Ki Asian Bistro & Sushi in Danbury's TNT Lover Sushi Roll via CT Magazine Restaurant Danbury Sushi CTbites Team January 20, 2017 CT Magazine waxed poetic about this dish from Ki Asian Bistro & Sushi in Danbury. We hear this isn't the only item on this menu that is worth the trip. Here's what writer Erik Ofgang had to say... Get ready for an explosion of flavor. The TNT Lover roll is made with chopped bluefin toro (the fatty belly meat of tuna), caviar, tempura flakes, scallion and asparagus topped with raw tuna and served with truffle soy sauce. The result is a sushi roll that can redefine your perception of what a sushi roll can be. At least that’s what it did for me. The raw tuna provides a burst of fresh-as-the-sea notes, cut and enhanced by the crunch of the tempura flakes and the rich truffle soy sauce, creating a taste simultaneously sushi and non-sushi. The bistro was opened in 2012 by Chef Benny Chow, a veteran of Nobu restaurant in New York, who trained under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. I discovered the restaurant earlier this year and have been hooked ever since. Read the full article on CT Magazine. Read More
Where To Find Great Ramen in CT Via CTNow Restaurant Asian Japanese Noodles Vietnamese CTbites Team January 17, 2017 Photo: Suzie Hunter/Hartford Courant This in from CTNow's reporter, Leeanne Griffin... Where's the ramen? It's a common question among food lovers in Connecticut, where the authentic Japanese noodle soup can be scarce, compared to booming scenes in big cities New York and Los Angeles. But ramen's availability has been growing here, as established restaurants have responded to demand, and new noodle bars have popped up around the state in cities and suburbs alike. Here's a guide to some of Connecticut's top ramen (not to be confused with the packaged brand). Tiger Belly Noodle Bar Granby's Tiger Belly opened in August, and a few early visitors balked at the price tag for its pork and vegetable ramens, confusing the dishes with the inexpensive packaged instant noodles, said owner Ki'yen Yeung. Read the complete listing of CT Ramen joints here. Read More
Peaches Juke Joint in Nowalk: Two Guys Enjoy Some Southern Hospitality Restaurant Norwalk Southern Bar jeffrey schlesinger January 15, 2017 CTbites has been following Greer Fredericks since she opened Mama’s Boy in Norwalk in 2013. She believed that low country southern cuisine could tantalize Fairfield County diners, from shrimp & grits, chicken and waffles to mile high desserts. Mama’s Boy’s food started the trend where down home, stick to your ribs cooking with bold flavors, deep fried, with cheese and calories were an accepted cuisine. Greer’s newest venture is Peaches’ Juke Joint, a fun-loving, take off your shoes, leave your inhibitions at the door and have some fun with a side of food. She hired Paul Failla to oversee the kitchen; many will remember Failla from his days at neighboring Bar Sugo. Ctbites was recently invited to sample Chef Paul’s newest creations and feel the vibes at Peaches. Read More
The Closing of Stamford's Napa & Co...In Mary Schaffer's Own Words Restaurant Stamford Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 15, 2017 Sad, relieved, elated, surreal, proud and excited. That is how Mary Schaffer described her feelings the day after Napa & Co. closed its doors after ten years serving some of the finest cuisines and the most exciting wines to hundreds of thousands of satisfied guests. During that time, Mary, with her keen instinct for great chefs, hired notables to oversee the kitchen at Napa, including Bill Taibe, Arik Bensimon, Adam Truelove and Dan Kardos. In the last seven years, CTbites, Mary and Napa have shared a unique relationship, Mary was kind enough to open her kitchen to our first Behind the Scenes Mushroom Iron Chef article, offered inside glimpses of the hamburger that changed the scene for hamburgers in Fairfield County and allowed us a visit with Celebrity Chef and world pizza champion Elizabeth Faulkner while she grilled pizza. We could write a very long tribute to Mary, her team and the cuisine at Napa, but decided to ask a few questions and allow Mary to tell our readers what it was like creating the groundbreaking restaurant that changed it all in Fairfield County… The big question on everyone’s mind is why now? Read More
Manhattan's Dig Inn Opens in Rye Restaurant Rye Brook healthy Breakfast Lunch CTbites Team January 10, 2017 Just over the border in Rye... Dig Inn, a highly successful natural restaurant with 13 locations in Manhattan and one in Boston is opening its first suburban venture on January 12th at 112 S. Ridge Street at the Rye Ridge Plaza. Dig Inn mindfully sources ingredients to deliver wholesome meals at a reasonable price, democratizing good, food. Along with the company's signature menu with farm fresh options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this location will include new and unique features specifically created for Westchester County. The Rye location will feature family packages, long tables for communal noshing, private nooks for working and reading, and cooking classes with our head chefs. In addition, it will offer an intimate 10-seat chef’s counter, serving vegetable-forward entrees, including mushroom tartare on flax crackers, and black lentils, grilled chicories, and butternut squash conserva…perfect for date night. Read More
Where Do Local CT Chefs Eat Out? Cody of Hoodoo Brown BBQ Restaurant Chef Chef Talk Jessica Ryan January 10, 2017 Welcome to our 2nd installment of "Where Do CT Chefs Eat Out?" Do they prefer to go home and relax? Or do they like to go out? If the latter, what are some of their favorite places, locally and beyond? Do they might have any secret hole in the wall places and would they be willing to share these with us? We began our series with Chris Gonzales of Hapa Food Truck. Next up, we speak with Cody of Hoodoo Brown BBQ. Read More
Pho 99: Magic Number for Pho in East Hartford and Wethersfield Restaurant Asian East Hartford Hartford Noodles Vietnamese Wehtersfield Lunch Kid Friendly Hope Simmons January 08, 2017 My magic number for pho is 99. There are those who say 501 is better. I say, are you sure? Because, though I used to eat there back in the day, now my money's on Pho 99 all the way. Friendly service, clean, and more varieties of spring rolls than anywhere else I know. For me, it’s the pho gold standard. Not to mention, Chef Peter Nguyen is a sweetheart of a guy who takes pride in what they serve in his restaurants. The smiling man with the infectious laugh is the heart, soul, chef and secret recipe holder within the Pho 99 kitchen. “The soup is a BIIIIIIIIIIIG secret! No one, family even--Mary’s (his business partner’s) husband don’t know! My wife don’t know! My cousins—don’t know! There’s a lot of businesses like us who come ask, what the heck are you doing? Unbelievable! What you put in there? I say, I do the same as you do!” Peter smiles, knowing full well what he does separates him from the pack and is absolutely not the same. Read More
Where Do Local CT Chefs Eat Out? Chris Gonzales, Hapa Food Truck Interview Restaurant Chef Chef Talk Jessica Ryan January 03, 2017 I've always wondered where the chefs from our favorite local restaurants eat when they finally get some time away from their busy schedules. Do they prefer to go home and relax? Or do they like to go out? If the latter, what are some of their favorite places, locally and beyond? Do they might have any secret hole in the wall places and would they be willing to share these with us? This column will be on ongoing feature. We start our series with Chris Gonzales of Hapa Food Truck. Read More
CTbites Staff Picks for Top CT Eats in 2016 Restaurant Top 10 Eats Best of CT CTbites Team December 31, 2016 2016 was another great year for restaurant dining throughout CT. We asked the CTbites staff to share some of their most memorable meals, go-to spots and varied dining experiences from this past year. Here are our favorite meals and restaurants of 2016. Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger My favorite dishes in 2016 ranged from a chicken sandwich to pasta with crab and sea urchin butter. The food was smoked, braised, quickly seared, fried, raw, served between two slices of bread, on a porcelain plate, in a bowl, on an aluminum tray and a paper plate; all were bold and balanced. It was quite a diverse year for me. My Top-10 alphabetically. Ch’i Public – Tuna Tartare - The diced tuna was encased in a ring of thinly sliced cucumbers, topped with thin wedges of avocado, small mounds of red and black fish roe, micro greens and plated with dollops of wasabi cream, yuzu and cucumber-lime sauce. The array of differing and complementing flavors was flawless. The Cottage – Wagyu Steamed Buns – Take a couple of sweet and delicious steamed buns, add slices of outrageous fall-apart tender brisket and top with a little spicy Napa cabbage kimchee, a delightful aioli and you have the perfect start to the meal, plus a side of duck fat potato tempura. Read More
The Cottage in Westport Expands With New Bar & Larger Dining Area Restaurant Brunch Cocktails Farm to Table Westport Bar Stephanie Webster December 30, 2016 Chef Brian Lewis' The Cottage is spreading its wings just in time for the new year...or rather its footprint, with a beautiful new expanded bar area. Lewis has taken over the adjacent space, once housing a barber shop, and has spent the last few months building out the perfect drink haven. The new bar area will have full service dining at the 10 seat bar alongside creative cocktails, local draft beer and an expanded wine program. Another addition is bartender, Ralph Leon who has been in the business for over 18 years, and has some very exciting new drinks planned for 2017. Read More
Barcelona Wine Bar Opens in Waypointe Norwalk Restaurant Cocktails Norwalk Spanish Tapas Wine Bar Bar Lunch Opening Stephanie Webster December 23, 2016 After 20 years as a Sono institution, Barcelona Wine Bar has moved up the street and officially opened its doors in Norwalk’s new Waypointe complex. Their new home looks and feels much like the creative dining spaces guests have come to expect from Barcelona’s five CT locations, but as SVP Adam Halberg says “ Waypointe will feel familiar, but there are some key areas that make this new location quite unique.” The open kitchen, massive 40 seat bar, and a new menu approach will take their authentic and distinctive Spanish tapas menu even closer to the markets and restaurants of Spain. Read More
Organika Kitchen Opens in Southport w/ Vegan, Gluten & Dairy Free Menu Restaurant Organic Southport Special Dietary Needs To-Go Vegetarian healthy Vegan Jessica Ryan December 22, 2016 Gino and Cathy Riccio have been an integral part of the Fairfield County restaurant scene for the past three decades, but their newest venture – an organic plant-based eatery – is uncharted territory for the couple. While many alleged healthy eateries have been popping up all over the place, Organika Kitchen takes the idea of healthy eating to a new level. I recently sat down the Riccios to learn about the inspiration behind their latest endeavor. Organika is more than a restaurant Gino explained, “It’s an experience that is as much about the food as it is the customers and the employees.” Organika opened its doors in August to praise from vegetarians, vegans and meat-eaters alike. Cathy expanded on her husband’s thoughts. “We felt that we needed to be eating healthier. We grew up eating healthy, but somewhere along the way processed foods started to enter our diets. Now we have all this modified food and heavy-duty pesticides so even when we try to eat healthy we aren’t always.” Read More
44 CT Restaurants for New Years Eve & New Years 2016 Restaurant Holiday Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 21, 2016 The countdown is on to the countdown to the year’s end! As 2016 draws to a close, Connecticut restaurants are ushering in 2017 with epic parties, prix fixe menus, special dishes, and signature cocktails. Here is the ultimate guide to where you can celebrate New Year’s Eve and the New Year. Mezon, Danbury: They will offer a 6 course prix fixe menu for $65 per person. Opt for the 6pm or 8:30pm seating. The bar will be open for walk-ins and a special a la carte menu will be available. The Spread, Norwalk: Visit the Spread in Norwalk for an NYE menu with Hamachi Crudo, Lamb Saddle, Seared Scallops, Veal Confit, and Chocolate Mousse. Ordinary, New Haven: Bar Ordinary in New Haven is doing something far from "ordinary," a Retro Ski Lodge New Year's Eve Party! Start your evening at the Tundra Bar for a libation then move your way into the Moose Ski Lodge for some warmth by the hearth! Roia, New Haven: Roia will be serving bites at the bar + all night happy hour. In the dinning room 5 course prix fixe, including truffles, venison, foie, artichokes and other delicacies, plus Jazz quartet playing from 7:00pm onwards. Pearl, Westport: Chef Mike at Pearl in Westport is preparing a NYE menu. There will also be a DJ, dancing, party favors, and a toast. Plus, kids eat free from 12-7pm! Read More
Brunching at The National in Greenwich Restaurant American Brunch Greenwich Bar Lunch Jessica Ryan December 20, 2016 Christmas was in the air in Greenwich this past weekend as the town’s Annual Holiday Stroll offered something for everyone: a chance to meet Santa, a ride in a horse drawn carriage, and for me, the opportunity to try out The National’s Holiday Brunch. I had not yet been to Chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s newest and his first restaurant in Greenwich. The celebrity chef has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and CBS Morning Show and has starred in many Food Network programs including Chopped, The Next Iron Chef and Cooks vs. Cons, the network’s newest show. Read More
Hidden Gem: El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant in Bridgeport Restaurant Bridgeport Delicious Dives Mexican Lunch Kid Friendly Elizabeth Keyser December 18, 2016 The first thing to do when you sit down at a sturdy wood table at El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant is order an agua fresca. These icy fruit drinks are made to order; the grinding blender drowns out the Mexican t.v. and music, and soon you’re sipping the most refreshing beverage. My favorite is the melon or watermelon, depending on what they have in the kitchen. Mango is sweeter. I haven’t tried the tamarindo. El Paraiso is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Bridgeport. It’s on Madison Avenue, near Capitol. The white gates covering some of the windows make it look closed, but inside, especially on weekends, El Paraiso is bustling and welcoming, the room filled with families with children. The waitresses smile. Speaking Spanish is an advantage, but by no means necessary. Read More
21 CT Restaurants Open for Christmas Eve & Christmas 2016 Restaurant Events Holiday Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 14, 2016 Over the river and through the woods… to delicious restaurants we go! From New Canaan to Essex to Mohegan Sun, some of Connecticut’s best restaurants are hosting holiday festivities on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day itself. Be sure to make your reservations early… seats fill up quickly! Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point, Saybrook: On Saturday December 24, guests can enjoy holiday inspired dishes like Mascarpone-Butternut Ravioli, Ricotta Meatballs, and Srirachi-style Calamari at Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point. On Christmas Day, they will have an extensive buffet from 12-6pm. Pearl at Longshore, Westport: Pearl in Westport will celebrate Christmas Eve with a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner. The Whelk, Westport: Open for Christmas Eve dinner with their regular menu and a few specials TBA. Basso Cafe, Norwalk: On Christmas Eve, Basso Cafe in Norwalk will serve dishes off of its regular menu as well as some newly created dishes prepared specifically for the evening. They will be closed on Christmas Day. Roger Sherman Inn, New Canaan: Open on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they have a special menu in honor of the holiday, which features dishes like a Roasted Filet Mignon and Lobster Thermidore Read More
10 "Must Drink" Cold Weather Cocktails in Lower Fairfield County CT Restaurant Cocktails Recipe Bar Best of CT Andrew Dominick December 13, 2016 It’s been a warm autumn, and while we’ll all hope the same for the upcoming winter season, we know it just won’t last. Chilly temperatures are inevitable and let’s face it, your puffy coat, skully, and gloves may not cut it. You need something else to warm up your soul, something that will always be there for you at various bars in lower Fairfield County…Cocktails. I recently visited my favorite bars around the county to seek out the best seasonal cocktails. While this is MY list, I did try my best to switch up the flavor profiles and the spirits used, otherwise they’d be all bourbon and whiskey based, or it would be a list of Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs. There are some clear liquors involved, as well as warm beverages and seasonal flavors such as apple, cinnamon, clove, and even carrot. I tried my best to include every city or town up 95 from Greenwich to Westport, but that wasn’t the end result. I wanted to go further north but this “research” would’ve stretched into another season. I found that Norwalk and Westport had the most seasonal stuff going on when it comes to booze, so don’t be offended if your favorite bar in your neighborhood didn’t make it. It doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, I just simply met my quota for this list, and my liver told me to “just stop already.” Hopefully this helps with your drinking adventures, and hopefully you have some cold weather cocktail suggestions at your most frequented haunts, because we’re all always looking to warm our souls with good libations. Read More
Ch'i Public House Opens in SoNo - Exceptional Asian-Inspired Cuisine Restaurant Asian Chinese Japanese Norwalk SONO Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 11, 2016 Ch’i Public House opened in late November in the space formerly occupied by Ocean Drive and Red Lulu on Washington Street in SoNo. The forces behind the new Asian-inspired restaurant are Rob Moss, Marco Siguenza and Dave Studwell, owners of neighboring Washington Prime. Overseeing the kitchen is Executive Chef Mark Taruna, whose long career spans attending the French Culinary Institute and working as the Sous Chef for Nobu Matsushisa at Nobu. He subsequently joined The Food Network and ran the Iron Chef kitchen where he worked with Morimoto, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay. He brings a new level of creativity to many classic recipes with bold flavors and textures, from the simplest dumpling to the most complex sauces. Read More
Room 112 Opens in Sono: A Modern Day Speakeasy in Connecticut Restaurant Cocktails Late Night Norwalk SONO Bar Jessica Ryan December 09, 2016 Room 112 is shaking up the pulse of the lively SoNo restaurant scene. A modern-day speakeasy with a rock’n’roll edge, and eclectic, modish décor recently opened its doors at 112 Washington Street. Owner Isaac Patrick Camoro’s vision was clear the minute he walked into the then empty space. Room 112 conjures up images of an urban garage meets underground lounge. Eclectic and unconventional this new bar is a truly unique experience; the antidote to the typical Fairfield County bar scene. The main level, framed in exposed brick, offers the perfect canvas for local artists to showcase their talent, thus lending themselves perfectly to the bar’s eclectic furnishings and lighting. Downstairs, a “man-cave” style game room includes a pool table, dartboards, shuffleboard, a jukebox, several HD TVs and a sleek bar. Read More
Art’s Deli in Westport Soon to be Winfield Street Italian Deli Restaurant Deli Italian Westport Lunch CTbites Team December 08, 2016 More exciting Westport deli news from WestportNow. Westport’s iconic Art’s Deli at 13 Post Road West, near the intersection of Riverside Avenue, is under new ownership. Art’s Deli, 13, Post Road West, will become Winfield Street Italian Deli. Breno Donatti, the new owner, also owns Norwalk’s Winfield Italian Deli, 69 Winfield St., and, since February, Winfield Street Espresso & Panini Bar, 4 Railroad Place, across from the Westport Metro-North Railroad Station in Saugatuck. He said the name of the Post Road West business will be renamed Winfield Street Italian Deli once all town-required permits are approved and issued. Read the full article on WestportNow. Read More
