Filtering by Tag: Coffee Shop,Bridgeport

Sound Coffee Opens in Black Rock: Ethically Sourced, Freshly Roasted Coffee

Restaurant Opening Bridgeport Black Rock Coffee Shop Coffee Roaster Espresso

Callie Weyers

Sound Coffee, known for their freshly roasted, ethically sourced beans, threw its grand opening at its Black Rock location in Bridgeport earlier this month after completing a full renovation. Since 2023, they’ve been serving the Bridgeport community from their cozy cafe at their roastery on Main Street– now, they’re excited to welcome even more coffee lovers with the opening of their new spacious cafe on Fairfield Avenue

Sound Coffee is run by husband and wife, Jeff and Sarah Roy, who were inspired to showcase their passion for quality coffee after honing their roasting skills at home. Their journey began when Jeff received a simple Christmas gift of a roasting at home coffee kit from his mother in law. In 2020 the Roy’s began roasting and selling out of their garage to neighbors and farmers markets before opening their first location on Main Street in Bridgeport.


MANIFEST Coffee + Community Mobile Coffee Bar Launches in Norwalk

Restaurant Food Truck Coffee Shop Coffee Beverage Norwalk Opening

Callie Weyers

A mere forty days ago, Harrison Knowles decided to quit his corporate job and start his mobile coffee business– MANIFEST Coffee + Community. Based in Knowles’ own neighborhood of East Norwalk,  MANIFEST focuses on developing relationships with customers and creating a welcoming environment where everyone can express themselves freely over the highest quality of beverages.

In addition to the focus on community, Knowles ensures his customers get the highest possible quality beverages, as he personally sourced his vendors from the New York Coffee Fest. MANIFEST uses Ilse coffee which is based in North Canaan Connecticut, as well as Ghost Town Oats oat milk, and Transcendence coffee syrups which are formulated with only three ingredients and all natural flavors. 


NYC's Popular Provençal-Inspired Café, Maman, Opening in Downtown Westport

Restaurant Westport Opening Bakery cafe Coffee Shop

CTbites Team

Mrs. London's Cafe & Bakery has announced the sale of its Westport location to Maman, (@_mamannyc) the popular NYC based Provençal-inspired café, created by co-founders Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte. Maman will bring its fan-favorite salads, sandwiches, made-famous-by-Oprah Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies to the Westport community.

Maman, known for its cafés, bakeries, and event spaces, features a menu that celebrates childhood favorites from the South of France and North America. This will be their second CT location, after their launch in Greenwich.


Lao Cocina Opens in Bridgeport: Laotian X Puerto Rican Fusion Cuisine

Features Interview Restaurant Openings Interview Bridgeport Puerto Rican Laotian Latin Fusion Homepage

Andrew Dominick

When the popular Venezuelan-meets-Mexican mashup, Mil Sabores, vacated their original brick-and-mortar at 2043 Fairfield Avenue and went onto opening a bigger restaurant further down the street, they left their digs to another tenant, even if it is for a limited run. Lao Cocina, a Laotian and Puerto Rican fusion spot, that’s mostly takeout, is filling out the rest of that lease. Created by the husband-and-wife team of April Khanthaphixay, her husband, Daniel Colon, and Daniel’s uncle Sergio, they’re mixing their respective cultures for a new kind of concept.


AM Coffee & Co. Opens in Southbury

Ingredients Coffee Shop Coffee Interview Openings Southbury

Andrew Dominick

Less than a year ago, we covered Amanda Eng in our Q&A series, “It’s a Woman’s World,” with a focus on her coffee pop up, Kash & Liv Coffee Creations. Along with popping up all over the Newtown, Sandy Hook, and Danbury areas, Eng found a home as a coffee vendor inside of Uncle Matt’s Bakery and Cafe in the fall of 2023. Just over a year later, right before the holiday season, Eng teamed up with her customer-turned-friend, Meghan Jefts, to open a spot of their own. At AM Coffee & Co. in Southbury, Eng, a self-professed coffee nerd since she was 14, is continuing her coffee journey that saved her from corporate America.


Lyfe Cafe Opens In Westport: Breakfast, Lunch & Coffee FTW

Restaurant Westport Opening Breakfast Lunch Egg Sandwich Sandwiches Coffee Shop Homepage Bakery

Jessica Ryan

Lyfe really is good in Westport right now…

After much anticipation Lyfe Café finally opened its doors and to much fanfare. Offering both grab and go as well as sit down breakfast and lunch options, the newest café to grace Westport’s bustling restaurant scene is the latest collaboration of Gino Riccio and Dimitri Pantzos. The dynamic duo (who also happen to be uncle and nephew) have already seen smashing success with Pizza Lyfe (just up the street), a favorite among locals and non-locals alike. Riccio, a longtime veteran of the restaurant scene, is also the owner of Quattro Pazzi and Organika. 

Dimitri and Gino have spent nearly a year perfecting recipes. Everything at the café is made from scratch, and when you get the opportunity to eat there yourself, you’ll notice the quality immediately. I daresay they have perfected the croissant, with its crisp and flaky exterior, and layers of soft buttery goodness beneath. You’ll have to decide if you’re a traditionalist or wanting to try one of their viral offerings like the Tiramisu or White Chocolate Pistachio which sell out quickly, and after sampling one, I can see why. The sandwich rolls are also made in-house as are the bagels, and as a born and bred New Yorker, they pass my test – and I am very particular. 


Blossom Cafe, with Asian-Fusion Brunch Items, Opens in Simsbury

Restaurant Brunch Simsbury Asian Food Japanese Coffee Shop Matcha Breakfast Sandwiches Homepage

Leeanne Griffin

Chances are you’ve seen Japanese souffle pancakes on Instagram or TikTok – tall, thick and fluffy confections that jiggle at the slightest movement, topped with maple syrup, powdered sugar and berries. These have been hard to find in Connecticut, but they’re on the menu at a Simsbury Asian-fusion cafe that opened earlier this year.

Blossom Cafe owners Amanda Liu and Albert Zhang traveled through Asia last summer and fell in love with the cafe cultures in the countries they visited, coming back home to Connecticut inspired by what they’d seen. 


Green Village Initiative: A Garden Grows in Bridgeport...Get Involved!

Features Bridgeport Non For Profit Farms Food Justice Homepage

Jessica Ryan

Bridgeport’s not-for-profit Green Village Initiative was founded in Westport in 2011. Several years later the decision was made to move GVI’s base of operations and programs to focus on the residents of Bridgeport, CT and has since incorporated values of racial equity, antiracism and food justice into its goals. The GVI runs three programs which consist of community gardens, youth leadership programs and The Reservoir Community Farm, a 1.7 acre educational farm in the heart of Bridgeport with over 47 plots for community gardeners to grow food for their families. 

We had the opportunity to meet Eileen O’Reilly, who serves as a volunteer Board of Director as Chair of the Board. The former New Yorker and Vogue Magazine editor, told us all about the Green Village Initiative as we toured the farm on a warm day in late September. We wandered through rows of fruit, vegetables and flowers all being tended to by community members, as well as rows of wilder plants and greens with butterflies fluttering over the brightly colored flora and bees busily pollinating, their legs covered in brightly colored yellow dust. 


Guide To Great Coffee in CT: Celebrate National Coffee Day Sept 29 (2024 edition)

Features Guide Coffee Shop Coffee Highlight Homepage

April Guilbault

Beyond the basic and hydrating beverage of water, tea and coffee seem to be duking it out for the number two spot as the most consumed drink on the planet. About 80% of them regularly partake in a cuppa at home, with drip coffee coming in first, and cappuccinos and ice coffees picking up the rear. Overall, Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee a day, roughly 1,095 per person, per year and overall- hold onto your stirrers-as a nation, we swill 146 billion cups a year. Our beans overfloweth. Knowing that you will be soon looking for your next cup, read on…


Trattoria 'A Vucchella: Hidden Italian Gem in Downtown Bridgeport

Features Interview Restaurant Italian Bridgeport Homepage Interview Hidden Gem Pasta

Andrew Dominick

Trattoria A’Vucchella is the epitome of a hidden gem. Open for a tick over a decade, directly across the street from The Bijou Theater in Downtown Bridgeport, it might be one of the city’s best kept secrets if you’re not a local, and if you didn’t somehow discover it naturally.

“It’s a tough location, but we have a loyal following,” says co-owner Pasquale De Martino. “They all found us organically, and once they find us, they come back and from all over. I love the community here.”

Martino—who opened the restaurant back in 2014 with Jennifer Galletti and Thomas Bepko—was formerly the owner of a limoncello factory for 10 years in his birthplace of Sorrento, Italy before selling it and eventually getting into the villa renting business in Italy with Galletti.


Khemi’s Vegan Cuisine Food Truck: Caribbean Soul and Comfort Food

Restaurant Bridgeport Food Truck Vegan Vegetarian Black Owned Healthy Eats

April Guilbault

Just feet away from the Sacred Heart Discovery Science Center and Sacred Heart campus itself sits a row of food trucks and a wide shoulder where hungry eaters can park. Among the lineup, one small, silver truck takes its place there year-round, whether in cold, snow, heat or rain. Happily, I ventured to go see about Khemi’s Vegan Cuisine food truck.


29 Markle Ct Presents "Dinner on Markle," A Pop-Up Outdoor Dining Event

Features Events Events EVENT Bridgeport Dinner Events Pop-Up

Stephanie Webster

CTbites is excited to be the Media Sponsor for an incredible dining event going down on June 22nd, DINNER ON MARKLE, “Cultivating Seeds of Community.” BUY TICKETS HERE

29 Markle Court, awarded “Best New Restaurant” at the 2023 “Crazies Awards” is taking the “Outstanding In The Field” concept and bringing that long communal table dining experience to the streets of downtown Bridgeport. This is going to be an unforgettable event you will not want to miss.

The community dinner, "Dinner on Markle," will be held Saturday June 22nd, 3-8PM and the experience will span the entirely of Markle Ct in front of the restaurant. Chef Damon Daye and Wesley Arbuthnot have created an evening filled with local artists, creative drinks, live music and a four-course dinner al fresco that will focus on the bounty the season has to offer from our local CT farms.

The evening will be set under the stars, surrounded by an exhibit of incredible community art brought to you by Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.

“Cultivating Seeds of Community” will elevate local creativity, community, and art. A portion of the proceeds will benefit “The Green Village Initiative” and “The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.”


It’s a Woman’s World: Amanda Eng of Kash & Liv Coffee Creations

Ingredients Interview Coffee Coffee Shop It's A Woman's World Interview Newtown Sandy Hook

Andrew Dominick

From corporate America to…coffee?!

That’s exactly what Amanda Eng did. And now she’s making waves with her craft coffee concoctions that have included creative, original flavored lattes, cold brews with fruity sweet cream cold foams, and decadent cups of hot cocoa.

Amanda, and her coffee biz that’s named after her twins, Kash and Liv, is seemingly everywhere in the Newtown with pop ups at PTA meetings, to Newsylum Brewery, and others. Now with a home base inside of Uncle Matt’s Bakery and Café in nearby Sandy Hook, you’ll at least always know where to find her for your caffeine fix.

I recently caught up with Amanda to get Kash & Liv Coffee Creations’ origin story, to talk coffee and coffee inspiration, and what’s in her very near future.

Grab a cup (of her coffee if you have access) and check out our Q&A!


The Buzz About Bees Knees Bistro in Wallingford

Restaurant Wallingford Coffee Shop Breakfast Lunch Sandwiches

Sam Schwab

Driving along Center Street in Wallingford, you can find the Bees Knees Bistro across the street from the post office between North Main Street and Wallace Avenue. With a classic red brick exterior, glowy lanterns, and a string of bistro lights, the Bees Knees Bistro charms you before you even set foot inside. Run by Wallingford-native Jena Schlosser and her two aunts, Patti Schlosser and Catherine (Cathie) Muzio, the neighborhood bistro opened in December of last year. The trio is there every day of the week, working hard and wearing many hats. The 45-seat family-run bistro serves breakfast and lunch, with a comprehensive coffee and beverage list. With such a large variety of offerings, the bistro is family-friendly (there’s a ‘Honey Bees Menu’ for kiddos under 12 years of age), but also great for casual dining for couples and get-togethers among friends. The Bees Knees team also crafted the menu with dietary restrictions in mind with ample offerings for those following a gluten-free or vegan diet.


Carnitas + Family: Taco Guy Dishes About His Father’s Spot Super Taqueria Las Salsas in Bridgeport

Interview Features Restaurant carnitas tacos Bridgeport Hidden Gem Mexican

Andrew Dominick

If last year’s article on Taco Guy was the first “movie,” Super Taqueria Las Salsas is the sequel that’s actually a prequel. I’ll explain.

Taco Guy’s owner, Adrian Hurtado—who for this I’m going to use his middle name, Christtian, because that’s what he goes by if you know him—introduced a group of us to his father, Gil Salvador Perez Hurtado, back in March of 2023 at his dad’s restaurant, Super Taqueria Las Salsas. Christtian, you see, wanted us to know where he came from, where he learned his hard-working ethic from, and to introduce us to carnitas, something that has been in the Hurtado Family since 1931 in the Mexican state of Michoacán, where their family is from, and is also the birthplace of carnitas.

“My grandfather, Salvador, started it, but in the restaurant industry, I’m second generation,” Christtian says.


The Torta Shop Opens in Bridgeport Serving Epic Mexican Sandwiches

Features Interview Restaurant Bridgeport Openings Torta Tortas Mexican Sandwiches

Andrew Dominick

Go up or down Bridgeport’s North Avenue roughly a mile or so before or after the Fairfield town line and you’ll notice a neon blue awning with an emoji-like sandwich logo paired with the words “The Torta Shop” printed on it.

What’s not new, however, are the owners. Mariella Garcia and her husband Jose Santiago previously owned the bodega since 2017. Around a year and a half ago, the couple decided to flip the concept into something different.

“We’re originally from Oaxaca, then we came to Norwalk, and my husband and I moved to Bridgeport in 2016,” Garcia says. “In 2017 we got the grocery store and thought about switching it up over the years and wanted to make a bigger change. We wanted to bring this to Bridgeport. And there are a lot of Mexican restaurants here, but we wanted to focus on tortas, Mexican sandwiches. Other places do it, but we want to be known as a tortarilla.”


Guide To Great Coffee in Connecticut: Celebrate National Coffee Day Sept 29

Features Restaurant Coffee Shop Coffee Tea And Coffee Guide Best of CT Highlight Breakfast Homepage

April Guilbault

“I could go for a coffee right now.” “Where’s the nearest coffee place?” If we had a nickel for every time we heard or uttered those words, right? Happily, there’s a coffee house or roastery just about around every corner these days, but some of them rise above with their drinks, their blends, their hospitality. Hence, we have filled our cups to the brim with delicious offerings for you and this list is broken down by County so that you can get to that cup quicker! Sip alone, brew, sip with a friend-life is good.