Filtering by Category: Events,Ingredients

Pat's Apizza Opens in a Gas Station in North Haven

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Pizza North Haven Pat's Apizza Homepage Interview Ingredients

Andrew Dominick November 05, 2025

You’re driving on Washington Avenue in North Haven, your car is thirsty, and you pull into Forbes Premium Fuel. Wait a second. What’s that sign say at the gas station? Pat’s Apizza? That’s your sign to swing open the gas station’s convenience store’s door. Look to the left and there’s a full-on pizzeria in there. Be honest…you thought this was gas station pizza, didn’t you? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s a (desperate) time and a place for Stewart’s Shops, Love’s, Speedway, and Wawa. Let’s scrap that whole deal. Pat’s is a pizzeria that just so happens to be inside of a gas station and they’ve been getting a lot of love on social media since they opened on September 4 of this year.

3 Ways To Help Our Neighbors Impacted by SNAP Cuts in Connecticut

Restaurant Ingredients food pantry SNAP SNAP Benefits Nonprofit

CTbites Team October 30, 2025

Due to the shutdown of the federal government, millions of Americans will see their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits halted on November 1, 2025.

This impacts many in our state. 360,000 Connecticut residents rely on SNAP to feed their families. 1 in 8 Americans and 1 in 5 children rely on SNAP.

Our neighbors will be losing their SNAP benefits and this is our time to step up and support them.

The following list of resources are here to help those who are seeking food pantries, organizations that assist those who are food insecure, and you’ll even find restaurants that are lending a hand at this time, or if you’re looking to volunteer, many of these local nonprofits could always use the extra help.

3 WAYS TO HELP

Donate to CT Foodshare at CTFoodshare dot com. Every $1 donated = two meals.
Volunteer your time with CT Foodshare. This helps spread the monetary donations further.
Donate food to a local food shelter. Find the closest one at 211ct.org

Bake Zone CT: Handcrafted Small Batch Brioche Donuts in Stamford

Events Features Ingredients Interview Donuts Woman Owned Pop-Up Bakery Baker Stamford Interview

Andrew Dominick October 29, 2025

Covering the hospitality industry for as long as I have, it’s a given you’ll come across people who left a completely different career to pursue their passion in cooking or baking. Sandeep Gupta is one of those people. She left her job doing app design and once she moved from San Francisco to Stamford, she started her own donut business. “I told my husband (Mayank), who’s also a developer and does IT, that I love designing apps and logos and everything, but that I want to follow my passion as a baker,” Gupta says. “I actually liked my job! It was creative and I wasn’t just coding. I made buttons, themes, making apps look pretty. That was me.”

Dos Hermanos Guatemalan Bakery & Cafe Opens in Bridgeport

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Guatemalan Bakery Latin American Black Rock Bridgeport Opening Homepage Interview

Andrew Dominick October 24, 2025

If you notice a bunch of people in Bridgeport’s Black Rock neighborhood entering a tiny storefront on Brewster Street, follow them, and the smell of fresh baked bread, inside. Welcome to Dos Hermanos Bakery & Cafe, owned by two brothers (hence the name), Giovanni and Nelson Castellon, who had a goal of opening a place of their own for a while to show the community an accurate representation of Guatemalan food.

Elm in New Canaan Relaunches Afternoon Tea Service

Ingredients Interview Restaurant Elm New Canaan New Canaan Afternoon Tea Tea Time Interview

Andrew Dominick October 15, 2025

Fridays and Saturdays are for sipping…TEA! Pinky extension for each taste of herbal, green, or black tea is mandatory, of course. On the heels of Elm’s overhaul of their interior and food menu, afternoon tea is back! If it feels like we’ve taken this tea journey once before, we certainly have. Back in 2021, I covered Elm’s spread of scones, bites both savory and sweet, a piping hot teapot, and for an extra charge, and if you desire, a glass (or bottle, if that’s how you get down) of bubbly.

Chefs For Chef Tasting Dinner To Benefit CT Hospitality Foundation Oct 26th

Events Features Dinner Events Chef's Tasting Fundraiser

CTbites Team October 13, 2025

Gioia, an Italian restaurant, market, gelateria and rooftop space located at 150 Wooster Street, New Haven, is hosting “Chefs for Chef,” a 5-course tasting dinner on Sunday, October 26 beginning at 6pm. In partnership with the Connecticut Restaurant Association, proceeds from the dinner benefit the Connecticut Hospitality Education Foundation, supporting education and opportunity in the local hospitality community.

The event will begin with a festive welcome cocktail and passed bites, followed by a five-course dinner featuring a signature dish from each chef with wine pairings. Participating chefs include:

Tyler Anderson, Millwright’s Restaurant
Tim Cabral, Gioia, Ordinary
Prasad Chirnomula, Chef Prasad Indian Cuisine
Michelle Greenfield, Allium Eatery
Avi Szapiro, Gioia
Chelsea Tripp, Kouign

Tickets are $175/pp for café and bar seating (not including tax and gratuity), and $350/pp for VIP Chef’s Counter Seats (only 4 are available!).

To purchase tickets, visit https://www.opentable.com/r/gioia-wooster-street-new-haven.

It’s A Woman’s World: Bartender + Beverage Manager Kylie Keeley of Bar Bushido in Norwalk

Ingredients Restaurant Interview It's A Woman's World Interview Bartender Bar Bushido Norwalk Cocktails

Andrew Dominick October 07, 2025

Walk through the doors of Jeff Taibe’s izakaya, Bar Bushido, and chances are, you’ll be greeted by Kylie Keeley, especially if you’re sitting down at her bar.

Correction. One of her bars.

The pub part of Bar Bushido—where you’ll find yakitori, ramen, karaage chicken, DIY hand rolls, and other Japanese bar bites—is where Keeley says the “drinks match the energy.” The izakaya is a vibe; it’s loud (but with good energy), casual, and a great hangout for any occasion, and it’s where she’s rocking out a drink list of highballs, creative sake bombs, and cocktails ingredients (especially Japanese ingredients) that should spark your curiosity and tickle your tastebuds.

At the very back of the space is Bar Bushido’s alter ego, a quieter, more intimate hand roll bar, where Keeley’s cocktails are more focused on highlighting a certain flavor profile.

Delamar Hotels Opens American-Mediterranean Restaurant, Dandelion, in Westport

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Mediterranean Opening Interview Westport Dandelion Westport Delamar Hotels Homepage

Andrew Dominick October 03, 2025

Just a mere mile and change from the Delamar Southport and Artisan, founder Charles Mallory’s Greenwich Hospitality Group has opened a new luxury hotel with a restaurant, Dandelion, that’s been booked solid for weeks right out of the gate. “We took ownership of it 2-3 years ago,” says Delamar’s corporate director of restaurants, Hicham Amaaou. “I’ve been working with Frederic Keifer (Delamar’s corporate chef/partner) since Artisan Southport in 2012, then West Hartford, and we created La Plage together from scratch. But this is two separate entities and the food is very opposite.”

Cosetta Pizzeria and Paninoteca Opens in Fairfield from Bailey's Backyard Team

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Pizza Pizzeria Sandwiches Breakfast Coffee Fairfield Opening Homepage Interview Ingredients

Andrew Dominick September 30, 2025

In 2024, when I interviewed Sal Bagliavio, the co-owner of Bailey’s Backyard, about his second spot, Taco Dia in Newtown, he very cryptically mentioned that he and chef/co-owner Forrest Pasternack were actively looking to open something else, somewhere else to follow up their taqueria.

Cosetta Pizzeria and Paninoteca on the Post Road in Fairfield is that something else—and what it is, simply put, is a more gourmet version of the neighborhood slice shop, plus sandwiches (including breakfast), house-made pastry, and coffee.

Massimo Tullio Opens Neapolitan Inspired Massi Co. in Westport

Features Interview Ingredients Restaurant Neapolitan pizza Neapolitan Italian Interview Homepage Westport Opening

Andrew Dominick September 21, 2025

The space at 90 Post Road E in Westport has played host to three different restaurant concepts over the past eight years; Jesup Hall (farm-to-table American), then Don Memo (Mexican), and now, Massi Co., a Napolitano style restaurant. At the helm is a familiar face, co-owner of those previous two restaurants, and The Whelk, Massimo Tullio. The switch to Italian came about earlier in the year when Tullio, and his then partner, Bill Taibe, announced they would be going their separate ways with Taibe taking over both Kawa Ni locations in Westport and in Denver, while Tullio would continue operating The Whelk and Don Memo.

What's Geoff Smoking? A BBQ Pop Up at The Country Table in Greenwich

Events Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant BBQ Greenwich Pop-Up Interview Comfort Food

Andrew Dominick September 16, 2025

Something that Lazlo reflected back on wasn’t his storied culinary career at places like Gramercy Tavern, The Whelk, or Mill Street Bar & Table, it was smoking meats and listening to music. “It was about what brings me back to what my groove was,” he says. “Twenty years ago, I had this little smoker. I’d invite my friends over, crank up the Grateful Dead, have a couple beers, and have a good time.”

WIN 2 Seats On The Connecticut Pizza Trail Bus Tour Oct 1-2

Events Features Pizza CT Pizza Trail

CTbites Team September 03, 2025

Governor Ned Lamont today announced a statewide social media giveaway to celebrate the October 1 launch of the Connecticut Pizza Trail. Anyone who reshares CT Visit’s official “Connecticut By The Pie” social post will be entered into a raffle to win two tickets to the Connecticut Pizza Trail event—a two-day bus tour on DATTCO’s one-of-a-kind “Pizza Capital of the U.S.” coach, featuring the state’s most iconic and up-and-coming pizzerias.

How to Enter

On Instagram, X, or Facebook, share CT Visit’s official Pizza Trail.
Include the hashtag #CTByThePie in your caption.
Tag @CTvisit (Instagram/X) or @VisitConnecticut (Facebook).
Entries are valid only if all three steps are completed. One entry per person per platform.

Mooooncake Fest Comes To Bridgeport October 11-12 (sponsored post)

Features Events Food Festival Events EVENT

CTbites Team September 02, 2025

Celebrate the magic of the Mid-Autumn Festival at Mooooncake Fest -- a vibrant weekend of food, culture, and community coming to CT Hartford Amp on October 11-12, 2025.

Tradition Meets Celebration

One of Asia's most beloved holidays, the Mid-Autumn Festival is all about reunion, gratitude, and the beauty of the full moon. At Mooooncake Fest, you'll experience glowing lanterns, authentic mooncakes, and cultural traditions brought to life.

A Feast for Every Foodie

Savor 90+ Asian food vendors offering street eats, festival favorites, and seasonal specialties, plus 40+ merch stalls with crafts, gifts, and cultural treasures.

Celebrate Shelton Presents 2-Day Fall Food Trucks on the River Fall Edition (sponsored post)

Features Events Food Festival Events EVENT

CTbites Team August 29, 2025

Celebrate Shelton is bringing their most popular event Food Trucks on the River back for a very special Fall Edition!! This year's event will featuring an amazing lineup of 25+ food trucks, live music by: Mushroom Cloud, The Inside Out, Ros. Co., Doey Joey, Benny Mikula of The Alpaca Gnomes, Seth Adam & more, local artisans & vendors, mobile bar with New Belgium beer & Love Lou wines, Pop-Up Circus performances, and more!

$5 Suggested Donation

Norwalk's Best Kept Secret: Magic 5 Pie Co. Makes Sicilian Style Pizza

Ingredients Interview Restaurant Pizza Limited Pizzeria Norwalk Ingredients Interview Sicilian Pizza

Andrew Dominick August 27, 2025

I can’t put my finger on exactly when it was or where I first saw it, but early in 2025, I spotted a pizza at Magic 5 Pie Co. that left me both curious and confused. Known for their charred, crispy/chewy, light artisan pizza, I noticed a different shape. This one wasn’t round like their everyday pies. It was square. Later in the year while chatting with one of Magic 5’s owners, Shawn Longyear, who co-owns the pizzeria, along with The Spread, and El Segundo with Christopher Rasile, Andrey Cortes, and Chris Hickey, I couldn’t help but ask about it.

Bartender Sam Reyes + Mariposa Taqueria Launch Cocktail Pop Up El Jardín

Events Ingredients Interview Restaurant Cocktail Pop Up Danbury cocktails Bartender Pop-Up Homepage

Andrew Dominick August 25, 2025

Audrey Hepburn once had a quote about gardens, where she stated: “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” Sam Reyes is thinking about and believing in cocktail culture for tomorrow and a lot of tomorrows that will follow. Ever since Reyes (Mariposa Taqueria’s co-owner/bartender) captured a statewide award in 2023, specifically, a Connecticut Restaurant Association CRAZIES win for Bartender of the Year, he’s taken that W and he’s run with it.

Chef Nick Martschenko Opens Second SE Uncorked in Redding

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant SE Uncorked Redding Georgetown Gastropub Cocktails Burger Interview Bar Opening

Andrew Dominick August 13, 2025

Right before New Canaan’s SE Uncorked celebrated its 10-year anniversary, chef – owner Nick Martschenko opened a shiny new sequel of his popular gastropub concept at the end of June in the Georgetown section of Redding. “I knew the area because initially, we looked in Redding for South End, but that idea folded,” Martschenko says. “All these years later, we’re here with Uncorked. Ryan Kundrat helped get me into this place (on Main Street). We wanted it to be this pubby sort of vibe, but you can see it’s a little different in the dining room. It’s still much like the original Uncorked.”

Don't Miss "Reflections of a Summer in Kent at Ore Hill" Dinner August 23rd

Events Features Events Pop-Up Dinner

CTbites Team August 07, 2025

"Escape to Ore Hill, an intimate, seasonally driven restaurant set in a beautifully restored 18th century farmhouse in idyllic Litchfield County. Executive Chef Ryan Carbone presents a summer tasting menu, featuring the bountiful produce, dairy, and heritage Randall beef from partner Rock Cobble Farm. Prior to returning to his native Connecticut to helm the kitchen at Ore Hill, Chef Ryan was Chef de Cuisine with James Beard Award Winner Debbie Gold in Chicago, then at Jupiter, the second restaurant from the team of the celebrated restaurant King in NYC. Supporting Chef Ryan at Ore Hill and the adjacent casual Tavern Swyft, is Culinary Director and multiple James Beard Award semifinalist® Tyler Anderson, who will be on hand in the kitchen for this exclusive experience.

Reflections of a Summer in Kent at Ore Hill is part of the Friends of James Beard Benefit series; events hosted by generous people, businesses, and organizations outside of JBF that provide critical funding for our programs. Each event supports our mission to champion a standard of Good Food for Good® anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability."

Renowned and Michelin Recommended Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao Opens in Stamford

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Nan Xiang Nan Xiang soup dumplings Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao Stamford Chinese Homepage soup dumplings Dim Sum Interview Opening

Andrew Dominick July 23, 2025

From Flushing, New York, Michelin Guide recommended soup dumplings have made their way to the cluster of restaurants outside of the Stamford Town Center. Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, a growing Shanghainese micro chain, held its soft opening and introduction to Connecticut at the beginning of June as part of its expansion that includes locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Georgia, Chicago, and soon, again, in our general area when they open in White Plains.

Dogtown Opens Second Location in Bethel With Killer Comfort Food Menu

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Bethel Dogtown Hot Dogs Burgers Fast Casual Interview Opening

Andrew Dominick July 10, 2025

Four years ago, when I first covered Bobby Manere’s Dogtown in Milford—where Cali-inspired fast casual and a little bits of his dad’s lower Fairfield County famous Swanky Franks meet—he talked about wanting to open a Dogtown sequel. That time is now, and Bethel, you’re the lucky recipient. Manere broke the Bethel news on my friend, Jeff Spencer’s Sweet’N Up Podcast, when he was a guest alongside Kyle Marcoux, aka, The Vulgar Chef.