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.
After much anticipation Lyfe Café finally opened its doors and to much fanfare. Offering both grab and go as well as sit down breakfast and lunch options, the newest café to grace Westport’s bustling restaurant scene is the latest collaboration of Gino Riccio and Dimitri Pantzos. The dynamic duo (who also happen to be uncle and nephew) have already seen smashing success with Pizza Lyfe (just up the street), a favorite among locals and non-locals alike. Riccio, a longtime veteran of the restaurant scene, is also the owner of Quattro Pazzi and Organika.
Dimitri and Gino have spent nearly a year perfecting recipes. Everything at the café is made from scratch, and when you get the opportunity to eat there yourself, you’ll notice the quality immediately. I daresay they have perfected the croissant, with its crisp and flaky exterior, and layers of soft buttery goodness beneath. You’ll have to decide if you’re a traditionalist or wanting to try one of their viral offerings like the Tiramisu or White Chocolate Pistachio which sell out quickly, and after sampling one, I can see why. The sandwich rolls are also made in-house as are the bagels, and as a born and bred New Yorker, they pass my test – and I am very particular.
One morning this summer I woke up to see a note I’d scrawled, apparently in my sleep: “The banh mi is the entire world in one sandwich.” As far as dream-thoughts go, this was in the top 1% of my most coherent, although it’s not, strictly speaking, true. The “entire world” encompasses places like Paraguay and Iceland, and I’ve thankfully yet to see anyone dare put the fermented shark Icelanders call harkarl on any sandwich. The bánh mì is a global sandwich, then, with the flavors and history of Europe, Asia, and America in every bite.
Below you’ll find 14 of our favorite spots for BANH MI in Connecticut.
(If we missed your favorite spot for Banh Mi, please let us know.)
The story of the bánh mì has roots in the longstanding colony of French Indochina, including present day Vietnam. Wherever any culture goes, their food follows, blending with local flavors and traditions to become part of the overall human mosaic. Pot-au-feu (steaming pot), a soup or stew made from meats and vegetables in a bone marrow broth, is a staple in every corner of France. Locals adapted this bone broth pot using available ingredients – lemongrass, Thai basil, beef tendons, and more – and feu became phở.
The uber popular Tasty Yolk has opened their third third location in Branford this week at 539 Main Street. For those not yet familiar with The Tasty Yolk experience, Chef Felitto (Food Network Chopped Champion), his wife Allison McHale, and partner, Michael Bertanza, have created the gold standard for to-go breakfast and lunch comfort food, primarily sandwiches and wraps (and then there is that loaded potato and the buttermilk pancakes with citrus mascarpone and crumbled bacon…drool). These are not just ANY Bacon, Egg & Cheese sammies.
Chances are you’ve seen Japanese souffle pancakes on Instagram or TikTok – tall, thick and fluffy confections that jiggle at the slightest movement, topped with maple syrup, powdered sugar and berries. These have been hard to find in Connecticut, but they’re on the menu at a Simsbury Asian-fusion cafe that opened earlier this year.
Blossom Cafe owners Amanda Liu and Albert Zhang traveled through Asia last summer and fell in love with the cafe cultures in the countries they visited, coming back home to Connecticut inspired by what they’d seen.
One of my favorite shows growing up was The Twilight Zone. Most episodes included Rod Serling’s famous, “Imagine, if you will…” and his describing a “fifth dimension” between reality and imagination. I sometimes think of those days, a simpler time when life moved more slowly, where information was absorbed from the three-dimensional surroundings versus the two-dimensional computer screen, where families viewed eating out as a bonus, not as a plan B because everyone was too tired to cook and when every meal was not measured by its TikTok and Instagram potential. Sometimes a restaurant is a place to bring family, outside the Internet measurements, outside the stars, likes and looks, and just serve simple fare at reasonable prices.
Ever find yourself daydreaming about salty, oily tuscan bread with fresh prosciutto and earthy lettuce? Instead of booking that eight hour flight to Italy, the easier — yet equally tasty option — is located on Tokeneke Road in Darien. Cucina Daniella brings a mix of prepared Italian classics, fresh sandwiches on homemade bread and Italian-imported quality ingredients to Fairfield County.
While the gourmet grocery store opened in January, the project has been a long time coming for Chef and Owner Daniella Palazzolo. Palazzolo grew up in a food-centered Italian home with a love for the food her family in Sicily made. After 30 years in corporate America, she began selling her favorite imported Italian products — namely olive oil — at local farmer’s markets in 2019. During the pandemic Palazzolo obtained her carterring license and began selling prepared foods like meatballs and homemade pasta sauces. After seeing her success on a small scale, she worked with a women’s business development team to apply for a loan for a physical storefront and expansion of her team.
“One of the things we hear all the time is, ‘We had no idea you were here!’ And once they’re here, they always come back.” For over 20 years, Ridgefielders and those way further out knew exactly where to find Sarah and Bernard Bouissou.
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.”
Joshua Mesnick is well aware that his restaurant, Josie & Tony’s Italian Deli & Supper Club, is polarizing.
He dared to be different and opened a fine dining membership-based restaurant in South Norwalk, catering to paid club members first, and the general public second. Scoff it you want, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in. It’s not impossible, and if it’s not for you, Mesnick will be the first to tell you, that that’s totally fine. “I’ve always done through this project what I’m passionate about,” he says. “Membership has been sold out. We have plenty of great regulars that aren’t members. There have been doubters all along and that’s OK!”
Supper club aside, let’s talk about that other part of the name…Italian Deli.
Josie & Tony’s located at 20 North Main Street in South Norwalk, Connecticut, opened its gourmet Italian deli last month. The deli offers hot and cold sandwiches made on local breads from Wave Hill, alongside homemade mozzarella, fresh pasta, cured meats, rainbow cookie desserts, specialty sodas, coffee, and other Arthur Ave-inspired delicacies and products.
Owner and sommelier, Joshua Mesnik, opened the restaurant at Josie & Tony's in December with 50 founding members – being the first membership hospitality concept of its kind in Fairfield County.Read more here.
“The deli will be something the whole community can enjoy and we look forward to expanding our services to include catering and boat provisioning this summer,” Mesnik explained. It will also be the face of the Josie & Tony’s Pasta Club, a subscription-based service offering fresh pasta and sauce to cook at home. At the moment, hot sandwiches include chicken parmigiana, Italian dip, meatball parmigiana, sausage & peppers, and roasted vegetables; cold sandwiches include Italian combo, spicy soppressata, Caprese, and Italian tuna salad. Deli hours are 12:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Driving along Center Street in Wallingford, you can find the Bees Knees Bistro across the street from the post office between North Main Street and Wallace Avenue. With a classic red brick exterior, glowy lanterns, and a string of bistro lights, the Bees Knees Bistro charms you before you even set foot inside. Run by Wallingford-nativeJena Schlosser and her two aunts, Patti Schlosser and Catherine (Cathie) Muzio, the neighborhood bistro opened in December of last year. The trio is there every day of the week, working hard and wearing many hats. The 45-seat family-run bistro serves breakfast and lunch, with a comprehensive coffee and beverage list. With such a large variety of offerings, the bistro is family-friendly (there’s a ‘Honey Bees Menu’ for kiddos under 12 years of age), but also great for casual dining for couples and get-togethers among friends. The Bees Knees team also crafted the menu with dietary restrictions in mind with ample offerings for those following a gluten-free or vegan diet.
In a small shopping center off a main thoroughfare in Wallingford, CT, across from a McDonald’s and a Rite Aid, a unique bakery is challenging the status quo of baked goods in central Connecticut. At Kouign, Chef Chelsea Tripp is giving classical Patisserie a facelift, creating innovative pastry concepts like cranberry brie danishes and blueberry cardamom scones in an area that has historically lacked culinary distinction.
“It was a lot of chocolate on chocolate when we opened here in 2021” Tripp says with a wry smile. As someone who’d “rather eat a cheeseburger than a slice of cake,” Tripp creates pastries that meld sweet and savory in unexpected ways, with a menu that changes each week. “People find it weird at first, but then they try it and enjoy it,” she says, describing how she incorporates ingredients such as miso and turmeric into her sweets. “It just works – I promise I won’t steer you wrong,” she declares.
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 its sixth location - in Middletown, Connecticut on Saturday, January 27th. Located at 524 Main Street, the 1800 square foot location 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. The brand also operates locations in New Haven, Orange, Norwalk, North Haven and Storrs.
I was recently lucky enough to find myself in the small town of East Hampton, CT on the day of their annual Harvest Stroll. While there were supposed to be several food offerings at this annual event, the rain kept most of them away. Thankfully for me and my fellow rainy (and hangry) day adventurers, Jayy’s Little Red Trailer was not afraid to get wet…and seriously flavorful!
Offering strictly comfort food, Chef Jayy Riera and her wife Tamara Riera have been running this food truck for a little over a year. The pair travel all over Connecticut to cater weddings, birthday bashes, office parties, apple orchards, and even ski resorts. Notably, Jayy and her crew catered a few healthcare facilities this past spring during National Nurses Week. Jayy and Tamara definitely stay busy as they travel around and cook for the people of Connecticut, so I asked them what their favorite experience has been thus far and they both had the same answer: they get to meet and interact with all types of people and the food they serve is so different from what customers are used to getting from food trucks. Jayy’s excitement and her love of cooking exudes from her food and her presence. While I was secretly hoping to try everything on the menu, I did not want to appear too…gluttonous? She insisted that try everything, and she’s the boss so I was in no position to break the rules.
Go up or down Bridgeport’s North Avenue roughly a mile or so before or after the Fairfield town line and you’ll notice a neon blue awning with an emoji-like sandwich logo paired with the words “The Torta Shop” printed on it.
What’s not new, however, are the owners. Mariella Garcia and her husband Jose Santiago previously owned the bodega since 2017. Around a year and a half ago, the couple decided to flip the concept into something different.
“We’re originally from Oaxaca, then we came to Norwalk, and my husband and I moved to Bridgeport in 2016,” Garcia says. “In 2017 we got the grocery store and thought about switching it up over the years and wanted to make a bigger change. We wanted to bring this to Bridgeport. And there are a lot of Mexican restaurants here, but we wanted to focus on tortas, Mexican sandwiches. Other places do it, but we want to be known as a tortarilla.”
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.
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.
“A lot of the food we serve is inspired by being a kid,” says Fryborg owner Jonathan Gibbons. “In Milford, an older guy in his 80s comes in regularly and he remarked that my food is like when he was a kid. That made me feel really good. The food, the video game table, the bubble hockey, it’s all about nostalgia.”
For many, me included, “nostalgia” is the right work to describe Fryborg.
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.
