Getting the Scoop: Behind the Scenes at Gioia's Gelateria Ice Cream Ingredients Interview New Haven Restaurant Gelato Ice Cream New Haven Gioia Interview Dessert Andrew Dominick January 20, 2026 Just past the original locations of Sally’s and Pepe’s on New Haven’s legendary Wooster Street is Gioia. Opened by restaurateurs and longtime industry guys Avi Szapiro and Tim Cabral in 2023, Gioia is a fascinating concept. It’s not only a restaurant, it’s got a gourmet market, a rooftop that switches its theme seasonally, and a walk-up window where you can snag square pizza slices and gelato. That last part is what this is about. And when we’re talking about great ice cream in Connecticut, Gioia would like to enter the conversation. Read More
Elena's On Orange: Outrageously Good Ice Cream & Test Kitchen in New Haven Ice Cream Restaurant New Haven Ice Cream Callie Weyers August 21, 2025 From cookie butter to mango chai, Elena’s has tried it all when it comes to soft serve. Sitting on the corner of Orange and Canner, Elena’s on Orange has been serving the New Haven community since November of 2022. Although, many may argue it feels like it's been around for much longer, because of how seamlessly it blends into its surrounding neighborhood. They’re recognized for their innovative test kitchen that locals flock to every Wednesday evening where they come out with a new weekly flavor. Their test kitchen is run by Geena Fram who is responsible for creating weekly flavors and sourcing fresh ingredients. The idea for the test kitchen comes from Elena’s having an extra machine available and Geena desiring more freedom to think up her own ice cream creations. “Sometimes there are flavors that are a little too labor intensive or too special to do for the whole week right off the bat” says Fram. Read More
Ridgefield Couple Opens Flobee's Featuring Southern Roadside Eats Features Ingredients Ice Cream Interview Restaurant Roadside Eats Southern Food Fast Casual Ice Cream Ridgefield Homepage Interview Burgers Andrew Dominick June 25, 2025 Nadia Blair has fond memories of being a passenger in her parent’s car driving from Katonah through the charming town of Ridgefield to go visit her grandparents in New Haven. She’d constantly bother her mom with “Why can’t we live there?” questions to be told that the reason is because it’s “too far away from the highway.” Spring ahead decades later and Nadia, along with her chef husband Aaron, don’t only live in Ridgefield, but they’ve opened a restaurant where southern eats meet roadside New England charm, named after Aaron’s mother, Florence. Read More
Honeycone Craft Ice Cream: Locally Sourced, Ingredient Driven Ice Cream in Chester, CT Ice Cream Restaurant Ice Cream Chester Dessert Kid Friendly Callie Weyers June 10, 2025 Within the heart of quintessential downtown Chester resides Honeycone Craft Ice Cream. Ran by mother and daughter duo, Tula McDougal and Christina Barabe who are taking fresh and local very seriously when it comes to their ice cream. Honeycone opened in October of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, giving the Chester community “A safe place where you could pop in and pop out, get something that would kind of make your day brighter” says BarabeBy being present in these tough times Honeycone was able to entrench themselves in the local community. Not only is Honeycone known for their delicious classic flavours such as pistachio, but they create innovative seasonal flavours such as this month’s rosemary with apricot and honey and their bestseller in July, sweet basil with blackberry swirl. Honeycone sources their ingredients for fruit and vegetable based flavors from local farms such as Deep Hollow Farm, Scott’s Farms, and Whitegate Farm. These collaborations allow them to help support other local businesses while guaranteeing the freshness and quality of their products. Don’t worry if dairy isn’t your thing, Honeycone also offers vegan sorbet options that rotate seasonally such as their tomato sorbet in midsummer. Read More
Microcreamery of CT: Highlighting The Best of Connecticut's Ice Cream Ice Cream Restaurant Milford Cheshire Woodbridge Ice Cream Dessert Kid Friendly Opening Callie Weyers May 27, 2025 Microcreamery of CT… Wait a minute, that's new. Did I get that right?Yes, you heard that right. Microcreamery of CT has been serving the New Haven county community since 2022. Just recently, they opened the doors of a new location across from the Shell on South Main Street nestled right in downtown Cheshire. The Microcreamery model arose from the owner Shahan Kukreja adapting the concept of a microbrewery, “Instead of doing local beers, why don’t we do all the local ice cream so that I can kind of give people a tour of local ice creams” Kukreja says. Featuring nearly 90 hand selected flavors compiled from local Connecticut companies such as Praline’s, Arethusa, and Big Dipper, Microcreamery of CT has options for everyone. Read More
Scoop This: OGGI Gelato Opens First Shop in the U.S. in Norwalk Features Ice Cream Ingredients Interview Gelato ice cream Ingredients Norwalk Interview Italian Andrew Dominick June 03, 2024 Udine, Trieste, Pordenone, Rome, Barcelona, Santiago, Athens, and…Norwalk, Connecticut? So, you usually don’t see six European cities and one South American city mentioned in the same breath as Norwalk, but when it comes to gelato and master gelato maker, Carmelo Chiaramida, this is perhaps the one time it applies. What Chiaramida is doing in Norwalk, opening his first OGGI Gelato shop in America, is simply every local ice cream lover’s good fortune.Call it a coincidence through connection, actually. And it’s best spelled out by Maurizio Ricci, who along with his brother, Graziano, are the founders of Romanacci and Norwalk’s Osteria Romana. Read More
Chef Zac Young's Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream is NOW OPEN at Foxwoods Casino Ice Cream Restaurant Donuts Ice Cream Foxwoods Opening CTbites Team April 16, 2024 Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream at Foxwoods Resort Casino, from Chef Zac Young, is NOW OPEN!. His newest addition to the Sprinkletown family focuses on customizable donuts and signature ice cream sundaes with a “choose your own adventure” menu and specialty creations. The bright and whimsical design reflects the menu, decked out with sprinkle light fixtures on the ceiling and a display for guests to watch the donuts being made to order. Read More
Sweet Ashley’s Ice Cream in Norwalk Gets New Owners & Reboot Ice Cream Restaurant Norwalk Ice Cream Opening Dessert Kid Friendly Ella Alpert July 25, 2023 Sweet Ashley’s, the adored Norwalk ice cream spot, which has been around for 30 years has reopened this spring in time for a delicious summer! Frank Lanzo (Former owner of Nordic Fish in Fairfield) and his wife Judie, longtime Norwalk residents, decided to take over the business. As ice cream lovers with culinary experience, it seemed like a no brainer. “I’ve got a culinary background, I cooked my whole life, I went to culinary school in the eighties… now I heard this was for sale and what a great thing to keep going,” Frank Lanzo said. “I’ve been in Norwalk now for twenty two years, I live very close, who doesn’t love ice cream? Read More
Summer Guide to Ice Cream, Gelato & Frozen Desserts In CT (2023 Get Licking Edition) Ice Cream Restaurant Ice Cream Frozen Yogurt Dessert Dining Guide Best of CT Highlight Homepage April Guilbault June 21, 2023 Ice cream on a hot day. Ice cream on a rainy day. Ice cream for dinner or to delight a toddler. Ice cream just because. It’s summer and all of these reasons are 100% legit. Hell, any time of the year they are, right? Connecticut currently ranks #15 in the US for the most ice cream consumed (zippia.com) nationally. However, NY, NJ, VT, and RI eat more…guess this list is just what we need to show them what us Nutmeggers are made of. Or at least, what we enjoy on a hot summer afternoon. Grab a cone, enjoy the drips, and have a summer piled high with the creamy, dreamy stuff. One more thing: for your ease of finding these sweet establishments, we have broken the list down by counties in CT! Read More
Bona Bona Ice Cream in Port Chester Launches Savory Bites Menu + Boozy Milkshake Bar Features Ice Cream Interview Restaurant Ice Cream Milkshakes Bona Bona Ice Cream Bona Bona Port Chester Westchester Greenwich Andrew Dominick January 05, 2023 Those who are newly familiar with Nick Di Bona’s namesake Bona Bona Ice Cream should know he’s not just an ice cream man.It’s no surprise that Di Bona’s small batch Italian interpretation of American ice cream has taken off. Nutella S’mores, Italian Rainbow Cookie, and Key Lime Pie are a few, but throw in Bona Bona’s signature toasted meringue topping, and it’s not only delicious, it’s highly photographable. Read More
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Opens in Greenwich Interview Restaurant Ice Cream Ice Cream Greenwich Opening Andrew Dominick September 29, 2022 Hey, Greenwich! Here’s a scoop for you!The popular ice cream brand, Van Leeuwen, whose humble beginnings were as an ice cream truck in New York City, has just opened a scoop shop on Greenwich Avenue.Owned by brothers and Greenwich natives Ben and Pete Van Leeuwen, who, if we’re really getting technical about their ice cream origin story, actually started in their hometown as the two rented a Good Humor truck to drive around and sell ice cream in for two summers beginning in 2002. And they’re both pretty stoked to not only be back in Greenwich, but to have opened their first suburban storefront. Read More
Cake Box Bakery Opening in Westport: Delicious Baked Good + Gluten & Nut Free Desserts Kids Bites Recipe Bakery Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Westport CTbites Team January 22, 2016 This just in from Westportnow. Cake Box, a bakery offering cakes, cookies, cupcakes and coffee as well as nut-free and gluten-free baked goods, will open Feb. 2 in the lower level of 10 Bay St., behind the former Post 154 Restaurant, according to Robert Byrnes, a Ridgefield resident, who co-owns the business with his wife, Jordan Gregory. The couple also own two bakeries in Ridgefield, Cake Box at 1 Big Shop Lane since April 2010, and Swoon, a nut-free, gluten-free bakery at 109 Danbury Road. Read more about Cake Box Bakery here. Read more about Swoon Gluten Free Bakery here. Read More
Hosting a Kids Cooking Party: Tips & Kid-Friendly Recipes via Marcia Selden Catering Kids Bites Features Kids kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Marcia Selden Catering September 10, 2015 Marcia Selden Catering & Event Planning, a top caterer in Stamford, CT, loves kids and enjoys teaching them all about food. They host cooking parties for kids and adults in their commercial kitchen space and they know a thing or two about cooking and partying at the same time. Kids cooking parties have become a super popular birthday party theme, and it’s easy to see why. Children love to be part of the action especially when they get to ‘help out’ in the kitchen. Food is one of life’s pleasures, and preparing it is tons of fun too. Here are some of their top tips for having a fun, interactive party for kids between 6-12 that won’t leave your kitchen looking like a war-zone. Read More
Kids Bites: Snow Ice Cream Dessert Recipes Kids Bites kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team January 26, 2015 Every year, CTbites pays homage to the first storm of the season with this classic recipe. If you're in the house with your kids and things are getting ugly...why not put that white stuff falling out of the sky to good use and make dessert ? Remember, only use clean snow. Stay away from the yellow stuff. Ick. Grab your mittens and a spoon and head outside while the snow is still fresh for some "Snow Ice Cream" and "Frosty The Snowman Ice Cream Delight." Read More
Halloween Recipes Kids & Adults Will Love, via Marcia Selden Catering Kids Bites Features Holiday Recipe Marcia Selden Catering October 09, 2014 Halloween is around the corner, and in honor of this ghoulish holiday, Marcia Selden Caterers have created the perfect menu plan for your Halloween party. These dishes are both adult and kid-friendly, and are simple time-saving delicious meals that will leave you plenty of time for dress-up. This is the first in our series, and really... what defines the real joy of Halloween more perfectly than eatable severed body parts? Enjoy receipes for: Bloody Brains (Dumplings with Sesame Chili Oil); Bat Sh*t Crazy Wings- Honey BBQ Glazed Chicken Wings; Bloody Fingers in a Blanket; Devil on Horseback (Bacon Wrapped shrimp Skewers with Blue Cheese Dip); & Worms in Dirt- Hijiki Salad. Read More
CTbites' Summer Intern on "Chopped Teen Tournament" via Food Network Kids Bites Kids CTbites Team July 15, 2014 CTbites is pleased to introduce you to our summer intern, Hannah Bukzin. Hannah is a 14 yr old Staples high school student with a passion for cooking. Hannah has her own blog "Small Chef in a Big World," and is a contestant in the 2014 Chopped Teen Tournament on The Food Network. Please welcome Hannah to CTbites and watch her episode on July 29th! Sixteen talented teenagers bring their extreme energy and ambition to the Chopped kitchen, with Chopped Teen Tournament premiering Tuesday, July 15th at 10pm ET/PT on Food Network. In this special, five-part stunt, sixteen culinary whiz kids are aiming for perfect appetizers, entrées, and desserts, as they navigate through three rounds. The teen cooks are given ingredients that could stump even top professionals, with a rotating panel of the Chopped judges, including Amanda Freitag, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, Chris Santos, Geoffrey Zakarian and special guest judge Alex Stupak determining who gets chopped each round. Watch Hannah's episode: Premiering Tuesday, July 29th at 10pm ET/PT Read More
Ridgefield High School Student Christopher DiFabio Spins Pizza Pies for a Cause Kids Bites Restaurant CTbites Team June 24, 2014 Ridgefield High School Junior Christopher DiFabio will take over the pizza kitchen at ReNapoli in Old Greenwich on June 28 at 3 pm for an hour-long pizza-making competition to raise money for the charity Full Courts Peace. DiFabio will will race the clock, making as many pizzas as possible within the hour. He is asking for sponsors to pledge a dollar for each pizza produced. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Christopher is the son of six-time world pizza champion Bruno DiFabio, owner of 10 pizzerias around the country including ReNapoli and Pinocchio pizzerias in Wilton and New Canaan. Proceeds from the fundraiser will support the building of a basketball court in Havana, which he plans to visit in the fall. He is asking for sponsors to pledge a dollar for each pizza produced. Connecticut residents interested in supporting the cause can contact christopherdifabio@aol.com or Bruno@pizzascience.com, or drop by ReNapoli to submit a pledge. All pledgers are invited to attend a pizza party reception at 7pm, where Christopher and Bruno DiFabio’s award-winning pizzas will be served. Read More
Guide to Kids Summer Cooking Camps & Classes in Connecticut Kids Bites Features Restaurant Cooking Classes Education Kids kids activity kids cooking party April Guilbault May 22, 2014 Is May about the newly arriving crocuses (crocii?)? Or about the greening of our lawns after the longest winter ever? Nah. Let’s get down to business-it’s about finding camps for your kiddos before the summer hits and all of those spots are filled! The emails have begun flying and the scramble is beginning. What’s new? What’s fun? How about forgoing the traditional Camp Gitchigoomee canoes and bonfires and, instead, fan the flames of summer creativity in some area kitchens with cooking camps for kids! Here is a list of 8 Kids Cooking Classes & Summer Camps for 2014: Read More
Elm Restaurant's Lil' Foodies Event w/ Chef Brian Lewis Kids Bites Education Farm to Table kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team December 05, 2013 Asher is an 9th grader at Fairfield Country Day School. He has a true passion for food and started his blog, AsherZeats, in September of 2012. “A little chocolate a day keeps the doctor at bay” I recently had the absolute pleasure of being a part of a unique experience called Lil’ Foodies. During this special event, Brian Lewis, the chef/owner of well regarded restaurant, Elm, and his wife Dana, guided a group of children from the age of 8 to the age of 16 through a culinary extravaganza. All for the fantastic price of… nothing! Our first stop on the journey was the New Canaan Farmers Market. During this time, Chef Lewis generously bought for us the freshest ingredients the market had to offer. We obtained fresh, crisp, juicy apples (of all varieties), a heap of straight from the ground fingerling potatoes, brightly vivid purple cauliflower, and much more. Chef Lewis taught the group about the importance of supporting local organizations and also about picking the freshest foods from the stands. Read More
Michele's Pies New Cookbook, Perfect Pies & More, Available Today! Kids Bites Features Cookbooks CTbites Team October 22, 2013 One of the perks of living in Fairfield County is the proximity to Michele's Pies two locations in Norwalk and Westport. I've been around the block when it comes to pie, and Michele's are simply the best. When Michele Stuart first got into pie-making, she burned out three ovens in her ski condo in Vermont supplying local farmers’ markets with pies made with “love and fresh fruit. ”Those days are long gone. Now, with her second cookbook, and 27 National Pie Contest Championships, Michele is poised to take over the pie eating world. If you can't get to one of her stores, and would like to bring some of her culinary magic into your own kitchen, check out her new cookbook: Perfect Pies & More. After the success of Perfect Pies, Michele Stuart went back into the kitchen—the same kitchen in Vermont where she first dreamed up the award-winning creations that inspired her to open the popular Michele’s Pies shops. Read More
