Chef Tyler Anderson & Hands On Hartford Open Gather55, a Pay-What-You-Can Fine Dining Restaurant Features Hartford County Hartford Unique Dining Experiences Prix Fixe Celebrity Chef Non For Profit Homepage Stephanie Webster December 03, 2022 Chef Tyler Anderson and Hands On Hartford have launched a remarkable new restaurant concept just in time to dine out and give back this holiday season. Gather55 restaurant opened this Fall in Hartford with a monthly rotation of guest chefs who will serve up a “by-reservation-only” $42 prix fixe menu. Chef Tyler Anderson, who is handling the Chef programming kicked things off, followed by Chef Billy Grant of Restaurant Bricco in December, and then Emily Mingrone of Tavern on State in January. Each evening, approximately 20% of the tables are reserved for diners who can’t pay the full price. The goal is to create a place where everyone can celebrate and enjoy a delicious meal in a comfortable and caring environment. Read More
Bottega and Craft Kitchen Owners Open Quattro Osteria in Newtown Features Interview Restaurant Italian Chef Chef Talk Newtown Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick December 03, 2022 Bottega Italian Kitchen + Bar, Craft Kitchen + Bar, and now, with the very quiet opening of Quattro Osteria in Newtown, we officially have a trio.The “we” is the partnership between Michael Hayek (Square One Bar & Grill in Danbury) and Jasson Arias, who was the brains behind the popular food truck, Rice & Beans. Read More
Guide to New Haven Bakeries: Italian, Mexican, Puerto Rican & Asian Must-Try Bake Shops Features Restaurant New Haven Bakery Baked Goods Dessert Cakes Cookies Pastries Bread Bread Shop Carly Terzigni November 30, 2022 New Haven is a foodie hotspot in Connecticut, with no shortage of top-notch restaurants featuring cuisines from all around the globe. That level of quality, sheer abundance of choices, and beautiful blends of cultures extend to the city’s bakeries and cafes, which offer some of the best sweets and baked goods you can imagine. Whether you are looking for a quick dessert or a catered order for your next big event, you definitely do not need to look beyond New Haven’s city limits to find what you are looking for.The next time you find yourself in New Haven, be sure to carve out some time during your visit to check out one (or several) of these great bakeries listed below. Pro tip: don’t stop at just one dessert; stock up on these tasty sweets like we did and enjoy them all week long.NOTE: If you have a favorite New Haven Mexican, Italian, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, or Middle Eastern bakery and it’s not on this list, please contact us and we will add it to the list. Read More
Breaking News: L'escale to Remain Open at Delamar Greenwich Harbor Features News CTbites Team November 28, 2022 Following the announcement this past summer that the popular French restaurant L'escale would close its doors on November 30th, 2022, after 20 years in business, L'escale restaurant and Greenwich Hospitality Group, owners of Delamar hotels, announced today that it will remain open. Greenwich Hospitality Group will operate the restaurant at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor Hotel under a new licensing agreement. Executive Chef Frederic Kieffer, General Manager David Fletcher, and members of the staff will stay in place Read More
CTbites Holiday Gift Guide For CT Food Lovers (2022 Edition) Features Gift Gift Guide Holiday Christmas Shopping Homepage April Guilbault November 25, 2022 Ah, the hunt for the perfect gift. Or least a really, really, good one. Where to start? Don’t we go through this every single year (we do) and swear each year our shopping will being in July! Well, if you haven’t begun to purchase or ponder, we’ve got a good-make that great-list right here that will have you on your way to pulling out the almighty Sharpie and cross, cross, crossing things off your list. Is there any more divine feeling? Well, maybe finding that perfect gift! Happy shopping everyone! Read More
Dante's Pizza in New Canaan: Finally Entering the Inferno Features Interview Restaurant Pizza New Canaan Dante's Pizza Andrew Dominick November 24, 2022 On several occasions, chef Tim LaBant has suggested we check out Dante’s Pizza in New Canaan.“Have you been to Dante’s?”“Have you been to Dante’s yet?”“You gotta try Dante’s. I’d be curious to see what you think.”Before he mentioned it to me a year ago, I hadn’t even heard of Dante’s. I live pretty close to New Canaan, and what’s worse is I frequently visit my favorites there, namely the South Ends, Elm, Locali, and I’ve eaten an obscene amount of Joe’s Pizza. Read More
Former Nosh Hound Food Truck Owner Maycie Ralbovsky Joins Broken Symmetry as Executive Chef Brewery Features Interview Restaurant Brewery Chef Talk Tasting Tasting Menu Tacos Mexican Craft Beer Homepage Bethel Beer Andrew Dominick November 18, 2022 Ask any Fairfield County food truck fanatic what their favorite one was over the past handful of years and they’re likely to mention Nosh Hound if they know what they’re talking about.The stacked sandwiches, the tacos, the burgers, and the bowls, and yes, even the “F” word…FUSION. It all really worked for Nosh Hound. I, for one, sought out Sam and Maycie Ralbovsky’s truck at every Mill River Park event. My final Nosh Hound memory was at Half Full’s Oktoberfest in Downtown Stamford when I obliterated a pork schnitzel sandwich. Read More
Q&A: CRAZIES Nominee "Best Chef of the Year:" Chef David DiStasi of Materia Ristorante Features Chef Talk Celebrity Chef Awards Q & A Christopher Hodson November 16, 2022 Each year, the CT Restaurant Association recognizes the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s restaurant community in the prestigious CRAzies awards. We are excited to showcase the nominees for 2022’s CRAZIES AWARDS “BEST CHEF OF THE YEAR” in this 5 part series. All of the candidates worked incredibly hard to receive this nomination, and while many of you may know some of them, you probably don’t know all of them. We sat down with each of these talented chefs to learn a little bit more about what makes them do what they do. This week, we feature Chef David DiStasi of Materia Ristorante in Bantam. Read More
Uncle Seven Chinese Re-Opens in South Norwalk & Launches Peking Duck Service Features Restaurant Chinese Peking Duck Homepage Lunch Delivery Asian Opening Carly Terzigni November 15, 2022 Chef Alan Lee, owner of Uncle Seven in SoNo, is no stranger to the Connecticut food scene. He and his family have owned the highly successful Ching’s Table in New Canaan for over thirty years. So what was next for Chef Lee? A new venture, a modern twist on traditional Chinese cuisine in the SoNo Collection Mall. This new spot is called Uncle Seven, and you’ll be happy we told you so.Uncle Seven was an immediate hit when it first opened its doors in early 2020, with Chef Lee recalling that the restaurant was “very busy for the first few months” before March of 2020 arrived. The restaurant has just reopened post pandemic, and we think it should be on your list of dining spots to check out this holiday season. Why, you ask? In addition to a truly delicious authentic Chinese menu, we’ve got two words for you: PEKING DUCK. Read More
100+ CT Restaurants, Caterers & Farms for Thanksgiving 2022 Features Restaurant Holiday Thanksgiving Guide Catering Homepage April Guilbault November 14, 2022 If you can cut through the increasing daily frenzy, it really is a glorious time of the year, isn’t it? And we should all make the effort to not get swept up in the busyness, because what is at our doorstep is a season of gathering with family and friends, enjoying meals and celebratory occasions together. We’ve come a long way, baby, and it’s time to celebrate everything that we hold dear, rejoice in it, savor it. And us-being-us (CTbites), we are offering suggestions now to help put your happy over the top. Sharing a meal is, indeed, a special thing with the people you love most and we want you to love this part something fierce. Forks up and Happiest Thanksgiving wishes! Read More
40+ Places For Great Holiday Pies in Connecticut (2022 Edition) Ingredients Features Holiday Thanksgiving Catering Pies Asian Desserts Guide Pie Guide Homepage Carly Terzigni November 10, 2022 It might be hard to believe with such an unseasonably warm start to November, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner! And that can only mean one thing: it’s pie time. Once again this year, there are dozens of restaurants, markets, farms, and other businesses across the state offering a variety of pies to preorder and have ready to add to your holiday table. Whether you are keeping things simple with a traditional pumpkin or apple pie to compliment your turkey dinner, or you want to mix things up with unique flavors and ingredients, there are desserts on this list for just about every palate. Happy Thanksgiving! Read More
Vergelegen, South Africa’s 2nd Oldest Winery Comes To CT Features Ingredients Wine Ingredients Wine Chat James Gribbon November 10, 2022 Vergelegen, South Africa’s second oldest winery, was introduced in the U.S. for the first time this year. We had an opportunity to try these outstanding wines, and speak with the group responsible for bringing Vergelegen to America.Vergelegen's existence in the U.S. is one of the better success stories we’ve heard from the last two years, but its history dates back to the year 1700, when the Dutch East India co-founded the vineyard in order to have drinkable liquid on Cape Horn when traveling back and forth from India, Indonesia, and all points East.Vergelegen (closest pronunciation we can manage is VAHK-heh-lehn) means "situated far away," and the original estate totaled an absolutely whopping 74,000 acres. A bit smaller now, the current production is still 100% estate wine, and their V and GVB wines are still produced on specific blocks of the old vineyard, located around the corner from Stellenbosch. Cold currents of air coming from Antarctica at night, with hot weather from Indian Ocean in the day, plus variable soils at the base of the Helderberg Mountains have proven perfect for wine growing. Read More
Q&A: CRAZIES Nominee "Best Chef of the Year" Jared Sippel of Restaurant L’Ostal Features Q & A Interview Celebrity Chef Awards Darien Christopher Hodson November 09, 2022 Each year, the CT Restaurant Association recognizes the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s restaurant community in the prestigious CRAzies awards. We are excited to showcase the nominees for 2022’s CRAZIES AWARDS “BEST CHEF OF THE YEAR” in this 5 part series. All the candidates worked incredibly hard to receive this nomination, and while many of you may know some of them, you probably don’t know all of them. We sat down with each of these talented chefs to learn a little bit more about what makes them do what they do. This week, we feature Jared Sippel of Restaurant L’Ostal in Darien, CT. Read More
2022 CT Catering Guide: 18 Caterers For Your Next Event Features Catering Caterers Catering Guide Holiday Entertaining Meal Delivery Guide Homepage Highlight April Guilbault November 05, 2022 You’re probably still recovering from the seasonal avalanche of candy corn, but the “other” holidays are now peeking around the corner-and it’s always better to be ready for them when they jump out at you. Whether for cozy and familial Thanksgiving gatherings, spirited and sparkly holiday parties, a Let’s-Get-2023-Right New Year’s celebration or any of your special events and holidays next year, these caterers will help you feast and fete with panache. Best part about this listing is that many of these caterers work throughout the entire state of Connecticut and even the tri-state area. Go forth and celebrate! Here are 18 Connecticut Caterers who will make your next event a stress-free delicious success! Read More
Bernard’s in Ridgefield Has Sold: New Year’s Eve Celebration Passes Torch Features News CTbites Team November 03, 2022 After 22 years of wowing Tri-State area restaurant goers, Bernard and Sarah Bouissou are closing the doors of the beloved Bernard’s to undertake their next culinary endeavor. Since opening in March of 2000, the elegant French restaurant and wine bar quickly won the heart of Ridgefield, CT, stood the test of time, and became a truly iconic dining scene. Their legacy will continue in the Ridgefield area through the esteemed Sarah Bouissou Catering and a new prepared food storefront that brings Bernard’s fabulous food to your family’s table.Meeting as chefs under Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque in the 1980’s, the gourmet power couple led accomplished careers in New York City. Following their dream to raise a family in the country, they settled down in Ridgefield at 20 West Lane. For more than two decades, Bernard and Sarah raised their four daughters there, while gracefully operating the restaurant and catering business. As one can imagine, dedicating all of your nights, weekends, and holidays to your business is no easy task.They did not want to pass the torch to just anyone, they wanted to make sure the next owners would persevere as a pillar in the community. They found those ideal new owners in local restaurateurs Dave Studwell and Rob Moss of Washington Prime; and B.J. Lawless, of BJ Ryan’s Restaurant Group, all in Norwalk, CT. Read More
Q&A: CRAZIES Nominee "Best Chef of the Year" Chef David Standridge of The Shipwright’s Daughter Features Interview Interview Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Q & A Awards Mystic Christopher Hodson November 01, 2022 Each year, the CT Restaurant Association recognizes the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s restaurant community in the prestigious CRAZIES awards. We are excited to showcase the nominees for 2022’s CRAZIES AWARDS “BEST CHEF OF THE YEAR” in this 5 part series. All the candidates worked incredibly hard to receive this nomination, and while many of you may know some of them, you probably don’t know all of them. We sat down with each of these talented chefs to learn a little bit more about what makes them do what they do. This week, we feature Chef David Standridge of The Shipwright’s Daughter in Mystic CT.[Voting is still open. Vote for your favorite folks in the CT culinary industry here.] Read More
Il Pastaficio Opens in Westport: ‘No Alfredo,’ Authentic Italian Foods (via Westport Journal) Features Ingredients Restaurant Westport Pasta Italian Opening Stephanie Webster October 28, 2022 This just in from Gretchen Webster of Westport Journal, on a new spot for fresh pasta and authentic Italian goods in Westport.Two years after his quest began to bring authentic Italian pasta and sauces to Westport, Frederico Perandin, a native of Venice, Italy, has opened Il Pastaficio, a downtown shop and restaurant.The business, at 135 Post Road East, features a display case filled with samples of more than 15 kinds of freshly made pasta.If linguini and rigatoni sound familiar, some of the other fresh pastas at Il Pastaficio — bucatini, cavatelli, ravioli ricotta e spinaci or raviola Emilla — may not. Another case is filled with freshly made sauces, including pesto Genovese, puttanesca and cacio pepe sauce.Read the complete article here. Read More
CTbites Sits Down with Culinary Legend, Lidia Bastianich Features Interview Celebrity Chef Charity Cookbooks Lidia Bastianich Homepage Andrew Dominick October 28, 2022 Lidia Bastianich is an iconic culinary television show host, a multi-time published author, and an acclaimed restauranteur. In Connecticut, we’re all familiar with her partnership in the now closed Tarry Lodge restaurants in Westport, New Haven, and its Port Chester flagship whose next door was Tarry Market, an Italian specialty shop. And let’s be real, all of us locals have dropped a paycheck’s equivalent at Bastianich’s Eataly locations in NYC, and if you’re further out, you’ve likely done so in Vegas, L.A., Chicago, or at Boston’s Eataly.Bastianich, though, has Connecticut connections beyond her restaurants as an avid supporter of Person to Person, a Darien based nonprofit that provides food, free clothing, emergency financial assistance, scholarships, and gratis summer day camps to those who need it. Read More
Saugatuck Provisions Opens From A Local CT Chef (Matt Storch), A Butcher & A Fisherman (Copps Island Oysters) Ingredients Features Westport Grocery Store Ingredients Seafood Butcher Specialty Market Homepage Opening Stephanie Webster October 26, 2022 What happens when a chef, a butcher and a fisherman walk into a bar? Stay tuned and I’ll tell you…If you’ve noticed some activity behind the brown paper covering the windows of what was once Westport’s Saugatuck Craft Butchery, it’s not just wishful thinking. Big things are happening behind that masked facade …big things that involve a culinary power team including Chef Matt Storch and Susan McConnell (Match Burger Lobster, Match) in partnership with Jimmy Bloom of Copps Island Oysters, and butcher, Paul Nessal, whom you will recognize if you spent any time at the nose to tail butchery, Saugatuck Craft, back in the day. After 5 years of discussion, this group is finally getting ready to open the doors to Saugatuck Provisions, a new concept offering customers a curated selection of the very best ingredients from the land, sea and grocery, enabling guests to create beautiful restaurant quality meals at home.Saugatuck Provisions is conveniently located next to Match Burger Lobster in Westport, and will be ready for customers in early November, with Thanksgiving pre-ordering already live here. Read More
NYC's Beloved Rosa Mexicano Announces Opening in West Hartford October 26 Features Restaurant West Hartford Mexican Hartford County Opening CTbites Team October 24, 2022 Rosa Mexicano announces the official opening on October 26 of its newest location in West Hartford, Connecticut. Located at 51 Isham Road, opposite the Cheesecake Factory, this 6,000 square-foot restaurant in Blue Back Square, an outdoor mixed-use downtown destination, will offer guests an elevated fiesta experience including signature menu items like the famed tableside guacamole preparation, margaritas that were named best in New York City, as well as a creative cocktail program. In addition, the restaurant in West Hartford will feature outdoor dining with an inviting patio. Read More
