Filtering by Tag: Kids Cooking Classes,Special Dietary Needs

Guide to Kids Cooking Camps & Classes (2025 Edition)

Features Cooking Cooking Classes Kids Cooking Camp Kids Cooking Classes kids activity Homepage

Hannah Goodman

Spring is just about here and summer is not far behind, which means warmer weather is finally upon us. Yay! It also means that new and exciting cooking classes and camps for young kids, teens, and in-betweens are just around the corner. This list offers one-day classes, private chef-lead cooking parties, and week-long (or summer-long) camp sessions for all types of cuisines and skill levels. Whether your high schoolers are looking to hone their knife sharpening and other kitchen techniques, or your elementary school-aged kids just want to bake cupcakes from scratch and decorate them (whilst licking the bowl), Connecticut has many opportunities for a wide range of culinary interests. Some classes are coming up this month and summer programs fill up quickly, so don’t delay! Keep your kids’ creative juices flowing and register them today! 

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Guide to Juice Bars and Juice Cleanses in Connecticut (2025 Edition)

Features Restaurant Juice Bar Juice Cleanse Healthy Eats healthy Special Dietary Needs Highlight Homepage

Carly Terzigni

With the start of a new year, many want to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routines, like eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. One way to do so in an ultra-convenient method is by sipping on a cup of delicious fresh-press juice. Rather than go through the hassle of juicing fruits and vegetables yourself, many businesses across Connecticut offer juices that can be prepared and enjoyed in a matter of minutes! Many of these businesses also offer cleanses– multi-day dietary programs aimed at detoxing and reducing inflammation through juice products.

If you’re looking for a juice bar, natural food market, or cafe that offers fresh-pressed juice products, this is the guide for you. This guide is broken up by county so you can quickly locate a business near you that sells an array of juices.

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Guide To CT's Fall/Winter Cooking Classes For Adults & Kids

Features Cooking Cooking Classes Education Kids Cooking Camp kids cooking party Kids Cooking Classes Highlight

Hannah Goodman

Let’s admit it, summer is over. But instead of being sad about the end of hot days and warm nights, why not get excited about what autumn and winter have in store for us? Put away those bathing suits, flip-flops, and floppy beach hats we bought on a whim because we thought they were cute but never actually wore. Now get out those deliciously cozy leaf-colored sweaters, oversized flannels, and UGG(ly) slippers because it’s time for the best cooking, baking, and cocktail classes CT has in store this season. 

Oh me, oh my, are there some amazingly inspired courses out there! Whether you’re looking for a date night culinary adventure, a girls’ night out pizza making and wine tasting experience, classes for your little ones, or advice on eating clean, mean, and in-between, this list has you 100% covered. So don’t be sad that those long summer days are behind us, be glad they happened. Then get over it, because the best of 2024 has yet to come! 

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Guide to Kids Cooking Camps & Classes (2024 Edition)

Features Cooking Classes Kids Cooking Camp Kids Cooking Classes Cooking Summer Camp Homepage

Hannah Goodman

Spring is right around the corner and summer will be here before you know it, so why not stay ahead of the game and take advantage of the many kids cooking classes and camps being offered all over Connecticut? There’s nothing quite as important as your children’s diet. Each of these courses will teach them about nutrition, kitchen safety, food preparation, different types of cuisines, and how to make food and cooking fun. Every child is creative in their own right, so let these culinary chefs help foster their creativity and you may just have someone cooking for YOU…and let’s be honest, that would sure be a nice change. 

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45 Spots for Healthy Eating in Connecticut: Restaurants, Juice Bars, Meal Delivery & Wellness

Features Restaurant Healthy Eats healthy Juice Bar Organic Acai Bowl Smoothies Vegan Vegetarian Special Dietary Needs Homepage

Hannah Goodman

Well, well, well, if it isn’t 2024, the dreaded new year. From the Halloween candy and Thanksgiving pies, to the Christmas cookies and unlimited New Year’s bubbly, I think it’s safe to say we are ready to start anew (I will also be buying a new scale because mine is clearly broken). Now it’s time for us to follow through with those dreaded resolutions. Whether you want to eat better, drink less alcohol, consume more sustainable foods, or treat the mind and spirit, this should be your go-to list. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of committing to goals that are almost impossible to stick with. However, with this caliber of options listed below, there is no goal that cannot be accomplished, and that is coming from me, a true pessimist. Let’s march into February excited about how far we have come with our resolutions, because being healthy does not mean forfeiting fun and creativity. C’mon now, say it with me! 

Here are 45 spots for HEALTHY EATING and wellness in Connecticut.

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Guide To Cooking Classes In Connecticut (2023 Edition)

Features Cooking Cooking Classes Education Kids Cooking Classes Guide Highlight

Carly Terzigni

It’s that time of year again when fall-inspired meals are probably popping up all across your social media feed. If you ever caught yourself thinking, “Wow, I’d love to be able to cook something like that myself,” then it may be time to look into taking a cooking class! And with the holidays right around the corner, now is the perfect time to brush up on your culinary skills. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year or have been charged with bringing a dish to your office holiday party, make this year the one where you really impress your family and friends!

There are many businesses across the state that offer cooking classes and workshops to hone your craft. Classes can range from learning how to use the various tools in your kitchen to preparing everything from soups to desserts. Take a look through this roundup of classes and see which ones you can put to use this holiday season – they also make for a great gift idea for the budding chef in your family!

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Heirloom Food Co: Organic + Vegan, Gluten-Free Cafe & Serious Biz Desserts

Restaurant Special Dietary Needs Vegan Gluten-Free Danielson cafe Lunch Breakfast Organic

April Guilbault

I could start with the usual hellos and some intros, but why beat around the bush-let’s dive right in and start with a sandwich you will want to get to know: The Heirloom Reuben. It’s a Reuben of a different color, though; two slices of fresh sourdough bread stuffed full of marinated cabbage, carrots, sautéed onions, sauerkraut, special “Heirloom” sauce, and raw Cheddar or vegan cheese. It’s a two-handed wonder that only the truly skilled can maneuver. It’s also a meat-LESS Reuben. This and many more vegan delights hold court on the most beloved list (aka menu) at the Heirloom Food Co., a healthy eatery in Danielson, one of the towns in the chock-full-of-surprises Quiet Corner of Connecticut. As I mentioned, you are going to want to get to know this place. And this sandwich.

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Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford: All Vegan. All Delicious.

Restaurant Vegan Vegetarian Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Bakery Lunch Guilford

April Guilbault

Tender meatballs nestled in bubbling, vibrant San Marzano tomato sauce. Hearty breads that cradle cutlets generously smeared with homemade pesto. Crispy-on-the-outside Mac and Cheese balls and tender Crabcakes with a dollop of Horseradish Dill sauce. Lasagna that is layers deep, stuffed full of gooey cheese and smothered in more of that delightful tomato sauce. 

And it’s all vegan. 

Without getting too Hallmark-y, it is all based in love, as well. 

Tracy Alexander, with her two daughters Brittany and Taylor form the triumvirate of Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford, Connecticut. Mama Tracy creates the recipes and menus, while daughters Brittany and Taylor run the locations and handle the marketing. 

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Chef Driven 'DIG' To Open In Stamford with Mindfully Sourced Veg Forward Menu (via The Patch)

Features Restaurant Openings Vegetarian Vegan Special Dietary Needs Stamford Lunch healthy Homepage

Richard Kaufman via The Patch

The old Bull's Head Diner which closed in 2021 has been transformed into a new, unique eatery that has something for everyone. DIG, a chef-centric restaurant based in New York City, will open up at 43 High Ridge Road the week of April 17.

DIG has locations in Boston and Cambridge, Mass., Bridgewater Township, N.J., New York City, Philadelphia, Pa., Rye Brook, N.Y., and soon-to-be in Washington, D.C.

The Stamford location will be the restaurant's first stand-alone location.

DIG's seasonal menu is scratch-cooked and features fresh salads and market plates curated by their in-house chefs. The menu is rotated regularly, highlighting the freshest vegetables of the season.

Patrons can expect various salad and grain bowls. Current offerings include the beet & goat cheese bowl: farm greens, roasted red beets with clementines, preserved orange vinaigrette, with crumbled goat cheese, super-seed crunch with balsamic dressing on the side;

Or the kale caesar bowl: cashew kale caesar, farm greens with mint, tomatoes and cucumbers, and avocado, with cashew caesar dressing and toasted breadcrumbs on the side — among many other options.

You can also build our own bowl, add an a la carte side like roasted sweet potatoes or the Jasper Hill mac and cheese: Jasper Hill three-cheese blend, Ithaca milk, whole-wheat pasta with crispy panko breadcrumbs.

Read the complete article on The Patch.

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Guide to Kids Cooking Camps & Classes 2023

Features Guide Cooking Classes Kids Cooking Classes Kids Cooking Camp Summer Camp Cooking Homepage

April Guilbault

There are so many kids camps and classes to choose from these days, why not choose one that starts with the basics: our food. Classes at these following establishments range from the basics of utensil skills to cooking up favorite foods and learning about nutrition and where our food is grown. That’s a whole lot of inspired learning about something that is both important and delicious and can be carried with a person long past a single summer. Bon appetit, foodies-in-training!

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Divine Treasures: Vegan & Gluten-Free European-Style Chocolates in Manchester CT

Restaurant Features Dessert Chocolate Valentine's Day Ice Cream Vegan Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs

April Guilbault

Happily, eating plant-based is becoming easier and more accessible by the day. However, finding decadent desserts and sweets that fit this category have historically been a bit more of a challenge, given that milk, butter, and gelatin is usually involved when making things of the sweeter persuasion. Another challenge: finding gift-worthy artisan treats that are visual treats to the palate as well the eyes. You know, the type of special giant heart box of chocolates that Linus toted around waiting to give to Miss Othmar. At the end of the day, no one wants to be left out, including sweet and chocolate-indulging plant-eaters.

Well, these sweets do exist, Virginia, and they are located in Manchester so your plant-loving special someones can partake in all the sweet flavors and beautiful treats as the omnivores. Every sweet produced at Divine Treasures chocolate shop, which has been going strong since 2007, is vegan and gluten-free. In addition, Divine Treasures confections are made with health and enjoyment in mind. These European-style chocolates are crafted with high-quality ingredients but also, and here’s the amazing part, without refined sugar and corn syrup. Diane Wagemann, owner and chocolatier, studied the art of chocolate making in Belgium and Switzerland and then decided to adapt her grandmother’s family recipes to suit the goal of healthier eating. Instead of adding an abundance of sugars, Wagemann wants the inherent taste of the cacao to be the shining star. She sources the chocolate from small family-owned Fair-Trade certified businesses, so you can be sure that no fillers have been added to the chocolate, which sometimes can compromise the vegan integrity. 

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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.

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Lovebird Gluten Free Fried Chicken + More Opens in Fairfield

Restaurant Fried Chicken Fried Chicken Sandwich Fairfield Sandwich Lunch To-Go Fast Casual Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Homepage

Jessica Ryan

There’s a new fried chicken restaurant in town and it’s not like any other.

Last summer Lovebird opened its first Connecticut eatery at 2385 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield on the heels of four successful Pennsylvania restaurants (Blue Bell, Bryn Mawr, Doylestown and Newtown.)

Stephanie Wilson Paulson, a long- time friend of founder John Ordway, decided to bring the restaurant to Connecticut and thought Fairfield to be an ideal location.

Lovebird is unique in that it is a celiac-friendly, gluten-free* restaurant that describes itself as a high quality chicken restaurant changing the way fried chicken is done, and redefining the way people are eating fried chicken. Free of GMO's, antibiotics, and unpronounceable ingredients, Lovebird uses only Gerber’s Amish Farm cage-free chicken for their made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and quinoa bowls, with vegetarian and vegan options. Diners shouldn’t overlook their sides, crispy Brussels, fried pickles and mac and cheese, all – of course – gluten-free!

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Guide to Kids Cooking Classes & Camps in Connecticut (2022 Edition)

Features Cooking Cooking Classes Kids kids activity Kids Cooking Classes Guide Education Highlight

April Guilbault

Feels like we were all just stuck home together and dreaming of getting OUT and low and behold, now we can! Let’s start with getting those kiddos some cool stuff to do once school lets out. Let’s hear it for cooking camps! To learn (in a fun way) about food, where it comes from, what the heck we can do with it, and yummm, how it tastes-what could be better? Follow it with some parent-kid trips to your local farms or farmers’ markets, and lookie there, you’ve just filled the calendar a bit for the summer months. Here’s to brilliant and tasty new discoveries!

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110 Grill Opens in Canton: Top 10 Most Allergy-Friendly Restaurants in America!

Restaurant Openings Special Dietary Needs Gluten-Free Allergy Friendly Food Allergy American Lunch Farmington

CTbites Team

The Shops at Farmington Valley will debut the first Connecticut restaurant location for 110 Grill, rated as “Top 10 most allergy friendly restaurants in America”. 110 Grill is New England’s Fastest Growing Restaurant Group and the opening of 110 Grill Canton will mark the 32nd location for the six-year-old Modern American restaurant group.

Located at 110 Albany Turnpike, the restaurant will feature 110 Grill’s signature modern-American fare with an array of comforting classics and unparalleled gluten-free and dietary restricted menus. Every 110 Grill location features a contemporary, yet inviting atmosphere with a spacious dining room and lounge, private dining room, outdoor patio and a large bar area.

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Gluten-Free Connecticut Dining Guide from Gluten-Free New England: 75+ Spots

Features Restaurant Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Best of CT

Gluten-Free New England

Wicked Gluten Free has created a wonderful Gluten Free Connecticut Dining Guide for 2021. Check it out, and view the complete guide at www.wickedglutenfree.com.

Connecticut has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to gluten-free dining. And, as the number of people avoiding gluten rises at record pace, the number of restaurants working to accommodate them is absolutely skyrocketing. Although this makes going out to eat really fun, it also makes the job of compiling a list of favorites really difficult. And so, we present to you some of our favorite restaurants offering excellent gluten-free options.

Follow the link below for 75+ Connecticut restaurants, bakeries, and fast food spots that are either dedicated Gluten Free or very careful about cross contamination.

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CT Guide To 40+ Immunity Boosting Products: Markets, Apothecaries, Herbs, Broth, Juice, Teas and More

Features Ingredients Herbal Immune Boosting Healthy Eats healthy Herbs Juice Bar Specialty Market Special Dietary Needs Best of CT Homepage Elderberry

April Guilbault

There is so much talk and discussion these days about immunity, staying healthy, and protecting yourself. When you ask fifty people about what they do to stay healthy you will probably get fifty different answers. Since every human is unique, something that works for one might not work for another! However, we all know that famous quote from Hippocrates about food being thy medicine, right? There are so many foods, plants, teas, and drinks that can potentially pack a real punch for strengthening our systems. There is a wide, intriguing world of healthy options out there, it’s just finding what works for you. May some of the ideas on this list help keep you healthy and safe in the months to come.

Our guide includes over 40 local CT markets, juice bars, apothecaries, and products to help boost your immune system for 2020.

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Mr. Frosty's: Outrageously Tasty, Instagram Worthy Ice Cream with Old School Charm

Restaurant ice cream Special Dietary Needs Vegan Kid Friendly Take Out Delivery Dessert Homepage

Stephanie Webster

When Anthony and Rosa Luciano took over Mr. Frosty’s, 15 years ago, this classic ice cream spot had already been scooping the good stuff for happy customers for close to 60 years. Situated in the heart of East Norwalk, a few feet from the Norwalk River, Mr. Frosty’s feels like the type of spot you might wander across in a summer beach resort town. What makes Mr. Frosty’s a destination for Fairfield County ice cream enthusiasts? Anthony and Rosa never sit still. They are constantly researching and pushing to find the next great thing. Their creativity, playfulness, and willingness to experiment has made them a go-to for all things ice cream. Whether you’re looking for a take-out family style “Take & Make Fun Kit,” a Tornado, Shake, Apple Waffle Sundae, or whatever their latest and greatest seasonal flavors might be, the operative words are outrageous delicious fun here.

Truth be told, it was their new Vegan ice cream flavors that brought me to Mr Frosty’s on this visit, and yet somehow I managed to end up elbow deep in waffle sundaes, a pumpkin spice float, and several “Cravers.”

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The Little Beet Opening Summer 2020 in Westport with Gluten Free Dining

Westport Openings Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Healthy Eats Breakfast Lunch

CTbites Team

As reported by Dan Woog in 06880, The Little Beet is opening in Westport.

Ongoing construction has made the Fresh Market shopping center a bit grotty.

But it won’t last forever. And when the work is done, a new fast-casual eatery will join current tenants like Colonial Druggists, Dan’s Liquors and Orangetheory Fitness.

The Little Beet opens this summer.

According to its website, the 5-year-old chain offers “wholesome, healthy food that not only tastes great, but makes you feel great.” Food is “carefully sourced … from farmers and purveyors we trust, guaranteeing all of our food is gluten-free and better for you.”

There are a dozen Little Beets already, in New York, Westchester, Long Island, Washington DC, Virginia and Florida.

The menu includes make-your-own rice and quinoa-based meals, poké and other bowls, vegetable sides, and breakfast sandwiches, parfaits and oatmeal.

Read the full article here.

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