Filtering by Category: Events,Ingredients

Berkshires Direct: Farm-to-Consumer Delivery To Your Doorstep

Features Ingredients Subscription Box Farm to Table Farm Fresh Farm To Table Delivery Service

Stephanie Webster March 17, 2021

Chefs realized a long time ago that “farm to table” was more than a phrase, it was a healthier way to eat, tasted better and improved the diversity of local economies by helping make farming economically viable. In addition, this growing trend has another major benefit, increasing access to a wide range of different food options across our community.

We, in Connecticut, are incredibly lucky with access to a large and growing number of farms and farmers’ markets, but sometimes a visit to that local farm stand during its business hours is difficult. For people who are not members of a CSA (community supported agriculture) program and would still like to incorporate ultra-fresh products into their everyday lives, CT based Berkshires Direct now gives customers greater access to the resources of farm-fresh products delivered to your home. They are based in Connecticut and currently making deliveries in Connecticut and NYC (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens).

CTBites Readers USE CODE CTFriends10 for 10% off your first order!

Connecticut Cottage Bakers & Makers: Small Food Businesses You'll Wanna Know

Features Ingredients Bakery Bagels Cookies Custom Cakes Cakes Pastry Chef Dessert Cottage Bakers Made To Order Homepage

April Guilbault March 10, 2021

You drive through your town and notice bakeries and specialty food shops here and there. One on this corner, another on that one. Now we’d like to introduce you to a plethora of cottage bakers and makers who are flying right below our radar, creating delicious delights, yet they aren’t in plain sight because they are baking out of their homes or commercial kitchens. Have you heard of many of them? How do you find out about them? Word of mouth, usually. Consider us your word-of-mouth and then please, spread the word about these delightful, delicious, de-groovy custom cottage bakers and makers. Everything starts small, after all…

If you know of a cottage food business that is not on this list, please contact us such that we can add them to the directory.

Marcia Selden Catering & Pop-Up Bagels Team Up For Epic Weekend Bagel Brunch

Features Ingredients Pop-Up Bagels Caterers Stamford Westport Breakfast Brunch Homepage

Stephanie Webster February 11, 2021

We love it when two of our favorite food brands team up for a pop-up that involves delicious carb-loaded brunch fare. You may have heard me sing some praise for Adam Goldberg and his ridiculously tasty Pop-Up Bagels. Well, he has found a new regular Stamford pop-up location and dedicated cooking team with Marcia Selden Catering. Last weekend, CTbites got the chance to tag along for some bagel making fun. And, don’t worry…if you missed this past week’s pop-up event, mark your calendars for March 6th, and follow @popupbagels for notifications because these bagels sell out QUICKLY!

So, here’s how this bagel making and baking went down.

Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events & News For January 24-February 7

Events Features News Events

Stephanie Webster January 22, 2021

CTBeer has just released a new 4 way CT collab beer with big dipper ice cream and labonne's markets to produce an ice cream flavored milk stout. Learn more at ctbeer.com.

Washington Prime Sono is offering Game Dinner Specials all week long from Monday, February 1st through Sunday February 7th. Book your reservation! Think…Bison Ribeye Tartare, Wild Boar Meatballs, Rabbit Agnolotti, Saddleloin of Venison.

Join Stamford Downtown’s Flinders Lane Kitchen & Bar for a week of Australian dishes to celebrate Australia Day with a delicious menu created by chef Brad Stewart. Grab your Classic Aussie Meat Pies, Mini Sausage Rolls, Passionfruit Pavlova & Lamington with jam & freshly whipped cream. Yum.

Enjoy a virtual evening on Friday January 29th, 8pm with Craft Beer & Comedy from the Couch - Presented by Comedy Craft Beer & CTBeer.com. Reservations can be made here.

Celebrate le Bánh Patisserie’s FIRST birthday with a Bánh Decorating Piñata Party on January 31st at 7pm. Cake decorating, games, prizes and more! Reserve your spot at lebanh.com.

Junzi Kitchen is celebrating Chinese New Year. Celebrate the Year of the Ox with delicious Chinese catering from Junzi. They will be doing individual Chinese New Year specials as well as catering for large groups. Email orders@junzi.us.

Wise Guys Marinara Sauce: Locally Made and Distinctively Delicious

Features Ingredients Local Artisan Ingredients Specialty Products

Stephanie Webster January 22, 2021

Ah, red sauce…most Italian families have their own recipe, and they generally keep that recipe close to their hearts, fiercely guarded. It’s part of the ancestral family lineage, and while there are shared characteristics based on region, each recipe is unique.

We first met the folks from Wise Guys Sauce close to 7 years ago during their stint at The Sono Marketplace. They debuted the Wise Guys Sauce product line for use in their retail pizza shop, called, not surprisingly, Wise Guys Pizza. Sadly the Sono Marketplace/food court was slightly ahead if its time, and they closed the complex, but Co-Owner, Chris Polidoro, decided to keep the sauce alive. Guests were such fans of the tomato sauce, they made the decision to keep on making it. They grabbed some mason jars, slapped a label on, and started selling…and boy did they. Manufactured out of New Haven, Wise Guys Sauce can now be found in local grocery shops both large (Shop Rite) and small (see list below) as well as specialty food stores throughout the state of CT. They even made it onto the TODAY Show with Kathy Lee.

P.S. CTbites readers get $10 OFF with Code: ctbites through January 30th.

Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events & Openings For January 10-25

Events Features Events News

Stephanie Webster January 06, 2021

ROIA & Ordinary Bar in New Haven are hitting the “virtual” road again with a two class zoom combo Virtual Wine & Cocktail Pairing Classes. On January 15th, they will take guests to India, and then on January 29th, they will head to Spain. Sign up here.

Citizen Fried Chicken & Donuts is opening in West Hartford this month. Are we pumped? Hell yeah! More coming soon via CTbites.

Did you know…Marcia Selden Catering has packaged meals to go and many Gluten Free options. Check out the manu here.

Kids Winter Cake Decorating Class on January 17th, 10AM-12 PM w/ Shauna O'Reilly of SO Good Baked Goods. Each child, 8-13 yrs, will be provided with their own double-layer cake, supplies and utensils. They will then take home their finished cake to share with their family. $79 per child for any 2-hour session

New restaurant alert! The flaming llama “Japanese-Peruvian” food has opened in Hartford, and its tasty!

Donny Raus of Raus Coffee: Expert Coffee Roaster Now Hosting Barista 101 Virtual Classes

Ingredients Features Coffee Specialty Products Espresso Local Artisan Shop Local Interview Homepage

Stephanie Webster December 23, 2020

Donny Raus of Raus Coffee has been intimately involved with coffee for most of his life. As coffee roasters go, Donny is at the top of his game in the fair state of Connecticut. He also claims responsibility for inventing a drink that every coffee enthusiast should get involved with, a cold brew based delicacy called the Cold Roman, served at farmers’ markets around CT. This blend of hand crafted fresh brewed espresso, a touch of raw sugar, his own “cuore di caffe” natural flavor infusion, served over ice with a splash of cold foam, might be the ONLY way a person should be asked to wake up in the morning. No…seriously. But Donny’s passion goes far beyond the perfect brew or roast. His mission is to “change the way the world drinks, connects, and interacts over coffee, creating a sense of excitement around their daily cup, while also having it serve as a reminder to reconnect not only with those around us, but with ourselves.”

Donny Raus is a true artisan, fastidious and supremely knowledgeable when it comes to his craft and product. Now, you can benefit from his years of training, research and experience with the launch of his new “virtual espresso training workshops.” Home-users and aspiring amatuer baristas can learn how to make proper espresso from their home machines, pull the perfect shot, and get the right grind, via his new private zoom classes. Umm…Holiday gift idea? I think yes.

Nibble: Tasty CT Food & Holiday Events For December 20-31st

Features Events Events News

Stephanie Webster December 16, 2020

Camacho Garage has officially launched a takeout program from its Westville restaurant! The takeout menu (food and drinks) is available here. Orders can be placed by calling the restaurant: 203.691.1969.

bartaco launched a new #bartacosecret taco, the seared chorizo taco. From 12/8-1/18, indulge in mexican style chorizo, cut into strips and seared on the plancha until crispy then topped with a bright + creamy avocado salsa for just $2.75. As always, the #bartacosecret taco is available for take-out at order.bartaco.com or the bartaco app. ALSO…bartaco New Haven launched DELIVERY!

Join Washington Prime - SoNo on Thursday, December 31st, 5 -10 PM for their annual Prohibition New Year's Eve Celebration. While we can stay open for the stroke of midnight, we will be hosting a dinner to help ring in the New Year's earlier in the night before we send you off to celebrate the ball drop. 2 Seatings; 3-Course Menu + complimentary glass of champagne; Roaring 20's swing music! pp $75; Reservations are required.

Did ya know Marcia Selden Catering has totally adorable over the top tasty and fun Holiday Gift Boxes for ALL your holiday gift giving needs & they ship nationwide. Whether you need an “Elegant Holiday Box,” Christmas Box,” “Kids Hot Chocolate Box,” or a little boozier “Christmas Cheer” box, they have you covered.

Ideal Fish: Delivering Sustainably Raised Fish Through Unique Recirculating Aquaculture

Features Ingredients Seafood Fish Fish Market Online Store Healthy Eats Delivery Local Farm

Stephanie Webster December 11, 2020

Launched in the spring of 2013, Ideal Fish, located in Waterbury CT, is a state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture systems company dedicated to bringing fresh fish to local markets. As the only commercial-scale facility of its kind in the Northeast, their responsibly and sustainably raised fish gets from their waters to your kitchen within 24 hours of harvest.

While Ideal Fish has been raising branzino in its sustainable CT facility, and serving the area’s finest restaurants and grocers for several years. Now, for the first time, the company is adding salmon to its offering and providing a direct-to-consumer option for home cooks across the Northeast through www.idealfish.com. Both salmon and branzino are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and other important nutrients.

Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events For December 13-20

Events Features News Events

Stephanie Webster December 10, 2020

Friday, December 18th, 6 – 7:30 PM Join Dom's Cheese Shop & Super Cellar Warehouse Liquors for a Virtual Christmas Cheese and Wine Tasting. Tickets · $75 - $100.

Eric D. Lehman and Amy Nawrocki, authors of A History of Connecticut Food: A Proud Tradition of Puddings, Clambakes & Steamed Cheeseburgers, share mouthwatering stories behind our most cherished local dishes! Tune in and get schooled on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at 12 PM. “Conversations at Noon: The History of Connecticut Food: Our Delicious Origins."

Join Le Banh Patisserie for an “O Christmas Tree Cake Decorating Zoom Class’ complete with full Kit. kids and adults alike will have fun to express their artistic skills on this edible canvas and learn how to make flannel style cake. Kit includes red and black chocolate mint cake, mint buttercream , green, red, and yellow “paint”, palette knife, piping bags and a cake board. Also included is a 2 ½ hour instructional Zoom class where you’re able to learn how to decorate this cake from Chef Kim Wood.

Join the Holiday Fun at The 1754 House in Woodbury CT on December 19-20th, 11:30am-4pm. Celebrate the holidays with "make your own reindeer food, holiday cupcake decorating, christmas cookie decorating, marshmallow snowmen and more!

Tap-a-Tree Maple Sugaring Registration Now Open at Ambler Farm: Learn the science and history of maple sugaring by being a hands-on part of the process. While we are not able to hold our traditional informational workshops this season due to state regulations, we will provide virtual resources and a Zoom call to answer your questions.

CTbites 2020 Gift Guide: Great Gifts For Your Favorite CT Food Lover

Features Ingredients Gift Guide Best of CT Specialty Market Shopping Specialty Products Local Artisan Cookbooks Cooking Classes Holiday Homepage

April Guilbault December 05, 2020

How to find the perfect gift for this crazy ass year-well ain’t that the question of the day! As many of us are staying a little further away from stores and not partaking in the usual activities we have in past years, we got creative and found the creative for your gift-giving! Artisans, chefs, and vendors are all rising to the occasion with fabulous out-of-the-box thinking and we discovered a treasure trove of unusual, beautiful, tasty items and experiences that will infuse a blast of goodness into this particularly memorable holiday season. Give, get, live, love, and celebrate the moments of sparkle. To quote the infamous Clark Griswold, “we’re all in this together”.

Barcelona Wine Bar Launches CONSERVA: Online Specialty Foods Shopping & Lifestyle Site

Features Ingredients Website Shopping Online Store Specialty Market pantry Global Cuisine Online Shopping Homepage Opening

Stephanie Webster December 01, 2020

It’s always exciting to see a company whose positioning in the marketplace you have loved and respected for years, launch a brand that is such a logical extension of their business, that you almost have to say, why didn’t they do this sooner? Sometimes it takes a pandemic to have the time and space to look into the soul of your business and ask, what’s next? Barcelona Wine Bar has done just that with the launch of their new online specialty foods shopping and lifestyle website, CONSERVA.

What is CONSERVA? Quite literally, Conserva are foods that have been conserved or preserved (either packed in oil, vinegar, or pickled). Barcelona Partner, Adam Halberg, broke it down for us. “During the Spanish Civil War, when people didn’t have access to fresh foods, they invented canning to take the abundance from the coast and farms of Spain and package them in bulk. This was their war time pantry.” In current day Spain, “conserva” is considered a high end specialty product, and diners can find bars throughout Spain and Portugal that exclusively serve canned goods (with a side of Vermouth, of course). Adam continues, “In high end restaurants, the last page of a menu will often feature food that quite literally comes out of a tin…and they are often the most expensive thing on the menu.”

Connecticut CBD Shopping Guide: Where To Buy CBD Infused Edibles & More!

Features Ingredients CBD Chocolate CBD Shopping Edibles Buying Guide Homepage

April Guilbault November 20, 2020

The world of CBD, or cannabidiol, is a wide and wild one these days-it’s going full-tilt boogie and there’s lots to learn about and even more to try. Plenty of myths and misconceptions swirl around this product (yes, it’s derived from the hemp plant but no, it won’t get you high). There are tinctures and drops and capsules filled with the extract, but here for the CTbites crowd, we’re going to focus on the stuff you can EAT: gummies, chocolates, honey, and even drinks. Along with these products, what is really great about the companies and stores selling them is that they also offer a wealth of information and are happy to pass along their knowledge. After all, these products are being used for everything from aches and pains, to help getting a good night’s rest to helping quell anxiety (hello, 2020). This previously stigmatized arena is seeing a great up-tick in activity because it’s looking like there is a well-spring of beneficial possibilities. Note: These listing/products are not intended to take the place of medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before starting any new regime or product.

Nibble: Tasty Food News and Events For November 15-30th

Events Features Events News

Stephanie Webster November 14, 2020

Join Dom's Cheese Shop for a Virtual Friendsgiving Cheese And Wine Tasting for your Thanksgiving Table on Friday, November 20, 2020 at 6 PM EST – 7:30 PM EST. Hosted by Super Cellar Warehouse Liquors (Avon, CT) and Dom's Cheese Shop Tickets · $75 - $100

Westport History Museum is running a GINGERBREAD making contest!! Get out the frosting and the gumdrops and enter your gingerbread version of the Bradley-Wheeler House, Westport Museum’s headquarters—or a Westport historic building of your choice. Entrants may also do a gingerbread version of their own home too. Prizes vary by category. Winners will announced on December 12th at 2 pm by Santa Clause at the Museum’s outdoor Winter Market. REGISTER HERE! Voting is open to the public.

Chef Avi from Roia New Haven has launched a Fall Virtual Cooking Series, comprised of three classes!.This cooking series will focus on teaching/improving your cooking skills and techniques. We will be locally sourcing our ingredients including some from our friends at Muddy Roots Farm.

Tea Time! 11 Places To Buy Great Tea in Connecticut

Features Ingredients Tea And Coffee Specialty Market Breakfast Shopping Best of CT Tea

April Guilbault October 31, 2020

It is the most popular drink in the world-are you surprised? Beyond coffee, beer, and even sodas, tea reigns supreme with over 159 millions Americans consuming it each day and 2 billion people drink it every morning around the globe. White, green, black, oolong, pu’erh, herbal; the variety of flavors within these types is almost endless and there is so much to be explored. There are teas for different times of day, flavor palates, health benefits and even ailments (rumbly tummy? Ginger!). If you haven’t started exploring the wide world of tea, it might be time. Tea-time, that is.

P.S.-The prize for the country that consumes the most? Turkey, followed by Ireland. The UK comes in third. Who knew?

Here are 11 spots for great tea in Connecticut. Happy shopping!

Nibble: Tasty CT Food News and Events for November 1-20th

Events Features Events News

Stephanie Webster October 31, 2020

Nana’s Bakery & Pizza opens in Mystic with a full scale bakery and pizza shop offering scratch made baked goods from organic local naturally leavened dough, pastries, hot sourdough donuts, coffee and more. Part of the 85th Day Food Community which includes Oyster Club, Engine Room, and Grass & Bone.

Grano Arso, in Chester and Highclere Castle Gin out of Essex, in partnership with the namesake estate in England and location of the beloved series Downton Abbey, have come together to create the ultimate moment of luxury. From November 1 - January 1, diners have the opportunity to delight in, perhaps, the most lavish cocktail ever made. This $99 cocktail is not meant to empty your pockets, although the pleasure itself might be worth the moment, but in fact, go to a wonderful cause, the Channel 3 Kids Camp.

Join Hops On The Hill, a 100% “farm to glass” brewery in South Glastonbury, CT for Cigar Day, Food Trucks, & Live Music Sunday, November 8, 2020 at 1 PM EST – 6 PM. Hosted by Puros Cigar Shop, Skyscraper Sandwich Truck and Hops on the Hill. Puros Cigar Shop will be selling cigars at the brewery. Come sit back and relax with a cigar, beer, and food from Skyscraper Sandwich Truck and Cannoli Truck. Enjoy LIVE music by The Degenerates Acoustic from 2-6pm. Social distancing guidelines will be in place. Bring Your Own Lawn Chair.

Take a break from politics and order a pie! https://wakemantownfarmstore.square.site/s/shop. Wakeman Town Farm is hosting its first-annual Holiday Pie Sale in conjunction with our friends at Kneads Bakery in Westport.

A Visit to Arethusa Farm Dairy: Exceptional Cows Make Exceptional Ice Cream

Ingredients Restaurant ice cream Dessert Kid Friendly Litchfield Bantam New Haven

jeffrey schlesinger October 27, 2020

Back in April my colleagues from CTBites visited Arethusa Farms to perform a “meet & greet” with 300 cows that comprise the foundation to the Arethusa dairy products. These world renown Holsteins and Jerseys produce some of the best milk, and by extension the ice cream that is sold in the Arethusa Farm Dairy store is world class. More recently, they visited Arethusa Al Tavolo and enjoyed numerous dishes prepared with numerous of the farm’s ingredients, including the cows’ milk. The team was not able to visit the ice cream storefront on either visit as the line was staggering, so it fell heavy on my shoulders (insert smile) that I took one for the team and lazily drove to Arethusa Farm Dairy one Sunday afternoon.

Nibble: Tasty CT Food News & Events For October 25-November 5

Features Events News Events

Stephanie Webster October 24, 2020

CALLING ALL FOODIES! The Town of Fairfield, CT presents FAIRFIELD EATS 2020, OCT. 19 – NOV. 1. In lieu of a traditional Restaurant Week, Fairfield introduces a two-week special promotion encouraging people to patronize local restaurants by either dining in or taking out! View PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS. SPECIALS INCLUDE: Prix Fixe Menus, Family Meal Discounts, Take-Out Options & Chance to Win a $50 Gift Certificate

elm restaurant in New Canaan is now offering fabulous BRANCHBOX boxed dinners to go. These seasonally prepared meal boxes delivered to your door as an affordable & accessible alternative to our new reality. Orders must be placed by 4pm for same day delivery. Boxes include full meals for two for $48 and include entrée like carnitas, roasted whole chicken, salmon fillets, and taco tuesday.

On October 28, The Charles is bringing Oktober Fest to Old Wethersfield! Join us on the lawn for local beers, traditional German food, raffles, and more! Tickets are limited, call to reserve yours today: 860.785.8499

On October 31st Parkville Market will be hosting their first official Harvest Festival! The Market, home to 18 unique restaurants and three bars, will have both indoor and outdoor dining available along with fun fall activities taking place throughout the day. The schedule of events includes:- Live Music 3-6PM-Balloon Animals 11-2PM-Outdoor pop-ups of local Hartford vendors-Safe Trick or treat opportunities for kids inside the market-Specialty beverages for both adults and children-Halloween Themed Trivia 7-9PM

Geoff Lazlo Food: Chef Driven Gourmet Food Delivery To Your Door Daily

Features Ingredients Delivery Service Home Delivery Catering To-Go

Stephanie Webster October 22, 2020

Chef Geoff Lazlo has been cooking delicious locally sourced, elevated comfort food for years in Fairfield County. CT diners will remember him from Bill Taibe’s The Whelk in Westport, and most recently from the very popular Mill Street in Greenwich, but he also spent time at both Gramercy Tavern and Blue Hill Stone Barns. When I got on the phone with Lazlo last week to discuss his new chef driven gourmet food delivery service, I had to laugh when I asked “what’s going on chef?,” and he replied with “honestly I don’t even know anymore.” Restaurants and chefs across the state have had to be nimble and do some pivoting to stay relevant in the current pandemic economy, and Lazlo is no exception. “I’m always figuring out the next thing to do, and I’m always thinking about moving forward,” says Lazlo. That forward motion propelled him to launch Geoff Lazlo Food, serving Fairfield and Westchester Counties, and giving food-lovers the opportunity to enjoy hand-cooked meals in the comfort of their own homes.