I recently had the opportunity to dine at The Naan in Westport. Located on the Post Road (near Whole Foods) the restaurant is easily missed if you’re not looking for it -- You’ll want to keep your eyes peeled open for this one.
I’ve eaten at my fair share of Indian restaurants over the years. To be quite honest, all of it has been very good. Many places have been delicious, quite a few have been excellent, and a handful have been exceptional. The Naan fits into the latter category. Chef Prashant focuses on the cuisine of his hometown region of Punjab, and with 25 years of experience up his chef’s sleeves, his proficiency is evident in each and every bite.
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.
Little Riggs sits on the edge of the Stuart, McKinney National Wildlife refuge on the Long Island Sound. Riggs opened 6 months ago from Chef John Kronfeld, who operated the very successful breakfast truck, The Chef Truck, until he opened Little Riggs, transitioning his uniquely delicious breakfast menu into a sit down experience. To call this place a hidden gem isn’t wrong, but this clichéd term is a tad overused these days… It’s like a half buried treasure. Among the locals it isn’t buried at all, and they have taken it by storm.
This little outpost that seats just 30 in the wintertime, is slightly larger than a hole in the wall and certainly significantly more elevated. It’s the type of place you want to go to for a leisurely comforting breakfast on a Sunday morning, but it’s not just a breakfast joint, offering significantly more than just morning fare, and lucky for those of us who do love breakfast food, we can now enjoy it beyond traditional breakfast hours. Kronfeld will be launching dinner service this week, and we will be the first in line.
Beyond the beautiful views, calming sounds, and salty smells of Sasco beach, one may hear the cries and laughs of a baby and delicious smells of pizza. These senses come from Proof Pizza, the food truck stationed at the beach Thursday through Saturday between four and eight pm in the Summer seasons, and out and about in CT spots including Sport Hill Farm and St. Thomas School in the Fall.
In another life, co-owner Jennifer DeGirolomo was in the banking industry, and her husband and co-owner Lenny was in construction. The couple has had a love for pizza since they started dating 16 years ago. In 2019, they made this love into a career.
“We had the opportunity to kind of restart and reinvent ourselves. He’s always wanted to do a food truck and we’ve always done pizza together and so it was kind of a no brainer. We said, we’re never going to have this chance again so we took everything we had, threw it into getting this little pizza oven from Italy and we did farmers markets and little pop up stuff,” Jennifer said.
“We love being down here, this has been kind of life changing for us. Like I said we love it, even on bad days that’s your view. We were driving down and my younger son was like, ‘Mom, there’s our office.’”
This oven from Italy was the perfect find for the DeGirolomo’s specific needs. They wanted a wood fire oven that was portable so it would fit in the truck, but was also high quality and could cook enough pizzas at once to keep up with demand. Once the oven was secured, they were able to develop the other key component of what makes Proof Pizza unique: the dough.
Between courses at one of his collaboration special events, Prasad Chirnomula spoke to his full dining room about creating a bond with his fellow Connecticut chefs.
“We’ve been doing this for almost a year now, bringing chefs together,” he says. “The whole point of doing this, is we, as chefs, work our asses off. We’re always back in the kitchen on Saturday nights, Sunday nights, holidays, and everything else. I’ve done my share of work, so I said to myself that I’m gonna enjoy what I did for so many years of my life. I want to create a legacy and a bond with people I recognize and know of. Even if I don’t know someone, I’ll pick up the phone, call them, and say, ‘Hey, buddy! How are you doing? Do you wanna cook together?’ This is the hardest industry to work in and food brings people together.”
So this taco and this pizza walk into an Indian joint…
Darbar India located in Branford, Connecticut is a family run business that has been a staple of the Branford community, serving authentic Indian cuisine for nearly 30 years. Sunny, Vinny and their father Haresh Nariyani took over the business in 2008 and this past January they relocated to its current location on Montowese Street.
When we were invited to check them out we naturally had to scope out their Instagram account which was filled with images of pizzas and tacos! Whaaaaat??? We really had to go see what this was all about.
Inside we found a small, modern space flanked by quintessentially Indian artifacts and figurines, punctuated by their fish pond. While the decor might be simple, it’s the food that steals the show. Darbar prides themselves on their traditional flavors and cooking styles. While Sunny and Vinny were both born in the states, Haresh did not come over until 1990.
Restaurateur husband and wife super-team, John & Morgan Nealon, are back at it again! Enquiring minds wondered what was next for this duo, and now the wait is over. John & Morgan have just signed the lease on the old Davinci’s Pizza in Norwalk at 60 Connecticut Avenue. Get ready for CRUST ISSUES, a casual neighborhood joint, opening in early Fall. As the name might suggest, there will be pizza, but as per usual with these two, it won’t fit into a classic pizza-style. More on that if you keep reading… and wait till you hear what else is on the menu.
Crust Issues is housed in the bones of an old school pizza spot, with tiled floors and big pizza ovens in the open kitchen, and the Nealon will be leaning in to this relaxed vibe. Guests will order at the counter, grab one of the 40 seats, and enjoy a cocktail (John’s got some fun new tricks up his sleeve in the cocktails department…obvi), and you’ll likely get a Nealon bringing some tasty elevated comfort food to your table.
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Yuki’s Kitchen, a charming Korean, Japanese and Chinese culinary haven that left me utterly impressed and thoroughly satisfied. From the moment I stepped in to this primarily take-out spot, the quaint friendly ambiance and attentive service set the stage for a memorable gastronomic experience. Ken and Yuki Piao, a husband and wife team, have been in the Fairfield/Westport area for more than +10 years and decided in November of 2022 to open a lovely tiny haven of authentically excellent Asian food. We also had the pleasure of enjoying some special dishes prepared by Yuki’s mother visiting from Korea for 2 months.
Nestled in a quiet corner of a shopping plaza located right off of the hustle and bustle of Fairfield’s Black Rock Turnpike is Vespino Pizza + Restaurant. Located in the space that was formerly Stefano’s, Vespino fills a void in the area’s restaurant scene. Best described as elevated casual in a stylishly modern setting, Vespino is an ideal choice for a quick neighborhood lunch, casual dinner with friends and family, or an after work cocktail. Vespino has already established a loyal clientele and has earned praises for their pizza, pasta, appetizers and main dishes. Sister restaurant to longtime local favorite Quattro Pazzi Café, Organika and the newer kid on the block, Pizza Lyfe in Westport, we came in with high expectations, eager to try a few dishes ourselves.
Sweet Ashley’s, the adored Norwalk ice cream spot, which has been around for 30 years has reopened this spring in time for a delicious summer! Frank Lanzo (Former owner of Nordic Fish in Fairfield) and his wife Judie, longtime Norwalk residents, decided to take over the business. As ice cream lovers with culinary experience, it seemed like a no brainer.
“I’ve got a culinary background, I cooked my whole life, I went to culinary school in the eighties… now I heard this was for sale and what a great thing to keep going,” Frank Lanzo said. “I’ve been in Norwalk now for twenty two years, I live very close, who doesn’t love ice cream?
The beloved New Canaan burger joint, Press Burger, has opened its second location in Wilton with even more delicious and creative eats. Co-owners Seth Leifer and John Gallagher set out to continue Press Burger’s mission as a delicious and fresh form of fast food, while expanding beyond its classic burgers and fries with new sauces, fried chicken sandwiches, the carrot dog (you’d be surprised how good it tastes), and more. As Leifer puts it, Press Burger is the Cava, Sweetgreen, or Chipotle of the burger world, a type of “cleaner, finer, fast casual.”
"Suffer for your art” is the operative phrase when reviewing a hot chicken joint. From the roar of takeoff, to the turbulence, and spine-compressing jolt of landing, you know what’s coming because you’ve bought the ticket and taken this ride before. You can predict the future: it’s the opposite of gambling. In a new study researchers found gorillas will spin themselves until they fall over because getting dizzy is kind of like getting high to them, and that’s fun. Same goes for humans scorching our faces off via chicken breast.
Occasionally on the rides we buy, something unexpected happens. It may be a “Yes, thank you for waiting: we currently have no idea where we sent your bags,” or it may be “So sorry, there’s a mechanical issue on your cross-Atlantic flight, and you’ll have to stay in a free room in Reykjavik for 24 hours and watch the Aurora Borealis.” Could go either way. Which is why it’s pretty cool to find an Indian/Nashville hot chicken smashup on Howe Street in New Haven.
Hot dogs have been around in various shapes and sizes for centuries, some say dating back to 700 BC; today they are a staple at Fourth of July and church BBQs and grabbing a red hot at Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium was always my go-to food. Natural casing, foot-long, knockwurst, beef, pork, chicken, veggie, tofu, cheese conies, they have been a part of the American culinary scene since forever. There is something special about the salty-spicy combo, the ease of eating, the number of toppings that make them even better…sometimes they are the canvas, sometimes they are the art.
Finding a great and fun hot dog in CT has been an adventure, so when I read that Gooseboro Drive-In in Bantam was awarded the best hot dog at the Litchfield Fair, it definitely hit my radar.
Who doesn’t enjoy a cookie? Decadently giant or sublimely bite-sized, spanning traditional flavors of sugar, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter or new-fangled recipes that include everything but the kitchen sink. Sweet, sweeter, sweetest. Then there’s the Great Debate: chewy or crispy? Where do you land? Are you a dunker, a nibbler, or a late-night snacker? Cookies are the universal dessert and knowing where to get good ones makes life all the sweeter. Dunk away…
Enjoy our sweet GUIDE TO THE BEST COOKIES IN CONNECTICUT.
For those of you who have been craving a good New York style pizza that you can really sink your teeth into, let us introduce you to Pizza Lyfe, a slice of heaven in the heart of New Haven style pizza country.
Pizza Lyfe prides itself on using only the best and freshest of ingredients. Their specially made mozzarella comes from the Bronx, a location so secret they wouldn’t even share it with us ‘off the record.’ The dough is made from a special unbleached, high-protein flour that is fermented for two days before becoming a delicious pizza crust.
The menu is diverse with traditional cheese and pepperoni pizza pies (that are also available by the slice and very reasonably priced) as well as their specialty pies which are best described as a Neopolitan/New York, hybrid.
Traditional cheese slices and pies can be augmented with toppings such as sausage, meatball, onion, red peppers, bacon, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, and olives to name a few. Their specialty pizzas include Salad Pizza, Margarita Pizza, White Pizza, Spicy Pizza Lyfe, Veggie Pizza, Truffled Mushroom, Pineapple and Ham, Buffalo Chicken, Burrata, Meatlovers and Artichoke. There are also two weekly specials on rotation.
Haven Hot Chicken, which brings Nashville Hot Chicken and “Not Chicken” to the area as one of the first fully dedicated Nashville Hot Chicken concepts in New England, today announced that it its fourth location at 146 Washington Avenue, North Haven is now open. This 1100 square foot location will feature the brand’s signature menu of crispy, crunchy, juicy, spicy, delicious chicken and vegetarian options ranging from Country (not spicy) to Haven (extremely spicy), along with their beloved fries, sides and seasonal limited-time offerings.
Award-winning and beloved Connecticut brand Caseus today announced the opening of its newest venture: Caseus Provisions, a brick-and-mortar specialty shop and grilled cheese to go counter at 619 Center Street in Wallingford, Connecticut. Known for its famous tomato soup, mouth-watering grilled cheese sandwiches and delicious treats from the Crispy Melty food truck (formerly The Caseus Cheese Truck), the new shop will offer its famous grilled cheeses made fresh to-go, cheese and charcuterie specialty platters and a highly curated shop of provisions including chocolates, pickles, vinegars, pastas and more. The specialty cheese shop and grilled cheese quick service restaurant will open on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
We really feel like we hit the jackpot,” says Kris Stevens, owner and operator of Bonkers Cupcakes in Downtown Fairfield. “We absolutely love making these things, and being able to sell them is truly amazing.”
Bonkers offers a variety of cake flavor options, and gives customers the ability to select a cake flavor and then top it with their favorite frosting. Sure they have all the cake classics like chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet, as well as more creative choices like banana. To complement these flavors, Bonkers has a large selection of both Italian and American buttercream frostings. Stevens points out that Italian buttercream, which is much softer and not as overly sweet as American buttercream, is preferred both by himself and many customers. The notable frosting flavors include coconut, raspberry, salted caramel, and even coffee.
Okay, let’s be honest. When a foodie hears Michelin star, we can’t help but take notice. There’s a reason the ding and shine of that star draws attention. It means someone’s talents have not only been noticed, but they have consistently delivered The Best of what they do. And that is why making a special trip to Athithi Indian in Wilton was a must for me, and I now declare, a must for you. This new gem opened in the fall and is led by the first Indian Chef to receive a Michelin Star (now two) Chef Hemant Mathur.
I will never call myself an expert of any culinary realm or culture—even though I truly geek out over a few–I can say Indian food continuously has me under a spell. I also never seem to have an Off switch with it either, but that is something I rarely regret. There is just something about the combination of spicy, warm, floral, and earthy aromas and flavors that hit more intensely than other cuisines that I can rarely shake. Even before I continue, I promise, if you are a fan of this cuisine in the slightest, make a reservation; you will be under the spell too.
The Michelin Guide on Chef Mathur opens with, “If there’s a creative force behind New York’s trending Indian Restaurant scene, it’s Hemant Mathur.” Now a few years later, with the experience of six restaurants to his name, Connecticut diners get to experience some of that magical force with Athithi in Wilton.
