Guide To Great Coffee in Connecticut: Celebrate National Coffee Day Sept 29 Features Restaurant Coffee Shop Coffee Tea And Coffee Guide Best of CT Highlight Breakfast Homepage April Guilbault September 24, 2023 “I could go for a coffee right now.” “Where’s the nearest coffee place?” If we had a nickel for every time we heard or uttered those words, right? Happily, there’s a coffee house or roastery just about around every corner these days, but some of them rise above with their drinks, their blends, their hospitality. Hence, we have filled our cups to the brim with delicious offerings for you and this list is broken down by County so that you can get to that cup quicker! Sip alone, brew, sip with a friend-life is good. Read More
Guide To Connecticut's Best Happy Hour Spots (2023 Edition) Features Restaurant Happy Hour Happy Hour Deals Highlight Best of CT Bar Bartender Cocktails Cocktail Lounge Brewery Beer Homepage Carly Terzigni August 28, 2023 The concept of Happy Hour was first used in the U.S. as early as 1913 by Naval units engaging in social parties with movies, dancing, and boxing, referred to as “happy hours.” After the era of prohibition ended, Happy Hour evolved more into what we know it today, as a sort of cocktail hour at bars.These days, Happy Hour is a common practice among bars and restaurants, offering reduced prices on drinks and bar food, but also allowing eateries to create unique “happy hour” menus. Restaurants all over Connecticut have Happy Hour deals you can take advantage of throughout the week, giving you a chance to save on your next bar tab. Because the list of restaurants that offer Happy Hour is so extensive, we organized the list into counties so you can more easily search for businesses in your local area. Read More
Best Bowls in CT: Acai, Poke, Middle Eastern, Korean, BBQ & More! Restaurant Features Bowls Acai Bowl Korean BBQ Best of CT Highlight Healthy Eats Vegetarian Middle Eastern Build Your Own Bowl Greek Homepage April Guilbault August 18, 2023 Whether it’s the dog days of summer or life just has you too busy to be bothered with cooking, some of the simplest, and often the most delicious meals, come in bowls. Chock full of healthy and delicious ingredients like grains, veggies, meats and fish or brimming with fresh fruits and icy smoothy-ness, bowls in all shapes and sizes make eating fun. They are convenient, interesting and delicious-what a trifecta! Here are some of our favorite bowls in Connecticut. Go build one for yourself! Read More
Los Charros Cantina: Must Eat Mexican In Branford From Chef Colt Taylor Features Interview Restaurant Colt Taylor Los Charros Cantina Branford Mexican Homepage Interview Tacos Burger Andrew Dominick July 28, 2023 Ask any fine dining enthusiast in our state and there’s a strong chance The Essex, owned by chef Colt Taylor, get a glowing recommendation.While writing this, it’s important to mention I’ve personally never been to The Essex. I simply know its reputation and I’ve heard the raves from my nerdiest food friends. I’ll get up to Old Saybrook soon, but before I check off The Essex, I wanted to meet Taylor at his other concept, Los Charros Cantina, where the menu marriage is a co-existence of authentic Mexican cuisine and L.A. style Mexican. Read More
NYC's Mexican Fave, Tacombi, Announces Opening in Westport August 7th Features Restaurant Opening Mexican Westport Homepage CTbites Team July 27, 2023 Tacombi, known for its full-flavor tacos, cocktails and ice-cold beers, is excited to announce the opening of its newest location in Westport, Connecticut on August 7th [1680 Post Road, Westport]. With over 17 locations across New York City, Long Island, Miami and the Greater Washington D.C. area, the brand is excited to expand its footprint with its first location in Connecticut, offering the Westport community of families, young professionals and longtime residents to indulge in authentic Mexican food and culture. This new taqueria is centrally located near the Long Lots & Coleytown neighborhoods, just down the road from exits 18 & 19 off of I-95 and close to local public transit, making this taqueria accessible to all in the area. The colorful 2,966 sq foot free-standing location offers speedy and convenient service, with the option to order at the counter or via QR code tableside. The space offers an indoor-outdoor setting with an expansive outdoor seating area, where guests can dine under canopies, the perfect place to indulge in tacos during the warmer months. Read More
Taco Guy Food Truck Opens Restaurant in Norwalk Features Interview Ingredients Restaurant tacos Norwalk Openings Interview Homepage Mexican Andrew Dominick July 20, 2023 Soul.That’s the word Adrian Hurtado uses when he describes the food he serves at his newly opened restaurant in Norwalk that’s an extension of his food truck, Taco Guy.“I have chicken tinga on the menu because it runs in my family, going back to my great-great grandparents,” he says. “When you’re eating here, you’re getting my culture, my family tradition, and a piece of what’s in my soul.”But for Hurtado, who grew up in the hospitality industry learning the ropes at the popular Super Taqueria Las Salsas in Bridgeport that’s owned by his father, he chose to not be a taquero as an adult.Instead, he started making pizzas at Bar Sugo in Norwalk before hopping behind the bar as a bar back. Read More
Summer Guide to Ice Cream, Gelato & Frozen Desserts In CT (2023 Get Licking Edition) Ice Cream Restaurant Ice Cream Frozen Yogurt Dessert Dining Guide Best of CT Highlight Homepage April Guilbault June 21, 2023 Ice cream on a hot day. Ice cream on a rainy day. Ice cream for dinner or to delight a toddler. Ice cream just because. It’s summer and all of these reasons are 100% legit. Hell, any time of the year they are, right? Connecticut currently ranks #15 in the US for the most ice cream consumed (zippia.com) nationally. However, NY, NJ, VT, and RI eat more…guess this list is just what we need to show them what us Nutmeggers are made of. Or at least, what we enjoy on a hot summer afternoon. Grab a cone, enjoy the drips, and have a summer piled high with the creamy, dreamy stuff. One more thing: for your ease of finding these sweet establishments, we have broken the list down by counties in CT! Read More
Connecticut Food Trucks Guide: 150 + CT Mobile Caterers (2023 Edition) Features Restaurant Guide Food Truck Best of CT Highlight Food Truck Guide Caterer Catering Guide Caterers Pizza BBQ Mexican Ice Cream Homepage April Guilbault June 08, 2023 We are all rolling, rolling, rolling into the summer months-Yay! Between parties, vacations, and just plain ol’ exploring, the warm and sunny months have us on the move. And what better info to have in your back pocket than plans for where to eat-trucks offering food of all kinds, whether you’re stopping mid-trip or renting for your next party! We have broken down this behemoth of a list by categories so you can high-tail it to the foods that interest you: Pizza, Tacos/Mexican, BBQ, Ethnic, Lobster & Seafood, All-American, Plant-Based/Alternative Diet, Ice Cream & Sweets, Cocktails & Beer and Coffee & Tea. Happy summer, everyone, roll on! Read More
CT Guide to Waterfront Dining: 75 + Restaurants With Water Views (2023 Edition) Features Restaurant Water View Waterfront Outdoor Dining Best of CT Dining Guide Highlight Homepage Carly Terzigni May 22, 2023 Warmer weather has finally arrived, meaning it is time to head outside and enjoy the many waterfront restaurants and bars the state of Connecticut offers. Whether you are craving a tasty seafood dinner or a refreshing cocktail, the state is filled with excellent restaurants with top-notch views of the water. Simply put, nothing says “summer” like waterfront dining, which is why we are back this year with a comprehensive guide to read through and decide where to grab lunch or dinner.For your convenience, we have broken the guide up into counties so you can easily find exactly what you are looking for, whether you want to dine somewhere local or try someplace new! And keep in mind, we are not just talking about Long Island Sound – Connecticut has several riverfront restaurants as well with equally beautiful views and delicious food, so we have those included here as well. Read More
Guide To Connecticut's Most Crave-Worthy Cookies Features Ingredients Restaurant Cookies Dessert Kid Friendly Sweets Best of CT Highlight April Guilbault May 08, 2023 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. Read More
“Los Remolinos” Opens in Norwalk from Owners of Appetit Bistro Features Interview Restaurant Latin American Interview Openings Colombian Venezuelan Mexican Andrew Dominick April 29, 2023 With the recent news that Bruxelles Brasserie closed as of April 9 and will be taken over by Jeff Taibe and reopen as Taproot, French cuisine in South Norwalk has all but evaporated.But before the French-Belgian Bruxelles made this announcement, and at the beginning of 2023, Appetit Bistro, a more classic French restaurant, decided to switch things up, too.For Appetit’s owners, Edwin Montoya and chef Ismael Carias, whose Port Chester location is still going strong at eight years and counting, their concept simply didn’t catch on in SoNo despite seeing an initial boom of customers. Read More
CT Guide To Cinco De Mayo 2023 Events, Bars, Specials, & Catering Features Events Cinco de Mayo Mexican Cocktails April Guilbault April 28, 2023 What better way to kick off May than with a Cinco de Mayo FIESTA! Fruity, frosty or frozen Margaritas in a rainbow of flavors, tacos of every shape and size, gobs of perfectly creamy guacamole and…tequila. May 5th just happens to be a Friday this year, so let ‘er rip and party until the piñata hits the ground! Read More
25+ Spots for Great Ramen in Connecticut Restaurant Features Asian Noodle Soup Ramen Japanese Noodles Best of CT Homepage Highlight April Guilbault March 16, 2023 Sluuuuuurp. Siiiip! Sip! Just a few of the sounds you might hear when consuming a steaming hot bathtub-sized bowl of delicious, noodlicious ramen. Whether you’ve got a simpler bowl of noodles and broth on the brain or one brimming with a myriad of toppers, not much is more satisfying than slurping to your heart’s content. To take the chill off these end-of-winter days, we’ve got the consummate listing for your next craving. Dive on in, the slurping is good!Here are 25 Spots for great ramen in Connecticut.If we missed a Ramen spot you love, please contact us. Read More
2023 Directory: Meet the Women of Connecticut's Culinary Industry Features Best of CT It's A Woman's World Directory Resource Women Owned Business Homepage April Guilbault March 06, 2023 In conjunction with our “It’s A Woman’s World” column, we present to you, a Directory highlighting the many talented women in CT’s culinary industry. This Directory for CT’s Chefs, Female Owned Businesses, Restaurants, Products, Farmers, PR Agencies & Instagrammers + is a work in progress. We will continually update the directory, and we hope you will contact us if you are a female in the culinary industry who would like to be included.How often do you stop to think or inquire about *who* owns the restaurant you frequent, or who invented a product you love or who grew the food on your own table? It’s time to take a closer look, especially when, as you can see from this fabulously inspiring and lengthy list, woman are doing amazing things in Connecticut. We are inventing, writing, catering, managing, brainstorming, reviewing…and this is all just within the food industry in this state. We are getting it done, done well, and done in our own creative and vibrant way. New paths are being discovered, new ideas are being birthed. Inquire. Look. Support. Encourage. There’s no limit to what is coming next. Read More
The Taco Project Introduces Former Alinea Chef as Culinary Director—Stamford Location Launches Brunch Interview Restaurant The Taco Project Stamford Westchester Brunch Interview Chef Talk tacos Mexican Fast Casual Homepage Andrew Dominick March 02, 2023 Less than a year ago, we introduced readers to Stamford branch of The Taco Project, a fast casual Mexican restaurant whose roots began in Tarrytown in 2014.Since April of 2022, The Taco Project and its brand grew even more outside of its existing Westchester locations (Tarrytown, Yonkers, Pleasantville, Bronxville) and its High Ridge Road spot in Stamford, as they’ve set their sights on the Florida market and opened up shop in Coral Springs.But with growth comes some additions. Read More
Mil Sabores: Birria Tacos, Arepas, and Mexican + Venezuelan Classics in Bridgeport Features Interview Restaurant Bridgeport Mexican Venezuelan Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick February 24, 2023 Edwin Mondragon, who co-owns the popular Mexican – Venezuelan mashup Mil Sabores in Bridgeport, credits his mother’s mole as his first taste of the food service industry. He recalls memories of packing mom’s mole in plastic pint containers, filling up his backpack, and selling it, as a family, to customers and stores who sought out the homemade Mexican sauce. Read More
Guide To Black Owned Restaurants In Connecticut Restaurant Features Best of CT Dining Guide Black Owned Hartford County New Haven Fairfield County Jamaican Soul Food Juice Bar African Cajun Comfort Food Homepage CTbites Team January 30, 2023 To celebrate Black History Month 2023, we have updated our guide to black owned restaurants across the state of Connecticut. If you see a place that is missing, please let us know. Big ups and thanks to Molly Alexander for compiling an excellent start to this list with her Google Map posted to Eat in CT. Get out there and support these restaurants.We did our best to compile a comprehensive list, but if you know of a spot we missed, please contact us here. Read More
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 April Guilbault January 30, 2023 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. Read More
Tümü Opens in Fairfield with Delicious Authentic Mexican Fare Restaurant Fairfield Mexican Takeout Meals To Go Catering Jessica Ryan January 25, 2023 A couple of months ago, right before the holidays, I wandered into the newly opened Tümü in Fairfield in the Harry’s Corner shopping plaza. Tümü, the Mexican word for butterfly, embodies the beauty and passion of Karla Krassin, a Weston-ite who was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. The chef and caterer now has a storefront that is part home décor boutique and part takeout restaurant (although there are two tables if you chose to eat in). Through her food and stunning items made by Mexican artisans, she brings the flavors and colors of her homeland to us and in so doing she honors the true recipes and techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. Read More
CT Guide To Outdoor Dining Guide: Igloos, Fireplaces, Greenhouses + for 2023 Features Restaurant Guide Outdoor Dining Best of CT Winter Dining Igloo Homepage Carly Terzigni January 24, 2023 Dining outside in the middle of winter may seem like a wild idea to some, but many Connecticut restaurants and bars are fully embracing the weather with everything from firepits to private igloos to keep you warm and cozy this season. In fact, moving the dining experience outdoors in the winter has been growing in popularity in recent years, with every kind of environment from firepits to heated patios to full-on private igloo villages. Listed below are restaurants across the state that offer some kind of winterized dining experience, proving that you do not have to move everything indoors just because the temperatures have dropped. Who knows, winter may soon become your favorite time of year to eat outdoors! Read More
