Taste of Westport Returns May 1st 2014 Restaurant CTbites Team April 21, 2014 CLASP Homes of Westport will present its 10th annual Taste of Westport on Thursday, May 1, at The Westport Inn from 6:00 to 9:00. Enjoy an evening tasting the favorite dishes of choice area restaurants, accompanied by a selection of wines, beers and cocktails, and end it with desserts, cappuccino and gelato - all to support a great cause. Start your evening perusing a terrific selection of silent auction items while you enjoy fresh oysters and clams on the half shell from Hummock Island Raw Bar, move on to dishes from several new restaurants, including The Spread, Geronimo and Little Barn, and from many long time favorites - Pane E Bene, T & C Steakhouse and Bobby Q’s. Taste a selection of wines, local artisan beers and fun cocktails. And end your evening with low fat protein-enriched Forte Gelato and cappuccino from Eventi Cafe - all while listening and dancing to the smooth stylings of the Carruthers Brothers Trio. Tickets for Taste of Westport are $75 and may be purchased at www.tasteofwestport.com Read More
Craft Butchery Dinner Party: Spotlight on Dinner #5 Spring Lamb Restaurant Butcher Dinner Events Events Lamb Amy Kundrat April 20, 2014 Each month Saugatuck Craft Butchery hosts an eight course dinner party paired with wine for twenty guests that highlights a different protein and Craft's pasture to table ethos. This approach—sourcing whole pasture-raised animals from small to medium-sized farms—follows what is often referred to as a nose-to-tail philosophy of utilizing the entire animal. These dinners are a celebration of this approach, a collaboration among the butchers and chefs at Craft, and a creative challenge for the Craft culinary team. "They are so talented that my challenge as an owner, is to keep their interest. These dinners are a creative outlet and they celebrate what the shop does. They use all parts of the animal, from snout to tail," said owner and head butcher, Ryan Fibiger. Selecting the themes for these dinners may be a team effort, but much of the culinary planning comes from Mark Hepperman, Craft's Resident Chef and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with over 20 years of experience. One of the previous events in this series was the "Spring Lamb Dinner" which utilized two thirty pound young lambs for eight courses sourced from Josef Meiller farm and slaughterhouse in Pine Plains, New York. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Restaurant Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 18, 2014 There is live jazz every Monday night at Fat Cat Pie Co in Norwalk! Enjoy delicious food and wine while listening to soulful melodies from 9-11pm. Tuesday April 22 at 7pm, Barcelona New Haven presents a “Light & Delicious Spring Tapas” cooking class. Join Chef Frank and learn how to make a variety of salads, soups and vegetable dishes. $25 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 203.848.3000. The same class will take place at Barcelona Stamford with Chef Scott on Saturday April 26 at 2pm. Also on Tuesday, Bistro Basque in Milford, CT will hold “Southern France: Excellent Wines, Excellent Cuisine” from 6:30-8:30pm. They will focus on the top 3 grapes of Southern France: two are the French equivalent: mourvèdre/ monastrell, grenache/garnacha, and the Syrah. The Chelsea takes a trip to New Orleans on April 23rd and 24th. In conjunction with The Revivalists concerts at FTC, The Chelsea will be serving NOLA classics inspired by legendary NOLA restaurants: Gumbo as eaten at "Herbsaint;" Boudin, you'd find at "Cochon;" Jambalaya like KPauls and the list goes on. New Orleans inspired drinks will be served as well. This is good times. Call 203-254-8200 for reservations. Wine & Dine Wednesdays go down every week at Darien Social! You get a salad, 2 sides, and your choice of Porterhouse, NY Strip or Filet for just $28. 1/2 OFF on Select Bottles of Wine. Read More
Ruuthai’s Kitchen: Real Thai in Bridgeport CT Restaurant Asian Bridgeport Thai Delicious Dives Lunch Kid Friendly Elizabeth Keyser April 13, 2014 Word’s out. There’s a new Thai place in Bridgeport worth traveling for. Ruuthai is a little family-run restaurant making authentic Thai dishes. Even better, Ruuthai offers dishes rarely seen in these parts, like mussel pancakes, boat noodles and steamed red curry fish custard. And then there are the desserts. Thai desserts are decidedly weird to Americans. Pork in a dessert? What?! Yes, and it’s good. Ruuthai has been open almost five months. It’s in a residential neighborhood off North Avenue. The storefront is cheerfully decorated with orange and lime accents, and pink and purple swirly, girly flower stencils. The effect is simple and charming. They’ve added a few more tables recently (they’re getting busier), and they do a lot of take-out, but I believe in eating food when it’s at its best – moments after Def Ruangsikul, head chef, has prepared it. If you sit down to eat you will probably meet Chef Ruangsikul’s daughter Dif. Dif McGeough is the manager and waitress. She was born in Thailand and raised in the United States, and she’s a knowledgeable and gently humorous guide. Over the course of several visits, here’s what we’ve tried: Read More
Battle of the Chefs to Feature Chefs Forrest Pasternack, Matt Storch, Jeff Taibe Restaurant Amy Kundrat April 12, 2014 The Battle of the Chefs returns to Ridgefield's Founders Hall on Sunday, June 1, 4 – 7 pm and will feature Chefs Forrest Pasternack of Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield, Matt Storch of Match in Norwalk, and Jeff Taibe of The Whelk and LeFarm. In a culinary showdown similar to those featured on television shows such as Top Chef and Chopped, three seasoned chefs will match sharp knives and quick wits for the benefit of Founders Hall. The participating chefs, Pasternack, Storch, and Taibe, will compete to create an entree from a basket of surprise ingredients in front of over 200 people. Read More
Fairfield County Chef's Table Restaurant Bethel Darien Greenwich Norwalk Ridgefield Stamford Westport New Canaan Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster April 11, 2014 After several years of immersing ourselves in the Fairfield County dining scene as partners and editors of CTbites, we had the opportunity to trade pixels for print. We are very excited to announce the launch of our book, Fairfield County Chef's Table, featuring over 50 restaurants and recipes, now available at your local book store and online. The book, published by Globe Pequot Press, was written by Amy Kundrat (yours truly), the executive editor and partner at CTbites. The photography is by none other than CTbites founder and editor in chief Stephanie Webster. It is the culmination of the many years we have been writing about and photographing the Connecticut food scene. This two year project was a blast to work on, and we only wish we could have included 50 more of our favorite restaurants. For more information, please visit our website. A special thank you to all the chefs, restaurant owners, farmers, friends, CTbites contributors, and CTbites readers who shared their time, expertise, and support. We hope you enjoy the book, experiment with the recipes from some of our favorite restaurants, and share it with your friends and family! Book Signings Barnes & Noble, Milford: April 27 @ 1 pm Barnes & Noble, Westport: May 17 @ 1 pm Read More
The NEW Versailles Bistro & Patisserie in Greenwich - From the Owners of Méli-Mélo Restaurant Coffee French Greenwich Breakfast Lunch Dessert Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 06, 2014 Almost a year ago, without notice or forewarning, a “For Sale” sign appeared on the window of Versailles Restaurant in Greenwich. At 6:15AM the following morning, Marc Penvenne was driving his usual route down Greenwich Avenue to his restaurant Méli-Mélo when he saw the sign. A few months earlier he started looking at several locations to open a second restaurant and now Versailles was available; he now knew the perfect location. Twenty years earlier, Penvenne was the manager at Versailles and left to open Méli-Mélo with his wife, Evelyne. Now, Marc and Evelyne are the proud owners of both Méli-Mélo and the re-invented Versailles Bistro and Patisserie. When you enter the reimagined restaurant, the front area is a patisserie, complete with white marble-topped tables, bistro chairs and glass display cases filled with tantalizing pastries. Behind these cases is a coffee bar, serving some of the best café au lait in Greenwich. In the rear, the patisserie opens to a restaurant with bistro style dark wood tables and chairs plus a long leather lined banquette. The walls are adorned with photos of Paris and framed French posters dating from the first half of the 20th century. Read More
Cask Republic Stamford Hosts "5C" Bluepoint Beer Dinner w/ 5 Chefs Restaurant Beer Dinner Beer CTbites Team April 03, 2014 The new Cask Republic in Stamford is hosting their first ever beer dinner on May 6th, and we hear it's going to be pretty epic. Cask has invited all 5 of their head chef's from Cask Republic and Ginger Man to lead the evening's culinary journey. Each will throw down a dish of their choice to be paired with a hand picked Cask Ale from Blue Point Brewery. Casks in contention will be selected at this weekend's Blue Point Brewery Cask Festival. Welcome to the neighborhood Cask. We're glad you're here. Details are below: Read More
Chef Jon Vaast Joins Sugar & Olives in Norwalk: Now Serving Dinner Restaurant Brunch Local Farm Norwalk Organic Lunch Stephanie Webster April 02, 2014 There's a new chef in the kitchen at Sugar & Olives in Norwalk. You may recognize the name from his years cooking over at Dressing Room in Westport. It's Chef Jon Vaast, and Jennifer Balin, owner of Sugar & Olives, explains her new hire as "An Organic collaboration between two like minded people." Johnny and Balin have been strong advocates for the local and sustainable food movement, and simply put, want to create a menu with delicious food sourced from within an arms reach of the shop. Every ingredient at Sugar & Olives is seasonal, and comes from a farm near the restaurant. Balin says "whenever possible, she selects ingredients that are also Organic." With Chef Vaast at the helm, Sugar & Olives is excited to announce that in addition to their daily weekday service, and one of the best brunches in Fairfield County, they have begun dinner service Thursday through Saturday. Read More
The 4B Festival Recap: Didn't Score Tix? Here's What Went Down in New Haven Restaurant Cocktails Beer James Gribbon April 01, 2014 The first ever 4b Festival had several teething problems, but attendees having fun didn't seem to be one. Well, let me back up a step... The 4b Festival was a celebration of the bacon, BBQ, beer and bourbon available in Connecticut. Do you like these things? Yes? Then 4b was for you... and you, and you and you, and a lot of other people. Many Americans, let's say most of us, love these alliterative drinks and foodstuffs, and are all about an event which puts them in the same place at the same time. I personally had several B's for the first time at the festival, both food and drink, learned quite a bit, and met some great new people. I also left hungry, and not in a figurative sense. The inaugural 4b Festival was held at the Old Trolley Barn, a warehouse just off the State Street exit on I-91 in New Haven. Most of the event's parking was several blocks off site (and an extra $5), but it was a sunny day and walking off a few calories before an event like this is for the best, anyway. I walked through the gates just before the fest's second session began at 5:30, and was met with a line of people which would have done the TSA proud. Like I said: people like bacon. Read More
Sono Baking Company Opening Darien Shop on Tokeneke Road Ingredients Restaurant Bakery Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster March 29, 2014
Chef Bill Taibe Opening New Asian Restaurant in Westport Restaurant Asian Bill Taibe Chinese Japanese Westport Stephanie Webster March 27, 2014 If there is any cuisine that is not represented well in Fairfield County, it is Asian, but all of that is about to change. Bill Taibe, Owner of The Whelk and Le Farm, has informed CTbites that he has signed a lease on the old Bistro 88 space in Bridge Square, Saugatuck, and will be opening his 3rd venue by the beginning of summer. What now you ask? Think Asian. This new venue will take its culinary and design inspiration from the traditional Izakaya Japanese pubs, which offer a casual dining experience, lots of small tapas-sized snacks, and great drinks. "I've wanted to do Asian since I was at Relish," says Taibe. When asked why Asian, Taibe stated, "In all honesty, it's the food that I gravitate towards most often...and we are always looking to challenge ourselves." "Imagine The Whelk...but Asian." The new venue will be a mix of Japanese and Chinese. "It's our own interpretation of Asian cuisine, but will draw from those regions." Read More
10 Questions for Jeffrey Lizotte of Hartford's ON20 Restaurant Hartford Chef Talk Amy Kundrat March 27, 2014 Chef Jeffrey Lizotte is the executive chef of Hartford's acclaimed ON20 restaurant and Connecticut’s only nominee for FOOD & WINE’s annual People’s Best New Chef award [you can vote online through March 31 at 5 pm]. A Connecticut native, Lizotte has been executive chef of ON20 since 2012. A graduate of Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, Jeffrey has worked under chefs David Bouley and Eric Ripert, and completed stages in France at the acclaimed La Tupina in Bordeaux, and the two Michelin-starred La Bastide St. Antoine in Grasse, France. In 2009, Lizotte returned to the nutmeg state as Chef de Cuisine at ON20, becoming executive chef in 2012. The same year, he earned a silver medal at the Bocuse D’Or USA and was awarded Valhrona Best Pastry while representing the U.S in the international culinary competition Trophee Passion. A talented Connecticut chef, CTbites invited Lizotte to participate in our '10 Questions' column to understand what makes him tick as a chef both inside and outside of the kitchen. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? Pasta Carbonara – everyone likes a good pasta dish. It is simple and one of my favorites. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Read More
New Haven Restaurant Week is April 6 - 11, 2014 Restaurant Restaurant Week CTbites Team March 27, 2014 New Haven Restaurant Week returns Sunday, April 6- Friday, April 11. The 14th installment of the promotion will feature prix fixe menus for lunch ($18) and dinner ($32) at 29 of New Haven's finest restaurants. www.infonewhaven.com/restaurantweek. View a complete list of participating restaurants on Info New Haven or follow NHV Restaurant Week on Facebook. Read More
À Vert French Brasserie in West Hartford: Just Like Paris Restaurant French Hartford West Hartford Lunch CTbites Team March 26, 2014 Photo courtesy of Julie BidwellFull disclosure: I’m crazy about Paris. For many years, when David and I went to Europe we stopped off to visit his college roommate who lived in an elegant apartment near the Eiffel Tower. The 7th Arrondissement has no shortage of fine restaurants and bistros de luxe, but more often than not we would have an apéritif in the apartment before heading off to a lively brasserie or bistro populaire in the Latin Quarter. I still love French bistros and keep my eye out for new ones in Connecticut. Some are French in name only, but the minute I entered À Vert, a new brasserie in West Hartford, I was in Paris. The zinc bar, the wine list chalked on the mirror. The pressed-tin ceiling, the white tile and exposed-brick walls—authentic, romantic and real, including the warmth and friendliness that define bistro dining in the City of Light. It’s all good, but food beautiful food is the overriding reason to dine at À Vert. How could it not be? It’s owned by two chefs who in recent years have been making the Connecticut foodie world sit up and take notice: David Borselle at Bar Bouchée in Madison and Dorjan Puka at Treva around the corner in West Hartford. Read the full article on ConnecticutMag.com. Read More
Little Pub New England Brewery Dinner Restaurant Beer Dinner Pub Beer CTbites Team March 24, 2014 Join us on April 1st @ Little Pub Ridgefield for a New England Brewing Company beer dinner hosted by New England Brewing Company’s partner/head brewer Matt Westfall. The evening will boast a five course beer pairing menu (view full menu below with pairings), a little education, and some general merry making. Matt Westfall will discuss the flavor profile, ingredients, and brewing process for each beer while also sharing stories about New England Brewing Company’s journey to becoming one of the region’s most respected and beloved craft brewers. Our own beer expert, James Gribbon will be on hand to answer any questions about his Friday Froth column or beer in general. Read More
Bick's Burgers Opens in Danbury Restaurant Danbury Lunch Kid Friendly Burgers Amy Kundrat March 23, 2014 Bick's Burgers opened on Friday, March 7 on Ives Street in downtown Danbury. And while I will save the true burger review for our resident expert, Jeff, here is a very early look at what to expect from Fairfield County's newest burger joint from our quick stop on opening day. The Bick's Burger concept is fairly straightforward–a modern take on burgers, elevated with homemade touches, and delivered with a solid 75/25 burger. The business is a partnership between Chef Michael Bick of SomeThings Fishy Catering, and his entrepreneurial son, Ian Bick. In a nod to its humble diner roots, Bick's embraces the décor of the 50's drive-in diner. A row of counter seating and stools faces the kitchen's flat top griddle, and a black and white checkered floor and red vinyl booths complete this homage. There are several homemade touches on the menu. Homemade buns, including brioche, truffle brioche and sesame Read More
Pizza Week 2014: The Definitive Guide to New Haven Pizza Restaurant Pizza New Haven CTbites Team March 22, 2014 Did you celebrate Pizza Week? Our very own executive editor and pizza lover Amy Kundrat breaks down the New Haven apizza scene for Eater.com's #PizzaWeek national initiative. In The Definitive Guide to New Haven Pizza, Amy focused on the parlors we all know and love. There is pizza, and then there is apizza. New Haven-style pizza is the latter; a hotter, crispier, and dirtier descendant of Neapolitan style pie. What ribs are to Kansas City, cheesesteak to Philadelphia, and crabcakes to Baltimore, pizza is to New Haven. If you grew up in or around the Elm City, your pizza parlor allegiance can be fierce. So how did Connecticut's second largest city become ground zero for some of the best pizza in the United States? Just what is New Haven-style pizza? Head on over to Eater.com for the full story. Read More
Friday Froth: Take The Black Ingredients Restaurant CT Beer Beer James Gribbon March 21, 2014 Springing forward is an effective way to A) add more light to the day, and B) feed the wailing vacuum where Morning People's souls would otherwise reside. Morning people are real-life Dementors who funnel away our sleep, and schedule 8a.m. meetings in their quest to rob us of the precious joy of living, but I say no. No cheap bagels can replace my repose, no tray of institutional eggs, and no bacon cooked under a clothes iron is worth my limited hours on this Earth. So I turn my back on the light, and embrace the dark. Tell 'em, Ray. As you have no doubt already read here on CTBites, The Ginger Man in South Norwalk revived their Great Wall of Stouts last week, allocating fifteen taps to the blackest of beers, and even going so far as to darken their trademark copper tap wall. Highlights of the event included a 2011 vintage of the impeccable Imperial Stout Trooper from New England Brewing, the deservedly popular Founder's Breakfast Stout (made with coffee, naturally), boozy, heavy offerings which drink like a meal, Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Restaurant Beer Dinner Cooking Classes Events Wine Shop Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 21, 2014 Monday March 24, Plan B in Stamford presents “Distill it with Willett.” Five courses will be paired with bourbon and bourbon cocktails… and they’ll use bourbon in every single course! 6 pm. $75pp, tax and tip included. Also on the 24th, Napa & Co in Stamford presents “A look at Sauvignon Blanc the hot white grape!” They’ll guide you through a global look at the varietal in New Zealand, Sancerre, Russian River, Napa Valley, South Africa and Washington! $45pp. 6:30pm. Brewery Ommegang comes to Harlan Social on Tuesday, March 25th for a 5-course menu paired with their beers. $70 plus tax and tip. 6:30- 9:30pm. Call 203.883.8000 to reserve seats. Event Menu: Tuesday March 25, Barcelona in West Hartford presents “New England Beers & Tapas.” In celebration of March Madness, Chef Eric is going to prepare some savory tapas to pair with some of New England’s thirst-quenching beers. $29 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 860.218.2100 March 25 is “Good Meats! An Evening with Charcuterie” at Fairfield Cheese Co. 7-9pm. Call 203.292.8194 for more information. Wednesday March 26 is the “Iron Bar Gala” at Plan B Burger Bar in Milford. Read More
