Shepherd's Pie Recipe from Dirt Road Farm & The Westport Farmers' Market Features Recipe Recipe Comfort Food CTbites Team January 08, 2020 What’s better than a Shepherd’s Pie on a long dark winter night? Westport Farmers’ Market and Phoebe Cole-Smith of Dirt Road Farm have nicely shared this comfort food favorite with CTbites. We’ve made this many times already, and it never fails to please. Enjoy. Eat up! Read More
Terrain Cafe & Amis Trattoria Teach Seasonal & Sustainable Cooking Class Series Features Ingredients Cooking Cooking Classes Education Stephanie Webster January 07, 2020 Join the culinary professionals that lead the kitchens of Westport restaurants Terrain Cafe and Amis at Stamford Museum & Nature Center as they show you the joys of sourcing and cooking with the best in seasonal and sustainable ingredients. From salads and appetizers to entrees, pastas and desserts, this six-part series (January 27 through March 9.) takes you through the methodology of creating show-stopping dishes as you also learn how to source the best ingredients right in your own backyard. Read More
La Taqueria Opens in Greenwich: Killer Tacos & More Restaurant Mexican Greenwich Tacos Lunch Fast Casual Opening Andrew Dominick January 05, 2020 If you turn onto Greenwich Avenue and blink, there’s a chance you blew right by La Taqueria, one of the street’s newest additions where tacos are front-and-center. Before we dive into the stellar tacos at La Taqueria, you should get to know some of its backstory. That all starts with chef/owner Dennis Lake, who, like his restaurant, is a newcomer to Greenwich as a resident, but not as a stranger entirely. Years ago, he was a sous chef at Restaurant 64 before it was The Ginger Man. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events For Week of January 5-12 Features Events Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 04, 2020 Join SoNo1420 for a Bi-Coastal Winter CBD Infused Dinner on January 11th. Cocktails prepared by SoNo 1420's Blake Poon, 5-Course CBD Infused Dinner Menu highlighting ingredients from both East and West Coasts. Presented by Executive Chef Ronald Santos coming from New York City & Celebrity Chef Michael Montano visiting from Los Angeles. Link to tickets: http://bit.ly/CBDDINNEROn Tuesday January 7, get ready to be a part of the mystery. Brewport hosts a Murder Mystery Party from 7-10pm. With your ticket, you will be given pizza, two beers, a commemorative case study notebook, and the opportunity to solve a murder! Read More
It's A Woman's World: Saray & Noemi Ruiz of Gaudi Tapas & Wine Features It's A Woman's World Interview Chef Talk CTbites Team January 03, 2020 Connecticut is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Which is why we felt compelled to honor the pioneers among us. Our ongoing series, “It’s A Woman’s World’ is devoted to CT female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, feeding an entrepreneurial spirit or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking ladies have set a new definition of women’s work, creating new paths and setting examples for those who follow. How'd they do it? Read on. This week, we feature the talented Chef/Owners Noemi & Sarayy Ruiz, two sisters who own Gaudi Tapas & Bar in Danbury. Stay tuned to see who’s next. And feel free to send suggestions for your candidates to steph@ctbites.com. Read More
Dough & Co. Cafe & Bakeshop: Georgetown Just Got a Whole Lot Sweeter Restaurant Bakery Cookies Dessert Lunch Breakfast Georgetown Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Natalie Levitt January 02, 2020 The journey to Dough & Co. Cafe & Bakeshop and Georgetown has been an adventurous one. After taking a brief break to welcome her son into the world, Christina heard that a Baking Company in Rowayton, CT was looking for a pastry chef. To date, her background had been focused specifically in savory, however she knew that with her passion and creativity, she could translate her skills to pastry and she said YES YES YES to the job! She tapped into the foundational courses she had taken, the internet, books, and Food Network shows to learn how to make pastries like french macaroons and fancy chocolates. The Baking Company in Rowayton started out as a baked goods and healthy salads eatery and eventually became Dough & Co. in 2008 with a rebranding in 2014. Read More
CTbites Staff Picks for Top Eats of 2019 Restaurant Best of CT Homepage Stephanie Webster December 27, 2019 2019...Ah, what a year. As we welcome in the roaring 20’s, full of promise, and hopefully, less national division and drama, it is important to celebrate the restaurants, chefs, dishes, and dining experiences that helped shape the 2019 CT dining scene (and kept us sane). 2019 heralded some great openings from both chefs we know and love, as well as some newcomers. Here's our list of Top Eats for 2019 from the CTbites staff. Every team member and contributor has chosen their own unique way to throw down their favorites. This is NOT a “Best Of” list as writer, Andrew Dominick states. These are the meals and culinary experiences we remember most fondly from 2019. Enjoy, and start making your reservations for 2020. Read More
Brunch at Barcelona Wine Bar Norwalk: The Secret Is Out Restaurant Brunch Breakfast Spanish Tapas Norwalk New Haven West Hartford Stephanie Webster December 25, 2019 This review has been a long time coming. For the past year, my family has had a standing reservation either Saturday or Sunday morning at Barcelona Wine Bar’s Waypoint location. We have been regulars at their evening Tapas service, truly enjoying Chef Kaline Capps’ ever evolving but consistently well executed menu. However, the morning we walked in for Brunch, our weekend breakfast game was forever changed. Barcelona serves a 12 piece curated Brunch menu that knocks the socks off of most local breakfast menus, and the prices…well…there is only one item on the menu over $8. Scrambled Egg Montadito with Manchego and Serrano ham will run you $4.50. Migas Verduras with Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Aioli sets you back $6.50, and the incredibly delicious Chorizo Breakfast Bowl can be yours for $7.50. Every time we stagger out the door, full of cured Spanish meat and perfectly cooked eggs, we have reverse sticker shock. The menu features ingredients you know, each with a delightful Spanish twist. Now, I’ve shared my little secret. You know where to find me on the weekends. And I haven’t even gotten to the pancakes… Read More
100+ Connecticut Restaurants To Celebrate New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day Features New Years Holiday Special Occasion Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 20, 2019
GIVEAWAY: WIN Lidia Bastianich's Autographed Book, "My American Dream" Features Contest Giveaway CTbites Team December 19, 2019 Happy Holiday! CTbites is GIVING AWAY a signed copy of Lidia Bastianich’s new book, “My American Dream” for one lucky boy or girl who has been good in 2019. TO ENTER: Comment below and tell us why YOU NEED THIS BOOK. Winners must be CTbites newsletter subscribers. You can subscribe here. CTbites was recently invited to a special media tour of the This Old House. The incredible Lidia Bastianich was in attendance on behalf of Clarke Kitchen Appliances in Norwalk (where she films her show, Lidia’s Kitchen)…the company who outfitted the Idea House’s kitchen with Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliances.That day, Lidia was kind enough to sign a copy of her book for one of our readers. May the biggest Bastianich fan win. Good luck! Read More
Tiger Belly Noodle Bar in Granby: Slow-Cooked Ramen Perfection (via CT Magazine) Restaurant Granby Ramen Asian Japanese Noodles Comfort Food Connecticut Magazine December 18, 2019 The first sip of steaming broth at Tiger Belly Noodle Bar in Granby tells me all I need to know.The tonkotsu (pork bone) broth is so dense and savory that it seems like it could cure a cold. Although my ramen bowl arrives a few minutes after I order it, the process of its creation clearly began much earlier. It’s easy to tell this soup was slow-cooked. The broth cooks for 20 to 25 hours, I’ll later learn.“We slow-stew it overnight and then we blast it with high heat the next day when we come into work,” chef and owner Ki’yen Yeung says. “We get it down to the point where the bones melt into the broth. Read More
“Elite Chef” Cooking Competition Showcases CT Chefs Features Competition Chopped Chef Talk Stephanie Webster December 17, 2019 In partnership with Eli's Restaurant Group, CT’s Chef Plum will host and produce a new show. "Elite Chef" will launch in early 2020 as a seven-episode web series, featuring innovative and up-and-coming epicurean talent in Connecticut (with yours truly on the judging team). “I am a huge advocate of CT chefs, and I'm thrilled to be a part of this amazing project,” says Chef Plum. “Having a platform for our local talent to shine has been a massive goal of mine for many years. Huge shout out to the amazing people at Eli's for making this happen! I cannot wait for everyone to see what we can do.” Read More
Bruxelles Brasserie’s European Flavors Infuse the South Norwalk Restaurant Scene Restaurant SONO South Norwalk Norwalk European Hungarian French Comfort Food Brunch Lunch Homepage Opening Jessica Ryan December 15, 2019 Bruxelles Brasserie recently opened its doors on Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Barcelona Wine Bar. The setting is hip - a SoHo vibe in SoNo – the flavors are somewhat more traditional. Chef Roland Olah describes his cuisine as simple, though I beg to differ. While there is a familiarity with every dish, nearly everything we tried also had an element of surprise. At Bruxelles Brasseries, you might find that the expected meets the unexpected. Read More
Nibble: Tasty, Boozy, & Educational CT Food Events for Week of December 15-22 Features News Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 12, 2019 Holbrook Farm hosts a Farm Dinner on Monday December 16. Chefs Jeff Taibe (Taproot), Lucas Proud (The Redding Roadhouse) and Rob Haidar (Taproot) are collaborating on a menu that will highlight both fresh vegetables and those they were able to preserve from the Farm. Tis the season for whiskey and Que Whiskey Kitchen in Southington invites you to a Sazerac Whiskey Dinner on Monday December 16. Christmas pop-up Miracle at Ordinary is happening now! The place is all decked out with spirit and glee and there are 15 brand new Christmas cocktails. Plus, purchase mugs, stockings, and more as gifts. Read More
40+ Restaurants for Christmas Eve & Christmas in CT: 2019 Edition Restaurant Christmas Holiday Christmas Eve Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 11, 2019 Thanksgiving has passed and snow is on the ground… it’s almost time for Christmas! It’s a festive time of year, but also a busy one full of shopping, cleaning, decorating, baking, and travelling. Why not save some time on the cooking? These 40+ CT restaurants are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas with special menus, festive cocktails, and more. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your friends at CTBites! Read More
CT Distilleries Share Their Favorite Holiday Cocktail Recipes Features Ingredients Cocktails Recipe Entertaining Holiday Local Artisan Distillery Spirits Homepage April Guilbault December 10, 2019 ’Tis the season for merriment annnnd with merriment usually comes festive cocktails. Knowing that Connecticut has some amazing small-batch distilleries, we would like to highlight some delicious cocktails utilizing these spirits to get your party going and get your guests dancing like ol’ Mr. Fezziwig. Enjoy these jovial creations at your next party or pick up a bottle of these local spirits as a great gift for hostesses, friends or family members. Spread the local love, raise those glasses and enjoy the holidays. Cue the merriment! Read More
Food & Wine Picks "Story & Soil" in Hartford as One of The Best Coffee Shops in America: 2019 Restaurant Coffee Hartford Hartford County Homepage CTbites Team December 10, 2019 Food & Wine writer, David Landsel, has spent 2 years traveling the United States, studying the American coffee culture. His list of nearly 100 of the most essential cafes, coffee shops, and espresso bars in the United States, includes one very special spot in the Nutmeg state, Story and Soil, located in Hartford CT. Congrats on making the cut, and check out the full article in Food & Wine. Read More
Chicken Piri Piri Authentic Portuguese BBQ Opens in Stratford Restaurant Stratford BBQ Portuguese Delicious Dives To-Go Take Out Lunch Homepage James Gribbon December 08, 2019 "Piri piri" just means "pepper" in the related languages of sub-Saharan Africa, and you may have had piri piri sauce from a bottle, or used the specific variety under its English name, Bird's Eye Peppers, but the Portuguese found it in Mozambique. The flavor-cultural export found its way into the culinary world of Portugal and took hold the way curries have permeated the U.K. The Vilarinho family of restaurateurs from Porto Cancais outside Lisbon saw an opportunity here, and opened their first Chicken Piri Piri in America about ten years ago. Their newest location is a little storefront by Paradise Green in Stratford. CTBites recently stopped by for lunch, and here's what we found at Chicken Piri Piri Portuguese BBQ. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for December 7-15 Events Features Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 07, 2019 Red Bee Honey's Holiday Open House returns on Sunday December 8 from 11am-4pm. Shop Local and Shop Small at Red Bee Honey and pick up your holiday honeys, gift boxes, beeswax candles, soap and many other goodies. Tour a working apiary and meet author and founder, Carla Marina Marchese.Jazz Brunches continue at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art on Sunday December 15. Enjoy a buffet brunch in the Untitled Bistro with live jazz by Charmagne Tripp.It’s “all about the braise” on Thursday December 12. Ari Long is coming to Wakeman Town Farm to show us how to prepare leg of lamb and seasonal side dishes in time for the holidays. Don’t forget to BYOB! The class is limited to 16 so book your seats early. The annual Chili Cook-off returns to Cromwell on Saturday December 7 from 5-8pm. There are CASH prizes for the best batches of chili plus the holiday block party and tree lighting. Read More
Mine Hill Distillery in Roxbury: Spirits with a Sense of Past and Place (via CT Magazine) Features Distillery Local Artisan Roxbury Cocktails Spirits Connecticut Magazine December 05, 2019 Time is an ingredient,” Elliott Davis says as he takes me on a tour of Mine Hill Distillery in Roxbury. The venture capitalist turned sheep farmer turned distillery owner is speaking literally. He’s referring to the way the rye, bourbon and other styles of whiskey produced at his distillery will be flavored by the passage of time as they sit aging for months and years in barrels. But he could also be speaking figuratively. Each drop of liquid produced at his distillery, which opened this fall, is inspired by the past. Read More
