Mystic Cheese Co. Opens in Groton, CT: Artisanal Cheese Shop, Wine, Beer & Classes Ingredients Features Groton Cheese Specialty Market Opening CTbites Team March 06, 2019 In an unusual but convenient industrial park in Groton, just near the Groton Airport, Mystic Cheese Co. is opening a new location this month to serve homemade and artisanal cheeses to the after-work crowd and cheese connoisseurs alike. Upon stepping into the front doors at the new site of Mystic Cheese, visitors are welcomed into a cozy tasting room in which they can perch on barstool seating that offers glimpses into the impressively sized cheese maturation room. The feeling that the owners, Brian Civitello and Jason Sobocinksi (former owner of the beloved Caseus Cheese), have tried to create with their events and cut to order cheese is relaxed, fun, and unpretentious. Mystic Cheese has definitely accomplished this with their communal tables, friendliness, and awesome narwhal logo. By doing this, their overall aim is to attract people to the world of artisanal cheeses by offering cheeses at multiple price points, cheese-centric food, and educational classes. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events For March 4-10th Features Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 04, 2019 Join Peaches for their Annual Fat Tuesday Party Tuesday, March 5. Enjoy music by The New Orleans Beatniks at 6:00 PM and classic specials from the Big Easy all night long.The Wakeman Boys and Girls Club, featuring Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurants, presents a Young At Heart Great Futures Benefit Auction at the Smilow Burroughs Clubhouse on March 9. Visit gfba2019.givesmart.com for tickets and information. The Hops Company is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early! Join them before or after the New Haven St. Patrick's Day parade on 3/10 for music, Bag Pipers, the Highland Rovers Irish Band, Guinness Engravings, and more! Zuppardi's is serving up corned beef and cabbage as a classic dish and as a Pizza!Ambler Farm offers a Youth Apprentice Program from May-October for students currently in grades 5-11. Apprentices meet several times a week to plant, maintain and harvest the farm’s educational gardens and work with Farmer Jonathan in the production gardens. Read More
Hapa Food Truck Opens Restaurant at Decadent Ales Microbrewery Restaurant Brewery Burgers Tacos Filipino Hawaiian Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick March 02, 2019 Over the past few years, Hapa Food Truck and chef/owner Chris Gonzalez have gained quite the following. I’m guilty of following up a few weightlifting sessions at Crunch Gym with a Hapa Burger or tacos when Gonzalez parked his trucked at the Priceline building. So, yes, I’m a fan just as much as all of you are. But every winter, Hapa goes into hibernation, leaving many of us yearning for warmer weather and his Filipino-Hawaiian inspired food. Well, friends, you don’t have to wait for spring and tracking Hapa down just got a whole lot easier. Gonzalez now has a physical Hapa location in Mamaroneck’s new microbrewery, Decadent Ales inside of the popular craft beer store, Half Time. Read More
NEW CTbites Hot Dish Podcast Episode: Day Drinking with Mixologists Craig Ventrice & Dimitrios Zahariadis Features Podcast Cocktails Stephanie Webster March 01, 2019 CTbites’ NEW Podcast Episode is here! Roadtrip to Highland Brass Co. for a spirited conversation with mixologists Craig Ventrice & Dimitrios Zahariadis. We do some day drinking and explore heady topics including: the question of bartender vs. mixologist, dealing with assholes, favorite watering holes, dive bars...and we learn how to make the perfect sazerac cocktail. Join us, and have a listen here. Read More
The "Great Westport Burger Contest" Starts Today (via Dan Woog) Features Burgers Westport CTbites Team February 28, 2019 This just in from Dan Woog’s 06880 blog. Sure, tomorrow is the first day of March. We will turn an important corner on our long, dark, snowless winter.But tomorrow is special for another reason: It’s the first day of the Great Westport Burger Contest.The restaurants are Amis, Black Duck, Border Grille, Dunville’s, Harvest, Jesup Hall, Jr’s, Little Barn, Match Burger, McDonald’s, Parker Mansion, Rothbard Ale + Larder, Rye Ridge Deli, Shake Shack, Spotted Horse, Tarry Lodge, Tavern on Main and Viva Zapata.All month long, 18 burger-making restaurants will compete in 7 categories: Read More
Fortina Pizza Debuts "Fortina At Home" Meal Kits! Features To-Go Meal Kit Cooking Recipe Italian Andrew Dominick February 28, 2019 If you follow Fortina Pizza or chef/owner Christian Petroni on Instagram, chances are you thought about hitting that “skip a shipment” in your Blue Apron settings for something a little more local and a lot more restaurant quality. Petroni’s wood-fired restaurants known for their Neapolitan pizza, pasta dishes, and tasty Bronx Italian grub just got in the meal kit game in the middle of February when they launched Fortina At Home. Read More
Congrats To James Beard Awards Semifinalist: Chef Tyler Anderson Features News Stephanie Webster February 27, 2019 The James Beard Foundation announced today its list of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for the 29th annual James Beard Foundation Awards. Selected from a list of more than 20,000 online entries, the prestigious group of semifinalists in 21 categories represents a wide range of culinary talent, from exceptional chefs and dining destinations nationally and in ten different regions across the U.S., to the best new restaurants, outstanding bar programs, bakers, and rising star chefs 30 or younger.CT is proud to host a semifinalist for Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT). Congrats to Chef Tyler Anderson, of Millwright’s, TheCook&TheBear & Porrón&Piña.We recently interviewed Chef Tyler on CTbite's’ Hot Dish Podcast. Check out the interview here, chock full of interesting and unexpected details about this James Beard semifinalist. Read More
Sneak Peek: Two Roads Brewing Opening $15 million "Area Two" Expansion, March 11th Restaurant Features Brewery Beer CT Beer Opening James Gribbon February 26, 2019 I love taking people to the tasting room at Two Roads for the first time and showing them all the history you can touch in the place. Feel how the wooden floor is worn down here? This is where decades of workers had to walk to get between the machines of the factory. Look and you can see some of the machines they built and used, just off from the giant mash tuns which rise up through the floor behind the glass. The wooden floor they cut out for the tuns got chopped into pucks and laid down as the bar surface we're leaning on now. Cool, right? The building next door, Two Roads' 25,000 square foot, $15 million dollar expansion, Area Two, is brand new - but it already has plenty of stories to tell.Area Two will open to the public on Monday, March 11. The new facility is a short walk across the hop yard from the mothership brewery, on the same side of the street. The focus of Area Two is the production of wild, sour, and spontaneously fermented beers. Read More
Foundry Kitchen and Tavern: Chef Neugold's Sandy Hook Gem Restaurant Sandy Hook Comfort Food American Lunch Bar Cocktails Homepage Kristin L. Wolfe February 24, 2019 The historic corner waterfront property in the quaint village of Sandy Hook along the Pootatuck River has seen numerous habitants, but we think the current reign causing a stir at the Foundry Kitchen and Tavern are here to stay. Chef Clark Neugold and his magical crew are bringing lots o’ tasty vibes to hungry diners and we are eternally grateful.An old foundry is quite likely the best place to spy upon all things shiny and the crew at the Foundry thought so too. The decor is what I like to call “dressed up rustic” with sturdy wood tables and chairs, exposed brick, and plenty of historic metal pieces from the original building circa 1857. Not to mention the metal plated ceiling that glistens when hit by candlelight. I daresay, this is what defined my first (and second, and third) “moment” at the Foundry.Some people are afraid of change. Not Chef Neugold. Much of his career has been about creating, inventing, and trying new places and flavors. From Connecticut to Hawaii to Charleston, then back again, his very raison d’etre is to experiment, try new things, but commit to quality and great presentation. And, he hopes to do so in a welcoming environment with diners eager to know what’s new instead of expecting the same ol’ menu week after week. With that in mind, eaters at the Foundry will pick up exciting Pacific Asian notes he learned from his time working with chef of television fame Lee Anne Wong (Top Chef, Iron Chef, and Unique Eats) at her restaurant Koko Head Cafe in Hawaii; or, close their eyes in pleasure when tasting Southern fare inspired by Neugold’s time with world renown BBQ Master Rodney Scott. Read More
Nibble: Delicious CT Food Events For Week of February 24-March 3 Features Events News Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 22, 2019 Washington Prime in SoNo presents its annual Game Dinner on February 26. The Price is $85 per person and includes a 5-course meal and open bar! Dishes include Bison Ribeye Tartare, Wild Boar Meatballs, and more. Max Amore in Glastonbury invites you to a Michele Chiarlo Wine Dinner on Tuesday February 26. The beautiful Italian wines will be features next to an amuse and 4 courses. Tickets are $90 plus tax and tip. Join Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes in Oakville for a Protein Bar Class on Sunday March 3 at 4pm. Chef Reed will be showing you these easy recipes to do and learn at home! All supplies are included. Tickets are $35 per person. Sport Hill Farm’s Cash Crop CSA is here! Set up a Crop Cash account and pre-pay for the amount you budget. They set up a farm credit account in your name, deduct your purchases and send you a receipt with your remaining balance. Good for any purchases in the Market during our growing season between Memorial Day and late December. Read More
Westport Farmers' Mkt Launches 2019 Fork it Over Series with Brunch at The Whelk Features Events Lori Cochran February 21, 2019 Fans of Westport restaurateur Bill Taibe and Anthony Kostelis won’t want to miss the Westport Farmers’ Market annual Fork it Over on March 10, 2019 at The Whelk. Only 60 tickets are available for the this intimate Kiddish BRUNCH event where community members gather for great food and conversation in support of the Westport Farmers’ Market. Special Chef Guest includes Arik Bensimon (most recently at Le Farm), so we are pretty excited to get this chef team back together. This year’s theme honors WFM’s celebration of culture and the recipes that inspire our communities. “Chefs Taibe and Anthony Kostelis promise to take their culinary talents over the top for this special brunch experience and we can’t wait!” said Lori Cochran-Dougall. Read More
Brunching—Minus the Burger—at Harlan Publick in South Norwalk Restaurant Burgers Brunch Breakfast Stamford Andrew Dominick February 20, 2019 The burger at Harlan Publick is always the right move. You know, the one on the Wave Hill Breads English muffin, with the sweet, salty bacon jam, and the cheddar ale sauce that drips down the plump brisket blend patty. No one would blame you if you ordered it every damn time. It’s that good and should be mentioned amongst Connecticut’s best burgers. Spoiler: Harlan Publick is more than just a burger. I knew this, but it was still tough to look past. Even when I went for dinner and ordered something else, I still thought about the Harlan Burger. I felt guilty. It felt like cheating. And it’s not that the food wasn’t good, it was! Fact is, I’ve never had a bad experience at any of the Harlan restaurants. I’ll continue to blame the burger for clouding up all my Harlan experiences, including Sundays, because that’s a thing, a thing I overlooked every time I had brunch in South Norwalk. When Harlan Publick reached out to CTbites with a brunch invite, I jumped all over it. SoNo’s my ‘hood and I needed to know if I could get over their burger or at least forget about it for one freaking visit. Read More
Best Wings in Stamford? The People Have Spoken (via Hey Stamford!) Restaurant Best of CT Hey Stamford! February 19, 2019 A few weeks ago, Hey Stamford! took to the streets, (and social media) to find out the source for the Best Wings in Stamford. If you’re a wing lover, you’ll want to read this…Spicy, dry rubbed, Jerk, or Grilled … any way, we love wings! Drenched in sauce or dry-rubbed with spices, chicken wings are the ultimate finger food that begs to be eaten in extremely large amounts — preferably with your favorite beer in hand. Now when you’re talking about wings, the question always begins, “Who has the best wings in Stamford”? It’s actually a question we get asked a lot and though we have our favorites … this time we went to the people. Read More
The Meatball Shop of NYC & DC is Opening in Westport! Restaurant Italian Westport Homepage Opening Stephanie Webster February 16, 2019 Westport’s “cool” factor just went up X10. We found out that The Meatball Shop, of NYC and DC fame, is opening in Westport! Cue the celebratory music. Founded by childhood best friends, Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow, The Meatball Shop opened their first location on The Lower Side in 2010. Since then they have expanded to six locations in NYC and opened their first location outside of this city this past fall in Washington DC. According to their job posting on Craigslist, they are bringing their Balls to Westport, CT this Spring! A reliable source tells us The Meatball Shop will be opening in the old PORT location next to Bartaco. Their signature balls, go way beyond beef, and are highly customizable. If you haven’t sat down at one of their spots in NYC, the “Balls” menu allows guests to “Choose Your Ball” and then “Pick Your Sauce,” either naked or as a bowl. We’re not talking about beef vs chicken here. Options include: Gluten Free Chicken, Classic, Spicy Heritage Pork, Veggie, Salmon…and even a Maine Lobster. Featured toppings include: Tomato, Parmesan Cream, Spicy Meat, Pesto, Yogurt Dill (to pair with the salmon) and even a Lemon Butter for the lobster. This is ball heaven. Read More
NEW CTbites Hot Dish Podcast Episode: The CTbites Family Edition #1 Interview Features Podcast Stephanie Webster February 14, 2019 CTbites Hot Dish Podcast is back with Episode 2: CTbites Family Edition #1. Break bread (no...literally) with the CTbites team Chez Webster. Join Stephanie Webster, Andrew Dominick, Kristin L. Wolfe and our host, Marysol Castro, for a lively conversation about CT restaurant openings, favorite meals, the issue of "reviewer vs. critic”…all while we polish off a bottle of bourbon. How do you listen to CTbites Hot Dish? CTbites Hot Dish is a bi-weekly podcast. To listen, use PODCAST App (or any podcast player).Search for CTbites Hot Dish or click here.SUBSCRIBE to CTbites Hot DishYou can also listen via CTbites.com hereEnjoy at your leisure. Read More
Nibble: Tasty & Boozy Food Events for February 17-24th Features Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 14, 2019 In honor of National Margarita Day on February 22nd, join Harlan Publick, Evarito's, Cantiki, El Segundo, Tablao Wine Bar & Restaurant and Saltwater Sono for a Margarita Crawl! Enjoy $5 House Margaritas all day long at each location! ($8 Premium Margaritas will also be available.Learn how to cook Indian food with Chef Prasad on Saturday February 23, 2019 @ 1 PM. Dishes include Hyderabadi, Biryani & many others. Limited Seating…Email reservation only to chef@chefprasad.com. Barcelona Wine Bar in Stamford hosts an “I Dream of Summer Suckling Pig Dinner Party” on Thursday 2/21 from 7-10pm. Chef Michael Lucente ic cooking up a suckling pig roast, tapas, and serving them with sangria & cocktails to match. Tickets are $40. Artisan West Hartford is unveiling two new “O’Keeffe Cocktails and Cuisine,” in support of The New Britain Museum of Art and Architecture’s new Georgia O’Keeffe installation (running February 22-June, 2019). Sample the gorgeous “Cocktail Art” at Artisan on Thursday, February 21st from 4:30pm-6:00pm at an “O’Keeffe Cocktail Party”. Read More
Ignazio's Pizza (From Brooklyn) Opening in Old Bertucci's Spot in Westport Restaurant Italian Pizza Lunch Westport Opening Stephanie Webster February 13, 2019 There’s a new pizza joint opening in Westport. “Ignazio’s Pizza will be moving into the former Bertucci’s on the Post Road in Westport. This will be the 2nd location for this thin-crust pizza establishment. The original location is in DUMBO right underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, adjacent to the famous Grimaldi’s and Juliana’s. The Westport spot may be slightly less scenic than that of DUMBO, but will continue the Ignazio’s tradition of thin crust pies, or “signature round pies.'“ They will also be serving up a slightly thicker crust square pizza, the “Siciliana.” In addition to the pizza menu (which is extensive), they have a full Italian menu featuring dishes including: Estelle`s Meatballs, Baked Anchovies, a Chicory Salad, pasta favorites like Manicotti as well as Calzone. Westport loves their Italian joints, so bring it on Ignazio’s. Read More
Guide to Gluten Free Dining in Connecticut Via Gluten Free New England Features Restaurant Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Best of CT Homepage Gluten-Free New England February 10, 2019 This comprehensive guide to gluten-free dining in Connecticut is brought to you by Abby Kelly, founder of Gluten-Free New England. Connecticut has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to gluten-free dining. And, as the number of people avoiding gluten rises at record pace, the number of restaurants working to accommodate them is absolutely skyrocketing. Although this makes going out to eat really fun, it also makes the job of compiling a list of favorites really difficult. And so, we present to you some of our favorite restaurants offering excellent gluten-free options. If we missed one of your favorites, please add your spot to the comments section below. Read More
Chef Matt Lambert Opens Hamilton Park in New Haven Restaurant New Haven Opening Amy Kundrat February 08, 2019 New Haven can now claim a Michelin-starred chef among its culinary denizens. New Zealand native and Chef Matt Lambert, along with Barbara Lambert and Jennifer Vitagliano, are the team behind Hamilton Park, the city’s newest restaurant. A self-described “neo bistro” with a seafood emphasis, the menu also features house-made pastas, house-cured charcuterie, and a memorable cocktail program by Eben Freeman (formerly of wd~50). Read More
D2 Interieurs Valentine's Day Gift Guide For the Stylish Foodie Features Entertaining Gift Guide Shopping Design Style CTbites Team February 06, 2019 Denise Davies of D2 Interieurs dishes on great gifts for your Valentine. Let your gifts speak from the heart AND the taste buds. The list has something for everyone, from the chef to the foodie this curated go-to is sure to please even the pickiest Valentine. Read More