Pokéworks Opens In Westport: Hawaiian Poké Bowls & Burritos for All! Restaurant Westport Seafood Sushi Lunch Asian Hawaiian Opening Maddie Phelps June 07, 2019 Those who loved a bowl or burrito packed with fresh meat, rice, and veggies were nothing short of devastated when Chipotle closed its Westport location this past winter. Thankfully, I can be the bearer of some good news for those who are still heartbroken. There’s a new place in town with plenty of fresh meat, rice, and veggies galore for any burrito or bowl you desire. And this time, there’s a Hawaiian twist to it.Pokéworks, a Hawaiian restaurant whose business took the country by storm upon opening in 2015, recently made its debut in Westport’s Compo Acres Shopping Center. The original founders sought to bring a taste of Hawaii to the public through poké, which is the diced raw fish that is considered one of the main dishes of native Hawaiian cuisine. Committed to offering the freshest of seafood, Pokéworks also emphasizes their sustainable practices and efforts to preserve the world’s oceans in a time when many are not. Read More
Boca Oyster Bar Opens On Bridgeport's Steelpointe Harbor Restaurant Bridgeport Black Rock Seafood Oysters Oyster Bar Homepage Opening James Gribbon June 02, 2019 Drivers casting their eyes randomly about, desperate for a diversionary glance at anything besides traffic and out of state plates between the concrete shoulders of I-95 may settle their gaze on a new brick building on the waterfront of Bridgeport harbor. Slightly reminiscent of a lighthouse, it sits at the other side of the new development in Steelpointe Harbor from Bass Pro Shops, and - as of this week - houses the new Boca Oyster Bar. CTBites hit the bar during their soft open at the end of May to give you this first look. Read More
Carbone's Prime Now Serving Crave-Worthy Brunch Menu Restaurant Brunch Rocky Hill Breakfast Comfort Food Homepage Kristin L. Wolfe May 25, 2019
MECHA Noodle Bar Opening in Stamford via Hey Stamford! Restaurant Stamford Japanese Vietnamese Noodles Opening Hey Stamford! May 21, 2019 Driving down Bedford Street recently, you may have noticed some activity taking place in a storefront along the east side of the street. It’s good news for all, because a popular local restaurant is getting ready to open their doors! With locations in South Norwalk, Fairfield, and New Haven, Mecha Noodle Bar has dropped a flag in Stamford Downtown!Known as a noodle lover’s paradise, Mecha serves up Asian comfort dishes, and is widely known for their Vietnamese Pho & Japanese Ramen. Among other things, they also do riffs on Southeast Asia street foods. The menu is replete with steamed baos, egg rolls, dumplings, spare ribs, and wings. But do not call them a “fusion” or a sushi restaurant, as they state on their website, they are: American-Vietnamese-Japanese-Thai-Chinese-Korean-New England-Momofuku-Totto-and-Ippudo-inspired.Read more on Hey Stamford! Read More
Guide To Connecticut Mobile Caterers: Food & Bar Trucks For Your Next Party! (sponsored post) Restaurant Catering Food Truck Entertaining Best of CT Homepage April Guilbault May 19, 2019 Rolling, rolling, rolling…Get that party rolling…Start food and drinks a flowin’Partaaaayyy!Hang on to your wagons, folks, we’ve compiled the Ultimate Mobile Caterers Guide for all of your summer (and fall) party needs! Just the fact that the party comes to you gets your soiree off to a unique and fun start. And then it starts dispensing amazing foods and drinks? Yes, we say, sign us up; cupcakes rolled to your doorstep? Check! Beer on tap parked in your backyard? Check! Pizzas, burgers, lobsters and crab cakes saddled up to your house? Check! You are going to have some serious fun with these options. In fact, we think it’s safe to say that your er….party “bar”…will be raised is an understatement. Keep ‘em rollin’ and enjoy! Read More
Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters Opening In Westport Restaurant Westport Coffee Tea And Coffee Local Artisan Opening Stephanie Webster May 18, 2019 Ed Freedman, Fairfield County’s passionate organic coffee roaster, and owner of the successful Shearwater Coffee Bar in the Brick Walk area of Fairfield, has announced the opening of a new location in Westport, on The Post Road. Named One of the 15 Best New Coffee Roasters in America by the popular digital lifestyle magazine Thrillist.com, and bestowed a 92 rating from CoffeeReview.com for their Organic Homacho Waeno Ethiopian roast, Shearwater introduced its small batch coffee roasts to Fairfield County in September of 2013 and was soon touted by java junkies, major gourmet food markets, and reputable area chefs as one of the leading coffee brands in the state. Read More
Tony’s at the JHouse Hotel: Come For Tony, Stay For the Fine Casual Dining Restaurant Greenwich Hotel Italian American Jessica Ryan May 16, 2019 Tony Capasso has developed quite the reputation earning himself quite the following. After spending nearly 20 years at Valbella! and Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse, the veteran Maître d’ now has a steak place of his own at the JHouse, a boutique hotel in Greenwich. Tony is warm, affable and charming. He has a special way with his customers as he circles around to each table offering quick yet challenging trivia questions for all to answer. His eyes twinkle. His smile is infectious. Read More
MilkCraft Now Open in New Haven w/ Nitrogren Infused Ice Cream & Soft Serve! (+ Milkcraft Truck! Restaurant ice cream New Haven Fairfield West Hartford Dessert Opening CTbites Team May 15, 2019 I wouldn’t have expected the steady stream of customers this past Wednesday afternoon at Milkcraft, all lining up for nitrogen infused ice cream despite the chilly temps outside. And yet, after tasting my P B & J Roasted Banana in the signature Bubblecone, I understand the customers’ urgency. Who needs hot chocolate when one can delight in these fresh, chef driven flavors honoring the winter season? The Bourbon Breakfast and Smokin’ Choco de Leche and will hold me over until the summer just fine.Rejoice, New Haven residents. You can now enjoy Milkcraft in New Haven! The New Haven location (280 Crown Street) is the largest of the locations to date, at 1500 square feet. Read More
Cafe Silvium in Stamford: 18 Years And Still Topping The CT Italian Scene Restaurant Italian Stamford Lunch Homepage Andrew Dominick May 12, 2019 Cafe Silvium has been open nearly 18 years. I first heard about it six months ago. Yeah, stuff like that happens. I couldn’t possibly know about every single restaurant in this part of Connecticut, could I?What bugged me about Cafe Silvium is the number of random people who dropped it in casual conversation. And there was no collusion here. Every mention of it came from different aspects of my life or from loosely connected friends. The first whispers of Cafe Silvium came from a Bumble match. No, we didn’t ever meet up for a meal there, in case you were wondering. Read More
Mango’s Wood-Fired Pizza Co. in Mystic: "2 Brothers Who Love Real Good Pizza" Restaurant Pizza Mystic Lunch Italian CTbites Team May 07, 2019 Nestled alongside I-95N in Mystic, CT, you will find what many say is the best pizza in New London County. Mango’s Wood-Fired Pizza Co. is the perfect place for a pit stop and quick bite. The restaurant is named after a tour guide, Mango, who the owner met on vacation. Connecticut is known for its New Haven pizza. However, this pizza, in my opinion, can compete with best of them, and is why the restaurant was packed on Easter weekend. The variety and creativity in the menu keeps customers coming back.My family and I stopped at Mango’s on Saturday morning at around 11:45 am, where we found the place already hopping. Read More
Winfield Street Coffee Opening at The Ferguson Library in Stamford Restaurant Coffee Tea And Coffee Opening CTbites Team April 30, 2019 Winfield Street Coffee will open at The Ferguson Library this summer. The coffee shop, which will offer Counter Culture Coffee, Battenkill Milk and Hudson Valley Harvest produce along with other local products, will also serve fresh baked goods, their renown breakfast and lunch sandwiches, as well as salads. It will open in the former Starbucks space once renovations are complete, probably in mid-August.Owner Breno Donatti also operates the Winfield Street Italian Deli in Westport and another Winfield Street Coffee at the Croton-Harmon train station in Croton-on-Hudson New York. He lives in Stamford with his family. Read More
Garden Catering Debuts Fried Chicken Sandwiches Restaurant Fried Chicken Sandwich Norwalk Fairfield New Menu Homepage Andrew Dominick April 26, 2019 There’s no doubt that Garden Catering’s chicken nuggets—with cones—are the star of their show. GC’s fans are guilty of copping and crushing “The Special,” many times over. If you’ve ever deviated from their legendary nuggs, chances are you cheated with a Nugget Wrap or the Hotsy, both are arguably the runners up to the nuggets. Well, things are changing!Oh, don’t worry, those two sandwiches are staying, but two new ones are making their grand entrance on Garden Catering’s menu…Fried chicken sandwiches. Read More
Chef Emily Mingrone Opening Tavern on State, A Classic American Tavern, in New Haven Restaurant New Haven American Lunch Opening Stephanie Webster April 23, 2019 Chef Emily Mingrone (of Fleisher’s, Match & Jesup Hall) is turning a long time dream into reality with the upcoming opening of her own restaurant, Tavern On State. Tavern On State will be a classic American tavern with a modern twist, located in the East Rock, New Haven, neighborhood. Mingrone had been working on this project for years, but she couldn’t find the right location. When her old drinking haunt, Cojones, became available, she knew it was meant to be. “I’ve learned so much working with Chefs Storch and Taibe, and I’m so grateful for those experiences,” says Mingrone. Now it’s HER time. We are thrilled to see another female chef in the Connecticut restaurant scene, and we are excited to see what this seasoned chef has in store for us. Speaking with Mingrone, she describes Tavern on State as having a “simple concept in menu and design.” “One of my biggest frustrations as a consumer is sometimes you just want a really good steak or delicious shrimp cocktail, and there is no place to get really great classic American fare. At Tavern On State, I want to make simple flavor focused, properly made tavern food.” Think oysters on the half shell, but garnished with yuzu vs mignonette; interesting versions of the classic shrimp cocktail, grilled octopus, burgers, and sexy steaks. Read More
Prime Stamford Launches New Seasonal Spring Menu (Alongside Waterfront Dining) (sponsored post) Restaurant Stamford American Seafood Cocktails Outdoor Dining Waterfront Jessica Ryan April 17, 2019 Spring is always a welcome thing, but as part of the CTBites team it also means that a trip to Prime Stamford is in order to check out their spring offerings and we are always eager to see what magic Chef Julio Geno has up his sleeve. As we waited to get a sampling of the Easter Menu we sipped some of the restaurant’s most popular choices, the Babylon Express, made from Crop cucumber vodka, St. Germaine, lime and pineapple juices, the Pineapple Mojito and the Passion Cosmo, made from passion vodka, passion fruit purée, triple sec and lime and cranberry juices. Read More
Chef Dan Kardos Launches Flaco Taco Truck...$4 Menu (+ Lobster Roll) Restaurant Food Truck Mexican Tacos Lobster Homepage Opening Stephanie Webster April 07, 2019 Chef Dan Kardos (Liberty Rock Tavern, Oar & Oak) is rolling out something new for CT taco (and lobster) lovers. Kardos has bought himself another truck, and this time we’re talking tacos. Flaco Taco is the name, and Kardos is in the process of getting it ready for the summer season. The truck will be serving up $4 tacos and some tasty sides…but wait, there’s more…there will also be an epically delicious $24 Lobster roll (ya know…just ‘cuz). Let’s talk about them tacos. CTbites have seen a preliminary menu, and Kardos admits things may change by June, but here is the basic situation. Tacos range from Crispy Fish with spicy slaw and lime, to Southern Fried Chicken with buttermilk ranch, and Braised Beef Shank with spicy tahini. Yes please. Sides will likely include classics such as street corn, Guac’ and his famous watermelon and cucumber salad (think Liberty Rock Truck). Read More
BLT Bridgestreet Libations & Temptations: NOT a Sandwich Joint Restaurant New Hartford Hartford Burgers Sandwich Lunch Homepage Kristin L. Wolfe March 31, 2019 Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday B L TTTT, Happy Birthday to You. Guess who’s been on the block for a year already?Ok, close your eyes. When I say Willy Wonka, what do you see? I see Gene Wilder’s crazy hair and wild eyes, amidst the bright colors of the funky psychedelic clothes of the 60s and 70s. Well, beyond that, Willy Wonka represents a fantasy where all your favorite things appear right before your eyes and everything flavorful is heightened to the nth degree. Am I right? Well, this is a little of what is in store for you at Chef Jim Casey’s haven, BLT (Bridgestreet, Libations & Temptations). It’s a mouthful of a name, but this place is worth your time, money, and palate. The casual brick exterior and extra low key vibe inside is a facade for the eating extravaganza you encounter on your plate. Read More
Mama Chow Asian Street Food Opens in Southport...And It's Delicious! Restaurant Asian Vietnamese Japanese Southport Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick March 24, 2019 Something I struggle with living in Norwalk is having a go-to Asian spot for a quick lunch or affordable takeout. There are plenty of neighborhood Chinese restaurants but they’re mostly mediocre, and I haven’t liked any of them since Red Bean sold their business. Ever since they took their American General Tso’s chicken (and actual Asian specialties) out of my life, I’ve been lost, searching for something halfway decent, even branching out to nearby towns out of desperation.Cue a Southport newbie, Mama Chow, that’s been open for barely three weeks. I heard about it from CTbites Boss Lady, Stephanie Webster, who sang its praises and insisted I try it. Damn, was she ever on the money with this one. Mama Chow is a fast-casual Asian street food concept featuring popular grub from Malaysia, Japan, and Vietnam. Read More
Conspiracy Cocktail Bar in Middletown Gets a Sustainable Ramen Menu via CT Magazine Restaurant Ramen Asian Middletown Noodles Cocktails Bar Connecticut Magazine March 22, 2019 Exciting Ramen news from Connecticut Magazine…The tables and chairs were not designed with eating in mind and, through no fault of its own, Conspiracyis located more than an hour away from my house. Even so, I can’t wait to go back.The reason?One word: Ramen.OK, three words: Ramen, cocktails and atmosphere.Let’s start with the atmosphere. Conspiracy is undeniably cool. Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack cool. Accessible by an easy-to-miss doorway on Middletown’s Main Street, the second-floor space has the feeling of a secret club straight out of a film noir. Lounge chairs snake around an L-shaped room with painted-white brick walls. Edison bulbs hang from lofty ceilings, casting their warm light over a showstopping square bar. Behind the bar, bartenders twirl, mix and shake various liquids as they prepare alcoholic elixirs, often from historic recipes. Read More
Mothership on Main Bakery and Cafe: Hidden Gem in Danbury Restaurant Breakfast Lunch Bakery Dessert Danbury Catering Homepage Kathleen Telesco March 21, 2019 The story of Mothership on Main Bakery in Danbury began eight years ago, after owner Anna Llanos had just finished treatment for cancer. Instead of applying for a job, “like a normal person,” she did what most of us would not dare to do in the easiest of times, she turned the Airstream trailer in her driveway into an espresso bar and bakery. After opening two more kitchens in commercial buildings in Danbury, she realized that she wanted to find a location where she could be a part of the larger community. This is how she eventually set up shop in a converted 1930s-era gas station on Main Street, where fans flock for breakfast, lunch, and all the baked goods they can eat in between. Read More
Don't Miss Chef Jeff Taibe's Monthly Bushido Pop-Up Dinner at Taproot in Bethel Restaurant Bethel Japanese Organic Local Artisan Sushi Pop-Up Dinner Homepage Andrew Dominick March 17, 2019 When Jeff Taibe opened Taproot in the second half of 2017, our Amy Kundrat summed up this Fairfield County gem beautifully. “Creative, seasonal, down-to-Earth, and hyper-local” (because damn near every ingredient comes from Connecticut farms) are all words she used. That summation is dead-on accurate. And yeah, you should run there. I wish I listened to her closing sentence and didn’t wait so long for a stellar culinary experience. Bethel isn’t THAT far, and Taproot is worth the drive. When I did go, I deserved the ribbing. “Hey, man! It only took you a f*cking year to get here!” Taibe joked. From the shareable, addictive apps, to carefully crafted cocktails, and braised pork cheeks that flaked apart with a slight twist of my fork, it was my favorite meal in Connecticut in 2018. All of the above is a well-deserved shout-out, but I’m not giving you a Taproot update. I’m dishing on the restaurant’s one-Sunday-per-month mood swing called “Bushido.” Bushido, as you can probably surmise, is a Japanese pop-up concept. The birth of Bushido is a story in itself. Read More
