Celebrate Bastille Day w/ Ávert Brasserie's Steamed Mussels Recipe & A Party Features Recipe Recipe French Stephanie Webster July 11, 2017 Ávert Brasserie in West Hartford is celebrating Bastille Day with a festival Abounding with French cuisine, musique, dance, and myriad attractions for the whole family. This farm fête populaire invites locals to revel in the flavors, sounds, and joie de vivre of France!If you would like to host your own Bastille Day party, here is their great recipe for Steamed Mussels with Mustard, Curry and Cream. Yum. Check it out below. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of July 10-17 Features News Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson July 10, 2017 On Tuesday July 11, Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market invites you to “An Evening in Provence Wine Dinner Featuring Domaines Bunan” at Martel Bistro & Bar. The $85 all inclusive meal includes five courses as well as hors d’oeuvres to start. Feast on Braised and Grilled Artichoke Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula, Halibut Filet with Tomato-Parmesan Crust, Seared Scallops, and more. July means corn! Join Chef Chris Torla of Trumbull Kitchen on July 14th as he translates the summer’s most beloved harvest into a feast inspired by the tastes of Spain. Chef Torla, who has cooked alongside Modern Latin all-star Chef Rick Bayless, will draw inspiration from both the cornfield and beyond. Enjoy a multitude of small plates as we pay homage to the golden goddess of the season.Tickets are $99 and all-inclusive except for Eventbrite fee. By purchasing this ticket, you are also making a donation to the CT Farmland Trust. Read More
Join CTbites for Happy Hour at Terrain's Garden Patio in Westport Features Events CTbites Invites CTbites Team July 08, 2017 Keep the summer party going with your hosts, CTbites and Terrain Garden Cafe, as we celebrate the warmth and beauty of the season on July 26th 5:30-7:30pm. Enjoy the most beautiful outdoor dining space in Fairfield County while sipping our signature Endless Summer cocktails along with a selection of wine and craft beers. Appetizers include: cheese/crudite spread, melon sprees prosciutto, shrimp ceviche bites and crispy chickpea and kale chips. 5:30-7:30 PM. $40 pp + tax. Bring friends, relax, sip, taste and enjoy. Tickets can be purchased here. Read More
Savannah Bee Company Opens in Downtown Westport's Bedford Square Features Ingredients Ingredients Specialty Market Westport Stephanie Webster July 07, 2017 Savannah Bee Company is bringing its Southern charm and hospitality to the Northeast, summer 2017. One of the leaders in all things Honeybee has just opened a boutique in Westport's Bedford Square.Savannah Bee Company is known for its premium artisanal honeys, honey-based health and beauty products, and mission to educate people about the wonders of the Honeybee and preserving the art of beekeeping. Read More
CT Hops for Hope Brewfest 2017 Features Beer Events Amy Kundrat July 06, 2017 Do good with great beer. TIckets are now on sale for Hops for Hope, a Connecticut brewfest to benefit the Smith Magenis Research Foundation. The event will take place on Saturday, September 2 in New Britain. Read More
Geronimo Tequila Bar launches Carbonated Margarita Features Cocktails Bar Stephanie Webster July 05, 2017 Those who know me, know that there is nothing i enjoy more than a good margarita. The more tart, the better, and I will order these consistently, and sometimes in the most unlikely venues. There is one venue, however, that always delivers on its promise of a solid tequila based cocktail, and that is Geronimo Tequila Bar. Just in time for National Tequila Day on July 24, Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill has launched its new Carbonated Margarita. Produced and sold in both the New Haven and Fairfield locations, the 10 oz bottle features the signature Geronimo House Margarita, made with Corralejo Tequila, Combier and fresh lime juice, hand bottled and house carbonated with CO2. The brainchild of New Haven General Manager Rich Hildebrandt, these small batch products are only available on Fridays Saturdays and Sundays until the week’s stock runs out. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week Of July 2-9 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 29, 2017 The Port in Westport is now serving lunch daily right on the Saugatuck River. Happy Hour is on Monday-Friday 4:30-6 with 1/2 price drinks and Tangled Vine will be performing on the patio July 8th, 9PM. The Third Annual Riverfront Food Truck Festival returns to Hartford July 6-8. Over 25 trucks will be participating, including Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, Poutine Gourmet, and New Haven Pizza Truck. The Downtown Bridgeport Farmers Market kicks off its summer 2017 season on Thursday July 6! Find it at McLevy Green, the corner of State and Bank Streets. Opening day vendors include 203 Coffee and Tea, A Pinch of Salt, Sweet Cupcasions, Elegantly Casual Cuisine, Essentially Handmade, and more. Join them from 10:30am-2pm. Read More
Chilled Beet Soup with Yogurt and Dill Recipe via Tavern On Main Features Recipe healthy Stephanie Webster June 28, 2017 Summer has finally arrived, and with heat and humidity, nothing is more refreshing than a chilled soup. On July 6, Chef David Romero of Tavern on Main in Westport, will be serving up his delicious Chilled Beet Soup with Greek Yogurt and Dill, featuring beets, herbs and yogurt from the Westport Farmer’s Market. Here is the recipe: Read More
Video Recap: West Hartford Wine & Food Festival 2017 Features Video Festival West Hartford Katharine Ortiz June 26, 2017 Over 250 wines were poured and 30 restaurants sampled the best of their culinary offerings at the first ever West Hartford Food & Wine Festival on the rolling grounds of the Kingswood Oxford school district. Guests enjoyed live music and plenty of space to roam, mingle, taste and sip over a leisurely summer afternoon. Read More
Announcing the Donut Crazy Flavor Contest Winners: 500 Entries...4 Winning Flavors Available Today Restaurant Features Dessert Doughnuts Bakery Homepage Stephanie Webster June 24, 2017 We are pleased to announce the winners of the DONUT CRAZY FLAVOR CONTEST. Doughnut lovers from around CT submitted over 500 contest entries, and because there were so many great flavor combos, Donut Crazy decided to select not just one winner, but FOUR winners! These four limited edition doughnuts are available at all Donut Crazy locations NOW! The Winning Donuts are....Bananas Foster, Raspberry Lemonade, Carrot Cake & Peaches n’ Cream. Read More
CTbites Happy Hour on the Patio at Jesup Hall for $40: June 28 Features Stephanie Webster June 22, 2017 Join CTbites as we continue celebrating Summer 2017 with Happy Hour in downtown Westport's new, Jesup Hall, on Wednesday, June 28th 5:30-7:30 pm for $40. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE Chef/Owner Bill Taibe's new restaurant is the hot spot in CT, and the just opened patio in front is the venue for the next in our summer series of Happy Hours. Read More
Where Do Local Chefs Eat Out? Michel Nischan of Wholesome Wave Interview Features Chef Homepage Jessica Ryan June 22, 2017 I am honored that Chef Michel Nischan agreed to play along with us for our latest installment of Where do Chefs Eat Out? The chef and co-founder of The Dressing Room - one of the first farm to table restaurants in the state - shifted gears in 2014 to focus on Wholesome Wave, a not for profit he founded that provides healthy food choices to underserved consumers by increasing affordable access to fresh, local, and healthy items. A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to talk with him about this incredible project. What began as a dream in our own backyard is now thriving in 48 states. Read More
Matt Storch's Bun Thit Nuong Cold Noodle Salad Recipe Recipe Features Recipe Noodles Stephanie Webster June 19, 2017 Chef Matt Storch will be at The Westport Farmers' Market June 22nd serving up this delicious Vietnamese dish, Bun Thit Nuong Cold Noodle Salad. This is an amazing delicious cold refreshing dish for a hot summer day. If you can't make it to the market, you can enjoy this great recipe at home be following the directions below. Read More
South Norwalk is Home to Ellie's Real Good Food Second Television Season Features Chef Talk CTbites Team June 19, 2017 Just when you thought you'd seen every type of celebrity chef show imaginable, along comes Ellie Krieger, New York Times best-selling author and nutritionist, whose public television show Ellie's Real Good Food is less about celebrity and more about real life...and real food.For the second year in a row, Krieger chose the demonstration kitchen at Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen, in South Norwalk as her "home kitchen" for taping the cooking portion of her 13 episodes of Ellie's Real Good Food. We say "cooking portion," because Ellie's Real Good Food does a whole lot more than simply feature her cooking. In every episode she also takes viewers on trips to schools, farmer's markets, innovative farms, vineyards and more, where she is on a mission to share healthy, time-saving strategies for menu planning, food shopping and cooking. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week of June 16 - June 23 Features Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 16, 2017 From now through July 16, plan b restaurants will feature a menu of “BBQ favorites” from Memphis to East Carolina to Texas. Pair the dishes with special local brews from Stony Creek and Old Ox. Barcelona New Haven & The Wine Thief are teaming up for a winemaker dinner on Tuesday June 20. Taste wines from Blanco Nieva and Bodega Ochoa alongside dishes by Celebrity Chef and Barcelona Wine Bar Culinary Director Christopher Lee. Feast on four courses and participate in a Q&A. It costs approximately $70 (inclusive of tax and tip) and begins at 6:30pm. Read More
Bartaco's Signature Libelula Tequila Now Available in CT + Margarita Recipe Ingredients Features Cocktails Ingredients Mexican Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 14, 2017 If you love Bartaco’s signature margarita we have great news… the tequila used to make their cocktail is now available for purchase in liquor stores across Connecticut! Libelula tequila made its official debut in the Connecticut market in January 2017, but as the summer months approach it’s becoming more and more visible on shelves throughout the state.“This is the exact tequila used to make Bartaco’s world famous margaritas!” says Curt Goldman, the Executive Importer of CNI Brands, longtime partner of Bartaco group. “No change whatsoever!” Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week of June 12-18 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 10, 2017 Wine bingo is a thing! On Tuesday June 13, give the game your best shot at Ballou's Restaurant & Wine Bar in Guilford from 5:30-8pm. Your $25 ticket gets you a seat at the game plus a glass of wine. Food and beverage will be available to purchase also. New Haven’s Caseus Fromagerie Bistro will offer a Rose and Cheese Pairing class on Tuesday June 13 from 6-7:30pm. Taste an assortment of international roses with complementary cheeses. Tickets are available online for $45. Stamford Magazine’s 5th Annual Best Bartender Contest goes down on Wednesday June 14! Local bartenders will compete to wine over the crowd with their best original cocktail recipes. The event also features summer dishes and calypso music. Tickets are $30 in advance online and $35 at the door. Read More
What Can You Do with a Convection Steam Oven? Mini Carrot Cakes Recipe via Clarke (sponsored post) Recipe Features Recipe CTbites Team June 09, 2017 Every week at Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen in South Norwalk, the staff exemplifies how these extraordinary appliances can enhance your life. The Wolf Convection Steam Oven offers features that can only be appreciated by actually cooking on it. Here's a recipe for Mini Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, which was recently prepared by Chef John Craig at Clarke SoNo to illustrate some of the hidden features (convection humid mode) of this extraordinary appliance. If you own a convection steam oven...do try this at home! Read More
Black Rock Farmers Market Kicks Off 4th Season, Saturdays in Bridgeport Features Farmers Market Bridgeport farm fresh Local Farm Local Artisan Stephanie Webster June 09, 2017 The Black Rock Farmers' Market is back, Saturdays, June 10 -October 7th 9am to 1pm at 481 Brewster Street in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport CT. The season will kick off during Black Rock Day Weekend, an event that serves as a community initiative to promote projects that enhance the quality of life for residents and business in the area. BRFM is a producer-only market featuring locally farmed vegetables, fruit, cheese, eggs (with a real life rooster), bread, meats, jams pickles and so much more. Their local artisan selection varies from vintage finds to natural beauty care products. Market visitors have the opportunity to start their day with a 10:30AM yoga class in the field and enjoy their weekly produce shopping accompanied by live local musicians. Read More
