Dr. Mike's Ice Cream in Bethel via NBC Connecticut Restaurant Bethel ice cream Amy Kundrat July 01, 2011
CTbites Shout Out: What's Your Favorite Grillable? Features BBQ CTbites Shout Out Holiday Amy Kundrat July 01, 2011
Friday Froth: Loud and Proud Ingredients Features Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon July 01, 2011 "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. ... It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." - John Adams to Abigail Adams, July 2, 1776.That's right, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence two days before they voted in favor of the profoundly important Declaration. Our national celebration should actually be held two days before it is. Friday Froth: come for the beer nerdery, stay for the history dorkism. Feel free to bust both out at your cookouts on this king of three day weekends. Read More
Food 411: Name the Restaurant That Served This... Restaurant Food 411 Stephanie Webster June 30, 2011
A Taste of Litchfield Hills 2011 Restaurant Events Litchfield kids activity Amy Kundrat June 30, 2011
Mango Avocado & Quinoa Salad c/o Healthy Living Blog Features healthy Recipe CTbites Team June 29, 2011 Today I decided to whip up a Mango Avocado Black Bean Quinoa Salad, a vegetarian/vegan salad with fruits, grains and beans. I got the idea as I was staring at the bowlfuls of mangos and avocados that have been sitting on my kitchen counter the last several days. For those of you who are not familiar with quinoa, quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain, and is a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. It is sometimes referred to as an ancient grain as it was once considered to be the “gold of the Incas.” Quinoa is a “complete protein,” meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. In addition, quinoa is a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, folate, and fiber. Read More
Hidden Gem: The Blue Cactus Grill in Norwalk Restaurant Delicious Dives Norwalk Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger June 29, 2011 The Blue Cactus Grill is a hamburger and sandwich shop off the beaten path in Norwalk, up the street from the Norwalk Hospital. Vic Amereno, the owner, brings 20+ years of experience overseeing kitchens in Connecticut and Arizona to this location where he prepares southwestern influenced fare. Hamburgers, cheesesteaks (beef or chicken), wraps, salads, and other assorted sandwiches complement his house made potato chips, lemonade, iced tea and a delightful “cactus slaw.” Vic’s hamburger is the star of the menu. Blue Cactus begins with a daily delivery of a 70/30 blend of beef sourced from Omaha Beef Company in Danbury, based on a 50-year old recipe that has changed little in the interim. Read More
Fairfield County Reports: The El Bulli Experience Restaurant Road Trip Multiple Eaters June 28, 2011 Poised to close at the end of the season, El Bulli has been fielding millions of reservation requests for the relative few coveted tables that remain to experience Chef Ferran Adria's operatic meals in Roses, Spain. This mecca for molecular gastronomy has been in the sights of two regular CTbites readers, a professional chef, Matt Storch of Match Restaurant in Sono, and a professional eater, Chris Grimm, who recently visited El Bulli and have graciously shared their experiences with us. Read More
Brunch @ Bartaco in Port Chester Restaurant Brunch Port Chester Mexican Breakfast Amy Kundrat June 26, 2011 Thanks to Bartaco, your brunch options just got a whole lot more interesting. Lazy weekends, newsprint-stained hands, Bloody Marys and now tacos are firmly in the domain of this weekend morning ritual. The popular Port Chester taco joint owned by the Barcelona Group, has recently unleashed a brunch menu for Saturdays and Sundays that is a fitting extension of the brand’s signature breezy Mexican beach food. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this scene, think Mexican street food influenced by the tides (and an enviable location on the Byram River) with a backdrop fit for a Hampton's weekend of beach-going and people watching minus the traffic on the LIE. Read More
Douro: Portugese-Mediterranean in Greenwich Restaurant Greenwich Mediterranean Portuguese Lunch Latin American Leticia Schwartz June 23, 2011 Greenwich: just say that word and you can see fancy convertibles cars slowly driving through the Avenue, white gloved policeman directing traffic, and people carrying shopping bags awaiting for a whistle command to cross the streets. On and surrounding this fashionable Avenue, you will also see lots of eateries, among them Douro, a Portuguese inspired restaurant that opened doors in September of 2009. With its typical blue tile sign outside the entrance, terracotta floors, and dark wooden tables, Douro might appear to be just another trendy Greenwich restaurant. Good looking people and a good looking staff fill this charming place. Douro sets its standards and fits its West Putman Avenue location like a glove, but this Portuguese/Mediterranean venue is more than it seems. Read More
"Line Entertainment" @ Pinkberry of Fairfield Restaurant Fairfield kids activity Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster June 22, 2011
Grilled Tandoori Shrimp w/ Cilantro Lime Yogurt Features BBQ Recipe Indian Nicole Straight June 21, 2011 Chef Nicole is back with some great grilling tips to maximize your summer cooking. This dish was inspired by a trip to Patel Bros, Norwalk's new Indian grocery superstore, and is a delicious and simple dinner or appetizer just perfect for your next BBQ, picnic or beach party. These Grilled Tandoori Shrimp are super quick and can be eaten hot or cold. The Hot Pickled Lime Chutney is seriously addictive. Read More
Rose Wine Tasting @ The Boathouse in Westport Restaurant Wine Chat Wine Dinners Stephanie Webster June 21, 2011 Rose seems to be the buzz word on every wine menu this season. Trendy? Who cares...there are some really great labels out there doing Rose right. You can sample a few of these at The Boathouse on Tuesday the 5th of July at their weekly "Wine on the Water" wine tasting series. Those of you who already drink rose will find exciting new examples of this category and those who don't will be introduced to some truly amazing summer wine. The Wine: The tasting will include a Bandol under the label "Mas de la Roviere", a Cerasoulo under the label "Torre dei Beati", a Provencål called "Le Ferme St Pierre" and a Venetian sparkler by "Le Colture."They will also be throwing in an oddball or two in the mix. Read More
Free BBQ @ Fairway Market as Firefighters Face Off Restaurant BBQ Events Specialty Market Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster June 20, 2011 Come on down to Fairway Market in Stamford to enjoy free BBQ ribs, beef and turkey burgers, music and giveaways on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at noon. In lieu of helmets, hoses, and axes, Fairfield County’s bravest will instead don aprons, barbecue tongs, and basting brushes when they compete in Fairway’s Firefighters Food Face-Off. This grilling “throwdown” will pit firefighters from Stamford, Darien and Ridgefield against one another to prove whose barbecue is best @ the Stamford store location – 699 Canal Street (Rain or Shine). The public is welcome to enjoy free samples of the firefighter’s cuisine, as well as music and giveaways. The firefighters will compete to cook their tastiest ribs, beef burgers and turkey burgers. A panel of judges, Jodi Heilman, of the Stamford Patch Chris Preovolos of the Stamford Advocate, Lou Gorfain of CTbites, Read More
Pizzeria Rosso in Norwalk Features Restaurant Bridgeport Delivery Service Norwalk Pizza Amy Kundrat June 19, 2011 At Pizzeria Rosso, it’s a family affair. As chef and partner of Norwalk’s newest take-out pizzeria, Pasquale Pascarella is the driving force behind this old world meets new world approach to pizza. His cousin handles the dough, his mother arrives each morning at 7 a.m. to make the sauce, and Dad shuttles the pies from oven to destinations in Norwalk and just beyond. A veteran chef of Stamford’s Old Saltwater Grille where he remains a partner, Pasquale decided that a take-out pizza business would help him shift his focus and gain control back to what he loves about cooking, both Italian-inspired dishes and traditional Neapolitan pies (he cites San Francisco’s A16 as inspiration) would be a great muse for this transition. Read More
Friday Froth: Gold Diggin' Ingredients Features Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon June 17, 2011 Every once in a while you just have to splurge, and this means different things for different people. For Mikhail Dmitrievitch Prokhorov this means playing underwater polo using solid platinum submarines off the Dalmatian coast, or the Beluga caviar high-dive, but non-oligarchs must find other avenues of diversion. This week we're going to dive into golden luxury like Scrooge McDuck taking a swim. These beers may not be kilt-wearing Scottish royalty like Ola Dubh, Tactical Nuclear Penguin or the clan Bruce, but if they're not members of the country club, they at least lunch there often. Read More
Fine Dining For Less at a Westport Landmark: Da Pietro’s Restaurant French Italian Westport Lunch Robert Zeoli June 17, 2011 Once Le Chambord vacated its location on the Post Road (you have to be a true townie to remember it), Da Pietro’s staked its claim as Westport’s standout “classy joint” from the late 1980s on, and today is like the town’s elder statesman in the restaurant realm. A seamless fusion of French and Italian cuisine, a tour de force of European refinement and classic technique, Chef Pietro Scotti’s repertoire has evolved with the times, but his establishment is still a benchmark of classic fine dining in the area, and he's still in the kitchen. Happening by Riverside Avenue recently you might have seen a chalkboard sign subtly advertising DaPietro’s weekday lunch and dinner prix fixe deals. For real? Yes, $12.00 gets you a two course lunch, three courses for $15.00, and at $33.00 for dinner (drinks excluded), you can enjoy a three course meal and be privy to the chef’s wonderful creations. Read More
Connie's Cakes of Westport: Nostalgically Delicious Features Stephanie Webster June 16, 2011 David Evans knows a thing or two about coffee cake…and I don't mean those cloying jobs you find at the local deli. We are talking classic Midwest coffee cake, simply baked and conservatively dressed with streusel, but Connie's Cakes are based right here in Westport. David Evans launched this brunch-friendly brand in response to the throngs of people who reminisced about his mother Connie's coveted coffee and carrot cake when she passed away in 2008. In Indianapolis Connie's Cakes were legendary, a sought after nosh at every local event. In his new venture, Dave Evans has brought back a piece of his family, enabling Connie's recipes to live on. Read More
Chef Brian Lewis' elm restaurant Opening in New Canaan Restaurant Farm to Table New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger June 15, 2011 This fall, the New Canaan culinary landscape will welcome an exciting addition with the opening of elm, a new restaurant by Chef Brian Lewis. Chef Lewis has cultivated strong relationships with local growers and producers and looks forward to bringing his seasonally inspired, modern American cuisine to New Canaan. Lewis is especially thrilled to be opening his first restaurant in New Canaan, a town where he once lived and was married to his wife Dana. CTBites is proud to announce that over the next few months Chef Lewis and elm will be the subject of an exclusive “Behind the Scenes” series chronicling the various aspects of bringing this much-anticipated restaurant to town including interior renovations and design as well as at-the-farm interviews as Brian visits local area farms in preparation for opening day. Chef Lewis and CTBites are excited to jointly announce this exciting collaboration today on www.elmrestaurant.com and www.ctbites.com Read More
Brazilian Coconut Cake via Chef Leticia Features Brazilian Recipe Dessert Leticia Schwartz June 14, 2011 Chef Leticia Schwartz is the author of The Brazilian Kitchen, the cookbook that made Brazilian cooking accessible to the masses. She is also a Fairfield County resident, and if you have had the opportunity to take one of her cooking classes, you already know that her recipes are worth coveting. In Chef Leticia's blog she posted the original version of this recipe for Toalha Felpuda, a heavenly delicious Coconut Cake from a store in Rio de Janeiro. This recipe can not be found in her cookbook, and it takes this classic cake to a whole other level. Read More
