Mocktails That Matter: Nutmegger’s Noontime Fancy with "The Barrel Age" Bartender Features Ingredients Cocktails Non Alcoholic Cocktails Zero Proof Cocktails Mocktails Bartender Recipe Khalid Williams July 19, 2023 Khalid Williams is a Bloomfield CT native who has established himself as a leading authority on bartending and beverage education. His focus is on demystifying the adult beverage world, empowering everyone to make classic cocktails and enjoy world class wine, craft beer, and other beverages that matter made by people who care. In 2021, Khalid received the CRAZIES Award for Bartender of the Year.This will be the first installment of an ongoing series featuring Mocktails The Matter, or zero-proof cocktails exclusively featuring locally made CT based ingredients, from Khalid Wiliams, a.k.a., The Barrel Age.Keep scrolling for some great tips on some “cocktail” making basics including the great straining & muddling debate, and enjoy Khalid’s zero-proof recipe for the Nutmegger’s Noontime Fancy. 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 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
Warm Up with Rosa Mexicano's Boozy Mexican Coffee Features Cocktails Recipe CTbites Team December 08, 2022 With notes of ancho chile, caneia and vanilla, this boozy Mexican Coffee is the perfect spiked treat to warm you up on a brisk winter day. Featuring fair trade Mexican coffee from chiapas, ancho reyes, 1921 crema, milagro reposado, canela-agave, chocolate bitters, kahlua cream, we strongly recommend adding this to your holiday cocktail list. If you haven’t been to CT’s new Mexican spot, Rosa Mexicano (yep the one of NYC fame), check it out. 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
Caramelized Figs and Burrata Recipe from Chef Luke Venner Features Recipe Recipe CTbites Team September 14, 2022 Sometimes simplicity is best when it comes to cuisine. If you’ve ever eaten in Tuscany, you know this well. Great ingredients, prepared beautifully, and you’ve got yourself something delicious. Chef Luke Venner of Elm in New Canaan can execute the most elaborate dishes you’ve ever seen with layers of flavors and nuance, but he knows when to let the ingredients speak for themselves. We suggest sourcing your Mozzarella and herbs fresh from your local Farmers Market or cheesemonger. This simple dish is simply perfect. Enjoy his recipe for Caramelized Figs and Burrata. Read More
Local Vegan Chef, Christian Tracey, Launches Plant-Based Video Recipe Series Features Recipe Video Recipe Vegan Plant Based CTbites Team April 26, 2022 Christian (Chrissy) Tracey is a local Vegan Content Contributor, Video Host at Bon Appétit Magazine, and Head Chef at Chrissy’s. She lives in New Fairfield CT.As a Vegan chef, Chef Christian Tracey knows a thing or two about the beauty of plants. She has recently launched a video series called “Plant Curious”, a plant-based series showcasing the food and cultures she loves. Tracey will be exploring cooking, baking, foraging, and a bit of her Jamaican culture. She strives to inspire her viewers to get excited about adding plants to their lifestyle---whether that be through diet and meal planning, or simply getting outside.In this video, she features Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica. The dish, Ackee & Saltfish, is an ode to her childhood and her Jamaican heritage. It's a traditional meal consumed on a regular basis in many Jamaican households, and is savory and vegetable forward. Read More
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Salsa Macha with Figs Recipe (Westport Farmers' Mkt) Recipe Recipe Sandwich CTbites Team April 07, 2022 There is nothing more comforting than a crispy and gooey grilled cheese sandwich. You can make this even more interesting with the addition of some salsa macha with figs to complement all the cheesy goodness with some spicy and smoky flavor. I like to use a combination of cheeses like Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina and Provolone.The secret to the crispy bread is using a great sourdough bread like the Wild Yeast sourdough bread from Wave Hill breads, and then add some mayonnaise to crisp up the bread on the griddle. —Lorenza Arnal of Alma Mexican Foods in conjunction with The Westport Farmers’ MarketEnjoy this recipe for Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Salsa Macha with Figs. Read More
Stewed Clams with Fregola Recipe from Chef Emily Mingrone of Tavern on State Features Recipe Recipe Seafood Holiday CTbites Team December 22, 2021 We continue our holiday recipe tour with Chef Emily Mingrone of Tavern On State. She shares a Christmas holiday classic that is near and dear to her, but truly can be made any time of the year littlenecks are available. Enjoy Chef Mingrone’s recipe for Stewed Clams with Fregola. If you make this at home, send us a photo! Read More
VOV Italian Egg Liqueur Recipe from Chef Silvia Baldini Recipe Features Recipe Cocktails Holiday CTbites Team December 22, 2021 The italian version of eggnog liqueur is known as VOV, from the Venetian-dialect vovi, meaning “eggs”. This energy and boozy bomb will heat you up and invigorate you. VOV was invented in 1845 by Gian Battista Pezziol, a confectioner of Padua specialized in the production of nougat, which required just the egg whites. Pezziol decided to use the remaining egg yolks with marsala wine, alcohol and sugar, to make a kind of zabajone liqueur and energy drink tonic. Drinks made with eggs have long been considered rejuvenating: many ancient recipes speak of their special power to ‘wake up’ love, revive the sick, and generally boost energy. Ideally you should sip it on the rocks, by a fireplace, after a day on the slopes. But it’s great anytime at room temperature, as a garnish for ice cream, or for dipping dry biscuits whenever you need a pick me up. You can take your VOV to the next level and transform it in to a "Bombardino" the original Après-Ski cocktail of the any Italian mountains holiday. Just add a splash of brandy, a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder. Read More
Gingerbread & EGGNOG Tres Leches Recipe from Chef Carlos Perez Features Recipe Recipe Holiday Dessert CTbites Team December 21, 2021 Given the current state of the world, many of us may be spending some quality time in the kitchen this holiday season. In the next few days CTbites will be providing some inspiration for the home cook. Our first holiday recipe comes from Chef Carlos Perez of @The Corner and ATC South Street in Litchfield. Enjoy this recipe for Gingerbread & EGGNOG Tres Leches. Send us a photo of your finished recipe and we will feature on CTbites. Read More
Chef Matt Storch's Recipe for "Day After Turkey & Waffles" Features Recipe Recipe Thanksgiving Breakfast CTbites Team November 26, 2021 What’s for day-after-Thanksgiving breakfast? Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurant & Match Burger Lobster has a great idea for all those leftovers. Bust out the waffle maker, that last slice of pecan pie people were simply too full to consume last night, and some tasty turkey bits for breakie.Enjoy Chef Storch’s Day After Thanksgiving Turkey & Waffles. You’re welcome. 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
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
Classic Strawberry Shortcake Recipe from Kosher Like Me & Barberry Hill Farm Recipe Features Recipe Dessert Local Farm Liz Rueven June 09, 2021 If you’re lucky enough to live anywhere near a farm that grows strawberries, be sure to venture out to pick your own. When you tire of having sweet, ruby tinged juice staining your fingers, and you can tear yourself away from eating every other berry you bend to pick, head home to bake these easy and classic strawberry shortcakes.Thank you, Christy Colasurdo and Tracey Medeiros, for sharing this recipe from their just released cookbook, The Connecticut Farm to Table Cookbook; 150 Home-Grown Recipes from the Nutmeg State, June 2015. This beautifully photographed book is a celebration of the local and seasonal. Although it highlights CT. chefs, the recipes are suitable for all die-hard locavores anywhere. Read More
Roasted Spring-Dug Carrots with Pistachio Dukkah & Crème Fraîche from Lauren Braun Costello Features Recipe Recipe Farm Fresh Farm To Table Healthy Eats CTbites Team April 16, 2021 This recipe can be made with regular, conventional orange carrots, but spring-dug rainbow carrots from the farmer’s market are a colorful celebration of time and place like no other. Seasoned with a pistachio dukkah (an Egyptian nut-herb-spice blend traditionally made instead with hazelnuts, plus sesame seeds, coriander, mint, cumin, and salt and pepper), the flavors are both unexpected and familiar. Crème fraîche, with its creamy, sour finish is the icing on this proverbial carrot cake. Fresh microgreens complete the dish, offering more visual and textural contrast.—Lauren Braun Costello 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
