CT Restaurants and COVID-19: UPDATED Guide To Delivery, Pick-Up, Alcohol... Restaurant Features News Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 22, 2020 Connecticut restaurants are pivoting to continue to serve consumers in the wake of COVID-19. This guide will be ongoing and continually updated to reflect changes to in house dining, delivery options, special family meals offered, and updated menus. CT restaurants work hard to serve this community of diners, and will continue to do so throughout this global crisis. They need your ongoing patronage. Please consider ordering out from a restaurant near you. Read More
Chicken Quest: My Search for the Best Fried Chicken Sandwich in CT (via CT Magazine) Restaurant Features Best of CT Fried Chicken Sandwich Lunch Connecticut Magazine March 11, 2020 Popeye’s introduced its new chicken sandwich late last summer. After a week of rave reviews, long lines and poultry passion, Chick-fil-A took to Twitter, without mentioning Popeye’s by name, to remind the public which chicken sandwich they fell in love with first. Popeye’s taunted back in the afternoon, “... y’all good?” The beef over chicken was on.Normally one to avoid chains, I was compelled to get to Popeye’s. I had to try this life-changing sandwich. I pulled up to the drive-thru with hangry anticipation only to hear, “We’re sold out.” Gut punch. I simply drove off. Nothing could satiate me in this dark moment over white meat.Eventually I returned to eating, but the craving for a great chicken sandwich never left. It became my mission. Chains be damned, I have to find the best fried chicken sandwich in Connecticut. -Mike Wollschlager Read More
Lorca Coffee Bar Expands Their Downtown Stamford Space and Breakfast Menu Restaurant Stamford Coffee Breakfast Brunch Dessert Bakery Homepage Andrew Dominick March 07, 2020 Known for churning out cortados, cappuccinos, cold brews, and their famous crispy, sugared churros, Lorca Coffee Bar has expanded their original location on Bedford Street.What used to be a tiny 16-seat café—seriously, it was the size of a large walk-in closet—is now around 40 seats.And that’s not all, according to owner Leyla Dam Jenkins.“We’re going to put an outdoor patio in the back; it’s already being built out,” she says.The patio will hopefully be open by the time summer gets here. Dam Jenkins also tossed in a tidbit that Lorca now has a designated 15-minute parking spot for customers who simply want a quick cup of coffee.But with more space comes a bigger kitchen (it’s triple the size of what is was) and thus, an expanded menu. “We used to only be able to bake 12 cookies at a time,” Dam Jenkins says. “Before, we’d have baked goods delivered but now we’re making our muffins and baked goods in-house.” Read More
Guide To Healthy Eating in CT: 2020 Edition Features Restaurant healthy Juice Bar Organic Vegan Vegetarian Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Healthy Eats Gluten-Free Best of CT Homepage April Guilbault March 05, 2020 Resolutions, goals, lifestyle changes-whatever the reason, it’s never too late or bad of an idea to try to eat healthier. As the winter starts to fade into the distance and with it goes the heavy comfort foods that satisfied us on brisk evenings, our focus can start to turn now towards lighter, healthier options. Turn to the sun! Sometimes, though, the hardest part is simply figuring out what to eat. But wait, what about dining out? Is it possible to eat out and still stay on a healthy track? Yup, yup, double yup. There is a virtual cornucopia of healthy eating spots so, lucky for you, that guesswork has been removed from the equation. Now you only have to decide what you are craving. Branch out, try some new food and drinks and be happier knowing that what you are eating is not only enjoyable but better for you.Check out these 20+ Spots for Healthy Eats in Connecticut. Read More
Tyler Anderson Opens Terreno at The Goodwin Hotel in Hartford Restaurant Mediterranean Italian hartfo Hartford Celebrity Chef Homepage Opening Catherine Ribeiro February 23, 2020 In full disclosure, I have worked with Chef Tyler Anderson. If you have worked in the restaurant industry in Connecticut you probably have too, in one way or another. If you have eaten in Connecticut, the same can still be said: you have worked to get a reservation at his Millwright’s, worked to pick out the perfect slice at his Square Peg and you have worked to get the best seat in the house at Anderson’s High George. But now, Tyler is bringing us all back to his most familiar ground, aptly titled Terreno - his latest venture, boasting Cal-Italian fare, in the space that formerly housed Restaurant Porrón. Read More
Blackstones Steakhouse: It's Not Just for Carnivores Restaurant Steakhouse Steak Southport Norwalk Greenwich Stamford Homepage Jessica Ryan February 09, 2020 It’s interesting that with all the restaurants to grace our local communities – from the sushi to the noodles, the vegetarian and vegan, the French, Mexican, Italian, Indian and Asian, to seafood – that we don’t have many steakhouses. So when I was invited to attend a media dinner at Blackstones Steakhouse last week I was quick to respond. With locations in Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk and Southport, Blackstones is a name you should know – even if you’re not a meat eater. Each restaurant is slightly different in style and menu. The Southport location is reminiscent of the old world steakhouse. Read More
10 Things—or Tapas—We Loved About Mezón Restaurant in Danbury Restaurant Latin American Peruvian Mexican Danbury Tapas Homepage Stephanie Webster & Andrew Dominick February 02, 2020 For nearly a decade, Mezón Restaurant has been thought of as one of Connecticut’s premiere Latin eateries by word of mouth and its seen its fair share of media recognition—they are fresh off Connecticut Magazine Reader’s Poll wins for Best Latin in Fairfield County and the runner-up for Best Latin in the state. And that’s saying something considering they didn’t even know they were nominated and because of that, they didn’t publicize it. Four years ago, our own Lou Gorfain sang Mezón’s praises after a small tasting of ceviche, pan seared pulpo, Dominican fried chicken, and churros. But everything food deserves an update, especially considering there’s a new chef at the helm, an obviously newer menu, and a haven for craft cocktails. Oh, and I’m pretty sure Lou and Kristin are the only ones at CTbites who have been to Mezón. For Stephanie and me, we uttered the same thing, “I’m embarrassed I hadn’t been here before.” Read More
The Stand Vegan Cafe in Fairfield Attracts Hard-Core Vegans — And Many More (via Dan Woog's 06880) Restaurant Juice Cleanse Juice Bar healthy Vegetarian Gluten-Free Fairfield CTbites Team January 30, 2020
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Debuts NEW Meatball and Ricotta Pizza! Restaurant Pizza New Haven Danbury Fairfield CTbites Team January 29, 2020 Breaking Pizza News! It’s not often that the legendary Connecticut-based Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana debuts a new pizza, so when this classic New Haven-style, coal-fired pizzeria does, it’s a really big deal. Pepe’s has recently started serving its latest master piece, the Meatball and Ricotta pizza crafted with 100% all natural meatballs, ricotta cheese, crushed Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, grated pecorino Romano and drizzled with olive oil. Read More
Hoodoo Brown BBQ Introduces Tex-Mex Tuesdays Restaurant BBQ Tacos Mexican Ridgefield Andrew Dominick January 27, 2020 Every now and then Hoodoo Brown BBQ goes off their standard menu for special smoked meat theme days. Occasional Whole Hog Sundays, Prime Rib Thursdays (and French Dip Fridays if there are leftovers), and Taco Tuesdays are just some of the drool-inducing days the Hoodoo Crew has come up with over the years. From Taco Tuesday, though, something else was born…Tex-Mex Tuesday. “We did Taco Tuesday for three months with one special taco on the menu to get our creativity flowing,” says Hoodoo general manager Chris Sexton. “It felt like an afterthought because people would get one or two tacos, and we’d maybe sell 10-15 the whole night, but we know that we do things better when we do them bigger.” Read More
Nordic Fish Opens in Fairfield: The Freshest of Fish, Poke Bar, Sushi Donuts & Prepared Food! Restaurant Ingredients Specialty Market Fish Fish Market Fairfield Seasonal Sushi Poke Catering Clambake Lobster Bake Opening April Guilbault January 15, 2020 I have two words for you: Sushi Cake. And two more words for you: Sushi Donut. Hold on, two more: Sushi Burrito. Wait! Three more words! (so many words).Knowledge. Sustainability. Heritage.How on earth do all of these, plus a fresh Nordic wind, connect? They intersect on the Post Road in Fairfield at the Nordic Fish market. Read More
Experience the New TASTING Series at Prime Stamford (sponsored post) Features Restaurant Pop-Up Dinner Stamford Chef Talk Chef's Tasting Jessica Ryan January 11, 2020 Earlier this week a few of us from the CTBites team made our now seasonal pilgrimage to Prime in Stamford. This time to experience the restaurant’s new TASTING menu.The summit of cuisine at Prime, the TASTING series is a re-imagined experience in dining. Small tastes are presented in a unique rhythm and play to Chef’s sensibilities on a weekly basis. In what feels like a restaurant within a restaurant, TASTING places you in the inner sanctum of the kitchen, with the Chef as your guide. The four course TASTING menu is a truly unique table experience. Read More
La Taqueria Opens in Greenwich: Killer Tacos & More Restaurant Mexican Greenwich Tacos Lunch Fast Casual Opening Andrew Dominick January 05, 2020 If you turn onto Greenwich Avenue and blink, there’s a chance you blew right by La Taqueria, one of the street’s newest additions where tacos are front-and-center. Before we dive into the stellar tacos at La Taqueria, you should get to know some of its backstory. That all starts with chef/owner Dennis Lake, who, like his restaurant, is a newcomer to Greenwich as a resident, but not as a stranger entirely. Years ago, he was a sous chef at Restaurant 64 before it was The Ginger Man. Read More
Dough & Co. Cafe & Bakeshop: Georgetown Just Got a Whole Lot Sweeter Restaurant Bakery Cookies Dessert Lunch Breakfast Georgetown Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Natalie Levitt January 02, 2020 The journey to Dough & Co. Cafe & Bakeshop and Georgetown has been an adventurous one. After taking a brief break to welcome her son into the world, Christina heard that a Baking Company in Rowayton, CT was looking for a pastry chef. To date, her background had been focused specifically in savory, however she knew that with her passion and creativity, she could translate her skills to pastry and she said YES YES YES to the job! She tapped into the foundational courses she had taken, the internet, books, and Food Network shows to learn how to make pastries like french macaroons and fancy chocolates. The Baking Company in Rowayton started out as a baked goods and healthy salads eatery and eventually became Dough & Co. in 2008 with a rebranding in 2014. Read More
CTbites Staff Picks for Top Eats of 2019 Restaurant Best of CT Homepage Stephanie Webster December 27, 2019 2019...Ah, what a year. As we welcome in the roaring 20’s, full of promise, and hopefully, less national division and drama, it is important to celebrate the restaurants, chefs, dishes, and dining experiences that helped shape the 2019 CT dining scene (and kept us sane). 2019 heralded some great openings from both chefs we know and love, as well as some newcomers. Here's our list of Top Eats for 2019 from the CTbites staff. Every team member and contributor has chosen their own unique way to throw down their favorites. This is NOT a “Best Of” list as writer, Andrew Dominick states. These are the meals and culinary experiences we remember most fondly from 2019. Enjoy, and start making your reservations for 2020. Read More
Brunch at Barcelona Wine Bar Norwalk: The Secret Is Out Restaurant Brunch Breakfast Spanish Tapas Norwalk New Haven West Hartford Stephanie Webster December 25, 2019 This review has been a long time coming. For the past year, my family has had a standing reservation either Saturday or Sunday morning at Barcelona Wine Bar’s Waypoint location. We have been regulars at their evening Tapas service, truly enjoying Chef Kaline Capps’ ever evolving but consistently well executed menu. However, the morning we walked in for Brunch, our weekend breakfast game was forever changed. Barcelona serves a 12 piece curated Brunch menu that knocks the socks off of most local breakfast menus, and the prices…well…there is only one item on the menu over $8. Scrambled Egg Montadito with Manchego and Serrano ham will run you $4.50. Migas Verduras with Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Aioli sets you back $6.50, and the incredibly delicious Chorizo Breakfast Bowl can be yours for $7.50. Every time we stagger out the door, full of cured Spanish meat and perfectly cooked eggs, we have reverse sticker shock. The menu features ingredients you know, each with a delightful Spanish twist. Now, I’ve shared my little secret. You know where to find me on the weekends. And I haven’t even gotten to the pancakes… Read More
Tiger Belly Noodle Bar in Granby: Slow-Cooked Ramen Perfection (via CT Magazine) Restaurant Granby Ramen Asian Japanese Noodles Comfort Food Connecticut Magazine December 18, 2019 The first sip of steaming broth at Tiger Belly Noodle Bar in Granby tells me all I need to know.The tonkotsu (pork bone) broth is so dense and savory that it seems like it could cure a cold. Although my ramen bowl arrives a few minutes after I order it, the process of its creation clearly began much earlier. It’s easy to tell this soup was slow-cooked. The broth cooks for 20 to 25 hours, I’ll later learn.“We slow-stew it overnight and then we blast it with high heat the next day when we come into work,” chef and owner Ki’yen Yeung says. “We get it down to the point where the bones melt into the broth. Read More
Bruxelles Brasserie’s European Flavors Infuse the South Norwalk Restaurant Scene Restaurant SONO South Norwalk Norwalk European Hungarian French Comfort Food Brunch Lunch Homepage Opening Jessica Ryan December 15, 2019 Bruxelles Brasserie recently opened its doors on Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Barcelona Wine Bar. The setting is hip - a SoHo vibe in SoNo – the flavors are somewhat more traditional. Chef Roland Olah describes his cuisine as simple, though I beg to differ. While there is a familiarity with every dish, nearly everything we tried also had an element of surprise. At Bruxelles Brasseries, you might find that the expected meets the unexpected. Read More
40+ Restaurants for Christmas Eve & Christmas in CT: 2019 Edition Restaurant Christmas Holiday Christmas Eve Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 11, 2019 Thanksgiving has passed and snow is on the ground… it’s almost time for Christmas! It’s a festive time of year, but also a busy one full of shopping, cleaning, decorating, baking, and travelling. Why not save some time on the cooking? These 40+ CT restaurants are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas with special menus, festive cocktails, and more. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your friends at CTBites! Read More
Food & Wine Picks "Story & Soil" in Hartford as One of The Best Coffee Shops in America: 2019 Restaurant Coffee Hartford Hartford County Homepage CTbites Team December 10, 2019 Food & Wine writer, David Landsel, has spent 2 years traveling the United States, studying the American coffee culture. His list of nearly 100 of the most essential cafes, coffee shops, and espresso bars in the United States, includes one very special spot in the Nutmeg state, Story and Soil, located in Hartford CT. Congrats on making the cut, and check out the full article in Food & Wine. Read More
