Ultimate Guide To Berry Picking in CT (2016 Edition) Ingredients CT Farms Local Farm Pick Your Own kids activity Anna Bendiksen May 11, 2016 “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, dear,” my maternal grandmother told me over and over again when I was growing up in the Midwest. Grandma, may she rest in peace, always had berry patches in her backyard for pies to please the most hard-hearted male guest, but if she could have seen the scale and abundance of Connecticut berry farms, she would probably, as we used to say, have fainted dead away. Prairies are not made for berries; woodlands are. Since it’s true that the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach, too, I’ve developed a passion for the annual ritual of visiting local pick-your-own farms for strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. The argument for going to pick-your-own farms, when one has the time, is unassailable. It does not get more local than this, unless, like my Grandma, you want to grow your own (another unassailable idea but beyond the scope of this article). Berries in season are at their peak of freshness and nadir of price, and one also has the satisfaction of knowing that one is supporting farmers in one’s community. Read More
A New Era for Bethel’s Holbrook Farm Ingredients CT Farms Farmers Market Local Farm Specialty Market farm fresh Jessica Ryan May 11, 2016 Founded by John and Lynn Holbrook, Holbrook Farm in Bethel has been family run and operated for the past 40 years. The farm is small by most people’s standards. Although it is situated on 12 acres only two are used for production. From these two acres yield an abundance of produce. While not certified organic, the land is clean of pesticides and herbicides, using plants that attract beneficial insects. Weeds have a special place in the ecological mix as well. Last week I took a trip up to the farm to meet with Jess Wong, the new manager who gave me a tour of the property. Wong was brought on to manage the property and grow the farm to a new level of productivity. A Skidmore graduate, she dabbled in marketing for a while before realizing that she missed being outdoors and working with her hands. Wong started volunteering at the farm assisting the former manager, handling minor projects and social media Last December John told her that he wanted to retire and asked if she would run the farm and the market. Wong was elated. She had big plans for the farm which included a new greenhouse and renovating the store. But greenhouses are expensive. Enter Tony Pham and Richard Reyes of Mecha Noodle Bar, and Mezon, and their new program, Eat Justice, a movement of restaurants on a mission to transform taste and tradition to pride and progress. Read More
The Westport Farmers' Market Opens May 19 for 2016 Summer Season! Ingredients Farmers Market CTbites Team May 05, 2016 Thursday, May 19, the Westport Farmers’ Market (WFM) will kick off the 2016 summer season, celebrating fresh, local food and the community that supports us. WFM cultivates community, nurtures an appreciation of real food and the work that goes into growing it. WFM has blossomed into a market that boasts 45 vendors, food trucks, chef demos, yoga, organic eats, children’s programming and even a pizza truck. Thanks to thousands of shoppers from all over Fairfield Country, WFM’s Thursday market is a destination not to be missed. What do we have in store for 2016? Plenty of old friends, along with some new faces. Look for integrated chef involvement, expanded children’s programming, and some gorgeous new Friends of the Market bags and offsite fun and educational events. Join the market at 12:00, high noon, to toast local food with organic green juice donated by The Stand. Don’t miss the opening day festivities, Thursday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The WFM is located at 50 Imperial Avenue, in Westport. Read More
Latte Art Throwdown at NEAT Westport. And The Winner Is… Ingredients Coffee Tea And Coffee ellen bowen May 03, 2016 I had no idea. Like most people, I enjoy a good cup of coffee. My personal preference being a latte, the Americanized version of a cappuccino, but with a more densely foamed steamed milk. So when I was invited to represent CTbites as one of three judges at this past weeks Latte Art Throwdown at NEAT Westport, frankly I envisioned a couple local baristas serving up some prettily topped lattes. Hearts, Flowers, Tulips, etc. Little did I know, but being a barista has taken on a new respect in the coffee world. Third Wave coffee, Single origin, specialty coffee, French Press, pour overs and simple are words that have crept into our vocabulary as true coffee aficionados seek out the best baristas in local independent coffee houses. NEAT is one of the original boutique coffee houses in CT, opening its first location in Darien, and in the last year coming to Westport in the former Vigilante Fire House on Riverside Ave. This past week, they hosted their first Latte Art Throwdown, a judged bracket style competition not for the faint of heart barista. Read More
Donut Crazy Doughnuts Now Available in Bridgeport's Black Rock Neighborhood Ingredients Restaurant Bridgeport Doughnuts Breakfast Take Out Kid Friendly Dessert Jessica Ryan April 29, 2016 I recently headed over to Donut Crazy’s newest location in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport with Jessica Grutkowski, owner of the Buzz Truck, who shared that she will be adding this local vendor to her offerings. While I fully admit I have never met a donut I didn’t like, these aren’t your typical donuts; they’re indulgent and decadent, and enormous! As you step inside you’ll notice how physically different this donut joint is. Most don’t share a space with a Vietnamese restaurant, which in this case is the recently opened Nom Eez. So I asked Jason Wojnarowski, founder of Donut Crazy about this curious new home and this most unusual pairing, because as I saw it, Pho and donuts don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Wojnarowski, a builder by profession, was hired by Matt Storch (owner of Nom Eez) to renovate Match a couple of years ago. What resulted was not only a friendship but the current Pho-Donut partnership. Read More
2016 Guide to Fairfield County Farmers Markets via Fairfield Green Food Guide Ingredients CT Farms Farmers Market Local Farm farm fresh CTbites Team April 26, 2016
Free & Company Kitchen: Saving the World One Brownie at a Time (Gluten, Dairy & Refined Sugar Free) Ingredients Recipe Bakery Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Kid Friendly Dessert Jessica Ryan April 06, 2016 What do brownies and superfoods have in common? Some of you might jump up and shout, “Why chocolate, of course!” while the rest of you might scratch your heads and wonder. What if I told you that the Free & Company Kitchen’s incredible baked goods are all super-food based? Additionally, every one of their items is gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free, sweetened only with organic maple syrup. Some of their products are also egg and nut-free. For those of you with food sensitivities or who have children who do, this small, newly launched company should be on your radar. It should also be noted that these edibles aren’t for just vegetarians, vegans or celiac patients; they’re truly for everyone. Founded on the premise that snacks can be familiar and comforting and still good for you, Chef Lynne Pasquale sets out to prove this possible one brownie at a time. She has, so far, won over even the most discerning of palates, myself included. I met with Chef Pasquale at her bakery last week where we had a chance to chat. Read More
Liuzzi’s Gourmet Market In North Haven: A Well-Crafted Bridge to Italian Foodways Ingredients Cheese Italian Specialty Market New Haven Anna Bendiksen February 09, 2016 Anna Bendiksen is new to the CTbites team. Anna is a former scholar of Russian literature, and a food blogger over at threecoursesonaweeknight.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter @anna_bendiksen. When Domenico “Dom” Liuzzi talks about artisanal cheesemaking, his eyes light up. “Quality is what sets us apart from Stop and Shop,” he said in a recent conversation at Liuzzi’s Gourmet Market---not that anyone could mistake his store, which carries over 200 cheeses, for anything other than the Greater New Haven landmark it is. The cascades of Italian speech in the air, the display cases featuring Liuzzi’s own house-made cheeses, the scent of cured hams and sausages hanging overhead, the attentive staff darting about---all combine to make Liuzzi’s a prime destination for foodies from Connecticut and beyond. The cheeses for which the store is best known---the result of the family’s cheesemaking heritage stretching over a century---are its burrata (favored by Mario Batali), a caciocavallo (“cheese on horseback,” so named because it is strung in rope to drip dry), and two kinds of ricotta (whipped and large-curd). Yet the cheese offerings at Liuzzi’s, located in North Haven, don’t stop with these house-made specialties. You’ll also find imported Grana Padano (a cheese similar to Parmesan that is favored by Italian children and a standby in Lidia Bastianich’s new cookbook Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine); Moliterno, a raw sheep’s-milk cheese exquisitely scented with black truffle paste; the best of American artisanal cheeses such as Humboldt Fog; and many more. Read More
Behind The Bar: 3 Winter Cocktails from Mixologist Adam Patrick Ingredients Recipe Cocktails Bar CTbites Team February 03, 2016 Egg Nog (Jeffrey Morgenthaler version) Behind The Bar is a new column from bartender Adam Patrick who has graced the bars of venues such as Walrus & Carpenter, Luxe, Match and Can Tiin. He will explore trends, recipes and the cocktail culture from both the front as well as behind the bar. One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is, “I won’t tell the story the way it happened, I’ll tell it the way I remember it.” It’s from the late-nineties film adaptation of Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. Ethan Hawke delivers the line in the opening monologue. There’s something about nostalgia that adds a touch of humanity to our lives. The real world, the world we exist in day to day, can be overwhelming and unforgiving. Take your job, your family obligations, traffic jams, mortgage, credit card bills, your dog destroying your new carpet, and view it all in aggregate, and things can steam roll out of control quickly. And yet, when we look at the past, we find it difficult to remember the mundane, the run-of-the-mill, even though those experiences dominate our lives. Sure, we can generally recall tragedy, or loss, but more than not it’s memories of our childhood, or a long lost love, or a favorite pet, that we gaze back at longingly. Read More
For The Love Of...10 Unique CT Valentine's Day Gift & Events Ingredients Restaurant Gift Guide Holiday April Guilbault February 02, 2016 Oh, for the love of....! How do you typically finish that sentence? We here at CTBites have a lot of love to share and would like to complete that thought with a whole flurry of creative ways to wooooo your special someone. Show the person you love (like/lust) that they are the peanut butter to your jelly, the mac to your cheese, the frosting to your cupcake. We offer you these delish restaurants and take out spots, seductive surroundings, heavenly drinks, gratifying classes, tasteful gifts...hell, we are making this holiday easy for you. You should send US a Valentine! Take a peek and enjoy Valentine’s Day everyone! Here are 10 totally unique local CT Valentine's Day Gifts for your loved one... Read More
Friday Froth: Tres Hoppy w/ Olde Burnside, Kent Falls & Two Roads Breweries Ingredients Beer Dinner CT Beer Friday Froth James Gribbon January 29, 2016 This week will be an all Connecticut-brewed, and intensely hopped version of Friday Froth. We start by wishing happy birthday to one of our state's early modern craft brewing pioneers, Olde Burnside Brewing Company, which turned 15 years old this month. Olde Burnside was initially highly visible due to selling their Ten Penny Scottish Ale in 64oz. growlers at retail in area liquor stores, which was 1) a great deal, 2) useful for refilling with anything you chose, and 3) garnered a $1.50 reimbursement when returned, if you weren't so inclined. This came in handy during the years when Connecticut had around five breweries, instead of our current 30ish, and growler filling stations were rare as sober nights at Owl Farm. Read More
Tap-a-Tree Maple Syrup Program @ Ambler Farm Ingredients CT Farms Local Farm kids cooking party CTbites Team January 13, 2016 It's that time of year again. Sign up for Ambler Farms immensely popular, Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree program. Sign up quickly...these classes fill up fast. Learn the science and history of maple syruping by being a hands-on part of the process at Ambler Farm in Wilton. Training Sessions: Saturday, February 6th at 10am or 1pm Learn the science and history of maple syruping by being a hands-on part of the process. There will be two training sessions offered (February 6th at 10am or 1pm); only ONE session is required for training. On that day, participants will choose a tree and hang their bucket that will collect sap. Ambler Farm will send regular updates on the running of the sap so families can come to the Farm to collect sap from their trees. Sap will be boiled down in the Farm’s sugar shack and each family will go home with their very own bottle of Ambler Farm maple syrup. Read More
Friday Froth: The Tale Of The Commodore from Ballast Point Ingredients Beer Friday Froth James Gribbon January 08, 2016 Hello! Welcome back to Friday Froth, 2016 edition: the semi-weekly beer column eagerly awaited by literally tens of people. This week, as in most weeks, I will start off with discussion on a topic which has nothing at all to do with beer. Continue reading at your own peril. I have a friend who moved to Germany because of a girl. I think we can all agree emigrating from the country of your birth to one across a large ocean whose language you don't speak while relying on an intimate interpersonal relationship for success and happiness with no fall-back plan usually works out perfectly, and I'm sure you'll all be relieved to learn that has been precisely the case with him. If anything, he has more hair on his head than when he left - a fact about which we can all be magnanimous, and definitely not introduce small amounts of arsenic into the care packages of American peanut butter and bourbon whiskey we send him, because we are not envious monsters. 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
Support Black Rock Farmers' Market Kickstarter Campaign Ingredients Farmers Market CTbites Team December 22, 2015 And now a message from the Black Rock Farmers' Market in Bridgeport who have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to keep the market operational. You reap what you sow… Support the Black Rock Farmers Market and you’ll treat your community (and yourself!) to farm fresh produce and more amazing local goods. Over the last two years, the Black Rock Farmers Market has become a very popular community gathering place, but in order to maintain the momentum and return for our third year, WE NEED YOUR HELP! Donate here. The Black Rock Farmers Market currently supports 4 local farmers, approximately 20 food producers, and dozens of artisans and musicians. Every dollar spent at the market supports growers and producers, but we need operating capital to become sustainable and transition from a volunteer run organization. Read More
Friday Froth: Beer CONN Comes To Bridgeport Ingredients Beer CT Beer Friday Froth James Gribbon December 18, 2015 Two sessions, fifty breweries, and over a hundred different beers - the second annual Beer CONN poured all day and into the night in Bridgeport. Separate afternoon and evening sessions and a limit on the number of tickets sold maximized elbow room and kept things easy just over the ice in the arena.Out of state breweries like Stone, Shiner, and Jack's Abbey were represented, but the focus of the one day beer fest was on beers from the Constitution State. I attended the second session, which was not without surprises, including Brewscuits: dog biscuits made from spent grain used in brewing, and the Growler Getter, from Woodbridge, Conn. - a hard plastic tote capable of holding two 64oz. growlers, or three 32oz. growlitos. Read More
Gretchen Thomas of Barcelona Wine Bar Launches “Gretchen’s Selections” Ingredients Recipe Wine Bar Wine Chat Wine Shop Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 06, 2015 Exciting news from Barcelona Wine Bar and Barteca Restaurant Group! Selections from their award-winning wine list, recognized by publications like Wine Spectator and The Wall Street Journal, are now available online. Newly unveiled “Gretchen’s Selections” features approximately 25 wines that are directly imported and offered to Barcelona’s guests. Each wine was hand-selected by Gretchen Thomas, acclaimed Wine and Spirits Director for Barteca Restaurant Group. “I’m always looking for great wines for the Barcelona wine program, whether they are sold through my trusted suppliers or not,” says Thomas. Sometimes she comes across amazing bottles here at home. Vineyards will ship wines to her or she will be introduced to someone in the area doing something new and exciting. Other times, her quest takes her overseas. Read More
Great Cakes & Cupcakes at Forever Sweet Bakery Ingredients Recipe Bakery Catering Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team November 24, 2015 Forever Sweet Bakery is celebrating its third anniversary as one of the most creative bakeries for cupcakes, cake pops, and special occasion themed cakes. Located off the beaten path in a strip mall on New Canaan Avenue in Norwalk, CTbites visited on opening day several years ago and over the last three years the bakery has received numerous accolades including the 2014 & 2015 Best of the Gold Coast Cupcakes. CTbites recently returned to Forever Sweet to confirm the original impression and taste the expanded offerings of cupcakes that owners Sky and Frances Mercede have created. Over the years, their cakes have been featured at many political victory parties and charity events including the Connecticut Food Bank, the Westport Little League and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Sky and Frances believe in giving back to the community as often as possible. Read More
Video: Tofu Master Minh Tsai Talks Tofu and Sustainability at Yale Ingredients Chef Talk Video Amy Kundrat November 09, 2015 Minh Tsai, investment banker turned tofu master, is speaking at Yale this week about the intersection of tofu and sustainability. Watch the event live on Tuesday, November 10. From Yale CBEY: Meet Minh Tsai, the investment banker turned tofu master, and learn about his company Hodo Soy, an artisanal tofu supplier from Oakland. Minh has been a pioneer in getting chefs and large institutions to use tofu including Chipotle (heard of sofritas?) and Costco. This talk is sure to entertain and inspire and provide an enlightening discussion on how traditional recipes (along with Masters students) can be used to change our future impact on the earth. Read More
Friday Froth: Iceland And Sweetwater Come To Connecticut Ingredients Beer CT Beer Friday Froth James Gribbon November 06, 2015 Reykjavik and Atlanta usually don't have anything in common besides yours truly, but we've all come full circle this week. The daisy chain works like this: I love Iceland, and have done some work for the country here in the U.S. which allowed me to to visit the land of fire and ice, eat hákarl, and learn the correct pronunciation of Eyjafjallajökull. I also have a degree in history from the University of Georgia, where I became acquainted with Sweetwater Brewing Company. Just recently, Two Roads and Evil Twin conspired to produce Geyser Gose, using Icelandic ingredients, and Sweetwater made their Connecticut debut. Hell yes. Read More
