Fayyaz Bhinde and his wife, Rida Niazi, used to travel from their home in Meriden to New York City whenever they wanted a halal smash burger. When they first got married, they’d head to the city two hours each way, for dinner and dessert. After they became parents, they realized traveling with a toddler would be much more difficult.
When their daughter was a year old, they tried to make the trip to New York for dinner and got stuck in a snowstorm on the way back, enduring bumper-to-bumper traffic from Greenwich to New Haven while their child was “crying her lungs out,” Bhinde said. At that point, they decided “never again” to the lengthy travel, and began thinking about opening their own restaurant closer to home.
SHOP LOCALLY at these 9 Connecticut dairy farms this holiday season. Here’s where you can find delicious eggnog, made in CT, and in some cases, delivered to your doorstep!
Ding, dong, ring, ring, ca-ching, ca-ching…time for holiday shopping! From the small to the large, from tours to classes, we have a wonderfully tasty listing assembled for you that could quite possibly take care of all the people on your list (naughty folks not included). We are all about making the holidays easier and well, just more delicious in every way possible for you. So, from us to you, our scrumptious readers and followers, we wish you a truly Happy Holidays!
Ah, the hunt for the perfect gift. Or least a really, really, good one. Where to start? Don’t we go through this every single year (we do) and swear each year our shopping will being in July! Well, if you haven’t begun to purchase or ponder, we’ve got a good-make that great-list right here that will have you on your way to pulling out the almighty Sharpie and cross, cross, crossing things off your list. Is there any more divine feeling? Well, maybe finding that perfect gift! Happy shopping everyone!
To truly depict the joy I feel around Bridgewater Chocolate finally opening a storefront in Southern Fairfield County, after over 25 years in business up North, I may need to quote myself from a previous 2021 CTbites article. I feel the same way, biting into one of their outstanding toffees or coconut igloos today, as I did a year ago, but now, I can hop in my car and grab a box, because their confections are available at their new Westport location, opening September 15th.
With locations in Brookfield and West Hartford, Brand Director, Marlene Steiner says, “Westport’s retail experience will be the blueprint for their flagship stores moving forward.” The customer will be introduced to product in new ways, with clean modern lines, an expansive “build your own box” display, and for the first time ever, a dedicated tasting area at the front of the store. Steiner states, “so much of what we do is about tasting the product, and we love to tech people more about what makes Bridgewater so unique.” In fact, Bridgewater Chocolates, if you’re not familiar, is a sought after luxury chocolate brand shipped around the world. “ Westport watch out….this is dangerous.
One of the greatest advantages of living in New England is our access to autumn. Our home in Connecticut means even if we live in urban convenience, the rural hills and river valleys of our state are a nearby drive away. This proximity gives us one of our best traditions: the fall weekend road trip. We can get out, see what nature has in store for us, and find ourselves in places which fall outside the rhythm and routine of our daily lives. Up towards the center of the state, past the historic colonial homes on Worthington Ridge in Berlin and into New Britain - a city many on the coast may not consider a destination - is 5 Churches Brewing, a place you should.
Tucked down a side street in downtown Hard Hittin’ (New Britain), Riley’s Hot Dog and Burger Gourmet is turning out some of the most creative dogs and burgers around. From the Nacho Poppa Dog to wild creations brimming with mac ‘n cheese, you’ll find combinations you never dreamed of. But this little “mom and pop” shop isn’t run by a husband and wife team. Rick Charamut and Deb Dalena are two friends, now business partners, who once worked together in a sign shop. “We both kind of needed a change of pace,” Rick says.
