Christophe's Crepe Truck in Fairfield: Ooh La La! Restaurant Fairfield Food Truck Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team February 12, 2012 Food trucks have been a growing trend for the last few years. The L.A. Times reported on one of the first food trucks to gain massive popularity, a fusion of Korean, Mexican, and barbecue back in 2009. And a recent article from USA Today about food trends in the U.S. hailed the food truck, what was once the “roach coaches” for construction workers at lunch time, as the hot new thing. But the street-side vendor is certainly nothing new. New York City has been rife with dirty water dogs. And, you can’t turn a corner without bumping into a falafel stand. Roam the urban alleyways from India to Vietnam and some of the tastiest foods can be had from street vendors. Although, be sure to bring your Pepto-Bismol with you. Here in Connecticut, we’ve got coffee trucks, cupcake trucks, even a cheese truck. Quel surprise! Fairfield is now home to a freshly made crepe and waffle truck., Christophe's Crepes Read More
CTbites Pizza Contest: Design Pizzeria Rosso's 2012 Pie Restaurant Norwalk Pizza CTbites Team February 11, 2012 What were they thinking? I can do better than that? Why didn’t they use sausage? You wanna put pineapple on that pizza? What is Thai pizza anyway? These are typical statements that spark debate on the perfect combination of ingredients to place on a pizza. And now the readers of CTbites will have the opportunity to create the CTbites 2012 Pie that will be featured on Pizzeria Rosso’s menu. So welcome to: DESIGN PIZZERIA ROSSO’S “CTBITES 2012 PIE COMBO.” The rules are pretty simple. Submit the toppings that you think will create the primo, perfect, over the top pizza pie. At midnight on February 27th the entries will close and a small team of pizza lovers will choose the five finalists. (Try to be as specific as possible as the Editors of CTbites have told me these judges are not the sharpest knives in the drawer.) These final five combinations will compete in a “Pizza Throwdown” at Pizzeria Rosso (Exact Date will be posted when the Finalists are announced). The winning pie will go up on Pizzeria Rosso's menu as the "CTBites 2012 Pie Combo. So get those ideas submitted and have the chance to see one of the best pizza makers in Fairfield County turn your idea into reality and a chance to see your name next to the CTBites 2012 Pie Combo. Read More
Hunan Pavilion: Chinese in Fairfield for 22 Years Restaurant Chinese Fairfield Lunch Kid Friendly Melissa Roberts February 05, 2012 I’d been lamenting the lack of good Chinese food in Fairfield County, a complaint I’ve shared with quite a few food lovers here, including a friend who’s a Westport transplant from Singapore. To stop my whining, said friend took me to her family’s favorite Chinese restaurant in Fairfield, Hunan Pavilion. Ever since, I haven’t been deprived of good Chinese nearby, and now neither will you. Hunan Pavilion has been in the same Post Road location in Fairfield for 22 years and it’s very good. But to insure a truly exceptional experience, skip over the conventional menu and jump right to the Shanghai Bund Select (or Shanghai New Menu), an edited list of house specialties and an eclectic mix of Shanghai, Szechuan, and Hunan cuisines. Also ask for the menu in Chinese, even if you don’t speak a word of any dialect. The Chinese menu isn’t overly extensive, and if you aren’t shy about it, the staff will patiently translate, and this is where the hidden treasures can be found. Read More
The Ginger Man Cocktail Naming Contest Restaurant Cocktails CTbites Team February 04, 2012 WIN a FREE BRUNCH for TWO at The Ginger Man in Greenwich. Here's how.. Back by popular demand, CTbites has found a cocktail in need of a name. Go grab yourself a drink, study the ingredienrs below, and get ready for some branding. If your Cocktail name is selected, it will be featured on their new menu & you will receive a FREE BRUNCH FOR TWO @ The Ginger Man (complete with cocktails). "Your Name Here" Cocktail Recipe: 1.5 oz St Germain 1 oz Pineapple Juice 1 oz White Cranberry Juice 2 oz Prosecco Shake the first 3 ingredients over ice and pour into champagne flute., Top the drink off with Prosecco., Garnish with an orange wedge Post your submission below (include email) , or if you're shy, feel free to send it to us directly. We welcome input from readers. If you see a name you like...post your vote! Cocktail names must be submitted by February 14th. Read More
10 Questions with Chef Arik Bensimon of Napa & Co. Interview Restaurant Chef Talk Stamford Stephanie Webster February 02, 2012 Chef Arik Bensimon started cooking at the age of 11 at his Aunt and Uncle's restaurant, Pasta Prego, on 45th and 5th Avenue in New York City. He has been in the kitchen ever since and there's no place he'd rather be (other than a yoga studio). As Napa and Company's Executive Chef he has created a menu that spans the culinary globe while staying close to the farm. Passionate and surprisingly understated, Chef Arik recently sat down with CTbites to answer a few questions about what makes him tick. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? Pasta. I always have really good buccatini in the house and a can of really good tomatoes. I'd probably do a salad to go with it…with fresh greens and I love shaved fennel. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Whole grilled Bronzino with olive oil and lemon juice. I was cooking at my mother's house. What are your guilty pleasures in terms of food? Cereal. Kashi (any kind) with almond milk is da' bomb. Read More
Cooking Demo & Lunch w/ Barcelona's Chef Helton: $35 Restaurant CTbites Invites CTbites Team February 02, 2012 Looking for some new cooking tips to expand your repertoire, or do you just love to eat? Join Executive Chef Helton DaSilva of Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar in Fairfield for a one hour cooking demonstration followed by a 3 course tasting lunch featuring: escarole with marinated white beans and sherry/bacon fat dressing, pan seared scallops with Meyer lemon sauce and applewood smoked bacon and roasted quail with arrope and figs.Bring a friend and enjoy Barcelona's famed sangria while Chef Helton leads you through a taste of Spain. Demo begins at 11:00 am followed by lunch at 12 Noon. CLICK HERE for more information. Read More
Fork it Over Westport Farmers' Mkt Fundraiser Recap Restaurant Events Farmers Market Westport Stephanie Webster February 01, 2012 The Westport Farmers' Market held their first ever gala fundraiser last weekend, Fork It Over, with 200 guests in attendance. Gilbertie's Greenhouse in Westport was transformed into a rusticly chic party space through the generous support of Lillian August. Even Martha Stewart was there...and she stayed all night. The chefs that stepped up to support the market brought their A game, and the result was a spectacular evening of innovative cooking and very serious grazing. Each chef prepared 4-5 dishes; guests were handed quaintly mis-matched fine china; after that it was all a delicious blur. The chef lineup included: Bill Taibe of leFarm/ The Whelk, Matt Storch of Match, Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Michel Nischan of Dressing Room, John Barricelli of Sono Baking Company and Fountainhead Wines. Some of the evening's menu and flavors are pictured below. Read More
Darien Social is Officially Open for Business Restaurant Cocktails Darien Comfort Food Burgers Amy Kundrat January 31, 2012 Overlooking Darien's Metro North station, Executive Chef Nick Bilello has reappeared in the kitchen of Darien Social, a modern American "neighborhood bar and restaurant," set to open today. Having opened the original Burger Bar & Bistro in South Norwalk in 2006 and worked in the kitchens of Habana and Ocean Drive, Bilello adapted his style and approach to Darien, with a menu that will include “snacks and small plates” such as local oysters, pork belly “BLT sliders” and Swedish meatballs (with foie gravy). An organic beef “social burger” topped with caramelized onion, black pepper truffle mayo, and Shelburne cheddar should also figure prominently on the menu. Read More
Darien Restaurant Week Starts February 6th Restaurant Darien Events CTbites Team January 30, 2012 Darien Restaurant Week is on from Monday, February 6 thru Friday, February 10, 2012 What does this mean for you, the diner? For one week only consumers will find great dining deals, have the opportunity to experience new restaurants, and re-visit some Darien favorites. Participating restaurant will offer a special prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menu during the entire week. Some of the participating restaurants include: Cesco’s Trattoria, Chuck's Steakhouse, Matsuri, Ole Mole, Phil's Grill, Robeks Juice, Rory's Restaurant, Scena Wine Bar & Restaurant, The Goose, Backstreet Restaurant, Café D’Azur, The Melting Pot, and the newly opened Darien Social Read More
Fine Dining in Disguise at Oceanview Café in Norwalk Restaurant Delicious Dives Diner French Norwalk Andrew Dominick January 29, 2012 Oceanview Café is your typical diner. They serve breakfast and lunch with the common bacon, eggs, home fries and toast, and burgers, you get the idea. It is not a big place, with 8-10 tables, tops. Decorations of marine life and fish nets echo the area of its location but postcards from France that peer at you through the glass on the tables offer a subtle hint to what Chef Jean Paul Pauillac is all about. French cuisine. Every Friday and Saturday night, from 5:30-9:00 p.m.,Pauillac, who once worked at Maxim’s in France (as did Wolfgang Puck) and La Grenouille, turns his modest diner into a French culinary experience. After his friends pleaded with him to cook up some French classics, the idea caught on and the semi-secret menu began. And what’s even better than this "underground restaurant", are the prices, the ability to BYOB, and more importantly, the food. Read More
Tim’s Philly Steaks Opens in Norwalk Restaurant Delicious Dives Norwalk Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 25, 2012 Tim’s Philly Steaks opened on Westport Avenue in Norwalk several weeks ago and I am not one to resist the calling of bread, meat, cheese and grilled onions. So I braved the weather to try one of my favorite sandwiches, and I was not disappointed. Many years ago I was taught that eating a cheesesteak is always performed while in “the position.” This entails standing with your legs positioned directly beneath your shoulders, a slight bend forward at the waist, a second bend at the neck with your jaw protruding and always use two hands on the sandwich. The goal is to avoid any of the delicious ingredients landing on your chest or stomach. So when I sampled Tim’s cheesesteak while seated at a table (there are three booths and four tables inside) it was an unusual feeling, but I still assumed “the position” of leaning forward and I successfully consumed the sandwich sans accident Read More
Chowdafest 2012: Top Local Chefs Do Battle Restaurant Events Westport OmNomCT January 25, 2012 Local food bloggers Dan and Kristien Del Ferraro of OmNomCT.com ran this post on their site to announce the upcoming Chowdafest 2012. Why mess with a good thing? Here's their story... About a year ago Kristien and I got our chowda on and OD’d on soupy goodness. Yup, the Third Annual Chowdafest was awesome with tons of restaurants competing for the Classic New England Chowder, Creative Chowder, and Soup titles. Last year Mansion Clam House won Classic N.E. Clam Chowder, SBC won Creative Chowder with Corn & Poblano Chowder, and Nicholas Roberts won with their Lobster Bisque. So, who’s winning this year on 2/4/12 from 11-4 at Bedford Middle School in Westport? You get a spoon, then you om nom nom, vote, and help decide the winners. Yeah, you can even pretend you’re one of those judges from Chopped or Iron Chef. We won’t tell. Read More
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
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
