Filtering by Tag: Tasting Menu,Noodles

Two Roads Brewing Company Launches Dinner Pairing Series- A New Brewery Experience

Events Features Brewery Ingredients Interview Tasting Menu Brewery Two Roads Brewing Company Craft Beer Spirits Distillery Interview Homepage beer Stratford

Andrew Dominick March 20, 2025

If you’ve followed the evolution of Two Roads Brewing Company, it’s quite something. Since the main brewery opened in 2012, one thing they kept doing is continuing to evolve. Not including a laundry list of beer releases, Two Roads went onto open a second facility next to their Hop Yard six years ago that you now know as Area Two Experimental Brewing. Following Area Two and all their fun, funky small batch drops, and in no particular order, Two Roads got into making canned cocktails, non-alcoholic beer, distilling (we’ll have a few teasers on that), and they even purchased the former PizzaCo across the street and turned it into Two Roads Food Hall & Bar and next door, Two Roads Tee Box, a golf simulator, making it a full-blown “campus.”

Mariposa Taqueria in Danbury Debuts Latin Dinner Series

Ingredients Interview Restaurant Mariposa Taqueria Latin American Danbury Tasting Menu Tasting

Andrew Dominick February 10, 2025

When brothers Sam and Javier Reyes took over the reigns of Mezon Tapas Bar from their older brothers Richard and Juan, and flipped the concept over to Mariposa Taqueria in 2020, focusing on tacos and Latin American street food, they had big plans on the horizon. Sam, who’s coming off a 2023 Bartender of the Year win at the Connecticut Restaurant Association’s CRAZIES Awards, took that award and the recognition it brought to launch a series of cocktail competitions to highlight area bartenders so they can show off their full display of skills to local cocktail lovers.

The Foundry Opens in Hartford January 16 with Sweeping Views & Exciting Chef Team

Features Restaurant Opening Hartford Fine Dining Date Night Bar Menu Tasting Menu

Leeanne Griffin December 20, 2024

Hartford’s best restaurant view returns next month, as The Foundry opens on the 20th floor of the Hartford Steam Boiler building January 16.

The former ON20 Restaurant, known for its soaring views of the Connecticut River and other area landmarks, has been fully renovated and reimagined, with even more stunning panoramic vistas of the capital city. The industrial-chic interior has an expansive bar, an open kitchen with gleaming stainless-steel appliances, private dining spaces and jaw-dropping glimpses of the sky from nearly every vantage point.

ON20, a celebrated white tablecloth establishment for many years, closed during the uncertainty of the pandemic in 2020, but two years ago, Hartford Steam Boiler’s leadership began reaching out to key people to start conversations about reopening the restaurant.

Strega Opens In New Haven With Tasting Menu & Outstanding Wine List

Restaurant New Haven Opening Italian Fine Dining Tasting Menu Wine Dinners Wine Bar

James Gribbon December 08, 2024

“Yale asked me if I was interested in the space, and I took it as a challenge. A small space, few tables, no pizza – I was able to focus on fine dining.” I’m in New Haven, talking with chef Danilo Mongillo about Strega, his second restaurant of the same name, but with a very different concept.

“You have excellent food here – French, Spanish, American – and I took bringing this level of Italian to downtown, not in competition, but just to bring more good food here. That was the challenge.”

The first time I ate at Strega was the location in Milford (both restaurants are just off the corners of their respective city greens) and I’d returned many times for his creations which were just a little different – the way a sentence is altered when the pen is in a different hand – and made with exceptional ingredients. I ask if the new Strega is based on anything regionally Italian, and he shakes the question off, moving in another direction.

“Fine dining is about the technique. It’s about the balance of the flavors – something sweet, something sour – and the balance with the wine. The balance of the bite.”

Fun, Affordable, Delicious: Crust Issues in Norwalk Debuts Saturday Tastings

Restaurant Pizza Norwalk Tasting Tasting Menu

Andrew Dominick November 05, 2024

Almost a year ago, I covered Crust Issues, brought to you by longtime restaurant guy, John Nealon. I’ve since gotten addicted to several of his pizzeria’s signature grub, namely the outside the box, but creative rectangular, crispy, cheesy, garlic buttery pizzas and the pounded out crunchy coated cutlets—especially the spicy chicken scarp.

It doesn’t help (or maybe it does) that it’s a flat one-mile drive away to get my fix.

Nealon has some cool ideas for the evolution of Crust Issues, one that I’ve consistently bothered and pressured him about (I’ll keep it a secret unless it actually happens), and he’s recently mentioned installing a bar for future cocktail program.

But there’s a weekly tasting he’s been doing every Saturday from 7:30 – 9 p.m. that’s a super casual, fun, tasty, incredibly reasonably priced (it’s $40 per person including beer, wine, soda, or water), and you’ll leave happy, fat, and ready for bed.

Ji Be Chuan Brings Popular Chinese Rice Noodle Franchise to CT

Restaurant Chinese Noodle Soup Noodles Asian Food

Jessica Ryan February 27, 2024

At one end of a non-descript strip mall in Orange is a new restaurant called Ji Be Chuan — You could call it a noodle joint or a soup joint, but that’s not an altogether accurate description. Although its roots stem from China, Ji Be Chuan isn’t exactly a Chinese restaurant either. A Chinese franchise which was founded in Shuzhou, China has over 400 locations in China with a growing international presence. There are 50 restaurants in the US including one in New York City, and one here in Orange, Connecticut.

This franchise is unique in that about 50% of the menu features original Ji Be Chuan recipes, but franchisees are allowed to supplement with their own recipes and dishes. For this reason, the Orange location features a unique blend of Asian influences and flavors from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and, of course, China. This “flexible franchise,” as owner Jin Lin refers to it, allowed him to incorporate pho and ramen with the traditional Chinese dishes. There is something for everyone, and something familiar to everyone.

25+ Spots for Great Ramen in Connecticut

Restaurant Features Asian Noodle Soup Ramen Japanese Noodles Best of CT Homepage Highlight

April Guilbault March 16, 2023

Sluuuuuurp. Siiiip! Sip! Just a few of the sounds you might hear when consuming a steaming hot bathtub-sized bowl of delicious, noodlicious ramen. Whether you’ve got a simpler bowl of noodles and broth on the brain or one brimming with a myriad of toppers, not much is more satisfying than slurping to your heart’s content. To take the chill off these end-of-winter days, we’ve got the consummate listing for your next craving. Dive on in, the slurping is good!

Here are 25 Spots for great ramen in Connecticut.

If we missed a Ramen spot you love, please contact us.

43 LaSalle Road Tasting Menu Debuts in West Hartford From New Team at Union Kitchen

Features Restaurant Tasting Menu Tasting Wine West Hartford Openings Homepage

Christopher Hodson January 28, 2023

Fine dining isn’t dead, despite what René Redzepi might say or think, as he gets ready to shutter the doors of what’s been considered one of the best restaurants in the entire world for nearly twenty years. West Hartford has been missing this ‘option’ in dining for a very long time, up until now. Located at 43 Lasalle Road amid restaurant row, are two gentleman working incredibly hard to bring back the ‘tasting menu’ and the full experience that goes along with it, if you choose. You should choose. Head Chef Tim East brings with him a very diverse background in food as he’s worked at several high profile restaurants around the state with some very notable chefs including Todd English and Bobby Flay. He is no stranger to West Hartford either, as he oversaw the much loved Besito in Blueback square that closed over a rental agreement dispute. Most recently however, he took on a leadership role at the storied Cavey’s in Manchester where he developed a love of French cuisine along with many of its techniques. Tim carries all of this experience and knowledge along with his passion, to a restaurant that is focused on its changing the narrative from what it was before he arrived, to what it is capable of under his leadership, a true destination restaurant amongst the West Hartford food scene.

Former Nosh Hound Food Truck Owner Maycie Ralbovsky Joins Broken Symmetry as Executive Chef

Brewery Features Interview Restaurant Brewery Chef Talk Tasting Tasting Menu Tacos Mexican Craft Beer beer Homepage Broken Symmetry Bethel

Andrew Dominick November 18, 2022

Ask any Fairfield County food truck fanatic what their favorite one was over the past handful of years and they’re likely to mention Nosh Hound if they know what they’re talking about.

The stacked sandwiches, the tacos, the burgers, and the bowls, and yes, even the “F” word…FUSION. It all really worked for Nosh Hound. I, for one, sought out Sam and Maycie Ralbovsky’s truck at every Mill River Park event. My final Nosh Hound memory was at Half Full’s Oktoberfest in Downtown Stamford when I obliterated a pork schnitzel sandwich.

Call, Respond, Then Run to RSVP for Beautiful French in West Cornwall

Features Restaurant Seasonal Road Trip Homepage French Chef's Tasting Tasting Menu Tasting Cornwall West Cornwall Litchfield

Andrew Dominick August 19, 2022

Several months ago, I’m certain my reaction to my dear friend, Katy, mentioning RSVP was something like, “Yeah. That means respond.” If we’re being technical, it’s actually “répondez s'il vous plait” or translated from French to English, “respond, if you please.”

Until Katy finished her thought by telling me that RSVP a French restaurant in Litchfield County that she heard about from one of her friends who’s a bartender. “He raves about it,” she said.

As is always the case, time passed. We kind of forgot about RSVP and barely looked into it for weeks, even months. Only occasionally we’d briefly bring it up, referring it as “THAT French place in Cornwall.”

Menya Gumi: Ramen, Donburi, and Epic Sandos in New Haven

Restaurant Openings New Haven Japanese Ramen Noodles Sandwich Lunch Comfort Food Homepage

Brian Lance January 09, 2022

I lived in Japan for four years in the early 2000s. I spent much time eating my way around Tokyo and the Kanto sprawl. Surely much has changed in those 20 years since I left. Still, I long for the food I left behind. Not the flashy foods of trendy restaurants I visited (and loved). I miss the fried chicken skewers from 7-11, Circle K egg salad sandos, and the noodles of all the quick-bite ramen shops without chairs, for none of which I remember names. Yoshinoya, Pot & Pot, and sushi go-rounds that didn’t serve elaborate rolls. I miss all the places in the cavernous Shinjuku Station underground with their window displays of plastic katsu curry and oyaku-don.

Yeah. It’s the love the Japanese food culture places into even it’s fast(ish) food that I’ve sought since coming back to the states. Occasionally, some of my old friends who were there with me will send pics of some gem they found in a strip mall. I do the same. But of the handful of places that I found, none takes me back there like Menya Gumi.

Angel Cheng opened Menya Gumi in March 2020, right as the pandemic hit the U.S. Menya survived to deliver an upgraded touch to the food of my past. Cheng works somewhere between Japanese tradition and American food crazes.

House Of Pho in Stratford Serves Up Much More Than Delicious Pho

Restaurant Asian Vietnamese Pho Soups Noodles Noodle Soup Stratford Openings Lunch Comfort Food

James Gribbon February 17, 2021

At a hillside shopping center overlooking nothing more fashionable than the far ridge line of the Housatonic River and Sikorsky’s helicopter factory steams a great bowl of pho. It’s a standard bo vien with beef meatballs, ordered lightly rich with small convex globules of transparent oil magnifying both light and flavor in the broth. I’ve recently dosed a bite with a slice of positively infernal green pepper. A less varied quarantine diet has apparently softened my usually spice-calloused tongue. My eyes are watering, and my nose is running. I’m in heaven.

Haruki Ramen & Izakaya Brings Authentic Japanese Pub Fare to Norwalk

Restaurant Ramen Noodles Asian Japanese Izakaya Norwalk SONO Openings Lunch Homepage Waypointe

Tiffany Tu August 09, 2020

Amongst the bright and airy courtyard of the Waypointe Apartments resides Haruki Ramen & Izakaya.

Owners, Lily Nimonjiya and Ben Chan, first opened Haruki’s doors in February 2020. They wanted to bring a new side of the Japanese culture to Fairfield. Most importantly, they wanted to showcase what you’d normally find in an izakaya in Japan. “I want to highlight that there is more to the Japanese cuisine than sushi and ramen,” says Nimonjiya.

So, what is an izakaya? In Japanese, it directly translates to, “stay sake shop.” It is a casual drinking establishment with small bites. A more colloquial comparison for an izakaya would be a pub or a tapas bar. Alongside their izakaya offerings, there are also options for ramen and rice dishes. And of course, craft cocktails and an extensive list of sake—47 kinds to be exact.

Local Spotlight: Vita Cacciari of Vita Pasta Lab + Virtual Italian Cooking Classes

Features Interview Cooking Classes Pasta Italian Noodles

Andrew Dominick June 18, 2020

If not for my friend Micaela, I might have never met Vita Cacciari. Micaela sent me a text one night after she attended a pasta making class at Wakeman Town Farm. She asked if I knew of any commercial kitchen spaces so the woman who teaches these classes could have more options in the area. Micaela’s text, in regard to “the woman,” were of high praise; amazing, hard worker, and nice person were all phrases she used to describe Vita. “She’s Italian” was another.

A slew of photos, video, and a website link followed. I browsed Vita’s site for her cooking class business, Vita Pasta Lab, and was instantly curious. I like to cook. I like to learn. I LOVE pasta. And Vita’s pasta looked stunningly beautiful.

Tiger Belly Noodle Bar in Granby: Slow-Cooked Ramen Perfection (via CT Magazine)

Restaurant Granby Ramen Asian Japanese Noodles Comfort Food

Connecticut Magazine December 18, 2019

The first sip of steaming broth at Tiger Belly Noodle Bar in Granby tells me all I need to know.

The tonkotsu (pork bone) broth is so dense and savory that it seems like it could cure a cold. Although my ramen bowl arrives a few minutes after I order it, the process of its creation clearly began much earlier. It’s easy to tell this soup was slow-cooked. The broth cooks for 20 to 25 hours, I’ll later learn.

“We slow-stew it overnight and then we blast it with high heat the next day when we come into work,” chef and owner Ki’yen Yeung says. “We get it down to the point where the bones melt into the broth.

Yom Kippur Savory Mushroom Cheese Kugel Recipe

Features Recipe Holiday Recipe Noodles

Liz Rueven October 02, 2019

Yom Kippur*, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, is a day of fasting and praying. When the longest day of the year ends (at least for those who haven’t eaten for 25 hours) family and friends gather around a casual buffet that often includes a sweet noodle kugel. Sure, there are bagels and cheeses, cucumber salads and fresh fruit. But it’s the kugel everyone goes for first.

Mecha Noodle Bar Opens In Stamford!

Restaurant Noodles Asian Vietnamese Japanese Ramen Pho Stamford Openings Lunch Homepage

Andrew Dominick September 01, 2019

Stamford, you’re about to be on the receiving end of a whole lot of noods. Get your mind out of the gutter, we’re talking about the piping hot, comforting bowls of ramen and pho by Mecha Noodle Bar, opening at the start of September on Bedford Street.

There’s no exact date as of yet, according to the team at Mecha, but they’re advising eager broth sippers to stay tuned to Facebook and Instagram for soft opening and grand opening announcements.

Much like their other locations in Fairfield, South Norwalk, and New Haven, Stamford’s version of Tony Pham’s popular noodle shop will feature all the Mecha staples; KFC bao, a half dozen pho options, red oil dumplings, kim chi fried rice, and all the porky tonkatsu and spicy miso ramen you can handle.

But wait! There’s more! Mecha Stamford will have a few differences from its other locations, starting with the bar. The massive U-shaped bar was made to be a focal point of the dining room because of Stamford’s bar culture, so you can pull up, have a drink (or three) from beverage director Jonathan Rodriguez’s craft cocktail program, a few bites, and call it a night if that’s what you desire. Additionally, there’s some outdoor street level seating for when the weather obeys.

Aside from all that, there’s a little something “EXTRA” at this Mecha…

“There’s a section on the menu we’re referring to as the ‘Baller Menu,’” says Kaylyn Crawford, Mecha’s COO. “We’ll have stuff like a large pho for two with a steak, and large format cocktails like a punch bowl. We want to take it over the top for the demographic in Stamford.”

MECHA Noodle Bar Opening in Stamford via Hey Stamford!

Restaurant Openings Stamford Japanese Vietnamese Noodles

Hey Stamford! May 21, 2019

Driving down Bedford Street recently, you may have noticed some activity taking place in a storefront along the east side of the street. It’s good news for all, because a popular local restaurant is getting ready to open their doors!

With locations in South Norwalk, Fairfield, and New Haven, Mecha Noodle Bar has dropped a flag in Stamford Downtown!

Known as a noodle lover’s paradise, Mecha serves up Asian comfort dishes, and is widely known for their Vietnamese Pho & Japanese Ramen. Among other things, they also do riffs on Southeast Asia street foods. The menu is replete with steamed baos, egg rolls, dumplings, spare ribs, and wings. But do not call them a “fusion” or a sushi restaurant, as they state on their website, they are: American-Vietnamese-Japanese-Thai-Chinese-Korean-New England-Momofuku-Totto-and-Ippudo-inspired.

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

Restaurant Ramen Asian Middletown Noodles Cocktails Bar

Connecticut Magazine March 22, 2019

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.

Ren Dumpling & Noodle House: Soup Dumplings & More in Wilton

Restaurant Norwalk Chinese Noodles Kid Friendly Delicious Dives Take Out Lunch Homepage

Nancy Kleeger December 30, 2018

If you already have a bevy of Chinese menus with sauce stains in your house that no longer excite you, Ren Dumpling & Noodle House in Norwalk may just become your new “go to.” Tucked in the corner of a vast shopping plaza in Wilton, Ren Dumpling & Noodle House seems to be far from overlooked. This cozy and clean joint was bustling with hungry customers dining in and picking up takeaway.

Full disclosure: I lived in Hong Kong for five years, therefore, with five years experience consuming copious amounts of dumplings under my belt, my curiosity was piqued although my expectations may have been skewed. Ren isn’t all about the dumplings, however. In fact, the rest of the menu showcases an impressive amount of options you would see on most Chinese menus, with the addition of the odd Thai or Vietnamese dish or two, which seems to be standard these days.