Strawberry-Rose Petal Ice Cream Recipe via Westport Farmers' Market Recipe Features Recipe ice cream CTbites Team June 28, 2018 'Tis the season we wait for all year...Strawberry season. Those sweet red beauties are ready to pick in CT and can be enjoyed at these local farms. If you can't pick-your-own, just head to your local farmers' market. One of our favorite markets, The Westport Farmers' Market, has shared this recipe for Strawberry-Rose Petal Ice Cream. Get shopping... Read More
Episode 7 - Food & Drink Podcast-Charter Oak Brewing (Scott Vallely) Features Podcast Interview Ken Tuccio June 28, 2018 For years Charter Oak Brewing has been trying to open up a physical brewery in Connecticut, but they've been met with roadblock after roadblock. They never quit though, and as a result they now have a gorgeous brewery in Danbury CT which is ready to pour beers for the public. Ken sits down with Scott Vallely, the founder of Charter Oak Brewing, to discuss the hurdles and challenges he faced to get to this point. Listen here Read More
Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield Welcomes New Executive Chef Zach Campion Features Chef Ridgefield CTbites Team June 27, 2018 Nearly 20 years ago, a neighborhood coffee shop was transformed into a charming New American restaurant. The concept was a simple one; a seasonal menu presented in a relaxed atmosphere; a concept that would grow with the town; and a restaurant where a chef’s creativity could shine. Owner Sal Bagliavio opened Bailey’s Backyard in October of 1999 and continues to make his culinary mark on the town of Ridgefield, CT.Today, this seasoned restaurateur is joined by Executive Chef Zach Campion, a Johnson & Whales alumn with kitchen cred that includes; Local 121 in Providence, RI whose concept was tagged as “locally harvested food and drink”; the ground-breaking Metro Bis in Simsbury, CT under the direction of Chef Christopher Prosperi; and continued to hone his craft in the kitchen of ON20 restaurant, a Hartford, CT culinary institution. Read More
Silvia Baldini & Alina Lawrence Launch "The Secret Ingredient Girls" Features Ingredients Online Store Local Artisan Stephanie Webster June 26, 2018 Silvia Baldini is a local CT chef, and a national expert and celebrity in the food and media industry. Alena Lawrence is of the few women Olive Oil experts in the US, and was the owner of Olivette, an award winning boutique and olive oil tasting room in CT. The two met several years ago and immediately discovered they shared the same passions: cooking, traveling and living a high-quality life to the fullest. Now, they have joined to create The Secret Ingredient Girls, a curated site that sells only ingredients that adhere to their discerning taste and expertise in the food industry. Read More
Episode 6 - Chef Bill Taibe: Kawa Ni / Jesup Hall / The Whelk Interview Features Podcast Interview Celebrity Chef Ken Tuccio June 21, 2018 Chef Bill Taibe's culinary reputation is nationally known. His restaurants in Westport (Kawa Ni, The Whelk and Jesup Hall) are destination dining locations. Chef Taibe is making some big changes to the way he does business however, and he sits down with Ken Tuccio to discuss exactly what those changes are and how he's dealing with them both professionally and personally. Listen here. Read More
Hey Stamford Food Festival is Back With Amazing Food Truck Lineup Features Festival Food Truck Stamford Stephanie Webster June 20, 2018 The Hey Stamford! Food Festival is back! The two-day, family oriented food festival will feature a full concert experience on the Minchin Buick GMC mainstage. Joining us is legendary rapper Tone Loc, “The Worlds Best Party Band” Party Rock, Country star, Dylan Scott and regional country favorites, Jump the Gunn to name just a few. The Blind Rhino Beer Garden will highlight the finest in regional and national breweries, the Fairfield County Bank Kids Zone will include a host of games and activities for the family. And it’s not a food festival without some amazing cuisine! Check out the amazing line-ups of food trucks and vendors... Read More
It's a Woman's World: Debra Ponzek, Aux Delices Foods Features Interview Chef Catering CTbites Team June 19, 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 series, “It’s A Woman’s World’ is devoted to Fairfield County female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.How'd they do it? Read on. This week, our focus turns to Debra Ponzek, Chef/Owner of Aux Delices Foods. Have a suggestion on someone you’d like to see featured? Email steph@ctbites.com. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for June 17-24 Features News Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 16, 2018 On Monday June 18, The Weekend Kitchen in Essex hosts Chef Colt Taylor of The Essex Restaurant for “The Ultimate Fish Class.” The menu will include dishes like Ora king salmon belly gravlax, Tuna tartare, Kampachi ceviche, and Ora king salmon loin bulged wheat risotto. Don’t forget to BYOB! The class costs $90 and runs from 6:30-10pm. Fairfield Cheese Company presents Charcuterie 101 on Tuesday June 19. In the class, taste through some of their meat offerings and discuss the growing popularity of the very old world process. It is $50 and lasts from 7-9pm. Pizza In The Park: Presented By Half Full Brewery will take place on Thursday June 21 at Mill River Park & Greenway in Stamford. It will feature a true "garden" themed Pop Up Beer Garden, Pizza Vendors from CT and beyond, 3+ hours of live music, Lawn Games, and a Pizza Making Competition.Ordinary New Haven is adding an extra hour to their happy hour! Early Bird specials, offered from 4- 5pm, include $6 Cocktail Specials, $6 Half-Yards of Beer, and a $15 Wine Bottle List. Read More
CTbites Happy Hour at The Spread South Norwalk for $40 Features CTbites Invites CTbites Team June 15, 2018 Second in our popular Summer Happy Hour series, fun times are ahead on the newly opened patio at The Spread SoNo as CTbites has partnered with "The Spread Boys" for an outdoor Happy Hour on Wednesday, June 27th 5:30-7:30. $40 ticket includes a KEEL Vodka specialty cocktail and a second drink choice of wine or beer and assorted appetizers. KEEL Vodka is the only low calorie vodka on the market, with half the calories of other brands. BUY TICKETS HEREChef Carlos Baez is preparing a number of signature appetizers both passed and buffet style to accompany the special summer cocktail. Menu items include:Pork Belly buns Shrimp bunsTuna tartareSausage and rice ballsPlus $1 Copps Island Oysters and other Happy Hour specials. Join us, bring your friends and let's keep celebrating Summer 2018 at the next CTbites Happy Hour. Read More
FOOD & DRINK PODCAST : Episode 5 - Remembering Anthony Bourdain Features Podcast Celebrity Chef Interview Ken Tuccio June 14, 2018 Ken Tuccio has frequently called Anthony Bourdain his "biggest inspiration". Sadly, Anthony Bourdain is no longer with us. In this very special episode of FOOD & DRINK, Ken sits down with some of the most well known names in the Connecticut culinary scene; Chef Bill Taibe (Jessup Hall / Kawa Ni), Chef Matt Storch (Match/ Nom-Eeez) and Casey Dohme (The Blind Rhino) to talk about the life and legacy of Anthony. Listen here. Read More
Two Connecticut Designers Win Clarke Kitchen Design Awards (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear Design Entertaining CTbites Team June 13, 2018 Every two years Clarke, New England’s Official Sub-Zero/Wolf/Cove Showroom and Test Kitchen, hosts its Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest to celebrate the best kitchen designs in the six New England states. On May 10th, Clarke awarded $15,000 in prize money to first and second place winners in three categories: Traditional Kitchen, Contemporary Kitchen and Transitional Kitchen. This year, two of the six awards went to kitchen designers in Connecticut. Veronica Campbell of Deane Inc. received the first-place award for a transitional kitchen, while Gerard Ciccarello of Covenant Kitchens & Baths won second place in the traditional kitchen category. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week of June 10-17 Features Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 10, 2018 On June 12 from 6-9pm, Amis Trattoria + Chef Matt Storch of Match Burger Lobster are coming together on one grill to kick off the summer. This collaborative cookout will take place in the courtyard of Amis trattoria in Westport and benefits the Westport Farmers Market. A $75 ticket includes 6 courses, wine, and beer. Tickets here. On Wednesday June 13, join BMW for a unique evening at South End featuring Chef Nick Martschenko. Put yourself in the driver’s seat of an all-new BMW followed by an inspired and interactive cocktail and culinary experience. The event runs from 6-8:30pm. The first installation of the Waveny Summer Concert Series takes place on Wednesday June 13 at 4:30pm. The Roger Sherman Inn will have special chef picnic boxes made especially for the event. Stamford is looking for the best bartender! Stamford's Best Bartender Contest 2018 goes down Wednesday June 13 in Harbor Point. Read More
33+ Restaurants for Father’s Day: 2018 Edition Features Holiday Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 09, 2018 Father’s Day in Sunday June 17! Connecticut restaurants are celebrating with special prix fixe menus, brunches, BBQs, and more. Or, start the celebrations early with beer festivals on Saturday! Here are 33+ ways to make Dad feel special this year.Bar Rosso, Stamford: Bar Rosso will have a special prix fixe menu in honor of Fathers Day. Plus, Dads get a complementary beer!Griswold Inn, Essex: The Griswold Inn's Sunday Hunt Breakfast is legendary- it dates back to the war of 1812! Treat Dad for $24.95/adult, $12/kid age 7-12, and free for under 6.Wadsworth Antheneum Museum of Art, Hartford: The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art will host a Fathers Day brunch. Tickets include museum admission, jazz, brunch, and one complimentary bloody mary or mimosa. After, explore the galleries on your own or take a tour with a docent.Cask Republic, South Norwalk: Cask Republic SoNo will serve Father's Day brunch starting at 11:30am.Washington Prime, South Norwalk: Washington Prime in SoNo presents a Father's Day buffet-style brunch. There are 4 seatings: 11:00AM, 12:30PM, 2:00PM, and 3:30PM. It costs $49.95 per adults and $24.95 per child. Read More
"Seeing" Anthony Bourdain Features Celebrity Chef James Gribbon June 08, 2018 Grief, as often as not, contains anger. The acknowledgment that terrible people behave that way because they are hurting is one of the primary, and most difficult, gears to turn in the machinery of compassion. If there is anything simple, it's that pain and anger are easy to spot when they present themselves openly. It's when grief turns inward, kept afloat and insulated from society by a perceptual blanket of zest and joy, that its revelation can be so unsettling. Anthony Bourdain, for as brash and shouty as he was, especially in the early seasons of No Reservations, was cognizant and open about many of his personal demons. Read More
Adults Only "Maritime With A Twist" June 21st: Sip & Sample at The Maritime Aquarium (sponsored post) Features Events CTbites Team June 08, 2018 Celebrate the summer solstice with sips and samples and sharks and seals during the “Maritime with a Twist” adults-only evening event on Thurs., June 21 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.Open to anyone age 21 and over, “Maritime with a Twist” features tastes from nearby restaurants in the South Norwalk (or SoNo) neighborhood, as well as refreshments by artisanal distillers and distributors. Sample them all while enjoying the entire Aquarium for one price.Participating restaurants and retailers include: Bandido Mexican Restaurant, The Blind Rhino, Burger Bar & Bistro, The Cask Republic, Evarito’s Mexican Bar & Kitchen, Harlan Publick, Killer B Burger, Knot Norm’s, La Dolce Italian Ice & Café, Local Kitchen & Beer Bar, Our House SoNo, and Public Wine Bar, as well as Maikana Foods. Read More
Reflecting On Anthony Bourdain Features Celebrity Chef Ken Tuccio June 08, 2018 It was like a punch in the gut.“Anthony Bourdain Dead At 61”That was the “Breaking News” headline I saw on CNN when I turned on the TV in my home office this morning. Read More
Farewell Anthony Bourdain Features Celebrity Chef Amy Kundrat June 08, 2018 Source The world lost its original culinary badass and gifted storyteller. CNN reports that Anthony Bourdain was found dead. He was 61 years old. He taught us that the culinary world and its kitchens were not all polite white tablecloth 12-course tasting menu affairs but were sometimes a drug-fueled f-bomb filled pressure cooker that would happily fill your Sunday brunch menu with questionable weekend leftovers. Read More
Friday Froth: Astronomy On Tap At BAR New Haven Features Friday Froth CT Beer Beer News James Gribbon June 08, 2018 Have you ever looked down into the swirling foam at the top of a freshly poured beer and thought "that looks like a galaxy"? Ever had your mind blown by a Carl Sagan quote? Do you like New Haven pizz- OK, unless you're a CAPTCHA-bot, of course you do. The point is, whether you've watched the original Cosmos ten times, or you just wonder how far away the stars are, BAR in New Haven has re-started Astronomy On Tap, where beer, pizza, and cosmology come together. Astronomy On Tap is a a global event series where professors, PhDs, and grad students talk about their areas of expertise at bars full of anyone who's interested, and it's free. Read More
Food & Drink Episode 4: Johnny Kraszewski from Armada Brewing Features Podcast Brewery CT Beer Beer Interview Ken Tuccio June 07, 2018 Ken Tuccio sits down with Johnny Kraszewski from Armada Brewing in this week's episode of Food & Drink, but the conversation isn't just about beer or the Connecticut beer scene. It's a conversation about marketing, promotion, the challenges associated with self-employment and more. Ken is also joined during the monologue by Patrick DiCaprio from the Full Pours Podcast and Ken gives Pat the rundown of his experience with cruise food last week. Have a listen here. Read More
It's A Woman's World: Lori Cochran, Executive Director, Westport Farmers' Market Features Interview Farmers Market CTbites Team June 07, 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 Woman’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. This week, our focus turns to Lori Cochran, Director of the Westport Farmers' Market. Have a suggestion on someone you’d like to see featured? Email steph@ctbites.com. Read More
