Harvest to Heat Cookbook: A Farm-to-Kitchen Journey Ingredients Features Cookbooks Farm to Table Farmers Market Recipe Deanna Foster April 19, 2011 Cookbooks used to be written for those who loved to cook or for those who needed to cook. Today’s food-centric culture has added breadth and depth to the genre. Food lovers and home cooks look to chefs not just for instruction, but for inspiration. “Harvest to Heat, Cooking with America’s Best Chefs, Farmers, and Artisans” by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer goes one step beyond, showcasing the local farmers, ranchers and artisans who serve as muse to those esteemed chefs. The result is a celebration of the symbiotic relationship between farmers and chefs and the masterpieces created by their combined efforts. Read More
Gabriele's in Greenwich: A Steakhouse With Italian Roots Restaurant Greenwich Italian Seafood Steakhouse Amy Kundrat April 17, 2011 An American Italian restaurant dressed in elegant steakhouse clothes, Gabriele's in Greenwich is the bespoke incarnation of Luca's, the Italian restaurant and caterer that's inhabited Church Street for the past fifteen years. Read More
Swizzles Frozen Yogurt Opens This Weekend Restaurant Darien Kid Friendly Dessert Amy Kundrat April 15, 2011 There is a new tart yogurt kid in town. Swizzles Frozen Yogurt is opening this week in Darien and Wilton with a third store in Ridgefield slated to open early this summer. Opening parties offering free yogurt are scheduled for Swizzles Darien on Saturday, April 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Swizzles Wilton on Sunday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Swizzles will sell its yogurt at $.59 per ounce and will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday. Read More
Big News @ Wave Hill Breads: New Location...New Bread! Ingredients Bakery Local Artisan Specialty Market Breakfast Valerie Albarda April 14, 2011 When husband and wife team Margaret Sapir and Mitch Rapaport first began delivering their signature bread to farmers markets in 2005, it was with a signature bread crafted from one recipe. Not that this has been a bad thing. Their Pain de Campagne is what started it all and has brought them the recognition they receive to this day. Now, in addition to the fabulously addictive three-grain country loaf that we all know and love, Wave Hill Breads is proud to announce the launch of two new breads for your dining pleasure (+ spoiler alert...come May, you can dine in their new bakery/cafe in Norwalk). But first, let's talk about these magnificent loaves.. Read More
A History of Connecticut Wine: Vineyard in Your Backyard Ingredients This Week In Wine CTbites Team April 13, 2011 It wasn’t until 1978 that the state of Connecticut passed the Winery Act that allowed owners and winemakers to be able to have their own places to make the wine. Nowadays, there are over 30 wineries throughout the state alone, which made University of Bridgeport English professors Amy Nawrocki and Eric D. Lehman interested in pursuing the idea of writing a book on this subject matter. Their new book; “A History of Connecticut Wine: Vineyard in Your Backyard” was released on March 18 and published by The History Press out of Charleston, SC. The volume, which is the first in depth publication on this topic, talks about history of CT wine before and after the Winery Act was announced, while also answering the question why people should go to these local wineries and taste wine. Read More
Patel Bros. Indian Grocery Superstore Opens in Norwalk Ingredients Norwalk Specialty Market Indian Gayatri Batra April 13, 2011 I walked into the supermarket, mouth agape - I felt like Alice in Foodland! It was a 10,000 sq feet epicurean trove of gastronomy, nostalgia, delectable aromas and MORE all rolled into one. Finally an ethnic supermarket in Fairfield County. Patel Bros is a family owned grocery store chain that has established itself as a destination for Indian Groceries in North America. With over 35 stores across the country – it is called the Walmart of Indian Groceries, where you get a phenomenal range from the subcontinent at the best price possible. Their motto is “Celebrating Our Food… Our Culture.’ And it sure does. It is like having my own kirana store, times ten, right here in Norwalk! Read More
Easter & Passover Eats in Fairfield County, CT Ingredients Features Restaurant Holiday Breakfast Dessert Stephanie Webster April 12, 2011 Easter & Passover are just around the corner, and we've been vigilantly scoping out interesting holiday sweets & savories, restaurant reservations, and catering tips to share with you. Here are a few nibbles to get you started on your holiday planning, but this is just a sampling. If you have come across an holiday event or product find, please let us know by posting a comment below. What's Easter Without Chocolate? Belgique Chocolatier in New Canaan is Easter central with 3-feet high chocolate rabbits weighing in at approx. 23 pounds. They also make smaller sizes, as well as chocolate nests with chocolate/hazelnut speckled eggs, chocolate hens and chicks, chocolate eggs to fill with chocolates, bunnies pulling carts with chocolate eggs, etc. Read More
Casa Villa in Stamford: Let Them Eat Tacos Restaurant Stamford Mexican Amy Kundrat April 10, 2011 Taco: noun [ta-ko] A flour tortilla wrapped around a variety of proteins and often garnished with cilantro, as prepared traditionally with endless regional Mexican iterations. Add condiments such as cheese and you’re veering into Tex Mex territory. Compare them to the ubiquitious chain with the cute canine spokesperson, and consider yourself kicked out of the will. Best when served from a Mexican grandmother’s kitchen, a truck in Los Angeles or Stamford, CT. There are many who take their tacos seriously. And for the unfortunate few of them who live in Connecticut, at times it can feel like a futile culinary pursuit. The new Casa Villa in Stamford erases many of those painful memories with a new and practically posh incarnation at 622 East Main Street, in the space formerly occupied by Myrna’s. Read More
Michele's Pies (& Cafe) Opens in Westport Ingredients Restaurant Westport Breakfast Kid Friendly Dessert Sarah Green April 06, 2011 Michele's Pies of Norwalk has arrived at its latest home in Westport! Situated at the old Baskin and Robbins location at the corner of Bay Street and the Post Road, Michele's Pies is a welcome newcomer to the area - finally, a great place for a patisserie-style breakfast in Westport. Michele Albano and fiance' Kelly Stuart opened the new pie haven last month and it's time to "sing a song of sixpence!" With a variety of delectable treats, Michele's Pies has something for every craving. From scrumptious CHOCCOLATE/BOURBAN/PECAN to KEY LIME to COUNTRY APPLE to the many savory delights including CHICKEN POT PIE, AUSTRALIAN BEEF, and outrageous LOBSTER QUICHE, Michele's Pies are sure to satisfy. And the pies are just the beginning! The shop opens for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and serves BEAN & LEAF coffee (single origin, fair trade and organic) out of New London. Read More
Food 411: Name the Restaurant that Served This... Restaurant Food 411 Stephanie Webster April 05, 2011
Behind the Scenes @ Match Restaurant in SoNo Ingredients Restaurant Farm to Table Norwalk Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 03, 2011 “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity” - Voltaire The latest edition of CTBites’ “Behind the Scenes” series is brought to you from Match Restaurant in South Norwalk, where Matt Storch, its owner-chef and Westport native, has been at the helm of the kitchen for over ten years overseeing this highly acclaimed restaurant that creatively promotes today’s Farm to Table philosophy. For those who have never experienced the incredible activity prior to the day’s first customer entering the restaurant, it is a bustle of activity. Chef Matt led us past the floor to ceiling wood burning pizza oven in the back of the dining room and down a flight of stairs to the restaurant’s subterranean kitchen. Read More
Friday Froth: The Cask Republic in New Haven Restaurant Road Trip Beer New Haven James Gribbon April 01, 2011 How about a little food with our beer this week? After all: drinking on an empty stomach, while entertaining in a "hide the women and children" kind of way, is generally not recommended. So let's travel outside of Fairfield County this week (gasp!), and take a road trip to The Cask Republic in New Haven. "The Cask Republic" may sound like early 18th century Tortuga, but owner Christian Burns has forgone rum, anarchy and pirates in favor of more refined surroundings. This point should come as no surprise from the man who also owns The Ginger Man in South Norwalk. The space is mostly wood and leather - a large bar, communal cocktail tables, and booths encourage an atmosphere of fellowship - and then there are the taps. Fifty-three pleasure dispensers line the left wall behind the bar. Fifty-three, plus one cask engine for dispensing cask-conditioned brews and over eighty bottled beers. That gets all six hands of Vishnu clapping furiously. Read More
Caramel Sea Salt Shake @ Filling Station in New Canaan Restaurant New Canaan Kid Friendly Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger March 29, 2011 CTBites is pleased to present this month’s sneak peak preview of Filling Station’s April 2011 Special Bacon Blue Cheese Burger and its Special Caramel Sea Salt Shake. Although April 1 is normally associated with jokes and pranks on friends and family, the April monthly special burger and shake is neither as it combines some favorite all time flavors. This month’s Special Burger includes the Filling Station's farm raised 75/25 beef with toppings of thick cut bacon, crumbled blue cheese, crunchy deep fried onions, lettuce, tomato and Worcester sauce infused mayonnaise. When I visited Filling Station Co. today, the staff was busy experimenting with the timing of their new non-pressed burger technique for the recently announced Stamford location and I asked if I could try the April burger cooked with this new method. I performed my ritual of cutting the burger in half and saw that the new method produced a perfectly prepared medium rare. My first bite was delicious. Read More
Liana's Trattoria: A Taste of Napoli in Fairfield CT Restaurant Fairfield Italian Robert Zeoli March 27, 2011 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TINA RUPP “I can hear myself speak” was my sentiment shortly after arriving at Liana’s. It’s kind of nice in this age of lofty wine bars and chic locales to find respite at a place on the cozy side that makes an effort to slow the pace down just a little. Despite its small street level space on Tunxis Hill Road in Fairfield, Liana’s Trattoria accommodates a full bar and two high top tables to the left through the entry, with a half wall separating it from the dining room to the right. The ceilings are low and with lights dimmed the ambience is, dare I say, intimate. Liana DeMeglio, who worked for a long time at Pasta Nostra in Sono, greeted and sat us, returning frequently to check on us throughout the meal, while hours before she was in the kitchen making desserts and the ricotta gnocchi renowned by repeat diners. It’s readily apparent that she’s the lady of the house; Read More
Shout Out: Best Japanese in Fairfield County? Restaurant CTbites Shout Out Japanese Stephanie Webster March 27, 2011
Savor Cookies: This Aint Your Average Cookie Ingredients Farmers Market Dessert Liz Rueven March 25, 2011 Let’s play the association game. What comes to mind when you think of pomegranates, black olives, roasted leeks, cardamon, lavender? First thing to pop into your head? COOKIES?! Once you taste Andre Kreft’s savory shortbread cookie bites you may soon be thinking about some unusual ingredient and food pairings yourself. Kreft, a self taught artisan baker, launched SAVOR FINE FOODS only six months ago. He has created 12 flavors for his shortbread cookie bites that surprise and thrill with prominent flavors. Read More
Last Chance for Bishops Orchards CSA Ingredients Features Local Farm Farm Fresh Stephanie Webster March 24, 2011 Bishops Orchards is 30 spaces away from hitting their maximum number of CSA sharholders this year. If you have been contemplating being a part of the Bishop's Orchards CSA this year, don't miss your opportunity. They will be taking registrations online through this Sunday, March 27. There are 3 CSA options for you to choose; a Full Share, a Half Share and a Flower Share. The flower share is one you can either add onto a Full or Half Share, or participate buy into alone. Click here for more information. What is a CSA? CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture" and refers to a program where yourlocal farmer (Bishop's Orchards) offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Each share entitles members to a weekly box of fresh-picked produce, discounts & specials Read More
