Filtering by Tag: Grocery Store,Private Dining

Unlocking the Best Event Venues in CT: Tips for Any Budget and Party Size sponsored post

Features Catering Private Dining Private Party Restaurant Rental

CTbites Team

Planning the perfect event in Connecticut starts with finding the right venue. Whether you're hosting an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, Connecticut offers a diverse array of venues to suit every style and budget. Imagine effortlessly discovering hidden gems like historic landmarks steeped in charm or modern spaces boasting breathtaking views. With the help of platforms like RestauRent, akin to Airbnb for events, finding and booking your ideal venue becomes a seamless experience. Here’s how you can unlock the best event venues in CT, tailored to fit any budget and party size.


Unlocking the Best Event Venues in CT: Tips for Any Budget and Party Size sponsored post

Features New Haven enter Catering Private Dining Private Party Holiday

CTbites Team

Welcome to New Haven, CT, where hidden gems await to host your next company get-together. Nestled amidst the vibrant cityscape are venues that promise to elevate your corporate events with charm, delectable cuisine, and unique atmospheres. Whether you're seeking the cozy ambiance of a café, the fresh flavors of a seafood restaurant, the warmth of an Italian eatery, the sophistication of a bar and steakhouse, or the soulful tunes of a jazz cabaret, New Haven offers a variety of settings to suit every occasion. Join us as we unveil six of the city's best-kept secrets for company gatherings, each offering its own distinctive appeal and the promise of a memorable event.


Unlocking the Best Event Venues in CT: Tips for Any Budget and Party Size sponsored post

Features Homepage Norwalk Catering Events Private Dining Private Party Holiday Guide

CTbites Team

As the holiday season approaches, finding the perfect venue for your corporate holiday party in Norwalk, CT is key to setting the right tone for celebration. From classic restaurants to modern event spaces, Norwalk offers a range of venues designed to accommodate every style of corporate gathering. Join us as we discover seven standout locations known for their charm, amenities, and ability to create memorable experiences for your team.


Unlocking the Best Event Venues in CT: Tips for Any Budget and Party Size sponsored post

Features Homepage Catering Private Dining Private Party Holiday Events

CTbites Team

Planning a celebration of life or an after-funeral service dinner can be an emotional and daunting task. It’s a time to gather loved ones, share memories, and celebrate the life of the departed in a way that truly honors their legacy. If you find yourself needing to arrange such an event in Connecticut, there are numerous beautiful and accommodating venues to consider. However, in the midst of grief, the logistics can feel overwhelming. That’s where RestauRent comes in—a platform similar to Airbnb but for event venues with private dining rooms. Founded by Connecticut native Nick Cianfaglione, who personally faced these challenges while planning his grandparents' celebration of life events, RestauRent offers a quick and efficient solution to finding the perfect venue.


Discover RestauRent: Revolutionizing Venue Reservations for Every Occasion in Connecticut

Features Catering Private Dining Private Party Restaurant Rental Homepage

CTbites Team

Planning a memorable event hinges on finding the perfect venue—a task that can feel like navigating a maze of options and availability. Whether you're organizing a milestone birthday celebration, coordinating a crucial corporate gathering, or arranging a casual get-together with friends, the venue sets the stage for your event's success. Enter RestauRent, a groundbreaking platform designed to simplify and elevate the venue reservation process across Connecticut.


Hachiroku’s Third Act: The Loop Opens in New Haven’s Arts District

Restaurant Opening New Haven Japanese Grocery Store Japanese Market Sushi Ramen Wine Bar Homepage

Todd Lyon

What are you doing on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.? If you’re tuned into the Japanese cuisine scene in New Haven, we know where we’ll find you: Standing in line to be one of the first to experience The Loop, a brand-new marketplace, food court, and kitchen by the enlightened crew that brought us Hashiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar, and Hachiroku Handroll Bar & Tapas. CT Bites was lucky enough to get a private preview, and we’re here to tell you: The Loop is about to revolutionize the way we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

To catch you up: Yuta Kamori was a stranger to New Haven when he opened the first Hachiroku on Orange Street in 2022. But soon, very soon – in spite of not even a sign out front -- he had a passionate fan base and, much to his surprise, an outpouring of support from local chefs and restaurateurs. “I walked in cold,” he recalls, but found “good people here – people who spread the word.” By 2023 he had premiered the second Hachiroku, a spare, elegant sushi bar on State Street, which opened to great acclaim and which, like his first place, quickly became a statewide favorite.


Mike’s Organic Grocery Opens in Greenwich: 6 Questions with Owner Mike Geller

Interview Seasonal Events Grocery Store Shop Local farm fresh Greenwich Mike's Organic Cos Cob Interview

Andrew Dominick

In July of 2021, Mike Geller and his dedicated team at Mike’s Organic held an announcement event in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich where the bones of the former Patio.com store stood a vacant eyesore for about two years.

That day, in the parking lot, friends and family gathered, food was devoured, and drinks were sipped as Geller enthusiastically spoke about the expansion of his Stamford-based grocery delivery service that would be taking over the 600 E Putnam Avenue space as a grocery store, selling all the finest local, farm fresh produce, meat, seafood, and top notch products that Mike’s Organic has become known for over the years.

Fast forward to less than two years later, like right now, in the present, and Mike’s Organic Grocery is a real thing, as in, you can officially shop there! Preorder. Pick up. Push a cart and browse the shelves. Swing by for a grab-n-go lunch or dinner by their own “Made By Mike’s” lineup of salads, sandwiches, entrées, and more that are all made in-house. And we’re positive that there’s more in store when it comes to this new grocery store.

I recently caught up with Geller for an interview because, honestly, there’s no one better than him to speak about the brand he has created through years of cultivating relationships with farmers and purveyors the way he can.


Saugatuck Provisions Opens From A Local CT Chef (Matt Storch), A Butcher & A Fisherman (Copps Island Oysters)

Ingredients Features Openings Westport Grocery Store Ingredients Seafood Butcher Specialty Market Homepage

Stephanie Webster

What happens when a chef, a butcher and a fisherman walk into a bar? Stay tuned and I’ll tell you…

If you’ve noticed some activity behind the brown paper covering the windows of what was once Westport’s Saugatuck Craft Butchery, it’s not just wishful thinking. Big things are happening behind that masked facade …big things that involve a culinary power team including Chef Matt Storch and Susan McConnell (Match Burger Lobster, Match) in partnership with Jimmy Bloom of Copps Island Oysters, and butcher, Paul Nessal, whom you will recognize if you spent any time at the nose to tail butchery, Saugatuck Craft, back in the day. After 5 years of discussion, this group is finally getting ready to open the doors to Saugatuck Provisions, a new concept offering customers a curated selection of the very best ingredients from the land, sea and grocery, enabling guests to create beautiful restaurant quality meals at home.

Saugatuck Provisions is conveniently located next to Match Burger Lobster in Westport, and will be ready for customers in early November, with Thanksgiving pre-ordering already live here.


Strega Restaurant Owners Open Strega Market In Milford

Features Ingredients Openings Specialty Market Grocery Store Italian

James Gribbon

Chef Danilo Mongillo continues to bring his vision of Italy to Milford with the newly opened Strega Market. On the same block as the Strega restaurant he opened after the pandemic had closed his original location in Branford, the Market showcases the same sauces and ingredients used just two doors down, as well as sought-after tastes of home for Italian expats, like Mongillo himself.

The market layout is simple, but its contents are rich with multitudes of flavors. First, though, Mongillo takes me to the side, past rows of gleaming jars, and selects a small package.

“Cards,” he says, “From Naples. You go into a little market like this in Italy, they always have the cards for people.” It’s indicative of the outlook he has, wanting the market to feel instantly familiar to anyone who grew up in Italy, and to bring that experience, that food, to Connecticut.


Urban Greek Kitchen: Delicious Fast Casual Greek With A Twist

Restaurant Shelton Greek Mediterranean Grocery Store Special Dietary Needs Gluten-Free Lunch Take Out To-Go Openings Healthy Eats Homepage

Jessica Ryan

In a bleak midwinter, in the midst of a great Pandemic, Sophia Diakoloukas left a successful marketing career to open her restaurant, Urban Greek Kitchen. This fast-casual eatery serves up modern Greek food with a flair. “It’s Greek with a twist” she describes. “I use traditional family recipes and adapt them to satisfy the way we eat today.” Inspired by the fresh flavors of the Mediterranean, Urban Greek focuses on healthy, fresh vibrant ingredients that are satisfying and delicious. Having grown up in the restaurant business, here in Connecticut, Sophia is no stranger to the inner workings of this complicated, fast-paced industry. It’s immediately apparent that she runs a pristinely organized and tight ship. Most of her staff has been with her since the doors opened…and so have her loyal customers.


Unlocking the Best Event Venues in CT: Tips for Any Budget and Party Size sponsored post

Features Catering Caterer Parties Private Dining Holiday Thanksgiving

CTbites Team

Shaken and Stirred Catered Events is turning up the heat this holiday season. From Thanksgiving meals and holiday parties to wedding receptions and corporate events, the team at Shaken and Stirred will deliver nothing but class, expertise, and delicious food to you and your guests.

Being a chef-led service, Shaken and Stirred can provide handcrafted, custom menus for every event. As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to begin planning dinners and parties for your family, friends, and coworkers...


Chef Tyler Anderson Presents "Room Service at the Goodwin", A Theatrical, Interactive 3-Course Private Dinner Experience

Features Restaurant Hartford County West Hartford Private Party Private Dining Dining Experience Pop-Up Dinner Hotel

CTbites Team

weHartford, in partnership with Chef Tyler Anderson and the Goodwin Hotel, is pleased to announce a unique and COVID-safe dining experience beginning January 8th, 2021, running Thursday through Sunday dinner seatings through the winter.

Room Service at the Goodwin: Yes-or-No Morgan, is the first event of its kind. Select hotel rooms at The Goodwin have been transformed into private dining spaces for up to four people. Each party will enjoy a theatrical, interactive three-course dinner experience, curated by Chef Tyler Anderson, with clues, hints, and performances that unveil details and secrets about the life of the historic American businessman JP Morgan, a Hartford local and frequent visitor to The Goodwin Hotel.


Provisions On State Opens From Chef Emily Mingrone: New Haven's First Nose To Tail Butchery

Features Restaurant New Haven Butcher Butchery Openings Chef Meat Grocery Store Homepage

Chef Jes Bengston

“If you don't like outstanding music, fresh chef cultivated sandwiches, farm and forest hand-picked produce, local artisanal product, NYC vibes, an incredibly friendly staff, and whole animal butchery then DEFINITELY do not go to Chef Emily Mingrone and Shane McGowan’s new Provisions On State,” says Chef Jes Bengston.

Emily and Shane, owners of the award-winning “restaurant of the year” Tavern on State, in New Haven, decided to expand the brand and recently opened this sister spot just down the street from the restaurant, bringing an old school nose to tail butchery and a small grocery store to the East Rock neighborhood. As I took the two steps down into the store front ( like so New York I was like omg) I was immediately over taken with a vibe and energy that can only be created by this tag team duo who met by working together in a local restaurant in 2018, opened a restaurant in 2019, and now this. The store is so small I could lay eyes on all 4 walls at the same time but it took me 3 circles to absorb all the curated culinary greatness going on in here.


10 + CT Restaurants & Wholesalers Now Selling Groceries To The Public

Features Grocery Store Specialty Market Ingredients Shopping

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

Trips to the grocery store are becoming increasingly difficult. In addition to the risks associated with heading out into the crowd, shelves are picked over and ingredients are low. In order to make premium foods more accessible, some Connecticut restaurants and food wholesalers are making their meats, produce, and other staples available to the public as groceries. We have compiled this guide to let you know which restaurants have grocery programs and which wholesalers are now offering their goods to the public.


Need Groceries? CT Farm Stands Are Open! (via CT Food and Farm Magazine)

Features Local Farm Grocery Store Specialty Market CT Farms Farm Stand Homepage

CTbites Team

Can’t find the groceries you need in a store near you? Would you rather shop outdoors vs indoors? Or would you like to just support our local farmers? We bring you this exhaustive list of Connecticut Farm Stands offering tons of local produce, generously compiled by Connecticut Food and Farm Magazine. Take a road trip to a farm stand near…or far.


BD Provisions Opens in Fairfield: Gourmet Bulk Food Shopping

Features Specialty Market Grocery Store Bulk Shopping Openings Fairfield Newtown Tea And Coffee Education Shopping

CTbites Team

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. 


BD Provisions: Gourmet Bulk Food Shopping That’s Really "Out of the Box"

Features Ingredients Shopping Specialty Market Grocery Store Newtown Ingredients Coffee

Jessica Ryan

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.