Gruel Britannia Opens 2nd Spot in Westport With Events + Pop Ups Coming Soon Features Interview Restaurant British Cuisine British Westport Interview Gruel Britannia Karen Hubrich Opening Homepage Prime Rib Andrew Dominick April 08, 2026 Karen Hubrich isn’t shy about telling anyone she’s a late bloomer. After a long career cooking in country clubs and as a private chef for Michael Bolton, she emerged on the Connecticut food scene in 2019 when she opened her Fairfield flagship, Gruel Britannia. Now a young 69-years-old, she’s opted for a second helping of Gruel, not too far away from the original, in Westport’s Coleytown neighborhood that debuted last July. Read More
South End in New Canaan Returns as South End Bar Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant New Canaan South End New Canaan New American Opening Interview Andrew Dominick March 31, 2026 One of the spots that’s synonymous with New Canaan’s dining scene from 2012 well into 2023 was South End. “Was?” Hmm…How about “is?” And that’s because South End is back, in a smaller space, down the same alleyway as Uncorked, in what was the Mexican-inspired The Back End, as South End Bar. If you’re one of the many who remembers South End, and all it’s modern tavern fare fondly, you’re not alone. Chef-owner Nick Martschenko does, too. Read More
Hotaru Opens in Southport Featuring an Affordable, Intimate Omakase Experience Features Interview Ingredients Restaurant Omakase Sushi Japanese Opening Interview Southport Homepage Andrew Dominick March 24, 2026 3363 Post Road in Southport is no longer the home of the $5 footlong, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a deal to be had. In the bones of a former Subway franchise, right next to Dunkin’, is Hotaru, a predominantly Japanese restaurant where the star of their show is a very affordable omakase experience. Hotaru opened very quietly to friends, family, and random curious customer walk-ins on March 16 with an abbreviated menu that’ll soon expand. The team behind Hotaru is Yingying Yan, who owns Gingko Sichuan Cuisine in Fairfield, her chef at Ginkgo, Jerry, and Ken Piao, the owner of Yuki Kitchen in Westport. Read More
The Haven Opens in Norwalk Featuring a Speakeasy, Rooftop, Cafe, and Event Space Features Interview Restaurant Speakeasy Cocktails Pizza Late Night Norwalk Interview Rooftop Opening Andrew Dominick February 06, 2026 The restaurant space on the corner of Washington and N Main has seen its share of flips. Evarito’s had an over five-year run, then it was The Pompano for a blink. Drive or walk by it now and you’ll notice the dining room is empty-ish, but more like a clearing, and that the lights are on. And the lettering on the glass door reads, “The Haven.” Behind all of those previous concepts, and behind The Haven, is Christian Burns, who you’re familiar with as the brains behind The Ginger Man and The Cask Republic locations. With The Haven, Burns and his landlords, Joe and Aldo Criscuolo, are teaming up on all four aspects of what this is and what it’s going to be when it’s whole. Read More
Cowboy Butter in New Milford: Hindsight BBQ's Sister Restaurant, a "Boujee" BBQ Joint + Steakhouse Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant BBQ New Milford Opening Interview Steak Homepage Andrew Dominick January 27, 2026 When CTbites last covered Hindsight BBQ in 2021, its founder, Jeff Schmidt was quoted as saying, “When you get obsessed with something, and when you get bit by the BBQ bug, once you go down that rabbit hole, you can only go further.” In 2025, his “further” ended up being Cowboy Butter, best described as “a New England live fire cookery and boujee BBQ bistro,” in New Milford’s quaint downtown area. Read More
Fire & Spice Opens in Bridgeport With A+ Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken & More Ingredients Interview Restaurant Peruvian Indian Bridgeport Interview Fast Casual Opening Andrew Dominick January 13, 2026 A former Jamaican restaurant on Bridgeport’s Boston Avenue doesn’t only have two new tenants, it’s cooking up different culture’s cuisines, too. At Fire & Spice, the concept is Peruvian, with some Indian and Pakistani, and good ol’ American burgers, cheesesteaks, and fried chicken. Behind Fire & Spice is the team of Shiraz Choudhary and his chef, Emilio Malpartida, and if you’ve been to either of the Swift Fresh Market locations, two in Fairfield and one in Norwalk, you’re at least a little familiar with who they are. Read More
Craft Beer + Music: Twelvenote Brew Co. Opens in Black Rock Brewery Interview Features Brewery Twelvenote Brew Co Black Rock Bridgeport Music Craft Beer Beer Opening Interview Brewer Homepage Andrew Dominick January 08, 2026 Brian Pietrzak has had some “pinch me” moments lately. As the brewer and co-owner of Twelvenote Brew Co. in the former Aspetuck Brew Lab space in Black Rock, he’ll tell you candidly that it’s all a bit surreal. “I wake up sometimes at 3 a.m. and I can’t believe I own a fuckin’ brewery, like, I can’t believe this is my job now,” he says. Originally from Erie, PA, Pietrzak’s brewing story started as you might expect it to, with a home brewing kit he received as a gift from his brother-in-law, who’s his now partner at Twelvenote. Read More
tacobarn Opens in Newtown From Restaurateur David Boyajian Features Interview Restaurant Tacos Newtown Sandy Hook Cocktails Tequila Interview Opening Homepage Andrew Dominick December 17, 2025 “I don’t know what got me looking, but I saw this building roughly 27 months ago for the first time, and I just fell in love with it.” Once filled with random storage, a barn on Glen Road in Sandy Hook has new life as a taqueria thanks to Newtown local and restaurateur David Boyajian. At the appropriately named tacobarn, Boyajian isn’t calling it traditional Mexican and he’s not even remotely pretending it’s that. And this particular nontraditional taco space is something he’s quite familiar with from his past as bartaco’s director of operations and part of that microchain’s expansion. Read More
Chef Ian Vest Opens Modern Italian Restaurant, Talia, in Port Chester Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Modern Italian Ian Vest Port Chester Opening Homepage Interview Pasta Pizza Greenwich Andrew Dominick November 19, 2025 One could argue, that before Greenwich Avenue’s current restaurant boom, one of the hottest spots on the block from 2015 until it closed in 2020 was Back 40 Kitchen. Now, just a touch over the Byram neighborhood’s border in Port Chester, frequenters of Back 40 will see a familiar face in Ian Vest at his newly opened Talia. Vest, originally a St. Louis native, who got his start in the industry at 13 years old and never left it, has seen his fair share of stints working at delis, burrito places, and “everywhere you can imagine.” But hard work pays off, as it landed him an executive chef position at The Crossing, a French-Italian fine dining restaurant in Clayton, Missouri, then, to The Culinary Institute of America. Read More
Specialty Coffee Shop, Carpe Diem Cafe, Opens in Norwalk Ingredients Interview Restaurant Carpe Diem Norwalk Coffee Coffee Shop Norwalk Pastry Opening Interview Andrew Dominick November 17, 2025 Norwalk’s growing coffee shop scene just got one new addition. Carpe Diem Cafe’s goal? Specialty, higher end, baked goods made in-house, coffee shop parties, adult beverages, and a few Dominican dishes amongst the pastry and breakfasty offerings. Owner Elvis Fernandez is setting out to be different from the rest of the coffee shops in the area and is relying on his entrepreneurial spirit and some industry experience to make that happen with Carpe Diem. Read More
Dos Hermanos Guatemalan Bakery & Cafe Opens in Bridgeport Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Guatemalan Bakery Latin American Black Rock Bridgeport Opening Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick October 24, 2025 If you notice a bunch of people in Bridgeport’s Black Rock neighborhood entering a tiny storefront on Brewster Street, follow them, and the smell of fresh baked bread, inside. Welcome to Dos Hermanos Bakery & Cafe, owned by two brothers (hence the name), Giovanni and Nelson Castellon, who had a goal of opening a place of their own for a while to show the community an accurate representation of Guatemalan food. Read More
Delamar Hotels Opens American-Mediterranean Restaurant, Dandelion, in Westport Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Mediterranean Opening Interview Westport Dandelion Westport Delamar Hotels Homepage Andrew Dominick October 03, 2025 Just a mere mile and change from the Delamar Southport and Artisan, founder Charles Mallory’s Greenwich Hospitality Group has opened a new luxury hotel with a restaurant, Dandelion, that’s been booked solid for weeks right out of the gate. “We took ownership of it 2-3 years ago,” says Delamar’s corporate director of restaurants, Hicham Amaaou. “I’ve been working with Frederic Keifer (Delamar’s corporate chef/partner) since Artisan Southport in 2012, then West Hartford, and we created La Plage together from scratch. But this is two separate entities and the food is very opposite.” Read More
Cosetta Pizzeria and Paninoteca Opens in Fairfield from Bailey's Backyard Team Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Pizza Pizzeria Sandwiches Breakfast Coffee Fairfield Opening Homepage Interview Ingredients Andrew Dominick September 30, 2025 In 2024, when I interviewed Sal Bagliavio, the co-owner of Bailey’s Backyard, about his second spot, Taco Dia in Newtown, he very cryptically mentioned that he and chef/co-owner Forrest Pasternack were actively looking to open something else, somewhere else to follow up their taqueria. Cosetta Pizzeria and Paninoteca on the Post Road in Fairfield is that something else—and what it is, simply put, is a more gourmet version of the neighborhood slice shop, plus sandwiches (including breakfast), house-made pastry, and coffee. Read More
Massimo Tullio Opens Neapolitan Inspired Massi Co. in Westport Features Interview Ingredients Restaurant Neapolitan pizza Neapolitan Italian Interview Homepage Westport Opening Andrew Dominick September 21, 2025 The space at 90 Post Road E in Westport has played host to three different restaurant concepts over the past eight years; Jesup Hall (farm-to-table American), then Don Memo (Mexican), and now, Massi Co., a Napolitano style restaurant. At the helm is a familiar face, co-owner of those previous two restaurants, and The Whelk, Massimo Tullio. The switch to Italian came about earlier in the year when Tullio, and his then partner, Bill Taibe, announced they would be going their separate ways with Taibe taking over both Kawa Ni locations in Westport and in Denver, while Tullio would continue operating The Whelk and Don Memo. Read More
Tacos 203 by Taco Guy Opens at South Norwalk Train Station Features Interview Restaurant Tacos Norwalk Tacos 203 Cocktails Grab-n-Go Mexican Homepage Fast Casual Opening Andrew Dominick August 25, 2025 As summer dwindles down in Connecticut, lobster rolls are out, tacos are in. At least that’s the case at the South Norwalk’s Metro-North station’s eastbound side. When the vacant space where LobsterCraft once slung rolls, lobster mac, and bisque, is now home to Tacos 203, a spinoff of Taco Guy. Owner Adrian Hurtado, who started his Taco Guy brand, first as a successful food truck, then a brick-and-mortar in Norwalk’s Wall Street area in 2023, snagged the train station spot by putting in an application bid for it with the Norwalk Parking Authority, not knowing whether he’d get it or not. Read More
Chef Nick Martschenko Opens Second SE Uncorked in Redding Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant SE Uncorked Redding Georgetown Gastropub Cocktails Burger Interview Bar Opening Andrew Dominick August 13, 2025 Right before New Canaan’s SE Uncorked celebrated its 10-year anniversary, chef – owner Nick Martschenko opened a shiny new sequel of his popular gastropub concept at the end of June in the Georgetown section of Redding. “I knew the area because initially, we looked in Redding for South End, but that idea folded,” Martschenko says. “All these years later, we’re here with Uncorked. Ryan Kundrat helped get me into this place (on Main Street). We wanted it to be this pubby sort of vibe, but you can see it’s a little different in the dining room. It’s still much like the original Uncorked.” Read More
Renowned and Michelin Recommended Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao Opens in Stamford Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Nan Xiang Nan Xiang soup dumplings Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao Stamford Chinese Homepage soup dumplings Dim Sum Interview Opening Andrew Dominick July 23, 2025 From Flushing, New York, Michelin Guide recommended soup dumplings have made their way to the cluster of restaurants outside of the Stamford Town Center. Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, a growing Shanghainese micro chain, held its soft opening and introduction to Connecticut at the beginning of June as part of its expansion that includes locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Georgia, Chicago, and soon, again, in our general area when they open in White Plains. Read More
Dogtown Opens Second Location in Bethel With Killer Comfort Food Menu Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Bethel Dogtown Hot Dogs Burgers Fast Casual Interview Opening Andrew Dominick July 10, 2025 Four years ago, when I first covered Bobby Manere’s Dogtown in Milford—where Cali-inspired fast casual and a little bits of his dad’s lower Fairfield County famous Swanky Franks meet—he talked about wanting to open a Dogtown sequel. That time is now, and Bethel, you’re the lucky recipient. Manere broke the Bethel news on my friend, Jeff Spencer’s Sweet’N Up Podcast, when he was a guest alongside Kyle Marcoux, aka, The Vulgar Chef. Read More
Seleste Tan of Lady Wong Patisserie & Chef Mogan Anthony Open La Bistro in Greenwich Features Interview Restaurant French Pastry Pastry Chef Greenwich Homepage Interview Opening Andrew Dominick April 26, 2025 Have a conversation with Seleste Tan for just a few minutes and the word that comes to mind is “humble.” Tan’s bakery, Lady Wong Patisserie, with two locations in New York City, speaks about it like she never expected it to be the megahit that it is. “I did it for a hobby during the pandemic and I never thought it would be big,” she says shyly. Her confections, inspired by flavors from her home country of Singapore, and travels throughout Southeast Asia, are her muse. And that hobby? It turned into national coverage in all the big food publications and then some. Read More
Preview: Taco Guy Opening Tacos 203 at the South Norwalk Train Station Features Interview Restaurant Opening Norwalk Preview Tacos Mexican Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick April 23, 2025 Everything you’ve heard about Adrian Hurtado and his Taco Guy brand opening a new taqueria in Norwalk are true, even if some of the details weren’t originally clear or correct. Numero tres for Hurtado, if we’re counting the taco truck first, then his Wall Street spot second, is Tacos 203, not Carnitas Michoacán, regardless of what you may have heard. Tacos 203 will be inside of Metro-North’s South Norwalk Station and the concept won’t resemble the fare that Hurtado’s fans have experienced from the truck or his restaurant. Read More
