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Phase Two: The Haven Opens Rooftop Restaurant + Bar in Norwalk

Features Interview Restaurant Seasonal Rooftop Rooftop Bars Norwalk The Haven Norwalk Cocktails Seafood Opening Interview

Andrew Dominick

In February, we brought you a piece highlighting The Haven and all its different components; the event space, the speakeasy, and two others that were on the way in a wellness forward cafe and the rooftop. Well, folks, the latter is here, and if you missed the rooftop that was formerly part of Evarito’s, it’s back, and it’s totally reimagined. Co-owner Christian Burns, who, as you know was behind Evarito’s and The Pompano in the same space as The Haven, and his partners, Joe and Aldo Criscuolo, saw a new vision for the roof that got launched just in time the summer season and beyond.


CT Guide To Great Ice Cream, Gelato & Frozen Desserts (2026 Edition)

Features Ice Cream Dessert Gelato Frozen Yogurt Guide Highlight Homepage

Carly Terzigni

Nothing beats your favorite flavor of ice cream hand-scooped in a cup or cone at the end of a long summer’s day. Fortunately, we are surrounded by an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great ice cream shops around the state. From ice cream to gelato to Italian ice, there are tons of frozen treats to enjoy around Connecticut this summer. Many offer dairy-free options, sorbet, and unique flavors for everyone in the family.

To help you easily navigate this guide, we’ve organized the ice cream shops by county. Simply find your local county to see which options are nearby!


TAC Burger: Wave Hill Breads Owner Opens Smash Burger Spot in Norwalk

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant TAC Burgers Norwalk Smash Burgers Burgers Fast Casual Ingredients Homepage Wave Hill Breads Opening

Andrew Dominick

From master baker to burger maker isn’t a natural progression, but for Wave Hill Breads’ owner, Tim Topi, that’s exactly what he did. While simultaneously running Wave Hill’s wholesale location on High Street, and a bakery-cafe on Westport Avenue that opened in 2024, Topi decided to give smash burgers a shot for a few reasons. One, there was a vacancy a couple storefronts away from the cafe where Francesca’s Authentic Italian Deli once stood.


ADKbites.com Launches! A New Addition to the "Bites" Family

Features news

CTbites Team

Big news! Finding good food in the Adirondacks just got easier thanks to our brand new sister site: ADKbites.com 

Though the massive and mountainous upstate New York region is renowned for hiking, fly-fishing, skiing, biking, and boating–and as the home of the “Miracle on Ice” 1980s Olympics–

it’s less well known for its food.

ADKbites will follow CTbites’ lead by focusing on the people, places, and flavors that make the culinary experience within the park unique.

Created by veteran food writer Joanne Smart, ADKbites fills a gap in regional food coverage by helping residents and visitors discover the best restaurants, markets, farms, bakeries, bars, and breweries within, and just beyond, the Blue Line. 

“There’s a lot of good food in the Adirondacks,” notes Smart. “It’s just not always easy to find.” 

The just-launched website will feature restaurant reviews, food and drink news, destination dining guides, profiles of local artisans, and articles exploring the region's culinary culture. 


Guide To CT's "Dinners At The Farm" Summer 2026 Season: Get Your Tix NOW!

Features Farm Dinner Farm To Table Events EVENT CT Farm Dinners

Kasey Feeley

Without farming the culinary world wouldn’t exist, every summer farmers and chefs across Connecticut celebrate their symbiotic relationship by inviting the public to dine in the outdoors. Events range from fine dining to outdoor fun for the whole family. Here are a few Dinners At The Farm you won’t want to miss. Grab your tickets NOW. They book up quickly!


Massi Co & The Whelk's Massimo Tullio's Immigrant Song

Features Chef Talk

Lloyd Allen

National Immigrant Heritage Month is observed throughout the entire month of June.

It started with a scream.

A blood-curdling, top-of-the-lungs scream.

There in the garage window was the face of the next-door neighbor, the head of the cheerleading squad. Pale. Tear-streaked. Gasping for breath between shrieks. Blood was everywhere.

It looked like a total slaughter.

The way Massimo remembers it, it must have been around Easter.

“Yeah, it was close to Easter, and one time we were slaughtering a lamb and killing some rabbits. I think she had been taking out the garbage and decided to peek into our garage.”

What she saw sent her into a panic. The family had to explain exactly what they were doing. By the next day, the entire school knew about it.

Massimo remembers that day, and plenty of others from his childhood in New Canaan, Connecticut.


Guide To Waterfront Dining In Connecticut (2026 Edition)

Features Waterfront Outdoor Dining Dock & Dine Guide Highlight Homepage

Carly Terzigni

The only thing better than a tasty meal is one with a view! Across Connecticut, you’ll find restaurants with stunning waterfront views, both on the shoreline and along one of the state’s picturesque rivers. The good news is that there is an abundance of restaurants to choose from, as you’ll see in this guide! Many of the following restaurants are open year-round, boasting beautiful water views no matter the season.

To help you find the restaurant with waterfront dining nearest you or your destination, we’ve organized this guide by county. Simply scroll to the county you’re looking to dine in to find your options.


Chef Mogan Anthony + Seleste Tan Open Barnoodle in Greenwich: Handrolls, Noodles + Small Plates

Features Interview Restaurant Greenwich Asian Southeast Asian Interview Opening Sushi Ramen Noodles Homepage

Andrew Dominick

At the beginning of 2025, Greenwich locals and the husband-and-wife team of Mogan Anthony and Seleste Tan opened the doors to La Bistro in Cos Cob. Just over a year later, a mile-and-a-half north on the same street, across the Cos Cob line into Riverside, they’re at it again. And this time around, they’re leaning on their Southeast Asian culture for inspiration at Barnoodle.


Hidden Gem: Kermit’s Bake Shop-Organic Sourdough Bread & Pastry in Redding, CT

Features Redding Bakery Bread Local Artisan Bread Shop Breakfast

Kasey Feeley

Whether you’re looking for the perfect pastry to pair with your morning coffee or whole ingredient, zero-preservative fresh sourdough bread, Kermit’s Bake Shop in Redding is the place to go. Run by owner and head baker Kermit Perlmutter and his assistant Luke Figliola, the artisanal bakery specializes in laminated pastries and sourdough bread kept simple. Thursday through Sunday you can place an order for pickup over-the-phone or walk in.

Country white and mischbrot sourdough are fixed menu items, the rest of the menu rotates through a wide selection of sourdough flavors including cheddar, cranberry, pepper jack, raisin, and honey whole wheat all made with sifted wheat, whole wheat, and sourdough culture. And if you want to start your own culture for at-home loaves, sourdough starter is available for free upon request.

You can choose from a wide selection of pastries including pain au chocolat (plain or almond), all butter croissants, almond croissants, ham and cheese croissants, turkey and cheese croissants, crumb cake, and scones.


Dock & Dine in CT! Boat Up to 30 Waterfront Restaurants, Bars & Seafood Shacks (2026 Edition)

Features Restaurant Dock & Dine Waterfront Guide Highlight Homepage Patio

Carly Terzigni

Warmer weather has finally arrived, which means it’s time to head to the water! When hunger strikes, there’s no need to travel far from your boat to enjoy some of Connecticut’s best restaurants. Why drive in your car to dinner this summer when you can arrive by boat? The following restaurants along the Connecticut shoreline, as well as along popular river hot spots, are conveniently accessible via boat for you to enjoy. Make sure you double-check what their policies are to make sure there’s a parking spot ready for your boat when you arrive!


Carpenter's Pub Opens in Black Rock From Familiar Neighborhood Faces

Features Interview Restaurant Carpenter's Pub Black Rock Bridgeport Cocktails American Pub Opening Interview Gastropub Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Carpenter’s Pub may be the newest haunt on Fairfield Avenue, but the trio of owners behind it are familiar faces in Joseph Farrell, Sean Nye, and Marty McCarthy. For seven years, Farrell was behind the popular Walrus + Carpenter, originally located a hop, skip, and a jump away from where Carpenter’s is, while McCarthy’s Fire Engine Pizza (with two more spots in Milford and Shelton) has been a neighborhood staple for over 25 years, and Nye, a celebrated barman, who now lives in Black Rock, has likely mixed you a drink at Farrell’s Walrus + Carpenter, The Spread or El Segundo, L’Escale, or one of the two Milestone locations. How the three came together to open this American gastropub happened in stages.


Celebrate Pride Month in CT: Events, Bars, Restaurants & Specials (2026 Edition)

Features Pride Day Pride Month Pride Events Pride

Hannah Goodman

Pride Month is just a week and a half away and it’s time to prepare for all the exciting events that Connecticut has to offer all June long (some places even get the party started in May)! Inclusivity is a vital part of our community – whether it be in our towns, cities, states, or country. Without each other, there is no unity, and without unity, there is no community…it’s literally embedded in the word. We must love one another and not disparage each other’s differences, but accept them. Life is not worth living if we don’t have love in our hearts, in our bodies, and in our communities. June is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and I am so proud to live in Connecticut, where there are so many safe spaces and places for Queer people and allies to gather and celebrate their culture. So Live Out Loud! And not just in June, but in every moment of every day, all year round. Below you will also find a list of Pride celebrations happening throughout the state. Have fun and be safe! 

P.S.: Pride in the Hills is a great CT resource for the Queer community. Their mission: “to celebrate and uplift our local LGBTQIA+ community by funding programs that support, empower, and create safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth in CT.” 


Brass & Bone: Bringing Live Music + New Orleans Inspired Food to South Norwalk

Features Interview Restaurant Norwalk Music Live Music Cocktails Southern Food New Orleans Cuisine Homepage Interview

Andrew Dominick

Third times a charm, right? That’s what the ownership quartet of Maxim Schiavone, Joseph Magrath, John McGraw, and Jonathan Ackerman is hoping for with Brass & Bone on Norwalk’s Washington Street. Replacing two short lived music venue, restaurant and bar concepts before it in Music & Industry and Washington Social, Brass & Bone’s foursome of friends believe they have the recipe to make it work, especially with their respective backgrounds. Schiavone is an entertainment guy, McGraw has a tech and marketing background, Ackerman is a veteran bartender, and Magrath is a chef.  


jjStacks Gets New Life in Newtown: Epic Burgers + Comfort Food Menu

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Newtown Burgers Wings Fried Chicken Sandwich Sports Bar Family Friendly Opening Interview Homepage

Andrew Dominick

“It wasn’t a decision made lightly with how the last two worked out,” says Joe Attonito, who’s talking about giving restaurant ownership another go after his Ridgefield sports bar, Tiger’s Den, had to close in 2018, and when he decided to shutter jjStacks in Brookfield at the end of 2023. While Tiger’s Den never got a second run, jjStacks never went away. Attonito operated it as a food truck while simultaneously running the brick-and-mortar and when it closed, the Stacks Mobile, its signature chicken wings, burgers, and hefty hot dogs included, kept the brand alive. The “decision” Attonito speaks of is the return of jjStacks, this time in Newtown, and so far, he’s been welcomed with open arms.


Guide To Mobile Cocktail Bars in Connecticut (2026 Edition)

Features Catering Guide Caterer Mobile Caterer Mobile Bars Cocktails Highlight

Carly Terzigni

With summer right around the corner, it’s time to take the party outside! Mobile cocktail bars are all the rage right now, making the perfect addition to your wedding, birthday party, corporate gathering, or event of any size. These mobile cocktail bars come in all different shapes and sizes and offer a variety of alcoholic beverages to suit your personal preferences. Many include nonalcoholic drinks and food options, too. Check out the following businesses serving Connecticut as you plan your upcoming event this season!


Celebrate Shelton: Food Trucks on the River Festival May 29-30 (sponsored post)

Features Food Truck Food Festival

CTbites Team

Mark your calendars! As Celebrate Shelton kicks off its 13th year, they are thrilled to announce one of CT’s biggest food truck experiences, Food Trucks on the River. 

Food Trucks on the River returns for two days of delicious eats at Veterans Memorial Park in Shelton on Friday, May 29th from 5:00 - 10:00 PM and Saturday, May 30th from 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM. (Rain date: Sunday, May 31st)


Connecticut Food Trucks Guide (2026 Edition)

Features Highlight Food Truck Guide Food Truck Catering Catering Guide Mobile Caterer Homepage

Carly Terzigni

Warmer weather beckons us all to dine outside, and what could be more convenient than a food truck parked at your next gathering or at the corner as you take a stroll through town? The following food trucks can be found all around Connecticut, perfect for catering a wedding, graduation party, corporate event, or whatever special occassion calls for some yummy food! You can also keep your eyes peeled for these trucks at the local fair, festival, or town green this summer.

This guide is organized by food category. Head to the type of cuisine you’re in the mood for and see which food trucks offer the perfect menu.

Scroll down for food trucks organized by category:


CT's “Nacho King” Goes National With Debut Cookbook Totally Nachrageous

Features Cookbooks

CTbites Team

Connecticut-based media personality, content creator, and cookbook author Alex P. Taylor, nicknamed the “Nacho King,” will release his debut cookbook, Totally Nachrageous: Next-Level Nacho Recipes for Parties, Game Days, and Crowd-Pleasing Fun, nationally on August 25, 2026, through Harvard Common Press, an imprint of Quarto Books US.

Totally Nachrageous is not just a cookbook. It is part 1980s time capsule, part celebration of food and life, and a full-on invitation to embrace joy, turn up the music, and bring people together.

The book takes nachos beyond the expected with shareable recipes designed for gatherings, celebrations, and everyday fun. Through 70 inventive original recipes, nostalgic pop culture references, playful storytelling, and “Snack Tracks,” which pair each recipe with a song suggestion from the era, Taylor invites readers to immerse themselves in a full kitchen party experience. The book also features Taylor’s curated list of the most creative and unique nachos he identified across the United States and Puerto Rico, further reinforcing the cookbook’s national scope.


CT Guide To Cinco De Mayo 2026 Events, Bars, Specials, & Catering

Features Cinco de Mayo Mexican Holiday Cocktails Tequila Homepage

Hannah Goodman

Cinco de Mayo is less than a week away and it just so happens to land on a Tuesday, aka TACO TUESDAY! How perfect is that?! This year it’s a Cinco de Mayo-Taco Tuesday extravaganza and whether you’re staying in or going out, this list has got everything you may need to make the holiday special. Several places throughout Connecticut offer taco kits, pre-made margaritas, apps, and sides – making it easy to stay in and party it up with your friends, family, cats, dogs, etc…we don’t discriminate here. You can also hit the town (any town!) all weekend long leading up to the big day. As long as you’re decked out in your best party hat and dancing shoes – the heels that are too tall and you swore you’d never wear them again because the last time you wound up twisting your ankle on the dance floor but you didn’t even feel the pain because of all the great tequila shots…yeah, you know the ones. We hope everyone has fun and enjoys the holiday responsibly. Get out there and show your local small businesses the utmost support! 


Guide To Kentucky Derby Events & Parties in Connecticut (2026 Edition)

Events Features Kentucky Derby

Carly Terzigni

The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby takes place this Saturday, May 2, and the most exciting two minutes in sports will be   `` on at restaurants across the state. Whether you’re looking to just watch the race with friends or you want a day-long extravaganza where you can sport your favorite fascinator, there’s a Derby event for you! Check out the restaurants and businesses around Connecticut that are hosting special events for the Derby. Keep in mind that the post time is just after 6:50 PM – don’t miss it!