Bear's Smokehouse Opens The Stack In New Haven: BBQ, Brewpub & Music Restaurant BBQ New Haven Openings Bar Outdoor Dining Kid Friendly Beer Garden CT Beer Lunch Comfort Food American Homepage James Gribbon November 09, 2018
SoNo Baking Company & Café Opens in Southport Restaurant Bakery Local Artisan Dessert Breakfast Lunch Brunch Coffee Tea And Coffee Southport Openings Jessica Ryan November 08, 2018 Welcome to the neighborhood SoNo Baking Company. We’re awfully glad you’re here! (Though my waistline may beg to differ.) SoNo Baking Company & Café officially opened its doors on Pequot Avenue in Southport today. Behind the glass display cases a beautiful array of cookies, tarts, pastries, cakes, and croissants all neatly arranged all ready to be purchased. Trays filled with delectable treats, fresh out of oven, were stacked and cooling. Brand new coffee and espresso machines glistened along the back wall. Read More
"Teas" Your Palette with The Bubble & Brew Truck: Sweet Treats, Tea & Coffee Restaurant Tea And Coffee Dessert Bakery Gluten-Free Food Truck Kristin L. Wolfe November 06, 2018 In August, I was swept away by a candy apple color of the Bubble & Brew truck at the Wilton Farmers Market adjacent the Historical Society. I was at the vegetable stand when directly across from me was the most beautiful striking flash of red. In addition to their impressive design aesthetic---their 37 tea canisters were painted red to match the truck--the Bubble & Brew team has serious baking chops. With sweet treats for every palette, tasters will be delighted by all the offerings from this tiny dream on wheels. People will be astounded by some of their best sellers like the sticky toffee pudding, which is actually gluten-free. Read More
Il Pastaficio, Handmade Pasta, Opens in Cos Cob Restaurant Pasta Noodles To-Go Take Out Italian Cos Cob Greenwich Openings Homepage Jessica Ryan November 04, 2018 It’s a known fact that Italians love their pasta. It’s also a known fact that they eat it regularly and yet it seems to be something we have become fearful of. As I sit down to write this I remember a popular commercial from my youth. In the North End of Boston, a dark haired Italian woman leans out of her window and beckons her son to come home. “Anthony!” she shouted, and he came running home – but only on Wednesdays, for Wednesday was Prince Spaghetti Day! Today fad diets implore us to eat gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, carb-free, fat-free, etc. Enter Il Pastaficio, handmade pasta, in Cos Cob. Within weeks of opening locals have been rethinking and enjoying this Italian favorite. The reason is simple – as simple as their ingredients.Il Pastaficio is unique in its offering of pastas made from natural and antique grains that are rich on minerals, salts and vitamins. This pasta, as a result, is lighter, easier to digest and has a lower glycemic level than the glutinous versions we’ve come to know. Their pastas are made from organic legume flours (such as chickpea) rich in protein and completely additive-free. As a result, Pastaficio pastas are easier to digest. Read More
Brick Walk Tavern Opens in Fairfield, from Char Restaurant's Chef Snyder Restaurant Openings Fairfield American Gastropub Lunch Bar CTbites Team November 02, 2018 Friends since college and now partners, Chef David Snyder and former financial exec turned restaurateur Ted Vincent, introduce their first joint venture in the form of Brick Walk Tavern, a stylish and food-centric restaurant and gathering place located in the burgeoning Brick Walk neighborhood of Fairfield, Connecticut.Menu highlights include; not your average house-made chips and onion dip; chili garlic crispy shrimp laced with radish, cilantro, and green onion; Tuscan kale and Brussels sprout salad tossed with polenta croutons, dried cranberries, and lemon truffle vinaigrette; the French onion burger topped with 4-hour braised onions, veal jus, and gruyere cheese on a house made bun; pan-roasted cod over white beans, chorizo, charred tomato, and a roasted poblano broth; classic jambalaya of creole rice with tasso and andouille, jumbo shrimp and chicken; and steak frites, 10 oz hanger steak with a 72 hour red wine sauce, served with crispy truffle parmesan fries. Read More
OKO in Westport Launches Weekday Lunch & To Go Menu! Restaurant Openings Lunch To-Go Take Out Japanese Sushi Westport Homepage CTbites Team November 01, 2018 Chef Brian Lewis’ latest restaurant offering Japanese inspired cuisine in the historic Vigilant Hose Company Firehouse at 6 Wilton Road in Westport, Connecticut, is launching weekday lunch service and to-go options on Wednesday, November 7. Lunch will be available Wednesday – Friday from 11:30am-2:30pm and will feature a daily lunch-specific menu for this new service. Options will include Hand Rolls, Bento Boxes, Nigiri Sushi meals featuring 5x pieces of Nigiri Sushi, Sashimi meals featuring Chirashi Sushi, Sashimi Moriawase or Spicy Tuna Sashimi OKO poke, as well as favorites from the dinner menu. Read More
5 Churches Brewing in New Britain: Craft Beer For Pizzaphiles Restaurant Brewery New Britain CT Beer Pizza Lunch James Gribbon October 30, 2018 One of the greatest advantages of living in New England is our access to autumn. Our home in Connecticut means even if we live in urban convenience, the rural hills and river valleys of our state are a nearby drive away. This proximity gives us one of our best traditions: the fall weekend road trip. We can get out, see what nature has in store for us, and find ourselves in places which fall outside the rhythm and routine of our daily lives. Up towards the center of the state, past the historic colonial homes on Worthington Ridge in Berlin and into New Britain - a city many on the coast may not consider a destination - is 5 Churches Brewing, a place you should. Read More
West Street Grill: A New American Gem in Litchfield For 30 Years Restaurant Litchfield Lunch American Douglas P Clement October 28, 2018 From the moment in May 1990 when West Street introduced urbane fine dining to well-heeled locals in Connecticut’s hilly rural paradise found—delighting sophisticated New Yorkers with country retreats—the Grill has been a haven for the affluent, famous, successful and talented. So it remains—but burnished by maturity and a culinary egalitarianism that has evolved naturally over the years. These days, West Street Grill draws from near and far its broadest and most diverse clientele ever.Guests come for the stylish but comfortable setting, and for a democratized menu in which reasonably-priced upscale comfort food mingles with dishes sporting more haute flourishes—and as high summer ripens into glorious autumn in a town filled with nature preserves, antiques, shopping and other attractions, they come because word is out that the Grill is having one of those moments when everything is aligned. Read More
Bear's Smokehouse BBQ Comes to New Haven @ The Stack (Biergarten & Brewery) Restaurant New Haven BBQ Openings Lunch Celebrity Chef Homepage CTbites Team October 26, 2018
Kashi Sushi Bar Opens in Stamford: Japanese With Bling! Restaurant Openings Stamford Japanese Sushi Homepage CTbites Team October 26, 2018 Located in a 2-story townhouse on Downtown Stamford’s Restaurant Row, the brick façade of Kashi Sushi Bar and Japanese Restaurant gives way to a multi-sensory experience. Introduced to the city’s thriving restaurant scene in January of 2016, Kashi’s modern industrial design element combined with its innovative and artistic approach to sushi and Japanese food preparations quickly landed this exciting new restaurant on the radar of local food enthusiasts. Read More
Next Door in New Haven Hits the Spot for Small Plates and Pizza via CT Magazine Restaurant New Haven Pizza Lunch Cocktails Openings Connecticut Magazine October 24, 2018 Connecticut Magazine shares a great new spot for pizza and small plates in New Haven. Put this one on the list. New Haven is the opposite of a pizza desert. World-renowned pizza, er, apizza options abound, from Pepe’s, Sally’s and Modern to BAR and relative newcomers such as De Legna. So when I heard that pizza was one of the specialties at Next Door, a new bar and restaurant on Humphrey Street, I admired the restaurant owner’s chutzpah but privately wondered if the concept would work. Arriving at the restaurant on a recent evening, I learned that Next Door is about far more than just pizza.Opened in June, in the space that once held the venerable restaurant Humphrey’s, the expansive interior includes two distinct, yet linked, bar and dining areas. Each has a warm and welcoming neighborhood feel. In addition to its creative pizzas, Next Door has a wide variety of well-crafted and interesting food options, and the bar features 32 craft beer taps as well as excellent cocktails.The restaurant is owned by three veterans of the New Haven food scene: Douglas Coffin, who launched Big Green Truck Pizza (a mobile, wood-fired pizza truck business); Dom Giannotti, who owns Dive Bar & Restaurant in West Haven; and Robin Bodak, the owner of Coco Tamale, a New Haven street cart and catering company. The owners met while working “next door” to Next Door’s location at the adjoining garage that houses the Big Green Truck Pizza fleet. Read More
Cousins Maine Lobster Truck Rolls into Connecticut Restaurant Food Truck Seafood Lobster Tacos Lunch Catering Homepage Jessica Ryan October 21, 2018 On Wednesday afternoon the Cousins Maine Lobster trucked rolled into the circle at Bedford Square in Westport to offer their version of the perfect lobster roll. Although I hail from the city that never sleeps, my New England roots were planted well over 30 years ago having lived in Boston, and summered in both Maine and Newport. At the risk of sounding presumptuous I daresay that I happen to know a thing or two about what makes a good lobster roll. So when I was invited to try them out I couldn’t possibly say no. Read More
Organika Kitchen Opens on Main Street in New Canaan Restaurant New Canaan Vegan Vegetarian Lunch Breakfast Openings Jessica Ryan October 19, 2018 Nearly one year after announcing its plans, vegan and vegetarian, Organika Kitchen, officially opened Monday in downtown New Canaan at 96 Main St.Owners, Gino and Cathy Riccio are excited the new location for their organic plant-based eatery, the first having met with great success in Southport. While many alleged healthy eateries have been popping up all over the place, Organika Kitchen takes the idea of healthy eating to a new level. Organika is more than a restaurant Gino explained, “It’s an experience that is as much about the food as it is the customers and the employees.” Organika opened its doors in August to praise from vegetarians, vegans and meat-eaters alike. Cathy expanded on her husband’s thoughts. “We felt that we needed to be eating healthier. Read More
Afternoon Tea at Alice in the Village Tea Shop, Mystic Restaurant Tea And Coffee Lunch Kid Friendly kids activity Mystic Dessert Breakfast Bakery Homepage CTbites Team October 18, 2018 Adding a bit of whimsy into the Olde Mistick Village shopping center and amping up its already kid-friendly atmosphere, let yourself go into the looking glass at the recently opened Alice in the Village tea shop and café. The completely decked out exterior is replete with faux floral window frame and the beloved doorknob from the 1951 animated Disney film Alice in Wonderland. And is this uber-theme continued on the inside? Of course!Step inside and you will find an enchanted tea house split roughly into three sections: Eat Me!/Drink Me! to go orders, an Alice-themed shop, and tea room. In addition to Alice in Wonderland collectables and kitsch, the shop section stocks an excellent selection of Harney and Sons teas. The bright green walls and sage green ceilings are decorated with hanging playing cards, pictures from Alice in Wonderland scenes, and flying books. My favorite décor element is the life size bottom half of Alice hanging down from the ceiling—any child who loves Alice in Wonderland would love a visit to Alice and the Village simply to see the décor. Read More
NEW & NOTABLE: Chef Duane Shand Takes Over At Cafe 47 @Perfect Provenance in Greenwich Restaurant Greenwich Lunch American far Burgers Dessert Homepage Lou Gorfain October 14, 2018 Cafe 47, an intimate dining space inside Perfect Provenance in Greenwich, reflects the luxury retail and exhibition space that surrounds it: tasteful, diverse, and capricious. The restaurant’s new chef, Duane Shand, fits right in to the unpredictability of the place.He radiates a rainbow of ethnicities -- West Indian, African, and Asian—a callaloo kid from Trinidad who unexpectedly, delightfully, now presides over a chic restaurant in one of America’s most patrician enclaves. Shand landed in Greenwich via a serpentine culinary route: from training at Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando to restaurants around the world, such as the Royal Mail Hotel in Australia, Asador Etxebarr in Spain and Bad Saint in DC. But what ultimately brought him to Greenwich was… Read More
Union League Café Celebrates 25 Years in New Haven CT Restaurant New Haven Lunch Brunch WIne French American Homepage Andrew Dominick October 09, 2018 Union League Café is frequently mentioned as one of Connecticut’s best restaurants. They’ve won multiple awards in various publications—in fact, it’s one of the more acclaimed places in the state—and they’ve been a New York Times darling three different times. Additionally, Union League’s chef/owner, Jean Pierre Vuillermet is recognized as a Maîtres Cuisiniers de France, translated, a Master Chef of France. Awards aside, Union League Café is set to celebrate what’s arguably its greatest achievement, their 25th anniversary. To celebrate this quarter century milestone, ULC is rolling out a handful of throwback dishes inspired by their first 25 years. All October long, diners will have the option to partake in a three-course, prix fixe tasting for $55 per person, or $79 if you’re down for carefully selected French wine pairings alongside your meal. Read More
Cross Culture Kombucha Opens Kombucha Taproom and Brewery in Danbury Restaurant Ingredients Brewery Tea And Coffee Danbury Openings Kristin L. Wolfe October 09, 2018 Cross Culture Kombucha just opened its doors in Danbury. It’s the first Kombucha taproom and brewery in the state, and they’ve been welcomed with open arms and growlers ready to fill. The light, effervescent drink has been around for ages but has most recently seen the limelight as a non-alcoholic alternative; one that is both really delicious and packed with healthy goodness. Read More
Pokémoto Opens: Fast Casual Hawaiian Poké Bowls Now In New Haven, Hamden, Fairfield, & Norwalk Restaurant Fairfield Seafood Lunch To-Go Take Out New Haven Hamden Norwalk Homepage CTbites Team October 06, 2018 The delicacy of Hawaiian fast casual poké has finally made its way to Connecticut at the new Pokémoto, now open in New Haven, Hamden, Fairfield, & Norwalk. The fresh, sushi-grade fish, in addition to tofu and chicken options, is offered in an assortment of ways with a multitude of toppings and marinades from which to choose. I recently visited Pokémoto’s Fairfield location to try the savory bowls and enjoyed the revamped space showcasing colorful fish, fruit, and vegetables aplenty. The offerings were laid out both simply and beautifully, allowing guests to either select from Signature Bowls or create their perfect mix of flavors in a customized entrée. Poké can be enjoyed in three formats: A poké bowl over rice, a wrap nestled in a sheet of roasted Nori, or over a salad. Read More
Tim LaBant’s Neapolitan Pizza ‘Parlor’ Now Open in Wilton Restaurant Wilton Openings Pizza Lunch Kid Friendly Homepage Andrew Dominick October 02, 2018
35+ Places for Great Coffee in Connecticut: 2018 Edition Features Restaurant Best of CT Coffee Tea And Coffee Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson September 28, 2018 When temperatures plummet, it’s the perfect time to warm up with a piping hot cup of joe! These shops, restaurants, and markets serve up some of Connecticut’s best java, from espresso to cups to iced options. Be sure to check out the pastries and other eats, too! Read More
