Saugatuck Grain & Grape Pop-Up Store Opens in Westport to Pay It Forward Features WIne Spirits Wine Shop Specialty Market Liquor Shopping Westport Pop-Up Opening Stephanie Webster September 12, 2020 For those of us who shop or live in the Westport area, you could hear a communal groan of sadness when Saugatuck Grain & Grape closed up shop by the train station in 2018. It was audible. Owner, Mimi McLaughlin ran her small boutique wine and spirits shop like a family, and every time you walked in that door, she taught you something, or opened your eyes to something new. Shoppers walked out excited about a new small producer wine label, a local distiller they’d never heard of…or a cocktail, made perfectly. Her passion and knowledge of all things “grain and grape” created a brand that took her love of educating the consumer and made her a leader in her field.Fast forward to 2020 and…wait for it…Mimi is back. Last week she opened a Saugatuck Grain & Grape pop-up location at 1460 Post Road East. You can still lean on her for that perfect red wine recommendation, but it’s different this time around. McLaughin says ”I am back because I came to a realization during quarantine, that what I really want to do, is support the local community, those who need it most.” She has put her money where her mouth is, as SG&G is giving 15% of ALL SALES to local charitable organizations. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events For September 14-23 Events Features Events News Stephanie Webster September 12, 2020 Tuesday, September 22nd, join Chef Carlos Perez from At The Corner restaurant in Litchfield, 4-9pm for a Mexican & Japanese Fusion pop-up, featuring sushi, tacos, small plates, and specialty cocktails! Joining him will be Brendon Savoy of Fino, and Dustin Amore from Conspiracy. Call At The Corner to reserve a table.Join Terrain Westport for an Equinox Evening Under the Stars on Tuesday, September 22nd 6:30 – 9:30pm, an open-air dining experience in our terrain nurseries to celebrate the equinox. Tables will be placed throughout our campus, to include our nursery and ceremony gardens, to enjoy a seasonally inspired menu and live music.Chef Tyler Anderson Catering is taking his truck on the road….to Sub Edge Farm in Avon, CT, on October 1st and October 22nd for a “Socially Distanced 3 Course Dinner” complete with a cocktail reception and hayride farm tours.@remarkabletheater will be hosting a viewing on Sunday Sept 20th. A special sneak preview of BLOODROOT, a feature documentary from director Douglas Tirola and producer Susan Bedusa in conjunction with the Westport Farmers Market. Read More
Don't Miss The MIKU Sushi Pop-Up at Tony's At The Jhouse Restaurant Features Pop-Up Dinner Sushi Japanese Italian Greenwich Homepage Opening Jessica Ryan September 11, 2020 About a year ago I was invited to a press event at Tony’s at the J House in Greenwich, Connecticut which I covered for CTBites here. So when we were recently invited back to experience the new Miku Sushi Pop-up I was delighted.The owners of MIKU SUSHI K Dong, and Chef Steve Chen, have created a special partnership with Tony Capasso, managing partner at Tony’s at the J House, to launch an all-new “elevated” sushi bar at the upscale steakhouse.The MIKU x Tony’s pop-up is led by Executive Chef Joe Liu, former head sushi chef at Tao and Masa in Manhattan. The special menu features many of MIKU signature rolls as well as two new rolls, exclusive to Tony’s. The Tony Roll is made with bluefin toro, avocado, scallion and spicy lobster salad, and J House Roll with king salmon, avocado, wasabi sesame and spicy yellowtail. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food News and Events for September 6-15 Events Features News Events Stephanie Webster September 05, 2020 The SONO Collection’s weekly Thursday rooftop Happy Hours continue through September 24th. Enjoy dining and drinks made available by Bazille, Pinstripes, and Uncle Sevens. Live and local acoustic performances each week. Here’s the lineup: September 10th check out the sounds of Mike and Ian All Night Thing; September 17th, Billy Ruegger, and September 24 they’ve got Benny Mikula/Alpaca Gnomes playing. See ya there!Plan b Milford is back OPEN! Stop in for dinner and grab your favorite #burgersbeerbourbon! New hours are Friday 9/4 Wednesday – Sunday from 12pm – 9pmStart your engines and make your reservations! New Haven Restaurant Week is September 13-26. Check out the list of tasty participating restaurants here.@CTBeer is teaming up with @StewardsOfTheLand, @MikroDepot and @EmilysCateringGroupCT on September 17th for CT's 1st ever Farm To Glass & Table Beer Dinner. Each dish will be expertly paired using 100% fresh, locally-sourced ingredients from CT Farms to complement one of Steward's five small-batch brews. All seating will be safe and property spaced for social distancing. Tickets are very limited. Reserve your spot today! Chowdafest is proud to announce their new Chowda Club designed to bring the Chowdafest experience to the safety of your own home AND all year round!KNEADS Bakery Cafe is now open in Westport. This husband-wife team is fresh from Blue Hill at Stone Barns and will be serving up some outstanding artisan bread, breakfast & lunch with an emphasis on local ingredients. Read More
Friday Froth- Coming Back To Back East Brewery Features Ingredients CT Beer Beer Brewery Bloomfield James Gribbon September 04, 2020 In October of 2019 I sat down with Tony Karlowicz at Back East to visit the brewery and talk about the 2017 gold medal won by his porter at the world's largest beer competition, the 2018 expansion that nearly tripled his brewing capacity, and the giant new taproom he'd hired an architectural firm to design and build for the spring of 2020. We shook hands and said we'd see each other again when I could write the article about the grand opening in April. Ten months and a global disaster later I looked at the glass in my hand as I sat, finally, for the first time, in that tasting room. Printed just above my thumb were the words "Find Your Way Back." Read More
GastroPark Food Truck Park Opening in West Hartford Restaurant Features Food Truck West Hartford Hartford County Outdoor Dining Food Truck Park Opening Maddie Phelps September 01, 2020 Tate Norden’s blue 1959 Chevy Viking was once your average vintage car. Then, in 2015, he transformed it into the ultimate catering vehicle, featuring a bar and a wood-fired pizza oven. With that, Iron & Grain Co. was born. Now, five years later, he has transformed what was once a vacant West Hartford property into a foodie paradise with funding that has been fully crowdsourced. With that, GastroPark was born, and it is now open for the public to enjoy.After recognizing how profoundly this niche in the restaurant industry was expanding in the Connecticut area, Norden wanted one spot where these trucks could flourish. His years of planning and negotiating with architects, engineers, and contractors have finally paid off, as GastroPark is doing just that, serving as a place where food trucks can congregate and offer customers a range of diverse menus for any craving. With an impressive outdoor and (soon to be) indoor area, visitors will ride a flavor rollercoaster as soon as they enter this unique dining experience. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for August 29th- September 8 Features Events News Events Pop-Up Bar Stephanie Webster August 27, 2020 Check out The NEW Fuego Picante food Truck proudly serving tacos al pastor al trompo & so much more goodness. Find them Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 3 pm to 9 pm at 79 William Shortly Campbell Street in Hartford.Sift Bake Shop opens Mix Rooftop & Bar, a rooftop cocktail bar located on the top of Sift Bake Shop in Downtown Mystic, CT. Come enjoy unique, handcrafted cocktails, and a creative, fresh bar menu. Offering panoramic views of the Mystic River, Mix Rooftop & Bar, is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in beautiful Mystic, CT. Open daily from 3:00 - 10:00 PM. Reservations: 860-415-8365Oar & Oak opening BIRD HOUSE in Stratford. We hear Bill Taibe is designing a Chicken Sandwich!!Chef Jamie Bordonaro, Sous Chef at Millwrights restaurant in Simsbury recently finished the publication of his very own cookbook! It is titled “Pursuit of Passion” and he has been working on it for the past six years. The book is available for purchase on his website, www.www.pursuitofpassion.net/shop for $40 dollars, with $5 dollars from each copy sold going to benefit the World Central Kitchen organization. Check it out!The insanely delicious Southern Chinese spot, Junzi Kitchen in New Haven, is now offering Picnic Baskets for 4 people. Each basket is $65 and includes chilled noodles, Asian salads, Asian inspired sodas, and Chinese chips.Fan favorite, BONDA in Fairfield, launches BONDA EXPRESS, gourmet prepared foods to-go, open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 7pm. LOCATED AT THE BACK OF BONDA RESTAURANT (AMPLE PARKING IN THE BACK!) at 75 Hillside Road, Fairfield. Read More
J’s Homemade Elderberry Syrup: Boost Your Immune System with this Locally Made Product Features Ingredients Ingredients Gourmet Ingredients Kid Friendly Specialty Market Local Artisan Shop Local Vendor Highlight Amy Kundrat August 25, 2020 Julie Messina had a problem to solve. What could she do to proactively combat the cold and flu season when it inevitably hit her own home? As a Kindergarten teacher and a new mom, she knew she would be a vector for viruses for her family and wanted to get ahead of the inevitable sniffles, or worse, influenza. When she discussed her concerns with her pediatrician, she learned about elderberry syrup, which some studies have shown can shorten the severity and duration of flu in adults. Drawn to its properties as a natural food, she wanted to give it a try but she hit her first roadblock when trying store brands. She didn’t like the taste or price of the elderberry syrups readily available, so she decided to try making her own. Although Julie wouldn’t officially sell her first bottle of elderberry syrup for several months, J’s Homemade was born on that fateful day at the pediatrician’s office. Like many entrepreneurs solving a problem, what followed wasn’t a straight path, but a lot of trial and error, perseverance and support from her wife Alicia and her (now) two children.Each bottle of J’s Homemade elderberry syrup reflects its natural products and represents her own ongoing research and development. Read More
Newtown's NewSylum Brewing Co. is a Pandemic Success Story Restaurant Features CT Beer Beer Beer Garden Newtown Brewery Opening Connecticut Magazine August 21, 2020 Connecticut Magazine checks out NewSylum Brewery in Newtown. Here’s their review.It was not the grand opening anyone envisioned.NewSylum Brewing Co. owners Mark Lennon, David Kingsley and Mark Tambascio had been planning their brewery for several years as a taproom-centered operation. One that took full advantage of their unique location in Newtown within a historic building at what was formerly Fairfield Hills Hospital, a psychiatric facility on a 100-plus-acre campus with more than a dozen buildings.NewSylum Brewing Co. in Newtown opened during the coronavirus pandemic in a historic building in the former Fairfield Hills Hospital, a psychiatric facility.Then the coronavirus hit.The brewery was slated to open the first week in May, but Connecticut was still shut down and the taproom the owners had envisioned as the centerpiece of their business couldn’t be opened. “We had to shift gears from our original plan,” Lennon says.They hadn’t planned on canning their beer but quickly contracted with a mobile canning company, and began offering curbside pickup. Read More
Grigg Street Pizza Opens in Greenwich with Artisan Sourdough Pies Restaurant Features Greenwich Homepage pizza Andrew Dominick August 20, 2020 Right off the busy Greenwich Avenue, is Grigg Street. There’s not much on it besides an independent bookstore, The Perfect Provenance’s parking lot, a soon-to-open coffee shop, and a basement level space that previously housed Lord of the Pies. The white tiled walls of the subterranean restaurant remain. But now they’re partially decked out with Jimi Hendrix, The Sex Pistols, and Pearl Jam posters that go along with the current residents’ eclectic, mostly rock playlist, a perfect soundtrack for Matthew Watson and Jon Corbo as they pound, stretch, spin, and roll dough at Grigg Street Pizza.Pizza making is a switch up for the two longtime friends and Greenwich residents, who were formerly partners in the string of Corbo’s Deli locations. After the sold their part of the deli business they wanted to continue working together. “We missed that face-to-face interaction,” Watson says. “I’m making your food. I want that. We yearned for that feeling again.”With pizza, they’re getting that again. But make no mistake, Grigg Street Pizza is no run-of-the-mill corner slice shop. Call it artisan if you want to. The philosophy here is quality ingredients and local ingredients whenever possible, using a few vendors, and to make everything, or damn near everything, in-house. “Nothing is coming out of a bottle. We’re making our salad dressing. We want everything to be legit,” Watson reveals.Corbo interrupts to praise his friend. “This man can cook,” he says about Watson (who’s a French Culinary Institute grad). “I wanted to be a part of that. I don’t think anything we make, or very few things we make, have more than 4-5 ingredients. We want to let that shine.”Some of those quality ingredients? Bianco DiNapoli Tomatoes for their red sauce, homemade mozzarella, and house-ground fennel sausage should you opt for it. A few drizzles to entice you and enhance your pie include habanero-garlic infused honey and roasted Chile de árbol hot oil.And pizza, obviously, is the star of their show. Specifically…sourdough pizza. Each pie is full-sized, cooked in a gas oven, and spun carefully for an even char and well doneness. What they’re achieving here with the mother-based dough, with no commercial yeast, and naturally leavened for three days is a lightness that doesn’t make you feel too full. It’s crispy. It’s got a little chew. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events, Pop-Ups, Openings & More For Aug 23-Sept 2 Events Features Events News Stephanie Webster August 19, 2020 Stamford Summer Restaurant Weeks return August 17 – September 7. Participating Downtown Stamford restaurants are serving up special lunch & dinner prix fixe menus in several different price options.Hartford Baking Company turns 10!! The anniversary, September 1st, will be celebrated with 2 for $10 sandwich deals at all three locations!Are you an Affogato fan like we are? Storefront AFFOGATO is Coming soon to 132B Washington Street in South Norwalk!Want to book an intimate private Italian dinner? Tutto Pasta does private customizable dinners at their homemade pasta shop in Fairfield. Contact them for booking.Attn: Gluten-Free foodies. The Little Beet is opening this summer in Westport with a 100% Gluten-Free menu!Proof Coffee is opening in Stamford’s Harbor Point with 100% organic, sustainable sourced coffee! Read More
Locally Made Canned Cocktails We've Been Lovin' in Summer 2020 Features Ingredients Cocktails Canned Cocktails Drinks Home Delivery homepage Homepage Kristin L. Wolfe August 15, 2020 Not gonna lie. I’m sucked in by looks. What’s on the inside counts, sure, but when I see a sharp, sexy...wait a minute. I’m talking about my drinks. What were you thinking?Ok, weird intro aside, there seems to be an endless list of new canned drinks out there and room for even more. And, although nothing these days seems to be “normal” we are trying to enjoy ourselves however we can; and to me, sun, water, and delicious cold drinks, certainly helps that effort. So, while some of your pandemic hobbies might have revolved around expanding your mind or being creative with activities like puzzles, knitting, or cooking grannies old recipes, mine sorta kinda included drinking on the beach; and drinking delicious, creatively designed canned beverages, in particular. I started out with the popular seltzers like White Claw, Stoli’s yada yada, then moved to a few hard ciders from the 1911 suite (from Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards), like the Rosé in a tall, gorgeous soft pink can; then my fam and I fell in love with punch of the Watermelon Mint with graphics as a bold as the taste.But then my new “hobby” got a little more interesting, uh...well, bolder, with stronger boozish. Here are a couple of brands created in our lovely state, then a few others you just have to try, especially since there’s still at least six weeks left of sunshine. However, I gather these will still be enjoyed well beyond the end of summer. Read More
Cavatappi with Carrot Pesto and Lemon Arugula by Sue Smith, Prime Health Style Features Recipe Recipe Vegetarian Pasta CTbites Team August 13, 2020 What’s cooking people? The Westport Farmers’ Market and Sue Smith from Prime Health Style, have a great vegetarian recipe for the pasta lovers out there. Cavatappi is the Italian word for corkscrew, hence the name of this spiral-shaped, macaroni-like pasta. It’s ideal for use with a thick sauce, here paired with a zesty carrot pesto. This vegetarian recipe creates a tasty and satisfying summer one-dish meal, or can be served as a side dish. See notes below for easy vegan and gluten-free substitutions. Read More
The Food Crate Launches, Delivering High End Specialty Prepared Foods to Your Doorstep Features Ingredients Delivery Service Home Delivery BBQ Asian Meat Specialty Market Homepage Stephanie Webster August 12, 2020 CT based startup, THE FOOD CRATE has launched in the tri-state area (and just beyond) with overnight delivery of chef-sourced specialty and high end prepared foods to residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. Why is this food delivery service different from all others? After eating my way through several of these fully loaded crates, enjoying everything from gluten-free chicken meatballs and marinated shrimp kabobs to Hawaiian Baby Back Ribs, a Lobster Pot for 8 and restaurant quality crab cakes, I can report with great certainty that The Food Crate is a delivery service that relieves the pressure of the dreaded nightly “what’s for dinner” conundrum, and will surely be on repeat order in my home. (Also thru Aug 31st CTbites readers get 15% OFF with Code: CTB15) Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Events & Food News for Week of Aug 16-23 Events Features Events News Pop-Up Dinner Stephanie Webster August 11, 2020 “PHO KING” Happy Hour is back at MECHA Noodle Bar Monday-Friday 3-6PM including $5 cocktails, wine and beer and a Happy Hour menu.Register now for the August 16th Hoodoo Brown BBQ class. Come learn from the Hoodoo Crew, as the Pit Crew takes you behind the scenes for a four hour barbecue school from 8am-12pm.The Lachat Farmers Market is back!! The new online ordering system will make it even easier for you to buy local - you simply sign up for a time slot and then pick up your order at Lachat between the hours of 4pm-8pm.There’s a really exciting new project being born in West Hartford. It’s called GastroPark, and it’s a new dining venue providing curated food experience for guests featuring an innovative approach that will deliver delicious mobile food concepts from local small business owners. Read More
"Seasoned" Premieres on CT Public Radio w/ Hosts, Marysol Castro and Chef Plum Features Podcast Local Artisan Radio TV Stephanie Webster August 06, 2020 Attention Connecticut foodies and “home cooks” with a secret summer recipe to share: Your time has come, and the local, food-focused radio program you have been hungering for has arrived!Seasoned—a brand-new radio show and podcast just premiered on Connecticut Public Radio, featuring two of our favorite people as hosts, Marysol Castro and Chef Plum. The new show will explore Connecticut’s local farmers, passionate chefs, food makers and innovators from every corner of the state.Seasoned will feature guests who will discuss everything from how food is grown, harvested and prepared across Connecticut, to how we use food to celebrate and connect in our communities. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for August 9-16 Features Events News Events Stephanie Webster August 05, 2020 Community Table Restaurant welcomes 15 East Restaurant Team From Union Square NYC for 2 nights only…Tuesday August 11th & Wednesday August 12th. Chef/owner Marco Moreira of 15 East alongside sushi chefs Nobuhiro Mori & Shigue Sugano and master soba chef Shuichi Kotani will be cooking with Ct's Chef Christian Hunter to create a very special Japanese menu.Just when you thought the Aperol Spritz couldn’t get any better…Bar Rosso now has FROZEN APEROL SPRITZES!!Harbor Harvest in Norwalk has officially launched their Vitamin Sea outings on the Sound. Book their catamaran for trips out of Norwalk or Huntington for 12-25 people (Covid guidelines) for 4-5 hours with lunch or dinner at the Norwalk or Huntington Harbor Harvest restaurant. Food includes: Wine/Beer, Fresh Local Raw Bar, Cold Salads, Sandwiches & Wraps, Grilled Burgers & Chicken & Hot Dogs. Contact Communications Director: elisa@newviewpr.com for more info.Vita Pasta Labs hosts a SICILIAN MOOD - PEPERONATA virtual cooking class - AUGUST 28th. The Peperonata, recipe of my wonderful aunt, donna Rosa, that combination of peppers and onions often with just a tang of acidity. The easiest way to show you how to make this Italian delicacy is to participate at the virtual Cooking Class.It’s time to treat yourself to some to #RealMaineLobster and beer! Join Cousins Maine Lobster as we visit Half Full Brewery (43 Homestead Ave, Stamford) on Wednesday, August 19 from 12:00pm-5:00pm for high-quality great tasting beer and inviting lobster deliciousness. Our famous Connecticut and Maine Lobster Rolls are served either warm or chilled with authentic Maine lobster served on split-top New England rolls.JUNZI New Haven has updated their online ordering app! Awards and points now available.Max Fish brings back Happy Hour every Monday and Tuesday 3:30-6pm!! Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for July 26 to August 9 Features Events Food News Events Stephanie Webster July 22, 2020 Taproot’s Jeff Taibe has launched a Food Truck called “On The Fly", with dishes inspired by Southeast Asia. Follow the truck’s locations and pop-ups on Instagram here: @taproot_ct @on_the_fly_foodtruck_ctChef Tyler Anderson has a brand new Food Truck as well! The name is @Taquect and the menu features street food style tacos. Aw yeah. Follow the truck’s location on Instagram @taquect.MIKU is teaming up with Tony's at the J House to launch a pop-up sushi bar in late July. Signature items like the Good 4 You Roll and Yellowtail Jalapeno from the MIKU menu will be available along with all-new options exclusively developed for the partnership at Tony's - including fresh fish from the world-famous Tokyo fish market. The epicurean pop-up will run August through October 2020. For the latest news, visit MIKU online and subscribe to the mailing (mikugreenwich.com).Starting July 29th "The Spread in Norwalk is launching a new ALL YOU CAN EAT Bao Special on Wednesdays. We’re talking Pork Belly, Fried Chicken, Bulgogi & Spam are on the menu. $20pp. Add your first top shelf drink or beer for $5. Read More
Fritz Knipschildt Launches Fritzzz Artisan CBD Chocolate Features Ingredients Chocolate Dessert CBD CBD Chocolate Confections Special Dietary Needs Stephanie Webster July 21, 2020 For over 13 years, Danish born Fritz Knipschildt, and the House of Knipschildt, have been renowned for creating exquisite quality artisan chocolate. CT residents will recall his South Norwalk eatery, Chocopologie, where Knipschildt explored ways to creatively infuse elements from the savory kitchen into the world of chocolate and confection. Years later, Knipschildt is using his expertise in European chocolate, and has recently launched a new line of chocolate truffles and chocolate bars that are infused with premium, full spectrum CBD. Introducing…Fritzzz. Read More
Our Search For The Best Bagels in Fairfield County CT Features Restaurant Best of CT Bagels Breakfast Brunch Specialty Market Bread Bakery Homepage Jessica Ryan July 16, 2020 I felt compelled to write this after noticing the same Facebook posts over and over again from recent New York transplants. “Where can I find the best bagels?”I’d add my two cents and then watch as rows and rows of comments filled my screen. I’d silently cheer or jeer along. Yes!! No! Oh god no, no, no – just no! And with this I decided that I was going to find the best bagels locally.As a native New Yorker I know a thing or two about bagels. Even though New York City is the Bagel Capital of the World, not all New York bagels are good. I’m looking for those bearing a rich caramel color with a slight sheen that yields the slight crackling crunch when you bite into it, followed by a really good chew. Read More
