The first time I read about Dîner en Blanc, I was floored, mystified, envious even. Wait, what is this and where has it been all my life? Everyone dresses in white, carries all their accoutrement like tables, chairs, and picnic baskets yet they don’t know where they are dining? Let me in. It took a few years of watching from the sidelines before I threw myself into the mix, which was after the pandemic; now I’m hooked.
Dîner en Blanc is coming to New Haven this Fall, on September 14th, 2024.
Le Diner en Blanc is so much more than an event! It’s a unique cultural movement that empowers friends of friends to gather and celebrate their shared passions for life, food, fashion, and community, year after year, with a pinch of mystery and large serving of spontaneity.
CTbites is excited to be the Media Sponsor for an incredible dining event going down on June 22nd, DINNER ON MARKLE, “Cultivating Seeds of Community.”BUY TICKETS HERE
29 Markle Court, awarded “Best New Restaurant” at the 2023 “Crazies Awards” is taking the “Outstanding In The Field” concept and bringing that long communal table dining experience to the streets of downtown Bridgeport. This is going to be an unforgettable event you will not want to miss.
The community dinner, "Dinner on Markle," will be held Saturday June 22nd, 3-8PM and the experience will span the entirely of Markle Ct in front of the restaurant. Chef Damon Daye and Wesley Arbuthnot have created an evening filled with local artists, creative drinks, live music and a four-course dinner al fresco that will focus on the bounty the season has to offer from our local CT farms.
The evening will be set under the stars, surrounded by an exhibit of incredible community art brought to you by Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.
“Cultivating Seeds of Community” will elevate local creativity, community, and art. A portion of the proceeds will benefit “The Green Village Initiative” and “The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.”
NOA, located on Crown Street in the heart of Downtown New Haven, just celebrated its first Birthday and we were recently invited to check it out. NOA is the second restaurant owned by chef and owner Winyu “Win” Seetamyae who also owns the wildly popular and favored September In Bangkok, also in New Haven. Although both restaurants are Taiwanese, the “vibe” and dishes are quite different. NOA is a bit more youthful with a vivid nighttime scene. NOA, which happens to mean delicious in Thai certainly lives up to its name based on the dishes we tried.
A few months ago, a friend whose taste I trust asked me if I had tried Grumpy Dumplings? I said I had seen the account on Instagram, and recognized them from the local farmers’ markets, but had yet to try these so called “grumpy” dumplings. I was however already somewhat obsessed with their Japanese anime style branding, so why not give it a go? A few days later, I was able to procure some of their small batch dumplings ordered through their Instagram account (they since have launched a web site with online ordering), and as a bonus…they even delivered within 20 miles of Norwalk. Dinner was saved.
Sometimes when it comes to food, simple is smart. Doing one thing and doing it well defines the menu at Gai-Ja Chicken Rice in Fairfield CT. Owner, Putthabut Rungsri, said he opened Gai-Ja Chicken Rice because he realized that no one in Connecticut was serving the type of Thai street food he grew up with in his birthplace of Thailand. His Thai style chicken rice, or,“ Khao Man Gai “ (ข้าวมันไก่), for which the restaurant is named, is quite simply, the ultimate comfort food. The dish consists of poached, grilled or fried chicken, resting on top of steamed jasmine rice, cooked in chicken broth and seasoned with ginger, garlic, and chicken oil. The dish is served with a ginger soybean sauce and clear chicken broth on the side. It’s a little slice of street food heaven, and priced at $12 Gai-Ja has become a fixture in our weekly dinner rotation.
Van Leeuwenice cream is opening in Greenwich Oct. 1st—Greenwich Wine + Food launches their schedule of weeklong festivities and participants that will comprise its 10-year anniversary celebration October 3-14th—On Sunday, 10/2, 4 - 7pm Barcelona Wine Bar Fairfield is throwing a 13th Annual Asado on the Patio party to pair autumn barbecue flavors and dishes with wines in a communal social-hour soiree—Wakeman Town Center is celebrating fall with an intimate chef's dinner on the Farm c/o Marcia Selden Catering on 10.6.22—bartaco has brought back its iconic #bartacosecret brisket taco to kick off the fall season++
Just how many creative things have you accomplished or experienced this year? So you’ve become a wizard of Zoom, turned your living room into Studio 54, or maybe you’ve even become TikTok famous for your golden sourdough while being an accountant in your pajamas.
Good for you.
You have likely NOT, however, headed out your front door to the gorgeous doors of The Goodwin Hotel in Hartford to luxuriate in an evening of mystery over a dinner created by the talented, beloved Connecticut chef Tyler Anderson. Along with TheaterWorks and weHartford, you can now, in a VERY safe, nearly contactless manner, enjoy a 2-3 hour night out. Take a deep dive into clues and mystery in your own room, and marvel in a scrumptious three-course meal. All paying homage to Hartford, Wall Street financier J.P. Morgan, and the late 19th century as it comes back to life today.
What a full circle moment. I first met our editor Stephanie Webster, affectionately known as Boss Lady, almost two years ago at El Segundo in SONO before I started eating myself silly for ctbites. So, I’d say it’s fitting that I get to bring you the news that the segundo El Segundo is opening in New Haven THIS TUESDAY, August 25th. It makes PERFECT sense that a place that consistently delivers super friggin delish-us Global Street Food, land in a town like New Haven, which is a gorgeous microcosm of what our bruised little world has to offer.
One of our favorite chefs and a passionate supporter of the local CT food community, Jes Bengston, of Terrain Garden Café, will be cooking The James Beard House on August 6th. Nestled in the beachside town of Westport, Terrain is a luxury garden center that celebrates nature and all its bounty—including on the menu of its charming cafe. Join Jes Bengston, as she returns to the Beard House with her plant-based, homegrown harvest for a summer exploration of the best from southern Connecticut’s land and sea, paired with superb Napa-style wines from local Jonathan Edwards Winery. Ticket info here.
Did you ever hear the one about the food truck chef and the restaurant chef at a local brewery?
Wait, that’s a real thing. There’s no punchline.
What I’m talking about here is the first ever Beers & Bites event that was held on April 5, 2018 at Half Full Brewery in Stamford. Beers & Bites is a collaboration between CTbites, Half Full Brewery, local food trucks and chefs.
The idea behind Beers & Bites is to team a food truck chef and a restaurant chef to collaborate on a menu that gets paired with Half Full’s thirst-quenching brews. Think of it as a beer dinner where you won’t leave feeling overstuffed; it’s just enough food and drink. For $50 you get four-courses, four beers (refills were common so it’s a little more than four), a commemorative Beers & Bites snifter glass, and a damn good time in a non-pretentious, not overcrowded taproom.
It’s all about the broth, North Shutsharawan told me when I met him at Nit Noi Provision’s pop-up location at Bar Bucha in Westport last week. Inspired by the Thai street food scene and the healthy foods available for lunch, North had the idea to replicate his grandmother’s recipe with the hopes of selling it both in Connecticut and in Colorado. Nit Noi which literally means “a little bit” is based on a simple soup he ate as a child purchased from vendors at the market called Guay Tiew Kwa Gay. At the market each vendor had his own specialty dish, just one, North explained to me.
The passage of time is strange. The distant past and the very recent can bend back on each other and almost touch, and what was once long ago can feel as real now as the blossoming of first love, as the comforting aroma of mom’s home cooking… Lately when I’m in the mood to go back up the river of time to that place in Southeast Asia that destiny would see us go just once, I visit Thai Kit on the Post Road in Fairfield. It's a brand new Thai restaurant with a couple of advantages over some other places I have tried. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, or if you live in the neighborhood, just past the McDonalds at the circle in Fairfield heading toward Black Rock on the left-hand side, Thai Kit is a delicious destination well worth exploring.
Washington Prime’s Georgetown location has announced a Tuesday night dinner special. The prime rib roast 2-course dinner includes your choice of salad, a 16 oz. prime rib, and a side of mashed potatoes.
On Wednesday March 29, AMG Catering will offer a “Spring Chicken Class.” Learn to prepare healthy and exciting chicken dishes using seasonal spring ingredients. It costs $90 per person and goes from 7-9pm.
New Haven’s Shell & Bones Oyster Bar has an all new brunch cocktail menu. Four new cocktails will be offered alongside their “Breakfast Bloody Mary.” There will also be three non-alcoholic drinks. Join them for brunch Friday-Sunday after 11am.
If you’re in the mood for simple, kid-friendly, tasty Thai, then hop in your tuk tuk and head over to WHOOPI for authentic, Thai cuisine on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield. Owners Tom and Helen Chaimahavong opened their latest haunt (named for their son whose nickname is Whoopi) mid 2015 and are the former owners of THAISAB in New Haven. Natives of Bangkok, Tom and Helen have mastered the ins and outs of their native cuisine while keeping dishes simple and novice-friendly. WHOOPI is not fancy Thai, and it’s not for the super adventurous; it is simply yummy Thai fare that is great for lunch with the kids, a laid back dinner with friends or a great take-out/delivery option. The space is small but cozy and we enjoyed our meal! Here is how it went down…
“That’s it,” I overheard a man say with a smile, holding his takeout order as he joked about having come in four days in a row. The word is out downtown...Pho 170, M’town’s newest/latest, is busy. The service is friendly and attentive, showing this new kid on the block is already in the groove, cranking out fresh and delicious dishes—both Vietnamese and Thai.
It’s not been quite three weeks since Viengthong Charonesuk opened the doors to her newest restaurant. And, unlike so many other spots when they first get started, everything’s well under control. Even on a night when they were one person short on the waitstaff, they pulled everything off without a hitch. Vieng hails most recently from Bann Thai in Cheshire, and she’s run restaurants in other locations across the state as well. Little things, like making sure you have extra plates when you share a dish, aren’t overlooked. And it’s always a nice touch when your water glass is refilled before you even need to ask.
Blink and you can easily miss the little white house as you drive down Park Street in Hartford’s Parkville section. So keep an eye out, because it’s home to a fine family business specializing in Thai and Lao dishes—generous portions, reasonably priced. And if you head east of the river, you’ll find the exact same menu and great food in Manchester.
There are many choices closer to home when it comes to Thai, but when the craving hits, I make tracks for King & I. It’s changed management over time, but the food remains just as delicious as it ever was. In fact, it’s amazingly consistent. How is that even possible?
The secret to their success starts in a tiny kitchen with their cook. Behind the scenes, the same woman has been busy stirring up deliciousness for the past 10 years. When the previous owner sold the restaurant four and a half years ago, Hongkham Munesaleum was already part of the kitchen. But now, with her husband, Lam, washing dishes, and his daughter Lilly, serving the front of the house (literally!), it’s all in the family.
CTbites Invites and Westport's own "celebrity chef" Pietro Scotti celebrate the final weeks of white truffle season with a special four course prix fix dinner for ONE NIGHT ONLY on THURSDAY DECEMBER 10 at 7:00 pm., specially priced at $150 pp. Purchase your tickets Here....
If you have never tasted this delicacy, this is your chance to savor the unique and special funghi foraged in the hills of Alba, Italy at a very special price.
Join Chef Pietro in his intimate and award winning restaurant, Da Pietro's, for four courses that include:
The third annual C.O.O.K. series presented by Gateway Community College Foundation features chef-led culinary evenings at Gateway's campus in New Haven. Upcoming events include Neil "Singing Chef" Fuentes on June 3, 2015 and Abby Dodge on November 4, 2015. Tickets for the Neil Fuentes dinner are $65 per person.
Tickets include:
6 p.m. Pre-event reception with wine, beer soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres in Gateway’s New Alliance Foundation Art Gallery
A cookbook, memoir or recipe booklet
A chance opportunity to meet the author/chef
A 6:45 p.m. 3 course meal prepared by the featured chef and Gateway Community College Culinary
Several years ago I sampled Chef Pat Pascarella’s Pasta Bolognese and it was one of the best Bolognese I had ever tasted. Since that time, Pascarella opened Bar Sugo on Wall Street in Norwalk and I have enjoyed many of Chef Pat’s creations. He recently introduced his full-table Pasta Tasting menu and invited CTbites to sample the five courses…from a straightforward tomato and basil to a complex lobster, morel and truffle. The incredible Bolognese that Chef Pat served me several years ago was a prelude to the fantastic five courses that I enjoyed with wine pairings from Sommelier Megan Pacarella.
Hand-crafted cocktails will be paired with a four course tasting menu alongside guest speaker and distiller Michael Sharry. Bailey's chief mixologist, Bryan Walsh, has compiled an impressive lineup of cocktails paired with Executive Chef Forrest Pasternack's locally-minded menu. Price is $75 per person plus gratuity.
