Filtering by Tag: Kosher,Middletown

Modern Kosher Mediterranean & Israeli Fare at Gveenah, West Hartford

Restaurant Mediterranean Israeli Kosher West Hartford Opening Homepage Hartford County Lunch Pizza

Leeanne Griffin

Roi Graber is a long way from home, but has brought a taste of Israel and the fresh, healthy flavors of the Mediterranean to his new residence in West Hartford.

In January, Graber opened Gveenah, a modern kosher “Mediterranean fusion” restaurant, taking over the former Black Bamboo space on Farmington Avenue as owner Sonny Chen moved his popular Chinese eatery to a new location. Gveenah means “cheese” in Hebrew, Graber said.

Graber owned restaurants in his home country, but he and his wife and children fled after the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023 and came to the United States to stay with family members. He thought it would be a temporary measure for a few months, but the Jewish community in West Hartford helped them settle in, finding them a home and getting the children into school. Graber began thinking about a longer-term plan. 

Just a few months after arriving in Connecticut, Graber was on track to open his first American restaurant, with the help of business connections in West Hartford. Less than a year later, Gveenah opened its doors, welcoming guests in for a fusion experience blending “the rich traditions of Mediterranean and Italian cuisine,” according to its website.

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Summer Quinoa Salad with Peaches and Minty Lime Dressing via Westport Farmers' Market

Features Recipe Recipe Kosher Gluten-Free healthy Salads

Liz Rueven

When peaches hit the summer market in CT there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. I love everything about them: their seductive fruity fragrance, their juicy sunny flesh and most of all, their versatility.

In this easy quinoa salad, peaches lean more savory than sweet, making this the perfect accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken. But remember that quinoa is a complete protein on its own so feel free to make this the whole meal and be done. I'm already dreaming about this salad for breakfast with some luscious creamy goat cheese or salty feta.

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Conspiracy: Killer Cocktails & Small Plate Magic in Middletown CT

Restaurant Bar Cocktails Middletown Spirits Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

The niche at Conspiracy has been very warmly received and has opened up such a great new opportunity for Middletown visitors. Chef Sassi mentioned, “The small plates is something that’s been a passion of mine for several years, so,  to have a place entirely devoted to small plates breaks the mold of the conventional way of eating out. What’s better than experiencing several different dishes and flavors and journeys for the cost of a single regular entree?”

I agree. It’s super smart, very creative, and  gaaa damn delicious.

“Being a craft cocktail bar in Middletown is a hustle,” mentioned owners Mark and Jen Sabo. “We’re not a big city, the town isn’t (yet) a place people 100 percent think of as a destination, so we have to grind and push the boundaries of creativity and innovate and change constantly...our guests respond to variety and innovation, so we are constantly looking to deliver that.”

If it was even possible to manage more tasty bites, my guest and I tried the S'mores,  to finish a journey of exquisite flavors. Like the PB&J, this treat paid homage to its childlike original and yet, had a cooler, dressed up vibe. Toasted graham cracker crumble, marshmallow creme anglaise, spiced chocolate, and brûlée marshmallow all painted on a plate, that was part art, part throwback summer memory.

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Conspiracy Cocktail Bar in Middletown Gets a Sustainable Ramen Menu via CT Magazine

Restaurant Ramen Asian Middletown Noodles Cocktails Bar

Connecticut Magazine

Exciting Ramen news from Connecticut Magazine…

The tables and chairs were not designed with eating in mind and, through no fault of its own, Conspiracyis located more than an hour away from my house. Even so, I can’t wait to go back.

The reason?

One word: Ramen.

OK, three words: Ramen, cocktails and atmosphere.

Let’s start with the atmosphere. Conspiracy is undeniably cool. Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack cool. Accessible by an easy-to-miss doorway on Middletown’s Main Street, the second-floor space has the feeling of a secret club straight out of a film noir. Lounge chairs snake around an L-shaped room with painted-white brick walls. Edison bulbs hang from lofty ceilings, casting their warm light over a showstopping square bar. Behind the bar, bartenders twirl, mix and shake various liquids as they prepare alcoholic elixirs, often from historic recipes.

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Fujiya Ramen in Middletown: Tokyo-style ramen with New York vibe

Restaurant Japanese Asian Ramen Middletown Openings Comfort Food

Middletown Press

Looking for great ramen? Middletown Press has the scoop on the new Fujiya Ramen...straight from Tokyo. 

Fujiya Ramen opened in August at 425 Main St. and already, the restaurant has become somewhat of a hangout for Wesleyan University students, according to Andy Liu, owner.

Whenever there’s an event at the school, students come out to the restaurant to socialize, eat and take advantage of the wifi, he said. The vibe of the eatery, especially when the students are congregating, reminds him of similar establishments in New York City.

“I go to New York a lot because in New York (ramen is) very popular,” Liu said. “Young people like it because ramen is really fast and pretty healthy food.”

Liu, who has been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years and also owns Sakura Garden in Windsor and Royal Buffet in Manchester, was impressed the first time he visited a ramen restaurant. “I said this is a really good idea — really modern,” he said.

He talked to a friend in Tokyo who has Fujiya Ramen restaurants in Tokyo, New Jersey and Albany, New York, and suggested they join forces. Liu found a head chef who was originally from Japan and his friend sent a crew from Japan, including additional chefs and servers, he said.

“That’s why our ramen (dishes) are different because we have people from over there,” Liu said. “It’s almost the identical ramen as in Tokyo.”

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One Dish: White Sicilian Pizza, Jerry’s Pizza, Middletown

Restaurant Pizza Middletown Delicious Dives Lunch

CTbites Team

If Middletown had a taste, it would be Jerry’s Pizza. And if Jerry’s has a signature dish, it is undoubtedly the locally famous white Sicilian pizza. Nothing speaks to the Italian — and specifically Sicilian — identity of the city like this dish. The intense flavor of the pizza is no joke: you either love it or hate it, and those who love it, really, really love it. So much so, in fact, that you have to plan your day around it. The specially made dough for the white Sicilian takes roughly two hours to rise properly. The pizzeria has been around since 1968, when it was opened by Jerry Schiano, an Italian immigrant from Naples. Though Jerry is now retired, his daughter Carmela Lockwood operates the restaurant, and says the recipe comes from her grandmother, who used to make the dish back in Italy. (Her family is not Sicilian, but the style of thick dough is distinctively from the island.)

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Pho 170 Opens in Middletown: Vietnamese + Thai Cuisine Gets Top Marks

Restaurant Asian Middletown Noodles Thai Vietnamese Homepage

Hope Simmons

“That’s it,” I overheard a man say with a smile, holding his takeout order as he joked about having come in four days in a row. The word is out downtown...Pho 170, M’town’s newest/latest, is busy. The service is friendly and attentive, showing this new kid on the block is already in the groove, cranking out fresh and delicious dishes—both Vietnamese and Thai.

It’s not been quite three weeks since Viengthong Charonesuk opened the doors to her newest restaurant. And, unlike so many other spots when they first get started, everything’s well under control. Even on a night when they were one person short on the waitstaff, they pulled everything off without a hitch. Vieng hails most recently from Bann Thai in Cheshire, and she’s run restaurants in other locations across the state as well. Little things, like making sure you have extra plates when you share a dish, aren’t overlooked. And it’s always a nice touch when your water glass is refilled before you even need to ask.

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Passover Dessert Shopping Guide via Kosher Like Me Blog

Features Holiday Kosher

Stephanie Webster

This incredible guide to all things Passover dessert comes from one of our fellow writers, Liz Rueven, of Kosher Like Me. This is the uber guide for those who wish to BUY, not cook their Passover sweets. Amen. 

I love it when my readers tell me what they need! So when M. phoned to ask where oh where should she buy her Passover desserts, we took the challenge and got to work looking for the best of the best.

For those strictly kosher or not so much, those on the west side or the west coast, we’ve got your  freshly baked, professionally made Passover dessert options covered.

Read the complete article: Leave the Passover Baking to the Experts.

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Soosh Sushi Opens on Summer Street in Stamford (And It's Kosher!)

Restaurant Japanese Kosher Stamford Sushi

Jessica Ryan

The best places, I believe, are the more unassuming places. The little treasures that are off the beaten path, hidden away where you least expect. The best food is the food that is what it is – unpretentious, fresh and bursting with flavor. And that’s the best way to describe this new unassuming little Japanese restaurant in Stamford, Soosh. 

It was a social media friend of mine, Pierre-Christian D. Frye, owner of PCDF Architecture in Greenwich, who first told me about Soosh. Perhaps he was a bit biased as he was hired as the restaurant’s architect. He explained how he turned what was basically an old storage space into a stylish Japanese eatery.

“For the new Soosh restaurant I worked closely with the owner to bring the vision to life of a truly modern, timeless dining experience. I accentuated the compact space with unique lighting and a rich mix of textures, tiles, wood and metal.

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Great Gatsby Moonshine Ball & Cocktail Contest in Middletown Celebrates Prohibition Era

Restaurant Cocktails Middletown

Amy Kundrat

The producers of Onyx Moonshine, a Connecticut liquor distillery, are hosting The Great Gatsby Moonshine Ball on September 27, 2013 from 8 pm to midnight at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, CT. 

The prohibition era-inspired event will bring together 15 restaurants for a cocktail challenge. Each restaurant will compete by creating a custom jarred infusion using fruits, vegetables and herbs, with Onyx Moonshine 111, the company's higher proofed version of its moonshine. 

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Krust Pizza & Bourbon Bar in Middletown

Restaurant Cocktails Middletown Pizza Lunch

Emily Cahill

We are excited to begin bringing you even more content from across the state of Connecticut, welcoming new voices into our mix, and experimenting with the occassional shorter, more tactical posts. To that end, we are pleased to welcome Emily Cahill, the newest addition to the CTbites team covering one of our favorite new spots in Middletown. - Stephanie Webster + Amy Kundrat

Photo: Nick CaitoKrust Pizza Bar

Cuisine: Wood-fired pizza, Bar
Price: $10- $15
Our Highlights: Specialty pizzas, bourbon and cocktails
Hours: Mon – Closed. Tues-Thur 4pm – 1am, F&S 4pm-2am, Sun 4pm-1am
Online: http://krustpizzabar.com/

Wood-fired pizzas, a softly lit interior, and a seemingly infinite bourbon list sets the stage for NoRa neighborhood newcomer Krust. Owners Rich Garcia and Kevin Wirtes introduced the Middletown eatery in mid-January 2013, showcasing a concise but creative menu of beautifully executed artisan pies. Whether it’s the rustic pine paneling, amber glow of bar shelves brimming with bourbon bottles, or smoky aromas permeating the space from the wood burning oven, one thing is evident: Krust is a delicious and welcome addition to Middletown’s bar and restaurant scene.

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The Whey Station Grilled Cheese Truck in Middletown

Restaurant Food Truck Middletown Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly

CTbites Team

Jill Moskites works the grill while her husband, Josh, takes lunch orders from a hungry crowd.  It’s a cold Wednesday afternoon in October, perfect for what The Whey Station is serving up -- gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, hearty, “truckmade” soups and specialty hot dogs.  Fortunately for all of us, The Whey Station is the newest local addition to the handful of food trucks hitting the streets.

It’s a new endeavor for the Moskites, who until recently were familiar faces at their family’s gourmet foods shop, The Wild Raspberry in Cromwell, and together they have about 19 years restaurant and specialty foods experience.

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