Filtering by Tag: Cos Cob,Stratford

Two Roads Brewing Company Launches Dinner Pairing Series- A New Brewery Experience

Events Features Brewery Ingredients Interview Tasting Menu Brewery Two Roads Brewing Company Craft Beer Spirits Distillery Interview Homepage beer Stratford

Andrew Dominick

If you’ve followed the evolution of Two Roads Brewing Company, it’s quite something. Since the main brewery opened in 2012, one thing they kept doing is continuing to evolve. Not including a laundry list of beer releases, Two Roads went onto open a second facility next to their Hop Yard six years ago that you now know as Area Two Experimental Brewing. Following Area Two and all their fun, funky small batch drops, and in no particular order, Two Roads got into making canned cocktails, non-alcoholic beer, distilling (we’ll have a few teasers on that), and they even purchased the former PizzaCo across the street and turned it into Two Roads Food Hall & Bar and next door, Two Roads Tee Box, a golf simulator, making it a full-blown “campus.”

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Tee Box at Two Roads Brewery Now Open with Golf Simulator & NEW Food Hall Eats

Features Opening Brewery Food Hall Golf Stratford

James Gribbon

The campus at Two Roads in Stratford has expanded to encompass not just one, but a dozen plus golf courses. At this point the brewery’s “campus” may better termed an estate. The new Tee Box at Two Roads is a private, reservable golf simulator fitting up to six players, but with room for about ten, fully stocked with food and beverages. The available food menu has been fully revamped, with tacos, flatbreads, burgers taking the place of most of the German options at the Food Hall. Scroll your options, tap a button, and presto. I had several of both. What were they? How was it? And is it possible to lose a digital golf ball? THE RESULTS MAY SHOCK YOU.

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Mike’s Organic Grocery Opens in Greenwich: 6 Questions with Owner Mike Geller

Interview Seasonal Events Grocery Store Shop Local farm fresh Greenwich Mike's Organic Cos Cob Interview

Andrew Dominick

In July of 2021, Mike Geller and his dedicated team at Mike’s Organic held an announcement event in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich where the bones of the former Patio.com store stood a vacant eyesore for about two years.

That day, in the parking lot, friends and family gathered, food was devoured, and drinks were sipped as Geller enthusiastically spoke about the expansion of his Stamford-based grocery delivery service that would be taking over the 600 E Putnam Avenue space as a grocery store, selling all the finest local, farm fresh produce, meat, seafood, and top notch products that Mike’s Organic has become known for over the years.

Fast forward to less than two years later, like right now, in the present, and Mike’s Organic Grocery is a real thing, as in, you can officially shop there! Preorder. Pick up. Push a cart and browse the shelves. Swing by for a grab-n-go lunch or dinner by their own “Made By Mike’s” lineup of salads, sandwiches, entrées, and more that are all made in-house. And we’re positive that there’s more in store when it comes to this new grocery store.

I recently caught up with Geller for an interview because, honestly, there’s no one better than him to speak about the brand he has created through years of cultivating relationships with farmers and purveyors the way he can.

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Here’s What Happens at Two Roads Brewing’s Content Creator Day

Features Brewery Craft Beer beer Brewery Two Roads Brewing Company Stratford Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Two Roads Brewing Company barely needs an introduction. Chances are, if you live in Connecticut you’ve been at least once, or if you’re an out-of-stater hitting up a bunch of breweries, Two Roads is likely on your list of places to pound a pint.

Since 2012, though, Two Roads has really come a long way from being known as one of Connecticut’s O.G. craft breweries. Not only is it the largest in terms of square footage and production, Two Roads has a bunch of accolades to boot, including local accolades in Connecticut Magazine for 2020’s Best Brewery and Best Beer that same year with its unfiltered, tropical bomb of a double IPA that you know as Two Juicy.

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The Bloom Family Opens Copps Island Oyster Shack at Brown’s Marina in Stratford

Features Interview Restaurant Seasonal Openings Food Truck Homepage Seasonal Seafood burgers Copps Island Oysters Stratford

Andrew Dominick

If you’ve been by Brown’s Marina lately to cast your line in the water or to take a sunset stroll, you may have noticed a super-sized food truck parked just to the left and construction on what’s soon to be a retail store.

These upgrades are courtesy of the Bloom Family, a name synonymous with oysters, specifically Copps Island Oysters. According to food consultant Matt Storch—who you should know from his acclaimed Match Restaurant in South Norwalk—the Blooms purchased Brown’s Marina a few years ago from its original owners. “They spruced it up and made it a working oyster and clam dock and are in the process of turning the building into a Copps Island retail store (similar to the one in Norwalk),” he says. “They wanted to activate the beautiful space on the water because there could be more waterside dining here with exceptional, but simple food.”

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Wildacre Rotisserie to Debut in Greenwich (via Hey Stamford!)

Restaurant Openings Chicken To-Go Take Out Lunch Cos Cob Greenwich Mediterranean Gluten-Free

Hey Stamford!

Wildacre Rotisserie, a new fast casual rotisserie restaurant, will make its debut in Greenwich, CT in Spring 2022. Led by former Starbucks and sweetgreen culinary leader and Fairfield County resident Ben Pote, the restaurant will bring a fresh take on traditional rotisserie to Cos Cob. The concept of the eatery, both in cuisine and design, is inspired by California with a thoughtfully curated menu that offers something for everyone.

Rotisserie chicken and slow-roasted cauliflower are at the heart of the menu, complemented by entree-style salads, plant-forward sides, and sauces that are made in-house daily, with thoughtful pops of flavor throughout. The chicken, for example, is rubbed with bay leaf, oregano, and fennel pollen, giving it an herbaceous, savory flavor, while the whole-roasted cauliflower is sprinkled with za’atar, a Middle-Eastern herb blend. Wildacre’s salads are hearty enough for lunch and dinner, or to eat alongside a whole roasted chicken or cauliflower. Guests can order a la carte or select a bundled meal, which offers the choice of either a rotisserie chicken or slow-roasted cauliflower main plus two sides and two sauces. Side dishes range from french fries to roasted brussels sprouts, and the majority of the menu is gluten-free. The California influence shows up throughout the menu, which features ingredients like fennel pollen, meyer lemon, and avocado, and flavors inspired by Mediterranean, Central American, and Asian cuisines.

Read the complete article on Hey Stamford!

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The Tasty Yolk Opening New Stratford Location October 20th

Restaurant Breakfast Lunch Openings BEC Breakfast Sandwich Eggs Egg Sandwich To-Go Comfort Food Stratford

Stephanie Webster

If you live in Fairfield County, you most likely already have a favorite Tasty Yolk menu item. Their breakfast sandwiches are the stuff of legends, and if you don’t know about The Tasty Yolk, well now ya know. The Tasty Yolk started as a single food truck in 2016, quickly added two more trucks to the lineup, and then opened their first storefront location in Bridgeport in 2019. And now…drumroll please…they are opening a NEW location in STRATFORD at 3530 Main Street, on Wednesday, October 20th.

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¡Ay Güey! Cocina Mexicana Opens In Stratford

Restaurant Stratford Mexican Delicious Dives Tacos Lunch Openings

James Gribbon

There's a spot in Stratford most people can't see. An eighth of an acre, give or take, on Rt. 110 between I-95 and the River Road, where nothing seems to exist unless you're looking right at it. Focus your eyes on the spot, and your mind might register the word "Deli" on the storefront, which itself might be different each time you did, because they've been opening and closing in the location for years, flashing in and out of existence with the frequency of the scroll on an electronic billboard. There was nothing wrong with any of them, they just didn't send a signal from enough people's eyes to their brake pedals. A new spot has them taking notice.

¡Ay Güey! Cafe & Cocina Mexicana is a wholly different concept, and has transformed the space as much as the food served within. Everything from every deli before it went out the window. The interior is bright white, with inset drink coolers and a few tables for inside dining, while the sidewalk patio has been joined by a fenced and landscaped outdoor dining area to the side. Snag a Mexican Coca Cola, Mundet, Jarritos, etc. and whatever from the case and take a good luck the menu. Horchata, Topo Chico, and cafe de Olla (coffee dosed up with cinnamon and Piloncillo raw sugar) are also available for the soda-averse.

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House Of Pho in Stratford Serves Up Much More Than Delicious Pho

Restaurant Asian Vietnamese Pho Soups Noodles Noodle Soup Stratford Openings Lunch Comfort Food

James Gribbon

At a hillside shopping center overlooking nothing more fashionable than the far ridge line of the Housatonic River and Sikorsky’s helicopter factory steams a great bowl of pho. It’s a standard bo vien with beef meatballs, ordered lightly rich with small convex globules of transparent oil magnifying both light and flavor in the broth. I’ve recently dosed a bite with a slice of positively infernal green pepper. A less varied quarantine diet has apparently softened my usually spice-calloused tongue. My eyes are watering, and my nose is running. I’m in heaven.

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Dan Kardos Opens Oar & Oak Spinoff with Takeout Only “Birdhouse”

Restaurant Fried Chicken Chicken Sandwich Openings Stratford Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Dan Kardos has been busy. At a time when the restaurant industry is trying its best to survive, pivoting and adapting to the current situation are key. Kardos is doing just that.

While running Oar & Oak as a takeout model, then to its dine-in reopening with restrictions, he spent most of his summer slinging fried chicken sandwiches, lobster rolls, and burgers on a food truck extension of his restaurant.

Kardos didn’t stop there. In late May, he purchased a trailer to sell homemade soft serve cones, creative sundaes, and adults-only dairy desserts complete with nips of booze.

And now, Kardos has expanded his footprint in town with Oar & Oak Birdhouse, a grab and go Oar & Oak offshoot where fried chicken rules the roost.

Global pandemic aside, Kardos said he’s had the idea for this for a while to fill a need in Stratford for quality fast casual food.

“We wanted this place for a year because it’s more centralized (on Main Street),” he says. “Even though Oar & Oak is in town, people see it as being far away, and this gives them a chance to try us out. And it allows me to focus on creating more refined food there, more craveable takeout stuff here.”

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Chicken Piri Piri Authentic Portuguese BBQ Opens in Stratford

Restaurant Stratford BBQ Portuguese Delicious Dives To-Go Take Out Lunch Homepage

James Gribbon

"Piri piri" just means "pepper" in the related languages of sub-Saharan Africa, and you may have had piri piri sauce from a bottle, or used the specific variety under its English name, Bird's Eye Peppers, but the Portuguese found it in Mozambique. The flavor-cultural export found its way into the culinary world of Portugal and took hold the way curries have permeated the U.K. The Vilarinho family of restaurateurs from Porto Cancais outside Lisbon saw an opportunity here, and opened their first Chicken Piri Piri in America about ten years ago. Their newest location is a little storefront by Paradise Green in Stratford. CTBites recently stopped by for lunch, and here's what we found at Chicken Piri Piri Portuguese BBQ.

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Little Pub To Open Surfside Hotel Beachfront Pub In Stratford

Restaurant Bar Cocktails Waterfront Outdoor Dining Comfort Food American Burgers Stratford Openings

James Gribbon

The owners of the Little Pub have announced they will open their next venture at the location of the former Marnick's on the Stratford seawall. Little Pub will also take over the attached seaside residence, which is being extensively redone, and renamed the Surfside Hotel. Expect the new pub to open on the beach this month, with the hotel opening shortly thereafter. Read on to see what Little Pub owner Doug Grabe had to tell CTBites...

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Chocoylatte Gourmet Opens in Downtown Cos Cob, Greenwich

Restaurant Openings Bakery Chocolate Coffee Greenwich Cos Cob Dessert

CTbites Team

Downtown Cos Cob will be a lot sweeter with the much-anticipated grand opening of Chocoylatte Gourmet on Monday, July 8. The desserts & coffee shoppe, located at 121 E. Putnam Avenue will open its doors to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 11am.

Chocoylatte Gourmet will offer an array of handmade freshly baked desserts, cookies, pastries and assorted fine chocolates made with the finest ingredients available in the market. Every treat will be prepared from scratch, every day and handcrafted on-site. For those with dietary sensitivities, the desserts & coffee shoppe will also offer gluten-free and lactose-free goodies, and promises to maintain the same high-quality ingredients baked with thoughtfulness and care. Guests will also enjoy recipes containing less sugar, no trans fats, non-GMO ingredients, no preservatives, no chemicals, no artificial preservatives, no artificial sweeteners, and no artificial flavors. 

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Chef Dan Kardos Opens Oar & Oak in Stratford...And It's Damn Good

Restaurant American Stratford Lunch Burgers Cocktails Openings Homepage

Andrew Dominick

A few years after opening Liberty Rock Tavern in the Devon section of Milford, Chef Dan Kardos now has his sequel. A stone’s throw from Sikorsky—and 10 minutes from Liberty Rock—is Kardos’ new concept, Oar & Oak. For Stratford residents, there’s that “Oh, yeah…” moment, but if you’re not from around there, the restaurant’s name is a play on words—it’s in Stratford’s Oronoque neighborhood. 

Much like Liberty Rock, Oar & Oak is very much focused on the area’s locals. “I want it to grow slowly, and become a neighborhood hangout,” Kardos said. “It used to be the original Parker Eatery—a favorite around here—so we freshened it up and gave it a new look.” The woodwork, brick walls, hanging lights, and periwinkle/grey/white tones in the space contribute to Oar & Oak’s casual, come-as-you-are vibe. 

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Il Pastaficio, Handmade Pasta, Opens in Cos Cob

Restaurant Pasta Noodles To-Go Take Out Italian Cos Cob Greenwich Openings Homepage

Jessica Ryan

It’s a known fact that Italians love their pasta. It’s also a known fact that they eat it regularly and yet it seems to be something we have become fearful of. As I sit down to write this I remember a popular commercial from my youth. In the North End of Boston, a dark haired Italian woman leans out of her window and beckons her son to come home. “Anthony!” she shouted, and he came running home – but only on Wednesdays, for Wednesday was Prince Spaghetti Day!  Today fad diets implore us to eat gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, carb-free, fat-free, etc. Enter Il Pastaficio, handmade pasta, in Cos Cob. Within weeks of opening locals have been rethinking and enjoying this Italian favorite. The reason is simple – as simple as their ingredients.

Il Pastaficio is unique in its offering of pastas made from natural and antique grains that are rich on minerals, salts and vitamins. This pasta, as a result, is lighter, easier to digest and has a lower glycemic level than the glutinous versions we’ve come to know. Their pastas are made from organic legume flours (such as chickpea) rich in protein and completely additive-free. As a result, Pastaficio pastas are easier to digest.

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Chef Dan Kardos Rolls Out Liberty Rock Tavern Food Truck

Restaurant Stratford Food Truck Comfort Food Bar Celebrity Chef Kid Friendly Catering Homepage

Andrew Dominick

I visited Liberty Rock Tavern in Milford shortly after they opened, and I distinctly remember Dan Kardos’ description of his menu, “I’m making food that people like to eat, food that I like to eat,” he said. 

That “food” is best described as elevated pub grub, which could be surprising to those who followed Kardos’ stints at Napa & Co., Le Farm, and various Barcelona locations. His fine dining background ultimately results in better bar food. It’s the kind of food made for cheat day, where you’ll have to roll up your sleeves, and sit as pulled up to the bar or table as you can get. It’s successful stuff.  

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Danny's Drive-In, Stratford: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, And History

Restaurant Burgers Hot Dogs Delicious Dives Comfort Food ice cream Diner Take Out To-Go Stratford Openings Homepage

James Gribbon

Food, like any other aspect of human culture, has its landmarks. Local touchstones, the food you grew up with can be felt from great distances away, even by people who didn't grow up nearby. Ask just about anyone across the world what constitutes American food and chances are "hamburger" will be in their top two answers. The burger's invention at Louis Lunch in New Haven is well known and, regionally, so is Danny's Drive-In in Stratford. This is why a "For Sale" sign on the building has met with such concern - it's only been seen twice before in 83 years. 

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Lorca Coffee Bar Opens Second Location in Cos Cob Greenwich

Restaurant Cos Cob Greenwich Coffee Breakfast Lunch Specialty Market Homepage

Stephanie Webster

Lorca Coffee Bar has just opened their second location in Cos Cob, CT inside Fleisher's Craft Butcher shop.  Coffee + Meat...works for me. 

The menu at Lorca Greenwich will be slightly different than that at their Stamford location. They will still be serving up some of the best coffee in CT alongside baked goods and breakfast treats, including their manchego, sage pesto, and egg breakfast sandwich. However, they have leveraged the new relationship with Fleishers's and improved upon their "classic" -  bacon, egg and cheese by adding a house-smoked tomato jam and using Fleisher's bacon.

They will also be adding empanadas made with Fleisher's chorizo, cheddar and salsa, and a Spanish tortilla that owner, Leyla Jenkins, has been making since she was a little girl. This is a typical Spanish frittata made with potatoes, onions, and eggs and served with a side salad and some smoked paprika aioli. Breakfast bowls and salads will be found on the menu in the near future. 

Lorca Coffee Bar @ Fleisher's Craft Butcher 160 E. Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob 

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Cricket Car Hop Reopens in Stratford CT: Legendary Fried Hot Dogs Are Back

Restaurant Stratford Comfort Food Delicious Dives Hot Dogs Kid Friendly Homepage Burgers

Andrew Dominick

After being closed for 13 years, a Stratford legend has returned! 

Finally, and to much anticipation, Cricket Car Hop has reemerged in Lordship over Independence Day weekend to sling burgers, fries, shakes, and foot longs once again. 

The original, which opened in the mid-1950s, closed in 2004, and was located on Main Street, almost exactly a mile away from where they are now on Access Road. Running the show at the sequel version of the popular hot dog hut is co-owner Stacy DiCostanzo—who worked as a cook at Cricket from 1980 until it closed—and her husband, Ron, who handles day-to-day general manager duties. 

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