On the heels of their quarter century anniversary, Bailey’s Backyard, and its original and forever owner, Sal Bagliavio have a sequel. And no, it’s not following in the exact footsteps of Bailey’s—one of Connecticut O.G. farm-to-table restaurants. Ristorante numéro dos for Bagliavio and chef/partner Forrest Pasternack, who returned to Bailey’s recently, are entering the world of tacos with Taco Dia—because every day is taco day, not just Tuesdays.
If you’re at least a little familiar with Bailey’s, Bagliavio and Pasternack entering the realm of Mexican cuisine isn’t that shocking. Bailey’s is very New American, and if you’ve eaten there, Mexican pops up on the menu frequently, and especially on their Wednesday night Market Table tasting menu.
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!
Connecticut’s beloved bagel brand, PopUp Bagels, kicked off four years ago when Goldberg and his cousin Jeff Lewis started making bagels for family and friends in the midst of the pandemic. Rave reviews led Goldberg to launching a backyard preorder pickup bagel biz that sold out time and time again. PopUp would then take their bagels on the road, opening…well…everywhere.
if you don’t already know what PopUp Bagels is all about—are fresh bagels, served to the customer piping hot, NOT pre sliced, and artisan schmears. The original concept required pre-orders of a dozen bagels, but when they launched their NYC location (to VERY long lines I might add), they spearheaded their new retail model. This was then replicated in Greenwich, where guests can walk up and order 3 bagels and a schmear for $12.
Popup Bagel’s NEW Newtown opens this weekend, March 22nd with pre-ordering only Friday, Saturday Sundays, but starting next week, the Newtown spot will be open every Wednesday-Sunday for for both pre-sale and walk in.
UP NEXT is their Fairfield location opening June 1st in the old Lobster Craft spot.
We’ve all walked into rooms that hum with energy. That special kind of vibrancy you can feel in the air, or in the spirit that pours from the people in your midst. In my recent travels, this inspiring energy was felt within the space that is Zesto Market & Juicery in Newtown.
Zesto Market & Juicery is, with its colorful logo and window art, a small establishment that one could easily pass in their daily rounds as it sits on a fairly busy street. I, myself, whizzed by it on my first trip there. However, one should take note of this establishment because it is dishing out huge helpings of good vibes in the form of healthful food and wellness knowledge. Great vibes, actually. These folks are buzzing with enthusiasm about eating clean, nourishing food and they are excited to share it with the community.
Bottega Italian Kitchen + Bar, Craft Kitchen + Bar, and now, with the very quiet opening of Quattro Osteria in Newtown, we officially have a trio.
The “we” is the partnership between Michael Hayek (Square One Bar & Grill in Danbury) and Jasson Arias, who was the brains behind the popular food truck, Rice & Beans.
Vergelegen, South Africa’s second oldest winery, was introduced in the U.S. for the first time this year. We had an opportunity to try these outstanding wines, and speak with the group responsible for bringing Vergelegen to America.
Vergelegen's existence in the U.S. is one of the better success stories we’ve heard from the last two years, but its history dates back to the year 1700, when the Dutch East India co-founded the vineyard in order to have drinkable liquid on Cape Horn when traveling back and forth from India, Indonesia, and all points East.
Vergelegen (closest pronunciation we can manage is VAHK-heh-lehn) means "situated far away," and the original estate totaled an absolutely whopping 74,000 acres. A bit smaller now, the current production is still 100% estate wine, and their V and GVB wines are still produced on specific blocks of the old vineyard, located around the corner from Stellenbosch. Cold currents of air coming from Antarctica at night, with hot weather from Indian Ocean in the day, plus variable soils at the base of the Helderberg Mountains have proven perfect for wine growing.
Look. I’m a lover not a fighter. So, when it comes to Pizza-in-Connecticut politics, I usually stand on this side of the pie. HOWEVER, I will always have an opinion. Here’s what I’ve concluded thus far: like coffee shops that seem to be on every corner, there’s always room for another slice. And, as Matt Stanczak, the mastermind and magic wand wielder behind Good Old Days Pizza agrees, as long as each shop is doing a little something different...then why not!?
So, let’s get our fric-on, shall we?
Talk about doing a little something different, the frico on Good Old Days’ “Detroit-Inspired” classic squares are such tasty, drool-worthy, dream-inducing corners of heaven. I’m not kidding. I think I’d go over and over again just to pick frico off everyone’s pie. Ok, maybe not amidst a pandemic, but you get what I mean. Salty, crispy and chewy brown bites of cheese that are like the edges of nonna’s lasagna. If that’s not all, the thick red sauce is bright, and the dough looks like it should be dense and heavy, but it’s not.
Walking along Newtown’s Main Street has always felt like stepping back in time. From dark painted Colonials with bright colored doors to a classic, yellow Federal house or the more decorative Queen Anne, you know every home has a story and the spirits of the town’s past are within reach. And, like the best pieces of historical fiction,Marigold’s on Main gives us a sense of two worlds. There’s something so exhilarating about being inside a place that has been revived from the past. Time stands still in the middle of yesterday and today. The space feels at once old and new; and, although there are thoughtful nods to another time on the menu, it is as inventive and fresh as you’d hope a new place would be. Not to mention, with Chef Clark Neugold at the helm, you know as worlds collide, he’ll still invent something that stands on its own.
Run by Chef Neugold and his wife Kate, of Foundry Kitchen & Tavern, and barely a mile down the road in Sandy Hook (see CTbites Feb 2019 for info), they know a thing or two or three about breathing new life into an old space. And, despite the setbacks Covid has undoubtedly thrust upon the industry, Marygold’s is off to a successful start. Alongside Chef Neugold, Derek Kustanbauter as Chef de Cuisine, and Steve Roth as Sous Chef, the team has brought forth a menu Connecticut diners will surely want to try.
NewSylum Brewing Co. owners Mark Lennon, David Kingsley and Mark Tambascio had been planning their brewery for several years as a taproom-centered operation. One that took full advantage of their unique location in Newtown within a historic building at what was formerly Fairfield Hills Hospital, a psychiatric facility on a 100-plus-acre campus with more than a dozen buildings.
NewSylum Brewing Co. in Newtown opened during the coronavirus pandemic in a historic building in the former Fairfield Hills Hospital, a psychiatric facility.
Then the coronavirus hit.
The brewery was slated to open the first week in May, but Connecticut was still shut down and the taproom the owners had envisioned as the centerpiece of their business couldn’t be opened. “We had to shift gears from our original plan,” Lennon says.
They hadn’t planned on canning their beer but quickly contracted with a mobile canning company, and began offering curbside pickup.
Barcelona Wine Bar is launching a new, complimentary wine education series in partnership with Wine.com to bring a taste of Spain home. The best news…after the class, you can buy the wines on Wine.com.
The first class, Iconic Red Wines of Spain will be released on April 28th, and will focus on Rioja, Bierzo, Ribera Del Duero, and Priorat wines. While there are specific wines that are available in a bundle on Wine.com for $89.99, Barcelona restaurants have an expansive range of wines from these regions and participants can call BWB to pick-up wine from one or all of these regions to taste along with the experts. The series was created for any Bierzo, Priorat, Rioja, or Ribera del Duero red wine to pair perfectly for the course.
Bulk shopping isn’t exactly a new concept but bulk shopping that’s zero waste is something we get excited about. BD Provisions, with locations in Newtown, and now at the Brick Walk in Fairfield CT, takes this familiar concept and gives it a breath of fresh air with a new, environmentally friendly spin.
Less is more, especially here. Less waste means more product which means greater savings and more fun, but you really need to head over to experience it yourself.
Bulk shopping isn’t exactly a new concept – we’ve been filling the trunks of our cars and SUVs with oversized products from those mammoth box stores for years. But bulk shopping that’s zero waste is something we don’t often see. BD Provisions, in Newtown, takes this familiar concept and gives it a breath of fresh air with a new, environmentally friendly spin.
Less is more, especially here. Less waste means more product which means greater savings and more fun, but you really need to head over to experience it yourself.
At BD Provisions you’ll find 270 carefully curated products sold by the pound in massive sustainable containers. Products range from dehydrated and powdered superfoods. You won’t want to pass by the creative, flavored rice, quinoa and soup blends that will enhance any weeknight dinner. Of course there are plenty of healthy snack options from the most beautifully colored wasabi coated soybeans, beautiful and delicious dried, crunchy beets, spicy chick peas, a wide selection of nuts both raw and flavored. Gorgeous beans and pastas. Beautiful aromatic spices, a generous selection of the most beautiful tea blends.
Market Place Hospitality group is delighted to announce the grand opening of their newest location, Market Place Kitchen & Bar Newton, this Friday, December 1st. The restaurant will be open to the general public for dinner and is located at: The Village at Lexington Gardens, 32 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT. With sister locations in Avon, Danbury, and Woodbury, Market Place Kitchen & Bar is 100% locally owned and operated and committed to sourcing local ingredients and working with local farmers.
Managing Partner Eli Hawli says: “We are delighted and honored to be a local business supporting local farms. As our Market Place family continues to grow, we will continue to provide the same quality of craft cocktails and chef driven cuisine which we know all of our wonderful customers want and expect from us
High atop a hill, near Newtown’s historic flagpole, lies the intersection of Church Hill Road and Main Street. And there, you’ll find an entirely different type of intersection—one where British and Italian cuisines meet. The concept was inspired by the original Dere Street, an ancient Roman road in Northern England, built in the first century A.D. To honor this historic place where British and Roman cultures intersect, the two cuisines are now celebrated at Dere Street in Newtown.
Past the 1800s building facade, it’s contemporary, whimsical and positively humming with other diners and imbibers. Home to 28 different gins, an abundant “British wine list” of single malts, beer and a selection of cocktails so unique, you’d be wise to arrive thirsty. Bring your appetite, as well as an open mind. If you’re a gin lover, this is the closest spot to heaven on earth you’ll find anywhere near here. And if you’re a vodka drinker? Well, they do have one brand, just in case they can’t convert you. Keeping with the British theme, it’s Broken Shed from New Zealand, a former colony. But they’d sure love to try to turn you on to gin.
The Inn at Newtown, a long time landmark on Newtown's historic Main Street, will be closing its doors on Sunday, January 10, reports the News Times.
Announced on their Twitter account by proprietor Rob Ryder, the Inn at Newtown has been in operation for 17 years at 19 Main Street in the center of Newtown, CT.
Exciting news from Barcelona Wine Bar and Barteca Restaurant Group! Selections from their award-winning wine list, recognized by publications like Wine Spectator and The Wall Street Journal, are now available online. Newly unveiled “Gretchen’s Selections” features approximately 25 wines that are directly imported and offered to Barcelona’s guests. Each wine was hand-selected by Gretchen Thomas, acclaimed Wine and Spirits Director for Barteca Restaurant Group.
“I’m always looking for great wines for the Barcelona wine program, whether they are sold through my trusted suppliers or not,” says Thomas.
Sometimes she comes across amazing bottles here at home. Vineyards will ship wines to her or she will be introduced to someone in the area doing something new and exciting. Other times, her quest takes her overseas.
Mexicali Rose is the type of small town dive you might take for granted if you grew up with it in your backyard (like I did), or you selfishly want to keep it to yourself (like I do). As a kid growing up in Newtown, I knew it was preferable to its Subway strip mall neighbor, but it wasn’t until I logged many thousands of miles of travel and dozens (hundreds?) of taco joints, that I truly saw this place. Homemade tortilla chips, walls covered in a clutter of Mexican folkloric kitsch, a handful of enamel top tables, and one very kind family that owns and runs the restaurant make Mexicali Rose one of my favorite hidden northern Fairfield County gems.
2015 marked the 12th year of Mohegan Sun’s popular WineFest. The format continued as it has in years past, with a Friday night bourbon tasting, Grand Tastings on Saturday and Sunday, an Elite Cru tasting, and a Celebrity Chef Dine Around on Saturday night. The event also featured many celebrity chefs beloved from previous years like William Kovel, Todd English, Michele Ragussis, Govind Armstrong, Manouschka Guerrier, and Betty Fraser. Yet, 2015 managed to stand apart with new additions and changing trends.
This year, I attended the Sunday Grand Tasting rather than staying the span of the weekend. Sunday is slightly less attended, but still provides ample opportunity to see creative chef demonstrations and sample the offerings.
It’s been an intense year of traveling (I visited Spain five times!), tasting, and learning. And with our various locations in other Eastern US cities, I’ve been given the chance to taste limited wines that are exclusively available in their respective states, which, if anything, has reminded me that understanding wine is a giant task for those who don’t work in this field. After spending so many years devoted to tasting and learning about wines, I can still be surprised, impressed, and sometimes completely blown away. There are always new (to me) grapes varieties, regions, farming and vinifying techniques, and I’m sure next year won’t disappoint me with a chance to discover something else unknown and worth it. Since I am closing up my 2014 tasting journals and looking forward to a new year of “explore-a-tasting,” I am sharing the 10 most striking wines I tasted for the first time in 2014.
It seems as though everyone loves a good Riesling for springtime and summer sipping. Last year, New York City was just one of the regions to participate in a “Summer of Rieslings” with a number of selections on the High Line and in restaurants. Germany is revered for its remarkable versions of the varietal.
However, a lesser-celebrated varietal promises to satisfy all of your desires as the warmer weather approaches. Gruner Veltliner, a national grape of Austria, shares Riesling characteristics, but has lighter, crisper, and fresher tones than its counterpart. On Friday March 28, Fairfield County hosted Christof Hopler, a respected winemaker and owner of Hopler vineyards in Austria. He presented a selection of his delicious wines to an eager room of wine enthusiasts at South End Restaurant in New Canaan.
