Rosh Hashanah Recipes from Tabouli Grill Features Holiday Mediterranean Middle Eastern Recipe Stephanie Webster September 01, 2010 The Jewish holidays are around the corner, and with the kids just barely back to school, it seemed as though we could all use a little assist with the Rosh Hashanah menu this year. Next week? Really? Judy Roll of Tabouli Grill in Stamford has come to the rescue with three great recipes to fill out your holiday table. Here's what's on the menu: Cumin Roasted Cauliflower with Yellow Raisins and Toasted Pine Nuts, Bubbe’s Brisket, and Kasha Varnishke. If you really just don't feel like cooking, Tabouli Grill is also happy to do the work for you as you can see in their Rosh Hashanah Package below. Read More
Bernard's: Tapas, Paella & Wine Dinner Restaurant Events Wine Dinners Stephanie Webster August 31, 2010 Don't miss the unique opportunity to try out one of CT's top restaurants, Bernard's in Ridgefield, at their end of summer "Tapas, Paella & Wine Dinner." Inspired by a recent trip to Barcelona, Bernard and his wife Sarah (of Sarah's Wine Bar at the same location) are teaming up with local wine merchant Cellar XV to offer up this very special evening. The event will feature sangria, Spanish wines, and tapas galore served (if weather permits) in their beautiful garden. If you haven't eaten at Bernard's, this is a great way to sample this very special restaurant. Sunday, September 12th at 6:00 – In the Garden Read More
An Evening @ New Haven's Food & Wine Festival Restaurant Events New Haven Amy Kundrat August 30, 2010
Lake Zoar Drive-In: Burgers & Dogs With a View Restaurant Delicious Dives Monroe Comfort Food Kid Friendly Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger August 29, 2010 Photos: c/o Michael Stern, Roadfood.comThe Lake Zoar Drive-In is located on Route 34 in Monroe (many Navigation systems do not recognize the website town of Stevenson) slightly less than 7 miles east of I-84. This stand-alone burger and dog shack has occupied this same stretch of beach overlooking Lake Zoar for over 20 years and the current owners have been grilling burgers and dogs for over 17 years; they must be doing something right. That something is a burger with plenty of toppings, some of the best French Fries in Connecticut plus a soda...all for under $10. Read More
Get Cooking With Aux Delices Ingredients Features Cooking Classes Stamford Liz Rueven August 27, 2010 Summer Comfort Food was the theme of the class I recently attended at Aux Delices’ Cooking School in their commissary kitchen in Stamford. As we are smack in the middle of this steaming season, I was happy to be invited to relax, observe and learn something new about how to prepare summer dishes, utilizing the season’s bounty. Aux Delices has retail store locations, all with seating, in Darien, Riverside and Greenwich. The shops offer owner/Chef Debra Ponzek’s culinary creations of prepared foods and a unique collection of specialty food items. Their name translates as “all the delicious food in life,” and considering their choices of scrumptious take out items, private and corporate catering offerings, and classes at their cooking school, the name is certainly apt. Read More
Last Chance For That New England Crab Boil Features Seafood Michael von August 24, 2010 Photo of kids: c/o Mike Von Wahlde, mvwstudio.comRecently, a CTbites reader, Mike Von Wahlde, commented on our Beach Picnic Shoutout, posting this hilarious and informative rant/recipe extolling the pros and cons of the Classic New England Crab Boil. It was too good not to repost, and with the summer winding down, why not celebrate our last days of outdoor cooking with this quintessential culinary experience? Nothing says “I live in the North East” like mollusks and crustaceans swimming in a boiling pot in the yard or on the beach. The classic New England boil is the best thing going for large group gatherings if your picnic area allows for propane. You say "Of course, they're great, but..." But what? Why you gotta be so afraid of everything? Let's look at the pros and cons. Read More
Great Deals @ Westport Restaurant Week Restaurant Events Stephanie Webster August 23, 2010 Celebrate Westport's thriving food scene and get some great deals on dining at Westport Restaurant Week. From Sunday, August 29 through Saturday, September 4th participating restaurants (including Da Pietro's Manolo, and Thali) will offer a special prix fixe lunch and dinner menu. With prices this reasonable, eating out could easily become a daily habit (and that's just fine with me). $10.10 or $15.10 – Lunch for One OR $20.10 – Lunch for Two $20.10 or $30.10 – Dinner for One Note: The number of courses and inclusion of beverages may vary. (excludes tax and gratuity) “Thali is really looking forward to introducing our restaurant to more people, “says Chef/Owner Prasad Chirnomula,” We’ve put together a very special menu for Restaurant Week.” Read More
Old School Charm @ Sycamore Drive-In Diner Restaurant Bethel Delicious Dives Comfort Food Kid Friendly Burgers Amy Kundrat August 22, 2010 Many things have changed over the last fifty years, but don't bother mentioning that to the Sycamore. The diner and carhop in Bethel, CT has been serving the same burgers, root beer floats and fries since 1948. While our dining habits have ebbed and flowed from those early carhop days, from TV dinners, chinese take-out and sushi rolls to today's preoccupation with farm-to-table dining, the Sycamore has been steadfast in their devotion to the diner. Read More
Shout Out: What's Your Most Essential Kitchen Gadget? Features CTbites Shout Out Kitchen Gear Stephanie Webster August 21, 2010
New Haven Food & Wine Festival Restaurant Events New Haven Amy Kundrat August 21, 2010 Food, wine and tennis are on the menu this week at New Haven's third annual Food & Wine Festival on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 from 5 – 7:30pm. The Festival will feature twenty restaurants serving up some of their most well-known dishes as well as a chance to meet renowned chef and author Jacques Pepin. The event is held at the 2010 Pilot Pen Tennis tournament at Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. Participating restaurants include: 116 Crown (Small Plates), Barcelona (Spanish), Basta Trattoria (Southern Italian), Bentara (Spicy Malaysian), Bespoke (Modern American), Caseus (Fromagerie/Bistro), Central Steakhouse (Steak/Seafood), Claire’s Corner Copia (Vegetarian), Foster’s (Modern American), Geronimo (Southwestern), Ibiza (Creative Spanish) Read More
Labor Day @ A Taste of The Litchfield Hills Restaurant Events Amy Kundrat August 19, 2010 For many of us, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer, the start of the daily school grind, and a reluctant sayonara to lazy summer weekends. It is also this time of year, we should look to our fellow gear heads who celebrate this painful transition in style with A Taste of The Litchfield Hills during the Rolex Vintage Festival at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, CT.Part car show, part vintage car race and all food festival, A Taste of Litchfield Hills celebrates its 25th anniversary as Connecticut's oldest food and wine festival with oustanding food, wine, live entertainment and shopping featuring local restaurants, purveyors from Litchfield County including wine from its sponsors Hopkins Vineyard, Miranda Vineyard and White Silo Winery. Read More
A Family Meal for CT Bloggers Restaurant Bloggers Events Amy Kundrat August 19, 2010 Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro in Norwalk served as the Fairfield County back-drop for a gathering of over twenty food writers, several courses of food and wine and an abundance of foodie conversation on a recent Thursday evening. More akin to a restaurant's family meal than sybartic ritual, these blogger gatherings mimic our restaurant muses shared meals before the evening's storm, than mere navel-gazing. Our gatherings offer an outlet to talk shop and let it all hang out within the comfort of our own kind, fellow food writers who can be a notoriously solitary (and at times) picky bunch. And naturally we'll choose to do so in some of our favorite Connecticut establishments. It's a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it. Read More
Chef Nicole: Salmon Nicoise Salad w/ Dijon Vinaigrette Features Ask Chef Nicole Chef Talk Nicole Straight August 18, 2010 Nicoise salad has always been one of my favorite salads. The classic combination of textures and flavors is ideal for any lunch gathering with friends. Although the standard preparation calls for seared tuna, I like to change things up by occasionally and go with salmon atop my bed o' greens. Using salmon is an easy way to add delicious lean protein to your diet while getting Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamins B-12. This salad is surprisingly easy to make but the finished product will have you looking like you've been in the kitchen for hours. Read More
A CTbites Reading List for Food Lovers Features Cookbooks Amy Kundrat August 16, 2010 Whether you are spending dwindling days of summer off the grid with nothing but time, or eagerly awaiting the day when back-to-school means reclaiming a few hours of your day, this list was made for you. These aren’t cookbooks. That’s another list for another time and a different skill set. This list spans our favorite chef memoirs, food essays, travel stories, and food industry gossip with a few recipes thrown in for good measure. While not required reading, these books promise to inspire, touch and provoke some of our own enjoyable memories and meals. Read More
The Gray Goose: Classy Comfort in Southport Restaurant American Southport Comfort Food Lunch Sarah Green August 15, 2010 I've always enjoyed getting GOOSED. Now, I can get goosed whenever I want to and it won't even make my husband jealous. In fact, I'm sure he'll enjoy getting GOOSED too at THE GRAY GOOSE, a tasty new lunch and dinner spot in Southport. The menu is classy, interesting and full of simple creative dishes, prepared with skill by executive chef Tom Carney (previously of Spazzi in Fairfield.) The restaurant, which formerly housed The Wine Knot, is situated in a charming, 100 year old building, creating an idyllic spot for restaurant developer Kevin McHugh, (previous co-owner of Little Pub in Ridgefield, Match, and the Loft Martini Bar in Sono) and his business partner, Tommy Febbraio. With fresh and inviting decor, McHugh and Febbraio have utilized reclaimed materials to create old wood floors, exposed beams and stone fire places (inside and out) and added modern lighting to juxtapose and to induce a crisp new feel. Read More
Chef Talk: Vodka Infusions @ The Fez Features Chef Talk Cocktails Stamford Amy Kundrat August 13, 2010 Combine and steep. Wait. Taste. Wait some more. Taste. Shake. Pour. Savor. Pat yourself on the back. This week's concoction will take a bit more patience than your average cocktail. In addition to the unusual ingredient list, plan ahead as little as 72 hours to a fortnight in order to create your own imaginative vodka infusion inspired by Fez, Stamford's newest North African fusion hot spot. Sampled during our recent restaurant review, this cocktail's unique ingredient list (including dill, cucumber and garlic) make this savory infusion one of the most interesting cocktails of the season. The Fez: Vodka Infused with Dill & Garlic Read More
CT Best of Pizza Featured on "Slice" Web Site Restaurant Pizza New Haven Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster August 10, 2010
LeFarm Goes Underground with "Souterrain" Restaurant Events Farm to Table Westport Farm Fresh Underground Dinner Stephanie Webster August 08, 2010 Last Sunday harkened the beginning of a fresh new culinary offering in Fairfield County…a dining experience without walls and without rules. It represents the next generation of the "family" table, bringing people together with just their love of food as the communal bond. Is your interest piqued? It should be. When you make THIS reservation, you won't have an address. You definitely won't know what's on the menu. But you will know one thing for sure…this surprise dinner party is going to be extraordinary because Bill Taibe of LeFarm gastronomic fame is the man behind "Souterrain." For those of you who need brushing up on your High School French, underground dining has finally made its way out of the urban centers and into Fairfield County. Read More
Chef Nicole: Blueberry Peach Crumble? Crisp? Betty? Features Ask Chef Nicole Chef Talk Recipe Dessert Nicole Straight August 06, 2010 One of our family’s favorite summer traditions is going blueberry picking. We always pick way to many berries and come home wondering what we’re going to do with them. This recipe for Blueberry Peach Crumble is always at the top of our list. Fresh blueberries freeze beautifully. Simply wash, and freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet before transferring to a ziplock bag. I’ve been asked over the years what the difference is between a crisp and a crumble. After some research, I found these general definitions, but the truth is you will not find a universally agreed upon answer. Whatever you call it, this dessert is simple, summery, and delicious! Read More
Ferris Acres Creamery: From Cow to Cone Restaurant Newtown ice cream Kid Friendly Dessert Amy Kundrat August 04, 2010 On any given evening, cars line the street, a herd of cows gently moo, and families stand in line to enjoy a 150+ year old farms’ ice cream confections at Ferris Acres Creamery in Newtown. If the Creamery were a character in a movie, it would be straight out of central casting. I can almost hear the talent scout now. “Yeah, we're looking for a quaint dairy farm nestled in a bucolic town on a quiet country road. A friendly herd of cows would be great, yeah.... and let’s toss in some green rolling hills and make sure there are plenty of smiling families standing by.” Ferris Acres Creamery has been attracting such smiling families and ice cream-avores who are attracted to the farm's location and the playful variety of over 30 flavors, many of them locally inspired including Cow Trax (peanut butter ice cream with caramel swirls and mini chocolate chips) Route 302 Moo (chocolate ice cream with swirls of fudge and chocolate chips), the M.J Rell (mint chocolate chip with green sprinkles) Stony Path (their version of rocky road) and my personal favorite Elvis’ Dream (vanilla ice cream with chunks of bananas, peanut butter swirls and chocolate chips). Read More
