasting paired with cheese and chocolate. Plus, sip champagne and honey wine.
Millwrights, Simsbury: Millwright's Restaurant & Tavern is celebrating Valentine's Day with prix-fixe menus all week! Join them on Tuesday February 13 and Sunday February 18 for a 4 course meal for $69 per person. On Wednesday February 14-Saturday February 17, it will be $79 per person
Anthony’s Ocean View, New Haven: Anthony's Ocean View invites you to start the Valentine's festivities early, on Saturday February 10, with an evening with an open bar, passed bites, dinner, and a DJ for $79.95 per person, plux tax and gratuity.
Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen: Sunset Meadow Vineyards will offer TWO Types of Wine and Chocolate pairings at Sunset Meadow Vineyards from 11m-4pm on Valentine's Day, February 14.
Terrain Garden Cafe, Westport: One day before Valentine's Day, on Tuesday February 13, join Terrain Chef Jessica Bengtson and Carissa Dellicicchi from The Stand Juice Company for a three-course Valentine’s Day dinner in the Garden Cafe in Westport, CT. You’ll enjoy a full menu of vegan dishes, from hors d’oeuvres to dessert, plus a signature cocktail and wine pairings.
