The new Cask Republic in Stamford is hosting their first ever beer dinner on May 6th, and we hear it's going to be pretty epic. Cask has invited all 5 of their head chef's from Cask Republic and Ginger Man to lead the evening's culinary journey. Each will throw down a dish of their choice to be paired with a hand picked Cask Ale from Blue Point Brewery. Casks in contention will be selected at this weekend's Blue Point Brewery Cask Festival.
Welcome to the neighborhood Cask. We're glad you're here. Details are below:
On Monday April 7, Barcelona Fairfield presents “Light & Delicious Spring Tapas.” If you would like to add tasty yet light items to your spring menu, this is the class for you. Join Chef Helton and learn how to make chorizo & figs, and early spring vegetable dishes. $35 pp + tax and gratuity. For reservations, call the restaurant at 203.255-0800
Tuesday April 8, Geronimo’s in Fairfield presents a special tasting of Herradura tequila to benefit Operation Hope. The fun starts at 7pm. Details here.
Learn about "E. Guigal Wines of Rhone Valley, France” on Wednesday April 9th. The event takes place from 7-9pm at Harry's on the Post Rd in Fairfield. The Guigal CT Brand Manager, Francois Chaillou, will provide expert guidance and information during this tasting of a top producer of the Rhone Valley. Their wines are the benchmarks for every Rhone appellation, and over the last thirty years they have become arguably one of the most lauded producers in the world. $35 one session
Ten weeks ago, one of our past contributors, Liz Rueven, clicked open an e-mail and read an enticing invitation to join three other food bloggers on a fast and furious journey that has resulted in this collaborative cookbook, “4 Bloggers Dish: Passover, Modern Twists on Traditional Flavors.” With over 60 recipes in six sections, this book has plenty to offer traditionalists, vegetarians, vegans and those with gluten-free restrictions. In addition to a wide range of healthy, re-invented and highly original dishes, we break it down with suggested menus so you won’t schvitz a bit when your vegetarian cousin says she’s celebrating this holiday of freedom at your table.
They are promo’ing the launch with a super reduced price of $1.99.
There's a new chef in the kitchen at Sugar & Olives in Norwalk. You may recognize the name from his years cooking over at Dressing Room in Westport. It's Chef Jon Vaast, and Jennifer Balin, owner of Sugar & Olives, explains her new hire as "An Organic collaboration between two like minded people." Johnny and Balin have been strong advocates for the local and sustainable food movement, and simply put, want to create a menu with delicious food sourced from within an arms reach of the shop. Every ingredient at Sugar & Olives is seasonal, and comes from a farm near the restaurant. Balin says "whenever possible, she selects ingredients that are also Organic."
With Chef Vaast at the helm, Sugar & Olives is excited to announce that in addition to their daily weekday service, and one of the best brunches in Fairfield County,they have begun dinner service Thursday through Saturday.
The first ever 4b Festival had several teething problems, but attendees having fun didn't seem to be one. Well, let me back up a step...
The 4b Festival was a celebration of the bacon, BBQ, beer and bourbon available in Connecticut. Do you like these things? Yes? Then 4b was for you... and you, and you and you, and a lot of other people. Many Americans, let's say most of us, love these alliterative drinks and foodstuffs, and are all about an event which puts them in the same place at the same time. I personally had several B's for the first time at the festival, both food and drink, learned quite a bit, and met some great new people. I also left hungry, and not in a figurative sense.
The inaugural 4b Festival was held at the Old Trolley Barn, a warehouse just off the State Street exit on I-91 in New Haven. Most of the event's parking was several blocks off site (and an extra $5), but it was a sunny day and walking off a few calories before an event like this is for the best, anyway. I walked through the gates just before the fest's second session began at 5:30, and was met with a line of people which would have done the TSA proud. Like I said: people like bacon.
Eleven 14 Kitchen is a beautifully designed restaurant offering deliciously prepared cuisine. Reminiscent of the California culinary experience that accentuate the natural flavors of each of the ingredients, the menu offers meats, fish and poultry in artfully composed presentations.
The stunningly designed and decorated restaurant is located in the J House Hotel in Riverside, Greenwich. The front area contains a U-shaped marble topped bar with leather covered bar stools and several chandeliers cast an inviting light to socialize and drink beers and specialty cocktails. The rear of the space is dedicated to the dining area, with 100 seats plus a new outdoor patio that will be ready for dining al fresco this summer. The ambient lighting is soft from the cloth cover lighting over the rear tables and the entire room is lit from the center chandelier with low lights. The décor is relaxed, and stylish.
Overseeing the kitchen is Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo, a native of the Ivory Coast who spent fifteen years as Wolfgang Puck’s Executive Chef at Spagos Restaurants
Saturday March 29 is a Charter Oak Beer Tasting in Madison, CT. Summer is becoming closer, why not visit the beautiful shoreline town of Madison and enjoy some locally brewed craft beer? Charter Oak will be sampling 1687 Brown Ale, Royal Charter Pale Ale, the newest release, the Wadsworth India Pale Ale. Free event. Call 203-801-5218 for more information. 188 Boston Post Road Madison, Connecticut.
Wednesday April 2 is Bistro B’s Spring Wine Dinner at the Bridgeport location. Menu by Chef Joseph Italiano, 4 course dinner with wine parings. $50.00 per person plus tax and gratuity. For information and reservations, call 203-908-4224 or visit www.bistrob.net.
The new Match has been open for just a handful of dinners, but they’re bringing back a beloved friend… Thursday Burger Night! In case you need a refresher, the burger is 7 ounces of aged, ground, grass-fed beef from Saugatuck Craft Butchery, on a caramelized onion brioche bun, smothered with a bacon-cheese sauce and sweet & sour onion jam. Hungry yet?
Also on Wednesday Muse Paintbar in Hartford will offer “Painting, Wine & Beer, and Good Times!”
If there is any cuisine that is not represented well in Fairfield County, it is Asian, but all of that is about to change. Bill Taibe, Owner of The Whelk and Le Farm, has informed CTbites that he has signed a lease on the old Bistro 88 space in Bridge Square, Saugatuck, and will be opening his 3rd venue by the beginning of summer. What now you ask? Think Asian.
This new venue will take its culinary and design inspiration from the traditional Izakaya Japanese pubs, which offer a casual dining experience, lots of small tapas-sized snacks, and great drinks. "I've wanted to do Asian since I was at Relish," says Taibe. When asked why Asian, Taibe stated, "In all honesty, it's the food that I gravitate towards most often...and we are always looking to challenge ourselves." "Imagine The Whelk...but Asian."The new venue will be a mix of Japanese and Chinese. "It's our own interpretation of Asian cuisine, but will draw from those regions."
Chef Jeffrey Lizotte is the executive chef of Hartford's acclaimed ON20 restaurant and Connecticut’s only nominee for FOOD & WINE’s annual People’s Best New Chef award [you can vote online through March 31 at 5 pm].
A Connecticut native, Lizotte has been executive chef of ON20 since 2012. A graduate of Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, Jeffrey has worked under chefs David Bouley and Eric Ripert, and completed stages in France at the acclaimed La Tupina in Bordeaux, and the two Michelin-starred La Bastide St. Antoine in Grasse, France. In 2009, Lizotte returned to the nutmeg state as Chef de Cuisine at ON20, becoming executive chef in 2012. The same year, he earned a silver medal at the Bocuse D’Or USA and was awarded Valhrona Best Pastry while representing the U.S in the international culinary competition Trophee Passion.
A talented Connecticut chef, CTbites invited Lizotte to participate in our '10 Questions' column to understand what makes him tick as a chef both inside and outside of the kitchen.
If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up?
Pasta Carbonara – everyone likes a good pasta dish. It is simple and one of my favorites.
New Haven Restaurant Week returns Sunday, April 6- Friday, April 11. The 14th installment of the promotion will feature prix fixe menus for lunch ($18) and dinner ($32) at 29 of New Haven's finest restaurants. www.infonewhaven.com/restaurantweek. View a complete list of participating restaurants on Info New Haven or follow NHV Restaurant Week on Facebook.
Co-Founders Nina and Tim Zagat of the indespensible dining guide, the Zagat Survey, will be visiting the Yale School of Management this Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 11:45 am. The event is open only to the Yale community but luckily for us, they will be broadcasting it live.
Zagat has been an essential resource guiding diners on the best places to eat, drink and shop for over three decades using crowd-sourced diner reviews, their own editors, and their well-known 30 point scale.
Photo courtesy of Julie BidwellFull disclosure: I’m crazy about Paris. For many years, when David and I went to Europe we stopped off to visit his college roommate who lived in an elegant apartment near the Eiffel Tower. The 7th Arrondissement has no shortage of fine restaurants and bistros de luxe, but more often than not we would have an apéritif in the apartment before heading off to a lively brasserie or bistro populaire in the Latin Quarter.
I still love French bistros and keep my eye out for new ones in Connecticut. Some are French in name only, but the minute I entered À Vert, a new brasserie in West Hartford, I was in Paris. The zinc bar, the wine list chalked on the mirror. The pressed-tin ceiling, the white tile and exposed-brick walls—authentic, romantic and real, including the warmth and friendliness that define bistro dining in the City of Light.
It’s all good, but food beautiful food is the overriding reason to dine at À Vert. How could it not be? It’s owned by two chefs who in recent years have been making the Connecticut foodie world sit up and take notice: David Borselle at Bar Bouchée in Madison and Dorjan Puka at Treva around the corner in West Hartford.
For CTBites readers, fresh ingredients are key and proper food preservation is the way to maintain them. Three generations ago, Sub-Zero introduced refrigerators and freezers that were the same depth as standard kitchen counters. And they have been improving on the concept ever since. With the exception of those homeowners who love the look of an iconic gleaming stainless steel Sub-Zero refrigerator (and there are many), most people have long wished they could make their refrigerator disappear, while still keeping food preservation close at hand.
If your online research or a visit to your kitchen designer has turned up terms like "integrated" and "overlay" refrigeration, you may be like many homeowners who find this choice confusing. In fact, that is one of the questions most often asked of the consultants at Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom.
The original Sub-Zero Built-in Refrigerator requires a countertop depth of no less than 26-3/16". With a Built-In Sub-Zero, you can help to disguise your refrigerator or freezer by putting a cabinetry panel (overlay) on the face of the refrigerator, freezer or combination. The face of the appliance will blend with your kitchen, but you will still know it is an appliance.
Westport Country Playhouse will host a “2014 Season Kick-off Block Party,” on Saturday, April 12, 4 to 7 p.m., offering a fun, party-like atmosphere with food trucks, games and activities for adults and kids, prizes, special ticket offers, and a look at the Playhouse’s “backstage experience.” Admission is free and open to the public.
Three local food trucks, Skinny Pines Pizza, LobsterCRAFT, and Christophe’s Crepes, will be on site with their specialties available for purchase. Beaver Beer will provide a free tasting of their brews, and Shake Shack will offer complimentary custard.
For more information, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport.
Join us on April 1st @ Little Pub Ridgefield for a New England Brewing Company beer dinner hosted by New England Brewing Company’s partner/head brewer Matt Westfall. The evening will boast a five course beer pairing menu (view full menu below with pairings), a little education, and some general merry making.
Matt Westfall will discuss the flavor profile, ingredients, and brewing process for each beer while also sharing stories about New England Brewing Company’s journey to becoming one of the region’s most respected and beloved craft brewers.
Our own beer expert, James Gribbon will be on hand to answer any questions about his Friday Froth column or beer in general.
Bick's Burgers opened on Friday, March 7 on Ives Street in downtown Danbury. And while I will save the true burger review for our resident expert, Jeff, here is a very early look at what to expect from Fairfield County's newest burger joint from our quick stop on opening day.
The Bick's Burger concept is fairly straightforward–a modern take on burgers, elevated with homemade touches, and delivered with a solid 75/25 burger. The business is a partnership between Chef Michael Bick of SomeThings Fishy Catering, and his entrepreneurial son, Ian Bick.
In a nod to its humble diner roots, Bick's embraces the décor of the 50's drive-in diner. A row of counter seating and stools faces the kitchen's flat top griddle, and a black and white checkered floor and red vinyl booths complete this homage.
There are several homemade touches on the menu. Homemade buns, including brioche, truffle brioche and sesame
Did you celebrate Pizza Week? Our very own executive editor and pizza lover Amy Kundrat breaks down the New Haven apizza scene for Eater.com's #PizzaWeek national initiative. In The Definitive Guide to New Haven Pizza, Amy focused on the parlors we all know and love.
There is pizza, and then there is apizza. New Haven-style pizza is the latter; a hotter, crispier, and dirtier descendant of Neapolitan style pie. What ribs are to Kansas City, cheesesteak to Philadelphia, and crabcakes to Baltimore, pizza is to New Haven. If you grew up in or around the Elm City, your pizza parlor allegiance can be fierce. So how did Connecticut's second largest city become ground zero for some of the best pizza in the United States? Just what is New Haven-style pizza?
To all our readers who have enjoyed CTbites this past year, pleaseVOTE FOR CTBITES to win BEST LOCAL BLOGGER in the annual Best of Fairfield County Readers Poll. Every vote makes a difference. VOTE HERE.
Here's how to vote: Quickly register and then select the MEDIA & EDUCATION category. You will find CTbites under "Local Blogger" &"Local Twitterer."
Join Fritz Knipschildt of Chocopologie, and CTbites on Tuesday April 1, 2014 7-9:30 pm as we indulge the master chocolatier and his talented team of chefs in realizing his vision for a perfectly decadent Chocolate- Infused meal for $60 pp.
This intimate dinner will feature five courses infused and/or influenced by Fritz's passion for chocolate. Inspired by his Danish roots and New Nordic cuisine, Fritz has created a truly unique menu... and for this night only! Each course will be paired with wine or spirits and will conclude with a decadent dessert, and Chocopologies Signature Chocolate Martini and coffee or tea. View menu below & DETAILS HERE.
