MESA- Modern Mexican on Fairfield's Black Rock Tpke Restaurant Mexican Kid Friendly Sarah Green January 15, 2012 There's a new muchacha in town, and her name is MESA! Bold as brass and situated in what has been, at least during my 10 years in Fairfield County, a most unlikely zone, this modern Mexican is worth its weight in oro. It is fair to say that my last choice when picking an ethnic food destination has always been Mexican. (Having been to Mexico many times, and having eaten the absolute freshest delicious food there, I have always found American-Mexican to be heavy, loaded with too much cheese and way too saucy.) But the times they are a'changin and Mesa is making its way to the top of my destination list. Why you may ask? I'll tell you. Read More
Bernard's & Sarah's Wine Bar Present: Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner Restaurant Cheese Events Ridgefield Wine Dinners CTbites Team January 13, 2012 Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner will be held on Sunday, January 27 @ 7 PM [UPDATED]. This party is a true celebration of great food and great wine, with musical stylings courtesy of the Kelly Mittleman Trio! The event features Ridgefield's finest with Bernard's Restaurant, Sarah's Wine Bar and Monica from 109 Cheese & Wine. Check out the menu below: Read More
Carpe Diem Opens w/ Northern Italian in New Canaan Restaurant Italian New Canaan Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 08, 2012 Food lovers of New Canaan rejoice! Carpe Diem, a Northern Italian inspired restaurant by Alan Basaran, has opened and the housemade pastas are delicious. As CTBites presented earlier, Basaran, a North Stamford resident and owner of Carpe Diem Restaurant in New York City, is excited about creating delicious Northern Italian cuisine in New Canaan, his wife’s hometown. Read More
Bill Taibe's "The Whelk" Opens in Westport in 2 Weeks Restaurant Seafood Westport Lunch Stephanie Webster January 06, 2012 Up until yesterday, if you had asked Bill Taibe for the name of his new Westport based seafood restaurant, he'd tell you what he told the town when they needed a name for the phone directory, "The oyster place in Saugatuck." But as of this morning, this seafood haven has been given a brand befitting its waterfront surroundings in Westport's burgeoning restaurant scene. "The Whelk" will be opening in roughly two weeks, and the restaurant is poised for its first round of guests. The interior reflects the clean lines of a beautiful ship with beadboard paneling, industrial metals, and warm woods, but despite the seafaring undertones "there is a sense of responsible kitchiness here. We didn't want to go obvious nautical," says Taibe. He describes The Whelk's clean architectural interior as "The South of France meets Maine." Green park bench inspired seating runs the full length of the sunlit dining space and 2 high communal tables stand proudly behind the white marble bar. In keeping with Taibe's passion for local sourcing, everything in the restaurant was made in the USA. Read More
Bombay Chile & Cilantro Chicken via Jeanette's Healthy Living Features Recipe CTbites Team January 06, 2012 Lately, I’ve been craving the warm spices of Indian food, and so this week, my kids were treated to a new chicken dish – Bombay Chile and Cilantro Chicken, marinated with lots of warm spices, including coriander, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne. This is definitely a dish that can be started early in the day or the night before, then thrown on the grill or broiled just before dinnertime. I marinated the chicken in the morning, cooked everything before I headed out the door to pick my son up from school, and just reheated it as soon as we walked in the door an hour later. Served with a bright Cilantro Sauce, this is a unique, flavorful chicken dish that I will be making again. To go with this spicy chicken dish, I made some Indian Lemon Rice using brown rice, and Spinach Thoran (I had picked up some leafy green vegetables from the local Indian supermarket that were labeled “phoi leaves”, that looked like New Zealand Spinach). Read More
Gelatissimo in New Canaan is Very Gelato Restaurant ice cream New Canaan Dessert Marina Giannangeli January 05, 2012 The first thing I thought of when I heard “Gelatissimo” was that with a name like this, the place must be authentic. I was not disappointed in learning more about this delightful spot in downtown New Canaan when I met with its owners Andrea and Nuccia. In Italian, Gelatissimo means very gelato; the supprelative “issimo” is used to exalt a description from standard to the very most, this is something I love about the Italian language, that things can be highlighted, made bigger, tastier or more beautiful - or just the opposite- by adding this sort of supprelative. “Issimo” is reserved for the very most and who doesn’t want more gelato!? Here, Nuccia and Andrea have done the very best in gelato; their cheery interior is consistently buzzing with happy customers-several appear to be regulars while others are venturing in for the first, but not last time. Read More
Glazed Buttermilk Meatloaf via The Parsley Thief Features Recipe katie vitucci December 30, 2011 This past summer I was engrossed in a reality cooking competition on the Food Network called The Next Food Network Star. I haven't seen every season of the show, but typically once I begin watching I get sucked in up until a winner is declared. Anyway - a few weeks before this past season began, a friend of mine from high school contacted me to let me know a fellow graduate from our school would be competing in the upcoming season. Her name is Mary Beth Albright. Of course I wanted her to win - not just because we share the same hometown, but because after watching the season I was easily convinced she would indeed make a great food television show host. While the show was airing, Mary Beth would simultaneously post her personal take on the developments of each week's episode on her blog - occasionally also posting one of her recipes from the competition. The recipe of Mary Beth's that sparked my interest most was for this meatloaf. I think what sets this recipe apart from the rest is the use of panko breadcrumbs and buttermilk {full fat, if you can find it!}. Read More
Rizzuto’s Italian Kitchen in Stamford Restaurant Pizza Stamford Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat December 25, 2011 Rizzuto’s Italian Kitchen opened in Stamford this past November as the fourth location in Bill Rizzuto's casual Italian dining concept. With restaurants already in Bethel, Westport and West Hartford, tireless and engaging owner Bill Rizzuto chose the Stamford spot (near the Greenwich border) embracing the open space with tri-level dining, a formidable bar and a central beamy oven. Interested to see how they adapted to their Stamford address and eager to try our hand at making our own pizza, we dropped by for a behind-the-scenes look at their kitchen, the new gas-powered pizza oven and what objects of our affection that oven could create for us hungry souls. Read More
Carpe Diem Opens in New Canaan CT w/ Upscale Italian Restaurant Italian New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 22, 2011
Recap: Da Pietro's Cooking Demo & Lunch via FC Foodie Restaurant CTbites Invites Cooking Classes Education Fairfield County Foodie December 22, 2011 Fairfield County Foodie is a local blogger who is passionate about her food. She had me at "It’s no fun going out with folks who only ever order salads." Here is her recap of our recent CTbites Invite: Da Pietro's cooking demo & lunch event. I laughed, I learned and I ate scrumptious food all in one afternoon. Today I attended a fabulous, intimate event organized by CT Bites and Da Pietro restaurant in Westport: A cooking demo and lunch with Chef Scotti. I found out about it through “CT Bites Invites” that I had signed up for. Man! Am I glad I did! The moment I entered the restaurant, I noticed all the happy smiling faces. Everyone was simply delighted to be there … after all, who wouldn’t be delighted to spend an afternoon with Chef Scotti? Read More
Tusk & Cup Coffee Shops Opens in Branchville Restaurant Branchville Coffee Tea And Coffee Dessert Amy Kundrat December 21, 2011 Bleary-eyed Branchville commuters now have a few more options for their morning caffeine fix. Tusk & Cup Fine Coffee has opened across the street from the Branchville train station at 51 Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7) in Ridgefield. Owners Joe and Laura Ancona, the same family that owns and runs nearby Ancona’s Market and Ancona’s Wines & Liquors, opened Tusk & Cup in November, a fine complement to the family-owned businesses and this burgeoning neighborhood of small businesses. Read More
Latkes Recipe c/o Tabouli Grill's Chef Judy Roll Features Holiday Recipe Judy Roll December 19, 2011 Making latkes is a potentially messy undertaking but there is nothing better than a home made latke. I like to make and freeze so I don't greet my guests feeling like I just stepped out of a vat of oil. Of course, you can just fantasize about making them and let us (Tabouli Grill) make them for you instead. $22/dozen through Chanukah. Judy Roll's Latkes Recipe Read More
Hope Pizza in Stamford: Best Greek Pizza in Western CT? Restaurant Delicious Dives Pizza Stamford Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Lou Gorfain December 18, 2011 "Gooey," that's what my late great mother craved in her pizza, and this woman loved food more than any person I've ever known. ("Don't talk to me," she would admonish. "I'm eating."} Well, Mom would have devoured the pizza at Stamford's Hope Pizza, maybe the best of the thirty some Greek pizzerias hidden throughout Fairfield County. What makes Greek pizza gooey is what distinguishes it from the more heralded Connecticut Italian pizzas. Bearing no New Haven char, Colony heat, Batali chic, much less any passionate defenders or detractors in the food press or blogosphere, Greek Pizza flourishes under the radar, boasting few fancy frills, though, admittedly, more oil. Read More
Fork It Over: Pop-Up Dinner for Westport Farmers' Mkt Restaurant Farmers Market Stephanie Webster December 15, 2011 Craving a new date night experience? Perhaps a chic city spot with the casual atmosphere you love in Fairfield County? Look no further. The Westport Farmers’ Market has the answer...an exclusive night of great food, great wine, great friends and a great cause. On January 28, 2012 the greenhouse at Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens will be transformed into a “Pop-Up” restaurant with a chef lineup that will make you drool. CTbites got the list and we are happy to share: Bill Taibe of leFarm, Matt Storch of Match, Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Michel Nischan of Dressing Room, and John Barricelli of Sono Baking Company will provide the dessert course. Each chef wil prepare four dishes, and the entire menu will be paired with inventive cocktails and wine. This is truly an evening not to be missed. Read More
Volta: Fun Euro Fare on Stamford’s Spring Street Restaurant Brunch Stamford ice cream Lunch Dessert Lou Gorfain December 14, 2011 Spring Street, all of a block long, was once anchored by Bennet's Steak House and Andy Robustelli’s World Travel services. Both were venerable downtown institutions, but dowdy matrons against the vibrant young rialto of restaurants and bars around the corner on Bedford Street. In their place Spring Street this year welcomed Mary Schaffer's luxe Italian Bar Russo and Giovanni Gentile's sleek euro-style café, Volta. Designed by Giovanni himself, Volta’s pop interior complements the hip crowd, who one recent night were dining on such kewl stuff as brie and bacon crepes, grilled vegetable tartines, duck confit salads, and creamy sweet potato vichyssoise. With an Amy Whitehouse track in the background, “My life a wreck you’re making,” a beguiling model delicately sampled a gelato stracciatella while her debonair date sipped Remy XO. Read More
Napa & Co's Kale Salad w/ Bacon, Dried Cherries & Egg Features Stamford Recipe Sophie Blondeau December 13, 2011 I don't normally beg, and definitely not for kale. However, since consuming the Kale Salad w/ Bacon Vinaigrette, Dried Cherries & Poached Egg at Napa & Co. I've been begging Stephanie to get me the recipe...literally. Why all the begging you ask? Chef Arik Bensimon's Kale Salad is simply a superior way to eat kale and I now want to eat it every day. It's the perfect balance between super healthy (the kale) and indulgent (tiny morsels of bacon and dried cherries). It's both crunchy (pistachios) and smooth (the dressing is like crack) It's sweet and salty. A perfectly cooked poached egg sits right on top and makes it a complete and satisfying dish...not just salad. On a recent trip to Napa, every person at the table who ordered the kale salad wanted to order it again. Need I say more? When was the last time you begged for kale? Read More
Chocolate, Pecan & Orange Biscotti c/o Nicole Straight Features Holiday Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert Nicole Straight December 12, 2011 Holiday cookie time is just around the corner, so if you are starting to gather recipes like we are, you will want to add this one to the "virtual" stack. Chef Nicole Straight likes to keep it simple for all those busy cooks out there. This recipe is no exception. Get some decorative boxes and give the gift of cookies this holiday season. Chocolate, Pecan and Orange Biscotti Read More
The Whey Station Grilled Cheese Truck in Middletown Restaurant Food Truck Middletown Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly CTbites Team December 11, 2011 Jill Moskites works the grill while her husband, Josh, takes lunch orders from a hungry crowd. It’s a cold Wednesday afternoon in October, perfect for what The Whey Station is serving up -- gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, hearty, “truckmade” soups and specialty hot dogs. Fortunately for all of us, The Whey Station is the newest local addition to the handful of food trucks hitting the streets. It’s a new endeavor for the Moskites, who until recently were familiar faces at their family’s gourmet foods shop, The Wild Raspberry in Cromwell, and together they have about 19 years restaurant and specialty foods experience. Read More
CTbites Invites: Barcelona Iberico Ham Event Recap Restaurant CTbites Invites Fairfield Spanish James Gribbon December 10, 2011 Hearty souls splashed through the rain Dec. 7 on the way to Barcelona Restaurant in Fairfield, and were rewarded with a tornado of pork. Old world cheeses supplied by event host Michele Buster of Forever Cheese sat on the tables, piled on wooden boards, and would be joined by small blocks of quince jam and a roast suckling pig that ought to be legally classified as a mind-altering substance, but the star of the show, from start to finish, was a shoulder of cured Iberico ham. Read More
Invites: Matsu Sushi Making Class Event Recap Restaurant CTbites Invites Events Sushi ellen bowen December 07, 2011 A few fun facts on sushi... originally the seasoned rice found in sushi was used only as a preservative for the fresh fish in China...not Japan; Sushi chefs (mostly men, huh?) used to train for ten years before being able to work in restaurant...while now they train for about two years; The Japanese eat miso soup AFTER the meal to aid digestion...not before as in America. The history of sushi and some hands on technique for making maki, or sushi rolls, were served up at the CTbites Sushi Making Class at Matsu Sushi on November 16th. Read More
