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 June 14, 2023 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
Guide To Connecticut's Most Crave-Worthy Cookies Features Ingredients Restaurant Cookies Dessert Kid Friendly Sweets Best of CT Highlight April Guilbault May 08, 2023 Who doesn’t enjoy a cookie? Decadently giant or sublimely bite-sized, spanning traditional flavors of sugar, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter or new-fangled recipes that include everything but the kitchen sink. Sweet, sweeter, sweetest. Then there’s the Great Debate: chewy or crispy? Where do you land? Are you a dunker, a nibbler, or a late-night snacker? Cookies are the universal dessert and knowing where to get good ones makes life all the sweeter. Dunk away…Enjoy our sweet GUIDE TO THE BEST COOKIES IN CONNECTICUT. Read More
Leven(thal) Cookies: OMFG Cookies Delivered To Your Doorstep Features Restaurant Bakery Cottage Bakers Cookies Delivery Jessica Ryan April 03, 2023 love at first bite…In full disclosure I don’t think I’ve met a cookie I didn’t like but as we all know there’s a difference between like and love. I have a sweet tooth that’s very discerning with exceptionally high standards. My tooth can easily separate the good from the very good, great, outstanding and the OMIGOD. So when I received a box of warm Leven(thal) Cookies I knew my sweet tooth had its work cut out. Leven(thal) is a fun, punny play on the name Leventhal, as in Jess Leventhal, baker of these oversized mini-baseball mound shaped treats. The young mother of three – all aged 3 and under! – moved to Westport two and a half years ago. She started baking during her maternity leave and started posting some of her creations on Instagram. The reaction was almost immediate and soon she was filling orders. Read More
Bonkers Cupcakes Offers Build Your Own Cupcakes in Fairfield CT Restaurant Features Cupcakes Bakery Baked Goods Dessert Build Your Own Kid Friendly Fairfield Cakes Oliver Clachko February 21, 2023 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. 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 November 30, 2022 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
Bridgeport's Brazilian, Mexican & Italian Bakeries Worth a Sweet Visit Features Restaurant Bakery Dessert Custom Cakes Cakes Cookies Homepage Carly Terzigni October 16, 2022 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. Read More
Nutcracker Egyptian Bakery & Candy Shop in Fairfield Restaurant Features Bakery Fairfield Candy Shop Egyptian Middle Eastern Baked Goods Imported Oliver Clachko July 19, 2022 In July of 2021, Khaled H. Khaled opened Nutcracker Egyptian Bakery & Candy Shop in Fairfield with his wife and three children. The Egyptian bakery quickly found an ample following, says Khaled. “All different sorts of people come in. Some people for the candy, some for the baklava, and [many still] for other things.” The family-run shop’s offerings consist of a variety of Middle-Eastern baked goods, as well as a selection of treats from Egypt’s most beloved brands. Khaled learned how to bake early while working at his family’s confectionery in Cairo. After moving to Fairfield in 2012, he continued to hone his craft while experimenting with possible improvements. Accordingly, Nutcracker offers many different delicacies with an enormous variety of flavors. Read More
The Cheesecake Collection Launches with Stunning Insta-Worthy Custom Cheesecakes Features Bakery Baker Custom Cakes Cakes Dessert Caterers Baked Goods Stephanie Webster January 18, 2022
40+ Places For Great Holiday Pies in Connecticut (2021 Edition) Features Ingredients Holiday Thanksgiving Dessert Bakery Baked Goods Buying Guide April Guilbault November 10, 2021 There are cake people and there are pie people, but when it comes to holidays, Thanksgiving is all about the pie. Fruity, custardy, creamy, double-crust, single crust, crumb and lattice topped, chocolatey, piled high with swoops of light-as-air meringue, fluff-filled chiffon, even savory; there is a pie for every palate around your holiday table. A slice of this, a slice of that, they are hard to resist. We won’t even go into the fact that pie for breakfast the day after a holiday quite possibly takes, well, the cake. Whether you are a traditionalist or a try-new-things-ist at your holiday table, we have the pie for you. Or at least, these delightful vendors do. Happy Thanksgiving and forks up, people! Read More
Welcome to The Po Cafe: New England Charm + Damn Good Food In Washington CT Restaurant Breakfast Sandwich Breakfast Lunch To-Go Comfort Food Washington Coffee Bakery Baked Goods sandwiches Homepage Jessica Ryan October 24, 2021 The iconic Po Café is located in the heart of Washington CT and lives in a charming historic white clapboard house right next to the town’s post office – hence the nickname. The building, once home to a pharmacy and grocery store, sits across from the idyllic town’s church. The area served as the inspiration behind fictional town Stars Hollow made famous by Rory and Lorelei Gilmore. As soon as you walk through the front door you can almost imagine Luke standing behind the counter of the old fashioned soda fountain pouring a cup of coffee. Read More
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins by Whitney Flood of Nine Main Café in New Preston Recipe Features Recipe Baked Goods Muffin Gluten-Free CTbites Team October 20, 2021 Well it’s that time of year. What to do with all those pumpkin innards after your spawn (or you) have scooped and carved? Obviously, you eat it. Here’s one great idea from Chef Whitney Flood of Nine Main Café in New Preston & Farmers and Cooks, who has created a wonderful Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin recipe for all of you gluten intolerant folks out there. Read More
Meet Pierluigi Mazzella of Fatto a Mano Bakery: Panettone & Artisan Bread Features Local Artisan Bakery Bread Bread Shop Baked Goods Dessert Breakfast Homepage Brian Lance October 13, 2021 Mazzella strove for this constant improvement throughout his baking journey, always moving up, always seeking to work in places where he could learn more high-level skills. He worked around Italy as a pizzaiolo, then as a panettone apprentice for the 2019 world champion of panettone, and most recently as the lead bread baker for Atticus Bakery in New Haven.Now, at his bakery, Fatto a Mano, which translates from Italian as “made by hand,” Mazzella applies his father’s work ethic to his baking. He makes Italian-inspired artisan bread and pastry, including sourdoughs loaves and biscotti. Then there's the panettone. Read More
Tina Zaccardi: The Woman Behind The Italian Cookie Features Baker Cottage Bakers Custom Cakes Cakes Cookies Caterers Westchester Donna Monaco Olsen July 20, 2021 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. Read More
Sea Salt Baking Company: Outrageously Delicious Cookies...Delivered! Features Bakery Cottage Bakers Cookies Delivery Dessert Steven Laitmon June 15, 2021 I’m not sure when I first heard about Sea Salt Baking Company but as Connecticut’s cottage baking industry has been exploding recently and my interest in fresh, local, treats has shown no signs of waning, I was eager to learn more. Plus, If the word on the street matched the actual product from this baker (with cookie baking in her DNA), I knew I’d be in for a treat.Sea Salt Baking Company is the “baby” of Jaeca Sweeney, a Fairfield mom of two who found herself with a little extra time on her hands during the pandemic and knew cookies were calling. Read More
Milk N Cookies Cookie Café and Cereal Bar Opens in Stamford Restaurant Openings Stamford Cookies Dessert Kid Friendly Bakery Camille Vynerib April 06, 2021 Although it took co-owners Louis Apicella and George Spirou 14 months to open their doors due to the pandemic, Milk N Cookies has finally opened in Stamford. Adding to their first location in Mamaroneck, Westchester, the duo signed their lease in Stamford last December when they realized that the city was “hungry for a nice dessert hangout spot.”The cookie café and cereal bar features twelve unique 4.5-5 oz cookies, some of which are stuffed, and a variety of cereal infused milkshakes and ice creams. The menu has an abundance of options to satisfy your sweet tooth, whether you’re craving a chocolate chip cookie, an out-of-this-world galaxy cookie, or a fruit loops infused milkshake, you’ll find it here. Read More
45+ Spots for Easter Treats in CT: Cookies, Chocolates, Cakes, Bunnies & More Restaurant Features Easter Holiday Dessert Cookies Chocolate April Guilbault March 27, 2021 Bunnies and chicks and eggs, oh my. So much chocolate, so many jelly beans. Our baskets will runneth over. We’ve got the classics and have also found some new and unusual Easter treats for you to enjoy. If anyone you love is not on this list, feel free to add them in the comments. We all need to know great places to go for holiday treats-I think we can all agree on that. Happy Easter, everyone!(In case you need dinner recommendations too…head to our CTbites Easter Dining Guide!) Read More
Connecticut Cottage Bakers & Makers: Small Food Businesses You'll Wanna Know Features Ingredients Bakery Bagels Cookies Custom Cakes Cakes Pastry Chef Dessert Cottage Bakers Made To Order Homepage April Guilbault March 10, 2021 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. Read More
Raphaël’s Bakery Opens in Greenwich with Authentic French Baked Goods Restaurant Greenwich Openings Bakery Dessert Baked Goods Camille Vynerib March 04, 2021 At CTbites, we like to feature the voices of food lovers of all ages. Please welcome a new writer from Staples High School, Camille Vynerib.This winter break I was unable to go on vacation due to COVID-19. However, the instant I walked into Raphaël’s Bakery in Greenwich, this snowy morning, I found I was able to catch a glimpse of France. The wonderful smells that immediately hit me as I opened the door, the beautiful pastries, and the delicious hot cocoa and baked goods, all were a treat to the senses.Amidst the pandemic, Raphaël’s Bakery has brought an authentic French experience to Greenwich, Connecticut. Raphaël, a third-generation baker born in Brittany, France, and his wife Charlotte Dequeker finally had their dream become a reality when they opened their doors this past December. Read More
45+ Spots For Great Pies in Connecticut: Holiday Shopping Guide Features Restaurant Holiday Thanksgiving Pie Pies Dessert Bakery Baked Goods Shopping Grocery Store Catering Best of CT Homepage April Guilbault November 07, 2020
Rosie New Canaan: 16 Years of Uber Delicious Global Comfort Food Restaurant New Canaan Global Cuisine American Baked Goods Comfort Food Mexican Dessert Breakfast Brunch Lunch homepage Homepage Stephanie Webster November 01, 2020 Walking in to meet the legendary “Rosie” of Rosie New Canaan, I had full clarity within 30 seconds as to what has made this uber delicious global comfort food spot so beloved for 16 years. Sure, it’s the 2 pound blueberry muffins that could make a grown man weep, and the love that goes into the 6 hour stewed black beans in Rosie’s hueveos rancheros, but truly it is Rosie Bonura herself that makes this place feel like home (but with far better fare than you’d find in your own kitchen). She herself is the perfect recipe of creative energy, passion, and love for her community. This New Canaan fixture, whom I came to realize, after sitting streetside with her, knows everyone in the town by name, came racing out of the kitchen to greet me (we’d never met in person), virtually hugged me, (cuz’ Covid), and said “I need to get a batch of cookies out of the oven, I’ll be right back.” Read More
