Viral Smoothie Alert: Green & Tonic X Fitness Icon Anna Kaiser (sponsored post) Features Healthy Eats Health & Wellness Smoothies CTbites Team January 13, 2025 This just in from Green & Tonic…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 Read More
Guide to Juice Bars and Juice Cleanses in Connecticut (2025 Edition) Features Restaurant Juice Bar Juice Cleanse Healthy Eats healthy Special Dietary Needs Highlight Homepage Carly Terzigni January 11, 2025 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. Read More
Walrus Alley in Westport Goes Seed Oil Free! Features Seed Oil Free Westport Fried Chicken Comfort Food News Healthy Eats Southern Food Lloyd Allen December 13, 2024 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!” Read More
Soulber Kitchen & Market Expands from Bowl Delivery Business to Full Service Café in Bethel Features Interview Restaurant Healthy Eats Interview Bethel Vegan Gluten-Free Opening Andrew Dominick July 03, 2024 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. Read More
45 Spots for Healthy Eating in Connecticut: Restaurants, Juice Bars, Meal Delivery & Wellness Features Restaurant Healthy Eats healthy Juice Bar Organic Acai Bowl Smoothies Vegan Vegetarian Special Dietary Needs Homepage Hannah Goodman January 13, 2024 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. Read More
Green & Tonic Announces Opening in Darien CT January 2nd Restaurant Features Opening Darien Plant Based Health & Wellness Healthy Eats Smoothies Acai Bowl Sandwich Lunch Breakfast CTbites Team December 28, 2023 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. Read More
Best Bowls in CT: Acai, Poke, Middle Eastern, Korean, BBQ & More! Restaurant Features Bowls Acai Bowl Korean BBQ Best of CT Highlight Healthy Eats Vegetarian Middle Eastern Build Your Own Bowl Greek Homepage April Guilbault August 18, 2023 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! Read More
Terrain Cafe In Westport Opens New Bar & Exclusive Bar Menu Features Restaurant Happy Hour Bar Opening Westport Bar Menu Healthy Eats Cocktail Lounge Cocktails Homepage Stephanie Webster August 13, 2023 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. Read More
My Top 8 Romantic Seafood Restaurants with a Seaview (via Nutritionist Lori-Ann Marchese) Features Restaurant Seafood Waterfront Romantic Nutrition Healthy Eats Lori-Ann Marchese August 01, 2023 Lori-Ann Marchese is the Head Trainer of Body Construct and a licensed nutritionist.Who doesn’t enjoy a nice romantic dinner night with your loved one seaside! Connecticut has one of the most beautiful Seafood Seaview restaurants in New England!Lori-Ann Marchese - certified dietician and owner of Body Construct Fitness has brought you some of her most favorite and unique Top 8 waterfront dining restaurants.With a healthy conscious mind when choosing their food items, we can assure you a romantic, seaview night out with your partner that will still align with your nutrition goals. Read More
Healthy Local Eats for Cinco de Mayo (Or Any Day) via Nutritionist Lori-Ann Marchese Features Cinco de Mayo Healthy Eats Nutrition Lori-Ann Marchese May 02, 2023 Lori-Ann Marchese is the Head Trainer of Body Construct and a licensed nutritionist. She has a few healthier options for local eats to try this Cinco De Mayo.Want to celebrate Cinco while keeping your fitness goals? We have hand selected a cocktail and dish from eight amazing CT restaurants with this in mind. Happy eating everyone! Read More
Beastie Burger: CT Entrepreneur Creates Delicious Plant Based Burgers Ingredients Features Vegan Vegetarian Plant Based Ingredients Burgers Healthy Eats Health & Wellness April Guilbault February 07, 2023 This is the story of a plant-based burger patty that began with a wedding invitation. Our heroine, Lisa, receives her son’s wedding invitation in the mail one day. Joy! But, oh, on that day, she is feeling that she doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, walking down that aisle as the Mother-of-the-Groom, with everyone staring at her. So, to help counter her depression and anxiety, she soon finds a local fitness trainer. In walks trainer Joseph and Lisa’s life begins to change. Even more changes are to come down the road, including, oddly, a little incident with a meat grinder on Rt.8 on dark and stormy night.As Lisa Nicholas begins her transformation and changes the way she thinks about nutrition and exercise, Joseph suggests upping her daily intake of protein to build those lean muscles. Problem is, Lisa had tried the vegan lifestyle years before and was hitting a wall with food being interesting and, also, getting enough protein. Read More
Guide To Juice Bars in Connecticut (2023 Edition) Features Restaurant Guide Best of CT Roundup Juice Cleanse Juicing Healthy Eats Health & Wellness Smoothies Acai Bowl Homepage Highlight April Guilbault January 30, 2023 Would the New Year transition be complete without some kind of purging and rearranging (um, no)? After the cookies and cocktails of the holiday season, vibrant fruit and vegetable juices and some super-duper, feel good cleanses might just be the reset that your bod is craving. Just think of it like a Home Edit for your, well, ultimate *home*. Feel free to label and color coordinate all you please. Enjoy our ultimate Guide to Juice Bars in Connecticut. Read More
Nit Noi Opens in Cos Cob with Unique Broth Bar Concept & Divine Dumplings Features Restaurant Asian Bone Broth Dumplings Greenwich Healthy Eats Opening CTbites Team March 26, 2022 Nit Noi has just opened in Greenwich’s Cos Cob? The Greenwich Free Press has the full scoop.This month a new retail food establishment, Nit Noi, opened at 3 Strickland Road in Cos Cob with a unique proposition: a broth-based menu with a Thai twist, plus a variety of hand-folded dumplings.North and Jillian Shutsharawan, a husband and wife team who opened their first Nit Noi location in Norwalk in 2017, explained that Nit Noi means ‘a little bit,’ in Thai.North and Jillian Shutsharawan at the Nit Noi location in Cos Cob. March 4, 2022 Photo: Leslie YagerWhile many people think of broth as a building block for recipes, broth has become a new food category in itself, and Shutsharawans said their slow simmered broths are unlike anything store bought. They are both nourishing and filling.The idea for a broth type business emerged during a trip North and Jillian took to Colorado.“All the restaurants were chowder or chili,” North said. “Lots of meat and potatoes.”“By that point brodo had become a big thing in the city,” Jillian said, adding that Chef Marco Canora had successfully established the concept at his East Village restaurant, Hearth, where he opened up a takeout window just for hot cups of broth.“Our broth is different,” Jillian added. “Ours is Thai style, so we use different herbs and different types of bones. The production is completely different.”“My mom has a great noodle soup recipe,” said North, who was born in Bangkok. His family moved to New York when he was six.They later moved to Norwalk, where he met Jillian in high school.Read the complete article here. Read More
CT Guide To 35+ Spots for Healthy Eats & Wellness: Markets, Apothecaries, Nutritionists, Spice Shops, Juice, Teas and More Features Restaurant Ingredients Healthy Eats Juice Bar Specialty Market Spices Tea Acai Bowl Smoothies Health & Wellness Roundup Homepage Highlight April Guilbault January 26, 2022 We are officially into winter and, in addition to the regular flus and colds, all that other “stuff” is still swirling around. Behold, a listing of establishments where you can grab healthy eats, products, and even some classes that will boost your immunity and overall health in an attempt to steel you against whatever might endeavor to chase you. From the humble elderberry and cup of tea to stores that stock all manner of healthy living goods and purveyors specializing in quality goods for your wellness, we want to help you stack the deck in your favor this season.Here are 35+ Spots for Healthy Eats & Wellness: Markets, Apothecaries, Nutritionists, Spice Shops, Juice, Teas and More! Read More
Plantidote Foods: Wholesome & Tasty Vegan Plant-Based Patties, Made in CT Features Ingredients Vegan Vegetarian Plant Based Healthy Eats Burgers Local Artisan Stephanie Webster January 25, 2022 As keepers of Connecticut culinary intel, we field a lot of reader queries. One question commonly asked is, “where can I get really good quality, great tasting vegan food” that also answers the question, “why can’t I understand half the ingredients in the so-called “healthy” convenience store foods? We recently came across Plantidote Foods vegan, ready made plant-based patties, and they check all the boxes. They taste great, have just 10 nutrient packed ingredients, all of which you can see, pronounce and understand, and they are made right here in Norwalk CT. Read More
The Westport Farmers' Market Is Back for the 2021 Summer Season with 50+ Vendors Features Ingredients Farmers Market Westport Healthy Eats Farm To Table Farm Fresh Ingredients Farm Stand Local Artisan Bread Bakery Food Truck CTbites Team May 25, 2021 The need to eat strikes in many different forms. Craving something healthy? At The Westport Farmers’ Market, you can grab some freshly grown produce to satisfy that yearning. Want something refreshing? Stop by the handmade popsicle stand to cool down. How about something sweet? Head to the various artisan bakers selling freshly baked pastries and bread.After a brief intermission from the end of their winter season back in March, the Westport Farmers Market has reopened to serve the community fresh produce, baked goods and everything in between. Open Thursdays from 10-2 on Imperial Avenue in Westport, the market is something you will not want to miss.With over 50 vendors determined to provide market-goers with healthy and fresh products, Westport residents can look forward to grabbing organic, local ingredients to prepare a healthy meal, or even a pre-made breakfast or lunch… after visiting all the other vendors…of course.Visit the Westport Farmers Market to enjoy goods from any of their over 50 vendors or check out a few of our favorites below! Read More
It’s A Woman’s World: Sara Oberhammer of Soulber Health + Healing Features Interview It's A Woman's World Interview Vegan Gluten-Free Healthy Eats Andrew Dominick May 04, 2021 Connecticut is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Our ongoing column, “It’s A Woman’s World” is devoted to CT female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, feeding an entrepreneurial spirit, or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking ladies have set a new definition of women’s work, creating new paths, and setting examples for those who follow.Sara Oberhammer is someone I’ve personally wanted to feature for a while. Many of you might know her as a bartender at various restaurants around Fairfield County—and if you’ve had several of those mango margaritas with the spicy, salty rim at either location of The Blind Rhino, that was Sara’s award-winning creation.While you still might catch her mixing cocktails at your favorite haunt, Sara has paved her own path in wellness, offering health coaching, personal training, and meal prepping colorful, nutritious bowls that are vegan, gluten-free, and even the dressings are homemade. Read More
Roasted Spring-Dug Carrots with Pistachio Dukkah & Crème Fraîche from Lauren Braun Costello Features Recipe Recipe Farm Fresh Farm To Table Healthy Eats CTbites Team April 16, 2021 This recipe can be made with regular, conventional orange carrots, but spring-dug rainbow carrots from the farmer’s market are a colorful celebration of time and place like no other. Seasoned with a pistachio dukkah (an Egyptian nut-herb-spice blend traditionally made instead with hazelnuts, plus sesame seeds, coriander, mint, cumin, and salt and pepper), the flavors are both unexpected and familiar. Crème fraîche, with its creamy, sour finish is the icing on this proverbial carrot cake. Fresh microgreens complete the dish, offering more visual and textural contrast.—Lauren Braun Costello Read More
Nala’s Kitchen: Healthy Food Delivered & Now Available Throughout CT Features Restaurant Take Out Home Delivery Healthy Eats healthy Meals To Go West Hartford Kristin L. Wolfe February 05, 2021 As of February 1, fans of Nala’s Kitchen will be able to get some of their delicious, wholesome meals at various Noble Convenience Stores across Connecticut. Sure, You can order their meals online whenever you’d like, but what a radical shift for your gas and go stops! Imagine going to a convenience store, after pumping gas, and, instead of coming out with candy, soda, and some unidentifiable colorful snack you’d likely feel guilty and sick over twenty minutes later, you could leave your local Noble’s munching on something that will be both healthy and gaa’damn delicious. Read More
Ideal Fish: Delivering Sustainably Raised Fish Through Unique Recirculating Aquaculture Features Ingredients Seafood Fish Fish Market Online Store Healthy Eats Delivery Local Farm Stephanie Webster December 11, 2020 Launched in the spring of 2013, Ideal Fish, located in Waterbury CT, is a state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture systems company dedicated to bringing fresh fish to local markets. As the only commercial-scale facility of its kind in the Northeast, their responsibly and sustainably raised fish gets from their waters to your kitchen within 24 hours of harvest.While Ideal Fish has been raising branzino in its sustainable CT facility, and serving the area’s finest restaurants and grocers for several years. Now, for the first time, the company is adding salmon to its offering and providing a direct-to-consumer option for home cooks across the Northeast through www.idealfish.com. Both salmon and branzino are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and other important nutrients. Read More
