Norwalk's Valencia Luncheria is Moving! Restaurant Delicious Dives Norwalk Venezuelan Lunch Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster January 24, 2012 “Valencia Luncheria customers will never have to wait in line again” says Michael Young, owner of the Norwalk eatery that has achieved cult-like status in the minds and stomachs of Fairfield County diners. After 6 years of arepa driven success, Valencia is growing up and getting bigger...much bigger in fact. Michael Young tells CTbites that Norwalk's Valencia Luncheria will be moving to a new location, possibly as soon on April 1st (no joke) just 600 feet down the street. While the menu and look and feel will not change, the address will. Put it in your nav systems; 164 Main Street will be the new home to Chef Young’s authentic Venezuelan beach food. Read More
Cactus Rose Cantina -- Santa Fe Meets Wilton Restaurant Wilton Mexican Lunch Kid Friendly Lou Gorfain January 22, 2012 “What’s a nice Greek girl like you doing running a place like this?” I ask Maria Pertesis, who with her mother Katrina, has just opened Cactus Rose, a vibrant new Southwestern themed cantina in Wilton. “My family has owned a Greek diner in Fairfield for almost 40 years,” she offers. “So my mother and I wanted to try something new and exciting.” And that’s exactly what these amazing women have wrought. Under their husbandry, the former Mediterranean Grill in the Wilton Center has blossomed into a fun-filled, warm, and welcoming hacienda. Indeed, the restaurant came up almost overnight, as if itself a desert flower. Read More
Bobby Q's BBQ & Craft Beer Dinner Recap Restaurant BBQ CTbites Invites Westport James Gribbon January 21, 2012 BBQ has achieved cult status in America. Like any fervent belief, splinter factions have arisen. Most people think of the tomato-based variety found in Kansas City and the deep south as "BBQ sauce," but adherents to the Memphis dry-rub sect or acolytes of the vinegar or mustard based churches of North and South Carolina will defend their take on slow smoked spirituality with manic passion. These churches and their branch faiths march under myriad banners, but they can all sit together at the same table and play nice under any tent serving beer. "Harmonious variety" would be an apt descriptor for the latest CTBites Invites event on Jan 12 at Bobby Q's in Westport. Bobby Q's Barbeque & Grill is the creation of owner Bob LeRose, who partnered with Greg Zanella of Northeast Beverage Corp., one of the area's largest microbrew distributors to enhance four courses of beautifully prepared BBQ dishes and a final chocolate course with expertly paired craft brews. Read More
Luxe Modern Wine & Cocktails Opens via WestportNow Restaurant Cocktails Westport Wine Tasting CTbites Team January 21, 2012 Looking for a place to grab a drink and a nosh in Westport? Luxe Modern may be what you're craving. WestportNow.com reports on this weekend's opening: "A wine bar, Luxe Modern Wine & Cocktails, opens at 190 Main St., across from TD BankNorth, on Saturday, according to owner Robert Reilly of Redding. He said that the café will carry 40 wines that can be purchased by the glass, seven or eight seasonal cocktails, and a selection of 15 cheeses and cured meats. In addition to a bar, tended by the owner’s nephew Will Secchi (photo) of Fairfield, there are indoor tables with plans for outdoor tables next spring, he said. Reilly, a former IT director at Fresh Direct in New York, said the hours this opening weekend are Saturday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Read More
The Whelk in Westport: A First Look & Taste Restaurant Cocktails Seafood Westport Lunch Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster January 19, 2012 Friends and family were treated to a sneak preview of The Whelk, Bill Taibe's latest venture in Westport on Wednesday evening. Steeped in the sea with unmistakable flashes of leFarm's seasonal luxury, The Whelk is poised to establish Saugatuck as the culinary center of Westport, and perhaps Fairfield County. Read More
Treasures of the Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner @ Little Pub Restaurant Beer Dinner Beer Stephanie Webster January 18, 2012 If you like rare beers from sierra nevada, Little Pub in Ridgefield has an evening for you: “Treasures of the Sierra Nevada” beer dinner will be held on january 31st, 7pm at Little Pub. Marty from sierra coming in to take you through ovila dubbel, ovila quad, 30th anniversary grand cru, estate homegrown ale, the brand new ruthless rye ipa, and life and limb 2 (the sierra-dogfish collaboration). Details: Six draught beers paired with a six course tasting menu Cost: $65 per person Check out the Menu Read More
Brewing Beer With Jon Vaast Of Dressing Room Ingredients Chef Talk Recipe Beer James Gribbon January 17, 2012 In 2006 Dressing Room restaurant was created as a collaboration between actor Paul Newman and chef Michael Nischan. Both men could fairly be called food policy activists, and their desire was to create what they called a Homegrown Restaurant, focusing on American heirloom food made from local, organic ingredients. Dressing Room's name stems from its location, adjacent to Newman's Westport Country Playhouse, but one of its staff, chef Jon Vaast, was kind enough to invite CTBites into his home instead to show us how the 21st century gent practices the ancient art of home brewing. [A note before we begin: as much as I enjoy beer, I had never before actually made it. I enjoy driving, but if I attempted to build an overhead valve engine there would inevitably be sundry and possibly vital bits left lying on the garage floor when I was done. Luckily, brewing has significantly fewer chances to produce flaming wreckage, but I apologize ahead of time to for anything I may leave out.] Read More
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
o.a.t.s: A Modern Take on Granola Ingredients Breakfast Kid Friendly Margie Treisman January 10, 2012 What does “o.a.t.s.” stand for? Outrageously addictive tasty snack? Obscenely arduous to stop [eating]? Yes, but no. Simply put, o.a.t.s. is oats. Plus a handful of other identifiable ingredients (all of which I can pronounce), combined to create a truly delicious “granola for the foodie.” o.a.t.s. granola was developed only a year ago by two Westport women, Julie Gaines and Dana Noorily. Both women are busy moms – between them they have five kids under the age of seven – and passionate foodies. Disappointed by commercial granolas, Julie set out to bake her own at home. After sharing the results with Dana, they joined forces, selling hundreds of mason jars of the granola through friends and family last holiday season. 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
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
Ambler Farm Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree Family Events Ingredients Local Artisan Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster January 04, 2012 Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree Training dates: Saturday, February 11th from 11am - noon and Sunday, February 12th from 12:30 - 1:30pm. In this extremely popular program, your family will learn the science and history of maple syruping by being a hands-on part of the process. You will choose a tree at the Farm and hang your bucket that will collect sap. We will boil down the sap in our sugar shack and send each family home with their very own bottle of Ambler Farm maple syrup. Enrollment Limited: This program sold out quickly in previous years so please do not wait to sign up. The number of trees at the Farm is limited, so we are unable to accommodate late requests or wait lists. Classes are $60 per family if members, $65 for non member family. Register here + more information. Middlebrook Maple Syrup Program This 6 week program runs from early February through mid-March. Students in grades 6-8 will meet after school on Thursdays until 4:10. They will tap over 50 trees Read More
Butchery 101 w/ Craft Butchery: Get Schooled Ingredients Cooking Classes Education Specialty Market Westport Stephanie Webster December 27, 2011 The expert butchers at Craft Butchery will be kicking off 2012 with a comprehensive butchering curriculum. Owners, Ryan Fibiger (seen above) and Paul Nessel will be providing both hands-on butchery experience as well as lecture and demonstration segments. For cooks and eaters who are serious about their meat, these butchering classes are designed to give attendees an up close look at the techniques that are use to break down pork, lamb or beef into their individual cuts. "Butchery 101: Swine" will be held on January 10th and 24th (more information below), but Craft Butchery is happy to customize these classes and demonstrations to create a more consumer or professional chef-focused discussion based on your level of interest. Classes can be done on a half or whole pig, lamb or side of beef. It provides the chance to really experience all aspects of how an animal is butchered and the audience will take home a lot of Craft Butchery's excellent meat. Boys night out anyone? 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
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
