Tokeneke's Pumpkin Carnival in Darien October 15th Kids Bites Events Holiday kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team September 30, 2011 Tokeneke’s annual Pumpkin Carnival will take place Saturday, October 15th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The rain date is October 16th. For over forty years, Tokeneke’s Pumpkin Carnival, held at the Tokeneke Elementary School on Old Farm Road, has been an annual tradition for families in and around Darien. The Carnival features attractions for all ages, including a haunted house, rides, games and crafts, rock climbing, bouncy castles, a bake sale and raffle prizes. In addition, food will be provided by Burgers, Shakes & Fries, Upper Crust Bakery & Café, and Heights Pizza. Read More
11th Annual Ambler Farm Day Kids Bites Events Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster September 27, 2011 The 11th Annual Ambler Farm Day is Sunday, October 2, 2011, 12pm-4pm at Ambler Farm, 257 Hurlbutt Street in Wilton CT. This is a wonderful local family friendly event celebrating the Fall harvest with a hay maze, farm animals, children's crafts, live music and more. (Plus, you will want to visit your local pumpkin patch early this year. We hear the rains were tough on crops and pumpkins may not be as plentiful) Below is a full list of activities. Grab the family and head on over. Read More
Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar in Monroe Kids Bites Restaurant Monroe Special Dietary Needs kids activity Comfort Food Kid Friendly CTbites Team September 20, 2011 And now a word from our 10 years old food critic.... Hey kids, guess what? Want to win a free Mac Daddy’s T-Shirt? Mac Daddy’s will give the first 10 kids to correctly guess the amount of macaroni boxes used to fill the pan on the wall (described below) a free t-shirt Contest ends on November 20th. Mention CTbites to enter. What do you think of when you think of macaroni and cheese? A small box of Kraft mac and cheese? Well… now I think of Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar, an amazing macaroni and cheese restaurant with at least 20 different kinds of macaroni. I had thought that Macdaddy’s was going to be bigger than it was (they can seat about 25 people) but that didn’t mean it wasn’t good. Macdaddy’s is a quick service restaurant (which means that you order at a counter and they bring the food to your table). Read More
10 Questions w/ Prasad Chirnomula of Thali Restaurant Interview Chef Talk Indian Amy Kundrat August 31, 2011 1. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in one hour, what would you whip up? If it is in season will check my garden for some veggies and greens, next check the refrigerator and pantry and then make a decision if I have to go out to the restaurant or grocery store. Tacos are always a priority and a very quick fix. Typically I would whip a salad and/or seafood appetizer and a mix-grill of marinated meats and veggies on the deck. 2. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Today was particularly a very hot day. I made some green apple Gazpacho in the morning and stored it away in the refrigerator and Crab filled Japanese Eggplant with Roselle leaves and green chili paste. Apples, Chilies, Peppers, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Roselle Leaves were picked fresh of my garden. I am from the rice and spice country, so made some fragrant Basmati Rice. Read More
Kids Review: Stir It Up by Ramin Ganeshram Kids Bites Chef Talk Cookbooks Kid Friendly Rebecca H. Ryan August 22, 2011 Rebecca is a 7th grader at The Unquowa School in Fairfield, CT. She loves to read, write, draw and cook. This is her review of Ramin Ganeshram's new book, Stir It Up. [Note: Don't miss the great recipe for Coconut Dark Chocolate Cookies below.] In Stir It Up by Ramin Ganeshram, the thirteen year old main character, Anjali, causes quite a stir when she chances losing some of the most important things in her life. Anjali loves to cook; she loves working in her family’s roti shop. Her dream is to have her own Food Network cooking show by the age of fifteen. On the other hand, her father wants her to take an entrance exam to get into the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in New York City. Read More
Cooking for Kids: Camp Fine Dining w/ Chef Paul Desiano Kids Bites Cooking Classes Education kids activity Amy Kundrat August 01, 2011 Camp Fine Dining is a two week camp for teenagers that will run this August led by Paul Desiano, Chef and Owner of Cello (formerly Plate) located in Copps Hill Plaza in Ridgefield. In the first week, Camp Fine Dining will focus students on basic skills including knife cuts, butchering, sauces, and pasta making. By the second week, the students and Chef Desiano will brainstorm a 5-course tasting menu. The class will spend the first week preparing and the program will conclude with the students cooking that menu for their families. Dates and time: August 16 -18, August 23 – 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Read More
Kids Review: Bond Grill Hibachi and Asian Bistro in Norwalk Kids Bites Asian Japanese Norwalk CTbites Team July 27, 2011 Carly Monson is our roving 10 yrs old food critic. She hopes to get Fairfield County kids excited about eating in new venues like this one... Do you love to have fun while eating delicious food? Well, then Bond Grill Hibachi and Asian Bistro in Norwalk, C.T. is the perfect restaurant for you! I felt very welcomed when I first walked in. Bond looks very modern and most Asian restaurants look very ancient. Bond offers Hibachi and traditional Asia food, we chose Hibachi. The Hibachi dining room has a totally different vibe (from the main dining area), you feel like you’re in Asia. The walls are painted a dirty green and the texture looks created by hand. Read More
10 Questions w/ Matt Stanczak of Stanziato's in Danbury Interview Restaurant Chef Talk Danbury Pizza Amy Kundrat July 19, 2011 Matt Stanczak is chef and owner of Danbury's two-year-old Stanziato's Wood-fired pizza. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, he has worked for the last decade as both a private chef and for restaurants in New York City and Westchester but now, and thankfully for us, he calls Danbury home. Stanczak’s contemporary take on on the classic Neopolitan pizza is one of the most outstanding in the state. His puffy charred crusts, devotion to local ingredients and seasonality as well as his nightly specials with their intuitive pairings have made me literally pound the table in delight. 1. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in one hour, what would you whip up? This time of year I'm definitely thinking a fresh Guacamole....Avacodos from my favorite Latino bodega, Lots of freshly squeezed Lime Juice, Onion, maybe a chopped up jalapeno, sea salt, and lots and lots of cilantro! Simple, Fresh, Delicious. 2. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Read More
A Conversation with Joe Bastianich Interview Restaurant Italian Chef Talk Amy Kundrat May 24, 2011 We are counting the days to the opening of Tarry Lodge Enoteca and Pizzeria this summer, Batali and Bastianich's latest restaurant venture poised to open in Westport. Located in the space formerly occupied by Abbondanza, this latest incarnation of the Tarry Lodge concept is lending momentum to the revitalization of the Saugatuck waterfront project. Hungry for more details, we had a quick chat with Greenwich resident Joe Bastianich about the opening, what we can expect from the menu, and why of all places they chose Westport, Connecticut. Read More
Caramel Popcorn & Pretzel Bars via The Parsley Thief Kids Bites Features Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert katie vitucci May 20, 2011 This weekend, I once again volunteered to organize the Bake Sale at my children's school carnival. Last year, I made bags of caramel popcorn, which was a big hit! I planned on making it again this year. But, due to time constraints, I needed to find something easier. While these Chewy Saramel Popcorn & Pretzel Bars taste a lot like caramel corn, one batch made 24 {big} bars...which could be cooled & wrapped individually in plastic wrap. This ended up being a lot easier than stuffing little cello bags with sticky popcorn. I also loved the idea of mixing sweet, chewy caramel popcorn with salty, crunchy pretzels...I'm a huge fan of the sweet/salty thing. Read More
Kids Review: Swirl Ice Cream & Treats in Redding Kids Bites Ridgefield Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team May 05, 2011 Carly Monson is our roving 10 yrs old food critic. This week, she reports on a kids classic... Is your sweet tooth pulling you towards some candy and a scoop of ice cream? Then you have found your place, SWIRL! Swirl has about 11 different flavors of ice cream and millions of different candies. My new favorite ice cream flavor is Swamp. Swamp tastes very much like Oreos and the chocolate chips and M&M’s in it give it a nice crunch. Another flavor of ice cream that I love is good ol’ fashion chocolate. I think that Swirl’s chocolate is a little sweeter than other places but definitely in a good way. They have recently added a new flavor, Eggnog. I thought their Eggnog surprisingly tastes a lot like peppermint and is very sweet. My brother’s favorite flavor is Mud. I think that Mud tastes like a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup. I don’t like peanut butter but my brother says Mud is awesome. Swirl also has one of my mom’s favorite, vanilla frozen yogurt. Read More
Cooking Camps For Kids in Fairfield County Kids Bites Cooking Classes kids activity kids cooking party CTbites Team April 14, 2011 I don’t remember any of my peers taking cooking classes when I was a kid, but the world is different now, what with the Food Network and all the other TV cooking shows, websites, special events and the general blossoming of our foodie culture. At the same time, it’s no longer a given that a child learns to cook at home with Mom or Grandma, so a little outside instruction is often welcome. Whatever the reason, cooking classes for kids are a phenomenon of our times, and Fairfield County has many options for kids who are so inclined. This will be an occasional series on opportunities for kids to learn to cook (mostly) in the Fairfield County area. Because right now is the time to think about summer camp, let's start there... Read More
Kids Make Pizza Every Sunday @ Coalhouse in Stamford Kids Bites Restaurant Pizza Stamford kids activity kids cooking party Kid Friendly Liz Rueven March 11, 2011 Sundays are pizza making days for kids at Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford. First rule co-owner, Gerard Robertson, puts out there? DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE A MESS! Better his place than yours, and a lot more fun, for sure. If one too many rainy days has given your clan cabin fever, this is a great way to get out, make your own pizza and learn something too. Robertson invites kids of all ages to pull up a stool and gently work a ball of dough on the long stretch of white marble that wraps around the pizza prep area and the enormous coal oven. Read More
Kids Review: Toro Asian Fusion in Newtown Kids Bites Restaurant Asian Japanese Newtown Kid Friendly CTbites Team January 27, 2011 Carly Monson is our roving 10 yrs old food critic. She hopes to get Fairfield County kids excited about eating in new venues like this one... Do you enjoy going out to an Asian fusion restaurant with your friends and ordering loads of things to share? Then you will love Toro, a fun family restaurant for all ages. My family and some of our close friends, including my BFF celebrated New Year's Day by going out to dinner. I thought Toro had a calming and welcoming feeling when I walked in. We started out by ordering soup, edamame and seaweed salad. Almost everybody at the table ordered miso soup. I thought that the miso soup tasted a lot like seaweed, it was probably because there was more than enough seaweed in the bowl. The seaweed salad had a little kick right when you swallowed. The edamame was served with a lot of salt. Read More
Local Chef Competes in Obama’s LET’S MOVE Campaign Kids Bites Events kids activity Recipe Liz Rueven January 06, 2011 CRUSTLESS QUINOA AND KALE QUICHE was served and critiqued in elementary school? That is precisely what happened last month as 200 fourth and fifth graders at Holland Hill Elementary School in Fairfield tasted the dish they had voted to “try” in response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s LET’S MOVE! campaign to combat childhood obesity. Green Gourmet to Go chef and owner, Linda Soper-Kolton jumped on the opportunity to participate in the nation wide contest to create a tasty, highly nutritious, child friendly dish by approaching her own son’s elementary school Principle, Frank Arnone. Lucky for the students and the chef, Mr. Arnone loved the idea of involving his students in the process of discussing ingredients and tasting the contest entry. Read More
Kids Review: Rye Ridge Deli in Stamford Kids Bites Deli Stamford Comfort Food Kid Friendly CTbites Team December 20, 2010 Carly Monson is our roving 10 yrs old food critic. She hopes to get Fairfield County kids excited about eating in new venues like this one... Are you starving for some classic deli food? Then get in the car and head on down to Rye Ridge Deli in Stamford, CT. As soon as I got there I knew exactly what I was going to order, Matzo Ball Soup and half a sandwich of corn beef and half a sandwich of pastrami on white bread. Before the waiter even came to take my order we got two bowls of pickles one bowl had half sour pickles the other had sour pickles. Read More
Homemade Apple Chips c/o Fix Me a Snack Kids Bites Features kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Fix Me A Snack December 09, 2010 This easy recipe for homemade apple chips is a new favorite at our house. My kids love them. I love them. Everyone’s happy. It’s been a while since I made something so simple yet brilliant. Hooray Apple Chips! Apple Chips Recipe via Fix Me A Snack I use Macoun and Empire apples to make these and they didn’t require any measures to prevent browning. If you think your apples will brown excessively, dip them in a solution of 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice right after they have been sliced. Read More
Kids Reviews: The Lumberyard Kids Bites Restaurant Redding Lunch Kid Friendly CTbites Team November 16, 2010 Carly is a 10 year old from Redding, CT with a passion for eating & writing. She has joined the team as our youngest reviewer and she hopes she will inspire kids to be a little more adventurous in their FC restaurant choices. She has developed a restaurant rating scale of 1-5 pickles, 5 being the best. This is her first review. The Lumberyard Are you craving some juicy meat and some fun? Drive down to The Lumberyard in Georgetown, CT. The huge menu sounded delicious. I had to look it over twice. The kid’s menu was the usual cheeseburger, grilled cheese, hot dogs and chicken tenders, so I decided to choose something off their regular menu. Read More
An Interview with Dorie Greenspan Interview Cookbooks Amy Kundrat November 12, 2010 “Cooking is a very generous act, particularly baking. It’s sad to get through life without a cookie but you could.” It’s impossible not to be smitten with Dorie Greenspan. The James Beard award-winning author of ten cookbooks, including the recent Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes From My Home to Yours, will present her latest cookbook at the Darien Library in conjunction with Barrett Bookstore on November 18 at 7 pm. This compilation of recipes inspired by contemporary French home cooking, shows us that it's not necessarily all about being Escoffier. We had a chance to chat with the gracious author, Francophile and cook about everything from her favorite Connecticut haunts (she has a home in Westbrook, CT), to her favorite recipes, memorable kitchen flops, and what makes a good home cook. Read More Ad: Seasonal Burgers & Shakes @ Filling Station Co. Kids Bites Restaurant Advertisement Stephanie Webster November 12, 2010 In the month of January, Filling Station Company is presenting diners with a healthy start to 2011. Sticking to those New Years resolutions = one great tasting burger. This month, The Filling Station Co. is featuring "The Resolution Burger," a chickpea burger with Greek salad trimmings and tahini dressing. Pair this with their January milkshake in smooth bold flavors of Chocolate Mint, and suddenly 2011 is looking mighty fine. Read More Newer Older Our Sponsors Sign Me Up! Archive of All Reviews Openings Featured Fire & Spice Opens in Bridgeport With A+ Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken & More Craft Beer + Music: Twelvenote Brew Co. Opens in Black Rock Joylark Plant Kitchen & Bar Opens in Fairfield Chef Peter X. Kelly Takes Over The Waveny Tavern in New Canaan tacobarn Opens in Newtown From Restaurateur David Boyajian Chef Ian Vest Opens Modern Italian Restaurant, Talia, in Port Chester Specialty Coffee Shop, Carpe Diem Cafe, Opens in Norwalk Malby Bakery Opens in New Haven with Creative Pastries & Elevated Classics Dos Hermanos Guatemalan Bakery & Cafe Opens in Bridgeport Little Lotus Omakase Opens in New Haven LobsterCraft Food Truck X SONO 1420 Weekend Tasting Room Fireside Collab Delamar Hotels Opens American-Mediterranean Restaurant, Dandelion, in Westport Cosetta Pizzeria and Paninoteca Opens in Fairfield from Bailey's Backyard Team Omakase Westport Opens With 16 Course Omakase ONLY Dining Hidden Gem Alert! Istanbul-Style Turkish Bourekas at Crunch in Woodbridge Massimo Tullio Opens Neapolitan Inspired Massi Co. in Westport Find Us On Instagram
Ad: Seasonal Burgers & Shakes @ Filling Station Co. Kids Bites Restaurant Advertisement Stephanie Webster November 12, 2010 In the month of January, Filling Station Company is presenting diners with a healthy start to 2011. Sticking to those New Years resolutions = one great tasting burger. This month, The Filling Station Co. is featuring "The Resolution Burger," a chickpea burger with Greek salad trimmings and tahini dressing. Pair this with their January milkshake in smooth bold flavors of Chocolate Mint, and suddenly 2011 is looking mighty fine. Read More
