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
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
Fork It Over: Pop-Up Dinner for Westport Farmers' Mkt Restaurant Farmers Market Stephanie Webster December 15, 2011 Craving a new date night experience? Perhaps a chic city spot with the casual atmosphere you love in Fairfield County? Look no further. The Westport Farmers’ Market has the answer...an exclusive night of great food, great wine, great friends and a great cause. On January 28, 2012 the greenhouse at Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens will be transformed into a “Pop-Up” restaurant with a chef lineup that will make you drool. CTbites got the list and we are happy to share: Bill Taibe of leFarm, Matt Storch of Match, Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Michel Nischan of Dressing Room, and John Barricelli of Sono Baking Company will provide the dessert course. Each chef wil prepare four dishes, and the entire menu will be paired with inventive cocktails and wine. This is truly an evening not to be missed. Read More
Volta: Fun Euro Fare on Stamford’s Spring Street Restaurant Brunch Stamford ice cream Lunch Dessert Lou Gorfain December 14, 2011 Spring Street, all of a block long, was once anchored by Bennet's Steak House and Andy Robustelli’s World Travel services. Both were venerable downtown institutions, but dowdy matrons against the vibrant young rialto of restaurants and bars around the corner on Bedford Street. In their place Spring Street this year welcomed Mary Schaffer's luxe Italian Bar Russo and Giovanni Gentile's sleek euro-style café, Volta. Designed by Giovanni himself, Volta’s pop interior complements the hip crowd, who one recent night were dining on such kewl stuff as brie and bacon crepes, grilled vegetable tartines, duck confit salads, and creamy sweet potato vichyssoise. With an Amy Whitehouse track in the background, “My life a wreck you’re making,” a beguiling model delicately sampled a gelato stracciatella while her debonair date sipped Remy XO. Read More
The Whey Station Grilled Cheese Truck in Middletown Restaurant Food Truck Middletown Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly CTbites Team December 11, 2011 Jill Moskites works the grill while her husband, Josh, takes lunch orders from a hungry crowd. It’s a cold Wednesday afternoon in October, perfect for what The Whey Station is serving up -- gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, hearty, “truckmade” soups and specialty hot dogs. Fortunately for all of us, The Whey Station is the newest local addition to the handful of food trucks hitting the streets. It’s a new endeavor for the Moskites, who until recently were familiar faces at their family’s gourmet foods shop, The Wild Raspberry in Cromwell, and together they have about 19 years restaurant and specialty foods experience. Read More
CTbites Invites: Barcelona Iberico Ham Event Recap Restaurant CTbites Invites Fairfield Spanish James Gribbon December 10, 2011 Hearty souls splashed through the rain Dec. 7 on the way to Barcelona Restaurant in Fairfield, and were rewarded with a tornado of pork. Old world cheeses supplied by event host Michele Buster of Forever Cheese sat on the tables, piled on wooden boards, and would be joined by small blocks of quince jam and a roast suckling pig that ought to be legally classified as a mind-altering substance, but the star of the show, from start to finish, was a shoulder of cured Iberico ham. Read More
Invites: Matsu Sushi Making Class Event Recap Restaurant CTbites Invites Events Sushi ellen bowen December 07, 2011 A few fun facts on sushi... originally the seasoned rice found in sushi was used only as a preservative for the fresh fish in China...not Japan; Sushi chefs (mostly men, huh?) used to train for ten years before being able to work in restaurant...while now they train for about two years; The Japanese eat miso soup AFTER the meal to aid digestion...not before as in America. The history of sushi and some hands on technique for making maki, or sushi rolls, were served up at the CTbites Sushi Making Class at Matsu Sushi on November 16th. Read More
Chilibomb Opens in Fairfield: Calling All Chiliheads! Restaurant Delicious Dives Fairfield Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Nancy Kleeger December 04, 2011 Calling all chiliheads: On a portion of Fairfield's Black Rock Turnpike that should be dubbed “restaurant row,” sits a newly opened storefront restaurant, Chilibomb. The brainchild of Stamford native, Peter Weberg Jr., Chilibomb is the first in the area to serve an impressive array of mouthwatering chilis in addition to having created an Oscar worthy brand for his business. Peter started making chili simply because, he liked it...a lot. From there, he started entering his chili into the numerous fairs and chili contests around the area. You may have also known him back in the late 80’s when he ran a food truck called Buffalo Pete’s serving hot dogs ‘n’ chili. After jobs in the food industry behind the scenes, he decided it was time to bring his chili dream to life. “Chilibomb,” aptly named after his hot selling chili of yester year, was finally coined and trademarked in 2008. Read More
Invite: "Iberico" Ham, Wine & Cheese Tasting @ Barcelona Restaurant CTbites Invites CTbites Team December 02, 2011 Join Chef Helton DaSilva of Barcelona Restaurant Fairfield and Michele Buster of Forever Cheese on Dec. 7th from 7-9pm for a unique tasting event featuring the coveted Spanish specialty "Iberico " Ham. Learn about the history and curing process of the most delicious ham in the world, found only in Spain. Enjoy a multi course tasting session accompanied by a variety of Spanish cheeses, wines, and sherry. Small plates will also be served throughout the evening incorporating this unique Spanish delicacy. RESERVE YOUR SEAT HERE. What's so great about Iberico Ham? Read More
Cupcakes: Trend or Tradition? A Guide to the Goods Restaurant Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team November 29, 2011 A friend of mine recently referred to cupcakes as “portion-controlled cuteness.” While I can’t argue with the cuteness part, I may take issue with the portion control. At least, my self-control is a little lacking in that department. Admittedly, the tasty little treats are perfect for a toddler’s birthday party. But lately, they’ve become a different kind of indulgence. The craze took flight in 2004 when New York City’s Magnolia Bakery had their signature red velvet cupcakes featured on Sex in the City. Since then, cupcakeries have popped up across the nation with reckless abandon. No doubt the little cuties are a recent phenomenon. The real question is sustainability. Is their popularity as fleeting as being crowned Prom Queen or will they reign supreme for decades to come? Read More
Texas BBQ franchise opens in Bridgeport via ctpost.com Restaurant BBQ Bridgeport Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly CTbites Team November 29, 2011 This just in from ctpost.com. The biggest barbecue fast food chain in the country is coming to Connecticut in the North End of Bridgeport. Dickey's Barbecue Pit will have its soft opening Sunday and its grand opening Dec. 8. Cohen is a Dallas native, and often ate at Dickey's growing up. The first Dickey's Barbecue opened in Texas in 1941. The original location is still open for business, and Dickey's Barbecue is still owned and operated by the Dickey Family, according to the company website. The company began franchising in 1994. Customers can expect to get their food in three minutes or less, Cohen said, but the meat is smoked for hours. The brisket, for example, is smoked for 14 hours before it hits a plate. "We have fall-off-the-bone ribs," Cohen said. "Most restaurants use a thermometer to test if the ribs are done. We test our ribs by picking them up and if they don't break in the middle, we know they're not ready to serve." Read More
Road Trip: Aberdeen Seafood & Dim Sum in White Plains Restaurant Asian Brunch Chinese Dim Sum White Plains Lunch Nancy Kleeger November 27, 2011 Upon our return to the United States this summer from living abroad for 13 years, with our most recent move from Hong Kong, my family and I were faced with a serious food challenge. We hadn’t had access to good pizza, bagels and deli for years, so the first few weeks after we moved back, we became “born again” NY carb fanatics, showing our faces at every bagel and pizza joint north of NYC. After a month or so, this eating frenzy thankfully began to wear off. One of the things we miss most about Hong Kong is going out for Dim Sum, or yum cha, as it’s also called in Cantonese. After a friend mentioned Aberdeen Seafood & Dim Dum in White Plains, I knew we had to go to bridge East meets West food chain. Read More
Ad: Cheesecake Factory & Brio Open @ Danbury Fair Mall Restaurant American Danbury Italian Advertisement Kid Friendly CTbites Team November 23, 2011 Danbury Fair has made shopping more appetizing this winter with the addition of popular restaurants, The Cheesecake Factory® and BRIO Tuscan Grille. These great new dining options bring affordable upscale dining to Danbury Fair and will provide the perfect rest stop during the upcoming holiday shopping frenzy. The Cheesecake Factory®'s award winning family friendly menu with over 40 decadent desserts promises something tasty for everyone while BRIO brings authentic, Northern Italian cuisine to Danbury CT. Read More
A Good Crêpe is Hard to Find...A Guide to FC Crêpes Restaurant Fairfield Norwalk New Canaan Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team November 20, 2011 I’m tough on crêperies. I can’t help it. I’m constantly comparing their crêpes to the ones of my French childhood summers spent in Brittany, the northwest peninsula of France and the crêpe’s birthplace. My great-grandmother made them in her two room farmhouse –– she poured the mixture of buckwheat flour, salt and water onto a billig, a hot, round, buttered, grill surface, then with her rozell, a small toothless rake, she spread this batter into a fifteen-inch-round sphere the thinness of butterfly wings. As the batter bubbled there and the edges browned, she coaxed the half cooked, wobbly, crepe onto her long, wooden spatula and flipped it over, intact. The crêpe continued cooking this way until completely golden, signaling to her to scrape this fragile delicacy gently off the billig with her spatula. From here she held the hot crêpe between her fingertips and the spatula. She then placed it onto a waiting plate, setting the crêpe down with the same carefulness as though she was putting a drowsy baby onto a pillow. Read More
