Ice cream on a hot day. Ice cream on a rainy day. Ice cream for dinner or to delight a toddler. Ice cream just because. It’s summer and all of these reasons are 100% legit. Hell, any time of the year they are, right? Connecticut currently ranks #15 in the US for the most ice cream consumed (zippia.com) nationally. However, NY, NJ, VT, and RI eat more…guess this list is just what we need to show them what us Nutmeggers are made of. Or at least, what we enjoy on a hot summer afternoon. Grab a cone, enjoy the drips, and have a summer piled high with the creamy, dreamy stuff. One more thing: for your ease of finding these sweet establishments, we have broken the list down by counties in CT!
Sitting on a bench, licking a drippy ice cream cone on a warm summer day or a balmy evening can be, well…sublime. The skies are clear, the sun or moon is hanging in the sky-all is right with the world and these are a few moments to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. And creamy rich ice cream or scoop of blissful gelato is one of those pleasures, indeed. Honestly, unless you have dropped that cone (bloop, splat! *tears*), when have you ever gone for ice cream and left unhappy? Cream, fruits, swirls of caramel, bits of chocolate chips, a nut here and there-nothing can beat it. Take a few moments this summer to enjoy those simple things, like a cone with a friend or even by yourself. Here’s a list to point the way…
Enjoy these 75+ Spots for Ice Cream, Gelato and Frozen Desserts in CT.
The latest Video Recipe Book from the Jacques Pépin Foundation features over 40 culinary luminaries and will be available March 9th. After a successful Vol. 1 release, The Jacques Pépin Foundation, (JPF) an organization that enriches lives and strengthens communities through culinary education, proudly debuts Cook with Jacques Pépin & Friends: Vol 2. This Video Recipe Book features over 40 lauded chefs across the country including Marcus Samuelsson, Ingrid Hoffmann, Michael Voltaggio, Rick Bayless, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Diego Galicia, Traci Des Jardins, and, of course, Jacques Pépin.
Each dish and drink featured in Cook with Jacques Pépin & Friends includes a personal, instructional video as well a printable recipe. The Video Recipe Book is available to all JPF Members, and in addition to Vol. 2., members can access Vol. 1. Combined, nearly 100 recipes and more than 12 hours of video instruction live on the Membership site. Every JPF Membership directly supports community-based culinary training programs nationwide that provide pathways to individual empowerment, better health and employment. Membership starts at $40 per year.
Readers, Diners, New Quarantine Couch Potato-Turned-Chefs! Tune into our new IGTV Weekly Series COOK THE BOOK.
On Wednesday July 1st @8PM, join trained chef and beloved Connecticut Cookbook author, Anna Francese Gass (Heirloom Kitchen 2019) & Guest Chef Emily Mingrone from award winning Tavern On State, as they cook Emily’s recipe for Chicken & Dumplings from our recently released CTBites e-cookbook: Connecticut Chef Recipes for Restaurant Relief
Episode #4 of our Chefs At Home series is here…and it’s a heathy, simple and delicious recipe you can make all summer long. Chef Anthony Rinaldi, formerly Exec Chef at Kawa Ni in Westport, currently the Chef for Greenwich Country Day School, has been having some fun in his kitchen with this recipe for the Chia Seed Pudding. This recipe has 15 grams of protein and is easy enough for any kid to make themselves! Get your kids cooking and enjoy!
Readers, Diners, New Quarantine Couch Potato-Turned-Chefs! Get Ready to tune into our new IGTV Weekly Series COOK THE BOOK.
Join trained chef and beloved Connecticut Cookbook author, Anna Francese Gass (Heirloom Kitchen 2019), as she makes her way one through some of the most delicious recipes in the recently released CTBites e-cookbook: Connecticut Chef Recipes for Restaurant Relief
Starting this Wednesday June 24th @8PM Gass + a weekly featured Guest Chef will bring the book alive and further whet your appetite and drive to get in the kitchen. This week
So, grab your aprons, your whisks, and the new e-cookbook (should we still plug here? for fun, great food, and to continue supporting our state’s wonderful restaurant industry.
In this week’s History Happy Hour 21st century New Haven bartender Tim Cabral demonstrates The Martinez, the father of the Gin Martini.
Here’s a little history…In the mid-19th century barkeeps evolved into mixologists, creating unique cocktails and codifying those long in existence. The most famous of these new-breed bartenders was Jerry Thomas who, as a young man, trained in New Haven and went on to own saloons all over the country. He also penned a world-famous bar tending guide with recipes that is still in use today.
Among the drinks Thomas is said to have developed is The Martinez, a mix of vermouth, gin, bitters and maraschino which he included in his guide. Over time, a version featuring gin, vermouth, and an olive was developed into the modern-day Martini.
Episode #2 of our new Chefs At Home series is here…and It’s a good one. Chef Anthony Rinaldi, formerly Exec Chef at Kawa Ni in Westport, currently the Chef for Greenwich Country Day School, has been having some fun in his kitchen with this recipe for the Ultimate Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie. This guy knows his way around a kitchen. Those kids at Greenwich Country Day are darn lucky….Enjoy!
In our NEW “Chefs At Home” Cooking Series, we asked local CT chefs to help our readers find cooking inspiration in every day pantry items. Executive Chef Arturo Franco-Camacho of Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill (Fairfield and New Haven) and Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill (New Haven) has a wonderful recipe for Pantry Pasta to kick off this series. Enjoy!
Here's Christine Short from Zaragoza's in New Milford giving us a very smooth and silky Scotch Cocktail called the "Bobby Burns." This special drink is named after beloved Scottish poet Robert Burns, who is most notable forthe poem which now makes up the lyrics for our favorite New Year's ditty, Auld Lang Syne. Short was recently a finalist for the CRAZIES Awards as Best Bartender in Connecticut, sponsored by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. and just one of five nominated in the state. Cheers!
Here’s a little boozy teaser for our next CTbites Hot Dish Podcast episode featuring mixologists Craig Ventrice & Dimitrios Elias Zahariadis. Learn How To Make A Sazerac Cocktail as we do some “Day Drinking with Mixologists.” LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST EPISODE HERE: https://simplecast.com/s/54ee8396
What is “electric Italian?” It is defined by well executed small plates, wood fired pizzas, and perfectly rendered cocktails, all to be found at Olives and Oil in New Haven. The menu is overseen and curated daily by Executive Chef and recent ’40 under 40’ winner John Brennan, who cooks traditional Italian cuisine in a funky retro location. Superb visuals, food, and of course cocktails await you. Olives and Oil was gracious enough to invite me in to sample a few of their cocktails recently.
We enjoyed a perfect Aperol Flip (recipe and tutorial below) as well as a classic Negroni Sbagliato - with a house pressed ice cube for JUST that finishing touch. Bartenders don’t ALWAYS give up their cocktails secrets, so enjoy making this at home or try it the next time you’re in New Haven.
Temperatures have started dipping and a fall chill is in the air! CTBites has collected recipes from local chefs and popular restaurants that embody the seasonal harvest. We've compiled some of our favorites below- and included three new fall inspired recipes. Try Chef Frederic Kieffer's Acorn Squash Cappuccino Soup, Chef Matt Storch's Quince and Hazelnut Torte, and Cask Republic's Harvest Vegetable Medley.
Hard to believe, but spring beckons. It’s just a few days away. And along with hyacinths and daffodils, a number of new eateries will soon be blossoming at Stamford's Harbor Point -- just in time for those hazey lazey dayz. (Yes Virginia, there is a Summer)
At the spectacular 6000 square foot Glass Garden on the waterfront, Aaron Sanchez is now shooting for a Cinco de Mayo opening for his new latin themed resto. As CTBites first reported last year, Sanchez will be working his spanish sorcery in a sexy, high end dining, cocktail and wine lounge space. But there's a name change: “Alegre” has become “Poloma”
According to Jon Sabrowski, Harbor Point's Leasing Director, a bouquet of other new eateries are targeting a Memorial Day opening. Among them is an American grill from South End Hospitality, whose pedigree includes Black Bear, Darien Social, Bobby Q's and McFadden’s. The tap house will feature a rooftop bar, offering a panoramic view of the harbor and the Sound beyond. (Yes Virginia, there are sea breezes.) The restaurant faces the 22 story twin towered apartment complex currently under construction (We can report that the 242 unit complex will not be the hotel-condo once envisioned.)
Attention Pinkberry fans: This frozen yogurt mecca has a new location in Westport, and it is officially open for business. Head on over to 111 Post Road East in Downtown Westport for your next fro-yo fix.
Chef Bernard Bouissou of Bernard's in Ridgefield is somewhat of a Fairfield County legend amongst both chefs and diners alike. Talented chefs including Arik Bensimon and Bill Taibe have gained valuable skills in his contemporary French kitchen, and when it comes to entertaining, no one has a larger repertoire of beautiful holiday recipes.
Recently, Chef Bouissou stepped into CTbites' test kitchen to demonstrate his recipe for Baby Pumpkins filled with Pumpkin Mousseline, Sautéed Shrimp & Wild Mushrooms. These are stunning on a Thanksgiving table and simple to make. Watch the video for great tips while you try out this recipe at home (Recipe Below).
Truffle fans, listen up. Barcelona Restauranthas begun importing the "good stuff." Teaming up with an international purveyor of this Italian culinary treasure, Barcelona is now offering private label white truffle oil and truffle shavings (slivers, packed in juice).
Wondering what to do with these fabulous fungi? Frank Proto, Executive Chef at New Haven's Barcelona Restaurant has just the recipe: Truffle Vinaigrette, using black truffles and white truffle oil. This vinaigrette is delicious on hanger steak as presented in the recipe above, but really, what wouldn't truffle vinaigrette be good on?
These exotic woodland delicacies are available to food enthusiasts through Barcelona’s already active “marketplace” on their web site.
When eggs and bacon come together with pasta, it's all good. When Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurant demos said dish, it's even better. This is exactly what went down during a recent video shoot, where Storch did a trial run for his entree selection at the CT Chefs' dinner at the James Beard House. Storch's carbonara has a seasonal twist that sets it apart from the classic dish. Instead of mixing the eggs into the pasta, he uses fresh peas and pea shoots to create a puree that serves as the sauce, while gently resting a poached egg atop before serving. This is a great entree to make at home. Watch and learn...
Live from CTbites global headquarters, Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurant launches the CTbites Chef Demo Video series. Watch and learn people.
Matt Storch's recipe for Pomegranate-Orange Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs With Pea Puree takes a classic winter dish and re-imagines it for spring with vibrant fresh peas. Get great tips as you watch Chef Storch review the basics of braising in this beautiful dish.
If you have a chef or recipe you would like to see on CTbites, let us know.
