Kent Falls Brewing Begins Bottle Sales At The Farm: A First Look Ingredients Restaurant Beer Beer Garden Brewery CT Beer James Gribbon June 03, 2016 If, in an alternate world, you'd bought stock in Kent Falls Brewing Co. the first time you read about the small, Connecticut based brewer here on CTBites, you'd be rich by now. The brewery isn't actually public in the financial sense, but it will welcome the public to its farm in Kent, Conn. for the first time on June 11. Kent Falls beer has previously only been available on tap, in bottles at a few shops, and at single farmer's market. All that changes this summer, and anyone up for a drive to the NW corner will be able to buy it bottled at the source, Saturdays from 11a.m.-5p.m., with a focus on special releases like brewery-only IPAs and barrel aged beers. A special bottle release is planned for the grand opening on the 11th. Kent Falls has seen its popularity skyrocket lately and, as I've said several times before, the beer justifies the acclaim. The announcement of their new retail sales plan ended up being just the push I needed to finally visit their brewery and the working farm in which it's seated. Here is your first look. Read More
Best Doughnuts in CT 2016: Friday June 3 is National Doughnut Day! Restaurant Bakery Doughnuts Breakfast Dessert CTbites Team June 03, 2016 Happy National Doughnut Day. Yes, it’s a recognized national holiday, and CT has great doughnuts for sweettooths ready to celebrate. Here are places serving delicious ones...if you have a suggestion for a shop we missed, please let us know below. Uncle Leo’s, Redding Tony's Square Donuts, New Haven Donut Crazy, Shelton, Stratford. Bridgeport (nom-eez) Speedy Donuts, Norwalk Whitney Donut & Sandwich Shop, Hamden Lakeside Diner, Stamford Beach Donuts, Old Lyme Darien Doughnut, Darien Read More
INDIA, Farm-to-Table Indian Cuisine, Opens in New Canaan: A First Look Restaurant Farm to Table Local Farm New Canaan Indian Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger June 02, 2016 Bold…intense…complex…flavors, these are the words that best describe the menu that Master Chef Prasad Chirnomula is serving at his latest restaurant, INDIA, in New Canaan. Chef Prasad is no stranger to New Canaan, or Connecticut. As the owner/chef of the highly successfully Thali restaurants, he announced several months ago that he was closing his flagship restaurant in New Canaan, desirous of opening a smaller, more intimate, restaurant in town. The interior of INDIA does just that, with a relaxed, sensual feel accentuated with flowing silk curtains engulfing many of the tables. Chef Prasad invited CTbites to enjoy traditional cuisine from various regions of India, as well as sample many of his creative and inventive renditions from across southeast Asia and Africa. During the visit, this gregarious Master Chef joined us to explain the history, the composition, his vision for the dish as well as the numerous ingredients that were required to meet his high standards. His exuberance was evident in every description, and it translated into each of his creations. After close to twenty different dishes, my appreciation for his talent and the Indian heritage was significantly elevated, this was a culinary adventure. I was also pleasantly surprised when he told us that most are gluten-free, Indian recipes do not thicken sauces with gluten. Read More
2016 CTbites' Best "10" Burgers in Southwest CT Restaurant Delicious Dives Comfort Food Best of CT Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger May 29, 2016 HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY AND HAMBURGER MONTH The thermometer reads 90-degrees, the trees are in full bloom, the birds are chirping and the air is filled with the fragrant aroma of backyard grilling. It must be time for my Annual CTbites’ Southwest Connecticut Burger Review, now celebrating its 5th anniversary. This year I again took a slightly different approach. Over the years I have rated, and continually update, every burger I eat in CT on a scale from 1-10. To achieve the highest score, the bun-to-bun experience needs to be flawless; meat, cheese, toppings, sauce, and bun, all must work in absolute unison. There are currently thirteen incredible burgers that received a perfect “10.” From two east coast interpretations of the west coast double-double, to a food truck creation served on an Ube bun to several with bacon-onion jam, all of these burgers were spectacular. The 2016 list includes six new burgers while four from last year's list did not make the cut. The final rankings from the the Winner to number thirteen take into account not only the burgers but also the fries or chips. Here is the CTbites' list of the Best “10” Burgers in Southwest Connecticut. Read More
Kawa Ni Now Offering Patio Dining in Westport Restaurant Asian Cocktails Japanese Organic Outdoor Dining Bar Stephanie Webster May 26, 2016
Getting to Know FRESKOS Modern Greek Food in Hamden Restaurant Greek Hamden Mediterranean Amy Kundrat May 26, 2016 During my first job out of college, I frequented a diner for what became a weekly Greek salad lunch ritual. That may have been over ten years ago, but it inspired a life-long love affair with the dish. So when a friend suggested trying out newly opened FRESKOS in Hamden, I jumped at the chance to try their greek salad and was happily met with a heaping bowl filled with romaine lettuce and topped with chopped cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, stuffed grape leaves, and a big block of feta. Served with warm pita, and greek dressing, I have finally found my local antidote to that Greek salad craving. FRESKOS is a modern Greek fast casual restaurant, that leans towards light and fresh Greek dishes such as souvlaki and gyro sandwiches which are served with warm pita, red onion, tomato, tzaziki, and dill. In addition to sandwiches, FRESKOS focuses on seasonal salads and soups, such as the avgolemono soup, a traditional Greek soup with a chicken broth base filled with lemon, egg and rice. A FRESKOS original is a Greek Pita Pizza, which struck me as an apt Greek interpretation to its pizza-loving location just a stone's throw from New Haven. Read More
Melt Mobile Announces Launch of "Cheesy" Franchise Restaurant Food Truck CTbites Team May 24, 2016 Melt Mobile has just announced the launch of a franchise opportunity for budding entrepreneurs looking to break into the food truck business. Franchisee operators will be able to license Melt Mobile’s name and business model, and under the guidance and expertise from Darlene and Diana, carry on this scrumptious dairy infatuation grilled between two slices of buttery bread, further reinforcing that we all just need to Take it Cheesy. It was March of 2012. Food Network’s new reality show “3 Days to Open with Bobby Flay” followed entrepreneurs Darlene Andersen and Diana Hall through the grueling task of launching a food truck business. The process was caught on film, there for all to see – the good, the bad, the soggy bread and the burnt cheese. But that was fine by Darlene and Diana. “It might not have been pretty,” recalls Darlene of the not-so glamorous side of reality TV and the reality of the food biz, “But everybody got what they wanted out of it. And that’s just how business works.” Read More
CTbites Invites: Happy Hour on The Patio at Artisan for $39 Restaurant CTbites Invites Invites CTbites Team May 19, 2016 For the third year in a row, CTbites has partnered with Chef Frederic Kieffer and Artisan at the Delamar Hotel Southport for an outdoor Happy Hour on their gorgeous patio and bar. Mark your calendars for Wednesday June 1st 5:30-7:30, as we kick off “al fresco” dining with assorted appetizers and cocktails. Priced at $39, the Happy Hour includes a specialty cocktail and a second cocktail or wine or beer. Buy your tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2553071 Chef Frederic is preparing a number of signature appetizers both passed and buffet style to accompany a special summer cocktail created by the talented Artisan bartender team. Menu Includes... Read More
Burger Report: Chef Geoff Lazlo's Burger at Mill Street Bar + Table Restaurant Byram Greenwich Comfort Food Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger May 19, 2016 Mill Street Bar and Table opened in the Byram neighborhood in Greenwich last October, the brainchild of Executive Chef Geoff Lazlo in partnership with Bill and Leslie King, who head up the organic-centric Back 40 Group. Many in Connecticut know of his work with Bill Taibe at The Whelk in Westport, but his roots with organic gardening and cooking with the finest bounty of the season goes back to his love of gardening and his introduction to the use of these ingredients with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, Michael Anthony at Gramercy Tavern, and Dan Barber at Stone Barns. While the Executive Chef at The Whelk, his burger received my “Best of…” in 2013 and with his newest adventure firmly established in the Fairfield County culinary landscape it was time to see if his newest creation was as great…IT WAS! Chef Lazlo’s latest rendition is the “8OZ PASTURED BEEF BURGER,” described on the menu to include house-made mustard, aioli, Cheddar cheese, served on a potato-brioche, and served with hand-cut fries. Read More
Judy's Bar + Kitchen Opens in Stamford with Low Country BBQ Restaurant BBQ Stamford Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Lou Gorfain May 18, 2016 Judith Roll, creator of the popular Tabouli Mediterranean Grill in Stamford, felt that the dining neighborhood north of Bullshead was underserved. “The area needed something a little hip,” she told CTBites recently. “So I thought, take a chance, and try Barbecue.” As if by wizardry, wisps of sweet hickory smoke were soon wafting over High Ridge Road, not far from the Merritt, as Judy’s Bar + Kitchen opened its doors to a diverse (and hungry) local crowd. Even though she bills her dinner dishes as “Low Country,” Judith made no pilgrimage to Memphis and Carolina to study the nuances of time, temperature, cuts and woods. Rather she stayed in the neighborhood and developed her menu out of a culinary sensibility honed at CIA and the kitchens of gifted chefs like Wolfgang Puck. “Simple and fresh are my style,” she says. “Good meat, cooked low and slow, what more do you need to know?” Read More
The Pine Leaf Opens in New Milford with Chef Joel Viehland Restaurant Milford Organic Outdoor Dining Breakfast Lunch Amy Kundrat May 18, 2016 The Pine Leaf opened this week in New Milford under the leadership of chef/owner and three-time James Beard nominee, Joel Viehland. Located along the Aspetuck River, The Pine Leaf will be serving what they describe as "simple, light breakfasts and fresh, seasonal lunch fare" with a focus on organic and local ingredients. For those of us who know and love Viehland's cooking from his time at nearby Community Table, (check out our 2013 restaurant review of CT), this is definitely an opening we have been eagerly anticipating. We look forward to exploring New Milford's newest breakfast and lunch hot spot. In the meantime, check it out and let us know what you ate and what you think! Read More
Battle of the Chefs Culinary Showdown At Founders Hall June 5 Restaurant Ridgefield Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster May 17, 2016 On Sunday, June 5, from 4-7 pm, three chefs will match sharp knives and quick wits in an exciting culinary showdown to benefit Founders Hall in Ridgefield, CT. Chefs Beck Bolender (One Twenty One, North Salem), Frank Bonnaudet (Sucré Salé, Ridgefield), and Jehan S.de Noüe (formerly Chez Noüe, Ridgefield, now JSN Catering and Albano Appliance, Pound Ridge) will open a basket of surprise ingredients in front of an audience of over 200 and, in just 60 short minutes, compete to create the winning entrée. A panel of food experts, including John Barricelli of SoNo Baking Company, master chef Ron DeSantis, director of culinary excellence at Yale University, and Brendan Walsh, dean of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, will judge the chefs on their creativity, craftsmanship and culinary results. Amy Kundrat, executive editor of the award-winning regional food blog CTbites will once again referee this showdown. Read More
Wright's Steakhouse Opens May 16 in Centerbrook, CT Restaurant Centerbook Shoreline East Steakhouse CTbites Team May 16, 2016 Brought to you by the folks behind River Tavern, Otto Pizza and Dinners At The Farm, Wright's Steakhouse will will open on May 16 in an old Victorian in Centerbrook, CT. A peek at the menus hint at a vibrant take on the traditional steakhouse, here is an early peek at the dinner menu and the smaller bar menu. For more information, visit: www.wrightssteak.com Read More
Miro Kitchen Opens in Fairfield With Chef From Hapa Food Truck Restaurant Asian Fairfield Hawaiian Tacos Comfort Food Lunch Jessica Ryan May 15, 2016 With much anticipation and excitement Miro Kitchen recently opened its doors on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield. The new eatery is the collective brainchild of Eugene Kabilnitsky, former owner of Tomato and Basil, and Hapa Food Truck’s Chris Gonzales. I recently sat down with the two to talk about the inspiration behind this creative collaboration. “My wife and I were both working from home and we found ourselves going to the Hapa Food Truck at least twice a week,” Kabilnitsky told me. “We couldn’t get enough! At the time I was set to open another Italian restaurant at this location and was in the process of hammering out details.” But then he started to wonder whether the Hapa concept might work in the restaurant space. He joked that after visiting the truck 100 or so times he shared his idea with Chris, and subsequent conversations led to the current partnership, and Miro, an expansion of the wildly popular Hapa Food Truck, was born. The best way to describe the cuisine is to say it is a play on Pacific, Asian and Hawaiian street food with an American twist, mixing the exotic with the familiar. Read More
Fire Up Some Fun at Sun BBQFest at Mohegan Sun Restaurant BBQ Events Festival CTbites Team May 12, 2016 Photo courtesy of CTNOWBrace yourself for a grillin’ and chillin’ good time at Sun BBQFest. On June 11th & 12th, sink your teeth into the best barbeque around with festivities featuring celebrity BBQ Chef — Myron Mixon, live music, beer trailers, barbeque showdowns, local vendors, food trucks and so much more! Tickets are $5.00 per day and go on sale Friday, April 1st through the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Kids 6 and under get in free. The weekend of the event, tickets for entry are available at the gate along with food and drink tickets. Eat, Drink, Compete Get in on all the BBQ action and decide who reigns supreme during the People’s Choice Contest all weekend long. Purchase $2.00 samples from 20 participating Kansas City BBQ Society teams and cast your vote for the ultimate best at Sun BBQFest. Competition remains fierce on Saturday with a Rib Contest fromNoon to 2:30pm followed by a Wing Challenge from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. For $5.00, each contest offers a sampling of 5 wings or 5 ribs for you to judge! A portion of the proceeds benefits the Sun BBQFest official charity, Operation BBQ Relief. Read More
The Tasty Yolk Food Truck Rolls Into Fairfield w/ Gourmet Breakfast Sandwicheses Restaurant Fairfield Food Truck Breakfast Lunch Emma Jane-Doody Stetson May 10, 2016 Two chefs and a banker walk into a bar… It sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s actually the start of a “yolk!” Chefs Eric Felitto and Jason Cade of The Chelsea teamed up with their friend and banker, Michael Bertanza to create The Tasty Yolk food truck located at 4700 Park Avenue in Bridgeport. Despite the rain, the truck made its debut on Thursday May 5 to lots of customers eager to try their gourmet twists on breakfast sandwiches. “Every year, we try to figure out how we’re going to make our fortune,” jokes Felitto. “We finally decided to use our skills and make a food truck.” The trio makes for the perfect team. Felitto, Chef at The Chelsea, can coordinate with Sous Chef Cade so that someone can attend to the truck while continuing to work at the restaurant. Meanwhile, Bertanza works just across the street at Fairfield Bank. It’s easy for them to come together. Read More
Dinner & Craft Cocktails At Sugar & Olives in Norwalk: New Spring Menu Restaurant Brunch Cocktails Farm to Table Norwalk Organic Lunch Dessert Jessica Ryan May 08, 2016 Recently some members of The CTBites team and I had the opportunity to revisit and sit together at Sugar and Olives in Norwalk to try out the new springtime menu. For those of you who have not yet visited (what are you waiting for?!) Sugar and Olives was established by Westport resident, Jennifer Balin, in 2008. Her goal was, and remains, to educate diners and cultivate the relationship between farms and families. She is committed to serving local food, and nearly all the items on the generous menu come from within the state, including milk, cheese, eggs, fruit, vegetables, beef, pork, poultry and fish, as well as wine, beer and spirits. This three star Certified Green Restaurant serves brunch five days a week and dinner three nights a week. Read More
MilkCraft Nitrogen-Churned Ice Cream Opens May 9th in Fairfield Restaurant Fairfield ice cream Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster May 07, 2016 It's official. Fairfield just became the luckiest town in all of CT. On May 9th, MilkCraft will be opening at 1215 Post Road in the Brick Walk area of Fairfield, selling the creamiest ice cream in the universe. Why you ask? Milkcraft serves Nitrogen-churned ice cream, a process that freezes the cream so quickly that those pesky ice crystals that can form when the ice cream freezes slowly, never materialize. The end result is simply the smoothest creamiest ice cream you've ever tasted, with a mouthfeel like no other frozen confection. But wait...it gets better. Milkcraft will be serving their nitrogen- churned dessert in Instagram ready "Creameebun" donut sandwiches, and Hong Kong-inspired "Bubblecones." More details on Milkcraft coming soon. Get excited CT. Read More
Cafe Dolce in Norwalk: Exceptional European Desserts, Coffee & Lunch Restaurant Bakery Coffee Pasta Tea And Coffee Lunch Take Out Dessert April Guilbault May 04, 2016 Some cups of coffee begin in Africa. Others in South America. This cup of coffee began, so to speak, in...Hungary. Norbert Dudas and Zoltan Bona, two friends who were hospitality and culinary students back in the day, eventually made their way to the United States. They pinpointed Fairfield County in particular, looking for a place to set up shop and show people what they could do. The result is the convivial, welcoming Cafe Dolce in Norwalk with its decidedly European atmosphere. Said one regular customer on my recent trip there “It’s the best kept secret...but not for long, I’m sure!”. At that, she threw her hands in the air, cradled and shook her head as she embarked on her snacking quandary (oh, the peril!)...which treat to enjoy? This cafe, with its steaming cup and rolling pin logo (a nod to their coffee and baked goods, of course), has “hand-crafted” written all over it. Read More
HAPA Burger is Creative, Bold and Delicious Restaurant Food Truck Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger May 03, 2016 Almost a year ago I visited Hapa Food truck and ordered three tacos. Little did I know that the smiling face of owner Chris Gonzales, who prepared those delicious tacos was hiding an incredible talent of delivering bold, balanced and creative cuisine. After I finished the tacos he told me I needed to try the burger. I was too full at the time and told him I would come back. Shame on me for waiting a year. Since that time Hapa has developed quite a following and Chris recently opened Miro Kitchen in Fairfield, and a colleague who visited Miro told me it was fantastic. Well…fast forward and I recently returned to Hapa for the burger. The smiling face of Chris was replaced by an equally smiling and friendly face of his wife, Nicole. I ordered the HAPA burger with fries and she asked if I liked Brussels sprouts, of course I do. The HAPA burger consists of grass-fed beef topped with pork belly, Vermont cheddar, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, house aioli, encased in HAPA’s signature ube bun. Read More
