Executive Chef Eren Polat and his wife Nigjar invite you to their newest restaurant, Sofra Turkish Grill a cozy neighborhood restaurantin Waterbury, Connecticut. The restaurant, which opened in late July 2023, has been drawing healthy crowds from Cheshire to Fairfield. No stranger to the restaurant world, Chef has over 25 years of experience in prominent restaurants in Turkey and Greece before opening his own Eren’s Grill in Fairfield. He opened Sofra to be closer to home and his family.
Chef hails from Adana, Turkey’s fourth largest city, located in the south where the Seyhan River meets the Mediterranean. One of the oldest cities in the world, it’s a major agricultural area and known for its distinctive cuisine, specifically the “Adana Kebabi,” a unique dish comprised of hand-minced meat prepared with a special knife called a Satir that closely resembles a machete. Authenticity is paramount as Chef remains true to his roots using the skills and techniques so prevalent in his country. So determined is he to do this, that many ingredients are imported directly from Turkey, some from Adana specifically.
👉LIKE this giveaway on Instagram and TAG at least one friend in the comments. The more people you tag, the more likely you are to WIN. BONUS LOVE FOR SHARING THIS POST!
👉Winner announced November 7th
New Haven’s longest-running foodie event, New Haven Restaurant Week, returns November 5-10 marking the 15th anniversary.
The fall edition of New Haven Restaurant Week features 25 of the City’s most popular restaurants- 14 will offer $25 lunch specials, with all participating locations offering pre fixe dinner experiences for $45 or $55 per person.
Off the plate, New Haven Restaurant Week gives back. Since 2009, more than $55,000 has been raised for the Connecticut Foodshare, an organization that works year-round to combat hunger and food insecurity across the state. This year participating restaurants have donated $5,000.
The Taco Daddy team has crowned a winner for their Cocktail Naming Contest. It was tough. There were some solid names from people all over CT, but we are pleased to announce that...
Happy Holiday! CTbites is GIVING AWAY a signed copy ofLidia Bastianich’s new book, “My American Dream” for one lucky boy or girl who has been good in 2019.
TO ENTER: Comment below and tell us why YOU NEED THIS BOOK. Winners must be CTbites newsletter subscribers. You can subscribe here.
CTbites was recently invited to a special media tour of the This Old House. The incredible Lidia Bastianich was in attendance on behalf of Clarke Kitchen Appliances in Norwalk (where she films her show, Lidia’s Kitchen)…the company who outfitted the Idea House’s kitchen with Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliances.
That day, Lidia was kind enough to sign a copy of her book for one of our readers. May the biggest Bastianich fan win. Good luck!
Congratulations to Jen Kozak who came up with the winning name for the Bar Sugo Cocktail Naming Contest:Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica. This hilarious reference to “The Office” can now be found at Bar Sugo in Norwalk, alongside some damn fine Italian food.
It's time for another cocktail throw down! Bar Sugo’s Mixologist Seth Hiravi has decided to trust the fate of their new signature cocktail to the naming skills of our CTbites readers. If your cocktail name is selected, you will win a $100 gift card for Bar Sugo (cocktails included).
Here are the ingredients for the cocktail in need of a name:
Wanna throw a holiday party, but short on cash? Enter to WIN a 20 Person Chipotle Catering Event… FREE!
To Enter: 1. Comment below w/ your email 2. You must be a CTbites newsletter subscriber. Subscribe here.
Take all the guesswork out of your next holiday party. Chipotle provides everything you need for a full catering spread for six to 200 people. Why is this so incredibly great? Read on…
WIN 2 TICKETS TO GREENWICH WINE + FOOD'S Opening Night Master Chef Wine Dinner (worth $650!) honoring famed restauranteur Alex Guarnaschelli with special guests Scott Conant & Adam Richman, Friday 9/21/18 7:00PM – 10:30PM.
TO ENTER: 1) Subscribe to the CTbites Newsletter 2) Enter your full name and email address below
Game on! We're back with another cocktail naming contest. WIN a FREE Dinner for 2 @ The Spread. Here's How...
CTbites and Ken Tuccio are launching a brand new PODCAST on May 17th, and The Spread is launching patio season. In honor of this big night, The Spread has asked CTbites readers to come up with a name for their new summer sipper to be served at this event. The cocktails ingredients are below.
If your Cocktail name is selected, it will be featured at our Podcast Launch party May 17th & you will receive a FREE DINNER FOR TWO @ The Spread. Here are the ingredients:
Post your submission below (include email). May the best namer win!! Good luck.
GoodWorks Entertainment presents their second annual craft beer festival. From the same people that brought you Flavour Beer Festival, get ready for EAST COAST BREW FESTIVAL. ECBF will take place on Saturday, June 16, 2018 from 2 PM until 5 PM at The Warehouse at Fairfield Theatre Company (70 Sanford Street in Fairfield, Connecticut).
CTbites is GIVING AWAY 2 FREE TICKETS to East Coast Brew Festival. To win, tell us WHY YOU NEED TO GO in the comments section below, and make sure you are a CTbites Newsletter Subscriber!
GoodWorks Entertainment presents their third tasting event: WHISKEY SOCIAL. WHISKEY SOCIAL will take place on Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 3 PM until 6 PM at The Warehouse at Fairfield Theatre Company (70 Sanford Street in Fairfield, Connecticut).
CTbites is GIVING AWAY 2 FREE TICKETS to Whiskey Social. To win, tell us why you NEED to go in the comments section below, and make sure you are a CTbites Newsletter Subscriber!
Socialites will be able to relish in the exclusivity of sampling from an internationally curated selection of 150+ types of whisky, rye, scotch, bourbon, aged rum, and mezcal. Ordinary New Haven’s mixologist, Tim Cabral, will be in the room crafting samplers of his distinguished cocktails. With the purchase of a ticket, socialites will be invited to savor an array of delicious local fare including a mac and cheese bar, meat and cheese station and dessert bar by Garelick and Herbs of Southport as well as famed pulled pork sliders by Custom Meats of Fairfield. The tunes of a live band will carry throughout the social while couches provide lounge and whiskey barrels scatter the floor for the perfect festive setting.
TO WIN a pair of tickets, Tell us why YOU NEED TO SEE THIS SHOW in the comments section below. You also must be a CTBITES NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBER to enter giveaway. (Subscribe here)
“Alton Brown Live: Eat Your Science” (www.altonbrownlive.com), the follow-up to the smash “Edible Inevitable” tour, hits the road again. Fans can expect all-new everything including songs, multimedia presentations, talk-show antics, and bigger and better potentially dangerous food demonstrations.
Do you sit around at night dreaming of the perfect Donut Crazy fantasy flavor? This is your chance to make it a reality!
Donut Crazy and CTbites are giving YOU the chance to create the most wildly delicious donut flavor combo you can think of. The winner will take home more than just bragging rights.
If your Donut Crazy flavor is selected as the winner, you will win a FREE DOZEN DOUGHNUTS every month for a year + DONUT CRAZY WILL SELL FOR A LIMITED TIME, YOUR VERY OWN SIGNATURE DOUGHNUT!!
SHARE YOUR DONUT CRAZY FLAVOR COMBO BELOW. (Make sure you include your email address)
WIN FREE TIX to see Anthony Bourdain! To win, tell us why you NEED to go to see the man, the myth...the legend.
Chef, author, and raconteur Anthony Bourdain is best known for traveling the globe on his stomach, on his TV show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. He has established himself as a professional gadfly, bête noir, advocate, social critic, and pork enthusiast, recognized for his caustic sense of humor worldwide. He is as unsparing of those things he hates as he is evangelical about his passions. The Hunger serves audiences an all new live show featuring an unyielding, brutally honest monologue reflecting on diverse culture, street cuisine and his travels to lesser-known locations around the world, followed by an open Q&A session. Currently filming the hit CNN original series Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown (season seven premiered Sunday, April 24; 9pm ET/PT), Bourdain will bring audiences a menu loaded with lots of laughs, serious discussions and unapologetic irreverence.
Would you like to win FREE TICKETS to the GREENWICH FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL?We've got some seriously sought after tickets to the following events that we are jusy dying to give away....
2 Tickets to Gala Tickets ($325 value. Friday evening)
Imagine 1,000 wines available for tasting. Celebrity chef demonstrations. Gourmet food from signature restaurants. A grape stomp. It seems unbelievable that all of these events could unfold under one roof, but they do at the Mohegan Sun WineFest! Now you can be a part of it.
CTBites.com is giving away a pair of passes to the Sun WineFest’s Grand Tasting to one lucky reader.Win access to the SOLD OUT Grand Tasting event Saturday January 26th from 12:00-5:00pm, where you can sample wines, watch events on the main stage, and enjoy delicious food.
To enter: Post a comment ANYWHERE on CTbites.com before January 21st (and menton the Sun Winefest). The more you post, the more likely you are to win. We will randomly select a winner on January 22nd.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into Eren’s Grill was the neatness and precision of the refrigerator case. Platters of perfectly aligned kebabs await the grill. Bowls of bright-red-hued eggplant-tomato salad and pale, fluffy humus. Glistening rows of dark-green stuffed grape leaves. Then Eren, a young man wearing chef’s white’s embellished with the Turkish flag, stepped out from the open kitchen and proudly started telling me about his fresh and homemade food.
Fairfield’s new and only Turkish restaurant is a small joint in a strip mall. With just a few tables, it does a lot of take-out and catering. Whether eat-in or take-out, it’s a welcome addition to the Tunxis Hill section of Fairfield, a neighborhood that could use more good food. And the food here is good: fresh and full of flavor. Ottoman cuisine has a long and noble history, and Eren – who was head chef of the Athens’ Tike, an international group of Turkish restaurants in places like London, Cyprus and Kiev -- for 8 years -- is proud to put his signature on it. “I want to play a little,” he says.
From the coast of Maine, to the island of Nantucket, to the beaches of Long Island ... who doesn’t love a great summer road trip? As we downshift into the slower and warmer final weeks of summer, CTbites wants to know, what are some of your favorite road trip destinations?
Comment on this post sharing one or more of your favorite summer road trip destinations for a chance to win a picnic basket from 109 Cheese and Wine filled with cheese, wine and charcuterie from the Ridgefield wine shop.
