When Antojos closed at the tail end of 2023, it left a void in Norwalk as it pertains to Colombian fast food. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about; those humongous hamburgers, those loaded hot dogs, and massive orders of fries topped with every ingredient imaginable. Seemingly appearing out of thin air to answer those prayers was La Colombina Burger, that unbeknownst to me (and I’m sure a bunch of you) opened last July very under the radar, in a little strip of stores, in a parking lot I hadn’t pulled into since Tony’s Pet Shop was there all those years ago. The Tony’s shout is for the Norwalk heads. IYKYK.
Parkville Market, a hub of international cuisine, has graced Hartford with four new vendors. Taiwan Night Market, the Taste of Portugal and KOJI2GO have opened, and we hear that Flor do Mar has launched since we visited with a completely gluten free menu, each adding new, exciting, flavorful dishes to an already highly tasty market.
Parkville opened during the height of the pandemic in May of 2020, starting with only five vendors, all take-out. Now, three years later, the market is vibrant.
“Now being at 21 vendors we’ve really rounded out the different, uniqueness to the food that we offer,” Matt Sousa, Vice President of Operations at Parkville said. “If we’re lacking something then we go out and try to find whatever it is.”
With the recent news that Bruxelles Brasserie closed as of April 9 and will be taken over by Jeff Taibe and reopen as Taproot, French cuisine in South Norwalk has all but evaporated.
But before the French-Belgian Bruxelles made this announcement, and at the beginning of 2023, Appetit Bistro, a more classic French restaurant, decided to switch things up, too.
For Appetit’s owners, Edwin Montoya and chef Ismael Carias, whose Port Chester location is still going strong at eight years and counting, their concept simply didn’t catch on in SoNo despite seeing an initial boom of customers.
"Piri piri" just means "pepper" in the related languages of sub-Saharan Africa, and you may have had piri piri sauce from a bottle, or used the specific variety under its English name, Bird's Eye Peppers, but the Portuguese found it in Mozambique. The flavor-cultural export found its way into the culinary world of Portugal and took hold the way curries have permeated the U.K. The Vilarinho family of restaurateurs from Porto Cancais outside Lisbon saw an opportunity here, and opened their first Chicken Piri Piri in America about ten years ago. Their newest location is a little storefront by Paradise Green in Stratford. CTBites recently stopped by for lunch, and here's what we found at Chicken Piri Piri Portuguese BBQ.
Greenwich: just say that word and you can see fancy convertibles cars slowly driving through the Avenue, white gloved policeman directing traffic, and people carrying shopping bags awaiting for a whistle command to cross the streets. On and surrounding this fashionable Avenue, you will also see lots of eateries, among them Douro, a Portuguese inspired restaurant that opened doors in September of 2009.
With its typical blue tile sign outside the entrance, terracotta floors, and dark wooden tables, Douro might appear to be just another trendy Greenwich restaurant. Good looking people and a good looking staff fill this charming place. Douro sets its standards and fits its West Putman Avenue location like a glove, but this Portuguese/Mediterranean venue is more than it seems.
If I could transport a restaurant to different country, I would. Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, a city that lives and breaths Portuguese culture, I savored the Iberian fare. There, I could literally dine on a different salt cod dish every day of the year. These days, however, for reasons that bear no explanation, Portuguese food in Brazil has become synonymous with "expensive food." Fortunately, I have found a way to satisfy my Iberian cravings locally. Located in Bridgeport CT, just off route 8, Omanel offers all the dishes I grew up with – traditional Portuguese cooking -- with zero fuss. The menu here is identical to the "expensive" menus in Rio, but the prices couldn't be more different. Rio deserves a restaurant such as this. In fact, the venerable Mark Bittman once said "The food can blow you away."
