City-Wide Open Studios (CWOS) Kitchens: The Intersection of Visual & Culinary Arts in New Haven Restaurant Fundraiser New Haven Amy Kundrat October 07, 2015 Artspace in New Haven is launching City-Wide Open Studios (CWOS) Kitchens this November to celebrate the intersection of the visual and culinary arts. The CWOS theme this year is "Dwelling," and with kitchens is the core of this theme, Artspace is organizing three special evenings of culinary experiences in their gallery surrounded by 360 small works of art during the CWOS October and November festivities. Read More
Meet "The Cheese Nun" in Bethlehem at the Farmstead Festival Ingredients Cheese Festival CTbites Team October 06, 2015 On Saturday October 17 take a drive to Litchfield County to enjoy the fall foliage and enjoy the richness of the local, handcrafted fare offered by the Farmstead Festival at Percy Thomson Meadows Farm, 78 Thomson Road in Bethlehem. The festival, organized by Artisan Made Northeast and Percy Thomson Meadows Farm, begins at 11 a.m. and runs through 5 p.m. and features handcrafted cheeses, wine, meats, condiments, chocolates, baked goods, produce, an educational pig roast and entertainment. As an added incentive, Sister Noella Marcellino, “The Cheese Nun,” will make an appearance at the festival and participate in a question and answer session in the education tent. She is internationally recognized as one of the foremost experts in the art of natural-milk cheese making. She received her PhD in microbiology from the University of Connecticut, and was awarded a Fullbright grant to study cheese making in France. Her focus was the Auvergne, in central France, and the study of fungal populations in the many cheese caves of the region. For her work, she received the prestigious French Spirit Food Award. Read More
Land, Farm, and Sea: A First Impression of Mill Street Bar & Table Now Open in Greenwich Restaurant American Byram Greenwich Seafood CTbites Team October 04, 2015 Now open in the Byram neighborhood of Greenwich, Mill Street Bar & Table celebrates American seasonal fine dining in one of Connecticut’s most elegant tavern-inspired settings. Executive Chef and Managing Partner of Mill Street is Greenwich native Geoff Lazlo (whom we know and love from The Whelk and leFarm) along with partner Bill & Lesley King. Under Geoff's leadership, the Mill Street menu is comprised of rustic yet sophisticated dishes (whole roasted proteins such as chicken and trout, a beautifully appointed oyster bar, homey pasta dishes, inventive flatbreads...) that embrace the bounty of land, farm, and sea, featuring among other purveyors, Mill Street’s own Back 40 Farm in Washington, CT. Read More
Friday Froth: I Give You IPA...Firefly Hollow, Victory & Beer'd Brewing Co. Ingredients CT Beer Beer James Gribbon October 02, 2015 We're going to ignore the seasonal background noise this week, and focus on the always topical subject of IPAs. Two of the beers we taste in today's Froth are Connecticut originals, and I'm also taking the opportunity to introduce the newborn Vital IPA from Victory Brewing. A single can of this last made its way into my sinister grasp a few days before its official introduction to the world, and your first look is below the jump.First, though, I have to geek out about some Firefly Hollow trivia...Firefly is located in Bristol, and run by partners Rich Loomis, Bill Collins, and brewmaster Dana Bourque. Two out of three at UConn grads, and I've mentioned their beers here before. A while back I had the opportunity to try another one of their beers, Lil Troll session IPA. As the name suggests, this one is just under 5% abv, and pours golden with a big head. The hop aroma is earthy, and maybe even a bit sour on the nose. Read More
[VIDEO] Marcell Davidsen of Community Table Featured at Nordic Food Festival, NYC Restaurant NYC New Nordic Washington Amy Kundrat October 01, 2015
Boothbay Lobster Company Truck Rolls into Stamford's Harbor Point Restaurant Food Truck Lobster Seafood Stamford Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 01, 2015 Boothbay Lobster Company is opening its first bricks and mortar location at Harbor Point in Stamford in the upcoming months. To give the community a taste of what to expect from super-fresh Maine lobster, the company is periodically parking its Boothbay Lobster Company truck 100 yards down the street from the restaurant, serving two types of Lobster Rolls, a BLC sandwich, Lobster Mac & Cheese, plus a few non-lobster items. On a beautiful afternoon CTbites visited the truck to sample the newest addition to the Harbor Point neighborhood. As I approached the truck I noticed a sign stating that the lobster were caught the previous day…this was an ultra-fresh product. Read More
25 Places for Great Coffee in Connecticut Restaurant Coffee Tea And Coffee Best of CT Emma Jane-Doody Stetson September 29, 2015 Have you heard the “buzz”? Tuesday September 29 is National Coffee Day, and CT is home to some great local coffee spots where you can celebrate. There's a lot of coffee in this state so we've divided our list into Fairfield County & Beyond FC. Here are 24 places that serve some of CT’s best java. One might even say they’re more than just your average “joe….” If we missed any of YOUR favorite spots, please let us know in the comments section below. Fairfeld County Coffee Buzz Truck, Fairfield County Espresso Neat, Darien and Westport Lorca, Stamford Redding Roasters, Bethel Zumbachs Coffee, New Canaan Coffee Barn, Wilton Tusk & Cup, Ridgefield Read More
Saltaire Oyster Bar and Fish House Opens in Port Chester Restaurant Fish Port Chester Seafood Jessica Ryan September 27, 2015 Last week I accepted an invitation to experience the newly opened Saltaire Oyster Bar and Fish House which recently opened in Port Chester just over the Greenwich border. Located in the beautifully restored Willet House Building which has been redesigned and transformed into a bright contemporary restaurant with a wealth of historic nautical charm. The bar area, vibrant, energetic and spacious has a modern yet traditional feel. An impressive raw bar sits at the center, welcoming patrons as they settle in ready to place their drink orders. Two televisions sit on the opposite side of the bar so that sports enthusiasts can cheer on their favorite teams. The dining room, despite its grand and impressive size, is warm and welcoming. The antique hay lifts and wood beams retain the space’s history. Handsome black and white photographs of fishermen at sea capture authentic coastal life. The elegant yet rustic lighting casts a warm glow off the brick. The restaurant isn’t quiet; a lively energy permeates the air. Read More
Meet Doom Noodle, New Haven's Ramen Pop-up Restaurant Restaurant Asian Japanese Noodles New Haven Comfort Food Amy Kundrat September 24, 2015 Doom Noodle, a weekly ramen pop-up restaurant will launch this Sunday, September 27 at Firehouse 12 in New Haven. The pop-up's weekly core menu will offer two options for ramen, a weekly bao offering, and shrimp chips, available as eat-in or take-out. Drinks will be available separately from the Firehouse 12 cocktail menu. Dinner starts on Sundays at 6 pm until they sell out. The duo behind Doom Noodle, Jordan Waters and Molly Kennedy, are recent New Haven transplants who enjoyed participating in a weekly supper club. Jordan, who assumes the cooking responsibilities, and Molly, the creative who will run the front of house, see Doom Noodle as an evolution of their club and a reflection of what they like to eat. Read More
The Fez in Stamford Re-Opens w/ Expanded Bar, Menu & Music Space Restaurant Live Music Middle Eastern Stamford Bar Emma Jane-Doody Stetson September 24, 2015 New York chic meets laid back cool at The Fez, a Middle Eastern eatery located in Stamford. The restaurant, located on Summer Street, is unobtrusive from the outside. The inside, however, is alive! Wine flows and aromatic Mediterranean cuisine comes out of the kitchen. Patrons flock to hear live music and conversation echoes throughout the intimate space. On June 1, 2015, the Fez shut its doors to undergo a renovation. After a few busy months, they are proud to announce their grand reopening. Lunch and dinner service has resumed, as well as live music. The same team behind the original Fez will see it into its new age. Greenwich native Eric Monte, who has a self-professed “love of food and wine,” partnered with Jay Patel, who comes from a family of restaurateurs. Chef Shelby prepares the delicious cuisine. Originally Monte had hired a French chef, but Chef Shelby and his Indian background wound up being the perfect match for the restaurant. Fred Laist manages the business aspect. He has a rich history in corporate catering and Monte calls him “brilliant in food service.” Read More
The Stand Juice Company Opens 3rd Location in Westport, CT Features Restaurant Juice Bar Juice Cleanse Westport healthy CTbites Team September 17, 2015 The Stand Juice Company, whose mantra is, Life, Fueled by Plants, is about to open its third location in Westport, CT. Carissa and Mike Hvizdo, are the life force behind Fairfield County’s feel-good The Stand Juice Company. The Stand has been serving up plant based juices, snacks, sandwiches and baked goods since 2005. The business has flourished over the last 10 years and the duo’s standing within the local sustainable food community is palpable among industry jocks, farmers, and loyal consumers. The excitement surrounding The Stand Juice Company’s newest location at 1200 Post Road East in Westport only further celebrates the enjoyment and healthful benefits people have been experiencing since Carissa and Mike first made their mark in the organic juice world in 2005 with their original location on Wall Street in Norwalk. Read More
Claire’s Corner Copia in New Haven Celebrates 40th Anniversary Restaurant New Haven Amy Kundrat September 15, 2015 Photo c/o Claire's Corner Copia One of New Haven’s most venerated eateries, Claire’s Corner Copia, celebrates its 40th anniversary this week with a series of events during a two-day celebration on September 16 - 17, giving back to the community that has supported them for four decades. "New Haven is a great city for so many reasons: Yale (and, my favorite art gallery), the Shubert Theater, and other wonderful attractions. But, the best reason I love this city is because it's filled with many people who make a difference in the lives of others every day," said owner Claire Criscuolo. When asked about what they have in store for the next forty years, Claire explained: Starting after a little break for a week (we need a break after all the excitement of our anniversary), we are going to work on two main things: helping more people to eat healthier and lobbying to expand job opportunities here in our city through manufacturing. For this week, though, we'll be wearing party hats and eating birthday cake. And most importantly, saying ‘Thank You’ for all the wonderful people who made it possible for this ‘crazy experiment’ of bringing delicious vegetarian foods and kindness to our community become a dream come true for us. Read More
Joe Bruno Closes Pasta Nostra and Opens Audacious Bruculino in South Norwalk Restaurant Italian Norwalk SONO Lou Gorfain September 13, 2015 With the debut of the sleek and sexy bruculino in South Norwalk, Joe Bruno finally presides over a true restaurant. "Pasta Nostra was never meant to be more than a lunch spot," he says of the venerable store front that served as the anchor of the Sono culinary scene for 30 years. The place was getting old; Bruno wasn’t getting younger; it was time for something youthful, vibrant, and new. bruculino (Italian slang for “Brooklyn dude” – as in the person of Joe Bruno) is certainly all that -- and more. Imagined by renowned Westport architect Roger Ferris, the glassy new space at 20 North Main is dominated by a fetching forty foot terrazzo bar that is flanked by 23 neon-red Lucite seats, all staged in what was once a furniture store. For now, the bar is a lavoro in corso (still under construction), but Bruno will soon be mixing an array of spirits and craft cocktails in addition to the well curated wine list he brought over from Washington Street. He also brought his entire staff from PN, both the back and front of the house. Read More
Friday Froth: Love The Harvest Ingredients CT Beer Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon September 11, 2015 Screw pumpkin beer and the sell sheet it rode in on. Screw it in September, and double-dog screw it in August, when I first start seeing it in stores. The fact I wasn't arrested for petty vandalism last month is a minor miracle. If you complain about summer being over to soon while ordering a late fall seasonal I hope you step in something wet while wearing socks. Such are the depths of my disdain. I say all this, even though I don't dislike pumpkin beers as such, because the end of summer and early fall are excellent times for beer. Hops and grain are both being harvested this time of year, and I encourage you to take full advantage of the brilliant little season between light, summer beers, and the heavy, spiced beers of winter, because that middleground is fertile, delicious,and short-lived. Let's do this. Read More
MECHA Noodle Bar Opening in Downtown SoNo, Norwalk Restaurant Asian Noodles Norwalk SONO Lunch Stephanie Webster September 09, 2015 Fans of Mecha Noodle Bar in Fairfield, residents of Norwalk, and noodle lovers everywhere will rejoice in the news that Mecha will be opening a second location right in SoNo’s downtown Washington Street. “We believe in the resurgence of SoNo, that this type of cuisine is a good fit for this urban area,” says Pham. SoNo residents can already be seen peering curiously into the spot that once housed Joe Bruno’s renown Pasta Nostra, now boasting windows lined with garden variety Ramen packets…a sign of things to come. Mecha owner and chef, Tony Pham, will be joined by longtime friend and owner of Mézon, Richard Reyes. The team grew up together in Bethel with extended families who loved to gather around food, specifically Pho and Hot Pot, courtesy of the Phams. Sharing food with people they love is part of their collective DNA, and Pho is a “Universal comfort food,” says Pham. For those not already familiar with the menu at Mecha, we’re talking ramen, pho, steamed baos and a well curated selection of Asian plates. Slurping is encouraged, as clearly stated on the menu. Read More
B. Good Opens in Fairfield: Real Food...Fast Restaurant Fairfield Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market To-Go healthy Jessica Ryan September 06, 2015 It started well over 10 years ago in Boston. Two boyhood friends and a dream – a dream to open a restaurant featuring healthy, wholesome food. The company’s founders, Jon and Anthony grew up eating nutritious food from Anthony’s Uncle Faris’s kitchen. When the two friends went off to college they over indulged on fast food. While they loved this way of eating, they hated how it made them look and feel. And so the two decided to open a business together based on the simple premise that they would offer people “fast” food by making it “real” – Food “made by people, not factories.” As they embarked on this journey, they heeded Uncle Faris’ other pieces of advice: “Take it easy, Live life, and most of all ‘be good.’” And with this b.good was born. With many successful restaurants already established in New England, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Toronto, Canada, the newest location has just opened in my town of Fairfield. (Greenwich will also open its door shortly.) Read More
Friday Froth: 3 Beers for Day, Dusk and Dark Ingredients Beer James Gribbon September 04, 2015 The summer wind-down is on us, but I am holding onto the season like a starfish attacking a clam. The days are starting their slow slide, and I've been thinking about light changing over to dark, so that will be our theme this week - day to dusk to demonic. Day Southern Tier Tangier is your high-noon-in-summer brew. It's a session IPA - light in alcohol and color - but heavily dosed with Azacca hops and tangerine peels to arrive with swirling flavor. Tangier pours a cloudy amber with a thick head. The flowery Azaccas pair excellently with the citrus in the creation of a very, very nice drink that is more IPA-ish, than straight up IPA. Sometimes a beer can get in its own way, and the heavier malting of other citri-fied IPAs like grapefruit Sculpin can sometimes lend them a bit of drag in some situations, but Tangier's weight and execution make it outstanding for hot, humid days. Read More
Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival Celebrates 10th Year with Martha Stewart, Jacques Pépin, Claudine Pépin & More Restaurant Festival Newport Wine Tasting CTbites Team September 04, 2015 The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, one of the East Coast’s most sophisticated and anticipated events, returns for its 10th year from September 25 – 27, 2015. Once again, the Marble House lawn will be the setting for the two-day Grand Tasting, which offers guests the chance to sample hundreds of wines from around the world and cuisine from nearly two dozen regional restaurants and caterers. Martha Stewart will return to the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival for her second year, headlining a brand new signature event with French chef Jacques Pépin. During A Conversation with Martha Stewart and Jacques Pépin, guests can enjoy a lively and engaging conversation with the lifestyle expert and the French chef while sipping Champagne Taittinger in the Marble House Gold Ballroom before heading out to the Grand Tasting. Chef Pépin will also join daughter Claudine Pépin for a cooking demonstration on the KitchenAid Culinary Demonstration Stage during Sunday’s Grand Tasting. Claudine Pépin joined her father in preparing delicious meals and sharing cooking techniques on three public television shows and has served as a Brand Ambassador for Moet & Chandon and Dom Perignon Champagne. She recently wrote her first book, Kids Cook French, a collection of thirty favorite, simple, classic French recipes in both English and French, illustrated by her father Jacques and daughter Shorey. Read More
SE Uncorked Opens in New Canaan: Snacks & Taps + A Great Vibe Restaurant American Pub New Canaan Beer Bar Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger August 30, 2015 Chef Nick Martschenko’s (South End) newest venture, SE Uncorked, is already creating an incredible buzz throughout New Canaan for its great food and great vibe. Inspired by the speakeasies of the Prohibition era and taverns in the UK and Australia, Chef Nick told CTbites that his vision is for “guests to be comfortable and relaxed in a heavily beverage, comfortable environment with foods designed for a pub versus restaurant theme.” Located at 15 Elm Street, both the exterior and interior have been completely redesigned. The brick-faced exterior features a drop-down wood shelf, windows at eye-level and a wood carved sign announcing “Uncorked” with the familiar South End circle-logo with the additional prelude... “Snacks & Taps.” Read More
Friday Froth: Negative And Positive Ingredients CT Beer Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon August 28, 2015 I like beers from Otter Creek and Jack's Abby, but their collaboration beer, Joint Custody, is a can full of nope. Thankfully it's also exceedingly rare, so chances are you'll be spared from drinking one. I don't usually talk about bad beer experiences in this column - and feel free to skip down to the two contrasting examples I give below - but this one's been nagging at me. The collective German heritage of the OC and JA brewmasters inspired them to seek out two newborn German hop strains, Huell Melon and Mandarina Bavaria, in the creation of what they call a Nouveau Pilsner. Joint Custody pours cloudy gold, and has a slightly odd lemony scent - both fine - and then you take a drink and taste fresh Band-Aid. There is the unmistakable pils malt underneath, but what in the hell with this plasticky flavor? In beer-nerd terms, we sometimes call this ortho-chlorophenolic, because it's a medicinal smell/flavor which usually comes from residual sanitizers, or using chlorinated water to make the beer. I don't think that's what happened here, we're dealing with seriously talented brewers, so the only remaining explanation is they've done this on purpose. Read More
