Filtering by Tag: Fundraiser,Bread Shop

Ridgefield Bagels and Bakes: NEW Destination for Sourdough Bagels in Ridgefield

Restaurant Breakfast Breakfast Sandwich Bagels Bakery Bread Shop Opening Ridgefield Homepage

Hannah Goodman

I love bagels. I love anything that has to do with bagels, whether it’s simply a toasted plain bagel with some butter or cream cheese (often I choose both – sue me), or a B.E.C. on a sesame bagel, or it’s an everything bagel stacked with the works, like scallion cream cheese, smoked salmon, onions, and capers, I am all in! If you are from the tri-state area, you know the importance of a solid bagel shop, as we take this stuff very seriously, because what the heck would we do without a hearty breakfast sandwich in the morning? As luck would have it, Ridgefield needed a new bagel shop to take the place of what had previously been Steve’s Bagels, and in November of 2023, the same location on Main Street became Ridgefield Bagels and Bakes. 

Read More

Harvesting Hope Sept 19: CT’s Celebrity Chefs Combat Hunger

Features Fundraiser Events

CTbites Team

Bridgeport Rescue Mission Presents: Harvesting Hope featuring CT’s Celebrity Chefs Combating Hunger!

Join Bridgeport Rescue Mission for an unforgettable evening of exquisite cuisine and community spirit at Harvesting Hope, a special event dedicated to fighting hunger in Fairfield County. This year, they are thrilled to feature the culinary creations of renowned chef Michel Nischan, alongside other local celebrity chefs, in a night of delicious food tasting and philanthropy.

DATE
September 19, 2024
6:00 PM

CHEF LINEUP

Bill Taibe — Don Memo, The Whelk, Kawa Ni
Arturo Franco-Camacho — Camacho Garage, Shell and Bones
Tyler Anderson — Millwright
Matt Storch — Match Burger Lobster
Renee Touponce — Oyster Club, The Port of Call
Eamonn Keyes — The Chelsea
Roshara Sanders — 29 Markle CT.
Damon Sawyer — 29 Markle CT.

Read More

Local Celebrity Chefs Make Wishes Come True For Kids

Features Events Fundraiser

CTbites Team

Five chefs will cook with wish kids in the kitchens at Aitoro Appliance at Taste of Wishes event to benefit Make-A-Wish® Connecticut

Taste of Wishes, Make-A-Wish Connecticut’s s annual event, celebrates scrumptious dishes and magical wishes. This incredible evening - on Thursday, September 26 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Aitoro Appliance at 401 Westport Avenue in Norwalk - will feature local celebrity chefs cooking alongside Connecticut wish kids to raise funds to make life-changing wishes come true. 

An evening of fabulous food and drink, attendees will get a taste of each chef’s specialties and a of sense of the many wishes that Make-A-Wish Connecticut has granted.

Celebrity Chef Lineup

  • Jes Bengtson is the Executive Chef at Terrain Garden Café in Westport.

  • Dan Kardos, born and raised in Stratford, is the Chef/Owner of Café Melba.

  • Anthony Kostelis, Chef of the Whelk restaurant in Westport.

  • Robin Selden is the Managing Partner & Executive Chef of Marcia Selden Catering and Naked Fig Catering.  

  • Matt Storch, a Chopped winner, is the Chef/Owner of Match in Norwalk and Match Burger Lobster in Westport.  

  • Adam Goldberg – PopUp Bagels

  • John Nealon- Crust issues

Read More

Wave Hill Breads To Open New Retail Space In Norwalk

Features Opening Norwalk Bakery Bread Shop

RJ Scofield

Wave Hill Breads, an artisan micro-bakery located on High Street in Norwalk, plans to open a new 3,000-square-foot retail space on Westport Avenue.

Co-Owner Angela Topi confirmed to Patch plans to open a the new retail space, which will also include kitchen space and two back rooms for educational workshops and team building events, at 239 Westport Avenue.

Though an official opening date has not been set yet, Topi teased the new Wave Hill space will soon be ready to open.
"We feel that there is a need for fresh, local, high-quality artisan food on the best bread around," Topi said to Patch. "Also, our wonderful and loyal customers kept asking us to open up a retail space."

Wave Hill currently sells breads, pastries and other items from its High Street bakery, which Topi said will still be the main production facility for their wholesale accounts and farmer's markets while the new Westport Avenue facility will mainly be used for retail.

Read the full article on The Patch.

Read More

Chef Luke Venner of Elm Restaurant Reps CT in No Kid Hungry Chefs Cycle

Features Fundraiser

CTbites Team

As the battle against childhood hunger continues, culinary professionals from across the nation are gearing up for the annual Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry event, set to take place in Santa Rosa from May 6 to May 9. This three-day, 300-mile cycling endurance ride is not just a test of physical endurance but a testament to the collective commitment of chefs, hospitality professionals, and food enthusiasts to eradicate childhood hunger in America. Over 100 renowned chefs and passionate supporters will pedal through the picturesque landscapes in support of No Kid Hungry’s mission.

Among the notable participants is Chef Luke Venner of Elm Restaurant in New Canaan. 2024 marks Luke’s third year riding He is the sole rider from CT, but also one of the event's top fundraisers and recruiters.

Read More

Alina’s Cakes: New Bakery Opens In Westport with Gluten Free Treats!

Restaurant Opening Bakery Westport Custom Cakes Cakes Bread Shop Homepage

Dan Woog

This just in from Dan Woog’s 06880.

In her native Romania, Alina Dancho often waited 2 hours in line, for half a loaf of bread. Now customers stand in line for her croissants, cookies, cakes, cupcakes and pastries.

And bread.

Alina’s Cakes & Cookies opened recently in the shopping plaza next to Fortuna’s, Greens Farms Spirit Shop, Gofer Ice Cream and Westport Cigar & Vape. It’s a tasty addition to those treats. It’s also the healthiest option.

95% of her bread is sourdough — an excellent, all-natural source of antioxidants and prebiotics.

Nearly all of her offerings are gluten-free. Her sugar and flour is non-GMO. She uses organic milk, and cage-free organic eggs. Some even come from the chickens she keeps.

“It’s not how much you eat. It’s what you eat,” Alina says, comparing the prevalence of food allergies in the US to Europe. She is adamant about the importance of avoiding pre-processed products like fillings and frostings.

“I want people to eat healthy breakfast foods and desserts, without allergic reactions and diabetes.”

Read the complete article here.

Read More

Don't Miss "A Taste of Westport"-A Culinary Celebration To Benefit Adults with Developmental Disabilities (Sponsored Post)

Features Fundraiser

CTbites Team

CLASP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing homes, support, and services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), is delighted to announce the return of its flagship fundraising event, Taste of Westport. This year’s culinary extravaganza will take place on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, from 6 to 9:30pm at the iconic Inn at Longshore, located at 260 Compo Rd. S., Westport, CT.

Now in its 18th year, Taste of Westport is renowned for bringing together the finest purveyors of food and drink in the area, and this year is no exception. As attendees “Escape to Saint-Tropez,” they will have the chance to indulge in a diverse array of culinary delights, wines, and spirits from over two dozen local establishments. Those embracing the evening’s theme by wearing white will take home a special gift.  Live music will be provided by The Bar Car Band, a favorite fixture on the Fairfield County music scene.

Read More

Guide To Connecticut Bread Bakers & Bakeries

Features Restaurant Bakery Bread Shop Bread Breakfast Homepage Highlight

Hannah Goodman

Bread. It’s the culinary foundation for so many cultures, each with its own unique varieties and history. Bread plays a pivotal role, whether it’s mopping up a beautiful sauce after a meal, or given to a child slathered in butter, after school. Bread baking is an art, a science, and a labor of love, especially for those bakers nurturing their sourdough starters, passed down for generations or created many years ago. “Often, our choices of bread are all about feelings. Flavour too, yes, of course. But the emotional resonance of bread is like little else.” -The Borough Market Guide to Baking

The explosion of Bread Bakers in Connecticut is a gift. So please, let us “break bread” together and enjoy this list of exceptional local bread bakeries. 

If we missed a local bread baker you know and love, please contact us.

Read More

30+ Spots for Great Bagels in Connecticut

Features Restaurant Bagels Breakfast Sandwich Breakfast Comfort Food carb Bread Shop Homepage

April Guilbault

Nicely sized and expertly formed, with a nice bit of pillowy fluff to its appearance. A firm golden crust that your teeth have to work a bit to pierce, which then leads you to the satisfying crunch and the doughy, chewiness inside. Choose a flavor, from the sweet to the savory to the quirky seasonal, finish with a generous schmeeeeeear (also in the above flavors) and enjoy one of the simple pleasures in life: a good bagel. 

Here are 30+ spots to score yourself some bagel-y goodness in Connecticut.

Read More

Eat Tacos, Save The Tatas at Taco Loco: 5% Of ALL Sales Donated to Breast Cancer Research

Features Fundraiser

CTbites Team

EAT TACOS, SAVE THE TATAS!! The team behind Taco Loco and the Loco Catering Group is bringing back their Tacos for Tatas campaign. Tacos for Tatas is a month long fundraiser during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month where Taco Loco will donate 5% of sales to the Susan G. Komen foundation. 

The Taco Loco Party Trucks are not your average food truck. They are first class mobile catering kitchens serving authentic street tacos and margaritas for private parties and corporate events. They do everything from employee appreciation days, school events, holiday parties, birthdays, weddings, and block parties.

The fundraiser expands beyond food truck parties catered in the month of October catering drop off orders and any future scheduled events where the deposits are paid in October will count towards their fundraiser donation

Read More

CT Chef & TV Personality, Silvia Baldini, To Release Cookbook Sept 18th (For A Great Cause)

Features Author Cookbooks Book Fundraiser

CTbites Team

Chef and TV personality Silvia Baldini is publishing an upcoming book in September titled: Les Dames d’Escoffier New York Cookbook: Stirring the Pot, The History Press, an imprint of Arcadia on September 18th, 2023. 

Compiling recipes, advise and stories from 61 of the most influential and accomplished women in the food and wine world, Baldini share their remarkable stories and their personal recipes for everything from simple weekday meals to spectacular party dishes.

Proceeds from sales benefit Les Dames d’Escoffier New York’s Scholarship Fund.

Read More

maman, NYC’s Beloved French Bakery & Café Opening in Greenwich June 18th

Restaurant Opening Greenwich Bakery Celebrity Chef Dessert Baked Goods Cookies Bread Shop Tea And Coffee

CTbites Team

maman, NYC’s beloved French Bakery & Café, is expanding to Connecticut with its first location in Greenwich (98 Greenwich Ave). Opening June 18th, the Provençal-inspired café, created by co-founders Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte, will bring its fan-favorite salads, sandwiches, made-famous-by-Oprah Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies to the Greenwich community. 

In true maman fashion, the decor will feature florals, signature toile print, and vintage and antique furniture, all drawing inspiration from the South of France. Brokered by Brand Urban, Greenwich’s full-service real estate advisory and brokerage company, maman Greenwich is the perfect spot to savor a morning coffee or pastry or grab brunch or lunch with friends. With 2,300 sqft of space, maman Greenwich is also the perfect spot to host events with your closest friends and family. 

Maman Greenwich will be open Monday - Friday from 7:30am - 6pm and Saturday-Sunday from 8am - 6pm. On opening day, Maman will have a cookbook signing with Elisa from 10am-12pm, and a Father’s Day Special, serving a complimentary S’mores A La Minute Cookie for dads with any purchase! 

Read More

SAVE THE DATE for The Glass House Summer Party June 10th with Elm Restaurant

Events Features Events Fundraiser

CTbites Team

The Glass House presents its annual Summer Party on June 10th from 12-4pm.

The Glass House by Philip Johnson located in New Canaan, CT, is a world-renowned architecturally significant property and historic home.

This fundraising event features art, dance, design, fashion, food, music, activations, and silent auction by ARTSY. The event celebrates 16 years as a historic site and museum and will benefit the preservation of the campus and collections.

Read More

No Kid Hungry "Chef Cycle:" Q&A with Chef Luke Venner of Elm Restaurant

Features Chef Talk Q & A Fundraiser

CTbites Team

Chefs Cycle is a fundraising endurance event featuring award-winning chefs and members of the culinary community-fighting childhood hunger outside the kitchen. Since 2015, the culinary talents who take part in Chefs Cycle raise critical funds, which No Kid Hungry uses to help communities across the country feed kids. Chef Luke Venner of Elm Restaurant in New Canaan, CT, is preparing for his 2nd year in the Chefs Cycle event. We sat down with him to discuss the importance of this fundraiser and the hopefully inspire other chefs to join him in 2024!

Read More

Fight Childhood Hunger May 7th at Sunset Wine Party Event for Filling In The Blanks

Features Fundraiser Wine Events

CTbites Team

On May 7th, come sip, explore, shop and socialize at an exclusive, local event to benefit Filling In the Blanks. Sunset Wine Party is hosting this inaugural New Canaan event: a festive, upscale wine tasting evening at the Country Club of New Canaan on May 7th, 2023. All net proceeds benefit Filling in the Blanks, a celebrated local non-profit which supports area children experiencing hunger by providing them with meals on the weekends.

Read More

Eat Justice: Mecha Noodle Bar Creates Program To Help the CT Community & Promote Caring

Features Philanphropy Non For Profit News Fundraiser

CTbites Team

“Profit matters, but people matter more.”

That’s the motto of Tony Pham, owner of Mecha Noodle Bar. It also happens to be the guiding principle of Eat Justice, an initiative created by Pham alongside co-founder Richard Reyes. The project involves a network of Connecticut businesses who turn portions of revenue into monthly donations to local and international nonprofit organizations. “But it’s more than just a check,” Pham tells me. “We’re trying to create a movement.”

The Eat Justice model is fairly simple: businesses designate a selection of goods to serve as their Eat Justice ‘fundraisers.’ They then raise the price of these goods by just fifty cents, and, for each one purchased, they reserve that extra fifty cents for a monthly donation. For example, at Mecha Noodle Bar, each purchase of a ramen dish increases the restaurant’s Eat Justice funds by fifty cents. While customers barely notice the fifty cent price difference, by the end of the month, Mecha regularly raises nearly $20,000 for charity. Pham points out that, by baking the donation into the price of a menu item, Eat Justice avoids the awkwardness and ineffectiveness of directly asking consumers to donate towards a cause.

Read More

Guide to New Haven Bakeries: Italian, Mexican, Puerto Rican & Asian Must-Try Bake Shops

Features Restaurant New Haven Bakery Baked Goods Dessert Cakes Cookies Pastries Bread Bread Shop

Carly Terzigni

New Haven is a foodie hotspot in Connecticut, with no shortage of top-notch restaurants featuring cuisines from all around the globe. That level of quality, sheer abundance of choices, and beautiful blends of cultures extend to the city’s bakeries and cafes, which offer some of the best sweets and baked goods you can imagine. Whether you are looking for a quick dessert or a catered order for your next big event, you definitely do not need to look beyond New Haven’s city limits to find what you are looking for.

The next time you find yourself in New Haven, be sure to carve out some time during your visit to check out one (or several) of these great bakeries listed below. Pro tip: don’t stop at just one dessert; stock up on these tasty sweets like we did and enjoy them all week long.

NOTE: If you have a favorite New Haven Mexican, Italian, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, or Middle Eastern bakery and it’s not on this list, please contact us and we will add it to the list.

Read More

Filling In The Blanks Hosts "Plates with Purpose" Fundraiser to Fight Childhood Hunger

Events Features Events Fundraiser Gala Fight Hunger

Stephanie Webster

SAVE THE DATE for a very important evening. Filling In The Blanks will be hosting their Third Annual Plates With a Purpose Event on November 19, with tons of food, fun and festivities. Guests will be treated to a culinary adventure at the Loading Dock designed by Abigail Kirsch with guest chef Luke Venner. Enjoy specialty cocktails, a not to be missed wine & spirits auction, while dancing the night away. VIP ticket packages include carefully curated wine tastings and a VIP lounge. TICKETS ON SALE NOW.

Filling in the Blanks is a non-profit organization that fills the weekend meal gap for children that qualify for the free or reduced school meal programs. By providing a bag filled with healthy food for the weekend, children experience increased academic achievement and greater increase of success.

The evening will help raise funds to support Filling in the Blanks' mission to fight childhood hunger in local communities. We are excited to see everyone at Plates with Purpose 2022!

Please join CTbites and Filling In The Blanks on November 19th, and if your dance card is busy and you can’t attend the gala, please consider making a donation here. Every dollar helps feed a child who would otherwise go hungry.

Learn more about Filling In The Blanks here.

Read More

Support CT's Ukrainian and Eastern European Restaurants, Local Fundraising Events + Organizations For Donations

Features Fundraiser No War Community Eastern European Polish Ukrainian Homepage

April Guilbault

How can I help? What could I possibly do to help? There’s always a way you can show support and no action is too small. On a global scale, these are organizations where you can donate that will help support Ukrainian families and children with much needed food, housing, and medical supplies. Locally, we have listed our state’s Ukrainian and Eastern European restaurants, delis, and grocers. Placing an order or simply stopping by to say hello sends a message of support of our fellow man.

And by all means, please add your favorite Eastern European establishments in our comments section if they aren’t already on the list-the more the better. Thank you.

Read More
  Archive of All Reviews

Search by Tags