When I visited Fryborg in 2023 for a follow up article on its new Trumbull location and expanded menu, owner Johnathan Gibbons tossed me a tidbit that I teased at the end of that piece about a weekend morning pop up featuring something sweet.
“A lot of the food we serve is inspired by being a kid,” says Fryborg owner Jonathan Gibbons. “In Milford, an older guy in his 80s comes in regularly and he remarked that my food is like when he was a kid. That made me feel really good. The food, the video game table, the bubble hockey, it’s all about nostalgia.”
For many, me included, “nostalgia” is the right work to describe Fryborg.
This article appeared in the Trumbull Times on January 5th. Read the complete article here.
Jonathan Gibbons is being cautiously optimistic.
He hopes that the latest outpost of his restaurant Fryborg will open at 10 Broadway Road in Trumbull some time in May. But he’s well aware that might not be possible.
“Right now, with all of the delays and issues with the supply chain, it’s affecting everybody,” Gibbons said. “I know it will take a while.”
Despite the potential hiccups, he’s excited about bringing the restaurant — perhaps best known for its hand-cut fries with a choice of more than 15 dipping sauces and an array of toppings — to Trumbull this year.
The drive-thru window that had been used by the pharmacy will be used to pick up food. However, Gibbons said, it wouldn’t be a traditional drive-thru, where customers would order food from a kiosk, pay and pick it up. Customers would order and pay ahead of time and pick up the food at the window when ready.
The restaurant would also offer sit-down dining.
Fryborg began as a food truck in August of 2012. In 2018, Gibbons opened a restaurant in Milford. When he saw the space in Trumbull was available, he said it appeared to be a great opportunity to expand his brand.
Earlier this summer, husband and wife team, Cristina Ramirez and Mario Lopez along with brother Jaime opened Bianco Rosso’s newest location, in Trumbull, to eager diners. Noted Chef David White (most recently of Vespa, Westport) was brought on to oversee all culinary matters and is joined by award-winning Pastry Chef Susanne Berne where the two have joined forces to create a delectable menu. Acclaimed Mixologist Jaime Johel oversees the creative specialty cocktail menu. The energetic restaurant opened to rave reviews. We had the opportunity to visit the new restaurant last week and sample some of Chef White’s culinary prowess.
If you’ve walked into either one of the Bow Tie Cinemas in Norwalk lately, you and I likely had the same reaction. I froze for multiple seconds. I’m certain my “wow” face was visible, mouth hitting the ground cartoon-style and all. I marveled at the renovations at the SoNo Ultimate Regent 8, the movie theater I grew up going to since it opened, and now it’s unrecognizable in the best way possible.
Gone are the packed-in, partially broken seats, that have been replaced by padded, comfier electric recliners so you can put your feet up, kick back, and zone-out during a film. As a frequent moviegoer, that’s awesome, but this is a food site. I’m here to dish about the revamped concession stand that you’ll not only see in the South Norwalk Bow Tie, but also at the Ultimate Royal 6 on Westport Avenue, and soon at the Trumbull Marquis 6 with construction slated for early November.
The upgraded concession area includes a full bar, with menus put in place by local restauranteur Greer Fredericks (Mama’s Boy, Peaches), who consulted on the project with assistance from Thomas Siano, who runs the bar program at her current restaurant.
This corned beef related news just in from WestportNow.
Westport’s Main Street is getting a Deli back. Rye Ridge Deli will open next year in space long occupied by Oscar’s Delicatessen, 159 Main St.
Partners Mike Ventorino and Scott Martin today in the future home of Rye Ridge Deli and Restaurant at 159 Main St.. Partners Scott Martin and Mike Ventorino will open the third Rye Ridge Deli sometime early next year, they said today. Other Rye Ridge Delis – described as a New York Kosher-Style Deli and Restaurant—are in Rye Brook, N.Y. and Stamford.
Oscar’s closed in August a week before the death of longtime owner Lee Papageorge after a 42-year presence on Main Street. “I got a lot of calls after it closed, asking me to take a look at it,” said Martin, an eight-year Wilton resident. “We signed the lease around Halloween.”
Located in the heart of historic South Norwalk, Zapata Mexican Restaurant crafts authentic Mexican cuisine in an area rich in history and vibrant in color, Zapata Mexican Restaurant proudly contributes to this energetic environment. This is our second location, the original is located in Palisades, NY where our family-owned and operated restaurant has thrived for over 20 years. Many of our customers come in and ask why SONO? The answer is simple, SONO lacked an authentic Mexican restaurant with fresh ingredients, amazing margaritas, and smiling faces. Freshness is what we believe in and what we thrive on. We personally choose all our produce, and all of our ingredients. We are in a society where fresh and healthy is key! To ensure the highest quality, we also cook all of our products with olive oil to keep it healthy and always tasting delicious. 
There’s a new Latin pulse beating on West Park Place in Stamford and it goes by the name ACUARIO (Aquarium, in Spanish.) Funky, warm and charming, the new Peruvian jaunt is the latest culinary jewel from the treasure box of Saida and Nicolas Oshiro, who opened the original ACUARIO in Port Chester in the 1980s. This new ACUARIO is in the worthy hands of Oshiro offspring, Eduardo, and his wife, Beth, and they know what’s cookin’. We’ve dined at ACUARIO twice and each time the restaurant has been packed, with many patrons speaking Spanish - ALWAYS a good sign.
May is National Burger Month and it’s that time of year again for CTbites to unveil its “Best Bar Burgers of Fairfield County.” The last twelve months brought us several suggestions to try and I tried many of these additional locations. The 2014 list included some outstanding bars and haunts that served delicious burgers, so good in fact that only one newcomer was as delicious. (See complete list below)
Not only was this an outstanding burger, but it earned my top spot as the Best Bar Burger in Fairfield County.
Bick’s Burgers & Fries – 2014 Best Bar Burger in Fairfield County
Americans have a loving obsession with coffee. We crave our daily fix, whether it is black, iced, with extra cream and sugar, or a shot of espresso. We crave the aroma, the taste and how coffee brings people together. However, coffee is so much more than just a beverage; it is a huge global business.
Ed Freedman of Shearwater Coffee Roasters is in the thick of this global business, but is marking his own stamp on it. Shearwater Coffee Roasters, headquartered in Trumbull, Connecticut is the first and only USDA certified organic coffee roaster in Fairfield County. Shearwater bases its business on the three core principles of organic, artisan and altruism. They pride themselves on being committed to the integrity of organic roasting. “Organic is not a product line,” says Freedman. “It’s a way of life and what we do. “
The coffee plant is often grown with harmful chemicals, pesticides and herbicides.
The Trumbull Marriott’s Parallel Post restaurant is the result of a prescient collaboration with a James Beard nominated chef and a well-known hotel chain just off the beaten path of Fairfield County's regular dining haunts. Leveraging its proximity to the region’s small and robust network of farms, and the fisheries of Long Island Sound, this three-month-old restaurant draws its inspiration from the bounty of land and sea. The effect is a modern and seasonal New England menu that skews upscale, but without any pretense.
Join us for a spooktacular CTbites Lunch Event @ Sugar & Olives on October 26th. Chef Jennifer Balin is going all "pumpkin" on us with this exciting $20 prix fixe menu (including lobster risotto and a clever twist on the pop tart). Sugar & Olives is known for fresh flavors, locally sourced organic fare, and desserts that are worth the extra gym time...not to mention the beautiful ultra modern lounge-worthy dining space. Check out the menu below:
Seatings will be @ 12 & 1PM. Call 203.454.3663 for reservations.
Yesterday's event at The Boathouse was the perfect kick off to the 2010 CTbites & Suzysaid lunch season. The rain may have put a damper on the beautiful patio dining but it did not dilute the enthusiasm in the packed room as we eagerly awaited our first course. Chef Holzwarth surprised lucky diners by adding an unexpected starter to the already intriguing menu. "It felt like a soup day" he stated as bowls of creamy oyster soup plated with a single perfectly roasted oyster in red wine vert jus began to circulate. Crunchy breadcrumbs punctuated the silkiness of both crustacean and chowder. Who doesn't like a surprise…especially when you can eat it?
The lunch menu can be found here for your vicarious reading pleasure, but a few highlights were...
The CTbites & SuzySaid lunch events are back, and on Tuesday, September 28th we're debuting the season with a very special venue just right for savoring the summer harvest, The Boathouse @ Saugatuck. Chef John Holzwarth, of NYC's Felidia and Westport's The Dressing Room fame, will be preparing a $20 prix fixe for CTbites readers that highlights John's commitment to using locally sourced ingredients in innovative ways.
Come out and meet your CTbites community. You won't want to miss this one!
For reservations, call 203.227.3399. Check out the mouthwatering menu below:
CTbites and SuzySaid readers met up once again to enjoy a decadent prix fixe menu...this time at Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro in Norwalk. The small size of this dining space, and Chef Troilo's presence in his open kitchen made this a particularly cozy event. Diners from various tables introduced themselves to one another, and new foodie friends were made. The sun was shining. We had bottomless homemade lemonade. All was good with the world.
Chef Troilo created a beautiful $15 prix fixe menu, and with three diners at my table I was able to taste everything...just the way I like it.
As promised, our next CTbites / Suzysaid lunch event has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 4th @ Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro. Many of us in the CTbites community have been long time fans of Rob Troilo's sublime cuisine, and now he will serve up a meal especially for our readers. You know it's going to be good.
For anyone who has dined with Rob before, you know the space is small, so call now to make your reservations at (203) 229-0035. Check out the delicious $15 prix fixe menu below...
Choice of entree:
Seared Tuna Nicoise Style - with black olive tapenade, green beans, anchovies and a dijon vinaigrette
Caesar Salad with Organic Chicken - brioche croutons and parmesan crisp
Spring Vegetable Risotto with fresh favas, english peas, asparagus and mascarpone
When Ben & Jerry's closed in Westport this Fall, there were murmurs of discontent amongst the younger crowd. Where does one get homemade ice cream with solid mix-ins in this town? Fortunately help was just around the corner...literally. Sunny Daes opened just months later and now Westporters young and old don't have to drive to Fairfield to get their fix.
This full service ice cream shop has 68 flavors of frosty desserts says owner, Sergio Keskin. Plus, it isn't shipped in on trucks; it's made right behind the counter. If this isn't enough to get you in the door, they also serve gelato, frozen yogurt, soft-serve ice cream, and ice cream cakes.
Sure, I could tell you how good the ice cream is, but I thought it made more sense to let the kids tell it like it is...
Our 4th CTbites lunch event at The Dressing Room was a huge success. CTbites readers filled the elegantly rustic dining room of this classic Westport eatery. With this beautiful backdrop, people met up for a quiet lunch or connected with large groups of girlfriends (those parties were considerably more boisterous). The CTbites masthead was well represented with almost everyone in attendance, and there was a nice steady buzz as people settled down to the business of eating.
The lunch began on a festive note with specially selected organic wines and a sweet, but not cloying, signature Proseco cocktail. This "Sweetheart" drink featuring Wild Alpine strawberries is the brain child of John Cronin whom you will often see behind the bar, and it has achieved beverage fame.
Jon Vaast, the new Executive Chef at DR, created a Spring menu with great local ingredients and refined flavors.
Wednesday, March @24th, come join CTBites and SuzySaid for a special lunch event at The Dressing Room. This 3 course prix fixe menu is only for our readers, and a great value at $18. $6 Specialty cocktails and wine will be offered. If you haven't sampled their new menu, this is the perfect opportunity.
Check out the custom menu below.
Diners will get FREE goody bags with eatable treats from local vendors as well as special value coupons.
Call NOW to reserve your spot and tell them CTbites sent you. (203) 226-1114. Lunch will be served from 11:30-3.
