Filtering by Tag: Westchester,Tapas

Crush Wine Bar Opens in West Hartford Center From Union Kitchen Team

Restaurant West Hartford Hartford County Opening Wine Bar Wine Dinners Wine & Spirits Tapas Homepage

Leeanne Griffin

The team behind West Hartford’s newest wine bar wants its guests to know that it’s far more than just wine – though its list is more than 400 bottles strong. 

Crush Wine Bar, which opened in the town center on Oct. 30, offers a full menu of thoughtful small plates alongside its extensive wine selection. Operations manager and beverage director Vish Badami said he thinks the food has been a bit of a surprise for guests in the first few weeks.

“People (expect) it's going to be cheese and charcuterie, and that's kind of the impression they have,” he said. “And then I think a lot of people are very pleasantly surprised with the quality of food, the thought process behind the food, the options, the freshness of the dishes.”

Crush Wine Bar is a sister restaurant to Union Kitchen, its LaSalle Road neighbor, which has evolved in recent years from a casual comfort-food spot to a more upscale experience with tasting menus. Both are owned by Bean Restaurant Group, which also owns and operates several other eateries in western Massachusetts, including The Student Prince in Springfield, the White Hut burger spots in Holyoke and West Springfield and the German-themed Wurst Haus in Northampton.

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Border Crossing for Barbecue: Br’ers BBQ in Bedford Hills

Features Ingredients Interview Road Trip Restaurant barbecue BBQ Bedford Bedford Hills Westchester Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Barbecue is one of those things that people will travel for. Just over the Connecticut line, specifically in Bedford Hills, is a small, mostly takeout BBQ “shack” in a residential neighborhood, that’s actually not too far of a drive for folks in Stamford, Greenwich, Ridgefield, New Canaan, and their surrounding areas.

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Siren Restobar Opens with Mediterranean Cuisine in Greenwich

Restaurant Old Greenwich Greenwich Mediterranean Lunch Homepage Tapas

Jessica Ryan

We recently had the pleasure of visiting Siren Restobar in Old Greenwich Connecticut. Owner Anshu Vidyarthi opened this new Mediterranean-inspired eatery in August. No stranger to the restaurant world, Vidyarthi is also the co-owner of Le Penguin and Le Fat Poodle with business partner Antoine Blech. Siren is his first solo project.

The tapas restaurant takes on flavors from throughout the Mediterranean region, and Siren’s culinary range extends to include influences from Syria, Turkey, Sardinia, Morocco, and Lebanon to name just a few.

Vidyarthi’s desire with Siren was to create serious food but whimsically. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and would prefer that you didn’t either. Siren serves the type of food that people who are well-fed and well-travelled are looking for. The authenticity of every dish is evident in every mouthful, simple ingredients that create a depth of flavor. One needn’t overcomplicate things. 

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Winfield Street Coffee Introduces New Culinary + Coffee Directors and Expanded Lunch Menu

Interview Restaurant Winfield Street Coffee Stamford Westport Westchester New York New York City Coffee Lunch

Andrew Dominick

reno Donatti recalls being in the Bronx and trying to get back to Stamford’s branch of Winfield Street Coffee. “I punched in Winfield Street Coffee in Google Maps, and for the time, it gave me the ‘see locations’ option,” he says. “I thought, Oh! This is awesome!”

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The Taco Project Introduces Former Alinea Chef as Culinary Director—Stamford Location Launches Brunch

Interview Restaurant The Taco Project Stamford Westchester Brunch Interview Chef Talk tacos Mexican Fast Casual Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Less than a year ago, we introduced readers to Stamford branch of The Taco Project, a fast casual Mexican restaurant whose roots began in Tarrytown in 2014.

Since April of 2022, The Taco Project and its brand grew even more outside of its existing Westchester locations (Tarrytown, Yonkers, Pleasantville, Bronxville) and its High Ridge Road spot in Stamford, as they’ve set their sights on the Florida market and opened up shop in Coral Springs.

But with growth comes some additions.

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Roadtrip: Augustine’s Salumeria Dazzles with Seasonal, Modern Italian in Mamaroneck

Features Road Trip Restaurant Homepage Mamaroneck Westchester New York Hudson Valley Italian Chef Chef Talk

Andrew Dominick

If you listen to Marc Taxiera talk about his style at his newly opened Mamaroneck restaurant, Augustine’s Salumeria, he speaks about it passionately.

“It’s born in Italian cooking, but I’m using ingredients from the market, things that turn us on,” he says. “My food was always about taking ingredients that we can get and showcasing them in the best way. Most Italian tends to be heavy on the sauce, fried calamari, chicken parm, but we’re taking the seasons and playing with it, doing it a little differently.”

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Bona Bona Ice Cream in Port Chester Launches Savory Bites Menu + Boozy Milkshake Bar

Features Ice Cream Interview Restaurant Ice Cream Milkshakes Bona Bona Ice Cream Bona Bona Port Chester Westchester Greenwich

Andrew Dominick

Those who are newly familiar with Nick Di Bona’s namesake Bona Bona Ice Cream should know he’s not just an ice cream man.

It’s no surprise that Di Bona’s small batch Italian interpretation of American ice cream has taken off. Nutella S’mores, Italian Rainbow Cookie, and Key Lime Pie are a few, but throw in Bona Bona’s signature toasted meringue topping, and it’s not only delicious, it’s highly photographable.

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Barcelona Wine Bar Launches Happy Hour Menu...And We Are Down

Features Restaurant Barcelona Wine Bar Norwalk Homepage Wine Cocktails Happy Hour Snacks Spanish Tapas

Andrew Dominick

We here at CTbites don’t normally focus on chain restaurants, both national and micro, but if there’s one that gets a pass it’s Barcelona Wine Bar. After all, Barcelona originated in South Norwalk way back in 1996 before expanding to other cities in Connecticut, then ultimately to Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Georgia, and a handful of other states.

My home base Barcelona is in Norwalk at the Waypointe. I know, I know, we all have our favorite location down in Fairfield County—or beyond if you’re in the New Haven or West Hartford area—mine happens to be Norwalk because it’s not only a newish one, but also because it’s a two mile drive away.

One day when I had a serious craving for chicken pimientos, I clicked on Barcelona’s menu and noticed a “Happy Hour” tab. Hey, listen, I love a good happy hour, so you’ve got my attention.

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The Granola Bar in Rye Launches After Hours Upscale Bar Menu

Features Interview Road Trip Restaurant The Granola Bar Rye Westchester bar cocktails bar food burgers Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Riddle me this. The Granola Bar begins each morning frothing lattes, stacking egg sandwiches, and spreading avocado on sourdough. If they switch it up after hours by dimming the lights, mixing cocktails, popping corks, and serving up dry-aged smash burgers, caviar topped hash browns, and trout roe deviled eggs, what’s it called then?

The Bar.

Sorry that wasn’t as clever as a puzzle presented by a certain Batman villain.

But nevertheless, what’s happening at The Granola Bar’s Rye location is something worth spilling. And it all goes down in a setting that’s fit for Gotham City. All the marble, mirrors, palms and live garden walls make it feel like a cross between Manhattan chic and Miami Beach. It’s fit for date night, girl’s night (or guy’s night!), and a quick after work drink. Psst! The Bar opens at 5. Just an FYI for those who need a fast post-work fix.

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Fortina Stamford Launches New Brunch Menu...And It's Damn Tasty

Features Interview Restaurant Italian brunch Homepage Stamford Westchester Fortina

Andrew Dominick

Paul Failla uses the word “afterthought” when describing the brunch that was previously offered at all four Fortina locations in Stamford, Armonk, Rye Brook, and Yonkers.

“The old menu was like five items,” he says. “People didn’t come here for brunch. They’d always get pizza. Brunch was always an afterthought here.”

One of Failla’s first orders of business as the restaurant’s sole culinary director was to all but scrap the former “barely a brunch” format and make Fortina a place you’d seek out for daytime drinks, yolky goodness, breakfast sandwiches, sweets, and more.

Failla joked that the only thing that would stay on the brunch menu are the bottomless mimosas, and while that’s true, the only other holdover will be a tweaked version of eggs in purgatory, but with a spicier marinara sauce.

The rest of the menu is a switch-up entirely.

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Road Trip: Crotty's Cheesesteaks: A Taste of Philly in New Rochelle

Features Interview Restaurant Road Trip cheesesteaks New Rochelle Westchester Hudson Valley Fast Casual Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Imagine NOT having to drive over 100 miles for a cheesesteak.

No, I don’t mean just any cheesesteak. I’m talking about thin-sliced, practically shaved steak, drippy golden yellow Cheez Whiz, translucent onions, and a hoagie roll that strikes that balance of soft and chewy.

Your neighborhood pizza joint that claims to have a “Philly” doesn’t count. It’s fine if you made the mistake and ordered that dry, sorry excuse for a cheesesteak once, just don’t let it happen again.

You no longer have to settle for less. Crotty’s Cheesesteaks—located directly across from Hugenot Park and a hop, skip, and a jump from Iona College—is here to save you from all the bad cheesesteaks that exist in the general area and beyond.

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Tina Zaccardi: The Woman Behind The Italian Cookie

Features Baker Cottage Bakers Custom Cakes Cakes Cookies Caterers Westchester

Donna Monaco Olsen

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.

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Restaurant L'Ostal Opens in Darien with Beautiful Provençal Cuisine

Restaurant Darien Openings French Italian Spanish Provencal Fine Dining Tapas Homepage

Jessica Ryan

Darien finally gets a serious contender in upscale dining, bringing New York City excellence to the area without the city prices. Rooted in history and steeped in tradition, Restaurant L’Ostal celebrates the cuisines of Southern France and its neighboring communities from Catalonia, the Languedoc, Provence and the Alps of the Piemonte region of Italy with precision and accuracy.

Before I share my own culinary experience, you must meet Chef Jared Sippel and General Manager and Sommelier Joe Cracco.

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The Lila Rose Opens in Stamford: Sophisticated, Deliciously Playful, and a True Dining Experience

Restaurant Openings Tapas American Global Cuisine Cocktails Stamford Bar Brunch Homepage Breakfast

Jessica Ryan

A couple of months ago John and Morgan Nealon (owners of the ever popular Taco Daddy) partnered up with Chef Mo Major, General Manager JJ Henao, and Mixologist Dave Cohade to create a restaurant experience like no other. This restaurant is The Lila Rose, a luxurious, sophisticated, whimsical and (I dare say) over-the-top restaurant.

The interior, dressed entirely in shades of pink and gold, is distinctly feminine with a flirty vibe that’s sophisticated yet playful. The Lila Rose is a delicious feast for the eyes offering up so much exquisite detail, you can’t possibly take it all in.

I had the opportunity to sample their menu a couple of weeks ago. With so few opportunities to “get away” these days, the Lila Rose fills that void, offering guests a truly memorable experience. This is the type of venue where you’ll want to slip into something more beautiful and we noticed that the guests thought so too.

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Chef Jason Toledo Takes Over The Kitchen at Barcelona Wine Bar West Hartford

Restaurant Spanish Tapas Chef Chef Talk Menu Update West Hartford Hartford County

Jessica Ryan

Last week we took a road trip to Barcelona Wine Bar in West Hartford to meet Executive Chef Jason Toledo who recently joined the team there from the Boston locations. Barcelona Wine Bar, which first appeared on the scene in 1995, has been a go-to for tapas and wine lovers ever since. Known for their rustic Mediterranean and South American inspired influences, regulars seek out the restaurant’s signature dishes as a source of comfort and consistency. (I cannot, for example, not order the spinach and Chickpea Cazuela and the Gambas al Ajillo - ordered with extra bread to soak up the divine garlicky juices). While we all have our go-to comfort foods, discovering new items is an equally thrilling part of the experience.

With 18 locations in nine states, Barcelona prides itself on celebrating each chef’s individual talents, allowing for certain dishes to be exclusive to each restaurant. Each location, while unique, has a familiar and welcoming atmosphere.

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"The Barn" at The Bedford Post Inn: Yep...It's THAT Good

Restaurant Bedford Westchester American Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

There are very few meals that truly linger days after I have them. Ohhhh, but when one does, I’m inclined to get out my imaginary megaphone and shout. The Charred Octopus at The Barn has had me positively awestruck. Our very editor here at CTbites asked me, “It was that good?” “Yes, Boss Lady, it was realllllllly good.” As one of three new eateries housed within The Bedford Post Inn, The Barn is in the midst of a fresh start. Again. Chef Roxanne Spruance and her crew had only just taken on the restaurants, and restructured and revived The Barn, just a few months before the pandemic hit, so the June Phase 2 re-opening has given them yet another chance to really open. Chef feels lucky. She says, “Thankfully, despite the timing, we’ve hardly skipped a beat.”

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Local Spotlight: Mike Geller of Mike's Organic in Stamford

Features Ingredients Delivery Service Home Delivery Organic Specialty Market Stamford Westchester Interview Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Hello, CTbites readers! 

Most of the time we bring you pieces on chefs but we’re trying something new that puts the focus on interesting food and beverage industry folks that ARE NOT chefs but have a tale to tell; think bartenders, independent bakers, farmers, maybe some brewers, or even that waiter everyone seems to know. 

It’s only fitting to kick it off with Mike Geller, the owner of Mike’s Organic Delivery in Stamford. He’s not a chef, he has a story, and he’s really easy to have a conversation with. He’s one of the reasons why I thought of this series in the first place, so making him number one was a no-brainer. 

If you’re unfamiliar with Mike’s Organic, it opened in 2009, strictly as a grocery delivery service. Now, celebrating its decade-old birthday, Geller expanded his business and opened his doors to the public with a mini market filled with carefully selected organic goods, fresh produce, and lots of local products. To boot, they host lots of special events and cooking classes with the likes of Geoff Lazlo, Ross Bread, and Nit Noi Provisions. 

How it all started, though, is quite something. Cue the Q&A! 

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10 Things—or Tapas—We Loved About Mezón Restaurant in Danbury

Restaurant Latin American Peruvian Mexican Danbury Tapas Homepage

Stephanie Webster & Andrew Dominick

For nearly a decade, Mezón Restaurant has been thought of as one of Connecticut’s premiere Latin eateries by word of mouth and its seen its fair share of media recognition—they are fresh off Connecticut Magazine Reader’s Poll wins for Best Latin in Fairfield County and the runner-up for Best Latin in the state. And that’s saying something considering they didn’t even know they were nominated and because of that, they didn’t publicize it.

Four years ago, our own Lou Gorfain sang Mezón’s praises after a small tasting of ceviche, pan seared pulpo, Dominican fried chicken, and churros. But everything food deserves an update, especially considering there’s a new chef at the helm, an obviously newer menu, and a haven for craft cocktails.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure Lou and Kristin are the only ones at CTbites who have been to Mezón. For Stephanie and me, we uttered the same thing, “I’m embarrassed I hadn’t been here before.”

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Brunch at Barcelona Wine Bar Norwalk: The Secret Is Out

Restaurant Brunch Breakfast Spanish Tapas Norwalk New Haven West Hartford

Stephanie Webster

This review has been a long time coming. For the past year, my family has had a standing reservation either Saturday or Sunday morning at Barcelona Wine Bar’s Waypoint location. We have been regulars at their evening Tapas service, truly enjoying Chef Kaline Capps’ ever evolving but consistently well executed menu. However, the morning we walked in for Brunch, our weekend breakfast game was forever changed. Barcelona serves a 12 piece curated Brunch menu that knocks the socks off of most local breakfast menus, and the prices…well…there is only one item on the menu over $8. Scrambled Egg Montadito with Manchego and Serrano ham will run you $4.50. Migas Verduras with Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Aioli sets you back $6.50, and the incredibly delicious Chorizo Breakfast Bowl can be yours for $7.50. Every time we stagger out the door, full of cured Spanish meat and perfectly cooked eggs, we have reverse sticker shock. The menu features ingredients you know, each with a delightful Spanish twist. Now, I’ve shared my little secret. You know where to find me on the weekends. And I haven’t even gotten to the pancakes…

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