2024 Connecticut Lobster Roll Guide: 80+ Seafood Shacks, Roadside Stands + Restaurants for Meaty, Buttery Lobster Rolls
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Chef Emily Mingrone Launches The Pearl At Fair Haven Oyster Co. Food Truck September 1st
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This just in. Chef Emily Mingrone of Tavern On State, Provisions on State, and her most recent addition, Fair Haven Oyster Co, is off on another exciting culinary adventure. After winning “CT’s Restaurant Of The Year” in 2022, Mingrone is expanding her New Haven footprint and launching a NEW FOOD TRUCK, this weekend, Friday, September 1st. The truck’s name is “The Pearl At Fair Haven Oyster Co.” and you can find it just next to her restaurant, Fair Haven Oyster Co., in the marina picnic area. The Pearl will be open Fridays-Sundays, noon to 7pm in the season, and depending on demand, Mingrone may keep the party going all year long.
Guide to Connecticut Lobster, Clambakes and Seafood Shacks (2023 Edition)
Restaurant Features Lobster Roll Lobster Lobster Bake Clambake Seafood seafood boil Catering Guide Catering Highlight Homepage
Summer in Connecticut can look like a lot of different things: hometown parades, trips to the beach, and of course, lobster rolls. Seafood is a quintessential part of dining in New England, so much so that there are heated debates over how to properly prepare a lobster roll, with hot meat with melted butter being the traditional Connecticut style and cold meat with mayonnaise originating out of Maine. It is no surprise, then, that there is a plethora of lobster shacks around the state, with most of them concentrated along the shoreline.
These ‘lobster shacks’ or ‘clam shacks’ have everything that you could want in a great seafood dinner without any added frills. If you are looking for more of a restaurant vibe, there are many seafood-centric businesses in the state that serve great lobster rolls. Another New England tradition that pops up each summer is the clambake. These events are usually centered around some sort of special occasion and involve steaming a medley of ingredients like clams, crab, scallops, lobster, and mussels together. There are several businesses in Connecticut that will help cater your next clambake, which are included in this guide as well.
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
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.
CTbites Staff Picks For Top Eats of 2022 (Plus Special Guest Eaters)
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It’s that time of year, when the CTbites staff temporarily puts down our forks, and contemplates our most memorable annual eats. 2022 saw an explosion of restaurateurs and chefs entering the Connecticut culinary scene, and the CTBites team, alongside some special guest reviewers below, did our best to eat it all. There were some clear standouts, restaurants that you’ll find repeated in the “top eats” lists below, and some more hidden gems you should add to your dining dance card.
In 2022 restaurants continued to struggle with both labor and supply shortages, and yet, chefs continued to innovate, creating memorable dishes, and sharing their love for cooking with Connecticut diners. It is critical that in 2023 we continue to support our favorite restaurants, chefs, bartenders, and front of house staff, who work so hard to bring you a unique and tasty experience. Be kind when you dine. And with that in mind, here are CTbites’ TOP EATS 2022.
40+ Spots for Pumpkin Inspired Menu Specials, Beer, Ice Cream, Pasta, Baked Goods & Oh So Much More
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Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere. Isn’t autumn divine?! And how crazy that we all get so excited about, well, a gourd. Life is funny but it’s that time of year to embrace the crazy and roll with the pumpkins. From fancy-schmancy drinks to sumptuous desserts, handmade raviolis, cakes and sweets, pumpkin has hit everything that stands still. Get on the haywagon, it’s a good one!
Here are 30+ spots to savor pumpkin season in EVERY WAY possible.
Guide To Great Coffee in Connecticut: Happy National Coffee Day 2022!
Restaurant Features Roundup Best of CT Coffee Espresso Coffee Shop Breakfast homepage Highlight
September 29th is National Coffee Day. If this listing was a coffee cup it would be a mega-super-duper-de-booper-trente. To make the (brewing) process easier for you to discover fabulous-and sometimes hidden- java joints to caffeinate or simply enjoy the velvety and multi-faced notes of a fine cup of’ Joe, we have divided this list by county. Enjoy the thrill of a new favorite spot or re-visit an old favorite.The slow pour has already begun as you read this…
Enjoy our guide to the best places to get coffee in the state of Connecticut.
Shuck Yeah! Chef Emily Mingrone Strikes Again-Fair Haven Oyster Company is Now Open
Restaurant Openings Seafood New Haven Oyster Bar Lobster Lobster Roll Homepage
Well, Connecticut. Your gal Emily Mingrone did it again. The one so rightly deemed our latest Chef of the Year has now brought you seaside with Fair Haven Oyster Company along the Quinnipiac River. She gives us cozy date nights with Tavern on State; she brings us into the kitchen with Provisions on State, and is now taking us to the water.
Barely two weeks old, her latest venture with business partner and libation genius Shane McGowan is satisfying CT gourmands just in time for summer and for that much-longed-for taste of fresh seafood and just-plucked-from-the-garden veggies.
Many might be surprised to know, but the idea for Fair Haven was brewing well before her award-winning spot Tavern on State came to be. “I’ve been in Connecticut my whole life,” says Mingrone, “so summer lobster rolls, steamers and oysters are something I look forward to every year. [Even though] seafood spots dot the shoreline, there’s really nowhere in New Haven like Fair Haven. With its small, “stop in and enjoy” atmosphere, there’s nothing grandiose or overwhelming about the location or the menu (let alone dear Chef Mingrone, tbh) “I always had this idea in the back of my mind, to create an elevated New England seafood experience.”
40+ Places in Connecticut for Lobster, Clambakes, + Seafood Shacks (2022 Guide)
Features Seasonal Restaurant Seafood seafood boil Lobster Lobster Roll Clambake Homepage Guide Dining Guide Highlight
One fish, two fish, red fish…lobster. And seafood in all its forms. Oh yeah, baby! Get the bibs, the frosty beers and get crackin’, shuckin’ and lovin’. Nothing signals the start of summer quite like eating by the water while the sunshine sparkles on the waves. Picture, if you will, your teeth sinking into a lobster roll dripping with drawn butter, or wistfully dragging fresh steamers through (more) butter or popping hot-out-the-fryer clam strips and fritters into your mouth. Whether dining on land or by sea, seafood rules the roost this season. These simple summer pleasures make time stand still for a few blissful moments. Summer is here, and food is easy.
Enjoy our guide to over 40 summertime—or anytime—spots to get buttery lobster, chow down at a clambake, and sit and eat at a seafood shack!
2022 Connecticut Food Truck Guide: 100+ Local Food Trucks
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Summer means travel, fun, parties, festivals…and food trucks! Our state is happily overflowing (in a good way) with great eats and many of them will be rolling through your town in the coming months. You can also book many of them for your next event, which translates to easy-unique-delicious as far as parties go. We have broken down this behemoth of a list by first featuring a variety of trucks and then we break all this fun into categories so you can quickly get to the foods that interest you: Pizza, Tacos/Mexican, BBQ, Ethnic, Lobster/Seafood, All-American, Plant-Based/Alternative Diet, Ice Cream/Sweets, Coffee/Cocktails & Beer. Happy summer, everyone, roll on!
Enjoy our guide to 100+ Connecticut Food Trucks!
8 Home Meal Delivery Services in Connecticut: Don't Cook! Order Up!
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Tired of cooking? Or maybe you love to cook but just can’t face the stove one…more…night. There are a million reasons why help is sometimes needed in the kitchen: a dear friend had a baby and hasn’t slept in 3 weeks, a neighbor is sick, your parents are getting older and you want to make sure they eat well, you’ve been away on vacation and would love to have some meals for when you return, or, well, you’re just plain sick of cooking (as we mentioned). It is vacation time, after all. Whether you need prepared meals for someone special or just to supplement your own cooking and streamline life a bit, there are plenty of options that make it easy. And delish! That’s precisely why we are highlighting these eight fantastic services. Some cater to dietary needs, some focus on local or organic ingredients, and all offer many tasty options to satisfy.
Here are 8 home meal delivery services we have enjoyed in Connecticut.
45+ CT Restaurants & Caterers for Mother's Day (2022 Edition)
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For the giant purses stuffed with everything from snacks to bandaids, hair ties and toys, for the endless wiping of stuffy noses, the endless chauffeuring, the thoughtful advice on just about everything, the laughs and giggles and fun, the ever-listening ear, the big, enveloping hugs just when they were needed, the bowls of soup when you didn’t feel well, the shoulder to cry on, the craft projects during school vacations that killed some time and made a mess, the puddle-jumping on rainy days, the shivering on cold benches during long lacrosse games, the cheerleading from your biggest fan, the notes of encouragement in college care-packages filled with all your favorite things and…for all the things yet to come.
We love you, Moms, in all of your many, wonderful forms.
CT Guide To 35+ Spots for Healthy Eats & Wellness: Markets, Apothecaries, Nutritionists, Spice Shops, Juice, Teas and More
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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!
CTbites Staff Picks For Top Eats of 2021 (Plus Special Guest Eaters)
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It’s that time of year, when the CTbites staff temporarily puts down our forks, and contemplates our most memorable annual eats. In 2021, much like the year prior, food was critical to our collective covid endurance. Connecticut restaurants struggled with both labor and supply shortages, and yet, chefs continued to create memorable and beautiful dishes that gave diners something to look forward to and savor. Bravo to the CT culinary scene for making it through another challenging year, and to you, the diners, who supported this industry.
Here are the very best things we ate in 2021.
50+ CT Restaurants To Celebrate New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day (2021 Edition)
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Here we go again, roaring into the 20s, this time #22! To celebrate this flip of the calendar, whether you choose to dine out or partake in a delicious and fun takeout with friends or family, there are a myriad of delicious menus and restaurant events that await you as we kiss goodbye one year and welcome another. Raise that glass, belt out Auld Lang Syne, hope for the best, and support our favorite restaurants while we do! Happy 2022, everyone. May we all have a happy, healthy, and delicious New Year (fingers crossed).
The Boathouse at Saugatuck Has a New Chef & Vibrant New (Waterfront) Menu
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From beaches to boathouses we’ve been thoroughly enjoying our local waterside dining venues. We recently had the opportunity to dine at The Boathouse at Saugatuck. If you haven’t been in quite a while it’s time to come back, and you’ll be in for a pleasant treat. Located upstairs at the Saugatuck Rowing Club, the restaurant has seen a couple of transformations over the past few years. The newly renovated interior boasts a coastal yet elegant setting along the river - the vibe here is upscale yet relaxed. Another noticeable change is the food. The menu has gotten a whole new wardrobe and wears it well.
We sat down to talk with Scott Greene. The Boathouse’s General Manager joined the team just months before the pandemic gripped our local businesses. His vision, creativity and forward thinking has elevated the restaurant to new heights. He’s responsible for the arrival of Chef Jason Milanese and his newly invigorated menu where his inspiration and presentation is reflected in the flavors. Chef brings his experiences from Tarry Lodge as well as Relais Chateaux’s Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod.
LobsterCraft Opens in Greenwich With A Serious Lobster Roll Menu
Restaurant Greenwich Openings Lobster Lobster Roll Sandwich Seafood Lunch
Quietly, three months ago, Captain William Michael Harden aka “Captain Mike” opened his second Lobster Craft location in the heart of Greenwich on Greenwich Avenue.
We sat down to chat with him about the Greenwich location, new menu items, new restaurants down the pipeline and the challenges of opening a restaurant during a pandemic.
Like most restaurants, staffing has been an issue and he’s operating with a skeleton crew but he’s very proud of his young workers, their work ethic and dedication. With over a decade of success with the original Fairfield location as well as the Lobster Truck, the recipes have been perfected and feeding the masses is the easy part. (The hard part, for us, was deciding which roll to get! Scroll down and you’ll see what I mean!)
Guide to Connecticut Lobster, Clambakes and Seafood Shacks: 2021 Edition
Restaurant Features Best of CT Seafood seafood boil Lobster Lobster Roll Lobster Bake Clambake Dining Guide homepage Homepage
It is doubtful that, when mentioning summer eats, lobster anything wouldn’t be in the Top 3 list of foods that folks love, drive miles for, yearn for during the winter months and spiritedly debate (hot? cold? with mayo? just butter?). Well, summer is here, time to strap on that bib, lick those buttery fingers and well, get crackin’. From piled-high lobster rolls and creamy bisques, to hot fried clams and fluffy fritters, seafood rules the roost when temps rise and those ocean breezes soothe the soul. Whether you are searching for a lunch by the water or hosting a party for friends (weee! finally!), these venues will add some buttery fun to your summer days. Bon appetit! Here, let me tie that bib for you….
Hook’d on the Sound: Comfort Food & More at Westport's Compo Beach
Restaurant Beach Eats Comfort Food Lobster Roll Burgers Hot Dogs Sandwich Smoothies Westport Openings Kid Friendly
Picture this: you're at the beach tanning when all of a sudden you hear that dreaded sound of your stomach rumbling. But you aren’t in the mood for the classic hot dog or chicken tenders that are usually served at a beach. You want something a little more gourmet, like a lobster roll or a farm-fresh salad. Have no fear! Hook’d on the Sound can provide you just that and is located only a few feet away from your towel.
2021 Connecticut Food Truck Guide: 100+ Local Food Trucks
Features Restaurant Food Truck Food Truck Park Catering Homepage Best of CT Roundup
Ok folks, LET’S GET ROLLIN’! Summer is here and it’s looking like it might be a helluva lot better than the last one. Halle-freakin-lujah! Events? Parties? Going out to eat in public? Could it be? Let’s refresh our memories and gild them with bites of pure deliciousness. Saunter up to these ever-popular trucks when you are out and about or have one roll right into your own yard or venue! Let’s spin into a new, sunny summer with a drink in hand, tasty food on our plates, and friends by our side (after we’ve given them a big hug)!
