CT Bloggers Roundup @ Miya's Sushi Restaurant Events Amy Kundrat July 06, 2010 Photo: Nick Caito, www.nickcaito.com Great food, an energetic chef and like minds. These were the makings of a perfect evening out for about fifteen local food bloggers and friends on a recent Wednesday night at Miya's Sushi in New Haven. I consider one of the best parts of my "job" as a contributor to CTbites to be getting acquainted with fellow food writers, many of whom I know virtually by their online epicurean diatribes. Over the past year I have even met several over comfortable meals where I don't have to be self-conscious about photographing my food and I know I won't get a fork in my hand if I eat off his/her plate without asking. With help and inspiration from fellow blogger Leeanne Griffin, I looked forward to a planned gathering of foodies and writers that would promise the flurry of cameras, endless plate positioning, many drinks and yes, the joy of community plates that I have come to know and love. Our setting? Miya's Sushi in New Haven, one of a few sustainable sushi restaurants in the country, with its endless and creative menu led by the personable and socially progressive Bun Lai. Our guests? An esteemed assortment of food bloggers, photographers and chefs including... Read More
Year-Round Inspired Italian @ Aloi Restaurant Restaurant Italian New Canaan Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger July 04, 2010 Photo: Kate SchlesingerMargherita Aloi, the Owner/Chef of Aloi in New Canaan, brought her culinary talent and vision to New Canaan several years ago. Raised in a small town in Piedmont, Italy, she entered the Culinary Institute of Barolo at the age of fourteen. After working for several years in Italy she was recruited by the renowned Pino Luongo, the chef and owner of New York’s La Madri Restaurant (and author of one of my favorite cookbooks “A Tuscan in the Kitchen”). She arrived in the US at the tender age of 18 and assumed the position of Pasta Chef at Le Madri, and subsequently advanced to its Executive Chef in 1998. Fortunately for New Canaan, in 2004 she visited and fell in love with our small town. Margherita accepted the position of Executive Chef at Bel Mare, the predecessor restaurant at the Aloi location, reinvented the restaurant and subsequently purchased the building. Aloi offers both inside and al fresco dining. The interior space is intimate and the décor is subtle and relaxing. The al fresco dining on Aloi’s terrace is one of my favorite places to dine on a warm evening with my wife and friends. Read More
100% Gluten-Free @ Cafe Cogolulu Ingredients Restaurant Bakery Special Dietary Needs Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat June 29, 2010 Most of us don't think twice about trying a new restaurant, taking a night off from cooking with takeout or browsing the aisles of a grocery store. But for a small percentage of Americans, these simple and daily rituals can be excruciating. Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that affects, by some estimates, 1 in 133 children and adults by compromising the ability to process certain proteins found in gluten. An oasis for sufferers has emerged in Fairfield County in the form Cafe Cogolulu, a reopened and 100% gluten free cafe in Wilton offering families suffering from this inherited autoimmune disease some much-needed respite. Read More
Cult Classic, Colony Pizza, Comes to Fairfield Restaurant Delicious Dives Fairfield Pizza Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat June 28, 2010 Connecticut pizza fans are not much different than baseball fans. Each are rabidly and often irrationally supportive of their team or in this case, their pizzerias. And just as that imaginary line splitting Connecticut into Yankees and Red Sox territory exists, so does the invisible border separating followers of Stamford's seventy-five year-old institution, Colony Grill, from those forming lines at Pepe's and Sally's on New Haven's Wooster Street. Depending on your team, one thing is certain. We in Connecticut take our pizza very seriously. The pizza rivalry is heating up in Connecticut with Colony Grill's expansion onto Fairfield's Post Road. Opening this past Memorial Day weekend, Colony Grill in Fairfield has already cultivated a near-instant following drawn to its thin crust hot oil pies and booming bar scene. Die-hard fans of Stamford's Colony Grill will not be dissapointed in its Fairfield incarnation. The nearly-identical menu is matched by an identically delicious pizza, minus the decades of pizzeria patina, a combination of occasionally surly service and constant throng of people and take-out orders we've come to appreciate (read: tolerate) in Stamford. Read More
Top This: Frozen Yogurt By The Ounce Restaurant Westport ice cream Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster June 22, 2010 Haven't you always wanted to be in charge of your frozen yogurt destiny? Do you find yourself squirming as the kid behind the counter puts too much fruit and not enough fudge on your medium vanilla? Oh, to be the person in front of the pump deciding the fate and exact ratio of each delicious frosty flavor. When it comes to food, I like to be in control. It is this sentiment that has me singing the praises of "Top This," Westport's new pay by the ounce, frozen yogurt mecca. Located (fittingly) in the old Ben & Jerry's spot on The Post Road, Top This offers self serve frozen yogurt (mostly non-fat) in flavors like Snickerdoodle, Alpine Vanilla, Peach Mango, Cheesecake, and the ever popular "Tart yogurt." Grab a cup, pull a lever, and select your fancy…a veritable yogurt buffet. Read More
Stepney Kitchen: Creative Farm-To-Table Fare Restaurant Farmers Market Local Artisan Monroe Farm Fresh Multiple Eaters June 20, 2010 Amy Kundrat on Stepney Kitchen Chef Jason Hall spends each Tuesday driving from farm to farm in and around Northern Fairfield County looking for the bounty that will fill his menu at Stepney Kitchen. Located strategically at the intersection of Rt. 59 and Rt. 25 in Monroe, CT, Stepney Kitchen is in the epicenter of what may be some of Fairfield County's most bucolic and farm-dense townships. The neighboring towns of Easton, Newtown, Oxford and Shelton enjoy a deep agricultural heritage that is being honored today by dedicated farmers and chefs such as Jason Hall at Stepney Kitchen. On a recent evening, the kitchen was bursting with rhubarb as it enjoys its seasonal peak, arugula, ripe and delicious strawberries and piles of garlic scapes. In fact, after my meal Chef Hall sent me packing with my very own bag of garlic scapes. "Right now we are getting lots of beautiful late spring items like sugar snap peas, really nice lettuces, baby vegetables like turnips, squash blossoms and we are running through the end of a very prolific strawberry season- the strawberry gazpacho w/ fennel and grilled shrimp has been a staple item for the last couple of weeks," said Chef Hall. Read More
Beach Street Sandwiches: Celebrity Chef on Wheels Restaurant Catering Farm Fresh Lunch Stephanie Webster June 17, 2010 On June 19th, BEACH STREET SANDWICHES, the Shoreline’s first gourmet sandwiches truck, operated by Chef Gregory McCarty, ex- Nobu and Jean Georges Chef, opens for business during Madison CT's Flea Market on the Green. Beach Street Sandwiches is Chef Gregory McCarty’s latest project, a shop on wheels serving sandwiches, because everything is better on bread." The chef is best known for his menu development and execution at Nobu 57 and Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Bahamian outpost, Dune. For the next month, Beach Street Sandwiches will be running truck-less, setting up a table at various shoreline events, the first of which is June 19 ’s Madison Lions Club Flea Market, taking place from 9am-3pm on the Madison Green. Read More
Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar: Hip Mexican Hangout Restaurant Byram Cocktails Greenwich Mexican Lunch Amy Kundrat June 13, 2010 Lolita Cocina is not just a restaurant, it's a scene. From the endless rows of tequila lining the bar to its hopelessly sexy digs, it's hard not to feel as if you've stumbled upon a modern Mexican speakeasy complete with a mouth-watering menu. One doesn't dine at Lolita as much as escape and feel as if they've discovered a slightly hipper version of oneself. Located on Mill Street in Byram, Lolita Cocina's personality reflects its zip code, an up-and-coming neighborhood sandwiched between Port Chester, known for an abundance of south of the border restaurants, and the posh town of Greenwich located literally at the southern tip of Fairfield County. The hipster Mexican vibe begins as soon as you cross the threshold into a roughly elegant space punctuated with striking red glass Murano chandeliers and swaths of brick and black leather banquettes. Dim lighting, fun music and the din of the near-nightly crowds that flock to Lolita fill the space to complete its inimitable scene. But don't let the carefully cultivated cool throw you, this place can throw down some serious food. Read More
CTbites Shout Out: Where Do You Eat Out w/ Kids? Kids Bites Restaurant CTbites Shout Out Comfort Food Kid Friendly multiple Authors June 09, 2010 It's the age old problem. You want to go out for dinner with your family, but you simply can't bear the thought of the Diner again. Where can you eat out in Fairfield County where both adults and children will not just endure but enjoy their meals? To help us with this conundrum, I asked our contributors to share their suggestions in the latest CTbites Shoutout: What are your favorite places to eat out with kids? If you have favorite family restaurants, share them by posting a comment below! If my kids (10, 7, & 5) had their way, they would eat tacos, refried beans and rice every day of the week. Read More
Jfood & Roadfood on 25 Yrs of Westfair Fish & Chips Restaurant Delicious Dives Seafood Westport Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Multiple Eaters May 31, 2010 Photo Credit: Michael Stern, Roadfood.com Is there anything better than fried seafood by the beach on a warm Summer day? I think not. Neither do jfood of Chowhound.com and Michael Stern of Roadfood.com. These are two serious foodies who are more than happy to drive that extra mile to satisfy their fried seafood craving at Westfair Fish & Chips. I'll let them tell you why.... Read More
Stamford Museum's Flights of Fancy Wine Tasting Restaurant Events Stamford Stephanie Webster May 27, 2010 Photos top from left: Sweet On You, Susan Kane Catering, TAWA; middle: TAWA, Frank & Julio, Susan Kane Catering; bottom: Frank & Julio, Susan Kane Catering, Sweet On YouOn Friday June 4th, Stamford Museum & Nature Center’s will hold their 13th Annual Flights of Fancy Wine Tasting to raise money for their wonderful community resource. The event will feature an evening of fine wines, exquisite food from 11 different local caterers, and a combination of tremendous live and silent auction item. Former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy will host the evening’s live auction. The 13th annual wine tasting will be held in the Museum’s Bendel Mansion. Check out the fabulous array of participating local caterers and fine restaurants. These include: A Dash of Salt of Norwalk, Butterfield 8, David’s Soundview Catering, Frank & Julio Complete Event Planning, and Fratelli Market of Stamford, Illy Coffee, Michael Joseph’s Fine Foods of Darien, and Napa & Co. of Stamford, Rosie of New Canaan, Shelly’s On The River, Susan Kane Catering, Sweet on You, and Tawa Indian Cuisine, all of Stamford. Read More
In Search of "Chinese Mirch:" Good Chinese in FC Restaurant Asian Chinese Stamford Indian Kid Friendly Sarah Green May 23, 2010 "Chinese Mirch"? You mean the month before Chinese April? Oh, you mean Mirch as in "merchant?" Not that either, eh? Maybe as in, "not mirch, what's new with you?" - close but no cigar, I guess. But it turns out that there's quite a bit that's new with this trendy Chinese/Indian hybrid currently in full swing on Stamford's bustling Atlantic Street. "Chinese Mirch," founded by third generation restaurateur Vik Lulla, is a labor of love for Mr Lulla and his wife Sienam. The couple opened the first "Chinese Mirch" in NYC in 2003 to great critical acclaim. Now, the couple owns two "Chinese Mirch" restaurants in Manhattan, this new Stamford location with another opening in Farmington this Summer, and one in Cambridge, MA coming soon. But what's this Mirch business all about? As someone who HATES not knowing the true meaning of things, I just HAD to find out. Read More
Daily Fare: Down To Earth Gourmet To-Go Features Restaurant Bethel Catering Coffee Breakfast Amy Kundrat May 20, 2010 Being greeted with a cup of locally roasted coffee and the promise of a healthy prepared meal each day may be the only foolproof way to overcome the indignity that is a Metro North train commute. Located inside the Bethel train station, Daily Fare offers a nourishing and caffeinated segue into the freneticism of a work day and the welcome flexibility of a healthy prepared take-home meal for lunch or dinner. This coffee shop-meets-gourmet-to-go is not just for commuters. For many of us faced with the daily demands and dwindling hours of busy schedules, Daily Fare affords us hungry and time-crunched souls the luxury of well balanced meals instead of shopping, cooking and preparing a meal. For many of us who like to cook, it can be a much-needed respite. For others who can't cook or don't want to, it's like having your own personal chef without having to foot the bill. Read More
Taqueria La Michoacana: Bridgeport's Top Taco? Restaurant Bridgeport Delicious Dives Mexican Lunch Kid Friendly Marcy Shinbaum May 19, 2010 Cinco de Mayo found my girls and I hankering for some Mexicano authenico. While we couldn’t afford a flight south for the day, Taqueria La Michoacana was absolutamente the next best thing to being there. Tucked away between a package store and a used car lot on Main Street in Bridgeport, Taqueria La Michoacana touts itself as “The Only 100% Mexican Taqueria.” We walk into the spotless, 30-seat storefront and are immediately greeted by the sweet smell of garlic and the owner, Sergio. While he refers to his wife, Rosa, in the kitchen, we don’t get to meet her until we insist on complimenting the chef on our way out. Roles are clearly defined here, Sergio is front of the house, Rosa is the chef. Read More
What's Cooking in Bridgeport: May 17-23rd Restaurant Events Stephanie Webster May 11, 2010 Bridgeport is holding their first annual "What's Cooking in Bridgeport" week from May 17 to May 23, a week long event showcasing the unique range of dining and entertainment options across the Park City. Throughout the week, 35 restaurants and 6 entertainment venues will be offering special promotions, providing a great opportunity for people across the region to enjoy food and fun in Connecticut’s largest city. From 2-for-1 prices to free appetizers, drinks and desserts, What’s Cooking in Bridgeport has a little something for everyone. Here is the list of participating restaurants (but new venues are being added every day!): Read More
The Olive Market: Georgetown's Eclectic Treasure Restaurant Italian Pizza Redding Specialty Market Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Latin American CTbites Team May 09, 2010 Upon entering The Olive Market in Redding, you can’t help but be surprised by the unique setting. Envision Pottery Barn mixed in with a little Williams Sonoma, add a dash of Murray’s Cheese Shop…well, you get the picture. The Olive Market's menu, under Chef Fernando, displays a similarly intriguing fusion of foods with influences from Uruguay, Portugal, Italy, and Spain. Here you will find everything from empanadas, tapas and fondue, to paninis and pizzas. They also sell cheeses and olives by the pound and have a very browse-worthy home goods store attached to the café. The store stays open until the restaurant closes so there’s plenty of time to check out the goods while waiting for your food to arrive. Dining tables are nestled amongst shelves lined with a beautiful array of gourmet food items like olive oils, flavored salts, fondue pots, and cooking tools. I even found O & Co. White Truffle Oil which I thought I could only purchase in Grand Central. Terrazzo tiles, dark blue ceilings and vibrantly colored paintings add to the eclectic, warm atmosphere. Read More
CTbites Wins "First Prize" From CT Press Club Restaurant Events Norwalk Stephanie Webster May 07, 2010 CTbites wins 1st Prize for Best Blog in CT & Best Online Photography from the CT Press Club. Kudos for us! Last night Quattro Pazzi offered an idyllic backdrop to the annual CT Press Club Award ceremony. Anyone who is anyone in the publishing industry seemed to be in attendance including a few CTbites contributors who were graced with accolades alongside the Pulitzer winning playwright Donald Margulies. Elizabeth Keyser (seen above with "Flaxette" bread baker Michael Mordechi) walked away with several first place awards for both food and feature writing. Christy Colasurdo also won top marks for a recent feature article in Westport Magazine. We are honored to have both of these talented writers on our CTbites masthead. Several guests gave curious glances as I began to photograph the meal, but then murmured signs of recognition when I walked up to accept the 1st Prize award in the category "Blog." (Just another one of those crazy people who takes pictures of everything she eats.) Read More
Cows Not Cars at the Creamery: Wells Hollow Farm Restaurant ice cream kids activity Kid Friendly Dessert Deanna Foster May 06, 2010 These days, going out for a cone often means visiting a scoop shop situated along a well-traveled roadway and eating your favorite flavor in a parking lot - think Carvel at 7 pm any summer evening. Small, mom and pop type ice cream stands are a rare and serendipitous find that usually require a lengthy drive into the country. But we’ve found an exception to this rule: Wells Hollow Farm in Shelton is a quick trip up Route 8 (to exit 12) and provides a surprisingly bucolic backdrop to your ice cream experience. A working farm since the late 1800’s, Wells Hollow Creamery is located in a large red barn shared with 6 cows (although I was corrected when I asked for verification: 4 cows and 2 calves) and a whole bunch of chickens and roosters – I didn’t ask how many. With 30 hard-packed flavors to choose from, Read More
CTbites Lunch Recap: Nicholas Roberts Restaurant CTbites Lunch Events Norwalk Stephanie Webster May 04, 2010 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. Read More
Taberna Food & Wine Bar: A Bridgeport Surprise Restaurant Bridgeport Italian Mediterranean Latin American Marcy Shinbaum May 02, 2010 A pleasant surprise is always welcome – especially on the third rainy day in a row at the end of April. That is why Taberna Food & Wine Bar, tucked away in a residential neighborhood on the Fairfield Bridgeport line, was such a good find. For a recent lunch date we entered through the upscale bar area into a bright, tasteful white-tablecloth dining room and immediately noticed we were the only diners. Never a good sign, my companion and I wondered out loud how they could possibly serve a decent lunch when only two diners make up the lunch rush. As the meal progressed two more tables filled, both business lunch types, but by then our initial reservations had abated, as we were deep into a delightful and delicious meal. Read More
