Filtering by Tag: Israeli,Guilford

Modern Kosher Mediterranean & Israeli Fare at Gveenah, West Hartford

Restaurant Mediterranean Israeli Kosher West Hartford Opening Homepage Hartford County Lunch Pizza

Leeanne Griffin

Roi Graber is a long way from home, but has brought a taste of Israel and the fresh, healthy flavors of the Mediterranean to his new residence in West Hartford.

In January, Graber opened Gveenah, a modern kosher “Mediterranean fusion” restaurant, taking over the former Black Bamboo space on Farmington Avenue as owner Sonny Chen moved his popular Chinese eatery to a new location. Gveenah means “cheese” in Hebrew, Graber said.

Graber owned restaurants in his home country, but he and his wife and children fled after the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023 and came to the United States to stay with family members. He thought it would be a temporary measure for a few months, but the Jewish community in West Hartford helped them settle in, finding them a home and getting the children into school. Graber began thinking about a longer-term plan. 

Just a few months after arriving in Connecticut, Graber was on track to open his first American restaurant, with the help of business connections in West Hartford. Less than a year later, Gveenah opened its doors, welcoming guests in for a fusion experience blending “the rich traditions of Mediterranean and Italian cuisine,” according to its website.


Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford: All Vegan. All Delicious.

Restaurant Vegan Vegetarian Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Bakery Lunch Guilford

April Guilbault

Tender meatballs nestled in bubbling, vibrant San Marzano tomato sauce. Hearty breads that cradle cutlets generously smeared with homemade pesto. Crispy-on-the-outside Mac and Cheese balls and tender Crabcakes with a dollop of Horseradish Dill sauce. Lasagna that is layers deep, stuffed full of gooey cheese and smothered in more of that delightful tomato sauce. 

And it’s all vegan. 

Without getting too Hallmark-y, it is all based in love, as well. 

Tracy Alexander, with her two daughters Brittany and Taylor form the triumvirate of Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford, Connecticut. Mama Tracy creates the recipes and menus, while daughters Brittany and Taylor run the locations and handle the marketing. 


The Blondinit: Israeli Restaurant Coming To Westport

Features Openings Westport Mediterranean Israeli Middle Eastern

Dan Woog

If you want authentic Israeli food, go to Israel.

Or Brooklyn.

Soon though, dishes like shakshuka (poached eggs in a simmering tomato sauce with vegetables and spices) and deep-fried matzo stuffed with cheese will be available in Westport.

On, ironically, Church Lane, in Westport.

The Blondinit will fill the space vacated this winter by Manna Toast. It’s the first restaurant venture for Solomon and Inda Sade, who own several other businesses already. Her background is in retail and fashion.

But this is their passion project. They love food and entertaining. And they’re putting their money where their, um, mouths are: They’re funding it themselves.

While not Israeli, the Sades have strong ties there. Solomon’s parents were born in Israel. His father had 10 siblings, his mother, 8.

Growing up on Long Island, his family visited there every summer. More recently, he and his wife honeymooned in Israel.

When COVID struck, they and their 1-year-old left New York for their second home in the Poconos. But after 6 months of boredom — “the event of the day was standing outside Walmart with rubber gloves,” Solomon recalls — they moved to suburban New Jersey.

The Blondinit’s meats, pitas, pickled goods and beers will all be “authentic” from Brooklyn.

It will be delivered fresh daily. The Sades will not use freezers or microwaves. All leftover food will be donated to pantries and food rescue organizations.

Read the complete article on Dan Woog’s 06880.


Bufalina Wood Fired Pizza in Guilford

Restaurant Guilford Pizza Lunch Kid Friendly

Amy Kundrat

Bufalina Wood Fired Pizza in Guilford is one of this shoreline town’s most charming and delicious destinations. Open since September 2011, Bufalina has earned a reputation for rustic, seasonally-driven, and Neapolitan-inspired pizzas.

We wanted to recreate the feeling that you are in our kitchen and we are cooking for you,” said Melissa Pellegrino, chef and co-owner of Bufalina alongside her husband, chef Matt Scialabba.


Easy Fall Fruit Picking @ Bishops Orchards Farm

Ingredients Guilford Local Farm Shoreline East kids activity Farm Fresh Kid Friendly

Deanna Foster

When I reluctantly moved to Los Angeles at the beginning of this decade, I missed our annual fall apple and berry picking trip so much that I dragged a posse of ex-East Coasters and their small children to the closest orchard (two hours into the desert) to pick apples one hot October Sunday.  To put it mildly, apple picking in California is a sad facsimile of the real deal here in New England.  The air was heavy, we were sweaty and the only ones enjoying the adventure were the children– they didn’t know any better.

Being back in New England, where there really is a fall season and apples taste like, well apples, we recently took advantage of the pick your own trifecta: September peaches, apples and raspberries and visited Bishops Orchards in Guilford, CT.