Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of March 24 - April 1 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 21, 2018 On Monday, March 26, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana will kick off its "Good Neighbor Day" program. Each restaurant will donate 10% of all lunch and dinner sales made on March 26 to a deserving community partner. Fairfield Cheese Company presents “Goat-a-Palooza” on Thursday March 29 from 7-9pm. $50 includes a tasting of different kinds of goat cheeses as well as wine pairings. Watertown Gridiron's 1st Annual Wing Competition will go down on Monday March 26! 7 local restaurants will compete to see who makes the best wings. Come by between 5pm and 9pm, taste some wings, and vote for your favorite. Tickets are $13 per person and children 5 and under are free. On Tuesday March 27, Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey will be at the Trumbull Library to discuss her seventeen year long journey into beekeeping and honey. Guests will have the opportunity to taste Red Bee honey, purchase her books, and hear from her. The event is free, but register online to guarantee seating. Flavors of Connecticut is an annual culinary gala that spotlights 35 of our states hottest chefs and restaurants. This year, it will take place on Tuesday March 27 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Edward Allen of Foxwoods Resort Casino will be the honorary chef alongside a line-up of local talent. Read More
Stew Leonard’s Chocolate Bunny Milk is BACK March 20th Ingredients Features Specialty Market Holiday Ingredients CTbites Team March 16, 2018 Yup...It's back for Easter. A half-gallon glass jug of Stew’s Chocolate Bunny Milk will be available for $5.99 starting on March 20, 2018 at all six Stew Leonard’s locations. Stew Leonard’s signature farm fresh milk is mixed with creamy milk chocolate to create a sweet, irresistible chocolate milk that tastes just like a classic chocolate Easter bunny. Stew Leonard’s milk is delivered fresh to our stores from award-winning dairy farms in upstate NY and is free from artificial growth hormones (rBST) and antibiotics. The milk will only be available for a limited time. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of March 18-25 Features News Events Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 15, 2018 Woodbury Restaurant Week is here! It takes place from March 19-25 and includes Al’s Best Pizza, Carlito’s of Woodbury, Carole Peck’s Good News Café, The Charcoal Chef, Constantine’s, The Curtis House Inn, John’s Café, Market Place of Woodbury, The Olive Tree, Papa’s Main Street Deli, San Remo, The Split Rail, The Woodbury Brewing Company, and The Woodbury Diner. .Stew Leonard’s Norwalk store is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt Eggs-Travaganza starting at 4 pm on Monday, March 19. Children under 9 will be given a map of Stew Leonard’s and a bag to collect eggs from costumed characters throughout the store, including Wow the Cow, Cynthia Chick, and Daphne Duck among others. South Avenue Butcher in New Canaan continues their Butchery Classes on Tuesday March 20. Mike The Butcher will teach you everything you need to know about the animal, as well a knife skills, techniques, and recipes. Read More
It's A Woman's World: Red Bee Honey's Carla Marina Marchese Features Interview Chef Talk Interview CTbites Team March 14, 2018 Fairfield County is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Which is why, with 2018 being proclaimed the Year of the Woman, we felt compelled to honor the pioneers among us. Our new series, “It’s A Women’s World’ is devoted to Fairfield County female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, feeding an entrepreneurial spirit or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking ladies have set a new definition of women’s work, creating new paths and setting examples for those who follow. How'd they do it? Read on. So far, we've highlighted Silvia Baldini, the first female chef in Fairfield County to win “Chopped,” This week, our focus turns to Carla Marina Marchese, founder of Red Bee Honey in Weston. Have a suggestion on someone you’d like to see featured? Email steph@ctbites.com. Read More
Visit Clarke Now and You May Win a Day with Chef Lidia Bastianich Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team March 13, 2018 Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen, is pleased to announce a unique offer for homeowners who make their first visit to a Clarke showroom between now and May 1, 2018. This offer is designed to inspire homeowners who are considering Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances to take the next step in their exploration. When you enjoy your first visit to a Clarke showroom in Boston Seaport, Milford, Mass. or South Norwalk, Conn., during March or April, you will be entered into a drawing to spend a day on the television set of Chef Lidia Bastianch on May 17th. Read More
Ken Tuccio Teams Up With CTbites for "FOOD & DRINK" Podcast Launching May 17 Features Podcast Opening Stephanie Webster March 11, 2018 We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new podcast series only on CTbites! Starting May 17th Ken Tuccio is joining the CTBites family when he begins hosting FOOD & DRINK, a CTBites Original Podcast!Ken Tuccio first gained popularity as the host of Welcome To Connecticut, a weekly podcast which focused on conversations with unique personalities in the state of Connecticut. He also served as host of the documentary series The Local Drinking Show with WTNH News Channel 8 and the morning drive show First Thing Fairfield County with 95.9 The Fox. Beginning on May 17th Ken Tuccio will bring his brand new show, FOOD & DRINK, to CTBites. This show will feature in depth personality driven conversations with the most successful and interesting personalities in the culinary and beverage world. Award winning chefs, successful restaurateurs, popular breweries and wineries, as well as other individuals with unique ties to the food world will all sit down with Ken Tuccio for long form conversations that focus on their life, career and passion for what they do. Read More
50+ Restaurants & Bars for St. Patrick’s Day in CT: 2018 Edition Features Restaurant Holiday Bar Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 10, 2018 Corned beef! Guinness! Carbombs! Let’s be honest, March 17 is as much about the delicious food and drinks as it as about St. Patrick. Connecticut restaurants, bars, and venues will be serving up plenty of Irish-themed specials in honor of the holiday. Get out your green, and head to these 50+ spots!Tigin Irish Pub, Stamford: Tigin is always St. Patrick's Day headquarters, and this year they are shutting down the area behind the pub for a giant block party! There will be live bands, outdoor bars, Guinness, and Irish whiskey. lessBJ Ryan’s, Norwalk: St. Patrick's Day is a weekend long affair at BJ Ryan's in Norwalk. On Saturday March 17 they'll serve up corned beef and a full Irish menu. On Sunday they'll host a recovery brunch until 3pm. New England Cider Company, Wallingford: On March 17 from 10am-12pm, partake in a St. Patrick's Day Brunch at New England Cider Co. The meal will showcase barrel-aged and cask ciders alongside Irish classics like Shepherd's pie, Irish sausage, cabbage, potatoes, 12 hour smoked corned beef, and more. O’Neill’s, South Norwalk: O'Neill's in Norwalk always puts on an epic St. Patty's Day bash. This year, they promise an Irish breakfast, drinks, Irish dancers, bag pipers, and live music all day. Read More
WIN FREE TIX to Ruth Reichl & Sam Kass at Westport Public Library + Q&A With Moshe (Creator of FLEX Experiences) Features Events Giveaway Fairfield County Foodie March 10, 2018 Wanna WIN FREE TIX to meet culinary luminaries Ruth Reichl & Sam Kass at The Westport Public Library? We are giving away 1 ticket to enjoy celebrity lunch with Sam Kass, former Obama White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition ($150) and 2 tickets ($75) to hear a Q&A with gourmet guru Ruth Reichl. The former editor of Gourmet Magazine and best selling foodie author. TO WIN: Comment below and tell us why you need to attend these events.Find out more about the creator of Westport Library;'s new FLEX experiences in the Q&A With Moshe Aeylon below.. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of March 11-18 Features Events Wine Dinners Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 09, 2018 Two Roads Brewery in Stratford invites you to an “Open Roads Beer Dinner” on Monday March 12 at 6pm. Christie Caters- Farm to Table Catering will provide tasty food and each course will be paired with an 8oz pour of a Two Roads brew. The menu theme is "Around the World.” In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Artisinal Burger Company in Manchester will have an Irish whiskey dinner on March 14. Tickets are $65 per person. Aditi Goswami of Calcutta Kitchens will teach you how to make simple everyday Indian at Wakeman Town Farm on Thursday March 15. Learn to prepare a quick chicken curry, a vegetable curry, and rice pilafs. Don’t forget to BYOB! The class is limited to 16 and costs $65. Max Amore Restaurant in Glastonbury hosts An Italian Wine & Food Pairing Dinner featuring the wines of Di Majo Norante on Tuesday March 13. The evening will begin with a reception followed by a five course meal prepared by Chef David Stickney. It costs $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Read More
It’s a Woman’s World: Connecticut Female Culinary Influencers: Silvia Baldini Features Chef Talk Chef Best of CT Jeanne Muchnick March 08, 2018 The hospitality industry has always been cut-throat, especially for women, and more specifically for those behind the kitchen burners. Now that the gender conversation has exploded via the #MeToo movement, and with 2018 being proclaimed "The Year of the Woman," we at CT Bites choose to celebrate the influential and aspirational women among us. With March 8 marking International Women’s Day, this seemed like the perfect time to announce our new series "It's A Women's World" featuring Connecticut female influencers who’ve blazed their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, starting a public relations, gourmet foods or catering business or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking broads have set a new definition of women’s work, forging new paths and setting examples for those who follow.This week we’re starting at the top—with Top Chef Silvia Baldini of New Canaan’s Strawberry and Sage, the first female chef in Fairfield County to win “Chopped.” Read More
Local Ingredients: The Araucana Egg, A Wild Blue Wonder Features Ingredients Ingredients Local Farm Specialty Market Luke Shanahan March 06, 2018 Writer Luke Shanahan contemplates the virtues of a truly excellent fresh egg with Lloyd Allen of Double L Market. Consider the egg. Any serious cook knows its singular importance in the kitchen. Many cooks—serious and novice alike—remember the egg as the first thing they ever learned to cook. In the book The Next Course, rock-&-roller chef Marco Pierre White, who at 33 became the youngest cook ever to be awarded three Michelin stars, reveals his country side when he suggests that scrambled (gulls) eggs with celery salt served with mayonnaise—an emulsion of egg yolk, acid and oil—may be a worthy last meal on earth. (Here's a handy list of local CT farms that produce fresh eggs.) Read More
Culinary Corner Pub Crawl & Fundraiser in West Hartford: ARTISAN, FLORA, INDIA, The Cook and The Bear, and VINTED Features Events Stephanie Webster March 03, 2018 CTbites is excited to be a sponsor for the 2nd Culinary Corner Pub Crawl in West Hartford. Connecticut beer, wine, and cocktail enthusiasts can raise a glass for a good cause on Saturday, March 10th from 12-5pm at the 2nd West Hartford Culinary Corner Pub Crawl hosted by Eat IN Connecticut.The 2nd Culinary Corner Pub Crawl will help to raise funds for local charity, Johnny's Jog, an annual event that raises money for three local non-profit children's organizations. Enjoy FOOD SPECIALS in addition to 1/2 OFF DRINKS from 12-5PM at participating restaurants ARTISAN, FLORA, INDIA, The Cook and The Bear, and VINTED. The crawl will be an OPEN FORMAT event again where Pub Crawl participants can go to any of the 5 participating Culinary Corner restaurant locations in any order. Read More
Clarke Intros, Demos and Classes Bring Wolf Appliances to Life (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team March 02, 2018 For decades, New England homeowners would shop for appliances by walking down a line of different models and make their selections based almost entirely on price and aesthetics. All they knew about the operation or benefits of an oven or cooktop was what they could read in product signage and learn from talking to the salesperson.In the 1990s, Tom Clarke, founder of Clarke Distribution, changed all of that for Connecticut homeowners when he opened a Sub-Zero and Wolf showroom in South Norwalk. This Clarke Showroom not only won national awards for its extraordinary design, but also for offering homeowners the opportunity to cook on these appliances in order to make a much more educated buying decision. In fact, it is not unusual for a homeowner to make a Clarke Showroom appointment to bake her favorite pie or loaf of bread in multiple ovens to decide which model has the features and provides the results she desires. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week Of March 4- 11 Features Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 02, 2018 During the month of March, Artisan Restaurant in Southport will feature “Bon Voyage Menus.” Chef Frederic Kieffer has created four menus highlighting four distinct global cuisines. First up- Italy from March 1-11! The prix fixe menu is $19 for lunch and $45 for dinner.Upgrade your Wednesday night out with Brasitas Stamford's five course dinner paired with Patron Tequila cocktails at their Tequila Tasting Dinner on Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30pm. $70 Per Person Plus Tax & Gratuity. Seating is Limited!. Reservations Contact: Stamford@Brasitas.comMystic Restaurant Week spans from March 5-11. Restaurants like Go Fish, The Engine Room, Go Fish, The Irons, and more are presenting special menus for lunch and/or dinner. The Westport Farmers’ Market, Fleishers Craft Butchery, and Patagonia Provisions will present a screening of the award-winning Sundance documentary LOOK & SEE, a powerful cinematic portrait of Wendell Berry- farmer, activist, and undoubtedly one of America’s most significant living writers. The film will be screened on March 5 at Fairfield Theater Company.On Monday March 5, The Spread in Greenwich will host a Tequila Dinner at 7pm. The evening includes a welcome cocktail and a 5 course meal created by Chef Carlos Baez for $75/ per person. Space is limited, Reservations (203) 900-1887Tuesday March 6 is “Teacher Appreciation Night” at Brewport! Show your teacher ID between 3:30pm and 5:30pm for free pizza. Read More
Plan b Restaurants Brings Back 5 Fan Favorite Dishes from 12 Years of Business Features Events Burgers CTbites Team March 01, 2018 There are just some dishes you never forget. Is there any better nostalgia then food nostalgia? We think not. And Plan b fans certainly seem to agree. Over the last 12 years, Plan b Restaurants has gone through more than a dozen menu changes, but that doesn’t stop guests from demanding their favorites. As a reward for their loyal (and vocal) fans, Plan b Restaurants is bringing back five of their most beloved dishes for a very limited time!From February 26 – March 19, the Beef Wellington Bites (sirloin, puff pastry, mushroom duxelle & blue cheese sauce), Portobello Tots (crispy fried Portobello mushroom tots with roasted tomato vinaigrette & garlic horseradish aioli), the infamous PB&J Burger (beef patty, American cheese, smooth peanut butter & bacon jam), the East Coast Burger (beef patty with roasted tomato, frizzled onions, warm lobster meat & horseradish cream) and the Lobster Pot Pie (New England lobster, sherry- bourbon lobster sauce, fresh veggies, & diced potatoes in a fresh baked pastry crust) will be featuring on a special “Cult Classics” menu Read More
Meet Culinary Luminaries Ruth Reichl & Sam Kass at The Westport Public Library Features Events Celebrity Chef Stephanie Webster February 27, 2018 The Westport Library is thrilled to announce FLEX: experiences - a five-day series of innovative programs designed to showcase the future flexibility and innovation coming to the new Westport Library. The events kick off Wednesday, March 21 and run through Sunday, March 25. The events begin on Wednesday, March 21 with a celebrity lunch fundraiser hosted by local bestselling author Jane Green and emceed by James Beard Award winner Elissa Altman. The keynote of the lunch will be Sam Kass, former Obama White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition, who served as Executive Director of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. Kass will also host a book signing for his book Eat a Little Better after the luncheon.On Thursday March 22nd, come to the Library for a food lovers’ Q&A with gourmet guru Ruth Reichl. The former editor of Gourmet Magazine and best selling foodie author will be joined by a celebrity panel including local celebrity chef and restauranteur Bill Taibe, master farmer and sustainability expert Annie Farrell of Millstone Farm and the “entertainologist” and celebrity chef Lulu Powers. Read More
Food Trucks & CT Chefs Team Up for "Beer & Bites" Pop-Up Dinners w/ Half Full Brewery and CT Bites Features Events CTbites Invites Stephanie Webster February 27, 2018 Half Full Brewery and CT Bites are excited to bring you a creative and collaborative food and beer-pairing event series. Not to be missed, "Beers & Bites" 2018 pairs limited release beers from Half Full Brewery with totally off-menu food items from some of Fairfield County's best chefs and food truck operators. For each event, the team behind the "bites" (1 brick and mortar chef, 1 food truck chef) will come together to collaborate on that evening's menu and cook and serve from the host Food Truck...two chefs, one totally off-menu food experience. Each menu item will be paired with a limited-release beer from the Half Full Brewery with the Brewers onsite to introduce each pairing. Tickets are $50 and include 4 beers, all food, and a commemorative glass. Event details and FAQ's are below. Read More
Shell & Bones Clam Chowder Recipe: Happy National Chowder Day! Recipe Features Recipe Seafood CTbites Team February 25, 2018 In honor of National Chowder Day (yes, that's a thing), we asked Chef Arturo Franco Camacho of Shell & Bones in New Haven CT to share his recipe for their very delicious Clam Chowder. The recipe is delightfully simple but is layered with flavors that create a deeply delicious rich chowder. Read More
CT Bartenders Share their Margarita Recipes for National Margarita Day! Recipe Features Cocktails Holiday Bar Recipe Homepage Stephanie Webster February 22, 2018 Oh yes it is! My favorite day of the year, National Margarita Day, has arrived. Those who know me, know that when I sidle up to the bar, those working on the other side need not even ask for my order. It's always the same...and it's always a Margarita. Truly, it's the perfect cocktail, and just right for every season. Plus, tequila has been proven to actually have health benefits. Lime, tequila's most trusty companion, is bursting with Vitamin C which we all know helps us recover from illness. Anejo tequila, made from 100% agave, is known to help reduce bacteria and relieve sore throats, and agave helps to fight diabetes. There are so many reasons to embrace and celebrate the Margarita. Do it right with these recipes from local bartenders including: El Segundo, Mézon, Geronimo Restaurant & Tequila Bar, Barcelona, Bartaco, Marcia Selden Catering and Festivities. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for February 25 - March 4 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 21, 2018 Every Monday night, visit Washington Prime in SoNo for a 2 course prime rib dinner special. $39 per person includes a Caesar salad, a 16oz steak, and mashed potatoes.Taproot in Bethel invites you to its first wine dinner of Tuesday February 27. The evening, entitled “An American Heritage Dinner,” consists of five courses paired with complementary wines. It is $85 per person and starts at 6:30. Le Penguin in Westport is hosting a wine dinner on February 28th at 6:30 pm. The wine director from Chateau LaGrange will be on hand to discuss the wines. Cost is $100. RSVP 203. 557.6432.Is there a Ridgefield restaurant that you have looked forward to trying but just haven’t had the chance to yet? Well, now is the time! Ridgefield Restaurant Week is back for the third year and gives you the opportunity to experience amazing dining destinations at a great price. Visit participating restaurants like Bailey’s Backyard, Bareburger, Bernard’s, Little Pub, Southwest Café, Terra Sole Ristorante, and Wooster Hollow Café, from February 26 - March 4 for special price fixe lunch and/or dinner specials.Stamford's annual Winter Restaurant Weeks runs through March 4. 21 different restaurants in Stamford will be offer special menus for both lunch and dinner ranging from $14.18 to $38.18. Read More
