CTbites Holiday Gift Guide For CT Food Lovers (2022 Edition) Features Gift Gift Guide Holiday Christmas Shopping Homepage April Guilbault November 25, 2022 Ah, the hunt for the perfect gift. Or least a really, really, good one. Where to start? Don’t we go through this every single year (we do) and swear each year our shopping will being in July! Well, if you haven’t begun to purchase or ponder, we’ve got a good-make that great-list right here that will have you on your way to pulling out the almighty Sharpie and cross, cross, crossing things off your list. Is there any more divine feeling? Well, maybe finding that perfect gift! Happy shopping everyone! Read More
CTbites Holiday Gift Guide For CT Food Lovers (2021 Edition) Features Gift Guide Holiday Best of CT Specialty Products Homepage April Guilbault November 26, 2021 While this year somehow crept slowly and at warp-speed at the same time, holiday season has finally arrived at our feet. And shipping issues be damned-we’ve got a great list here of local-to-Connecticut vendors whipping up all sorts of unique goods that will make for a fun gift-giving season. Isn’t that a good feeling? Giving a gift you know someone will love and knowing that it’s locally made? Sure is. Just to be clear, since we all have a bit of wanderlust after these long 18 months, we have included a few vendors beyond the confines of our state for good measure (just order as soon as you finish reading this). Have a wonderful holiday season, everyone! Read More
Grace Farms New Canaan Launches 100% Fair Trade Organic Tea, Coffee & Cookie Line Features Tea And Coffee New Canaan Lunch Gift Guide Jessica Ryan November 03, 2021 When was the last time you visited Grace Farms? The stunning 80-acre space in New Canaan, Connecticut that supports initiatives in the areas of nature, arts, justice, community, and faith, and encourages participation locally and globally is a treasure to visit. Pritzker Prize-winning River building, is the focal point, having become an integral part of the landscape. Designed to resemble a rambling river, five transparent glass-enclosed buildings that each live beneath one flowing roof. Here you will find The Sanctuary, a 700-seat amphitheater; the library, a staffed library with resources related Grace Farms Foundation's initiatives; the Commons, a community gathering space with 18-foot-long tables; the Pavilion; a welcome reception and conversation space with tea service; and the Court, an incredible underground recreational space used by local children and schools. Wander around the 80 acres of open meadows, woods, wetlands, and ponds and soak up all the breathtaking scenery.In 2021 Grace Farms Foods was launched by Grace Farm’s Founder Sharon Prince along with Adam Thatcher to share with the world and invite everyone to be part of their mission by offering our signature cookies, coffee, and tea. Read More
CTbites 2020 Gift Guide: Great Gifts For Your Favorite CT Food Lover Features Ingredients Gift Guide Best of CT Specialty Market Shopping Specialty Products Local Artisan Cookbooks Cooking Classes Holiday Homepage April Guilbault December 05, 2020 How to find the perfect gift for this crazy ass year-well ain’t that the question of the day! As many of us are staying a little further away from stores and not partaking in the usual activities we have in past years, we got creative and found the creative for your gift-giving! Artisans, chefs, and vendors are all rising to the occasion with fabulous out-of-the-box thinking and we discovered a treasure trove of unusual, beautiful, tasty items and experiences that will infuse a blast of goodness into this particularly memorable holiday season. Give, get, live, love, and celebrate the moments of sparkle. To quote the infamous Clark Griswold, “we’re all in this together”. Read More
CTbites 2019 Holiday Gift Guide For CT Food Lovers Features Gift Guide Holiday Local Artisan Homepage April Guilbault November 24, 2019 We’re back with some soon-to-be-loved holiday gifts! From hostess gifts to a Big Kahuna gift (get your passport ready!), we’ve uncovered an array of goodies that you will be excited to give and others will be thrilled to receive. With your beloved foodies in mind, bestow these gems in the spirit of love and good eats-made even better knowing that they all originate in our fair Nutmeg State. See, even the name of our state is food-centric. We love to support local and small businesses and hopefully, this list will encourage you to check out these favorite new finds. Happy Holidays everyone, eat well, gift well! …and if shopping stresses you out too much, go get some Oops, I Ate My…..you’ll see (wink!). Read More
The Epitome of Cool Sub-Zero’s Bold New Look Fits in Almost Any Kitchen (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear Design Kitchen Design CTbites Team June 13, 2019 PRO refrigeration, Sub-Zero’s boldest, most iconic design, was an instant hit when it came on the scene several years ago. Its 48” wide all stainless or stainless with glass refrigerator door designs changed the face of kitchens throughout the country. Now this bold, professional look is finally available in a 36-inch-wide model. This means the stunning PRO look and unparalleled features can fit into almost any kitchen. “Everything about this new Sub-Zero is spectacular,” explained Marco Barallon, the corporate showroom director for New England’s Official Sub-Zero/Wolf/Cove Showroom and Test Kitchen. “For designers who are looking for a new way to make a stunning kitchen statement, you can create a six-foot-wide food preservation armoire by placing two 36” PRO units side by side – one with a left hinge, the other with a right – with the glass doors, this is like nothing you’ve ever seen in kitchen design. Beyond the show-stopping look, discerning homeowners love the features.” Read More
Essential Outdoor Entertaining Product Guide from D2 Interieurs Features Entertaining Kitchen Gear Design D2 Interieurs May 29, 2019
D2 Interieurs Valentine's Day Gift Guide For the Stylish Foodie Features Entertaining Gift Guide Shopping Design Style D2 Interieurs February 06, 2019 Denise Davies of D2 Interieurs dishes on great gifts for your Valentine. Let your gifts speak from the heart AND the taste buds. The list has something for everyone, from the chef to the foodie this curated go-to is sure to please even the pickiest Valentine. Read More
Valentine's Day CT Gift Guide: Cocktails Kits, Chocolates, Classes, Boozy Treats & More! Features Gift Guide Holiday Homepage April Guilbault February 03, 2019 Pitter pat, pitter pat. Oh, be still my heart! Although, some might argue that the sound they hear around this time of the year is the sound of pure dread. Embrace this holiday of love and get your cupid on! Back to that pitter pat you are hearing. What to do to surprise your Valentine? There is so much out there beyond the usual bunch of overpriced red roses and glittery greeting card-not that we have anything against glitter, mind you. Behold! We have found cocktail kits, chocolate-making classes, specialty brews and wines. Oh, what fun this day of love shall be! Best part is that so many of these great (lovely?) ideas can be done throughout the year…so that you declare your love again and again and again…. Read More
CTbites 2018 Holiday Gift Guide for CT Food Lovers Features Best of CT Gift Guide Holiday Homepage April Guilbault December 02, 2018 ’Tis the season of holidays, sparkly and bright, there’s baking and partying well into the night The children are excited and the adults somewhat stressed, with planning and wrapping and finding the perfect Christmas vest What shall we get for Aunt Mo or Uncle Buck, it’s hard to decide, we aren’t having much luck But wait, it’s the Guide, the almighty Gift Guide! CTbites to the rescue, we exclaimed, we cried! There’s something for everyone, your foodies and friends, we’ve found several classics, along with a few trendsSo wrap them up lovingly with great care and great pride, and present these gifts with a gleam in your eye How merry, how happy, the recipients will be, and you, the giver, will be brimming with glee! Read More
Two Connecticut Designers Win Clarke Kitchen Design Awards (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear Design Entertaining CTbites Team June 13, 2018 Every two years Clarke, New England’s Official Sub-Zero/Wolf/Cove Showroom and Test Kitchen, hosts its Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest to celebrate the best kitchen designs in the six New England states. On May 10th, Clarke awarded $15,000 in prize money to first and second place winners in three categories: Traditional Kitchen, Contemporary Kitchen and Transitional Kitchen. This year, two of the six awards went to kitchen designers in Connecticut. Veronica Campbell of Deane Inc. received the first-place award for a transitional kitchen, while Gerard Ciccarello of Covenant Kitchens & Baths won second place in the traditional kitchen category. Read More
Visit Clarke Now and You May Win a Day with Chef Lidia Bastianich Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team March 13, 2018 Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen, is pleased to announce a unique offer for homeowners who make their first visit to a Clarke showroom between now and May 1, 2018. This offer is designed to inspire homeowners who are considering Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances to take the next step in their exploration. When you enjoy your first visit to a Clarke showroom in Boston Seaport, Milford, Mass. or South Norwalk, Conn., during March or April, you will be entered into a drawing to spend a day on the television set of Chef Lidia Bastianch on May 17th. Read More
Clarke Intros, Demos and Classes Bring Wolf Appliances to Life (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team March 02, 2018 For decades, New England homeowners would shop for appliances by walking down a line of different models and make their selections based almost entirely on price and aesthetics. All they knew about the operation or benefits of an oven or cooktop was what they could read in product signage and learn from talking to the salesperson.In the 1990s, Tom Clarke, founder of Clarke Distribution, changed all of that for Connecticut homeowners when he opened a Sub-Zero and Wolf showroom in South Norwalk. This Clarke Showroom not only won national awards for its extraordinary design, but also for offering homeowners the opportunity to cook on these appliances in order to make a much more educated buying decision. In fact, it is not unusual for a homeowner to make a Clarke Showroom appointment to bake her favorite pie or loaf of bread in multiple ovens to decide which model has the features and provides the results she desires. Read More
Cheesemonger Subscription Box Launches From Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Co. Ingredients Features Cheese Delivery Service Home Delivery Gift Guide Stephanie Webster February 01, 2018 Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company have introduced a subscription cheese box service that curates small batch, artisan and traditional cheeses and delivers them, freshly cut, to the doorsteps of food lovers across the nation.Cheesemonger Box will curate a selection of small batch and traditional American and European cheeses for monthly home delivery, launched this winter as the first cheese subscription service of its kind.Founders Laura Downey and Chris Palumbo, co-founders and owners of Connecticut cheese shops Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company, are launching the service with the goal of “spreading the cheese love across the country” and empowering customers to “become the expert” on artisan cheese. Read More
Local Chocolatier, Truffle Shots of Essex CT Named Country’s Best Chocolate Gift By Forbes Magazine Restaurant Essex Chocolate Dessert Specialty Market Gift Guide CTbites Team December 12, 2017 Forbes magazine recently named local chocolatier, Truffle Shots of Essex, Connecticut among the country’s best chocolates for gift giving this holiday season. Forbes "loved the Fig and Balsamic shot—with aged balsamic and fig ganache as well as the Chipotle Cinnamon—dark chocolate ganache with a whiff of cinnamon and a slight kick from the chipotle."Truffle Shots® brand chocolate truffles are the Chocolate Award-winning creation of mother-daughter chocolate lovers in Essex, Connecticut. The duo has replaced the chocolate shell of a traditional chocolate truffle with a sealed shot glass to create new levels of truffle indulgence.The decadent, silky ganache of Truffle Shots® brand chocolate truffles melts on the tongue in sensory bliss in 30+ amazing flavors like Fig Balsamico, Tellicherry Cardamom, Caramel Beurre Noisette, Bumbleberry, Miel Habanero, Castelvetrano Olive, and Ginger, to name a few. Read More
CTbites Holiday Gift Guide For Your Favorite CT Food Lover (2017 Edition) Features Gift Guide Best of CT Holiday Homepage April Guilbault December 06, 2017 Holiday time and food just plain go hand-in-hand! Whether it is making a time-honored and well-loved recipe, sharing a meal with a group of special someones, or giving a gift of specialty food goods, the holidays…involve…food. Henceforth and ergo, we at CTBites would like to add a few items to your list. No need to check these twice, we can tell you right off that they are worth sharing! From pottery and chocolates to classes and luxury trips, there is something for every person you will be shopping for this season. Our great Nutmeg State is simply brimming with artisans and people who are making delicious, beautiful and fun products or offering experiences that enrich our lives. Enjoy these, enjoy *giving* these, and enjoy the smiles that will result. Have a wonderful holiday season, everyone! May it be delicious! Read More
Dress Up Your Party with Garelick & Herbs Holiday Platters (sponsored post) Ingredients Recipe Gift Guide Holiday CTbites Team December 15, 2016 This holiday gift alert just in from Garelick & Herbs. Looking for a delicious present that will be joyously received? Check out one of Garelick & Herbs gift platters...or design your own. Take the guess work out of your next hostess gift. These beautifully curated custom gifts are perfect for any occasion. Stopping by your friend's for brunch? We have fabulous holiday housewarming gifts. Corporate Clients need a holiday gift? Send over one of our sweet-tastic dessert boxes or a signature Office Munchie Snack Basket. We can even send over a surprise lunch to your favorite client. Also, don’t forget your manicurist and hair stylist! Nothing warms the heart and soul more than something delicious from Garelick & Herbs. Having an impromptu celebration? Going away for the weekend? Your hosts will love our snacktastic gifts–customize salty, sweet, crunchy and colorful. We have everything you need served up on a platter. Read More
Holiday Cooking with Wolf: There Really is a Difference (sponsored) Recipe Kitchen Gear CTbites Team December 07, 2016 There are a lot of appliances in the marketplace that claim to be the best, and as we turn our attention to holiday cooking and baking, we thought it would be valuable to understand how one manufacturer stands out in a class all its own. Wolf distills legendary professional heritage, power and finesse into cooking equipment whose precise control ensures the dish you have in mind will be the dish you bring to the table. While Wolf offers a wide array of industry-leading appliances (Gas, Dual Fuel and, now, Induction Ranges; Built-In Ovens; Cooktops; Specialty Modules; Ventilation and totally unique Coffee Systems), their technology just keeps getting more exciting. This Oven is Like No Other Read More
2016 Holiday Gift Guide For The CT Food Lover Restaurant Recipe Gift Guide Holiday Best of CT April Guilbault December 01, 2016 Festive Foodalicious Finds ...and FAAABulous ones, we might add! For friends, family (this alliteration is getting fun isn’t it?), and frenemies alike. We have scouted and compiled a list of great gadgets, unique tableware, fun and memorable experiences, sugary sweets, and superb savories for all of the gift recipients in your life this season. So have fun while shopping! Buy one, buy two, buy with that perfect person in mind and think of the smiles and happiness you are sharing with them. How perfectly fabulous, right? Here are 20 local CT gift ideas for your favorite food lover. Read More
Clarke Introduces Wolf Induction Range for the Quickest Way to Delicious (sponsored) Recipe Kitchen Gear CTbites Team September 13, 2016 There's a whole new alternative to gas in a high-performance range and you can explore it at Clarke, your Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen in South Norwalk. The new Wolf Induction Range (which will be available in Clarke's authorized dealers later this fall) gives you a cooktop with incredible speed, control and energy efficiency. It boils water faster than gas (really - with almost instantaneous temperature response!) It gives you precise high end to low end control. Imagine control steady enough to simmer sauces and melt chocolate without scorching. A Wolf Induction Cooktop also means you'll never have to worry about children burning themselves on a flame or about forgetting to turn off the cooktop (when you remove the pot or pan all you're left with is a cool surface.) Read More