Microcreamery of CT… Wait a minute, that's new. Did I get that right?
Yes, you heard that right. Microcreamery of CT has been serving the New Haven county community since 2022. Just recently, they opened the doors of a new location across from the Shell on South Main Street nestled right in downtown Cheshire.
The Microcreamery model arose from the owner Shahan Kukreja adapting the concept of a microbrewery,
“Instead of doing local beers, why don’t we do all the local ice cream so that I can kind of give people a tour of local ice creams”
Kukreja says. Featuring nearly 90 hand selected flavors compiled from local Connecticut companies such as Praline’s, Arethusa, and Big Dipper, Microcreamery of CT has options for everyone.
I love discovering places that get very little fanfare, are the heart and soul of the owner(s), and absolutely kill it. Papa’s Pizza in Milford is one of those places and is the epitome of a hole in the wall on the side of the road that deserves recognition for some killer pizza.
The original Papa’s Pizza is located closer to Walnut Beach versus downtown Milford (where Papa’s Pizza II is located), and I was getting a little nervous as the soccer ball at the end of the purple line on Waze was quickly approaching, and there was no sign of Papa’s. On my right there was a bakery, a breakfast joint and a parking lot. As I slowed to a crawl and stared into the lot (my apologies again to the people in the car behind me), the far section of the white building had two red words above a small window, “Papa’s Pizza.”
Sakarin Seedasome recalls a memory from 2017 when he was in San Diego. He walks in after work, wanting a beer, when he wondered, “Wait. What is this place?” “I love craft beer,” he says. “I think they had 20 or so taps, wine as well. I was confused at first, wondering if I had to buy a full 16 ounces of each one, but no, you pay per ounce. I was like, ‘Oh my god. I can try all of these.’ I stayed there all night.” Now one of the owners of Hop & Vine Taproom, which opened in Downtown Stamford in early January 2024, Seedasome and his partners Matthew Ventura and Connor Rasmussen, wanted to get it open much, much sooner. The problem? They couldn’t because it wasn’t legally possible.
There’s Chinese food and then there’s authentic Chinese food. Old Street Hot Pot in Milford offers diners an incredible Chinese experience – from authentic Dim Sum to original hot pot.
Don’t let the American strip mall exterior fool you (but do take note of the fabulous H Mart at the end of the block!) Once you walk through the doors you’ll forget where you are. You’ll be transported into a large space that combines traditional and contemporary elements with a large modern wooden architectural feature that stands within the existing building. Painted murals peer down from the ceiling through the wooden structure. The ambiance is created by a mix of wooden accents, vintage Chinese artwork, and soft lighting. Tables are arranged to accommodate both small and large groups, with cozy booths lining the walls. The space is designed to evoke a sense of cultural authenticity while maintaining a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for guests. A private dining room featuring an enormous round hot pot table that seats 16, making it the perfect entertaining space. The restaurant’s total seating capacity is 135.
At the beginning of 2023, CTbites covered a new Latin American restaurant in Norwalk called Alma Bistro, owned by Alma Miranda and Ulises Jimenez. It was at Alma Bistro where my memory was jogged when Miranda mentioned that Jimenez, who wasn’t present on the day of our visit, is also the owner and head chef at Don Rene Taqueria in Milford.
Don Rene had been on my Windows Notepad program that serves a double purpose as a calendar where I keep a running list of places I’m interested in covering. I know, I’m so organized.
Three months after that article went live, I found myself kicking it with Jimenez at his super busy taqueria where Mexican tacos and apps are the canvas, but it’s also where Jimenez flexes his creative chops and blends in flavors from other cultures.
Jimenez, who’s from Mexico originally, opened Don Rene in 2021 in the growing Milford Downtown that already includes a Colony Grill location, Scratch Baking, Archie Moore’s, and the outstanding Strega.
If you’re a hot dog connoisseur in Fairfield County, you surely remember the legendary roadside eats at Swanky Franks. It’s safe to say that a lot of us still miss the ripper style dogs, THAT CHILI, and the fresh cut skin-on fries that were served to you in a plentiful heap.
Things like that have a way of coming back. Well, almost.
For Bobby Manere Jr. there is a full circle kind of feeling at Dogtown, located in a half commercial, half residential area off of a busy main road in Milford.
If Manere’s last name sounds familiar, it should. His father, Robert Manere Sr., was the fourth owner of Swanky Franks from the late 1980s until the later 2000s. He might be the Swanky Franks head hot dog honcho that a younger generation remembers the most.
Guess what! The uber family-friendly, American pub, Little Barn, is opening a second location in Shelton CT.
The first Little Barn opened in Westport 8 years ago serving us casual pub fare, with their new American menu. Given the success of the Westport location, the owners decided to expand. They chose Shelton for the second location as it is a town with dynamic growth and development and they wanted Little Barn to be a part of Shelton’s future.
Little Barn’s comfort food menu varies from burgers and tacos to healthy salads and Buddha bowls. They also feature many craft beers and signature cocktails, and bar is ALWAYS hopping. We have enjoyed Little Barn’s commitment to supporting local bands and have spent many a fun night listening to live music at the “barn.”
The Shelton location, which will have a large outdoor patio, will be open mid-summer 2021 and will have live music on the weekends.
Tavern on State, owned by Chef Emily Mingrone, is the latest to join the dozens of exceptional restaurants in the New Haven area. I was fortunate to check out the new digs, sit down with Emily, and sample some of the exciting items on the menu.
The restaurant boasts a tavern vibe, but perhaps more in appearance than what’s on the plate. Rich, warm woods welcome you inside a space that seats about 45 (with an additional 45 outdoors) but this is where your notion of tavern starts and ends.
Traditional tavern fare might include burgers and fries, nachos and the like, but a menu that features a blue cheese & truffle burger with thick bacon & red onion on English muffin, Spicy crispy chicken skins & chicharrones, Fried cheese curds with smoked tomato dip, or chilled oysters with yuzu kosho & cucumber, is anything but traditional.
The menu here is as eclectic as it is sophisticated; it raises high the burger bar. It is tavern fare reimagined, and certainly for the more discerning palate that can see beyond a standard plate of fish and chips, jalapeño poppers, calamari, and pepperoni pizza. I have had plenty of tavern fare in my day, and tavern fare doesn’t look or taste like this.
When food trucks in Connecticut started to become more prevalent, there was one I remembered well. The name “Fryborg” definitely stood out, and the fact that they specialized in hand-cut fries didn’t suck either. I first stumbled upon Fryborg around the time Two Roads Brewing Company opened in Stratford, so that “stumble” was a real one after multiple pints in the brewery’s upstairs tasting room. It was then that Fryborg’s bacon, egg, and cheese fries and their marinara-laden pizza fries perfectly complimented my buzz. If I had to render a guess, I’m not in the minority on similar experiences.
Zaragoza’s tapas bar opened in New Milford in April 2016. The CTBites crew covered them a few months before their official opening and shared owner Artie Praino’s anticipation of a long-time dream come true after years in the deli business. Now, two and a half years later, they are a much beloved, popular spot for delicious, creative plates and cocktails.
Fully informed by several Zaragoza regulars that I was sure to be delighted, my belly gurgled for a new tapas experience. I’ve had the pleasure of going to Spain a few times, so, admittedly, morsels from those adventures like ceviche, calamari, and chorizo propelled me to the restaurant with little hesitation. I was eager to taste what their twist on the classics would be.
Friends since college and now partners, Chef David Snyder and former financial exec turned restaurateur Ted Vincent, introduce their first joint venture in the form of Brick Walk Tavern, a stylish and food-centric restaurant and gathering place located in the burgeoning Brick Walk neighborhood of Fairfield, Connecticut.
Menu highlights include; not your average house-made chips and onion dip; chili garlic crispy shrimp laced with radish, cilantro, and green onion; Tuscan kale and Brussels sprout salad tossed with polenta croutons, dried cranberries, and lemon truffle vinaigrette; the French onion burger topped with 4-hour braised onions, veal jus, and gruyere cheese on a house made bun; pan-roasted cod over white beans, chorizo, charred tomato, and a roasted poblano broth; classic jambalaya of creole rice with tasso and andouille, jumbo shrimp and chicken; and steak frites, 10 oz hanger steak with a 72 hour red wine sauce, served with crispy truffle parmesan fries.
Connecticut Magazine's Mike Wollschlager reports on a new Italian find in Milford.
You don’t have to be Italian to truly appreciate an authentic Italian meal. Conchi and Vicente Contreras, natives of Ecuador and owners of Rustica Ristorante, are proof positive you don’t have to be Italian to prepare one, either. The wife-and-husband, do-it-all duo behind the successful restaurant in Chester opened a second Rustica location last October on Boston Post Road in Milford.
“Fresh ingredients bursting with flavor” is a description that can apply to anything on the menu, which is meticulously planned and executed. The selections change with the seasons, but when a dish proves to be a major hit with customers, it will stay.
Vicente and Conchi came to the U.S. in the mid-’90s and began working at Paci Restaurant, which at the time was a new eatery at the Southport train station. Paci was their entry into Italian cuisine. It was also their education. “I worked all the positions in the restaurant,” Vicente says.
More exciting CT openings! Beloved Chinese restaurant Lao Sze Chuan, whom you may know from their immensely popular Milford location, has finally opened their doors to their second CT location, Gingko. Lao Sze Chuan's new Fairfield restaurant is located at 923 Post Road and is hands down, the best place to go when craving authentic Szechuan cuisine in CT.
Lao is part of a small chain started by Chef Tony Hu, who made a splash in Chicago with four Chinese restaurants devoted to the concept of “gourmet authentic Szechuan.” The Tony Gourmet Group, now has restaurants all over the world. The menu is extensive and includes everything from Hot Oil Dumplings to Diced Rabbit with Peanuts, and Hot and Sour Eel with Cellophane Noodles.
“It’s a 21st Century iteration of a 19th Century Inn,” Robert promised. So, before the six of us scattered to warmer climes for the winter, we chose the newly opened Tavern at GrayBarns for our farewell dinner.
After a pre-prandial toast, our party was served an un-presupposing bread and butter plate. Standard fare? Hardly. Executive Chef Ben Freemole had us at first bite.
That homespun bread perfectly captures the ethos of Andy Glazer’s sweeping reconstruction and fortification of the legendary Silvermine Tavern and Inn, its footprint reduced by almost a third. In this new “Haven of Refuge,” both décor and dining dazzle, no detail taken for granted, not even a humble bread and butter starter.
Meet Alex Levere—his roots may be French and German, but the luck of the Irish is clearly smiling upon him. He grew up in the restaurant industry on the shoreline, spent some time in Europe—specifically, you guessed it, in Ireland—in his early 20s, then Boston during his college years and beyond.
“Long story short, the economy crashed, I graduated, and there was nothing really going on, so I was bartending at a place, and they offered me an assistant management job. So, I took that, then I went to manager. Then I went to general manager and, right before the place was sinking, the head chef quit, so I took over the kitchen. I was like, I know I can do this, and I did it, but it was too little, too late. And that’s when we came across this place!” Now he’s turning out some truly inventive flavors at the Inishmor Pub in Colchester.
When The Port opened its doors in Westport recently, crafting a dining experience for all ages was part of the goal. “I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant, a neighborhood spot where locals can enjoy food that is approachable and comfortable,” said owner Sal Augeri. Connecticut is home to an array of esteemed restaurants, but sometimes it’s hard to find a place where kids will also feel at home amid all the gourmet eateries. Fortunately, there are a number of places where adults and children alike can enjoy a delicious meal out. These restaurants offer kid-friendly dishes, atmospheres, and even specials. Did we miss one of your favorite kid-friendly spots? Let us know below.
To celebrate National Lobster day on June 15 — the perfect kickoff to summer — we’ve highlighted our top picks for hot lobster rolls that we’ve tried and tested over the years. The simple yet perfect dish of buttery lobster meat stuffed in a bun is best eaten in its classic presentation — with a side of melted butter, cole slaw and possibly even French fries.
The 2017 edition features all of our past favorites plus new additions from southeastern Connecticut where views of the Long Island Sound enjoyed with your meal add to the summertime ambiance.
We don't have to be behind the wheel for food trucks to drive us crazy! Mobile eateries continue to take the state by storm, offering curbside versions of favorite restaurant dishes and original creations from talented chefs who would rather take their cuisine on the road. We told you about food trucks worth the visit in Fairfield County. Now, CTBites presents our annual list of outstanding food trucks (and carts!) in New Haven, Hartford and beyond.
