Filtering by Tag: Fairfield,Ridgefield

Ridgefield Bagels and Bakes: NEW Destination for Sourdough Bagels in Ridgefield

Restaurant Breakfast Breakfast Sandwich Bagels Bakery Bread Shop Opening Ridgefield Homepage

Hannah Goodman

I love bagels. I love anything that has to do with bagels, whether it’s simply a toasted plain bagel with some butter or cream cheese (often I choose both – sue me), or a B.E.C. on a sesame bagel, or it’s an everything bagel stacked with the works, like scallion cream cheese, smoked salmon, onions, and capers, I am all in! If you are from the tri-state area, you know the importance of a solid bagel shop, as we take this stuff very seriously, because what the heck would we do without a hearty breakfast sandwich in the morning? As luck would have it, Ridgefield needed a new bagel shop to take the place of what had previously been Steve’s Bagels, and in November of 2023, the same location on Main Street became Ridgefield Bagels and Bakes. 


Rye Bird Opens in Fairfield with Southern American Comfort Food

Features Interview Restaurant American Southern Cocktails Interview Openings Fairfield Homepage

Andrew Dominick

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.


Joanne’s Table: A Neighborhood Italian Gem in Fairfield CT

Restaurant Fairfield Italian Opening Pasta

Jessica Ryan

Tucked away in a small residential neighborhood just off of Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield is a small and unassuming restaurant. Some may recognize this as the former home of Liana’s Trattoria which closed its doors during the pandemic. Just over a year ago, Joanne Monroe took over the empty space and brought life back inside the four walls. Joanne, no stranger to the hospitality industry, was with Liana for nearly 15 years. No one knew the restaurant as well as she did, except perhaps Chef James Agoglia, who worked with Liana for about 5 years and returns to the helm of the kitchen with all of his unbridled talent and creativity. These two are a talented duo. The new restaurant plays homage to the former while moving forward to create new traditions. 


The Benjamin in Ridgefield Changes Philosophy To Be "More Approachable"

Features Interview Restaurant The Benjamin Ridgefield Ridgefield Homepage Interview

Andrew Dominick

From “a uniquely American, French inspired restaurant and bar” to “a uniquely American, globally inspired restaurant and bar.”

For The Benjamin—which opened just before last summer in the former Bernard’s Restaurant and Sarah’s Wine Bar space—and owners Rob Moss and Dave Studwell of Washington Prime and B.J. Lawless of B.J. Ryan’s, B.J. Ryan’s East, and BanC House, they knew that a year later they’d have to switch up the restaurant’s philosophy. Call it a pivot if you want, but according to Studwell, it wasn’t just one thing that needed changing.

“I’d like to say it was one thing,” he says. “Honestly, we were high on French, but not everyone wants caviar, foie gras, and smoked trout all the time. Ridgefield is a family driven town and we didn’t realize that.”


Sally’s Apizza Launches NEW Spring Menu

Restaurant Italian Pizza Stamford New Haven Fairfield Homepage

Jessica Ryan

A new Spring menu has launched at Sally’s Apizza, but before launching into the particulars allow me to introduce you to Chef Bret Lunsford who recently joined the Sally’s team as Executive Chef and Culinary Director. An Italian American raised in Mississippi, Chef Lunsford grew up eating the approachable foods of his heritage, and his love for cooking led him to work for local restaurants through high school and college where he earned a Masters in Musical Theater. But the kitchen ended up being his true passion and he subsequently enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America for more formal training. While there he did his externship at the esteemed August restaurant in New Orleans before joining Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group in 2013. He began his 10-year career at the Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern under Chef Michael Anthony. In 2015 he joined the opening team of Untitled at the Whitney Museum. In 2016 he transitioned to Blue Smoke where he rose in rank quickly to become executive chef. 


PopUp Bagels Opening Retail Walk In Locations in Fairfield & Newtown

Restaurant Opening Fairfield Newtown Bagels Breakfast

Stephanie Webster

Connecticut’s beloved bagel brand, PopUp Bagels, kicked off four years ago when Goldberg and his cousin Jeff Lewis started making bagels for family and friends in the midst of the pandemic. Rave reviews led Goldberg to launching a backyard preorder pickup bagel biz that sold out time and time again. PopUp would then take their bagels on the road, opening…well…everywhere.

if you don’t already know what PopUp Bagels is all about—are fresh bagels, served to the customer piping hot, NOT pre sliced, and artisan schmears. The original concept required pre-orders of a dozen bagels, but when they launched their NYC location (to VERY long lines I might add), they spearheaded their new retail model. This was then replicated in Greenwich, where guests can walk up and order 3 bagels and a schmear for $12.

Popup Bagel’s NEW Newtown opens this weekend, March 22nd with pre-ordering only Friday, Saturday Sundays, but starting next week, the Newtown spot will be open every Wednesday-Sunday for for both pre-sale and walk in.

UP NEXT is their Fairfield location opening June 1st in the old Lobster Craft spot.


First Look: Elicit Brewing Company Opens Second Location in Fairfield

Features Brewery Restaurant Elicit Brewing Company Fairfield Craft Beer Beer ct beer Homepage Brewery

James Gribbon

Elicit Brewing Company’s second location will open to the public on Monday, February 12, and CTbites has the inside scoop. More accurately a brewpub, the brand-new location will encompass a microbrewery, 100-tap taproom and social space, an in-house cocktail-focused speakeasy, and a large, covered back patio with direct access from the Fairfield Metro train station.


Haven Hot Chicken Announces Openings in Downtown Fairfield & Oxford CT

Features Restaurant Fairfield Fried Chicken Sandwich Fried Chicken Fast Casual Take Out Comfort Food Lunch

CTbites Team

 Haven Hot Chicken, which brings Nashville Hot Chicken and “Not Chicken” to the area as one of the first fully dedicated Nashville Hot Chicken concepts in New England, today announced that it will be opening two NEW LOCATIONS in Fairfield, CT at 907 Post Road in Oxford, CT at Quarry Walk, later this year. 

When I asked the Haven Hot Chicken team how long it took them to arrive at this just about perfect combination of crispy, juicy and flavorful chicken, they laughed and said they have been recipe testing for over a year. Their tagline is “CRISPY CRUNCHY JUICY SPICY DELICIOUS,” and I’m gonna say “nailed it.” You can truly taste the time and commitment to research in every item on this takeout/delivery menu.

Both locations will feature the brand’s signature menu of crispy, crunchy, juicy, spicy, delicious chicken and vegetarian options ranging from Country (not spicy) to Haven (extremely spicy), including the epic and signature “THE Sandwich,” as well as other featured mains, classic sides and seasonal limited-time offerings.


Hoodoo Brown BBQ Serves a Smoked Cheeseburger On Sundays and It’s Awesome

Features Interview Restaurant Hoodoo Brown BBQ BBQ Burger Burgers Ridgefield

Andrew Dominick

I can count on one finger how many times I’ve had a smoked cheeseburger in our general area.

The smoked burger is seemingly elusive. My first came in 2019, in Irvington, at a BBQ joint that’s no longer there. I’m not saying it’s impossible to find one, I’m just saying it’s rare—that’s an on-purpose meat pun.

In Connecticut, two spots where you absolutely can find a smoky, beefy, beast of a burger, are Hoodoo Brown BBQ and Hindsight Barbecue that were both recently named in terrific piece on Texas Monthly (link HERE) that you absolutely should read.


Chef Forrest Pasternack Returns to Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield CT

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Bailey's Backyard Farm To Table Interview Chef Talk Ridgefield

Andrew Dominick

Ask Forrest Pasternack about being back in Ridgefield and he’ll tell you that “there’s nothing quite like home.”

Already well traveled in this area and in New York as a renowned chef at several acclaimed restaurant, Pasternack may be best known to locals from his five-years when he headed up the kitchen at the O.G. farm-to-table restaurant Bailey’s Backyard from 2013 – 2018.

After a handful of years away, Pasternack is back!

But where’s he been all this time?

Well, a bunch of places and one big one at the same time.


Gabagool Wine Bar Opens in Fairfield: Turning Lemons into Limoncello

Restaurant Italian Lunch Fairfield Openings Pasta

Jessica Ryan

Gabagool Wine Bar is the newest incarnation of the former Fairfield favorite, Toto Restaurant, which shut its doors suddenly and unexpectedly about a year and a half ago. I worried that, tragically, this too had succumbed to the pandemic, but alas – and thankfully, such was not the case. 

The restaurant that occupied the main level in the red building on Reef Road sat vacant and dark for over a year. This was all due to massive flood caused by a ruptured pipe. With water everywhere, the restaurant’s interior needed to be completely gutted and rebuilt. Thankfully for us restauranteur and owner Antonio Ninivaggi does as only Antonio does… He turned his lemons into limoncello, and thus Gabagool Wine Bar was born.


Vespino Pizza + Restaurant Opens in Fairfield

Restaurant Italian Opening Pasta Pizza Lunch Prix Fixe Kid Friendly Fairfield Homepage

Jessica Ryan

Nestled in a quiet corner of a shopping plaza located right off of the hustle and bustle of Fairfield’s Black Rock Turnpike is Vespino Pizza + Restaurant. Located in the space that was formerly Stefano’s, Vespino fills a void in the area’s restaurant scene. Best described as elevated casual in a stylishly modern setting, Vespino is an ideal choice for a quick neighborhood lunch, casual dinner with friends and family, or an after work cocktail. Vespino has already established a loyal clientele and has earned praises for their pizza, pasta, appetizers and main dishes. Sister restaurant to longtime local favorite Quattro Pazzi Café, Organika and the newer kid on the block, Pizza Lyfe in Westport, we came in with high expectations, eager to try a few dishes ourselves.


First Look: Washington Prime and BJ Ryan’s Owners Open The Benjamin in Ridgefield

Features Interview Restaurant French American Ridgefield Homepage Openings Interview

Andrew Dominick

Ridgefield’s West Lane is about to look a whole lot different after the transformation of Bernard’s Restaurant and Sarah’s Wine Bar to The Benjamin, brought to you by a trio of well-known Norwalk restaurateurs in Dave Studwell and Rob Moss of Washington Prime and B.J. Lawless of BJ Ryan’s Restaurant Group.


Brasserie St. Germain Opens In Ridgefield From Sucre Sale Team

Restaurant Opening Ridgefield French Lunch Raw Bar Homepage

Jessica Ryan

Brasserie St. Germain opened quietly though to much fanfare this past week. Named after St Germain des Pres, the quaint Parisian neighborhood, in the 6th arrondissement. Owners Frank Bonnaudet and Virginie Kharouby are no strangers to the Ridgefield restaurant scene. After nearly 10 years, the owners of the former Sucre Sale decided to shut down the smaller, casual eatery to make way for this newer, slightly more formal concept with its larger menu and more expansive dining areas.

Brasserie St. Germain is an ode to Paris, from the décor – with hand-painted murals in the main dining and bar area that are bright and lively, to the more formal, high end dining area in the back. The restaurant seats between 75-80 people, and judging by what we saw, the space will fill very quickly. Former Sucre Sale diners have been eagerly anticipating this opening. The cozy ambiance suggests a relaxed dining experience, diners will not be rushed.


Chick-Fil-A Is Coming To Fairfield: Says First Selectwoman (via Patch)

Features Restaurant Openings Fried Chicken Sandwich Fried Chicken Fairfield

CTbites Team

Chick-fil-A, the popular national chain of chicken restaurants, is slated to open a new location in Fairfield, after its application before the Town Plan and Zoning Commission was denied in 2021. The popular chicken restaurant is slated to move into 750 Post Road, the site that previously housed Joe's American Bar & Grill.

First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick announced the news on Monday, confirming that the restaurant will move into the former Joe's American Bar & Grill site at 750 Post Road. The property, which has sat vacant for more than three years, had been declared a blight in 2022.

Read the complete article at Patch.com.


Fairfield Gets a New Buzzy Italian Hot Spot with Il Pellicano

Restaurant Openings Fairfield Italian Lunch Cocktails Homepage

Christopher Hodson

If you work hard enough and put in the time to learn your craft, then success is sure to follow. Just ask Saul Medina of the newly opened Il Pellicano in Fairfield. Medina’s journey to this point in his culinary career proves that there are many different paths one can take, and if followed, will lead to the same desired destination of becoming a head chef. Born in Puebla, Mexico, he migrated to the U.S., and like so many before him, landed in New York City. He brought with him a deep love of food and cooking, both taught to him at a young age by his grandmother and aunts. Without any formal training, Medina started at the bottom as a dishwasher but quickly worked his way up the kitchen ranks. His strong work ethic, desire to learn, and ability to travel gave him crucial experience and the necessary exposure to many different styles of food very quickly.


Bonkers Cupcakes Offers Build Your Own Cupcakes in Fairfield CT

Restaurant Features Cupcakes Bakery Baked Goods Dessert Build Your Own Kid Friendly Fairfield Cakes

Oliver Clachko

Build your own cupcakes? Yes please.

We really feel like we hit the jackpot,” says Kris Stevens, owner and operator of Bonkers Cupcakes in Downtown Fairfield. “We absolutely love making these things, and being able to sell them is truly amazing.”

Bonkers offers a variety of cake flavor options, and gives customers the ability to select a cake flavor and then top it with their favorite frosting. Sure they have all the cake classics like chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet, as well as more creative choices like banana. To complement these flavors, Bonkers has a large selection of both Italian and American buttercream frostings. Stevens points out that Italian buttercream, which is much softer and not as overly sweet as American buttercream, is preferred both by himself and many customers. The notable frosting flavors include coconut, raspberry, salted caramel, and even coffee.


Tümü Opens in Fairfield with Delicious Authentic Mexican Fare

Restaurant Fairfield Mexican Takeout Meals To Go Catering

Jessica Ryan

A couple of months ago, right before the holidays, I wandered into the newly opened Tümü in Fairfield in the Harry’s Corner shopping plaza. 

Tümü, the Mexican word for butterfly, embodies the beauty and passion of Karla Krassin, a Weston-ite who was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. The chef and caterer now has a storefront that is part home décor boutique and part takeout restaurant (although there are two tables if you chose to eat in). Through her food and stunning items made by Mexican artisans, she brings the flavors and colors of her homeland to us and in so doing she honors the true recipes and techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation.