Yuki’s Kitchen Opens in Westport with Authentic Korean, Japanese & Chinese Restaurant Opening Westport Japanese Korean Chinese Kid Friendly To-Go Asian Food Noodle Soup Ramen Sushi Homepage Dana Yee September 02, 2023 I recently had the pleasure of dining at Yuki’s Kitchen, a charming Korean, Japanese and Chinese culinary haven that left me utterly impressed and thoroughly satisfied. From the moment I stepped in to this primarily take-out spot, the quaint friendly ambiance and attentive service set the stage for a memorable gastronomic experience. Ken and Yuki Piao, a husband and wife team, have been in the Fairfield/Westport area for more than +10 years and decided in November of 2022 to open a lovely tiny haven of authentically excellent Asian food. We also had the pleasure of enjoying some special dishes prepared by Yuki’s mother visiting from Korea for 2 months. Read More
My Top 8 Romantic Seafood Restaurants with a Seaview (via Nutritionist Lori-Ann Marchese) Features Restaurant Seafood Waterfront Romantic Nutrition Healthy Eats Lori-Ann Marchese August 01, 2023 Lori-Ann Marchese is the Head Trainer of Body Construct and a licensed nutritionist.Who doesn’t enjoy a nice romantic dinner night with your loved one seaside! Connecticut has one of the most beautiful Seafood Seaview restaurants in New England!Lori-Ann Marchese - certified dietician and owner of Body Construct Fitness has brought you some of her most favorite and unique Top 8 waterfront dining restaurants.With a healthy conscious mind when choosing their food items, we can assure you a romantic, seaview night out with your partner that will still align with your nutrition goals. Read More
Dock & Dine! Boat On Up to 30 Waterfront Restaurants, Seafood Shacks, and More Features Restaurant Seasonal Waterfront Water View Restaurants Seafood Summer Dining Summer Homepage Guide Highlight April Guilbault July 16, 2023 Waterfront. Dockside. Don’t those words just bring a smile to your face? Whether you are traveling by boat to go for a summer Sunday lunch or just wanting to enjoy your dinner with a beautiful view of the water, these restaurants will fit the bill for your summer enjoyment. And how is it exactly that everything tastes better when you are near the water? Read More
See More of Seamore’s! The NYC Based Seafood Joint Opens in Darien Features Restaurant Seasonal Seamore's Darien Seamore's Seafood Darien Homepage Sustainable Openings Andrew Dominick June 26, 2023
Guide to Connecticut Lobster, Clambakes and Seafood Shacks (2023 Edition) Restaurant Features Lobster Roll Lobster Lobster Bake Clambake Seafood seafood boil Catering Guide Catering Highlight Homepage Carly Terzigni June 16, 2023 Summer in Connecticut can look like a lot of different things: hometown parades, trips to the beach, and of course, lobster rolls. Seafood is a quintessential part of dining in New England, so much so that there are heated debates over how to properly prepare a lobster roll, with hot meat with melted butter being the traditional Connecticut style and cold meat with mayonnaise originating out of Maine. It is no surprise, then, that there is a plethora of lobster shacks around the state, with most of them concentrated along the shoreline.These ‘lobster shacks’ or ‘clam shacks’ have everything that you could want in a great seafood dinner without any added frills. If you are looking for more of a restaurant vibe, there are many seafood-centric businesses in the state that serve great lobster rolls. Another New England tradition that pops up each summer is the clambake. These events are usually centered around some sort of special occasion and involve steaming a medley of ingredients like clams, crab, scallops, lobster, and mussels together. There are several businesses in Connecticut that will help cater your next clambake, which are included in this guide as well. Read More
Rive Bistro in Westport Celebrates 10 Years With Chef Roland Olah At The Helm Restaurant Westport French Water View Waterfront Pasta Seafood Cocktails Chef Alert Homepage Jessica Ryan June 15, 2023 There’s a lot to celebrate at Rive Bistro in Westport. Owner Eric Sierra is thrilled to be celebrating the restaurant’s 10th Anniversary. In addition to this great achievement, Sierra who is stepping away from the kitchen recently brought Chef Roland Olah on to take the helm. After having won a green card in the lottery, Olah left his homeland of Hungary in 2009, along with his position of Executive Chef at the renown Café Erté, to take a chance and pursue a dream in the states. Knowing that he could always return home, he and his wife along with their then young daughter began anew in New York City under the tutelage of Chef Daniel Boulud. Olah would then move to Connecticut to plant some roots. He served as Executive Chef at Martel in Fairfield as well as the now shuttered and well received Brasserie Bruxelles in SONO. Read More
Seamore's, Sustainable Seafood Restaurant from NYC Opening in Darien June 9 Features Restaurant Opening Darien Sustainable Seafood Fish American Homepage CTbites Team June 04, 2023 Seamore's, the sustainable seafood restaurant group based in New York City, will expand into Connecticut with the launch of a location in Darien. Their mission is to make sustainable, local fish more accessible to everyone, with their entire menu featuring sustainably caught or farmed fish. Restaurateur Jay Wainwright has partnered with local chef Shannon Sturz to curate a menu that reflects local flavors and supports the local fisheries. Executive Chef Shannon Sturz, who grew up in the area, was previously Sous Chef at The Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean-Georges. Seamore’s will make its debut at Darien Commons on Friday, June 9. Read More
Hachiroku Owners Open Hachiroku Handroll Bar & Tapas in East Rock, New Haven Restaurant Openings New Haven Sushi Japanese Homepage Stephanie Webster April 23, 2023 Fans of Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake bar, which quietly opened in New Haven 2022, will be excited to hear that this team has expanded their portfolio of outstanding Japanese eateries with a NEW restaurant in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven. The new spot is called Hachiroku Handroll Bar & Tapas, and much like the original, you will not find a sign outside….ya just have to know. Hachiroku Handroll Bar features a few highlights from Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake bar, but while the OG delivers a traditional izakaya menu with a few uber-fresh cuts of sushi, the new spot leans in on expertly executed, positively mouthwatering handrolls. And make no mistake, while the flavor profiles you will find here are not strictly “traditional,” the dining room looks and feels like a traditional sushi bar. With roughly 16 seats highlighting the artists/ sushi chefs in the center, dining here exudes the austere reverence that these handrolls deserve. Read More
Fiesta! Peruvian Cuisine Opens New Location in Stamford’s West Side Restaurant Peruvian Stamford Openings South American Lunch Delivery Seafood Homepage Jessica Ryan March 04, 2023 Fiesta! is now open in Stamford’s West side neighborhood (conveniently located in the Shop Rite shopping center.) The Rojas family opened this location, their fifth restaurant, this past November, continuing in their dedication to share authentic Peruvian cuisine and culture with the Fairfield County community. Alberto Rojas’ opened the first Fiesta! location nearly 30 years ago. The Peruvian businessman and entrepreneur came to the States in the 1980s and has owned numerous local businesses over the years including those in the dry cleaning, travel and marketing industries. Rojas, a youthful 76, welcomed us warmly, and with pride, to his newest eatery. Read More
Saugatuck Provisions Opens From A Local CT Chef (Matt Storch), A Butcher & A Fisherman (Copps Island Oysters) Ingredients Features Openings Westport Grocery Store Ingredients Seafood Butcher Specialty Market Homepage Stephanie Webster October 26, 2022 What happens when a chef, a butcher and a fisherman walk into a bar? Stay tuned and I’ll tell you…If you’ve noticed some activity behind the brown paper covering the windows of what was once Westport’s Saugatuck Craft Butchery, it’s not just wishful thinking. Big things are happening behind that masked facade …big things that involve a culinary power team including Chef Matt Storch and Susan McConnell (Match Burger Lobster, Match) in partnership with Jimmy Bloom of Copps Island Oysters, and butcher, Paul Nessal, whom you will recognize if you spent any time at the nose to tail butchery, Saugatuck Craft, back in the day. After 5 years of discussion, this group is finally getting ready to open the doors to Saugatuck Provisions, a new concept offering customers a curated selection of the very best ingredients from the land, sea and grocery, enabling guests to create beautiful restaurant quality meals at home.Saugatuck Provisions is conveniently located next to Match Burger Lobster in Westport, and will be ready for customers in early November, with Thanksgiving pre-ordering already live here. Read More
Shuck Yeah! Chef Emily Mingrone Strikes Again-Fair Haven Oyster Company is Now Open Restaurant Openings Seafood New Haven Oyster Bar Lobster Lobster Roll Homepage Kristin L. Wolfe July 17, 2022 Well, Connecticut. Your gal Emily Mingrone did it again. The one so rightly deemed our latest Chef of the Year has now brought you seaside with Fair Haven Oyster Company along the Quinnipiac River. She gives us cozy date nights with Tavern on State; she brings us into the kitchen with Provisions on State, and is now taking us to the water.Barely two weeks old, her latest venture with business partner and libation genius Shane McGowan is satisfying CT gourmands just in time for summer and for that much-longed-for taste of fresh seafood and just-plucked-from-the-garden veggies.Many might be surprised to know, but the idea for Fair Haven was brewing well before her award-winning spot Tavern on State came to be. “I’ve been in Connecticut my whole life,” says Mingrone, “so summer lobster rolls, steamers and oysters are something I look forward to every year. [Even though] seafood spots dot the shoreline, there’s really nowhere in New Haven like Fair Haven. With its small, “stop in and enjoy” atmosphere, there’s nothing grandiose or overwhelming about the location or the menu (let alone dear Chef Mingrone, tbh) “I always had this idea in the back of my mind, to create an elevated New England seafood experience.” Read More
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 July 13, 2022 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.” Read More
40+ Places in Connecticut for Lobster, Clambakes, + Seafood Shacks (2022 Guide) Features Seasonal Restaurant Seafood seafood boil Lobster Lobster Roll Clambake Homepage Guide Dining Guide Highlight April Guilbault June 30, 2022 One fish, two fish, red fish…lobster. And seafood in all its forms. Oh yeah, baby! Get the bibs, the frosty beers and get crackin’, shuckin’ and lovin’. Nothing signals the start of summer quite like eating by the water while the sunshine sparkles on the waves. Picture, if you will, your teeth sinking into a lobster roll dripping with drawn butter, or wistfully dragging fresh steamers through (more) butter or popping hot-out-the-fryer clam strips and fritters into your mouth. Whether dining on land or by sea, seafood rules the roost this season. These simple summer pleasures make time stand still for a few blissful moments. Summer is here, and food is easy.Enjoy our guide to over 40 summertime—or anytime—spots to get buttery lobster, chow down at a clambake, and sit and eat at a seafood shack! Read More
Tavern On State Owners Opening Fair Haven Oyster Bar in New Haven Features Restaurant Openings Oyster Bar Seafood American Bar Cocktails Waterfront Outdoor Dining Stephanie Webster January 10, 2022 Emily Mingrone (recent winner for "Chef of the Year" at CT Restaurant Association’s Crazies Awards, and her partner, Shane McGowan, are expanding their presence in the New Haven area with a new spot opening this April, Fair Haven Oyster Co. Co-owners of Tavern on State, as well as the nose-to-tail butchery, Provisions on State, in the East Rock neighborhood, they are poised for a trifecta with this new seafood focused oyster bar on the waterfront of the Fair Haven Marina, a beautiful old water town dating from the late 1700’s. Read More
Stewed Clams with Fregola Recipe from Chef Emily Mingrone of Tavern on State Features Recipe Recipe Seafood Holiday CTbites Team December 22, 2021 We continue our holiday recipe tour with Chef Emily Mingrone of Tavern On State. She shares a Christmas holiday classic that is near and dear to her, but truly can be made any time of the year littlenecks are available. Enjoy Chef Mingrone’s recipe for Stewed Clams with Fregola. If you make this at home, send us a photo! Read More
East Rock Market Opens in New Haven With 5 Exciting Food Concepts Restaurant Features Marketplace Food Court Sushi Gelato Dessert New Haven Pasta Italian Openings Homepage Japanese Juice Bar Pizza Take Out James Gribbon December 10, 2021 Sometimes where you live is just where you sleep. Maybe the area has a bit of feel, or maybe some real estate conglomerate slapped it together like processed-cheese-food, named it The Crossing At The Shops At The Superfund Site, and well, at least the commute is short and everyone can understand the urge to show I-95 your personal taillights.In Connecticut’s old – let's be kind and call them historic – cities, there are still to be found that most nostalgic living situation: The Actual Neighborhood. New Haven’s East Rock is one of the latter, and lately, what’s old is new again.East Rock Market opened this November in a space which rubs shoulders with East Rock Brewing Company, and close enough to the in-building gym to borrow a neighborly cup of protein powder. By Thanksgiving of 2021, the Market’s large, bright space housed five concepts: RAW Bowls & Juice, Panciale pasta and pizza, Nicoll Street Gelato, Rick’s Bar, and Rockfish sushi. Developer Rishi Narang has named the former WWI-era Marlin Arms factory East Rock Center, and market, brewery, and gym are all contained within the massive footprint in a sort of indulgence/repentance love triangle. Read More
La Plage Opens at The Inn At Longshore on Westport's Waterfront Restaurant Waterfront Openings Westport Seafood Raw Bar French American Homepage Jessica Ryan August 22, 2021 La Plage is officially open in Westport. The Inn at Longshore and adjoining restaurant were recently acquired by the Greenwich Hospitality Group, the parent company of the Delamar hotels and restaurants. La Plage is their gift to Westport.Pronounced plah-je, plage is the French word for beach, and a fitting name when you have a French chef at the helm in the kitchen. Until recently the restaurant was home to Pearl at Longshore which shuttered its doors in January. The interior has undergone a bit of a facelift to embrace its new coastal, casual vibe. Gone is the darker, refined and urban inspired décor which has been replaced with brighter white-washed walls, wicker lampshades and a livelier, beachier ambiance. Queue in the steel brass drums perhaps, but this isn’t your piña colada/Cheeseburger in Paradise type joint. This upscale yet casual eatery is best perhaps described as a beachy chic shack of sorts. Read More
LobsterCraft Opens in Greenwich With A Serious Lobster Roll Menu Restaurant Greenwich Openings Lobster Lobster Roll Sandwich Seafood Lunch Jessica Ryan August 17, 2021 Quietly, three months ago, Captain William Michael Harden aka “Captain Mike” opened his second Lobster Craft location in the heart of Greenwich on Greenwich Avenue.We sat down to chat with him about the Greenwich location, new menu items, new restaurants down the pipeline and the challenges of opening a restaurant during a pandemic.Like most restaurants, staffing has been an issue and he’s operating with a skeleton crew but he’s very proud of his young workers, their work ethic and dedication. With over a decade of success with the original Fairfield location as well as the Lobster Truck, the recipes have been perfected and feeding the masses is the easy part. (The hard part, for us, was deciding which roll to get! Scroll down and you’ll see what I mean!) Read More
Little Dumpling House Ghost Kitchen Opens in Westport from Folks at Grammies Donuts Restaurant Asian Chinese Japanese Sushi Westport Openings Ghost Kitchen Homepage Stephanie Webster August 11, 2021 The team that brought you the uber popular Grammies Donuts + Biscuits is back with another crave-worthy ghost kitchen concept, Little Dumpling House. For those unfamiliar with the notion of a “ghost kitchen,” it simply means there is no dining space. Guests can order online and either get their meals delivered or picked up. In this case, it’s Asian to-go.Little Dumpling House is the brainchild of owners, Charlie Gilhuly and Molly Healey, but their Asian inspired playlist is all Healey’s handiwork. The menu at Little Dumpling is small but very well executed, and also quite nicely priced. Healey wanted to create healthy clean flavorful Asian cuisine with something for everyone (including the kids), and they have delivered on that promise. Read More
Hinoki Opens In Greenwich with Japanese Izakaya & Dim Sum Restaurant Dim Sum Chinese Japanese Sushi Dumplings Greenwich Homepage Jessica Ryan July 25, 2021 Hinoki, a relaxed tapas-style Asian cuisine in a casual, fine dining atmosphere opens in Greenwich.Some things are worth waiting for, and Hinoki was one of them. Slated to launch prior to the pandemic, the restaurant’s doors are finally open. Brought to you from the successful team behind Miku Sushi in Greenwich and Kumo Sushi Lounge in Scarsdale, K. Dong and Chef Steven Chen, Hinoki introduces a new concept in Asian cuisine, bringing together a relaxed tapas-style Asian cuisine known as Izakaya along with the exclusive chef’s table experience known as Omakase, in a stunning setting at 363 Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich. The two concepts are separated into three separate sleek and elegant dining areas including a private omakase event space, as well as an outdoor space on Fawcett Place. Read More
