Filtering by Tag: Wine,Tasting

Delamar Hotels Launches DeLaLuxe Luxury Yachting Experiences

Features Yacht Experience events Wine Unique Dining Experiences Homepage

Jessica Ryan

Last week we had the opportunity to spend a blissful afternoon on the Saugatuck River. On behalf of our CTBites team, I’ll say that it was an honor to join our friends from the Delamar Hotels to experience their brand new Luxury Yachting program curated for hotel guests, and available to residents of Greenwich, Westport, Southport and surrounding communities. 

We set sail in the stunning Angelique, a rare custom yacht docked in Westport. Boat lovers and aficionados will immediately fall in love with her. She’s exquisitely beautiful, supremely stately, stable and quiet, with the grace of a ballerina as she skims the waters. She is the only one of her kind here in the States. Angelique was designed to navigate the rivers and canals of the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. She is perfectly at home sailing along the shoreline of the  Saugatuck and Long Island Sound.


L’escale Celebrates its 20th Anniversary on Greenwich's Waterfront

Features Restaurant Greenwich Waterfront French Raw Bar Wine Events Yacht Experience Anniversary

Jessica Ryan

The iconic Greenwich restaurant known for its exceptional cuisine and timeless charm, is commemorating its 20th Anniversary this year, marking two decades of culinary excellence and cherished memories.

Located at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor Hotel and founded in 2003, L’escale boasts an award-winning menu and extraordinary wine program. The restaurant’s stunning setting, décor and cuisine instantly transport you to the Cote d’Azur, if only temporarily (and without the need to step on a plane!) The picturesque setting conjures images of an Auguste Renoir painting of diners lunching au dehors, en plain air, and Edith Piaf serenading in the distance. The restaurant sits above the docks on the harbor with the stunning picnic boats and yachts below. L’escale represents a quiet, understated luxury, and whether it’s caviar or a juicy burger you’re craving, you’ll find these items and many more on the menu. 


Fight Childhood Hunger May 7th at Sunset Wine Party Event for Filling In The Blanks

Features Fundraiser Wine Events

CTbites Team

On May 7th, come sip, explore, shop and socialize at an exclusive, local event to benefit Filling In the Blanks. Sunset Wine Party is hosting this inaugural New Canaan event: a festive, upscale wine tasting evening at the Country Club of New Canaan on May 7th, 2023. All net proceeds benefit Filling in the Blanks, a celebrated local non-profit which supports area children experiencing hunger by providing them with meals on the weekends.


43 LaSalle Road Tasting Menu Debuts in West Hartford From New Team at Union Kitchen

Features Restaurant Tasting Menu Tasting Wine West Hartford Openings Homepage

Christopher Hodson

Fine dining isn’t dead, despite what René Redzepi might say or think, as he gets ready to shutter the doors of what’s been considered one of the best restaurants in the entire world for nearly twenty years. West Hartford has been missing this ‘option’ in dining for a very long time, up until now. Located at 43 Lasalle Road amid restaurant row, are two gentleman working incredibly hard to bring back the ‘tasting menu’ and the full experience that goes along with it, if you choose. You should choose. Head Chef Tim East brings with him a very diverse background in food as he’s worked at several high profile restaurants around the state with some very notable chefs including Todd English and Bobby Flay. He is no stranger to West Hartford either, as he oversaw the much loved Besito in Blueback square that closed over a rental agreement dispute. Most recently however, he took on a leadership role at the storied Cavey’s in Manchester where he developed a love of French cuisine along with many of its techniques. Tim carries all of this experience and knowledge along with his passion, to a restaurant that is focused on its changing the narrative from what it was before he arrived, to what it is capable of under his leadership, a true destination restaurant amongst the West Hartford food scene.


Former Nosh Hound Food Truck Owner Maycie Ralbovsky Joins Broken Symmetry as Executive Chef

Brewery Features Interview Restaurant Brewery Chef Talk Tasting Tasting Menu Tacos Mexican Craft Beer beer Homepage Broken Symmetry Bethel

Andrew Dominick

Ask any Fairfield County food truck fanatic what their favorite one was over the past handful of years and they’re likely to mention Nosh Hound if they know what they’re talking about.

The stacked sandwiches, the tacos, the burgers, and the bowls, and yes, even the “F” word…FUSION. It all really worked for Nosh Hound. I, for one, sought out Sam and Maycie Ralbovsky’s truck at every Mill River Park event. My final Nosh Hound memory was at Half Full’s Oktoberfest in Downtown Stamford when I obliterated a pork schnitzel sandwich.


Vergelegen, South Africa’s 2nd Oldest Winery Comes To CT

Features Ingredients Wine Ingredients Wine Chat

James Gribbon

Vergelegen, South Africa’s second oldest winery, was introduced in the U.S. for the first time this year. We had an opportunity to try these outstanding wines, and speak with the group responsible for bringing Vergelegen to America.

Vergelegen's existence in the U.S. is one of the better success stories we’ve heard from the last two years, but its history dates back to the year 1700, when the Dutch East India co-founded the vineyard in order to have drinkable liquid on Cape Horn when traveling back and forth from India, Indonesia, and all points East.

Vergelegen (closest pronunciation we can manage is VAHK-heh-lehn) means "situated far away," and the original estate totaled an absolutely whopping 74,000 acres. A bit smaller now, the current production is still 100% estate wine, and their V and GVB wines are still produced on specific blocks of the old vineyard, located around the corner from Stellenbosch. Cold currents of air coming from Antarctica at night, with hot weather from Indian Ocean in the day, plus variable soils at the base of the Helderberg Mountains have proven perfect for wine growing.


Call, Respond, Then Run to RSVP for Beautiful French in West Cornwall

Features Restaurant Seasonal Road Trip Homepage French Chef's Tasting Tasting Menu Tasting Cornwall West Cornwall Litchfield

Andrew Dominick

Several months ago, I’m certain my reaction to my dear friend, Katy, mentioning RSVP was something like, “Yeah. That means respond.” If we’re being technical, it’s actually “répondez s'il vous plait” or translated from French to English, “respond, if you please.”

Until Katy finished her thought by telling me that RSVP a French restaurant in Litchfield County that she heard about from one of her friends who’s a bartender. “He raves about it,” she said.

As is always the case, time passed. We kind of forgot about RSVP and barely looked into it for weeks, even months. Only occasionally we’d briefly bring it up, referring it as “THAT French place in Cornwall.”


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.