It was technically about 17 years in the making, but Masaharu Morimoto officially has a restaurant in Connecticut. The renowned Japanese chef and restaurateur, known globally as the star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, officially opens Momosan at Foxwoods June 26
Momosan at Foxwoods, in the resort casino’s Great Cedar Food Court dining area, blends casual ramen and izakaya-style dining with what representatives call his “most expansive sushi program to date.” The menu features sashimi and nigiri, specialty sushi rolls, rice dishes like poke and bap, assorted ramen varieties and small plates.
Morimoto made an appearance at his latest location during a press preview Tuesday, playfully bantering with guests while he prepared signature dishes like hot oil-seared salmon carpaccio, sticky ribs tossed in hoisin chili sauce and a surf and turf sushi roll with A5 Wagyu beef, seared tableside with a torch.
Foxwoods Resort Casino has announced a partnership with Martha Stewart and Marquee Brands, to bring Martha’s acclaimed restaurant concept, The Bedford by Martha Stewart, to the property. Opening in fall 2025, this unique dining experience will bring Martha’s celebrated style and hospitality to Foxwoods, offering guests an authentic culinary experience alongside the resort's exceptional offerings.
Designed to transport guests into Martha’s renowned 1925 country farmhouse located in Bedford, New York, The Bedford brings her signature blend of elegance, warmth and charm to life. Situated within the Grand Pequot Tower, this one-of-a-kind dining destination features a thoughtfully curated menu inspired by Martha's personal favorites, including her Kurobuta Pork Chop, Niçoise Salad, and Martha’s family recipe for Pierogies, as well as some of her famous cocktails such as the Martha-tini and her frozen pomegranate Martha-rita. For the first time offering breakfast alongside brunch, lunch and dinner offerings. The restaurant will emphasize locally sourced ingredients to create unforgettable culinary dishes with new additions planned each season.
Foxwoods Resort Casino will be hosting a pop up on February 1st with Iron Chef Morimoto ahead of his ramen restaurant, Momosan’s, official opening this spring.
This event is open to the public and guests will have the opportunity to meet Chef Morimoto and try some of his signature tonkotsu ramen between 12-2pm and 4-6pm at the Grand Pequot Tower Rotunda.
DETAILS
What: Meet and Greet & Food Sampling with Iron Chef Morimoto
When: Saturday, February 1, 2024, 12:00-2:00pm & 4:00-6:00pm at the Grand Pequot Tower Rotunda
Where:Foxwoods Grand Pequot Tower Rotunda, 350 TROLLEY LINE BOULEVARD, MASHANTUCKET
Foxwoods Resort Casino today announced the opening of Momosan by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, set to debut in spring 2025. The new addition brings the globally renowned chef’s celebrated Japanese cuisine to Foxwoods, marking the seventh location of his acclaimed ramen restaurant. The partnership between Foxwoods and Chef Morimoto continues the resort casino’s commitment to delivering world-class, diverse culinary experiences in a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape.
Summer vacation has come to an end, which can only mean one thing…it’s Oktoberfest season! Known for its abundance of excellent beer and German food, you’ll find restaurants, bars, and festivals across the state offering an Oktoberfest celebration in the coming weeks. You can find one-day events or, in some instances, festivities that span multiple weeks.
As the name implies, Oktoberfest originally took place over 16 days in October. These days, the festivities usually begin sooner, with the first festivals starting in September. That means your favorite Connecticut town or restaurant is in the final preparation phases for this year’s Oktoberfest. Organized by county, you’ll be able to find an Oktoberfest celebration near you.
Foolproof Brewing Company is excited to announce the grand opening of their second location in Bridgeport, CT with a brand new brewery, taproom, and kitchen located at 800 Union Avenue.
Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream at Foxwoods Resort Casino, from Chef Zac Young, is NOW OPEN!. His newest addition to the Sprinkletown family focuses on customizable donuts and signature ice cream sundaes with a “choose your own adventure” menu and specialty creations. The bright and whimsical design reflects the menu, decked out with sprinkle light fixtures on the ceiling and a display for guests to watch the donuts being made to order.
Call it a "bloody beer," and I will have you flensed. An associate from Oklahoma calls them that, and his entire recipe consists of V8 and Gas Station Lite, like some sort of godless swine. I call it a michelada when I drink them, and you should, too. This sounds prescriptive, and it's intended to, because it's best to be forewarned and forearmed when we encounter a new specie.
I have long been a fan of the bloody mary - in fact, I credit her with saving my life many a time during the Great Patriotic Keg Wars of my early 20s, but 30 was stealing up on me like Trotsky's assassin before I was swept up in the red coup of the michelada, and I've been a member of the party ever since, comrade.
Mistakes were made along the way, of course. 'This is a recovery drink,' I remember thinking. 'A sort of tremens-drip for the drinking class. It stands to reason that the more vitamins, minerals and other assorted Earth-stuffs, the better, yes? V8 is packed with many of the vegetables I hate, ergo it's bound to be good for me/this drink.' Ice, hot sauce, salt, pepper and beer went into the glass with the red fluid from the colorful bottle, and the results more successful than The Great Leap Forward only in that no one actually died. It was like drinking carrot juice from a storm drain.
“Let’s get a drink”. “Come over for a drink!”. There’s nothing more convivial than sharing a drink together with a person or a whole group of favorite persons. And isn’t the ol’ saying -it’s 5 o’clock somewhere? Well, here’s a historical “reason” to raise your glasses high-Oktoberfest, the beloved, ancient event involving mouthwatering beers, so much (too much? never!) merriment and some fabulous lederhosen. Oktoberfest-ivities run pretty much the entire month of September and into October, so there are plenty of chances to raise that stein. And remember, we all put our lederhosen on one leg at a time. Prost!
This just in. Chef Emily Mingrone of Tavern On State, Provisions on State, and her most recent addition, Fair Haven Oyster Co, is off on another exciting culinary adventure. After winning “CT’s Restaurant Of The Year” in 2022, Mingrone is expanding her New Haven footprint and launching a NEW FOOD TRUCK, this weekend, Friday, September 1st. The truck’s name is “The Pearl At Fair Haven Oyster Co.” and you can find it just next to her restaurant, Fair Haven Oyster Co., in the marina picnic area. The Pearl will be open Fridays-Sundays, noon to 7pm in the season, and depending on demand, Mingrone may keep the party going all year long.
Despite expert credibility having recently taken several cannonballs below the waterline, and 60-degree sweater weather remaining in abundance,summer - they tell us - has officially arrived. The days are near their longest, and the months start with “J”, so we must grudgingly accede they have a point. This time each year, in a migration as timeless and majestic as the great herds of the Serengeti - Nutmeggers can be seen dragging our coolers to beaches and backyards. What are we drinking? Hard seltzer! NO! I mean, yes, but also: shut up.
We are drinking:
Very cold.
Easy drinking.
Usually Mexican lager. Corona, Pacifico, Modelo, ET C.
Why do we drink these? Because 1&2, but also... it’s what we’ve always done. Why are you thinking about this?
BECAUSE I’ve been noticing Connecticut brewers have been trying out the style in increasing numbers, they are delicious, and more people should know, which has always been the entire point of this column.
On March 15, 44B.C., the “Ides of March” made famous by Cato and Shakespeare, Julius Caesar was assassinated after declaring himself dictator for life – essentially a new king - by senators who wanted to preserve the Roman republic. It was during this shakily-auspicious lunar period when I found myself transfixed by a circa-2nd century A.D. Roman mosaic of the god Mercury at the brand-new Caius Farm Brewery in Branford, and sipping a beer called “Brutus.” Cosmic.
“Caius” isn’t just the name of the place, it’s the name of its owner, one Caius Mergy: a Middlebury College Classics major with a Masters in Classical Archaeology from the Oxford University in England, who then decided to graduate at the top of his brewing classes at the Siebel Institute in Chicago, and the Doemens Academy in Munich. You know, for fun. Long time readers of this column will know about my history dork-dom (it’s my undergrad degree, too), and I mention with a name like that, Caius’ parents must have also been into classics.
Foxwoods Resort Casino announced Friday celebrity chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay will open a new Hell's Kitchen restaurant location at Foxwoods in summer 2023. Get ready for some of his signature Beef Wellington people.
This location is Ramsay's sixth Hell's Kitchen dining establishment and the first in New England.
The restaurant will be conveniently located in the casino's Grand Pequot Concourse, and will seat nearly 260 guests, featuring a chef's counter and 40-seat private dining room, according to Foxwoods.
Coming in right off of the heels of this summer’s Tequila Fest, Mohegan Sun doubled down by offering a weekend of back-to-back events: Seltzer Social and BrewFest. The perfect way to celebrate fall, the two days of beverage-centric festivities kicked off on Friday, October 7 with Seltzer Social, an evening devoted to all things bubbly. The party continued on Saturday, October 8 with BrewFest, a three-hour celebration of local breweries as well as nationally-recognized brands.
For those attending both the Seltzer Social and BrewFest, the first night’s events served as a fitting warm-up. But that by no means should imply that Seltzer Social was anything less than a main event in its own right. Lively music, tasty wings, and plenty of fizz was on deck for the two-hour soiree.
Labor Day might be over, but grilling is still very much in the daily DNA over at Bank & Bridge. Their signature “Get’Cha Face Dirty” burgers created by Chef Josh Ulmer who has trained in places like Madison Square Garden and Nolo in New Haven, are worth the mess they make. Seriously, you need a napkin for every bite, but it’s a noble mess if ever there was one! These beefy mounds are no joke.
Bank & Bridge celebrated one year on the map in June and (in my book) have added to the magical scene that has recently made Mystic a culinary darling. Maybe it is something in the water, but this small but mighty seaport just knows food. And, although many may land in the pub for their tremendous line up of brews, nurtured by Head Brewer Jason Riggs, there is hardly a better match (even coming from a self-professed “beer sipper”) than a good juicy burger and brew.
Hops is on the brain and Oktoberfest is on the calendar. It’s that delightful time of year to gather with friends, German-style! Chomp into a giant pretzel, grill a brat, raise a stein (or 20, if you are partaking in a competition), and then toast, toast, and toast some more. Across our state, Oktoberfest celebrations are happening and you’ve simply got to get in on one of them. A better time will not be had! Prost!
“Early Dismissal,” Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ latest “Good Brews for a Cause'', is set to debut at the annual Change in the Air Festival on June 18th in New Haven, CT. The Good Brews for a Cause initiative donates a portion of beer sales to support non-profit organizations. Early Dismissal, a passion fruit-infused IPA was made in collaboration with New England Brewing Company (NEBCO). The charitable donation will benefit the CT Brewers Guild African American Brewers Scholarship, a scholarship fund promoting diversity in the craft beer industry.
Outer Light Brewing Company (OLBC) and Young Buns Doughnuts of Mystic, Connecticut have teamed up to release Young Buns Streusel Doughnut Cream Ale, a one-off release inspired by the gourmet doughnuts produced at the Mystic bakery. The beer, which will be available on draft and in 16oz 4-packs will be released at the brewery on March 10th, with limited distribution across Southeastern Connecticut to follow.
Anyone who's ever hit happy hour and subsequently remembered they hadn't eaten dinner while staring into a beer at another location sometime around midnight can probably feel the pain of the next morning right now, as you're reading this. Remember that? Well, let's not let that happen again, or allow ourselves to slap late night drive-thru - the FlexTape of Shame - over the leaky bucket of our decisions.
What we need is food with our beers, whether we're adding plates to pitchers and pints at the taproom, or exploring flavor combinations at home. Inspiration struck while I was at my first beer pairing dinner in over two years at The Little Pub in Fairfield, hosted by Greg Radawich, director of brewing operations at New England Brewing Company in Woodbridge. I'll get into what you can have from the brewery and pub, plus a few more ideas to serve as springboards for your own dives into brews and foods.
And if you missed this beer dinner, Little Pub will be hosting another beer pairing dinner with Fat Orange Cat brewery at Little Pub, Fairfield on Tuesday, March 1.
Who doesn’t love a wedding? Wait…what? Did you know that Oktoberfest got its start in 1810 as a celebration of the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen? (please try saying that last name after a stein of brew.) We can get onboard with any wedding celebration that involves giant pretzels, bratwurst for miles, and beer flowing like a Bavarian river. Another little factoid for you to thrill your beer-buddies with: the current Oktoberfest in Germany only serves beer from the original six breweries in Munich. Our list, lucky for you, is a tad longer. You can call that a win and not even have to fly anywhere. Oktoberfest, weddings, whatever you are celebrating-Raise those steins! Prost!
Enjoy these 25+ spots to celebrate OKTOBERFEST in Connecticut!
