Danilo Mongillo may have opened his witchy named restaurant, Strega, back in 2016, but believe this, he’s just getting started.
A little more than a year ago, we gave you an inside look at the first of the Sally’s Apizza expansion in Downtown Stamford.
Well, we’re back with a sequel that comes on the heels of the opening of Sally’s brand new Fairfield location at 665 Commerce Drive.
The iconic Po Café is located in the heart of Washington CT and lives in a charming historic white clapboard house right next to the town’s post office – hence the nickname. The building, once home to a pharmacy and grocery store, sits across from the idyllic town’s church. The area served as the inspiration behind fictional town Stars Hollow made famous by Rory and Lorelei Gilmore. As soon as you walk through the front door you can almost imagine Luke standing behind the counter of the old fashioned soda fountain pouring a cup of coffee.
A posh five-star inn located in “the country” of Connecticut may be the last place you’d expect to stumble upon a former two-time Michelin star chef doing her thing in the kitchen.
Expect it. And expect to run into April Bloomfield.
Yeah, THAT April Bloomfield. The April Bloomfield who won a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: New York City in 2014. The April Bloomfield who owns the British gastropub The Breslin. And the same April Bloomfield of the now shuttered, but acclaimed West Village haunt, The Spotted Pig.
And since mid-September she’s been spending her time away from the concrete jungle as the chef-in-residence at the Mayflower Inn & Spa where she’s firing up the refined pub fare that she is so lauded for and marrying that style with the bounty from local farms.
If you visit—and you absolutely should—there are a few dining experiences to be aware of.
There’s a seasonal, constantly changing four-course dinner tasting in the brightly lit, plant enshrined Garden Room. The $150 tasting’s polar opposite has been the occasionally offered bonfire experience where Bloomfield comes out to chat over cocktails, savory snacks, and gooey s’mores.
Then there’s the meal I elected to have, a lunch in The Tap Room. If the weather obeys, it’s a great idea to dine out on the back deck that overlooks the Shakespeare Garden, equal parts beautiful and haunting on an overcast autumn day.
Right off the busy Greenwich Avenue, is Grigg Street. There’s not much on it besides an independent bookstore, The Perfect Provenance’s parking lot, a soon-to-open coffee shop, and a basement level space that previously housed Lord of the Pies. The white tiled walls of the subterranean restaurant remain. But now they’re partially decked out with Jimi Hendrix, The Sex Pistols, and Pearl Jam posters that go along with the current residents’ eclectic, mostly rock playlist, a perfect soundtrack for Matthew Watson and Jon Corbo as they pound, stretch, spin, and roll dough at Grigg Street Pizza.
Pizza making is a switch up for the two longtime friends and Greenwich residents, who were formerly partners in the string of Corbo’s Deli locations. After the sold their part of the deli business they wanted to continue working together. “We missed that face-to-face interaction,” Watson says. “I’m making your food. I want that. We yearned for that feeling again.”
With pizza, they’re getting that again. But make no mistake, Grigg Street Pizza is no run-of-the-mill corner slice shop. Call it artisan if you want to. The philosophy here is quality ingredients and local ingredients whenever possible, using a few vendors, and to make everything, or damn near everything, in-house. “Nothing is coming out of a bottle. We’re making our salad dressing. We want everything to be legit,” Watson reveals.
Corbo interrupts to praise his friend. “This man can cook,” he says about Watson (who’s a French Culinary Institute grad). “I wanted to be a part of that. I don’t think anything we make, or very few things we make, have more than 4-5 ingredients. We want to let that shine.”
Some of those quality ingredients? Bianco DiNapoli Tomatoes for their red sauce, homemade mozzarella, and house-ground fennel sausage should you opt for it. A few drizzles to entice you and enhance your pie include habanero-garlic infused honey and roasted Chile de árbol hot oil.
And pizza, obviously, is the star of their show. Specifically…sourdough pizza. Each pie is full-sized, cooked in a gas oven, and spun carefully for an even char and well doneness. What they’re achieving here with the mother-based dough, with no commercial yeast, and naturally leavened for three days is a lightness that doesn’t make you feel too full. It’s crispy. It’s got a little chew.
Milestone Restaurant is redefining the idea of a neighborhood gathering spot offering made from scratch, simply prepared food with bold flavors and classic cocktails that are served up in a stylish yet understated setting. Drawing inspiration from the unique character of the area (the restaurant is on the site of a former lumber yard) owners Peter and Andi Fine aspire to do more than serve great food. The restaurant has been designed to be not only a welcoming gathering spot, but also to showcase fun and unique food events. (Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted!)
As city-bound commuters dash to and fro’ and the pulse of the city continues to thrive, the Port Chester railroad station, a landmark since 1890, stands as a symbol of where we’ve been and where we’re going. Today, this turn of the century building is home to Our House Restaurant Group’s newest venture, Station House. In keeping with this dynamic restaurant group’s approach to hospitality, as seen with their popular Rye House Port Chester and Manhattan taverns, and last year’s mega outdoor hit, Village Beer Garden, Station House offers that same neighborhood vibe, this time, it comes rooted in history and coal-fired pizza.ctb
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, the nation’s largest and fastest growing New York pizza concept, has signed a multi-unit franchise deal to bring its larger than life slices and whole pies to the greater Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut areas. Franchisee Matthew Rusconi is looking to open the first location by year’s end and is actively scouting real estate opportunities in Hartford County, New Haven, Middletown, and Cromwell.
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, founded in 2008 by cousins and best friends Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, specializes in serving authentic New York slices in a fast casual setting, but without the conveyor belt oven. The concept’s massive slices and whole pies, which have been named the ‘Best Pizza’ by The NY Post and one of the ‘Top 5 Slices in the Boroughs’ by CBS New York, range from the traditionally-topped to the more eccentric.
This just in from Community Table Restaurant & Bar in Washington CT...
Friends,
We are excited to announce that Community Table Restaurant and Bar will be reopening this spring. We don’t have an exact date yet but, we are hoping to open our doors before Memorial Day and work out any ‘kinks’ before the busy season kicks in.
We have spent the past months contemplating what direction Ct should go in next. We turned to Adam Riess, a Washington native and restaurant consultant, to help us define our goals and offer us options. Though many interesting ideas were discussed, hearing from so many of you who simply wanted Ct to come back the way it was, eventually swayed us to move in that direction.
Community Table & Kent Falls Brewing Co. are teaming up for a special evening of food and beer on July 26. Executive Chef Marcell Davidsen has collaborated with Barry and Derek at Kent Falls Brewing Co. on a summer-inspired menu fit for Connecticut locavore beer lovers.
"We are very excited to host this event, and share some great beers and great food. And there might be a few surprises too," said Marcell Davidsen.
We have a sneak peek of the menu, which at last count is 7 courses and 6 beers, and as many reasons to get excited for this evening at Community Table. Tickets are $75 per person. Reservations are available on OpenTable.com.
Back 40 Kitchen will celebrate the release of Edible Nutmeg’s spring issue by hosting an afternoon launch event on March 24 from 11 am to 1 pm, a day before the issue’s official release date for a 'meet & greet' with Dana Jackson, Editor and Publisher, Edible Nutmeg and Bill and Lesley King, Owners, Back 40 Farm Group. Guests are invited to pick up a free copy of the new issue and enjoy organic light bites provided Back 40 Kitchen. Back 40 and Edible Nutmeg share a mission of appreciation of regional food, farming, and sustainability.
The Back 40 Farm Group is closely aligned with Edible Nutmeg’s vision, which is helping their readers engage the Connecticut food community. We have long appreciated this publication and are happy to provide the venue to launch the issue that officially ‘kicks-off’ the 2016 agricultural season. – Bill King
Back 40 Kitchen is a farm-to-table restaurant dedicated to using the highest quality organic ingredients in all of its dishes. Back 40 Kitchen is also committed to sourcing local by partnering with CT farmers and vendors including sourcing from its own organic Back 40 Farm in Litchfield County.
Community Table’s Executive Chef Marcel Davidsen has crafted a transcendent winter menu that is an appropriately hearty take on the restaurant’s sustainably-driven roots. The menu has always borne a Nordic edge, and Davidsen often mines his Danish heritage heightening this influence. Unlikely yet harmonious pairings (white chocolate, sunchokes and oysters, anyone?) and distinct plating are also the restaurant's signatures.
"My Danish roots plays a strong role in the thought process of developing a new dish, sometimes it can be the Scandinavian simplicity in presentation other times it can be the flavor profile, or a childhood memory," said Davidsen.
Community Table's dishes and its atmosphere are the unique result of a team effort. "Everybody plays an important role in developing a dish, I encourage my cooks to test and research as much as possible. We have some really great talent which I'm forever thankful for," said Davidsen.
Photo c/o Community Table
Marcell Davidsen will succeed Joel Viehland as Executive Chef of Community Table in Washington, CT beginning May 15. The restaurant shared the news of Davidsen's appointment in an announcement released this evening. A native of Denmark whose style is infused with Nordic infuences and exquisite plating, Davidsen was the restaurant's fomer sous chef under Viehland. Community Table's mission – celebrating modern cuisine informed by local farms and purveyors – will remain the overarching framework under Chef's Davidsen's leadership:
From Community Table:
Marcell Davidsen succeeds Joel Viehland as Executive Chef of Community Table After five remarkable years, and much national recognition including a nomination for best new restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation and best chef nominations by Food and Wine Magazine and James Beard, Joel Viehland passes the reins to his former Sous Chef Marcell Davidsen.
Chefs Tyler Anderson, Bill Taibe, and Joel Viehland were recently recognized by the James Beard Foundation as semifinalists in the 2015 Best Chef: Northeast category. On the occasion of their nomination, we asked each of them to answer a few questions, from the serious (key influences and mentors) to the hypothetical (a CTbites blank check to open a new restaurant).
Want to know where Chef Tyler Anderson's next restaurant could be, who Chef Viehland would love to cook for, and who is one of Chef Taibe's biggest influences (hint: he is a chef in one of his kitchens)?
Read on for this and more from three of Connecticut's best chefs.
In terms of eating, the CTbites team of writers, photographers, and chef friends have managed to sample and savor more than most. 2014 has been a stellar year for restaurant openings as Fairfield County and the surrounding areas continue to draw great culinary talent. Instead of coming up with a top ten list ourselves, we asked the CTbites extended family to share some of their most memorable meals and dining experiences this past year.
Here are our favorite meals and restaurants of 2014.
Community Table, the Washington, CT restaurant that should be on every serious gourmand’s bucket list, debuted a stunning new dining room and bar this week, kicking off its high summer season with its signature rustic modern style.
The four-year old restaurant continues to set itself apart by a seasonally-driven New Nordic-inspired menu. Its talented team, led by James Beard-nominated Executive Chef Joel Viehland, has helped to establish Community Table as one of the region’s best restaurants.
The new dining room and bar, designed by architect Peter Talblot working closely with owner Peggy Anderson on the design vision,
As food writers, photographers, and chefs, we have the pleasure of eating a lot of really great food. Fairfield County has experienced something of a restaurant explosion over the past year, as new chefs move in and move on, and menus expand. We've endeavored to expand our coverage beyond those borders, seeking to cover more of the state and sharing those experiences that are worth seeking out. Instead of coming up with a top ten list ourselves, we asked the CTbites extended family to share some of their most memorable meals and dining experiences this past year.
