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It’s a Woman’s World: Amanda Eng of Kash & Liv Coffee Creations
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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!
Alina’s Cakes: New Bakery Opens In Westport with Gluten Free Treats!
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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.”
NYC's Iconic Asian Bakery, Lady Wong, Now Delivering to CT
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Lady Wong, one of New York City’s hottest bakeries, is now delivering to Connecticut and Westchester. With its innovative desserts rooted in Southeast Asian tradition, the bakery has evolved from a pandemic era delivery service to one of New York City’s hottest bakeries. Founded by the dynamic Greenwich, CT-based husband and wife duo, Mogan Anthony and Seleste Tan– Lady Wong will give Fairfield County and Westchester foodies something they've been missing — a special occasion cake or pastry that’s at the center of their table and conversation.
Bonkers Cupcakes Offers Build Your Own Cupcakes in Fairfield CT
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Build your own cupcakes? Yes please.
We really feel like we hit the jackpot,” says Kris Stevens, owner and operator of Bonkers Cupcakes in Downtown Fairfield. “We absolutely love making these things, and being able to sell them is truly amazing.”
Bonkers offers a variety of cake flavor options, and gives customers the ability to select a cake flavor and then top it with their favorite frosting. Sure they have all the cake classics like chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet, as well as more creative choices like banana. To complement these flavors, Bonkers has a large selection of both Italian and American buttercream frostings. Stevens points out that Italian buttercream, which is much softer and not as overly sweet as American buttercream, is preferred both by himself and many customers. The notable frosting flavors include coconut, raspberry, salted caramel, and even coffee.
Guide to New Haven Bakeries: Italian, Mexican, Puerto Rican & Asian Must-Try Bake Shops
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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.
Bridgeport's Brazilian, Mexican & Italian Bakeries Worth a Sweet Visit
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Bridgeport, Connecticut is teeming with hidden culinary gems. The city is an exciting kaleidoscope of culture and is among the top cities in the state to immerse yourself in Brazilian traditions. And when it comes to Brazilian cuisine, some of the more highly sought-after destinations are the bakeries. After all, who doesn’t love a perfectly baked dessert after dinner (or before dinner – or as a whole meal itself – we won’t judge)?
Next time you are in Bridgeport, make it a point to stop by one of their many bakeries to experience some of the best in locally-owned sweetness. Whether you are craving a freshly baked concha or a savory breakfast item, you should be able to find them in ample supply in The Park City.
NOTE: If you have a favorite Bridgeport Brazilian, Mexican or Italian bakery and it’s not on this list, please contact us and we will add it to the list.
The Cheesecake Collection Launches with Stunning Insta-Worthy Custom Cheesecakes
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Tina Zaccardi: The Woman Behind The Italian Cookie
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Do you follow Tina Ziccardi Bakes, aka @theItalianCookie? Her media pages are loaded with baked deliciousness that is not only drool worthy, but is downright eye-candy perfection! Following her grand win on “The Great American Baking Show” Season 4 (Hulu), Augustina Zaccardi (Tina) became a bit of a local celebrity right here in Westchester. Her huge fan base from her hometown of Eastchester rooted her on with each baking challenge, becoming more difficult as each week passed. We all watch in amazement as contestants fly through the challenges on each food competition, but meeting with Zaccardi and listening to her describe what it is really like to be on a cooking show was enlightening. She described the experience, which filmed in England, to be competitive yet jovial and the contenders to have more comradery than might be expected in a contest pitting bakers against each other in difficult timed elimination assignments. Although they were in a heated competition, they became somewhat of a family and are still in close contact with each other today.
Connecticut Cottage Bakers & Makers: Small Food Businesses You'll Wanna Know
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You drive through your town and notice bakeries and specialty food shops here and there. One on this corner, another on that one. Now we’d like to introduce you to a plethora of cottage bakers and makers who are flying right below our radar, creating delicious delights, yet they aren’t in plain sight because they are baking out of their homes or commercial kitchens. Have you heard of many of them? How do you find out about them? Word of mouth, usually. Consider us your word-of-mouth and then please, spread the word about these delightful, delicious, de-groovy custom cottage bakers and makers. Everything starts small, after all…
If you know of a cottage food business that is not on this list, please contact us such that we can add them to the directory.
Baker of Black Rock: Outrageous Custom Cookies and Confections
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Julia Preis is the Baker of Black Rock. Sure, there may be other bakers in the Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport, but none like Julia. I knew this to be true long before I invited her to my home to demo the technique behind her stunning cookies and cakes. Full disclosure…I had quietly stalked her Instagram account for roughly six months, and you can do the same at @bakerofblackrock. The cookies were tiny edible works of art, seemingly too beautiful to eat, and each displayed a unique personality through accomplished craftsmanship. Her wall of cakes, fruit pies and cupcakes created eye candy that could only make you want to pull up a chair and dig in.
But what did they taste like? I had to find out.
Foundry Kitchen and Tavern: Chef Neugold's Sandy Hook Gem
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The historic corner waterfront property in the quaint village of Sandy Hook along the Pootatuck River has seen numerous habitants, but we think the current reign causing a stir at the Foundry Kitchen and Tavern are here to stay. Chef Clark Neugold and his magical crew are bringing lots o’ tasty vibes to hungry diners and we are eternally grateful.
An old foundry is quite likely the best place to spy upon all things shiny and the crew at the Foundry thought so too. The decor is what I like to call “dressed up rustic” with sturdy wood tables and chairs, exposed brick, and plenty of historic metal pieces from the original building circa 1857. Not to mention the metal plated ceiling that glistens when hit by candlelight. I daresay, this is what defined my first (and second, and third) “moment” at the Foundry.
Some people are afraid of change. Not Chef Neugold. Much of his career has been about creating, inventing, and trying new places and flavors. From Connecticut to Hawaii to Charleston, then back again, his very raison d’etre is to experiment, try new things, but commit to quality and great presentation. And, he hopes to do so in a welcoming environment with diners eager to know what’s new instead of expecting the same ol’ menu week after week. With that in mind, eaters at the Foundry will pick up exciting Pacific Asian notes he learned from his time working with chef of television fame Lee Anne Wong (Top Chef, Iron Chef, and Unique Eats) at her restaurant Koko Head Cafe in Hawaii; or, close their eyes in pleasure when tasting Southern fare inspired by Neugold’s time with world renown BBQ Master Rodney Scott.
Sandy Hook’s Nouveau Monde Wine Bar Has Paris-Bistro Feel
Restaurant Sandy Hook French Lunch WIne Wine Bar
Looking for French fare, with an exceptional wine list? Connecticut Magazine reviews Nouveau Monde Wine Bar in Sandy Hook, CT.
At some point during your visit to Nouveau Monde Wine Bar, you will start to crave wine.
Maybe this craving will begin when you walk in and see the steampunk elegance of the main dining area, a space that feels equal parts bar, classic cafe, restaurant and offbeat library. Perhaps it will strike as you read the wine list itself, a thick document that goes on and on like a William Faulkner sentence punctuated by descriptions such as “spicy yet fruity, red wine drinkers’ rosé.” Maybe it will begin when your server asks, “What type of wine do you usually drink?” and you realize “IPAs” is not an acceptable response.
Or, at least, that’s what happened to me.
This newfound appreciation of wine capped (or in this case, corked) a visit to the restaurant that, to put it in language a wine lover would understand, was a rich, full-bodied evening highlighted by notes of cellared ambiance, clean, bright food flavors that were anything but dry and a sweet, rich finish courtesy of a knockout dessert.
