Behind-the-Scenes at Stamford's Fairway Restaurant Stamford Specialty Market Special Dietary Needs Amy Kundrat November 01, 2010 With over 80,000 square feet, a staff of 500 passionate employees and 77 years of experience, Fairway Market’s newest location in Stamford at Harbor Point is poised for success and sure to draw the grocery-getting masses. The store will officially open on November 3 with a grand opening party but we were lucky to get an early behind-the-scenes tour with CEO Howie Glickberg, the grandson of Fairway founder Nathan Glickberg. Read More
Belgique Chocolatier Opens in New Canaan Ingredients Kids Bites Restaurant Specialty Market New Canaan Kid Friendly Dessert Liz Rueven October 31, 2010 Chocoholics pay attention! Next time you have that hankering for serious chocolate, run over to treat yourself and your best friends to the extraordinary Belgian style, hand filled, preservative free chocolates at Belgique Chocolatier. Belgique is familiar to some chocolate lovers in Fairfield County who have enjoyed the chocolates, fine pastries and ice cream at Susan and Pierre Gilissen’s first location in Kent, CT. After searching for a storefront in Fairfield County, they landed on a jewel of a space set back from Elm St. in New Canaan. This location opened in mid-September and is 100 % about the chocolate. Before opening in Kent in 2001, Chef Pierre Gilissen served as Executive Chef and Manager at the Residence of the Netherlands Ambassador to the U.S. in Washington, D.C. There, he prepared all meals, receptions and teas for the Ambassadors, their families and up to 1,000 guests. His passion for chocolates began during his years there. Read More
What's New @ The Westport Farmers Market Restaurant Farmers Market Vegetarian Liz Rueven October 30, 2010 Too early to start planning your Thanksgiving menu? Think again. Stop by the market this Thursday November 4th as BLOODROOT RESTAURANT presents vegetarian stuffing fit for your holiday table or any really any table. Their CHESTNUT STUFFING with shitake mushroom gravy starts with their own bread crumbs (don’t even think of NOT eating their bread when dining there) from the previous day’s choice of house baked potato rye, oatmeal sunflower or whole wheat loaves. They combine those precious crumbs with chopped and roasted chestnuts, bright orange squash, pumpkin seeds and gently sauteed onions and shallots. This combo would be perfect on its own or alongside your holiday entree. Celeriac apple puree is the base of the luscious filling in BLOODROOT’S FILO PASTRY SHELLS. Read More
Gingerbread Contest: Part 1 Ingredients Kids Bites Education Events Stephanie Webster October 29, 2010 The phrase that keeps going through my head as I painstakingly roll out sheets of fondant to recreate wood siding for the CTbites entry in the Stamford Museum's Gingerbread Exhibit is "What was I thinking?" I'm a professional eater, not a professional baker. Knee deep in food dye and frosting, I am so far out of my element, I could be in another country. Obstacles aside, team CTbites is up for the challenge, and driven by the desire to raise money for Stamford Museum's educational programs, we embrace our inner cake decorator. (And thank you Michele Klem of CakeSuite for not screening my distress calls.) Day 1: After a 1 hour planning session with our staff baker and contributor Deanna Foster and our own Chef Nicole, we decide to go with a local CT farm stand theme. Fruit, veggies, grass…with the added bonus of a structure that only requires three walls. How hard could this be? Read More
Visions of Gingerbread @ The Stamford Museum Kids Bites Education Events kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster October 25, 2010 CTbites is proud to be this year's media sponsor for the 2nd annual "Visions of Gingerbread: The Sweetest Architects" exhibit at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. Opening November 6th, this show will feature unique and amazing gingerbread creations by many of your favorite bakers. Check out the lineup: CakeSuite, Sugar & Olives, DiMare's Pasty Shop, SoNo Baking Company, Karin Krumpelbeck, and (are you sitting down?) CTbites will be working on an entry. (If you are a baker and want to help team CTbites, contact us!) Here's the best part...You can bring one of these incredible edibles home to your family. These sweet structures will be put up on the silent auction block, with proceeds going to the Museum's educational programs. Read More
Breakfast @ Fat Cat Pie Co. Restaurant Coffee Norwalk Pizza Tea And Coffee Breakfast Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster October 24, 2010 Did your mother ever scold you as you reached into the fridge in the wee hours to grab a slice of leftover pizza? Bread, cheese, tomatoes…breakfast of champions, right? Fat Cat Pie Co. which is well known for their wafer thin crusted pizzas laden with decadent toppings (see our pizza shout out), has validated this college craving by mastering the fine art of pizza for breakfast. Yes, it is a little known fact. Fat Cat opens its doors in the am serving a casual breakfast and lunch daily from 8am to 2pm. You may not find a hash brown to speak of on this diminutive menu, but you will find more interesting fare including breakfast "pies" with local organic eggs, sandwiches boasting the culinarily renown Bloodroot bread, as well as a selection of home made baked goods and granola. It is a laid back affair with top notch coffee and a barista who cares (note the latte art). For a diner seeking something beyond the "diner," Fat Cat is a breath of fresh air...and fresh ingredients. Read More
"Spanish Heaven" Wine Dinner @ Fat Cat Oct 29th Restaurant Events Wine Dinners Stephanie Webster October 22, 2010 "Spanish Heaven" can be found right here in Norwalk at Fat Cat Pie Co's Spanish Wine dinner on Friday October 29th, 7:30 PM, 3-5 Wall Street. Inspired by a recent visit to Spain's Rioja region and the estate of Valserrano, Fat Cat/Fountainhead Wines will be hosting their first fall wine dinner featuring Valserrano vineyards. Lucky diners will experience lberian inspired culinary creations paired with classic Rioja wines. Chef Bobby and the Fat Cat kitchen crew will surely make this a memorable evening (Check out the menu). What better way to start the Halloween weekend? Spanish Heaven Wine Dinner Menu Read More
Great Programs for Kids & Adults @ Ambler Farm Ingredients Kids Bites Events Holiday Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster October 22, 2010 Don't miss these spooky, educational, & tasty activities @ Ambler Farm. Fright Night: Friday, October 29 & Saturday, October 30 Drop off the kids (grades 3-5) for haunted activities and frightful (and not so frightful) storytelling. Those who were present last year are still talking about the ghost dog who frequents the Farm! Creepy sights and mysterious sounds abound when the moon rises at Ambler Farm. Refreshments included. Enrollment limited. Haunted Halloween Ride, Guessing jar to win the Farm's largest pumpkin, Games, if you dare play... Launch the Trebuchet: Sunday, November 14 If you've been to Ambler Farm Day, you've probably fired the apple slingshots, taken a hay-ride or two, and witnessed pumpkins flying through the air. If the pumpkin-launching trebuchet has intrigued you, now's your chance to get a closer look at this medieval-inspired machine. Read More
Sweet Stuff: Halloween Candy Bark Kids Bites Features Holiday kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert Nicole Straight October 21, 2010 My girlfriend and I were thumbing through our monthly cooking mags and we both noticed the cover picture of a very decadent looking Halloween themed candy bark. I thought, “ this looks like fun, but I can do better than that!” So off I went to our local grocery store that is stocked with bins of interesting looking sweets and nuts. 10 mini bags later, here’s what I came up with! Alas, it's not healthy, but Halloween only comes once a year, and it's a great activity for a kids Halloween party. The making is (almost) the best part of this recipe! Halloween Candy Bark for Kids Read More
Sport Hill Farm: Caring for the Land & the Community Ingredients Kids Bites Easton Local Artisan Local Farm Organic Farm Fresh Jessica Ryan October 21, 2010 Sustainable, seasonal, local, organic, and green might be popular phrases these days among the media and the masses, but to those who truly care about where their food comes from, whether they contain pesticides and want to support their communities, these are very powerful words indeed. By buying locally, seasonally and organically, the consumer never has to worry about food recalls. More importantly, the consumers know not only where their food comes from, but get to know their farmers by name. These are the people who also truly care about the future of their children and of children for generations to come… These are the people who truly care about preserving the world around them. Patti Popp of Sport Hill Farm is just this type of person. Read More
Hartford Baking Company Restaurant Bakery Coffee West Hartford Breakfast Dessert CTbites Team October 18, 2010 Alicia Fidalgo is the voice behind The Clean Plate Club blog. She shares her time between West Hartford & Boston. On a chilly Sunday morning I recently had the pleasure of visiting Hartford Baking Company in West Hartford, CT. Located in a strip of shops on New Park Avenue, the bakery's interior juxtaposes the cozy comfort of a local bake-shop with urban-inspired industrial design. Baked goods run the gamut from sweet to savory: muffins, sticky buns and scones, as well as beautiful crusty European-style bread. Read More
Bonda Restaurant is Back...Now in Fairfield Restaurant American Fairfield Margie Treisman October 17, 2010 If you liked Bonda at its former Westport/Saugatuck location, you’ll love its new incarnation in Fairfield’s Greenfield Hill (the former home of La Colline Verte and Fraiche). Sure, we miss Abbondanza – owner/chef Jamie Cooper’s former Saugatuck gourmet deli/catering operation and site of the original Bonda. But we’re excited he’s now focused on the restaurant and taking it to the next level in this new location. It’s a clean, inviting space, with warm orange walls, fresh white trim, vintage posters and comfortable seating. The small, sixty-seat restaurant was nearly filled to capacity when we visited on an otherwise quiet Tuesday evening in October. For good reason. In fact, for at least three very good reasons. Reason 1: The Bond-alicious food. Inventive yet simple dishes, expertly prepared. Although the menu has a classic American backbone, Jamie treats the world as his pantry. Read More
Advertisement: Tasti D-Lite Is Coming to Fairfield! Kids Bites Restaurant Fairfield Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster October 14, 2010 Good news for Tasti D-Lite fans. Made with natural ingredients, this lower calorie frozen dessert treat is opening its doors in Fairfield CT on October 20th at 1201 King Highway in Fairfield's Staples Plaza. Tasti D Lite has long had a cult following among health-conscious consumers as well as celebrities who line up to enjoy their guilt-free confections. Now Fairfield can enjoy the pleasure of Tasti without the commute, and CTbites readers get a FREE topping during the month of October! The Fairfield store will have nine tables, comfortable couches, and Wi-Fi access. Pair this with 100+ creamy delicious flavors (most of which are gluten free), including Toasted Coconut, Caramel Apple, and Mud Pie…why would you ever leave? Read More
Foxwoods 4th Annual Food & Wine Festival Road Trip Restaurant Events Wine Chat Amy Kundrat October 14, 2010
CTbites Lunch Event: Sugar & Olives Restaurant CTbites Lunch Events Stephanie Webster October 13, 2010 Join us for a spooktacular CTbites Lunch Event @ Sugar & Olives on October 26th. Chef Jennifer Balin is going all "pumpkin" on us with this exciting $20 prix fixe menu (including lobster risotto and a clever twist on the pop tart). Sugar & Olives is known for fresh flavors, locally sourced organic fare, and desserts that are worth the extra gym time...not to mention the beautiful ultra modern lounge-worthy dining space. Check out the menu below: Seatings will be @ 12 & 1PM. Call 203.454.3663 for reservations. Sugar & Olives $20 Prix Fixe Lunch Menu Read More
Chao Chi: Destination Dining in Northern Fairfield County Restaurant American Newtown Amy Kundrat October 10, 2010 Chao Chi is a collaboration between Elaine Chao, the former restaurant’s owner and Prasad Chirnomula, the new owner and the man behind Thali restaurants. Together they have transformed a former Pan Asian restaurant, into something of a modern American destination for northern Fairfield County, an area better known for farms than fine dining. Read More
$45 Wine Dinner @ The Boathouse for CTbites Only!! Restaurant Events Stephanie Webster October 09, 2010 Due to the great success of our recent lunch @ The Boathouse, Chef John Holzwarth has decided to treat CTbites one more time with a special dinner event featuring South American wine pairings for CTbites readers only! This beautiful 3 course dinner is a great deal at $45 and will be held on Wednesday October 13th and Thursday October 14th. Check out the menu below and grab yourself a seat by calling 203.227.3399 for reservations. CTbites $45 Wine Tasting Dinner Menu Read More
Skillet Eggs & Potatoes from "The Parsley Thief" Kids Bites Features Recipe Breakfast Kid Friendly katie vitucci October 07, 2010 Katie Vitucci is a Norwalk resident and the Founder of The Parsley Thief, a blog about food and family. When I was a child, my grandmother's fried potatoes were one of my most favorite things in the world. She cooked them in a cast iron skillet, with nothing else but some oil, until they were perfectly crisped. Then, she would fry an egg on top. Whenever I wasn't feeling well, this is what she would make me...the ultimate comfort food. I recently made some for my kids. They are not potato fans...but, they do like french fries & these are so crispy, they don't taste like typical home fries, which sometimes have a mushy texture. They taste like french fries. They loved them!! So, this has become one of our "Breakfast for Dinner" options. This dish can be modified to suit your taste. Add some garlic, onion, bell or hot peppers...anything. I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet, as it does such a great job of browning the potatoes. Skillet Eggs & Potatoes Read More
Pinkberry Grand Opening Party Kids Bites Restaurant Events Fairfield Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster October 06, 2010
Seasonal Beer Picks with Mitch Ancona Ingredients Restaurant Beer Amy Kundrat October 05, 2010 Each fall the world of beer appears to come down with a serious case of seasonal allergies. I’m referring to the abundance of autumnal ales vying for more and more cooler space in our local package stores. While I’m digging around fall seasonals, it would be downright insensitive of me to ignore the popular kid of the seasonal beer world, pumpkin ales which seem to multiply exponentially each year. Rather than allow my novice palate lead us through the promised land of malted grain, I visited Mitch Ancona of Ancona’s Wines & Liquors in Ridgefield to guide me on this year’s best seasonal beer offerings. His walk-in beer cooler is one of the best kept secrets for beer lovers. Read More
