Green & Tonic has announced a collaboration with fitness icon and celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser. The founder of Anna Kaiser Studios who’s known for her revolutionary dance-inspired fitness method, Anna is deepening her Fairfield County roots with the launch of the Anna Kaiser Blue Moves Smoothie—available beginning January 15 at all Green & Tonic locations.
The first 100 customers to purchase the smoothie will get a free week of access to Space With Anna Kaiser, a new app featuring workouts, guided stretches, podcast episodes, and healthy recipes. Green & Tonic will also launch a giveaway where one lucky winner will get a year of access to the Space With Anna Kaiser app and a month of G&T workout meal boxes. Follow G&T on Instagram for updates and more at @greenandtonic
With the start of a new year, many want to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routines, like eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. One way to do so in an ultra-convenient method is by sipping on a cup of delicious fresh-press juice. Rather than go through the hassle of juicing fruits and vegetables yourself, many businesses across Connecticut offer juices that can be prepared and enjoyed in a matter of minutes! Many of these businesses also offer cleanses– multi-day dietary programs aimed at detoxing and reducing inflammation through juice products.
If you’re looking for a juice bar, natural food market, or cafe that offers fresh-pressed juice products, this is the guide for you. This guide is broken up by county so you can quickly locate a business near you that sells an array of juices.
Since April of 2024, a new restaurant by the name of Rye Bird, located in the longtime former home of Isla in Fairfield, teased a tasty, affordable, neighborhood restaurant concept. Operated by Post Road Hospitality, Rye Bird officially cracked open its doors on October 19 after hosting some patio preview parties prior to its grand opening. Rye Bird’s founder and president Frank Klein hopes it’ll catch on as the “next neighborhood joint” for a bunch of reasons.
Walrus Alley owner Joe Farrell has made the move to exclude all seed oils from his menus and, he’s getting quite the education. Only a week into the experiment he’s learning on the run. The popular Southern food & burger go to in Westport is now cooking with grass fed beef tallow and avocado oil. Yep! And Joe’s committed to staying the course despite the learning curve. Sure, he’s always done that popular fried chicken in tallow, used duck fat too. But it’s the fries they’re fighting with. And he and the crew are fighting a worthy fight.
Walrus Alley uses a special potato for their fries and that’s just the beginning. “Cooking with Tallow & avocado oil is a new experience. We’re starting from scratch,” Joe revealed. “And we are doing this while we are open!”
Tucked away in a small residential neighborhood just off of Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield is a small and unassuming restaurant. Some may recognize this as the former home of Liana’s Trattoria which closed its doors during the pandemic. Just over a year ago, Joanne Monroe took over the empty space and brought life back inside the four walls. Joanne, no stranger to the hospitality industry, was with Liana for nearly 15 years. No one knew the restaurant as well as she did, except perhaps Chef James Agoglia, who worked with Liana for about 5 years and returns to the helm of the kitchen with all of his unbridled talent and creativity. These two are a talented duo. The new restaurant plays homage to the former while moving forward to create new traditions.
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.
Sara Oberhammer recalls the day she got her driver’s license at 16. The first thing she did was cruise around her hometown of Bethel to apply to jobs in the hospitality industry. She even quit high school softball so she could waitress.
In February of 2024, just a mere three-minute walk away from where she got her foot in door at Greenwood’s Grille & Ale House, Oberhammer, who’s mostly been a bartender later in her restaurant career, now has a spot of her very own. And it has nothing to do with mixing cocktails, pouring drafts, or serving pub food.
A new Spring menu has launched at Sally’s Apizza, but before launching into the particulars allow me to introduce you to Chef Bret Lunsford who recently joined the Sally’s team as Executive Chef and Culinary Director. An Italian American raised in Mississippi, Chef Lunsford grew up eating the approachable foods of his heritage, and his love for cooking led him to work for local restaurants through high school and college where he earned a Masters in Musical Theater. But the kitchen ended up being his true passion and he subsequently enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America for more formal training. While there he did his externship at the esteemed August restaurant in New Orleans before joining Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group in 2013. He began his 10-year career at the Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern under Chef Michael Anthony. In 2015 he joined the opening team of Untitled at the Whitney Museum. In 2016 he transitioned to Blue Smoke where he rose in rank quickly to become executive chef.
You’re vegan. Or you’re not. You’re trying to eat healthier, or well, maybe you’re not, but however you slice it, you’re missing or craving a good burger. So how about a burger that has no meat, but has peanut butter, jelly, and jalapenos?…stick with us here…
SoulFully Vegan in Berlin, is pretty much smack in the middle of CT, with Rt.9, I-91, I-691, and the Berlin Turnpike running through it. Long story short, you can reach Berlin easily as you find yourself criss-crossing the state. Berlin now also has the distinction of being the site of the vegan brick and mortar eatery that will have you rethinking your next fast food craving.
Allison and Calvin Vaughan are the dynamic duo behind SoulFully Vegan. Their new eating adventure began not that long ago in 2019 when a call to action was needed after an eye-opening health diagnosis for Calvin. What followed for this couple was a slew of analysis of their current eating situation, followed by investigation and education on how to eat healthier, and an impactful viewing of the documentary “What the Health?” (currently on Netflix). They knew they wanted and needed to eat healthier but finding food that satisfied their cravings was a search that was coming up empty.
Connecticut’s beloved bagel brand, PopUp Bagels, kicked off four years ago when Goldberg and his cousin Jeff Lewis started making bagels for family and friends in the midst of the pandemic. Rave reviews led Goldberg to launching a backyard preorder pickup bagel biz that sold out time and time again. PopUp would then take their bagels on the road, opening…well…everywhere.
if you don’t already know what PopUp Bagels is all about—are fresh bagels, served to the customer piping hot, NOT pre sliced, and artisan schmears. The original concept required pre-orders of a dozen bagels, but when they launched their NYC location (to VERY long lines I might add), they spearheaded their new retail model. This was then replicated in Greenwich, where guests can walk up and order 3 bagels and a schmear for $12.
Popup Bagel’s NEW Newtown opens this weekend, March 22nd with pre-ordering only Friday, Saturday Sundays, but starting next week, the Newtown spot will be open every Wednesday-Sunday for for both pre-sale and walk in.
UP NEXT is their Fairfield location opening June 1st in the old Lobster Craft spot.
We’ve all walked into rooms that hum with energy. That special kind of vibrancy you can feel in the air, or in the spirit that pours from the people in your midst. In my recent travels, this inspiring energy was felt within the space that is Zesto Market & Juicery in Newtown.
Zesto Market & Juicery is, with its colorful logo and window art, a small establishment that one could easily pass in their daily rounds as it sits on a fairly busy street. I, myself, whizzed by it on my first trip there. However, one should take note of this establishment because it is dishing out huge helpings of good vibes in the form of healthful food and wellness knowledge. Great vibes, actually. These folks are buzzing with enthusiasm about eating clean, nourishing food and they are excited to share it with the community.
Elicit Brewing Company’s second location will open to the public on Monday, February 12, and CTbites has the inside scoop. More accurately a brewpub, the brand-new location will encompass a microbrewery, 100-tap taproom and social space, an in-house cocktail-focused speakeasy, and a large, covered back patio with direct access from the Fairfield Metro train station.
Haven Hot Chicken, which brings Nashville Hot Chicken and “Not Chicken” to the area as one of the first fully dedicated Nashville Hot Chicken concepts in New England, today announced that it will be opening two NEW LOCATIONS in Fairfield, CT at 907 Post Road in Oxford, CT at Quarry Walk, later this year.
When I asked the Haven Hot Chicken team how long it took them to arrive at this just about perfect combination of crispy, juicy and flavorful chicken, they laughed and said they have been recipe testing for over a year. Their tagline is “CRISPY CRUNCHY JUICY SPICY DELICIOUS,” and I’m gonna say “nailed it.” You can truly taste the time and commitment to research in every item on this takeout/delivery menu.
Both locations will feature the brand’s signature menu of crispy, crunchy, juicy, spicy, delicious chicken and vegetarian options ranging from Country (not spicy) to Haven (extremely spicy), including the epic and signature “THE Sandwich,” as well as other featured mains, classic sides and seasonal limited-time offerings.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t 2024, the dreaded new year. From the Halloween candy and Thanksgiving pies, to the Christmas cookies and unlimited New Year’s bubbly, I think it’s safe to say we are ready to start anew (I will also be buying a new scale because mine is clearly broken). Now it’s time for us to follow through with those dreaded resolutions. Whether you want to eat better, drink less alcohol, consume more sustainable foods, or treat the mind and spirit, this should be your go-to list. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of committing to goals that are almost impossible to stick with. However, with this caliber of options listed below, there is no goal that cannot be accomplished, and that is coming from me, a true pessimist. Let’s march into February excited about how far we have come with our resolutions, because being healthy does not mean forfeiting fun and creativity. C’mon now, say it with me!
Here are 45 spots for HEALTHY EATING and wellness in Connecticut.
Green & Tonic is thrilled to announce the grand opening of their brand-new location in Darien!
The plant-based fast casual concept can't wait for you to step foot into their new fresh, vibrant space in the Corbin District and experience all the goodness they have to offer.
Grand opening day is on Tuesday January 2nd 2024. The excitement includes:
Free small lattes, free cold pressed juices and BOGO sales (on select juices) special giveaway entry w/ purchase to an epic prize (free year of G&T coffee!) and Free Kaia Yoga Class Passes for everyone who stops by on this special day ($20 value!)
Can't make it to opening day. No worries! Open 7 days a week: Dine in, Pick Up or Delivery is always available. Green & Tonic is a plant-based eatery serving delicious, good-for-you food and drinks! Think salads, warm bowls, seasonal soups, breakfast sandwiches, cold-pressed juices, smoothies & açaí bowls. They've recreated popular coffee chain drinks like the cookie butter latte and peppermint mocha latte to be made with no added sugar and no additives.
Gabagool Wine Bar is the newest incarnation of the former Fairfield favorite, Toto Restaurant, which shut its doors suddenly and unexpectedly about a year and a half ago. I worried that, tragically, this too had succumbed to the pandemic, but alas – and thankfully, such was not the case.
The restaurant that occupied the main level in the red building on Reef Road sat vacant and dark for over a year. This was all due to massive flood caused by a ruptured pipe. With water everywhere, the restaurant’s interior needed to be completely gutted and rebuilt. Thankfully for us restauranteur and owner Antonio Ninivaggi does as only Antonio does… He turned his lemons into limoncello, and thus Gabagool Wine Bar was born.
Whether it’s the dog days of summer or life just has you too busy to be bothered with cooking, some of the simplest, and often the most delicious meals, come in bowls. Chock full of healthy and delicious ingredients like grains, veggies, meats and fish or brimming with fresh fruits and icy smoothy-ness, bowls in all shapes and sizes make eating fun. They are convenient, interesting and delicious-what a trifecta! Here are some of our favorite bowls in Connecticut. Go build one for yourself!
One of the most visually eye-candy-esque restaurants in CT, Terrain Cafe, has recently added a new bar to their ever-expanding dining space. For years, guests haven’t been able to get enough of this local seasonal menu under the helm of Chef Jes Bengston, and tables can often be tricky to score. But now, you don’t need a reservation to grab a seat at Terrain. Simply sidle up to their new walk-ins only bar (always my favorite seat in the house), and enjoy their brand new dedicated bar menu, created exclusively for those 13 seats. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to order the full Terrain Café menu from your bar stool, but wait till you see what else only you can enjoy.
Let’s start with the bar itself. Just like everything else at Terrain, it’s sexy rustic chic. The thick white marble slab counter is bright and elegant by day, and vibey by night as the lights dim and those happy hour feels set in.
Nestled in a quiet corner of a shopping plaza located right off of the hustle and bustle of Fairfield’s Black Rock Turnpike is Vespino Pizza + Restaurant. Located in the space that was formerly Stefano’s, Vespino fills a void in the area’s restaurant scene. Best described as elevated casual in a stylishly modern setting, Vespino is an ideal choice for a quick neighborhood lunch, casual dinner with friends and family, or an after work cocktail. Vespino has already established a loyal clientele and has earned praises for their pizza, pasta, appetizers and main dishes. Sister restaurant to longtime local favorite Quattro Pazzi Café, Organika and the newer kid on the block, Pizza Lyfe in Westport, we came in with high expectations, eager to try a few dishes ourselves.
