Salvatore’s Steakhouse recently opened with little fanfare in Hamden’s Spring Glen neighborhood, but the news ripped through town like wildfire. It was fortunate that the kitchen and staff practiced extensively on friends and family before opening, because within just a few days Salvatore’s was fairly humming, even on so-called “slow” nights.
Salvatore’s owner, Victoria Ferraro, must have realized the restaurant was likely be busy from the get-go and would need to hit the ground running. You see, Victoria has a secret—she’s a third-generation Ferraro. Arguably New Haven “royalty,” the Ferraro family has been in the grocery business for over 70 years, tracing back to Salvatore, Sr. and wife Joan’s humble beginnings at Mohawk Market on State Street in 1952. Then, for almost half a century, Ferraro Foods operated on Grand Avenue, with the couple’s sons—Salvatore, Jr., John, Peter and Mark—joining their parents in running the business. Oldest son Salvatore, Jr., Victoria’s father, eventually became the company president, but sadly passed on in 2010. In spring of 2021, Ferraro’s Market moved to its current convenient quarters on North Haven’s Universal Drive next to Target, bringing with it its huge fan base. Victoria, oldest child of Salvatore, Jr. and Nancy, had to know Salvatore’s would have a built-in audience even before it opened.
The founders of Jam City Pizza, a new Detroit-style pizza concept in Hamden, knew they were up against thin-crust supremacy so close to New Haven.
But even as the Elm City was declared the “pizza capital of America” last year, Tyler Demora and James Woodward decided to add their version of the thick, square Michigan style to the area’s pizza offerings.
“We’re trying to get people to understand that there’s other really great pizza,” Demora said.
The business partners, who’ve been friends since childhood, opened Jam City within The Cellar at Treadwell in Hamden last November. They took over the performance venue’s kitchen, with a menu of red and white pan pizzas, salads and snacks like chicken wings and tenders, fried pickles and garlic pretzel knots.
Demora, a native of New Hartford, is a chef with more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. His career has taken him to San Francisco and France, as well as closer to home in Providence and New Haven. He also owns and operates the Feelin’ Saucy food truck, which specializes in pasta dishes.
It’s time to get spooky! Halloween is right around the corner, and restaurants across Connecticut are preparing to throw festive parties and host seasonal gatherings with plenty of decorations, costumes, and ghoulish menu specials.
Whether your vibe on Halloween is to order from your favorite pizza place as you hand out candy or you want to go all-out and attend a lavish costume party until the wee hours of the morning, there’s an event for you happening in late October! There are events for all ages as well, with the littlest trick-or-treaters to the young at heart having plenty of options this month to celebrate the season. You’ll also find businesses across Connecticut featuring Día de Muertos celebrations in early November.
We’ve broken this guide up by county so you can easily find a Halloween event nearest you!
The word “ferocity” is used to describe the small, but mighty, wildcat. While the cat is native to Africa and Eurasia, the name “Wildcat” has been floating around Hamden and it has nothing to do with an animal, but rather, a cocktail bar that’s hoping to capture you with its ferocity.
Both from Pawling, NY, Kris ended up in Connecticut working for the Barteca Restaurant Group and Shane, though he was originally pursuing a possible career as a lawyer, found himself bartending in New York City instead. Wildcat is brought to you by twin brothers, Kris and Shane McGowan, whose names you’ve definitely heard before as they’ve been in the industry near and far for well over a decade after they graduated college.
“I opened the West Hartford bartaco and it was a great learning experience to be somewhere that was sort of becoming corporate at the time,” Kris says. “Then I got the hell away from there because I didn’t want anything to do with corporate. It was a good structure, system, and rule that I learned a lot about. I started as a bartender, then moved up to bar manager, assistant general manager, and helped open Westport (bartaco) to train new managers.”
Kevin and Carole Rizzo are cooking up something unique in Hamden CT. It’s pizza, but not like the pizza we Nutmeggers are famous for. It’s a “Pizza Tub” and CT residents are loving this new take on Connecticut Pizza.
“As a young boy, I would help my grandmother cook Sunday dinner every weekend. We'd start a day early, on Saturday and make everything from scratch. I learned the importance of fresh, quality ingredients,” says Rizzo
.Now, in his 400 square foot storefront, Kevin and Carole have taken this passion for Italian cooking, and a little inspiration from the “Pizza Cupcake” made famous on Shark Tank- to create the Original Pizza Tub.
“The whole venture was my wife’s idea…She loves pizza,” says Kevin.
In perfecting the pizza making process, he was also given mentorship from local restaurateur and friend, Albert Zuncja, of Alberto’s Restaurant in Seymour.
So, what is a “Pizza Tub?” It’s a handheld, 4 -bite seasoned pizza crust baked with sweet tomato sauce, Monterey Jack cheese & filled w/ tastiness including: bacon, sausage, pepperoni & onion. Guests can walk in to the Hamden storefront and Rizzo will bake them to order, or you can bring home a frozen four-pack. You can also save time and order them ahead online as they do take 11 minutes to bake.
There’s a chill in the air, the leaves are turning, and the sun is setting earlier and earlier each day. That can only mean one thing – Halloween is right around the corner! Restaurants across Connecticut are celebrating the season with an array of special events to take part in. Whether you want to find something for the family or for a fun date night the weekend before, there are plenty of parties to choose from (many of which include costume contests, so be sure to dress up!). And on the night of Halloween (don’t forget it’s on a Tuesday this year), there are even more special events in case you want to take this year off from passing out candy to trick-or-treaters.
It won’t take too long to find a spot in the state to dance the night away this Halloween while you enjoy a bite to eat with a specialty-themed spooky beverage. Check out what the restaurants below are offering, and be sure to check ahead of time if they recommend making a reservation.
Witches, adjust your hats and ready your brooms. Mummies, fix those wraps and vampires, sharpen those fangs, ok? Halloween is here, people! Some might even consider this to be the most wonderful time of the year. If you are one of them, then we’ve got a fang-tanstic list of parties and events for you and your family to enjoy. Let your spooky shine!
In our second Halloween recipe installment, we venture towards the macabre with this recipe for Bloody Fingers in a Blanket (AKA chorizo in puff pastry). They look revolting, but they are quite the crowd pleaser. Serve these quick and easy recipe to kids or adults at your Halloween soirée.
Costume? Check. Pumpkin? Check. Candy? Check. Halloween Plans. Check…? October 31 is quickly approaching and with so many fun options to choose from, what is one to do? Connecticut restaurants, farms, bars, and venues are all getting into the Halloween spirit with frighteningly good food specials, cocktails, bar crawls, haunted hayride, and more. Here are 25+ CT spots throwing spook-tacular events to lead up to and close out the holiday.
Halloween is around the corner, and in honor of this ghoulish holiday, Marcia Selden Caterers have created the perfect recipe for your Halloween party. Kids and adults will love this recipe for Chocolate Snake Pit Pots de Creme.
A sous vide chicken sandwich is a minor detail, but the minor details make major taste differences - and that makes all the difference for your customers. That's what Roost believes. Completely locally owned and operated, the menu starts with the chicken sandwich - but with several twists: starting with a unique sous vide cooking technique which creates an incredibly juicy on the inside, crunchy on the outside sandwich, and continues with a variety of unique toppings from Napa Cabbage Slaw to Carolina Reaper Pepper Buffalo Sauce that you won't see at just any fast casual restaurant.
Bodega's Dias de los Muertos festivities last an entire weekend! Join them 11/1-11/4.
The Great Mac & Chili Challenge takes place on Sunday November 4 at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport from 11am to 3pm. Enjoy unlimited sampling of chili and mac 'n cheese dishes from twenty fantastic local restaurants. Just like Chowdafest, your vote determines who has the best!
Olmo and Ordinary in New Haven will be collaborating on Halloween with a fun filled night of Mario Kart 64, meatball subs, spicy sausage subs, snacks, and themed cocktails.
On Thursday November 1, attend a Cheese and Wine Tasting Luncheon with Darien Cheese & Fine Food. Ken Skovron will lead you through a selection of eight cheeses while Megan Ruppenstein of Four Forks prepares a delicious seasonal salad. There will be wine and sparkling cider as well.
Get out your costumes… Halloween is right around the corner! Connecticut restaurants, bars, and farms are offering spook-tacular specials and parties. We’re not trying to trick you- we’re just trying to make sure your holiday is a real treat!
Evarito’s, Norwalk: Evarito's invites you to a Day Of The Dead party Saturday October 27. They'll have costume contests, giveaways, and more!
Cook and the Bear, Hartford: On Sunday October 28, The Cook and the Bear hosts a Halloween Brunch Costume Party.
SBC, Milford: SBC's Halloween Party on 10/27 will have a DJ and costume contests.
Troupe429, New Canaan: Troupe429’s Halloween Party takes place Saturday 10/27. They'll have a DJ, costume contests, a dance party, and more.
Tim’s Kitchen @ Wakeman Town Farm, Westport: Tim's Kitchen at Wakeman Town Farm invites kids to a Halloween Tasting Class. Tickets are $50 and the class can hold 12 students.
The delicacy of Hawaiian fast casual poké has finally made its way to Connecticut at the new Pokémoto, now open in New Haven, Hamden, Fairfield, & Norwalk. The fresh, sushi-grade fish, in addition to tofu and chicken options, is offered in an assortment of ways with a multitude of toppings and marinades from which to choose.
I recently visited Pokémoto’s Fairfield location to try the savory bowls and enjoyed the revamped space showcasing colorful fish, fruit, and vegetables aplenty. The offerings were laid out both simply and beautifully, allowing guests to either select from Signature Bowls or create their perfect mix of flavors in a customized entrée. Poké can be enjoyed in three formats: A poké bowl over rice, a wrap nestled in a sheet of roasted Nori, or over a salad.
Though open for just two weeks, Kala Bistro has already attracted a small throng of regulars. The night we dined, the staff recognized more than half the patrons, greeting them warmly, like old friends.
Our server, Rose Ledee, pointed out a couple at a table on the patio. “This is the third time they’ve come in the past week!” she gushed, proudly.
In contrast to the formal, fine dining of Olea, Manuel Romero’s acclaimed Spanish hot spot in downtown New Haven, his new restaurant is suburban, relaxed, and very much a part of a bustling neighborhood that borders North Haven and Hamden. Lower-keyed (and lower-priced), the bistro menu is far more global and just as scrumptious.
Consider the Bao Pork Belly, the epitome of Chinese dim sum. The sweet, soft bun pillows a slice of savory, chewy pork belly, their contrasting textures framed by a crunchy cucumber disk, tart pickled carrots, briny hoisin, and mustard seeds. Despite the complexity of flavors, Chef Romero has created a sandwich that tastes surprisingly simple and subtle.
During my first job out of college, I frequented a diner for what became a weekly Greek salad lunch ritual. That may have been over ten years ago, but it inspired a life-long love affair with the dish. So when a friend suggested trying out newly opened FRESKOS in Hamden, I jumped at the chance to try their greek salad and was happily met with a heaping bowl filled with romaine lettuce and topped with chopped cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, stuffed grape leaves, and a big block of feta. Served with warm pita, and greek dressing, I have finally found my local antidote to that Greek salad craving.
FRESKOS is a modern Greek fast casual restaurant, that leans towards light and fresh Greek dishes such as souvlaki and gyro sandwiches which are served with warm pita, red onion, tomato, tzaziki, and dill. In addition to sandwiches, FRESKOS focuses on seasonal salads and soups, such as the avgolemono soup, a traditional Greek soup with a chicken broth base filled with lemon, egg and rice. A FRESKOS original is a Greek Pita Pizza, which struck me as an apt Greek interpretation to its pizza-loving location just a stone's throw from New Haven.
SmokeBox in Hamden first opened to support the smoked meat habit of its sister restaurant Ordinary in New Haven. Its owners, Jason Sobocinski of Ordinary and Caseus, and Mike Farber of Mikro in Hamden, opened their doors to the public for lunch about six months ago. The kitchen's founding mission was simple, support the partners' network of New Haven and Hamden restaurants as a commissary kitchen with barbecue, and open for lunch if there is demand.
And demand there is. Smokebox has become a sought after lunch destination thanks to its smoky slow cooked meat forward lunch box approach to barbecue. Also, there is the fact that this is real barbecue. Getting it right requires a constellation of well-sourced materials and ritual: types of woods, cuts of meat, spices or rubs, wet (sauce) or dry, and above all things, time—all things that Smokebox takes very seriously.
