Hidden in plain sight in Monroe in a non-descript complex featuring small suburban business is a little gem called Posh Tea Room. While the building’s façade might be non-descript, once inside you enter a world of calm, with lavender walls, white table cloths topped with silver and China, delicate steaming pots of tea, where a pianist sits at a baby grand sending notes of jazz and classical music swirling into the air, setting the tone for what promises to be a relaxing afternoon. In an instant the worries and stresses from the world outside begin to melt away.
Posh Tea is the result of Laurie Giles Shipp’s life-long dream. Lori who grew up locally in Trumbull, in a neighborhood filled with families of British engineers, was completely taken when the family next door invited her and her mother to tea one afternoon. At the tender age of six, this would leave a lifelong impression. She was completely taken with the formality, elegance and the ritual of this afternoon affair.
That’s exactly what Amanda Eng did. And now she’s making waves with her craft coffee concoctions that have included creative, original flavored lattes, cold brews with fruity sweet cream cold foams, and decadent cups of hot cocoa.
Amanda, and her coffee biz that’s named after her twins, Kash and Liv, is seemingly everywhere in the Newtown with pop ups at PTA meetings, to Newsylum Brewery, and others. Now with a home base inside of Uncle Matt’s Bakery and Café in nearby Sandy Hook, you’ll at least always know where to find her for your caffeine fix.
I recently caught up with Amanda to get Kash & Liv Coffee Creations’ origin story, to talk coffee and coffee inspiration, and what’s in her very near future.
Grab a cup (of her coffee if you have access) and check out our Q&A!
The historic corner waterfront property in the quaint village of Sandy Hook along the Pootatuck River has seen numerous habitants, but we think the current reign causing a stir at the Foundry Kitchen and Tavern are here to stay. Chef Clark Neugold and his magical crew are bringing lots o’ tasty vibes to hungry diners and we are eternally grateful.
An old foundry is quite likely the best place to spy upon all things shiny and the crew at the Foundry thought so too. The decor is what I like to call “dressed up rustic” with sturdy wood tables and chairs, exposed brick, and plenty of historic metal pieces from the original building circa 1857. Not to mention the metal plated ceiling that glistens when hit by candlelight. I daresay, this is what defined my first (and second, and third) “moment” at the Foundry.
Some people are afraid of change. Not Chef Neugold. Much of his career has been about creating, inventing, and trying new places and flavors. From Connecticut to Hawaii to Charleston, then back again, his very raison d’etre is to experiment, try new things, but commit to quality and great presentation. And, he hopes to do so in a welcoming environment with diners eager to know what’s new instead of expecting the same ol’ menu week after week. With that in mind, eaters at the Foundry will pick up exciting Pacific Asian notes he learned from his time working with chef of television fame Lee Anne Wong (Top Chef, Iron Chef, and Unique Eats) at her restaurant Koko Head Cafe in Hawaii; or, close their eyes in pleasure when tasting Southern fare inspired by Neugold’s time with world renown BBQ Master Rodney Scott.
Looking for French fare, with an exceptional wine list? Connecticut Magazine reviews Nouveau Monde Wine Bar in Sandy Hook, CT.
At some point during your visit to Nouveau Monde Wine Bar, you will start to crave wine.
Maybe this craving will begin when you walk in and see the steampunk elegance of the main dining area, a space that feels equal parts bar, classic cafe, restaurant and offbeat library. Perhaps it will strike as you read the wine list itself, a thick document that goes on and on like a William Faulkner sentence punctuated by descriptions such as “spicy yet fruity, red wine drinkers’ rosé.” Maybe it will begin when your server asks, “What type of wine do you usually drink?” and you realize “IPAs” is not an acceptable response.
Or, at least, that’s what happened to me.
This newfound appreciation of wine capped (or in this case, corked) a visit to the restaurant that, to put it in language a wine lover would understand, was a rich, full-bodied evening highlighted by notes of cellared ambiance, clean, bright food flavors that were anything but dry and a sweet, rich finish courtesy of a knockout dessert.
More barbecue is a good thing, and if you're not on board with this basic fact, then you can just get out of my face. It was with this cardinal rule of life firmly in mind that I hit the road in search of a new truck on the Connecticut food scene - a truck selling barbecue and barbecue accoutrements. The fact that this particular Friday found the DrewbaQ food truck at Veracious Brewing Company in Monroe was a purely unrelated coincidence, to be sure. It would be a grave disservice to you, our beloved CTBites readership, if I did not take full advantage of this entirely unforeseen circumstance so, in humble service to your unending curiosity re: all things food and beverage, I had several beers with my BBQ. So that I might report on pairings, you see.
And now a word from our 10 years old food critic....
Hey kids, guess what? Want to win a free Mac Daddy’s T-Shirt? Mac Daddy’s will give the first 10 kids to correctly guess the amount of macaroni boxes used to fill the pan on the wall (described below) a free t-shirt Contest ends on November 20th. Mention CTbites to enter.
What do you think of when you think of macaroni and cheese? A small box of Kraft mac and cheese? Well… now I think of Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar, an amazing macaroni and cheese restaurant with at least 20 different kinds of macaroni. I had thought that Macdaddy’s was going to be bigger than it was (they can seat about 25 people) but that didn’t mean it wasn’t good. Macdaddy’s is a quick service restaurant (which means that you order at a counter and they bring the food to your table).
Utter the word “tavern” and the mind conjures images of dimly-lit rooms, Hungry-Man portions of protein and white starches, with deep fried renditions of both. Upsell this concept to northern Fairfield County in the hands of two seasoned restaurateurs and you get Tavern in Monroe.
Located on a busy stretch of Rt. 25 just between Newtown and Trumbull, Tavern is already attracting a steady crowd in just under two months of operation. The after-work crowd is drawn to its handsome whiskey barrel studded bar and families clamber to fill the outdoor patio and comfortable vibe with family-friendly menu.
Photos: c/o Michael Stern, Roadfood.comThe Lake Zoar Drive-In is located on Route 34 in Monroe (many Navigation systems do not recognize the website town of Stevenson) slightly less than 7 miles east of I-84. This stand-alone burger and dog shack has occupied this same stretch of beach overlooking Lake Zoar for over 20 years and the current owners have been grilling burgers and dogs for over 17 years; they must be doing something right. That something is a burger with plenty of toppings, some of the best French Fries in Connecticut plus a soda...all for under $10.
Chef Jason Hall spends each Tuesday driving from farm to farm in and around Northern Fairfield County looking for the bounty that will fill his menu at Stepney Kitchen. Located strategically at the intersection of Rt. 59 and Rt. 25 in Monroe, CT, Stepney Kitchen is in the epicenter of what may be some of Fairfield County's most bucolic and farm-dense townships. The neighboring towns of Easton, Newtown, Oxford and Shelton enjoy a deep agricultural heritage that is being honored today by dedicated farmers and chefs such as Jason Hall at Stepney Kitchen.
On a recent evening, the kitchen was bursting with rhubarb as it enjoys its seasonal peak, arugula, ripe and delicious strawberries and piles of garlic scapes. In fact, after my meal Chef Hall sent me packing with my very own bag of garlic scapes. "Right now we are getting lots of beautiful late spring items like sugar snap peas, really nice lettuces, baby vegetables like turnips, squash blossoms and we are running through the end of a very prolific strawberry season- the strawberry gazpacho w/ fennel and grilled shrimp has been a staple item for the last couple of weeks," said Chef Hall.
