Carpenter's Pub Opens in Black Rock From Familiar Neighborhood Faces Features Interview Restaurant Carpenter's Pub Black Rock Bridgeport Cocktails American Pub Opening Interview Gastropub Homepage Andrew Dominick May 27, 2026 Carpenter’s Pub may be the newest haunt on Fairfield Avenue, but the trio of owners behind it are familiar faces in Joseph Farrell, Sean Nye, and Marty McCarthy. For seven years, Farrell was behind the popular Walrus + Carpenter, originally located a hop, skip, and a jump away from where Carpenter’s is, while McCarthy’s Fire Engine Pizza (with two more spots in Milford and Shelton) has been a neighborhood staple for over 25 years, and Nye, a celebrated barman, who now lives in Black Rock, has likely mixed you a drink at Farrell’s Walrus + Carpenter, The Spread or El Segundo, L’Escale, or one of the two Milestone locations. How the three came together to open this American gastropub happened in stages. Read More
Brass & Bone: Bringing Live Music + New Orleans Inspired Food to South Norwalk Features Interview Restaurant Norwalk Music Live Music Cocktails Southern Food New Orleans Cuisine Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick May 17, 2026 Third times a charm, right? That’s what the ownership quartet of Maxim Schiavone, Joseph Magrath, John McGraw, and Jonathan Ackerman is hoping for with Brass & Bone on Norwalk’s Washington Street. Replacing two short lived music venue, restaurant and bar concepts before it in Music & Industry and Washington Social, Brass & Bone’s foursome of friends believe they have the recipe to make it work, especially with their respective backgrounds. Schiavone is an entertainment guy, McGraw has a tech and marketing background, Ackerman is a veteran bartender, and Magrath is a chef. Read More
jjStacks Gets New Life in Newtown: Epic Burgers + Comfort Food Menu Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Newtown Burgers Wings Fried Chicken Sandwich Sports Bar Family Friendly Opening Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick May 15, 2026 “It wasn’t a decision made lightly with how the last two worked out,” says Joe Attonito, who’s talking about giving restaurant ownership another go after his Ridgefield sports bar, Tiger’s Den, had to close in 2018, and when he decided to shutter jjStacks in Brookfield at the end of 2023. While Tiger’s Den never got a second run, jjStacks never went away. Attonito operated it as a food truck while simultaneously running the brick-and-mortar and when it closed, the Stacks Mobile, its signature chicken wings, burgers, and hefty hot dogs included, kept the brand alive. The “decision” Attonito speaks of is the return of jjStacks, this time in Newtown, and so far, he’s been welcomed with open arms. Read More
Fast Casual Takeout Spot Hey Taco! Opens in Westport at Former Border Grill Ingredients Interview Restaurant Tacos Mexican Opening Westport Fast Casual Takeout Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick May 05, 2026 After over 20 years of slinging burritos, burgers, wraps, and Mexican fare, Border Grill, on Westport’s busy Post Road E, may have shut down, but in its place is another fast casual Mexican concept, Hey Taco! Behind Hey Taco! is Judd Malin, a commercial real estate professional, his wife, Edith Galvez, and Edith’s father, Hector. But make no mistake, Malin isn’t a restaurant newbie. In the past, he’s been a co-owner of four in the past, namely, F.I.S.H. Restaurant + Bar, Quattro Pazzi, Boca Oyster Bar, and Wish Café, all in Stamford. As for Hector, he’s the culinary talent. Read More
Bar Naan Welcomes Acclaimed Chef Valice Francis and Opens Monkey Bar Speakeasy in Brookfield Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Brookfield Indian Speakeasy Cocktails Bar Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick April 24, 2026 Despite being open since the end of 2023 and a positive reception from the get go, Brookfield’s Bar Naan was missing something. If you ask its sibling duo owners, Regal and Renal Patel, and they’re honest about that. “We’re not restaurant people,” Regal says. “My sister, my mom, and I were doing it. When we started, it was decent. Then, my mom came to help us, and it was good. Now? It’s much, much better.” Coming from their family’s hotel business (and Regal was formerly an investor in Pieology Pizzeria), the Patels knew, even with limited restaurant experience, was that they needed a chef. Read More
How Crust Issues Evolved from a Local Takeout Spot to Destination Dining Features Interview Restaurant Crust Issues Norwalk Pizza Sandwiches Supper Club Breakfast Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick April 19, 2026 When John Nealon opened Crust Issues, three years ago, he wondered if he’d be able to pay the electric bill each month. He knew going in that giving it another go as an owner after Fortina and after Taco Daddy, The Lila Rose, and Cugine’s Italian, that the restaurant game is a gamble. And he was already up against it by taking a lease across the street from Bob’s Discount Furniture, next to a car wash, and in a spot in a strip mall next to a hair salon, a tattoo parlor, and an adult novelty store. Oh, and the parking there, it sucks. But Nealon’s early mornings slaving over his dough recipe wouldn’t be for nothing. He kept at it and kept pushing, daring to create pizza, pasta, and sandwich combinations that not many others would attempt. Read More
Ore Hill in Kent: Tasting Menu Dining Celebrating Local CT Farming Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Ore Hill Ore Hill & Swyft Kent Fine Dining Tasting Menu Farm To Table Homepage Interview Chef Andrew Dominick April 11, 2026 When Swyft opened in Kent at the very end of 2017, it was met with instant fanfare. Right out of the gate, they did things most taverns couldn’t, firing up perfect sourdough Neapolitan pizzas, creative small plates, and nearly every ingredient was homegrown by their own Rock Cobble Farm, located a few miles away in South Kent. It didn’t hurt that they also had a name chef and partner and a well-known owner in philanthropist, Anne Bass. The restaurant being inside of a historic and respectfully restored circa 1781 house didn’t hurt either. But the full name of the restaurant when it debuted was “Ore Hill & Swyft” and a promise of two concepts under one roof. Swyft would be casual and approachable. Ore Hill would be its more intimate, fine dining side. Both would be farm-focused. Read More
Gruel Britannia Opens 2nd Spot in Westport With Events + Pop Ups Coming Soon Features Interview Restaurant British Cuisine British Westport Interview Gruel Britannia Karen Hubrich Opening Homepage Prime Rib Andrew Dominick April 08, 2026 Karen Hubrich isn’t shy about telling anyone she’s a late bloomer. After a long career cooking in country clubs and as a private chef for Michael Bolton, she emerged on the Connecticut food scene in 2019 when she opened her Fairfield flagship, Gruel Britannia. Now a young 69-years-old, she’s opted for a second helping of Gruel, not too far away from the original, in Westport’s Coleytown neighborhood that debuted last July. Read More
South End in New Canaan Returns as South End Bar Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant New Canaan South End New Canaan New American Opening Interview Andrew Dominick March 31, 2026 One of the spots that’s synonymous with New Canaan’s dining scene from 2012 well into 2023 was South End. “Was?” Hmm…How about “is?” And that’s because South End is back, in a smaller space, down the same alleyway as Uncorked, in what was the Mexican-inspired The Back End, as South End Bar. If you’re one of the many who remembers South End, and all it’s modern tavern fare fondly, you’re not alone. Chef-owner Nick Martschenko does, too. Read More
Hotaru Opens in Southport Featuring an Affordable, Intimate Omakase Experience Features Interview Ingredients Restaurant Omakase Sushi Japanese Opening Interview Southport Homepage Andrew Dominick March 24, 2026 3363 Post Road in Southport is no longer the home of the $5 footlong, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a deal to be had. In the bones of a former Subway franchise, right next to Dunkin’, is Hotaru, a predominantly Japanese restaurant where the star of their show is a very affordable omakase experience. Hotaru opened very quietly to friends, family, and random curious customer walk-ins on March 16 with an abbreviated menu that’ll soon expand. The team behind Hotaru is Yingying Yan, who owns Gingko Sichuan Cuisine in Fairfield, her chef at Ginkgo, Jerry, and Ken Piao, the owner of Yuki Kitchen in Westport. Read More
Masa Taco Bar + Chicho's Cocina in Stamford: Rooted in Family Tradition and Travels Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Tacos Stamford Masa Taco Bar Chicho's Cocina Interview Homepage Mexican Andrew Dominick March 17, 2026 Almost 10 years to the day, CTbites found itself covering La Esquina Latin Grill in Stamford, where chef-owner Robert Monegro served up classic Latin American dishes. In the present, the Stamford-raised Monegro is still pretty busy. La Esquina is well behind him, though, and you’ll see him bouncing back and forth between his two popular taqueria’s, Chico’s Cocina, and as of 2024, Masa Taco Bar. For Monegro, his culinary journey didn’t start 10 years ago at his first restaurant. It actually began in 1995 at his father’s Dominican restaurant, Flamboyant Chico Cocina. Read More
Via Emilia: An Italian Love Letter Written in Mystic Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Italian Interview Espresso Martini Fresh Pasta Mystic Homepage Andrew Dominick March 03, 2026 Love letters aren’t always inked on parchment, sometimes they’re cooked in a kitchen and served to hungry customers. That’s the case at Mystic’s Via Emilia where co-owners Shaun Golan and Jakub Andros are dishing out Italian comfort food that’s uncomplicated and pays respect to Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region since it opened in 2020. On the brink of celebrating six years at the very end of Coastal Connecticut, how Via Emilia came to be, what they’re cooking and why they’re cooking it, and the tale behind their popular espresso martini is a story that should be told. Read More
Vyne Restaurant & Bar: Fine Dining Meets Comfort Classics in Middlebury Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Middlebury Mediterranean Italian Interview Cocktails Fine Dining Homepage Andrew Dominick February 24, 2026 Unless you live near or in Middlebury, there’s a very real chance you’ve never dined there. Ask a few guys who now work in Middlebury at Vyne Restaurant & Bar and they’ll tell you that before they got there, they hadn’t either. “I had never even heard of Middlebury and I spent a lot of my life in Hartford,” says Vyne’s general manager Justin Morales. What Morales, an industry veteran both behind the bar and as a GM (and most recently of Fire by Forge), and executive chef James Piccolo are doing in this part of Connecticut is putting their stamp on a restaurant idea that began many years ago as a small cafe inside of a furniture store, Middlebury Consignment. Read More
First Look: Norwalk's Valencia Luncheria Reopens as Valencia Cocina Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Valencia Norwalk Valencia Luncheria Venezuelan Latin American Reopening Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick February 18, 2026 After a little over three weeks closed for menu changes and renovations, Valencia Luncheria is back in action! Only now you have to call it by its changed name, Valencia Cocina, representing it’s new chapter that we teased you about at the beginning of the year. Now reopened with a sexier, but still chill vibe, a brand-new bar, and a reimagined menu, founder Michael Young, co-owner Luis Chavez, and executive chef Marv Bryce are ready to welcome you back in. Read More
The Haven Opens in Norwalk Featuring a Speakeasy, Rooftop, Cafe, and Event Space Features Interview Restaurant Speakeasy Cocktails Pizza Late Night Norwalk Interview Rooftop Opening Andrew Dominick February 06, 2026 The restaurant space on the corner of Washington and N Main has seen its share of flips. Evarito’s had an over five-year run, then it was The Pompano for a blink. Drive or walk by it now and you’ll notice the dining room is empty-ish, but more like a clearing, and that the lights are on. And the lettering on the glass door reads, “The Haven.” Behind all of those previous concepts, and behind The Haven, is Christian Burns, who you’re familiar with as the brains behind The Ginger Man and The Cask Republic locations. With The Haven, Burns and his landlords, Joe and Aldo Criscuolo, are teaming up on all four aspects of what this is and what it’s going to be when it’s whole. Read More
¡Ay Güey! Cafe & Cocina Mexicana: Authentic Mexican In Stratford Interview Restaurant Mexican Reopening Stratford Interview Tacos Andrew Dominick February 04, 2026 Look up the phrase “¡Ay, güey!” and you’ll see it’s got a lot of meanings. In Mexico, it’s commonly used slang to express shock, fear, amazement, and surprise, much like “Wow!”, “Oh, man!”, “Oh my god!”, “Holy crap!”, and, well, you get the idea. In Stratford, ¡Ay Güey! Cafe & Cocina Mexicana hopes to “Wow!” you with their traditional Mexican menu, just like they wowed our writer, James Gribbon, back in 2021 when they first opened. Why they’re getting more shine in 2026 is simple…they had closed for three months at the end of last year for renovations in a Facebook post that read like a postmortem, sparking some concern and a Reddit that followed. Read More
Cowboy Butter in New Milford: Hindsight BBQ's Sister Restaurant, a "Boujee" BBQ Joint + Steakhouse Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant BBQ New Milford Opening Interview Steak Homepage Andrew Dominick January 27, 2026 When CTbites last covered Hindsight BBQ in 2021, its founder, Jeff Schmidt was quoted as saying, “When you get obsessed with something, and when you get bit by the BBQ bug, once you go down that rabbit hole, you can only go further.” In 2025, his “further” ended up being Cowboy Butter, best described as “a New England live fire cookery and boujee BBQ bistro,” in New Milford’s quaint downtown area. Read More
Getting the Scoop: Behind the Scenes at Gioia's Gelateria Ice Cream Ingredients Interview New Haven Restaurant Gelato Ice Cream New Haven Gioia Interview Dessert Andrew Dominick January 20, 2026 Just past the original locations of Sally’s and Pepe’s on New Haven’s legendary Wooster Street is Gioia. Opened by restaurateurs and longtime industry guys Avi Szapiro and Tim Cabral in 2023, Gioia is a fascinating concept. It’s not only a restaurant, it’s got a gourmet market, a rooftop that switches its theme seasonally, and a walk-up window where you can snag square pizza slices and gelato. That last part is what this is about. And when we’re talking about great ice cream in Connecticut, Gioia would like to enter the conversation. Read More
Fire & Spice Opens in Bridgeport With A+ Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken & More Ingredients Interview Restaurant Peruvian Indian Bridgeport Interview Fast Casual Opening Andrew Dominick January 13, 2026 A former Jamaican restaurant on Bridgeport’s Boston Avenue doesn’t only have two new tenants, it’s cooking up different culture’s cuisines, too. At Fire & Spice, the concept is Peruvian, with some Indian and Pakistani, and good ol’ American burgers, cheesesteaks, and fried chicken. Behind Fire & Spice is the team of Shiraz Choudhary and his chef, Emilio Malpartida, and if you’ve been to either of the Swift Fresh Market locations, two in Fairfield and one in Norwalk, you’re at least a little familiar with who they are. Read More
Breaking News: Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk Announces New Concept + Renovations Features Interview Restaurant Valencia Luncheria Venezuelan Latin American Norwalk Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick January 08, 2026 Valencia Luncheria as you know it is closing. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but it made you sit straight up, didn’t it? In a social media post on January 7, 2026, Valencia announced that after service on January 18, they’ll be closing for renovations. But those first four words in the caption on their Instagram reel is what you should be focused on… Read More
