Caroline's Crêperie Opens in New Canaan Restaurant French New Canaan Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team October 30, 2011 Walk under the blue awning and into the open doors of Caroline’s Crêperie and you’ll feel as if you’re walking into Caroline’s very own French home. With the warm, helpful service and Caroline herself standing at the helm making crêpes and welcoming clients into her buzzing restaurant, you can’t help but be charmed by this new restaurant on New Canaan's Elm Street. Read More
Update on Elm: Opening Soon in New Canaan Restaurant Farm to Table New Canaan Farm Fresh Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 25, 2011 A flurry of activity surrounds New Canaan’s Elm Street as Chef/Owner Brian Lewis’ much anticipated elm restaurant is set to open in New Canaan in January 2012. Elm will be a Modern American restaurant, “rooted in tradition and inspired by the seasons” featuring a 60 seat elegant dining room and 25 seats in the warm, casual bar area. A highlight of elm will be The Chef’s Kitchen Table, with seating for twelve as well as a separate Chef’s Tasting Bar with four seats, which will be etched into a semi-private nook overlooking the heart of Brian’s kitchen. Together, the food, wine, hand-crafted cocktails and exceptional service will embody both luxury and comfort; a destination perfect for everyday or your favorite occasion, filled with high energy, world class food and small town charm. Read More
Epicurean Artisanal Honey Tasting, Saturday, Nov 12 Restaurant Events Wiine Tasting Dessert Stephanie Webster October 24, 2011 Join RED BEE Honey and Peace Tree Desserts for an afternoon of artisanal honey tasting and adventurous epicurean delights, presented by Sustainable Pastry Chef Robyn Eads, founder of Peace Tree Desserts in Westport. The locally sourced tasting event will be held at Sport Hill Farm in Easton, Connecticut on Saturday, November 12, 2011. This sweet event will include an exquisite three course tasting menu crafted by acclaimed Sustainable Pastry Chef Robyn Eads. The tasting menu will feature Red Bee’s artisanal single-source nectar luxury honeys, and ingredients from local artisans and organic Connecticut farms. Each course will be paired with wines from Connecticut wineries. The afternoon will begin with a prosecco and cheese reception, sourced from Connecticut’s own Cato Corner Farm and Beltane Farm, and paired with Red Bee’s honeys. Read More
ReNapoli: An Education in Pizza in Old Greenwich Restaurant Greenwich Pizza Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat October 23, 2011 What can pizza be? ReNapoli in Old Greenwich answers with one kitchen, two ovens, and three distinct pizza styles. Dining at ReNapoli isn’t just a meal, it's the equivalent of a three-credit course in pizza. Owner and pizzaoilo Bruno DiFabio has been making pizza for thirty years. A fact made more interesting when you consider he is only 42. A first generation Italian American, DiFabio was already working the lead sauté station at age 16 in his grandfather's restaurant kitchen. Fast forward a few decades, several restaurants, five World Pizza Championship titles and stints at the famed ovens of Spacca Napoli, Da Michele and Trianon in Naples, and you have the genesis of ReNapoli. Read More
Chilifest 2011: Everyone's a Judge Restaurant Events kids activity Comfort Food Kid Friendly CTbites Team October 21, 2011 Local area restaurants from Norwalk to Fairfield will engage in a culinary battle for the area's best chili on Saturday Oct. 29th from 11:30am - 3:30pm at the Unitarian Church in Westport. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 seniors (60+) and $2 kids (5-17). Unlike most competitions, everyone is a judge and can sample and vote for their favorites. The competition is expected to be 'hot' as the list of restaurants include chili cook-off veterans as well as restaurants you might not expect to see in this type of contest. Chef Pietro Scotti of DaPietro's in Westport is always up for a culinary challenge and will be entering a traditional as well as a "creative" entry. Chef Chris North of Rowayton Seafood will be cooking up a seafood chili, and Chef Troilo of Nicholas Robert's Restaurant in Norwalk will throw down with his special recipe. Read More
Station Eats (formerly Filling Station) Thanksgiving Burger Restaurant Holiday New Canaan Kid Friendly Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 19, 2011 Back by popular demand, the Thanksgiving inspired 2011 Station Eats Special Burger and Shake is a throwback to the 2010 offerings with its Turkey Burger plus the well-received Pumpkin shake. Station Eats will offer both of these treats in both October and November. The 2011 Thanksgiving Turkey Burger contains a free range turkey patty, plus thick sliced bacon, cranberry aioli, a slice of sage, lettuce and tomato. The 2010 Thanksgiving turkey burger was not to my liking but Station Eats changed its purveyors and the current turkey burger itself is juicy with loads of flavor. I think it is a welcome change and I like this year’s edition. I continue to be a big fan of the Station Eats bacon and its addition to the turkey burger is delicious, plus I appreciate the crispy Romaine lettuce and plum tomatoes. Read More
Rizzuto’s To Open in Stamford Early November Restaurant Pizza Stamford Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat October 18, 2011 Stamford seems to be getting all the attention lately. The latest outpost to open in the "City That Works" is the fourth installment of Rizzuto's, a popular casual Italian spot with outposts already humming in Bethel, West Hartford and Westport. Rizzuto's Stamford will be located at 1980 West Main Street on the Greenwich/Stamford border, and is slated to open in early November. The new restaurant will feature three-level dining with room for 160 and features such as a California pre-fab pizza oven, custom stone and tile work, and a signature granite antipasto bar and counter seating. Read More
The Stand Juice Company Opens in Fairfield Restaurant Fairfield Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Vegetarian healthy Juice Bar Juice Cleanse Liz Rueven October 16, 2011 Liz Rueven is a CTbites contributor and the founder of a new blog, Kosher Like Me. The Stand Juice Company opened a second location in Fairfield , CT five weeks ago and they are rockin’ already. Carissa Dellicicchi and Mike Hrizdo, the dynamic husband and wife duo behind the Stand in Norwalk (opened in 2006), complement each other perfectly. Carissa is the cook and creative force and Mike is the organizer and funny man. They first met in Miami at a raw foods market and bonded over their love for organic vegetarian eats and their passion for exploring the connection between better eating and healing the body. Read More
L'Andana to Bring Tuscan Cuisine to New Canaan Restaurant Italian New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 13, 2011 New Canaan continues to expand its reputation as a restaurant destination with the scheduled opening of L’Andana next month in the space formerly occupied by 50 Coins on Locust Ave. The Northern Italian inspired restaurant represents the newest addition to owner Allan Basaran’s list of culinary accomplishments, which currently includes Carpe Diem in New York City. Prior to opening Carpe Diem, Basaran was a Director at Le Caprice Restaurant at the Pierre Hotel, the Maitre d" at the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel and the Italian eatery Nello’s. Significant renovations are currently in process and L’Andana will include a private dining room, a separate bar and chef’s table to complement the Northern Italian menu. Read More
Greenwich Food & Wine Festival Restaurant Events Greenwich Stephanie Webster October 10, 2011 The first annual Greenwich 2011 FOOD+WINE FESTIVAL will take place on October 22nd and 23rd to benefit Breast Cancer Alliance. This grand event is presented by Serendipity magazine, and if you like food and celebrity chefs, you'll want to keep reading... The weekend-long event at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich will include a Culinary Village tent with more than 60 exclusive food, wine and spirit experts, BBQ Grill Masters, Sunday brunch specialties, a Market Place, celebrity book signings, private event tents and live performances by Rusted Root, Entrain and Sister Hazel among others. Read More
Revisiting Boxcar Cantina in Greenwich Restaurant Greenwich Local Farm Special Dietary Needs Mexican Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat October 09, 2011 It may draw inspiration from the cantinas of New Mexico and the mid-century Americana of Rt. 66, but Boxcar Cantina in Greenwich is most deeply rooted in the soil of Connecticut. Locally sourced and organic ingredients have been a signature of Boxcar’s New Mexican-inspired menu for the past seventeen years well before Farm-to-Table was a claim to fame. With a weekly presence at the Westport Farmer’s Market and a green restaurant certification, the first thing you may notice upon arriving at this Greenwich restaurant are several small raised herb and vegetable garden beds filled with a variety of lettuces, herbs, tomatoes and peppers (depending on the season) that will invariably make it onto your plate. If you're as curious as I was, when I stopped by earlier in the growing season, an impressive lineup of lettuces included: Emerald Oak Lettuce, Mascara Lettuce, Lollo Bionda Lettuce, Lollo Rossa Lettuce, Gourmet Lettuce Mix, and Claytonia. Read More
Ad: Big News for Pinkberry Fans...Greenwich & More Restaurant Fairfield Greenwich Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team October 08, 2011 Attn. Fairfield County fro-yo lovers. Pinkberry has some big news and great new services coming to their Fairfield location! And if you reside further South, they've got something for you too. Downtown Greenwich store is opening soon. Curbside Pick Up For those times when you need your Pinkberry fix but you don't feel like braving the parking challenges of downtown Fairfield, let the fro-yo come to you. Yes…I kid you not. Just call in your order 15 minutes prior to desired pick up time and sidle (or idle) up to the curb. One of Pinkberry's friendly servers will happily walk your frozen dessert to your car. Read More
Oktoberfest: Wieners & Beer @ The Boathouse Restaurant Events Beer Stephanie Webster October 08, 2011
Barcelona Restaurant's Cocktail & Wine Events Schedule Restaurant Cocktails Wine Chat Wine Dinners Wine Tasting Stephanie Webster October 05, 2011 The Fall/Winter schedule for Barcelona Restaurant Group's wine and cocktail events has been released. You'll find it complete with education on wine pairings, tasting menus, and mixology 101 "Cocktail Classroom" evenings. These unique events allow guests to experience Barcelona more intimately in small groups designed to inform and tantalize. Get up close and personal with one of the many talented Barcelona chefs as well as Gretchen Thomas, Barcelona's Wine and Sprits Director. Check out the line up below: Read More
Oktoberfest Arrives at Shake Shack Restaurant Westport Burgers Amy Kundrat October 04, 2011 The Shake Shack is tackling Oktoberfest from October 7 through 16 with a special Bavarian-inspired menu of burgers, beers and custards. Here is a sneak peek of their Shacktoberfest menu: German-style Biers A regional Oktoberfest selection featuring a $12 option that includes a 25 oz. Shacktoberfest Stein and seasonal bottles for $8. Brat Burgers & Bratwursts The Brat Burger will feature a burger topped with split & griddled bratwurst with German-style slaw. Usinger's bratwursts will include a Shackmeister, a marinated cheddar brat and a Currywurst, a griddled and slices bratwurst topped with Shack-made curry ketchup. Read More
3 New Picks For Top Burgers: Greenwich to Westport Restaurant Norwalk Westport Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 04, 2011 Shake Shack Earlier this summer CTBites published my list of Ten Recommended Hamburgers from Greenwich to Westport. Subsequent to the article I received numerous suggestions, both here and through my e-mail. I want to thank all of the passionate hamburger lovers for some great options for me to try and I made every attempt to visit as many as I could. With summer now officially behind us, I wanted to report back and add three destinations to my list of Recommended Hamburgers from Greenwich to Westport. Read More
Chip’s Family Restaurant on Black Rock Tpke Fairfield Restaurant Brunch Fairfield Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Jessica and Rebecca Ryan October 02, 2011 The following is our first mother & daughter review. Jessica Ryan is in the 7th grade. Rebecca: The other day my mother, brothers and I went to try Chip’s, a new restaurant on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield (where Blockbuster’s was) for lunch. The restaurant was busy, sunny and clean. As soon as we walked in a waiter brought us to a booth by the window. The restaurant is spacious with lots of tables in the middle and booths all along the sides. There were a couple of large TVs hanging from the ceiling and we could see the kitchen from where we were sitting. Read More
Pancake Breakfast & Pop Up Farmers' Mkt @ Wakeman Farm Restaurant Farmers Market Local Farm kids activity Farm Fresh Kid Friendly Christy Colasurdo September 28, 2011 Got kids? Like pancakes? And bacon? And all things farm-y and fun? Come on down to an old-fashioned “Pancake Breakfast & Pop Up Farmers' Market," a family event at Wakeman Town Farm (134 Cross Hwy, Westport) on Sunday, October 2 from 9 a.m.-noon. It's a fun, fall $5 Pancake Breakfast and Pop-Up Farmers' Market on the farm, featuring an array of local vendors and craftspeople selling everything from artisanal foods to handmade crafts from an eclectic assortment of local vendors. (Rain or shine.) In addition to a country farm breakfast with pancakes, nitrate-free bacon and fresh maple syrup and coffee and juice, sponsored by Christie’s Country Store and Graze Delivered, there will be a host of local vendors and craftspeople selling their wares in a festive, farmers' market atmosphere. Read More
Brunch @ Sugar & Olives in Norwalk Restaurant Farm to Table Norwalk Organic Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat September 25, 2011 The weekend morning meal. This sacred cow for many, consists of copious amounts of coffee, newsprint (for you digital hold-outs), and a healthy combination of carbs and protein. In addition to providing fuel for the errand-filled, kid-chaffeuring day ahead, brunch can also be one of the most frequently debated destinations of your weekend.Since they began serving brunch just a month ago, Sugar & Olives in Norwalk has easily moved to the top of my brunch list. House-made ingredients, a green certification and a happy space make Sugar & Olives the type of place you can drop-in with your friends, a gaggle of kids or simply fly solo and enjoy this most important of weekend meals. Read More
