Filtering by Tag: Special Occasion,Cheese

Cheese Tasting Tips & Facts from Arethusa Dairy Farm

Features Ingredients Litchfield Cheese Cheese Shop Cheesemaker Local Farm Local Artisan Cheese Tasting

Jessica Ryan August 04, 2023

A few months ago I had the privilege of visiting Arethusa Dairy Farm to attend a special cheese tasting event which coincided with Connecticut’s Agriculture Week. The event was a celebration for their Europa cheese, an aged Gouda, that had just been awarded “Best in Show” in the US Championship Cheese Contest.

At Home Raclette Primer from Fairfield/Greenwich Cheese Company

Features Catering Cheese Dining At Home Play With Your Food Entertaining

CTbites Team January 27, 2023

Raclette is a dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland. The raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates. We went to the cheese experts tat Fairfield/Greenwich Cheese Company to learn more about making Raclette at home, and the different varieties of cheese used to make this ultimate comfort food dish, just right for winter.

Raclette comes from the French word racler, which means "to scrape." It's a cheese traditionally eaten in the Swiss and French Alps. Cow herders used to take the cheese with them when they moved cows from the valley pastures up into the mountains. In the evenings around the fire, they would place the cheese next to the fire and, when it had melted, scrape it on top of the bread. Today we have easy to use machines to do the melting, but the results are just as delicious.

These are our favorite raclettes:

DOM's Coffee, Cheese, and Now...Creamery: All The Good Stuff in Avon

Restaurant Ingredients Specialty Market Cheese Cheese Shop Coffee Ice Cream Avon

April Guilbault January 13, 2023

Nestled in the Connecticuty-quaint town of Avon, an area known for its New England beauty, historic homes, and the well-known Avon Old Farms School, sits the quietly chic and welcoming Dom's Coffee. But wait, there's also Dom's Cheese. And now, Dom's Creamery right next door. Avon may be steeped in history, but it keeps evolving, as does Dom's.

Dom's Coffee opened its doors in 2015, the brainchild of Lithuanian couple Asta and Andrius Plankis and sweetly named for their son Dominic. What began as a place for the community to take time to sit and enjoy a great cup of coffee, not just grab-and-go-and-swill-it-in-your-car, has now become a beloved spot in town. With their European flair and attention to detail, Dom's Coffee seamlessly blends the CT aesthetic with the European, feeling all at once new but also comfortable and homey. Light and bright walls, with intentional and un-cluttered decor make his space both interesting and calming. Dom's serves a full range of coffee drinks made with beans from J. Rene Coffee Roasters (West Hartford), with inventive specials to get you in seasonal moods.

England Cheese Journey: Explore Dairy Royalty with CT's Fairfield Cheese Co

Features Road Trip England Travel Cheese Cheese Shop Homepage

Tenaya Darlington February 03, 2022

Imagine waking up in a 16th century English country house where designer cows graze just off the ballroom. You’re in Somerset, the seat of England’s best Cheddars, and you’re staying in a beautifully restored bedroom -- one of 25, no less -- in the opulent manor belonging to the Montgomerys, one of the best Cheddar-making families.

Cheese royalty? Maybe you didn’t know such a world existed. But the royal family does. They’ve served award-winning Montgomery’s Cheddar for years. Now, thanks to a luxury food-tour company called Cheese Journeys, you can travel to the Montgomery estate (a.k.a. North Cadbury Court) and learn to make Cheddar with the head of the family, plus feast on the best British cheeses, wines, ciders, and whiskies from October 2-9, 2022.

That’s where you’ll find Laura Downey, owner of Fairfield Cheese Co.

“No one curates a trip like Cheese Journeys,” Downey says. “It’s a great way to combine a vacation with our passion for cheese and good food.”

Plum Plums Cheese Opening in New Canaan

Features Restaurant Openings New Canaan Cheese Cheese Shop Specialty Market

CTbites Team March 16, 2021

Attn: Cheese lovers. This just in from New Canaan Advertiser…

Elixirs for mocktails, a choice of 65 cheeses and coffee sourced from women farmers in Kenya will all be coming to New Canaan next month.

Plum Plums Cheese is moving with its gourmet goodies from its Pound Ridge, N.Y., location to 149 Cherry St. in New Canaan on April 1.

The 7-year-old enterprise, owned by spouses Gayle Martin and Michael Riahi, will be expanding its offerings with butchered meats in addition to the charcuterie, soups and sandwich options. The new location is 1,100 square feet, compared to the 700-square-foot space in New York.

“We know the back story of every item we sell. If cheese, meat, bar of chocolate or jar of jam,” Martin said. “Our primary focus of cheese.”

Read the full article on New Canaan Advertiser.

30+ Connecticut Restaurants & Caterers for Easter Dinner To-Go

Features Catering Holiday Easter Special Occasion Entertaining

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 02, 2020

We may have to stay indoors, but the Easter bunny is ready to hop on over! Easter arrives on Sunday April 12, and Connecticut restaurants are making sure that you can still enjoy the holiday to its fullest with delectable to-go meals. From a la carte to family-style to catering to heat and serve, there are options to meet every need. Check out this list of 20+ places and let us know if you hear of any other places with tasty Easter meals

Arethusa Dairy Farm: Saving CT Farmland Through Exceptional Dairy

Features Ingredients Bantam Litchfield CT Farms Local Farm Local Artisan Dairy Farm ice cream Cheese Homepage

Jessica Ryan February 26, 2020

CTBites and Terrain were recently invited to Arethusa Dairy Farm for a behind the scenes tour of their dairy farm and cheese making process. But before we get all cheesy, I want to share the wonderful story of a once little known dairy farm.

It all began in 1999 when the Webster family put their 150 year old family farm up for sale. Worried that their view would be obstructed, and to preserve the historic property, neighbors George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgatis stepped in to purchase the farm once named for a small pink orchid that grew in a swamp on the land. Malkemus and Yurgatis promised to restore its original name, and such were the humble beginnings of the Arethusa Dairy Farm.

80 + Restaurants for Valentine’s Day in CT: 2020

Features Holiday Special Occasion Valentine's Day Homepage

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 03, 2020

Move over Santa! With the holidays in the rearview, cupid is coming to town. Valentine’s Day falls on Friday February 14th and Connecticut Restaurants and Caterers are serving up “sweet” deals to make sure that you and your special someone have an evening to remember. Here are 80+ places where you can go for a romantic night out.

100+ Connecticut Restaurants To Celebrate New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day

Features New Years Holiday Special Occasion Homepage

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 20, 2019

50+ CT Restaurants Serving Thanksgiving Dinner & Catering: 2019 Edition

Features Holiday Thanksgiving Catering Caterers Special Occasion homepage Homepage

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 17, 2019

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and many of Connecticut’s best restaurants have Thanksgiving specials & catering worth gobbling up! From prix fixe menus to extensive buffets to family style to take-out, there are options for everyone. So don’t cry fowl– make your reservations today! Space is limited and seats fill up quickly, and get your catering orders in if you’d prefer to do Thanksgiving at home, without the work!

30+ CT Restaurants, Farm Dinners & Special Events for Father's Day 2019

Features Father's Day Special Occasion Homepage

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 05, 2019

Last month we celebrated Mom... now it's time to celebrate Dad! Connecticut restaurants, breweries, wineries, and caterers are getting creative with special ways to honor fathers. From al fresco feasts to beer dinners to vineyard festivals to BBQ, here is a list of over 30 places with celebrations on Father's Day and Father's Day weekend. Be sure to make your reservations now. Seats fill up quickly!

Goshen Stampede, Goshen: Just in time for Father’s Day, the 14th Annual Goshen Stampede takes place from June 14th - 16th at The Goshen Fair Grounds. There will be live music, demolition derbies, truck pulls, rodeos, barrel racing, music, rides, food, and more.

Bear’s Smokehouse @ Alvarium, New Britain: Alvarium and Bear's Smokehouse are teaming up for Father’s Day. Bear's Smokehouse will serve up the best authentic Kansas City Barbeque on the patio while Alvarium pours brews to go with the meal.

Untiled Bistro @ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford: On, Sunday, June 16 treat Dad with a special Jazz Brunch. There are two seatings available: 10:30am & 12:30pm. In addition to live music by Sarah Rose Nunes and Joe Carter, tickets include a buffet, museum admission, and one complimentary bloody mary or mimosa.

Match & Match Burger Lobster, Norwalk & Westport: Match and Match Burger Lobster will be open on Sunday 6/16 and serving their regular menus.

Connecticut’s Brewery Legitimus & Barden Farm Partner Again for 2nd CSABC (Community Supported Agriculture, Beer & Cheese) Share

Features CSA Local Artisan Local Farm CT Beer Cheese Farm to Table

CTbites Team May 23, 2019

Brewery Legitimus, the 7 barrel craft brewery co-founded by husband and wife team Chris and Christina Sayer, is partnering once again with Barden Farm (New Hartford, CT), to bring a Community Supported Agriculture, Beer & Cheese (CSABC) Share to the community. Back for a second year in a row, the 10-week “Farm, Beer and Cheese Share” begins July 11th and will run until September 12th.

The first in the area, the CSABC share brings together locally grown produce from Barden Farm, locally crafted beer by Brewery Legitimus, and locally made cheese from several different farms in CT.

A CSABC share membership is $485 for the 10 Weeks and includes Craft Beer from Brewery Legitimus, Cheese and of course a Farm Share from Barden Farm. It works just like a CSA. Here’s what’s included:

Fairfield Cheese Company Celebrates its 10-Year Anniversary w/ A Cheesefest!

Features Events Cheese

Stephanie Webster April 18, 2019

Laura Downey and Chris Palumbo, co-owners of the popular Fairfield and Greenwich Cheese Company shops, reflect upon their 10-year journey in the cheese biz, their accomplishments, and how far consumers have come in their appreciation for delectable fromage. They will also be celebrating with some great cheese-centric classes in early May. Check ‘em out here.

Mystic Cheese Co. Opens in Groton, CT: Artisanal Cheese Shop, Wine, Beer & Classes

Ingredients Features Openings Groton Cheese Specialty Market

CTbites Team March 06, 2019

In an unusual but convenient industrial park in Groton, just near the Groton Airport, Mystic Cheese Co. is opening a new location this month to serve homemade and artisanal cheeses to the after-work crowd and cheese connoisseurs alike. Upon stepping into the front doors at the new site of Mystic Cheese, visitors are welcomed into a cozy tasting room in which they can perch on barstool seating that offers glimpses into the impressively sized cheese maturation room.

The feeling that the owners, Brian Civitello and Jason Sobocinksi (former owner of the beloved Caseus Cheese), have tried to create with their events and cut to order cheese is relaxed, fun, and unpretentious. Mystic Cheese has definitely accomplished this with their communal tables, friendliness, and awesome narwhal logo. By doing this, their overall aim is to attract people to the world of artisanal cheeses by offering cheeses at multiple price points, cheese-centric food, and educational classes.

Gaetano's Moves Arthur Avenue To Connecticut

Restaurant Features Deli Westport Italian Sandwich Lunch Catering Specialty Market Cheese

James Gribbon August 07, 2018

Some time several decades ago Milanno Ukehaxhaj left Kosovo at an opportune time on his way to America and making me a sandwich. That is skipping over a lot, but we'll get to the details in later paragraphs, and anyway it was a very good sandwich. This sandwich was not made when I visited the deli earlier this month with his wife and business partner Diana feeding me information as well as chicken parmigiana, it was made during my lunch break at a summer job I held in 2000, which is when I fell in love with Gaetano's.

Dom's Coffee: Get Your Espresso On At The "Most Beautiful Cafe in Connecticut"

Restaurant Coffee Tea And Coffee Cheese Breakfast Brunch Dessert Bakery

April Guilbault April 17, 2018

Farmington, Connecticut; the land of colonial homes and rolling hills, horse farms, schools once attended by former First Ladies and now, home of Dom's Coffee, rated by Architectural Digest as The Most Beautiful Cafe in Connecticut.

Remember when the word coffeehouse conjured visions of overstuffed, cast-off furniture populated by long-lounging “alternative” coffee-sippers? All that was missing was your local version of Phoebe Buffay crooning about her Smelly Cat. Gone are those days. A new, craft-caffeinated, curated, uplifting day has dawned in the land of this coffeehouse and many others.

50+ Restaurants for Easter in CT: 2018 Edition

Restaurant Holiday Special Occasion

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 16, 2018

Even though snow’s been in the forecast, spring is actually on its way and Easter is right around the corner! Connecticut restaurants are celebrating the occasion with prix fixe menus, traditional dishes, brunches, buffets, and more. Click here to see all of the egg-cellent options… and don’t forget to reserve ASAP so some-bunny doesn’t beat you to it!

Hub and Spoke, Bridgeport: On Wednesday March 28, get into the Easter spirit at Hub & Spoke in Bridgeport. The Easter bunny will make an appearance for dinner at 4pm.
Homestead Inn, Greenwich: Dine on a 3 course Easter prix fixe menu at The Homestead in for $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point, Old Saybrook: They will serve an Easter Brunch from 10am to 4pm.
Harbor Lights, Norwalk: Harbor Lights in Norwalk will have a three course prix fixe Easter Dinner for $49 per person, plus tax, gratuity, and drinks.
Anthony’s Ocean View, New Haven: At Anthony's Ocean View, enjoy Easter brunch with seatings at 10:30am, 11am, 1pm, and 1:30pm or come for supper at 3:30pm or 4pm. Choose from a meal in the dining room or reserve a private family suite.
Madison Beach Hotel, Madison: The Wharf at The Madison Beach Hotel will serve Easter brunch from 10:30am-3:30pm. They'll have salads, breads and pastries, omelet and carving stations, entrees, house made desserts, and more. It is $54 per adult, $20 for children 6-12, and free for kids under 6.

On Thursdays, We Eat Prime Rib: Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield

Restaurant BBQ Ridgefield American Special Occasion

Andrew Dominick February 20, 2018

Up until recently, prime rib had all but vanished from restaurants. It remained on menus at less-than-trendy eateries or it was offered at others as a one-day-per-week special, but it never quite reached levels of steak extinction. If you’ve glanced at dinner menus lately—yes, even at hotspot restaurants—there’s a chance you’ve noticed that this beefy blue-plate special has reemerged!

If you’re a prime rib superfan, or if you salivate at the thought of a hearty slice of standing rib roast, Hoodoo Brown BBQ should be on your “Thursday Night Plans” list. Being a BBQ joint, they’re doing what you might imagine they’re doing with prime rib…they’re smoking whole 14 lb. roasts and serving them up until it’s all gone.

Cheesemonger Subscription Box Launches From Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Co.

Ingredients Features Cheese Delivery Service Home Delivery Gift Guide

Stephanie Webster February 01, 2018

Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company have introduced a subscription cheese box service that curates small batch, artisan and traditional cheeses and delivers them, freshly cut, to the doorsteps of food lovers across the nation.

Cheesemonger Box will curate a selection of small batch and traditional American and European cheeses for monthly home delivery, launched this winter as the first cheese subscription service of its kind.

Founders Laura Downey and Chris Palumbo, co-founders and owners of Connecticut cheese shops Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company, are launching the service with the goal of “spreading the cheese love across the country” and empowering customers to “become the expert” on artisan cheese.

Restaurant Crawl Through Mohegan Sun...Ballo, Bobby’s Burger Palace, Todd English’s Tuscany, Tom’s Urban + More!

Restaurant American Italian Special Occasion Homepage Burgers

CTbites Team January 31, 2018

While heading to Mohegan Sun for the Lady Gaga concert (yes, she was indeed fantastic), my editor at CTBites asked me to check out the casino’s restaurant scene. And not just one or two spots either. She wanted me to work my way through as many as possible. Naturally, I was intrigued. I’ve been to a few of the casino’s restaurants, but there were so many I have yet to experience. So when she asked me to do a restaurant crawl before the concert, I happily accepted the challenge. While I might not have tried them all - Mohegan Sun has a lot of restaurants - I managed to maneuver through a solid few. Here’s how it went.