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Melt Mobile in Stamford: Great Sandwiches Day & Night

Restaurant Food Truck Stamford Comfort Food

Eliza Schlesinger April 11, 2013

CTbites is pleased to welcome Eliza Schlesinger as a new contributor. She will help guide our readers to great tasting venues perfect for 20-somethings in the Stamford area.

When the weekend night bar scene in Stamford comes to a close, a girl has two options, take home a man or take home a sandwich, and this single lady prefers a sandwich. As my friends and I were finishing another night of laughter and dancing, I looked around to see if anything caught my eye. I peered across Bedford Street and instantly had my answer, the Melt Mobile.

As a little girl, there were few things as delicious and comforting as a grilled cheese, and Melt Mobile’s creations bring me back to my childhood while igniting the flavors that my adult taste buds love. The scene is exactly what I would expect around 2 am, utter drunken chaos and sloppy flirtation combined with an aroma that makes it all bearable. Until this visit I’ve always ordered the same sandwich, the Caprese, for two simple reasons. The first, it’s typically listed towards the top of the Specials menu, and the second because I swear it’s always tasted like heaven. The sandwich is a wonderful balance of fresh mozzarella and Prosciutto di Parma, accompanied by my favorite combination of roasted red peppers, arugula, fresh tomatoes and pesto aioli on Kalamata olive bread. But I am here to be objective and thorough, so I let my eyes wander down the rest of the deliciously cheesy menu to look for new and exciting options.

ROÌA Restaurant Opens in New Haven: A First Taste

Restaurant French Italian Vegetarian New Haven

CTbites Team April 09, 2013

As “Grand Openings” of restaurants go, this one was as grand as they come. A crowd of lucky invitees, including members of the press, city officials, business, university leaders, tastemakers, foodies, area restaurateurs, friends and family gathered around Executive Chef Avi Szapiro, to watch him cut the ceremonial ribbon. At promptly 5:00 pm on Wednesday, March 27^th, in New Haven ROÌA Restaurant officially opened its doors.

After several months of research, demolition plus an additional six months of meticulous renovation, this venerated-but neglected 101 year old space, which once housed the dining room of the Taft Hotel was finally reborn.

ROÌA, named after a river that flows between France and Italy, has been buffed, primed, renovated into a glistening Beaux-Arts jewel of a restaurant with a decidedly modern tilt by Szapiro and his lovely wife, Meera. The couple, who moved here in 2011 from Brooklyn (where else?) have truly left no stone unturned in their mission to revamp this historic landmark: uncovering original mosaic-tile marble flooring, reclaiming white oak walls, buffing woodwork, installing red leather banquettes, restoring flourishes and medallions on the ornate plaster ceiling and moving (yes, moving!) the soaring dramatic staircase. While descending up or down these “storied” treds, patrons can reenact their very own “Hello Dolly!” moment. (At least I did.)

Harvest Wine Bar Opens in Downtown Greenwich

Restaurant American Greenwich

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 07, 2013

Harvest Wine Bar, located on the lower end of Greenwich Avenue, elevates the restaurant offerings in downtown Greenwich to a much higher level. The Sigueza brothers, Vicente and Kleber, can now add another fantastic restaurant to their portfolio, which includes Cave Wine Bar in New Canaan, Scena Wine Bar in Darien and 55 Wine Bar in Fairfield. A beautiful casual dining space in the front area is dominated by a large brick wall and accentuated with wood tables and chairs. You can continue walking to the rear of the restaurant and enjoy the long bar or tables, all with views through the large west-facing windows lining the entire rear wall of the restaurant.

Overseeing the kitchen is Chef Eben Leonard who is migrating from Scena Wine Bar where CTbites enjoyed his creativity and culinary talent on numerous occasions. His opening menu combines aspects from southern Europe, with a modern twist, to American classics.

Chef Michael Lucente Launches Barcelona's New Menu in Greenwich

Restaurant Greenwich Spanish Wine Bar

Sarah Green April 05, 2013

In search of my culinary Dulcinea, I heard there was a new "cocinero" in the town. So, instead of hopping on a faithful nag, I got in my fickle Mini Cooper and headed to the Greenwich Barcelona for the culinary offerings of new head-chef, Michael Lucente. Chef Michael comes to Barcelona after 10 years of experience, starting as a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. He has been Sous Chef at BLT Steak in Westchester and Napa in Stamford and head chef at La Promenade des Anglais in New York. He had the exciting opportunity to Sous Chef on Iron Chef America in April of last year and joined Barcelona Greenwich in November. Greenwich, you're in luck. And so are Barcelona patrons everywhere as the revamping of Barcelona's signature menu is making tapas-cravers everywhere muy feliz.

The Local Meatball Food Truck Rolls into Fairfield County

Restaurant Fairfield Food Truck Italian Kid Friendly

Kathleen Atkins April 04, 2013

There is a new food truck on the block in Fairfield (well, not so much food truck as in food car – Smart Car to be exact). The Local Meatball is rolling into town and making its debut this Saturday, April 6^th,dishing out meatballs on the Town Green in Fairfield, made with local, organic ingredients. Meatballs, a comfort food of many, no longer need to be served over spaghetti to complete a meal. The Local Meatball is proving these balls stand great on their own!

Wanting to share his passion for meatballs with the town, chef and Fairfield resident Michael DiStassio started The Local Meatball. “Meatballs are such a simple idea, but they resonate with so many people,” says DiStassio. The Local Meatball was revealed online on March 9^th, National Meatball Day and “People have been so responsive to the idea,” added DiStassio.

Working from his grandmother’s recipe, DiStassio has tweaked it slightly to come up with a variety of 5 different kinds of balls that will rotate weekly.

Pizza Truck Festival in New Haven on April 10

Restaurant Events Pizza New Haven

CTbites Team April 02, 2013

What do a dozen pizza trucks look like rolling down I-95 in Connecticut?

On Wednesday, April 10, 2013, The Big Green Pizza truck will be organizing a Pizza Truck Festival to commemorate their tenth season in business. They have invited between 12 and 15 pizza trucks (including local favorite Skinny Pines) to join them in a makeshift parade and gathering in the parking lot of the newly renovated Sport's Haven at 600 Long Wharf Drive in New Haven. The public is invited to meet up with the mobile pizza parade at their final resting spot at Sport's Haven's parking lot and buy a pie or a slice from 4 to 6 pm.

"Ten years ago no one was doing pizza for catered events. Now the Big Green Pizza Truck has five trucks and some some weeks we feed over 3,000 people," said Douglas Coffin, founder and owner of Big Green Pizza Truck. "Many other people have gotten into this business; by my count at least ten other companies are doing similar style operations. My goal with this event is to say 'look how far this idea has come!'"

Bufalina Wood Fired Pizza in Guilford

Restaurant Guilford Pizza Lunch Kid Friendly

Amy Kundrat March 31, 2013

Bufalina Wood Fired Pizza in Guilford is one of this shoreline town’s most charming and delicious destinations. Open since September 2011, Bufalina has earned a reputation for rustic, seasonally-driven, and Neapolitan-inspired pizzas.

“We wanted to recreate the feeling that you are in our kitchen and we are cooking for you,” said Melissa Pellegrino, chef and co-owner of Bufalina alongside her husband, chef Matt Scialabba.

Six Main in Chester: Mother's Day Brunch Class & More

Restaurant Cooking Classes Shoreline East Vegetarian Vegan

Amy Kundrat March 28, 2013

From macrobiotics to cooking the perfect brunch for Mom, Six Main restaurant in Chester has announced their class line-up for the month of April. Each class is $65 per person and includes recipes, demonstration by the chef instructor, and tasty samples of everything made in class. Call 860-322-4212 to reserve your seat, reservations are required.

Asian Fusion
Wednesday April 10th 11am-2pm

The menu and recipes you'll learn for this class, includes: Spicy Mushroom Spring Roll, Veggie Pad Thai with crispy tofu, and Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream.

Intro to Macrobiotics
Wednesday April 24th 11am-2pm

Reasons to Love Winesday: Wine Wednesdays at Mohegan Sun

Restaurant This Week In Wine Wine Chat Wine Tasting

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 27, 2013

It seems that Wednesdays are officially becoming synonymous with wine! In addition to our “Winesday” column, you can now enjoy an array of vino-based festivities at Mohegan Sun’s latest weekly event, “Wine Wednesdays.” The evenings embrace the acclaimed restaurants and lounges already present within the casino, but present them with an emphasis on wine. Four course pairing dinners unfold every Wednesday at both Bobby Flay’s Bar American and Todd English’s Tuscany. Casino guests can also relax with a glass of champagne and smooth jazz rifts at the Vista Lounge starting at 8pm. The first Wednesday of every month, though, has a special offering: “Tasting and Tapas” at Todd English’s Tuscany. I had the pleasure of experiencing the affair (which has an impressively alliterate title, I might add) earlier this month.

Tasting and Tapas unfolded on the beautiful “patio” in the front of Tuscany. Tuscany has an indoor restaurant with the kitchen, bar, and tables, as well as a front portion looking out on the casino. Mohegan adopted the motif of a night sky, so guests sitting in that area feel the illusion of eating dinner under twinkling stars on a summer’s evening.

A Good Beginning for Dino's Pizza in East Norwalk

Restaurant Norwalk Pizza Lunch Kid Friendly

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger March 27, 2013

Located in 101 1^st Street in the space formerly occupied by Beach Burger, Dino Sforza is creating very good pizza after only a few weeks. The interior still includes the familiar beach blue counter, tables and chairs and my first order was a half-pepperoni and half-sausage/ pepper.

The crust of the pie was charred in some spots and still dark blonde in others and a quick peak underneath indicated a large variability so the ovens were still going through their normal calibration. The toppings were very generous, plenty of cheese, pepperoni, sausage and green peppers. Almost completely hidden was the sauce.

New Haven Restaurant Week April 21 - 26, 2013

Restaurant Restaurant Week

CTbites Team March 25, 2013

32 of downtown New Haven’s award-winning and internationally diverse restaurants are featuring prix fixe lunch and dinner menus from April 21 - 26, 2013. Participating restaurants offer a three-course, prix fixe menu consisting of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Prix fixe menus are priced at $18 for lunch and $32 for dinner.

$1=1 person Join New Haven Restaurant Week and the Connecticut Food Bank to help those in need. Dine and Donate $1 to feed one person for one day.

View Participating Restaurants Here:

Nola Oyster Bar Brings Seafood to South Norwalk

Restaurant Norwalk SONO Seafood Burgers

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger March 24, 2013

Several weeks ago CTbites first announced the opening of Nola Oyster Bar in South Norwalk, described as a seafood restaurant with dishes from Maine to New Orleans. After my initial visit, it is apparent that much of the food is influenced by the great flavors and traditions of New Orleans, but the creative interpretations are singularly of Chef Dan Kardos.

Exposed brick walls, wood and tin columns, and wrought iron rails dominate the interior with white “antique” chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to create a very New Orleans visual. The front area includes a large, arced granite-topped bar that seats 10, plus a large reclaimed “Bankers’ Table” that seats an additional eight guests overlooking the floor to ceiling windows. The center section of the restaurant overlooks the kitchen, plus the rear room is available for regular dining or a private event.

Nola Oyster Bar is a place for fun, drinks and great food.

Best Brunch Restaurants in Fairfield County

Restaurant Brunch Fairfield Norwalk Ridgefield Stamford Westport Wilton New Canaan Breakfast

April Guilbault March 20, 2013

...is something wonderful to be seen. In between daily meals one and two is something very delightful for you. How Dr. Suess-y, eh? Wedged in-the-between is the one and only: Brunch. With a capital B, thank you very much. Brunch is divine. You can roll out of bed late and into a perfectly wonderful, relaxed meal that begs to be savored. It lingers beyond the lunch hour and helps you cruise effortlessly into dinner.

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food” says a quote that I stumbled upon recently. I think that is pretty darned accurate, especially when it comes to this meal. Here, for you, is a collection of some lovely spots to help you turn this noun into a verb...so go forth and brunch!

Did we miss one of your favorite Brunch spots? Let us know...

Cotto Winebar & Pizzeria in Stamford: Menu & Kitchen Changes

Restaurant Italian Pasta Stamford Wine Bar

Lou Gorfain March 19, 2013

After a brief bout of Musical Toques, Claudio and Silvy Ridolfi -- owners of Cotto’s Winebar and Pizzeria in Stamford -- have convinced veteran Chef Greg Depelteau to come aboard and expand their imaginative menu of small plates and pizza.

Depelteau, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, is in total simpatico with the Ridolfis’ insistence that a dish, especially a small plate, should be driven by primary flavors. “These days a lot of chefs overdo things,” Greg contends and we agree. “Too many flavors confuse the diner.“

Cotto’s simple take on hanger steak, a cut prized for its flavor, makes the case. After marinating the muscular cut overnight in herbed EVOO, Depelteau quickly grills the meat on a blazing hot sheet pan to achieve a hard sear, while maintaining a surprisingly tender, rare interior. A

Must Try: Lao Sze Chuan Chinese Restaurant in Milford

Restaurant Asian Chinese Delicious Dives Milford Kid Friendly

Elizabeth Keyser March 17, 2013

“How adventurous do we want to be?” Maria asks. “On a scale of one to 10?” She’s poring over the menus at Lao Sze Chuan and says it’s so authentic, some of these dishes aren’t found in Chinatown in New York City. Diced rabbit with peanuts. Hot and Sour eel with cellophane noodles. Pork intestines with blood cake.

“We have to have frog’s legs,” she says. “And the clams.” She starts making a list.

Donna and Mark’s list is already on their ipod. They’ve been looking at Lao Sze Chuan’s menu online since three in the afternoon. Maria passes me her list. Yes, the spicy ox-tongue and tripe is on it and I’m happy not to make more decisions. The menus – two of them, the main large, multi-plastic-paged booklet and the additional four page menu of Szechuan specialties -- are overwhelming. Pages and pages of intriguing descriptions like “Silky fowl with black mushrooms and bamboo shoots in casserole.”

I pass Maria’s list to my husband, who glazes over at the sight of her tiny script of five appetizers and 11 entrees. He passes it to Donna and Mark. They cross-reference against their i-Pod list, and add a couple dishes to the feast. Yes! The pig’s ear.

There’s nothing like dining with the right group of people at the right place, and our crew of 10 is excited about our adventure to the commercial belly of Route 1 Milford to see if Lao Sze Chuan makes the most authentic Szechuan cuisine in Connecticut.

Upcoming Events at Yale Sustainable Food Project

Restaurant New Haven

Amy Kundrat March 15, 2013

Mark your calendar for an impressive schedule of events hosted by Sustainable Food Project at Yale University in New Haven. Among their upcoming events is a talk with Bren Smith of Thimble Island Oyster Co. (recently featured on Lucky Peach's Tumblr), followed by Greek food writer Diane Kochilas, and a foraging tour with the Sustainable Food Project's Justin Freiberg.

The Project manages an organic farm on the campus of Yale University and runs educational programs that support exploration and academic inquiry related to food and agriculture. For more information on their mission and events, visit Yale Sustainable Food Project.

Upcoming Events @ Yale Sustainable Food Project

Calhoun Master's Tea with Bren Smith of Thimble Island Oyster Co.
Thursday, March 28
Calhoun College Master's House, 189 Elm Street

The CakeBox Opens "Swoon" Gluten Free Bakery in Ridgefield

Restaurant Bakery Gluten-Free Ridgefield Special Dietary Needs Kid Friendly Dessert

CTbites Team March 12, 2013

The Cake Box Expands and Relocates, Swoon Takes Over: Gluten free gourmet treats and cupcakes to live for...

As a mother of a child who has Celiac disease and cannot eat any gluten or wheat, I’ve struggled with finding cakes and desserts that actually taste like the real thing. I’ve found some good options at local markets but need an occasional splurge for a special event or party, or just because. Thankfully, there is good news if you’re in Fairfield County: a new gluten-free, nut-free bakery has opened. Soon after Cake Box of Ridgefield moved to its larger location, the same team opened Swoon.

Cake Box owners Robert Byrnes and Jordan Gregory, whose bakery is known for its variety of gourmet cupcake flavors and custom cakes, decided to open a gluten-free and nut-free bakery when Cake Box outgrew their Copp’s Hill Marketplace location. They explain, “We have been making gluten-free treats for customers that requested them. Now that we have a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free location, and can offer our customers the highest guarantee of no cross-contamination with other ingredients that may be problematic for them. Which means they can relax and enjoy a cupcake like everyone else!”

Zinc: Modern American Farm-to-Table in New Haven

Restaurant Cocktails Farm to Table Farm Fresh New Haven

CTbites Team March 10, 2013

Zinc has been a fixture on the New Haven green since 1999, well before farm-to-table restaurants became the sought-after reservation. Even then, Chef Denise Appel was designing plates that changed with the season, and "continued to do so even when people in town wondered if she'd ever make her mind up on a menu," laughs co-owner Donna Curran, who has worked alongside Chef Appel for more than two decades.

Named for the traditional zinc bars in European bistros, Zinc has successfully become a well-known neighborhood gathering place over the past dozen years. Warm and welcoming for its minimalist design, the restaurant is long and narrow, as expected in an urban setting. Yet with a profound cherry bar, generous seating and plenty of quiet nooks, you know you’ll gladly stay a while.

THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE: Gabriele's Italian Steakhouse, Greenwich.

Interview Restaurant Entertaining Greenwich Italian Steakhouse

Lou Gorfain March 08, 2013

Though CTBites traditionally reviews the food created by gifted chefs in the Back of the House, we thought a story about the talent at the Front might be in order. So who better to feature than Tony Capasso, the celebrated maître d of Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse in Greenwich and unquestionably the biggest personality on the Connecticut restaurant scene? Actually, Copasso may be more MC than Maitre ‘d.

"My mother tells me that when I was five, I was already meeting, greeting and introducing people to each other in my apartment house," he told us. "I've always been a people person. President of my high school. Captain of the football team, I like people, they like me, and that's what this job is all about."

Hot-tail Happy Hour at Parallel Post

Restaurant Cocktails Farm to Table Wine Bar

Amy Kundrat March 06, 2013

Parallel Post has launched a "Hot-tail Happy Hour," a week-day cocktail list of of three steamy concoctions that can be paired with their usual happy hour specials, available Monday through Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. Although it will take more to transport me from the Trumbull Marriott to the slopes of Val d'Isère, at $7 each, these après-ski cocktails are a nice alternative to the usual glass of wine. In addition to their full menu which I wrote about last week, I have become a fan of Parallel Post's wallet-friendly happy hour menu and this new cocktail addition.

The man behind these inventive drinks is a familiar face to Fairfield County, lead mixologist Greg Genias who is the man behind Barnum Publick House's epic Bloody Mary Bar. For Parallel Post, Greg has created a full menu of original cocktails, featuring many house-made liquor infusions. A native of Jamaica, Greg comes to Connecticut by way of Utah, Greg's preference leans toward classic cocktails like Manhattans and brown liquors served neat. In addition to these new concotions below, don't miss Gregory's Bloody Mary made with an infused spicy vodka and a blend of roasted vegetables.