20 Restaurants For Great Fireside Dining in CT Restaurant Best of CT April Guilbault January 24, 2016 Baby, it's cold outside, but that shouldn't stop CT residents from seeking out great dining experiences. There are literally dozens of cozy fireside dining venues with hearths and fireplaces all over the state. Whether you're looking for a warm barside cocktail or an elegant 4-star meal, one of these 20 CT restaurants and pubs will keep guests feeling warm and welcome. If we missed one of your favorite spots, please let us know by posting a comment below. Winvian 155 Alain White Road, Morris www.winvian.com Win + Vian...a combination of the previous owners' names, Winthrop and Vivian. True love began it all! On 113 acres, this luxury resort has 18 luxury resort cottages, each designed by 15 different architects. Read More
Parker Mansion Opens in Westport via Dan Woog Restaurant Steakhouse Westport CTbites Team January 21, 2016 This just in on the new Parker Mansion Steakhouse (same owners as Parker Steaks & Scotch in Trumbull) from Dan Woog's 06880 blog. The restaurant gods take away, and then they giveth. Just a day after Post 154 served its last, little-lamented meal downtown, Saugatuck welcomed its newest eatery. In one of its oldest locations. While dining at Rizzuto’s tonight, an alert “06880” reader noticed some activity across the street. He wandered over to see. Parker Mansion — the reverently named successor to Mansion Clam House — is open for business. Read the complete article on 06880 here. Read More
Cask Republic in South Norwalk Reinforces a Resurging Neighborhood's Destination Dining Restaurant Cocktails Norwalk SONO Bar Amy Kundrat January 20, 2016 Washington Street, the epicenter of South Norwalk and a resurging dining scene, welcomes another new dining experience worth exploring. Cask Republic is a modern take on the communal tavern, now open at 99 Washington Street, formerly occupied by The Gingerman. The new restaurant delivers on its tavern promises with chef-driven comfort food and drink – American at its culinary core with an abundance of global influences. Read More
Harvest Wine Bar & Restaurant Opens in Westport Restaurant American Farm to Table Westport Jessica Ryan January 17, 2016 When one restaurant door closes a new one opens. The institution that was Mario's closed last year, but this week I had the privilege of attending an intimate event celebrating the opening of Harvest Wine Bar & Restaurant, at their newest location on Railroad Avenue in Westport. This farm to fork eatery joins the popular Greenwich and New Haven locations as well as Cava, Scena and 55, and is the result of the collaborative endeavor of the Kluber, Nube and Vincente Siguenza sibling team, who have over the past 10 years combined their passion for wine, food and customer service to create some of the area’s finest dining establishments. Read More
Barcelona SoNo Moving to Waypointe After 20 Years Restaurant Norwalk Spanish Opening Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 17, 2016
Sayulita: Standout Mexican in South Glastonbury Restaurant Cocktails South Glastonbury Tacos Mexican Hope Simmons January 10, 2016 Step through the door at Sayulita in South Glastonbury, and, right away, you’ll see: this is no ordinary Mexican restaurant. Clean and simple, with lots of wood and natural light, Sayulita features what’s fresh and local from the farms of South Glastonbury to the shores of Stonington. A poster of a surfing contest with a sugar skull, a thick turquoise glass bottle for the water that’s brought to your table. On my last visit, ’50s music played in the background. It’s casual. It’s comfortable. It’s a departure from most Mexican you’ve ever had before. Named after the seaside surfing town north of Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita is the most recent restaurant endeavor of Adam and Bill Driggs, owners of 2Hopewell and Birch Hill Tavern. With Chef Van Hurd, of Hell’s Kitchen fame, at the helm, you’re in for a uniquely tasty adventure here. Sometimes the most excellent feasts can be found at the beginning and end of the menu—appetizers and desserts. Add quality cocktails and out-of-the-ordinary tacos to round it out and what you’ve got is my favorite way to enjoy a meal at Sayulita. Read More
The Inn at Newtown Closes Its Doors After 17 Years Restaurant Newtown CTbites Team January 05, 2016 Photo: Life in Newtown The Inn at Newtown, a long time landmark on Newtown's historic Main Street, will be closing its doors on Sunday, January 10, reports the News Times. Announced on their Twitter account by proprietor Rob Ryder, the Inn at Newtown has been in operation for 17 years at 19 Main Street in the center of Newtown, CT. Read the full story on NewsTimes.com Read More
15 Places to Eat Healthy in CT: Juice Bars, Restaurants, Organic Markets & Food Trucks (2016 Edition) Ingredients Restaurant Juice Bar Juice Cleanse Organic healthy Best of CT April Guilbault January 03, 2016 No partridges and pear trees in our version, but there were.... 12 Frosted Cookies...11 Drinks-a-Drunk...10 Dips-for-Dipping...9 Ice-Cold Cocktails...8 Trays of Hors d’oeuvres...7 Festive Brunches...6 Company Dinners...5 Cooooookie Traaaaays (everybody sing)!...4 Cheese Straws...3 Baked Hams...2 Yule Logs...and (finally)...1 Healthy Meal for MEEEEE!! Time to get back on that wagon, everyone. And thankfully, you have us to help you do it! Happy 2016 to you and may it be filled with good eats and good health! And ok, a good organic wine or beer now and then. Here are 15 Healthy Restaurants, Juice Bars, Organic Market & Food Trucks across the state of Connecticut. Read More
La Esquina Opens in Stamford: Authentic Latin Cuisine Just Around The Corner Restaurant Brazilian Delicious Dives Peruvian Stamford Latin American Sarah Green January 03, 2016 You know that little place, right around the corner? The one that serves just that dish you were craving? The one that serves food you just know comes from a parent or grandparent’s tried-and-true recipe? You know the place, your go-to joint, always reliable, where you don’t have to dress up and you don’t have to spend a fortune? Well, “La Esquina,” literally, “the corner,” is just THAT place, serving up authentic South American yummies with home-style flare and flavors that impress. La Esquina Latin Grill, right on “the corner” at 50 Hamilton Avenue in Stamford, is a labor of love for the young and extremely talented co-owner and head chef, Robert Monegro. Chef Robert grew up in Stamford with his Guatemalan mother and Dominican father, both chefs. He decided that after learning all he could by growing up in the kitchen of his parents’ restaurant, Flamboyant in Stamford, he would put his own mark on the culinary map of Fairfield County. And he is doing just that. Read More
Dinners at the Farm Announces 2016 Season Tickets On Sale Restaurant Farm Dinner Farm to Table Local Farm CTbites Team January 01, 2016 Tickets have gone on sale for the Dinners At The Farm 2016 season! At Dinners At The Farm, each evening begins at 6:00pm, dinner served at 7:00pm. Tickets are per person and are $125 (Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays), $150 (Fridays and Saturdays). Upon arrival, guests are greeted with an orchard fruit cocktail and passed hors d’oeuvre and then proceed onto a lively tour of the farm with our warm and engaging farm hosts. Following the tour, guests are seated beneath a tent at long candle-lit tables with white porcelain settings where they will savor course after course of freshly cooked food with ingredients just picked from the fields outside the tent. Guests will break bread and raise a glass with the farmers, fishermen, and others who make up Connecticut’s vibrant agricultural community. Our 2016 season marks 10 years of hosting our celebrated open-air dinners in the fields of Connecticut farms for delightful and delicious evenings of locally grown food, wine, and conviviality. Dates and additional information here. Read More
CTbites Staff Picks for Top CT Eats in 2015 Restaurant Top 10 Eats Best of CT CTbites Team December 29, 2015 2015 saw an explosion of restaurant openings throughout CT, and team CTbites kept up a strenuous eating regiment to keep up with our talented local chefs. CT continues to draw great culinary talent, but the lists represent the best of the best. We asked the CTbites staff and extended family to share some of their most memorable meals and dining experiences this past year. Here are our favorite meals and restaurants of 2015. Stephanie Webster Kawa Ni, Westport: I crave almost everything on this Izakaya inspired menu, but the Spicy Miso Ramen, Shaved Broccoli & Miso Goma w/ Benton's Ham and Smoked Bone Marrrow are the things dreams are made of. Pho Hong Thom, Bridgeport: This tiny mom and pop shop is the real deal serving authentic aromatic Pho and a Bahn Mi with sliced pork and pickled vegetables that is just the bomb. It's not fancy, but it's darn good. The Cottage, Westport: Brian Lewis' newcomer has received rave reviews of late. While I greatly enjoyed the entire menu, the Wagyu Brisket Steam Buns w/ napa kimchi & duck fat potato tempura as well as the Italian Chestnut Soup spiked w/cognac were two of the most delicious things I've eaten this year. Read More
Five of Connecticut's Best Noodle Houses via CT Magazine Restaurant Asian Noodles Comfort Food Connecticut Magazine December 29, 2015 College students and twenty-somethings everywhere have long sung the praise of ramen (a Japanese wheat noodle dish). Grab-and-go noodle houses specializing in pho, (a Vietnamese rice noodle soup) have been popular here in Connecticut for some time. However, the love of noodle houses seems to have intensified as a by-product in recent years—along with food trucks, craft beer and facial hair—of the hipster revolution. Kawa Ni in Westport, which specializes in various ramen dishes, opened its doors last year and Mecha Noodle Bar in Fairfield recently announced plans to open a second location in South Norwalk. Here are five of our favorite destinations in the state. As always, if we’ve missed your favorite let us know. Read More
Eastend Opens in Greenwich Serving Modernized American Cuisine Restaurant American Greenwich Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 27, 2015 Eastend is the latest addition to Z Hospitality’s expanding portfolio of quality restaurants in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, joining Sole, Mediterraneo, Terra, Aqua and Aurora. Located at the bottom of Greenwich Avenue in the space formerly occupied by Primary Restaurant, it recently opened, 25 years to the week after Mediterraneo up the avenue. Overseeing the menu is Executive Chef Albert DeAngelis. Chef Albert joined Z Hospitality Group as Executive Chef in 1989 and has been the creative vision behind the group’s Mediterranean-style bistros. Joining him in the kitchen is Chef Matt McNerny, a graduate of the CIA and formerly the chef du cuisine at Aurora in Rye and Sole in New Canaan. Read More
Can Tiin Opens in Bridgeport: Inspired Dishes with a Vietnamese Flair Restaurant Asian Bridgeport Cocktails Noodles Vietnamese Deanna Foster December 20, 2015 CTBites readers who don’t live in Bridgeport now have an excellent reason to drive and dine there with the opening of Can Tiin in the downtown area. The dishes at Can Tiin (pronounced “canteen”) lead with a Vietnamese influence, are based on French techniques, and incorporate other Asian flavors. This culinary panoply is deftly handled by Chef Brian Reilly, who explained, “We take traditional Vietnamese dishes and honor them, but allow ourselves the latitude to experiment and go out of the box a little. We continually challenge ourselves to push the envelope without getting cute or overly fussy.” The result is neither cute, nor fussy, but fun, inventive and tasty. (Read our opening announcement for details on the management team.) Read More
29 CT New Year's Eve Parties for 2016 Restaurant Holiday Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 18, 2015 We didn't "drop the ball!" CTBites.com has rounded up a list of 29 restaurants and hotspots where you can usher in 2016 in style. Make your reservations now... seats fill up quickly! Elm, New Canaan will have two seatings, a three course dinner and a four course dinner. Mill Street, Greenwich will host either a 3 course dinner for $75 or a 4 course meal for $115. There are 2 seatings as well. Harlan Social, Stamford hosts their annual "Reveillon" NYE bash. They'll have live music, craft cocktails, and a chef's buffet of their favorite dishes. Match, South Norwalk promises "An Extravagant Evening" on December 31. They will be open on January 1 from 12-3pm and 5-8:30pm as well. Walrus + Carpenter, Bridgeport will host a "New Year's Eve Spectacular" with live music & more! Bernard's, Ridgefield offers two seatings on the 31st: 6pm and 9pm. There will be live music and a champagne toast at midnight. Cafe on the Green, Danbury will offer a 5 course prix fixe menu for $65 pp. Two seatings, 6pm & 9pm. Elm City Social, New Haven invites you to a 5 course dinner with cocktail pairings. Fez, Stamford has two prix fixe options: a 4 course menu at 5pm and a 6 course menu at 9pm. The later seating includes a champagne toast and music by Harry Ellis and the Deep Intentions. The Whelk, Westport will offer a New Year's Day brunch. Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Wilton has 2 New Year's Dinner options: 6 and 8pm. Both include 4 courses South End, New Canaan will have a special menu and lots of champagne. Vespa, Westport is throwing a huge party w/ menu special, champagne, DJ and FIREWORKS!! Read More
Pearl at Longshore in Westport To Open In February 2016 Restaurant Westport Opening CTbites Team December 16, 2015 This just in from the team behind the new waterfront restaurant opening at Westport's Longshore Club Park. Pearl at Longshore, the newly reimagined restaurant, dining and social experience at Longshore Club Park in Westport, Connecticut will open in February 2016 after an extensive restoration and revitalization under the vision of owners Marc Backon, Antonio Ninivaggi and a group of local investors. Pearl at Longshore will feature sophisticated, seasonally inspired, American cuisine to be enjoyed all year long overlooking one of the most magical settings in Connecticut that Westporters simply know as their backyard. Michael Hazen (previously Corporate Executive Chef at Bartaco) has been named Executive Chef and will create a menu of delicious, healthy meals that reflect the seasons and focus on the simplicity and flavors of the ingredients. Read More
Harvest Restaurant To Open in Westport in Mario's Space This Month Restaurant Westport Opening CTbites Team December 15, 2015 As reported on WestportNow.com Harvest Restaurant, 36 Railroad Place, in the space previously occupied by Mario’s, will open “during the holiday season” according to a real estate source. The owners, Vicente and Nuve Siguenza, also operate Cava in New Canaan, Harvest in Greenwich, New Haven, Scena in Darien, and 55 Degrees in Fairfield. Read More
Mecha Noodle Bar Opens in South Norwalk Restaurant Asian Japanese Noodles Norwalk Vietnamese Opening Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster December 13, 2015 “A lot of love in that food,” I texted to Stephanie, my CTbites partner and frequent dining companion, within an hour of our departure from the new Mecha Noodle Bar in South Norwalk during one of their training nights. “That’s the deal. He’s a special guy. It all means something to him. It’s not just the cooking. It’s nostalgia. Family. Friends. Community,” she texted back within moments. Following that repartee, I realized whatever I wrote about our first impression of the new Mecha would pale in comparison to that observation. Love and community is the essence of what Mecha’s food is all about, and Chef Tony Pham along with partner Richard Reyes (Mézon), is at its Asian comfort food core. Read More
Become a Loafer: Scratch Baking's 2016 Loaf of the Week Club Restaurant Bakery Milford Amy Kundrat December 12, 2015 The early part of the year can be a bit of a food doldrums following the festive whirlwind of the holidays, but I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be. Beginning on January 15/16 for eight weeks, Scratch Baking in Milford can bake you a loaf of bread paired with a spread through their Loaf of the Week Club. Think of it as a New Year's Resolution you may actually keep. Equal parts surprise and deliciousness, Scratch Baking's Loaf of the Week Club offers "Loafers" (Loaf of the Week members), a freshly baked loaf of bread that is creatively paired with a spread. The loaf reveal is made at the beginning of each weekend, often in an email with a recipe from Scratch. Several of the loaves I experienced last year were revalatory (I'm looking at you, Ethiopian Rosemary Honey Bread and you, Jalapeño Cheddar Country Loaf), and all were comforting and delicious. This year you can join the Loaf of the Week Club yourself, or gift it for the holidays (or I recommend both). To sign-up, email Scratch at writeus@scratchbakingct.com or call, 203-301-4396. Read More
Donut Crazy to Open in New Canaan via The New Canaanite Restaurant Bakery Doughnuts New Canaan Breakfast Dessert CTbites Team December 11, 2015 As announced in The New Canaanite, New Canaan’s local news website, Donut Crazy has announced its third location and will open in New Canaan, hopefully by the end of the year. With two location up the Merritt in Stratford and Shelton, the donut shop that features creatively conceived donut combinations named “Cherry Bomb,” “Cannoli,” “Maple Bacon,” the holiday "Noggin Donut" (Eggnog custard filled, rum flavored frosting, sugar, whipped cream topping, with a pinch of nutmeg) and the “Fat Elvis” (Bavarian cream center topped with peanut butter bacon banana chocolate honey), Donut Crazy will occupy the space that formerly housed the Sweet Shoppe and Merle Norman Cosmetics at 4 South Avenue. A gourmet doughnut shop with two locations in upper Fairfield County is preparing to serve its savory treats at the former Sweet Shoppe space on South Avenue, mostly recently Merle Norman Cosmetics. Read More
