Since April of 2024, a new restaurant by the name of Rye Bird, located in the longtime former home of Isla in Fairfield, teased a tasty, affordable, neighborhood restaurant concept. Operated by Post Road Hospitality, Rye Bird officially cracked open its doors on October 19 after hosting some patio preview parties prior to its grand opening. Rye Bird’s founder and president Frank Klein hopes it’ll catch on as the “next neighborhood joint” for a bunch of reasons.
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👉Winner announced November 7th
New Haven’s longest-running foodie event, New Haven Restaurant Week, returns November 5-10 marking the 15th anniversary.
The fall edition of New Haven Restaurant Week features 25 of the City’s most popular restaurants- 14 will offer $25 lunch specials, with all participating locations offering pre fixe dinner experiences for $45 or $55 per person.
Off the plate, New Haven Restaurant Week gives back. Since 2009, more than $55,000 has been raised for the Connecticut Foodshare, an organization that works year-round to combat hunger and food insecurity across the state. This year participating restaurants have donated $5,000.
“I remember we had just unlocked the doors at Walrus + Carpenter, and the first two customers that came in ordered a Bud Lights and a Coors Light. I heard Adam (Patrick) go, ‘Oh, we don’t have that.’ And one of the guys goes, ‘Fuck you! You won’t last’ That was our first reaction.”
At the tail end of December, I woke up to a text message from Greer Fredericks saying she’s coming back to Norwalk to open a southern themed restaurant. That style of cuisine in a sit-down restaurant setting is something I’ve thought this area has had a need for ever since Fredericks closed Peaches Southern Pub & Juke Joint some years ago when she moved to New York City and opened an offshoot of Peaches in Manhattan.
On Saturday, October 22, 2022, Chef Michel Nischan will "reawaken" his restaurant The Dressing Room and partner with Madison Beach Hotel's culinary team to present dinner and stories with an exclusive five course event featuring dinner, wine pairings, and storytelling.—National Taco Day was October 4th, and bartaco has decided to bring back its popular, limited edition #bartacosecret roasted brussels sprouts taco in celebration of everyone’s favorite holiday.—Buy one ticket and eat in 30 different restaurants on Wednesday, October 12th 5:30 - 8:30 for a Signature New London Event- Food Stroll!—New Haven Restaurant Week presented by Citizens returns October 16 – October 29, 2022, with dining experiences and all-new exclusive offerings at 23 restaurants throughout the Elm City.—Harry's Wine School presents: Wines of Italy with Michelle DeWyngaert Wednesday, October 26th, 2022 7:00 - 9:00 pm.+
“It’s about the chicken…” says Chef Chris Scott (Top Chef Season 15), telling his new Connecticut fan base a story at his sold out Pop Up last Thursday night. And he’s about to knock nutmeggers socks off left and right with what he calls Real Soul Food, not the “gentrified” sort we’ve heard about or tasted before. There’s a story attached to the chicken, to the greens and black-eyed peas; there’s a story about the people who originally brought us the food. Real Soul Food is not just the celebrated dishes we’ve come to know and love. Chef wants everyone to understand the heritage behind this cuisine, and really hear about the ones who toiled long and hard for the meals we know as southern soul food. It’s time we learned about the Birdman; and Chef Scott is just the one to deliver the tale. He is passionate, he is immensely knowledgeable, he is experienced, and he just so happens to be one freakin’ amazing Chef.
CTbites has been following Greer Fredericks since she opened Mama’s Boy in Norwalk in 2013. She believed that low country southern cuisine could tantalize Fairfield County diners, from shrimp & grits, chicken and waffles to mile high desserts. Mama’s Boy’s food started the trend where down home, stick to your ribs cooking with bold flavors, deep fried, with cheese and calories were an accepted cuisine. Greer’s newest venture is Peaches’ Juke Joint, a fun-loving, take off your shoes, leave your inhibitions at the door and have some fun with a side of food. She hired Paul Failla to oversee the kitchen; many will remember Failla from his days at neighboring Bar Sugo. Ctbites was recently invited to sample Chef Paul’s newest creations and feel the vibes at Peaches.
World-class BBQ returns to CT with the homecoming of renowned pitmaster Nestor Laracuente, who is overseeing the kitchen at Mason Dixon Smokehouse in Stamford. When I heard that Nestor was teaming up with Mason Dixon, I was ecstatic, the mounds of his perfectly prepared meats that I raved about at Hoodoo Brown were indelible etched in my memory. Would Mason Dixon fill the void that I have felt for months? Bottom line…yes, the food is spectacular.
Laracuente is a soft-spoken lover of meats and Southern rock who spent years perfecting his craft. After leaving CT last year, he returned to Brooklyn where he spent time with his buddy at Beast of Bourbon in Bed-Stuy. His time was spent experimenting with new rubs, new dishes, waiting for the right opportunity for his return to Connecticut. His newest venture, of which he is part-owner, opened a few weeks ago and it is slowly expanding the menu.
Fairfield County offers some of the best food in the country, from trucks to fine dining, and when a restaurant serves food from the soul, it is special, it is uplifting, it makes you overjoyed. Every now and then I visit a new place that fits all these categories. Stephanie Webster, my CTbites partner, and I were looking for a new place for a lunch meeting and we chose Soul Tasty...we wanted to see what the buzz was about. It is located on Main Street in Stamford at the end of a dead end that doubles as the entrance to a pedestrian bridge and parking is incredibly difficult, have patience, it is worth it.
Soul Tasty is the brain-child and dream of Chef Jean Gabriel, Jr. When you walk in, you can feel the love. The walls are brightly painted, a little graffiti on the rear counter pronouncing FEED YOUR SOUL and a colorful menu above the hot trays holding the products of the chef’s homage to the Southern recipes of his grandmother.
Miya's in New Haven recently won The 2016 WHITE HOUSE CHAMPION OF CHANGE FOR SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD award. Chef and owner, Bun Lai, is sharing a few dishes from this special dinner during New Haven's upcoming Restaurant Week, October 30-November 4. Bun says this about the menu (view White House menu below)...
In honor of every person in every part of the worldwide sustainability movement, this Miya’s NEW HAVEN RESTAURANT WEEK menu will feature a handful of my favorite award-winning sustainable seafood recipes featured at the Miya’s WHITE HOUSE CHAMPIONS of CHANGE dinner that I hosted. A top challenge to the sustainability movement is to make the healthiest food affordable and accessible to all. It is my humble assessment that our mother’s modest little restaurant has accomplished that.
Coming off a successful inaugural year, The 2nd Annual Greenwich Restaurant Week starts On November 12th and runs until November 18th. Participating restaurants include L'escale, Polpo, Harvest, Terra, Mediterraneo, Le Peguin, Le Fat Poodle, Osteria Applausi, Lugano's, Gabriele's, Char, Famous Greek Kitchen, Firenze, Blackstones Steakhouse, Little Pub, Bella Noona, Caren's Cos Cobber, Bobby Q's Pitstop, Coast, The Drawing Room, Elm Street Oyster House, Jhouse, Morello, Tengda, Mt.Kisco smokehouse, Greenwich Cheese Company and Winfield's at the Hyatt.
Mama's Boy in Sono is celebrating the Derby in fine style with "Derby Days" April 27-May 3. Greer and her teamhave a full week of great events planned for your dining and partying pleasure. The week kicks off a Low Country Crab Boil on April 28th, followed by "Fillies & Lillies," (girls night on steroids), May 1 and culminates with their big Derby Day event on May 2nd. Read the full details below. Call Mama's Boy to make your reservations (203) 956-7171.
The semiannual New Haven Restaurant Week kicks-off on Sunday, November 2 and runs through Saturday, November 7, 2014 featuring prix fixe 3 course menus for lunch and dinner, $18 and $32 respectively, at 36 restaurants at last count. Participating restaurants include, 116 Crown, Barcelona Wine Bar, Caseus, Heirloom, L'Orcio, Oaxaca Kitchen, and Roia.
Whenever the owner of a restaurant that serves great food announces a second location, I am excited to see where this second venture will lead. After hearing that Greer Fredericks, the co-owner of Mama’s Boy in SONO, was opening JAX around the corner on North Main, I couldn’t wait for my first visit. JAX opened a few weeks ago and currently serves a wide range of breakfast options, plus a tremendous selection of creative sandwiches at lunch. It is also placing the final touches to its soon to be released take-away dinners, and awaiting the delivery of its ice cream machine.
Located just south of the SONO theatre, the interior is completely redesigned, accented with a red painted art nouveau ceiling and lots of wood throughout…it is definitely the sister restaurant to Mama’s Boy.
Westport Restaurant Week is here again...now with 2 weeks! It just keeps getting better, so get out of the house and let one of these great restaurants do the cooking for you.
Each of the participating venues will be offering a PrixFixe meal, and this year, there is a flexible pricing program to further enhance the experience. Lunches will be $15, $20 or $25, Dinners $25, $30 or $35 and Brunch, if offered starting at $20, its up to each restaurant to set their fixe.
Also new this year is the addition of Specialty Cocktail venues. So enjoy a pre dinner drink or a night cap at one of these fine establishments.
VIEW THE FULL LIST OF PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS BELOW. Just click on a name or logo to see what is being offered.
Yep...that's right. 2 glorious weeks of summer dining. This summer over 30 Downtown Stamford restaurants are serving up special lunch & dinner prix fixe menus in several different price options. The prices for lunch range from $10.14, $12.14 or $20.14 and dinner ranges from $15.14, $20.14 or $30.14. New this year: each participating restaurant will be mixing up its very own Signature Summer Cocktails to be featured during Restaurant Weeks.
Sono Restaurant Week is back this spring with almost 20 restaurants participating in prix fixe menus and great dining deals for lunch and dinner in downtown South Norwalk. Restaurant Week also gives diners the opportunity to check out some new venues in SoNo including: QuartinoTrattoriaVineria, Johnny Utah’s (ride the bull while you're there), Sweet Lucy Lynn’s, as well as Dan Kardos' new Local Kitchen & Beer Bar.
New Haven Restaurant Week returns Sunday, April 6- Friday, April 11. The 14th installment of the promotion will feature prix fixe menus for lunch ($18) and dinner ($32) at 29 of New Haven's finest restaurants. www.infonewhaven.com/restaurantweek. View a complete list of participating restaurants on Info New Haven or follow NHV Restaurant Week on Facebook.
"My Signature Dish" is a new CTbites column featuring a rotating cast of chefs, and the dishes that define their cooking style, or simply make them happy to fire up the oven.
We looked forward to learning about what Scott Ostrander had chosen as his signature dish at Mama’s Boy in SoNo, a Connecticut restaurant featuring Southern cooking and cuisine. But he was reluctant to tell us much about it. “We’re dealing with some major issues,” he confided. “Trying to dodge disaster.”
Issues. Disasters. Great. The stuff of a good story. We urged him on. But Chef Ostrander demurred. “I just can’t get into it right now,” he apologized.
The next time we met, the chef was all smiles. Problems solved. Scott shared the back story, one that reveals how a gifted chef deals with and solves both business and culinary challenges.
His new signature dish at Mama’s Boy is Crisp Pork Shank, an osso bucca-like braised pork shank with a dramatic Southern twist. Traditionally, slowly simmered meat is tender, juicy, and deeply flavored. But its soft texture is monochromatic. For his shank, Scott wanted contrapuntal textures. Soft. And Crunchy.
