Founded in 1719, well before the Revolutionary War, Litchfield is an idyllic town in the pastoral hills of northwest Connecticut that is richly steeped in history.
In recent years, given its proximity to both NYC and Boston—each just over a two-hour drive away—Litchfield has become a popular destination for urban dwellers to unwind in the quiet of the countryside.
Catering for this clientele is a growing list of outstanding eateries, including the well-established Arethusa group, chef David DiStassi’s outstanding Italian restaurant Materia Ristorante, plus Ore Hill, Community Table and more culinary gems nearby…not to mention the Litchfield Distillery.
It is also increasingly a destination for boutique hotels and inns. There’s the Mayflower Inn (part of the prestigious Auberge Resorts Collection) and newly opened The Abner in downtown Litchfield. But the one that’s caught my eye is Lost Fox Inn, which opened in June 2024.
One sunny day in Bethel, I was interviewing Sara Oberhammer at her spot, Soulber Kitchen & Market, over lunch, smoothies, and at least one caffeinated beverage. That’s when a smiling face burst through the door with a cookie delivery. Dani LeBlanc and I met ever so briefly, but right after she left, Sara said, “Have you had her cookies?”
May and June in New York City are a special time. The long winter and the soggy April showers give way to sunny days and warmer temps. New York City is a walking city, and on a perfect Spring day, I donned my pearls and a “little black dress” and headed into the city for a visit to the newly reopened Tiffany & Co on Fifth Ave. to check out the Blue Box Café by Daniel Boulud for my version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
maman, NYC’s beloved French Bakery & Café, is expanding to Connecticut with its first location in Greenwich (98 Greenwich Ave). Opening June 18th, the Provençal-inspired café, created by co-founders Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte, will bring its fan-favorite salads, sandwiches, made-famous-by-Oprah Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies to the Greenwich community.
In true maman fashion, the decor will feature florals, signature toile print, and vintage and antique furniture, all drawing inspiration from the South of France. Brokered by Brand Urban, Greenwich’s full-service real estate advisory and brokerage company, maman Greenwich is the perfect spot to savor a morning coffee or pastry or grab brunch or lunch with friends. With 2,300 sqft of space, maman Greenwich is also the perfect spot to host events with your closest friends and family.
Maman Greenwich will be open Monday - Friday from 7:30am - 6pm and Saturday-Sunday from 8am - 6pm. On opening day, Maman will have a cookbook signing with Elisa from 10am-12pm, and a Father’s Day Special, serving a complimentary S’mores A La Minute Cookie for dads with any purchase!
Who doesn’t enjoy a cookie? Decadently giant or sublimely bite-sized, spanning traditional flavors of sugar, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter or new-fangled recipes that include everything but the kitchen sink. Sweet, sweeter, sweetest. Then there’s the Great Debate: chewy or crispy? Where do you land? Are you a dunker, a nibbler, or a late-night snacker? Cookies are the universal dessert and knowing where to get good ones makes life all the sweeter. Dunk away…
Enjoy our sweet GUIDE TO THE BEST COOKIES IN CONNECTICUT.
Looking for a unique staycation or an overnight in NYC before an early morning or late night flight? Then the iconic Eero Saarinen designed TWA terminal and TWA Hotel at John F Kennedy Airport offers visitors a trip (before the trip) down memory lane back to the 1960’s, to when the TWA flight center first opened in 1962.
TWA filed final bankruptcy and the TWA terminal closed in 2001. The building remained empty until Morse Developers along with MCR Hospitality purchased the building and added 500 rooms in two hotel towers and reopened as the TWA Hotel in 2019.
An overnight stay includes access to the rooftop infinity heated pool and Après Ski styled Pool Bar and Café. Plush robes are in every room and the pool is open year round untill10:30 pm and is a fun experience overlooking the runways as you sit in the “poolcuzzi” sipping a cocktail and watching the planes take off or land.
In full disclosure I don’t think I’ve met a cookie I didn’t like but as we all know there’s a difference between like and love. I have a sweet tooth that’s very discerning with exceptionally high standards. My tooth can easily separate the good from the very good, great, outstanding and the OMIGOD.
So when I received a box of warm Leven(thal) Cookies I knew my sweet tooth had its work cut out. Leven(thal) is a fun, punny play on the name Leventhal, as in Jess Leventhal, baker of these oversized mini-baseball mound shaped treats. The young mother of three – all aged 3 and under! – moved to Westport two and a half years ago. She started baking during her maternity leave and started posting some of her creations on Instagram. The reaction was almost immediate and soon she was filling orders.
New Haven is a foodie hotspot in Connecticut, with no shortage of top-notch restaurants featuring cuisines from all around the globe. That level of quality, sheer abundance of choices, and beautiful blends of cultures extend to the city’s bakeries and cafes, which offer some of the best sweets and baked goods you can imagine. Whether you are looking for a quick dessert or a catered order for your next big event, you definitely do not need to look beyond New Haven’s city limits to find what you are looking for.
The next time you find yourself in New Haven, be sure to carve out some time during your visit to check out one (or several) of these great bakeries listed below. Pro tip: don’t stop at just one dessert; stock up on these tasty sweets like we did and enjoy them all week long.
NOTE: If you have a favorite New Haven Mexican, Italian, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, or Middle Eastern bakery and it’s not on this list, please contact us and we will add it to the list.
Bridgeport, Connecticut is teeming with hidden culinary gems. The city is an exciting kaleidoscope of culture and is among the top cities in the state to immerse yourself in Brazilian traditions. And when it comes to Brazilian cuisine, some of the more highly sought-after destinations are the bakeries. After all, who doesn’t love a perfectly baked dessert after dinner (or before dinner – or as a whole meal itself – we won’t judge)?
Next time you are in Bridgeport, make it a point to stop by one of their many bakeries to experience some of the best in locally-owned sweetness. Whether you are craving a freshly baked concha or a savory breakfast item, you should be able to find them in ample supply in The Park City.
NOTE: If you have a favorite Bridgeport Brazilian, Mexican or Italian bakery and it’s not on this list, please contact us and we will add it to the list.
Imagine waking up in a 16th century English country house where designer cows graze just off the ballroom. You’re in Somerset, the seat of England’s best Cheddars, and you’re staying in a beautifully restored bedroom -- one of 25, no less -- in the opulent manor belonging to the Montgomerys, one of the best Cheddar-making families.
Cheese royalty? Maybe you didn’t know such a world existed. But the royal family does. They’ve served award-winning Montgomery’s Cheddar for years. Now, thanks to a luxury food-tour company called Cheese Journeys, you can travel to the Montgomery estate (a.k.a. North Cadbury Court) and learn to make Cheddar with the head of the family, plus feast on the best British cheeses, wines, ciders, and whiskies from October 2-9, 2022.
Do you follow Tina Ziccardi Bakes, aka @theItalianCookie? Her media pages are loaded with baked deliciousness that is not only drool worthy, but is downright eye-candy perfection! Following her grand win on “The Great American Baking Show” Season 4 (Hulu), Augustina Zaccardi (Tina) became a bit of a local celebrity right here in Westchester. Her huge fan base from her hometown of Eastchester rooted her on with each baking challenge, becoming more difficult as each week passed. We all watch in amazement as contestants fly through the challenges on each food competition, but meeting with Zaccardi and listening to her describe what it is really like to be on a cooking show was enlightening. She described the experience, which filmed in England, to be competitive yet jovial and the contenders to have more comradery than might be expected in a contest pitting bakers against each other in difficult timed elimination assignments. Although they were in a heated competition, they became somewhat of a family and are still in close contact with each other today.
I’m not sure when I first heard about Sea Salt Baking Company but as Connecticut’s cottage baking industry has been exploding recently and my interest in fresh, local, treats has shown no signs of waning, I was eager to learn more. Plus, If the word on the street matched the actual product from this baker (with cookie baking in her DNA), I knew I’d be in for a treat.
Sea Salt Baking Company is the “baby” of Jaeca Sweeney, a Fairfield mom of two who found herself with a little extra time on her hands during the pandemic and knew cookies were calling.
Although it took co-owners Louis Apicella and George Spirou 14 months to open their doors due to the pandemic, Milk N Cookies has finally opened in Stamford. Adding to their first location in Mamaroneck, Westchester, the duo signed their lease in Stamford last December when they realized that the city was “hungry for a nice dessert hangout spot.”
The cookie café and cereal bar features twelve unique 4.5-5 oz cookies, some of which are stuffed, and a variety of cereal infused milkshakes and ice creams. The menu has an abundance of options to satisfy your sweet tooth, whether you’re craving a chocolate chip cookie, an out-of-this-world galaxy cookie, or a fruit loops infused milkshake, you’ll find it here.
Bunnies and chicks and eggs, oh my. So much chocolate, so many jelly beans. Our baskets will runneth over. We’ve got the classics and have also found some new and unusual Easter treats for you to enjoy. If anyone you love is not on this list, feel free to add them in the comments. We all need to know great places to go for holiday treats-I think we can all agree on that. Happy Easter, everyone!
(In case you need dinner recommendations too…head to our CTbites Easter Dining Guide!)
You drive through your town and notice bakeries and specialty food shops here and there. One on this corner, another on that one. Nowwe’d like to introduce you to a plethora of cottage bakers and makers who are flying right below our radar, creating delicious delights, yet they aren’t in plain sight because they are baking out of their homes or commercial kitchens. Have you heard of many of them? How do you find out about them? Word of mouth, usually. Consider us your word-of-mouth and then please, spread the word about these delightful, delicious, de-groovy custom cottage bakers and makers. Everything starts small, after all…
If you know of a cottage food business that is not on this list, please contact us such that we can add them to the directory.
What do you do when you discover that the most creative, delicious cookies are located nearby, and they deliver? You order them of course! As a self-proclaimed, treat forager, I am always on the lookout for creative, inventive sweets. Little did I know, the most delicious cookies I have ever had were being made by a local mom just a town away from where I live in Westport.
The first time I heard of Rebel Daughter was on a Facebook post where someone asked for a local cookie recommendation. I learned that this “e-bakery” delivers super premium, incredibly creative cookies, and I knew I needed to taste them ASAP! I went to Rebel Daughter’s website and was immediately excited when I saw the beautiful pictures and learned they were fresh-baked using super premium ingredients, and came in most mouth-watering varieties.
Do you fancy a pleasant drive through some of Connecticut’s prettiest countryside to visit a classic, 19th-century, New England country inn on whose terrace or porch you can revel in an idyllic lake view and delicious European cuisine? Then the Hopkins Inn overlooking Lake Waramaug in the Litchfield Hills is definitely for you.
The Hopkins Inn has been in operation since 1847. Franz and Beth Schober have owned and operated the inn for over 40 years, while their son, Toby Fossland, who grew up at the inn, has worked alongside them since 1991. The inn is normally open year-round, its restaurant from late March through January 1. The Hopkins Inn is not affiliated, but appears to enjoy neighborly relations, with Hopkins Vineyard located across the road, the two attractions undoubtedly complementing each other.
Julia Preis is the Baker of Black Rock. Sure, there may be other bakers in the Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport, but none like Julia. I knew this to be true long before I invited her to my home to demo the technique behind her stunning cookies and cakes. Full disclosure…I had quietly stalked her Instagram account for roughly six months, and you can do the same at @bakerofblackrock. The cookies were tiny edible works of art, seemingly too beautiful to eat, and each displayed a unique personality through accomplished craftsmanship. Her wall of cakes, fruit pies and cupcakes created eye candy that could only make you want to pull up a chair and dig in.
The journey to Dough & Co. Cafe & Bakeshop and Georgetown has been an adventurous one. After taking a brief break to welcome her son into the world, Christina heard that a Baking Company in Rowayton, CT was looking for a pastry chef. To date, her background had been focused specifically in savory, however she knew that with her passion and creativity, she could translate her skills to pastry and she said YES YES YES to the job! She tapped into the foundational courses she had taken, the internet, books, and Food Network shows to learn how to make pastries like french macaroons and fancy chocolates. The Baking Company in Rowayton started out as a baked goods and healthy salads eatery and eventually became Dough & Co. in 2008 with a rebranding in 2014.
Crispy, crunchy, polenta cookies. The recipe was kindly gifted to me by my MIL Elisabetta. They have become a welcome tradition in my family. We make them a couple of weeks ahead of the holidays and keep them fresh in metal tin, lined with parchment paper. The mix of polenta and potatoes starch gives them a melt in your mouth texture. I like to dust them with a light coating of powder sugar and I enjoy them as treat with tea or when my sweet tooth requires a fixing.
