Filtering by Tag: Café,Kent

Ore Hill Offers Elevated Micro Seasonal Dining in Kent

Restaurant Kent Litchfield County Fine Dining Opening WIne Farm To Table New American

Erik Ofgang

Somewhere between the main course and dessert round during a recent tasting at Ore Hill the palette cleansers arrive in the form of a sorbet. The secret ingredient in the dish is habanada peppers a selectively bred variant of the better-known habanero peppers that Executive Chef Ryan Carbone explains retain the flavors of a habanero without the spice. So you get all these green vegetal notes and it feels like it’s about to get spicy but the heat never comes, Carbone says. 

The sensation, which Carbone describes perfectly, is one of a kind and exactly the kind of flavor that makes dining at Ore Hill such a treat. The ultra-select, ultra-high-end fine dining experience offers a multicourse immersion in local ingredients and chef-driven cuisine and the kind of big-city tasting menu rarely found in Connecticut. This is accompanied by high-end cocktails and a natural wine-driven wine list that doesn’t shy away from bringing some intriguing and intentional funk. 


Pistachio Cafe Opens Second Location in New Haven with Syrian Specialties

Features Restaurant New Haven Café Breakfast Lunch Brunch Openings Coffee Shop Middle Eastern Dessert

Stephanie Webster

Some of you may be lucky enough to live near the popular Middle Eastern Pistachio Cafe in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven, but diners in downtown New Haven can finally experience the immense pleasure of settling into one of Pistachio’s signature Turkish Coffees or Pistachio Lattes. Last week, Pistachio Cafe opened a 2nd location at 1245 Chapel Street. Syrian artist, architect and owner, Mohamad Hafez, opened the original Pistachio location in 2020 with the goal of “giving guests the experience of hosting them in my domicile without taking them back to Syria.” In fact, the beautifully ornate and sumptuous interior has layer upon layer of detailing and decor straight from his childhood. . Every inch of this cafe is designed with objects of interest, and the stunning surroundings match the character of this Middle Eastern fan favorite.


Pausa Caffè Italian Coffee Shop Opens, Bringing Napoli to Norwalk

Features Restaurant Italian Café norwalk breakf bak coff espress dess Openings Homepage

Oliver Clachko

“Everything we have here is straight from Italy — besides the Poland Springs” quips Stefano Cutugno, manager and part-owner of Norwalk’s new Pausa Caffè. On March 6th, Cutugno’s family opened the doors to Main street’s youngest coffee shop, applying the expertise gained from years of operating restaurants in Sicily and Naples to craft an authentic Italian dining experience.

Pausa’s menu offers a robust selection of coffee and pastries, reading like a list of Italy’s most popular drinks and sweets. From marocchinos to double espressos and crostatas to cannolis, there’s an option for every customer. For their coffee beans, Pausa uses Borbone, a Naples-based company that Stefano says is “quickly [becoming] the most famous brand in Italy.” “We started with a different company, but after two weeks, we changed it, and [our customers] knew right away that it was better,” explains Stefano, illustrating Pausa’s commitment to quality.


Swyft Revisited: Tavern Fare, Fine Dining, and What's Up with Ore Hill

Features Interview Restaurant Swyft Kent Swyft Kent Pizza burgers Homepage Fine Dining Ore Hill

Andrew Dominick

So much has changed since we last covered Swyft’s modern tavern concept located on Kent’s main drag.

Like most restaurants, Swyft had to deal with pandemic restrictions. But unlike most restaurants, they had to get up off the mat three more times. Lauded chef and partner Joel Viehland parted ways with Swyft around the time COVID shutdowns hit Connecticut.

Mere weeks after Viehland’s exit, Swyft’s owner, philanthropist Anne Bass, sadly passed away on April 1, 2020, after a battle with ovarian cancer.

And if that wasn’t enough, dynamo pastry chef Anthony D’Amelio went off to pursue other goals sometime last year.

We know, that’s a lot to take in.

According to Allison Mitchell—who’s essentially Swyft’s Swiss Army Knife as she handles social media, does photography, coordinates events, waits tables, bartends, and somehow fits in marketing duties—Swyft went through a “huge overhaul.”


Uncle Matt's Bakery & Café: Breakfast, Lunch, Artisan Bread & Pastries in Sandy Hook

Restaurant Bakery American French Café Breakfast Breakfast Sandwich Lunch Bread Shop Baker BEC Openings

Stephanie Webster

If you live in Connecticut, you may recognize Matthew Kirshner. He is the pastry chef, bread baker, and owner of the popular Sandy Hook newcomer, Uncle Matt’s Bakery and Café, but he has spent time baking in our fair state for over 20 years. Kirshner has graced the kitchens of The Roger Sherman Inn, Wave Hill Breads, Bantam Bread Company, and even the Russian Tea Room in NYC. (Side note: Wave Hill and Bantam were just awarded “Best Bread in CT” by Food & Wine). But in June of 2021, after years of being covered in flour in other people’s kitchens, Matt decided it was time to get dirty in his own. Thus, one of Sandy Hook’s most beloved spots, Uncle Matt’s Bakery, was born, serving breakfast, lunch, as well as a wide array of outrageously good pastries, and artisan bread.


Swyft Opens in Kent From Award Winning Chef Joel Viehland w/ Adventurous Comfort Food

Features Kent Pizza American Openings Comfort Food

Amy Kundrat

Swyft, historic Kent’s new restaurant featuring wood-fired pizza, is now open offering creative small plates, pastas, rustic entrees, and a large selection of craft beers and natural wines. 

Swyft is the brainchild of chef-owner Joel Viehland, formerly of the award-winning Community Table in Litchfield County. The historic 18th-century building is divided to house both a modern tavern and a fine dining restaurant. Swyft, a 40-seat tavern and bar, will offer seasonal comfort fare, with ingredients largely coming from nearby Rock Cobble Farm. Through a separate entrance is Ore Hill, where eventually Viehland will serve a tasting menu that draws upon his experience cooking at Noma, Gramercy Tavern, and other renowned restaurants.

At Swyft, the focus is on adventurous comfort food. Small plates include baby back pork ribs with guanciale-spiked XO sauce, a salad of lightly charred brassicas with crispy grains and pomegranate, and pickled wild mussels on saffron aioli toast, while entrees range from wood-fired chicken for two to rabbit milanese with cardoon gribiche or a burger with old-school tallow fries. Swyft will offer a selection of seasonal pizzas, wood-fired in a Pavesi oven from Naples, Italy. In addition to classics like margherita, Viehland will offer a kale and potato pie, with both the greens and the milk for the housemade ricotta coming from Rock Cobble Farm just minutes away.


Ore Hill & Swyft Opens in Kent this November

Kent

Amy Kundrat

In a letter to friends, Joel and Audra Viehland announced the November opening of a new restaurant, Ore Hill & Swyft in Kent, Connecticut. Formerly of Community Table, Chef Joel Viehland is opening the restaurant in two stages, accommodating two distinct dining experiences. We eagerly await their return!


Instabites: Brunch in Niantic, Fleisher's Burger, Kent Falls Brewing, Fairfield Farmers' Market, Bill's Seafood

Restaurant Fairfield Kent Niantic Shoreline East Westport

Amy Kundrat


109 Cheese Summer Pop-up Shop in Kent

Restaurant Cheese Kent Litchfield Ridgefield

Amy Kundrat

 

[updated] This summer 109 Cheese will expand to Litchfield County with a pop-up shop on Kent's beautiful Main Street with an expected opening date of June 6, bringing their cheese, charcuterie, sandwiches, Farm Country Soups, and gourmet products to to the former Farm Country Soup location at 14 North Main Street.

We will bring lots of our gourmet goodies, some local artisan favorites and best of all, our sandwiches and grilled cheese, plus we will have indoor and outdoor seating too! We are so excited to be expanding to Kent, an amazing town and destination. - Monica & Todd Brown

109 Cheese and Wine's homebase in "Ridgefield" will be operating as usual throughout the summer.