Friday Froth: Notable Wheats Ingredients Features Beer James Gribbon January 28, 2011 Isn't it odd how our tastes change? I remember when I used to ride my bike five miles to buy Charleston Chew and Cry Babies at the old Vic's Variety in Stratford, and now I won't even lean forward in my seat to grab a piece of Halloween candy. Every dinner accompanied by broccoli used to be a contest of wills. Now I'll do actual work to pair my steak with asparagus, and I order collard greens with my BBQ at Smokey Joe's. So it is with wheat beer: I couldn't be bothered after an unimpressive first pint, but that may be changing. Broccoli remains a better projectile than comestible, though, in most cases. The dog seems to appreciate it. I decided years ago that wheats just weren't up my alley, and have largely ignored them since. Having a first-person column gives one Nursultan Nazarbayev-like power, but I'd like to be a more benign dictator, and really, this column is about you and I both learning - so on it was to round two. Read More
Kids Review: Toro Asian Fusion in Newtown Kids Bites Restaurant Asian Japanese Newtown Kid Friendly CTbites Team January 27, 2011 Carly Monson is our roving 10 yrs old food critic. She hopes to get Fairfield County kids excited about eating in new venues like this one... Do you enjoy going out to an Asian fusion restaurant with your friends and ordering loads of things to share? Then you will love Toro, a fun family restaurant for all ages. My family and some of our close friends, including my BFF celebrated New Year's Day by going out to dinner. I thought Toro had a calming and welcoming feeling when I walked in. We started out by ordering soup, edamame and seaweed salad. Almost everybody at the table ordered miso soup. I thought that the miso soup tasted a lot like seaweed, it was probably because there was more than enough seaweed in the bowl. The seaweed salad had a little kick right when you swallowed. The edamame was served with a lot of salt. Read More
Chocolate, Dessert & Wine Lover's 'Tasting' Fundraiser Restaurant Events Stephanie Webster January 24, 2011 Every now and then, an event comes along that simply needs no sales pitch. The Chocolate, Dessert & Wine Lover's 'Tasting' Evening to benefit The Shelter for the Homeless is just such a happening. Why you may ask? The answer is simple. On Thursday, February 10th, over 70 vendors will be serving up an evening of glorious culinary indulgence in the form of decadent chocolates, confections, and mouthwatering baked good, all washed down with fine wines, beer and specialty beverages. Here's the real bonus…You can enjoy your nibbles from favorite shops like CakeSuite, The Little Chocolate Company, Catch a Healthy Habit, and Di Mare Bakery, knowing that 100% of every ticket sold supports the Shelter for the Homeless programs. Check out the complete list of vendors below and we'll see you there! Read More
The Lime in Norwalk...Healthy Eats for 30 Years Restaurant Norwalk Special Dietary Needs healthy Sarah Green January 23, 2011 So why review an old standard - a restaurant that has been on the Fairfield County radar for over 30 years? Because we are so caught up in the latest, new new thing, we sometimes forget that an extra spritz of LIME can go a long, long way. Not just any old lime, of course, but THE LIME, serving organic vegetarian and non-vegetarian delights for over three decades. We walked into THE LIME with some rather "energetic" children for lunch during the winter break and came out well juiced! Though the staff seemed a bit harassed and not THAT excited to see the 5 year olds, they did their best to serve with a smile. The salads were fresh and tasty, the wraps were over-stuffed with fresh ingredients, and the burritos came covered with tangy melted cheese and bursting with exceptional sauteed onions. THE LIME was rocking - and this was lunch: Read More
Shout Out: What Are Your Favorite Food Sites? Ingredients Features Restaurant CTbites Shout Out Stephanie Webster January 23, 2011
The Milkman Co. Brings Dairy to Your Doorstep Ingredients Delivery Service Home Delivery Local Farm Deanna Foster January 21, 2011 Ed Hartz is a milkman with a mission. He wants to “revolutionize the food distribution system” by taking us back to the days when milkmen delivered local dairy products to our doors. Even if you don’t remember pulling glass milk bottles from a galvanized container stationed by the back porch door, it’s likely you can picture the image. Ed’s goal is to turn that image into reality and revive the tradition of the milkman in Fairfield County. With a truck painted like a Holstein, he has aptly named his new business The Milkman Company, and he is working to spread the word that the Milkman is back and better than ever with deliveries of milk (including raw milk), eggs, cheese, yogurt, meats and other farm fresh products. Read More
Connecticut, the Hamburger State? Restaurant Burgers Amy Kundrat January 20, 2011 A Hamburger Today shared this 'Food by State' map which assigns a food to each state. In a move that may both excite teenagers and strike fear in Cardiologists, our dear Connecticut is apparently the Hamburger state. Perhaps this is based on that famous New Haven institution Louis Lunch, the purported founder of the beefy sandwich, or the inimitable steamed burger from Ted's in Meriden. Either way, we do seem to have quite the burger provenance. So Nutmeggers, do you think this is correct? If one food could really represent Connecticut, what do you think it should be? Read More
Spring 2011 CSA's Are Open for Registration via FGFG Ingredients Features Local Farm Organic Stephanie Webster January 19, 2011
Chowdafest in Westport: Chefs Get Ready to Compete Ingredients Restaurant Events Stephanie Webster January 18, 2011 Get ready to Chowda! On February 5th the third annual Chowdafest competition will be held in Westport from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m at Bedford Middle School. More than 20 different chowders, soups and bisques will be available for sampling. This fun-for-the-whole-family event will raise money for the Connecticut Food Bank. Last year’s Chowdafest brought in enough money and canned food for The CT Food Bank to provide 15,000 meals. Come on down and show your support while you vote for your favorite entry prepared by the great group of local restaurants below: Read More
Bartaco, Portchester Opens ... Stamford is Next Restaurant Portchester Stamford Mexican Comfort Food Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat January 16, 2011 Warning. Entering the new sprawling beach shack-inspired restaurant bartaco in Port Chester may leave you with a case of geographical amnesia. Between the five steps it takes to reach the bar from the door, you’ll be transported to a surf shack in Montauk or Baja, any memory of the city of Port Chester erased once you’re surrounded by its white washed walls. And better (closer) yet, a land-locked version will be coming to Stamford soon. Read More
Friday Froth: Expand Your Horizons Ingredients Beer James Gribbon January 14, 2011 Have you ever noticed that most people think music radio is terrible? iPods, Pandora, LastFM and SiriusXM have pretty much taken over the listening landscape. Listen to one station for more than a few hours, and you’ll start to hear the same songs over and over again. Multiply these hours by days and weeks and the audience becomes absolutely stultified. It’s the same with beer. We need variety to keep ourselves involved in what we consume, and this column is all about variety’s special spice. As such, we’re going to take a three-stop trip across the country this week to expand our horizons. We’ll travel with the Sun and start on the East coast, specifically Ipswich, Mass., where we’ll find Mercury Brewing and Distribution Company Read More
Behind The Scenes @ Bar Rosso's Stamford Opening Restaurant Italian Stamford Lunch Stephanie Webster & jfood January 13, 2011 In case you haven't noticed, something is afoot in the old Bennett's Steak House on Stamford's Spring St. as the countdown begins on one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in Fairfield County, a venture that brings together the restaurant acumen of Napa & Co.'s Mary Schaeffer, and the culinary talent of Chef Dan Kardos, most recently of Harvest Supper in New Canaan. Combine this team with an inventive rustic Italian country menu (including a wood burning oven), a bar-centric two-story space, inventive homemade Italian inspired cocktails, and the buzz amongst the foodie obsessed is warranted. CTBites had an exclusive sneak peek into their pre-opening plans, interior renovation, and the much anticipated working menu of the inventive interpretation of traditional Italian fare that will become Bar Rosso. Read More
Shout Out: What's The Best Dish You've Eaten in FC? Restaurant CTbites Shout Out Stephanie Webster January 12, 2011
SAILS American Grill Opens in Rowayton Restaurant American Norwalk Rowayton Lunch Christy Colasurdo January 09, 2011 When the River Cat shuttered its doors in March, after 12 years on Rowayton’s main drag, the closure of the beloved neighborhood restaurant and bar left a gaping hole in Rowayton’s dining and social scene. So when I returned to check out the recently launched SAILS, a new American bistro with a spiffed up nautical vibe, I wasn’t surprised that the highly polished teak bar was three-deep with old-timers and new fans, making themselves right at home in a familiar, yet completely transformed haunt. Read More
Local Find: Vande Rose Farms Artisan Bacon Ingredients Features Specialty Market Stephanie Webster January 06, 2011 In my family, bacon reigns supreme. As a dinner party guest or Webster clan member, you will find bacon fat, lardon, or bacon strips, in almost every dish coming out of the kitchen. For this reason we have made it a full time to job to cull the Fairfield County market in search of great tasting bacon. Recently we came across a find that is worth noting as you head out on your next shopping trip in search of cured pork. Cooks Illustrated did an exhaustive taste test of artisan bacon in 2008, ranking Vande Rose Farms Artisan Dry Cured Bacon, Applewood Smoked at the top of the list. Brands it beat out were Applegate Farms, Niman Ranch, Nodine's, and North Country Smokehouse. Previously we had to satisfy our pork craving by mail ordering our Vande Rose bacon, but we found it at Balducci's in Westport for $8.99 (It is not sold at their Greenwich location). This is significantly less expensive than the mail order price from Vande Rose. Stock up...but leave a few boxes for us. Read More
Ad: Play With Your Food - Spots Still Open in Fairfield!! Restaurant Events Advertisement Stephanie Webster January 05, 2011 Play with your food? Say no more. I'm in. Actually I am in and have been an active subscribers with Play With Your Food for years. For all you newbies in the midst, the concept is simple. During their 12noon -1:30 p.m. program, audiences are first treated to a pre-performance buffet lunch (catered by venues such as Nicholas Roberts, DaPietro's, and The Pantry), before enjoying 3 one-act plays and a follow-up discussion with the actors. It is a combined social and theatrical experience, diverse and compelling entertainment to be savored mid-day during the work week. It is also the perfect break from suburban life. CTbites readers, take note…The Greenwich and Westport 2011 season are sold out but there are still spots available in Fairfield. Read More
El Charrito Poised to Open in Greenwich Restaurant Food Truck Greenwich Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat January 05, 2011
Simple Beef & Kidney Bean Chili: The Parsley Thief Restaurant Recipe Comfort Food katie vitucci January 05, 2011 I have been searching for a really simple & delicious crockpot chili recipe for a long time now. Not something exotic, or gourmet. Just super basic. This is the recipe I was looking for. And, with Super Bowl Sunday around the corner, I figured now would be a good time to post it. You can play with the spices as much as you'd like. I kept them pretty low key, as I was serving this to the whole family & I wanted everyone to enjoy it. If you don't have a slow-cooker, you can cook the chili in a stockpot over low heat for 2 hours. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days {it tastes even better after sitting a day, or more}. It can also be frozen for up to a month. Read More
Graze Home Delivery: Fresh Food is a Click Away Ingredients Features Delivery Service Local Artisan Local Farm Organic Stephanie Webster January 03, 2011 I’m not much for New Year's Resolutions, but I do know that by making small changes, we can impact our health, the planet and the way we raise our kids. Something as small as where you buy your food can be one of those changes, so I was eager to check out Graze, a local farm-to-fridge online grocery delivery service “on a mission to bring fresh, wholesome and sustainably produced foods directly from small local family farms in Vermont to your front door.” Graze sells pasture-raised beef, just-picked local organic produce in season, award-winning artisanal cheeses and even home-cooked meals. After a long weekend, capped off by a nasty blizzard, my supplies of fresh milk, eggs, fresh cider, meat and other staples have dwindled down to nil, and our fridge is pitifully bare. Normally, at this juncture, I’m faced with the quandary: Do I bundle up, shovel out and brave the unplowed back roads so that I can then fight the crowds at Whole Foods or Stew’s? Not anymore, thanks to Graze (grazedelivered.com). Read More
Southwest Cafe in Ridgefield: It's all About the Chilies Restaurant Ridgefield Mexican Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat January 02, 2011 Long before a group of gourmet purveyors began staking claim to what is now a blossoming culinary corner of Ridgefield known as the Marketplace at Copps Hill, Southwest Cafe has been roasting, grinding and blending red and green chilies into dishes that serve as the cornerstone of its New Mexican cuisine.Just over twenty years ago Barbara Nevins opened Southwest Cafe inspired by a life in New Mexico and a love for its cuisine largely defined by the chile. Toss any notion of that green grocery store bell pepper out of your mind. A chile in the New Mexican sense is a nuanced creature with multiple personalities that restaurants such as Southwest Cafe exploit to their fullest and many New Mexicans trade as currency Read More
