Cava Wine Bar in New Canaan Restaurant Italian Pizza New Canaan jfood February 06, 2011 Cava Wine Bar is a welcoming entrance to New Canaan’s Restaurant Row on Forest Street where it has firmly taken its position as one of New Canaan’s best restaurants. The pasta dishes all feature in-house made varieties with an extremely light texture, the pizza offers traditional Neapolitan styles, and the entrées include several excellent fish, meat and poultry options. Cava opened in 2004 and was the first of three Fairfield County restaurants operated by the Siguenza family. Vicente oversees the wine selections, Kleber personally chooses all the fish purchases and their sister Chef Nube Rivera is the head chef of Cava’s kitchen. Read More
Fairfield County's Top 10 Spots for Valentine's Dinner Restaurant Greenwich Ridgefield Southport Westport Wilton New Canaan Stephanie Webster February 03, 2011 Looking for that perfect restaurant to woo your significant other this Valentine's Day? Try one of these great romantic spots in Fairfield County, CT. Schoolhouse - Wilton This quaint renovated schoolhouse is the quintessential special occasion spot (if you can get a reservation). Local ingredients and nuanced flavors highlight this menu. Paci - Southport Nestled in the Southport train station, Paci's unique interior combines a renovated freight depot with urban modern chic. This Southport favorite has been serving some of the best Italian fare in FC since 1996. Read More
Ask Conrad: More Ideas For Your Super Bowl Party Features Restaurant Entertaining Events CTbites Team February 02, 2011 The best way to ensure a successful Super Bowl party—and I say this with the most wholesome attitude in the world—is to pack as much vice into it as you can. First, offer your guests plenty of opportunities for gluttony. (Here is a suggestionfor a delicious, non-heart-healthy game-day menu. Suggested portion sizes: extra large.) And have more alcohol on hand, and in all its glorious variety, than may be strictly necessary. A Super Bowl party is one of those times when some wives let their husbands slip the leash. You never know when one of the men will find himself on a binge. But nothing adds interest to watching football quite so much as gambling. Read More
Top Ten Chocolate Shops & Chocolatiers Restaurant Holiday Specialty Market Dessert Amy Kundrat February 02, 2011 You don't really think we believe that box of chocolates you're buying your sweetheart is bound for anyplace other than your own stomach, do you? Let's face it. Valentines Day is really just another excuse to feed your sweet tooth. So with that out of the way, we're stepping in to give you a list of places in your neighborhood to satisfy that craving and maybe score a few points with your honey. A word to the wise: when buying chocolate, you'll want to stop in the week of to strike the best balance between freshness and selection. Read More
Souterrain #3: Underground Dining @ Lillian August Restaurant Underground Dinner Events Stephanie Webster February 01, 2011
Cap'n Crunch Milkshakes @ The Filling Station Ingredients Restaurant Organic Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster January 31, 2011
The Schoolhouse At Cannondale: A Wilton Gem Restaurant Farm to Table Local Farm Wilton Liz Rueven January 30, 2011 The Schoolhouse at Cannondale was built just after the Civil War, in 1872 and has been owned and operated by Chef Tim LaBant, a native of Wilton, since 2006. The setting of this authentic one room schoolhouse along the banks of the rushing Norwalk River, makes for an unusual destination dining experience. The deep chocolate hue on the walls, the comfortably upholstered banquet seating that runs under the windows that frame the river just outside, the simple decor accented by 4-5 framed photos of classes of students and teachers from over 100 years ago, sets the tone. This quintessential New England scene is authentic, inviting and superb. 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
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
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
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
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
