Kids Review: The Melting Pot Kids Bites Darien Lunch Kid Friendly Lily Schaeffer January 13, 2012 Lily Schaeffer is one of our junior reporters. She in the sixth grade and lives in Darien. How many times have you wished you could try something new and different for dinner but you didn’t know where to go or what to get? The solution is fondue! You can get freshly grated and melted cheese fondue or rich delectable chocolate fondue for dessert at a restaurant right in Darien, The Melting Pot is located at 14 Grove Street. At The Melting Pot, you will arrive to a beautiful flowing fountain right outside the door and enter the restaurant to find a welcoming modern atmosphere perfect for a chilly fall night. The friendly staff will greet you and fill you in on the menu options (we chose lightly spiced cheddar fondue). Another exciting feature is after you have ordered, your food will be thrillingly made right before you eyes at your table. You can sit back and dip delectable tidbits in strategically made melted cheese. Did I mention the dippable items come in a bottomless supply? Read More
Kids Review: Aux Delices Cooking School Kids Bites Cooking Classes Recipe CTbites Team December 01, 2011 And now a word from our 10 yrs old food critic.... Cake, bacon, and cinnamon; these are the words that my nose told my brain as soon as I walked into the kitchen at Aux Delices. I was so delighted that I was going to be cooking a scrumptious meal and not trying something that a professional chef created. The cooking class that I went to was instructed by Lynn Manheim. She is also the cooking school director. The first recipe that we made was scones. Most of the ingredients were out on the table but the sugar and the flour were in two big bins. Mrs. Manheim shows everyone exactly how to do each step and how much of each ingredient to use. She will wait for everyone to finish one step before she goes onto the next, and if you need some help Mrs. Manheim will always give you a hand (especially if you’re grating butter like I was). Read More
Visions of Gingerbread Opens Saturday, Nov 12 Kids Bites Events kids activity Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster November 04, 2011 A holiday tradition returns to the Stamford Museum & Nature Center on November 12th with Visions of Gingerbread III: The Sweetest Architects exhibition. Visions of Gingerbread is a tribute to architectural confections that truly make your jaw drop. Created by some of the area’s finest bakers, these edible wonders will display the chefs’ extraordinary creativity and gingerbread skills. It is the Museum’s desire to elevate these creative structures to the art form they so truly are, and put them on proper display. Last year, CTbites jumped on board and created an entry (much sleep was lost). This year, CTbites will help judge the winner. Read More
Road Trip: Ballo Italian Restaurant & Club @ Mohegan Sun Road Trip Restaurant Italian Road Trip Andrew Dominick November 01, 2011 A month ago I contributed an article about John Tunney’s latest creation, Ballo Italian Restaurant & Social Club. Now, I am pleased to bring you a sneak peek at not just the décor, not just a menu preview, but of the reason we are all here, for the food. But first, let me take you on a brief tour of this restaurant/bar/dance club/lounge. Remember that preview article? All that construction and the pictures of what it will look like? Seeing those photos is one thing, seeing this place in person is another. The wraparound marble bar, the sphere-like hanging lamps, the giant lanterns, and the fireplaces, give Ballo a glow unlike any other restaurant in Mohegan Sun Casino. Read More
An Interview w/ Westport's Own Ramin Ganeshram Kids Bites Cookbooks Cooking Classes Kid Friendly Jessica Ryan October 19, 2011 I recently had the pleasure to sit down with Ramin Ganeshram to talk about her cookbook; her newly released Stir it Up! a novel written for young adults, as well as her involvement in the community. But before you start reading...In Stir It Up! heroine Anjali Krishnan enters a video cooking contest for a shot at a reality cooking competition show on Food Network. She does such a good job she makes it to the finals. If you have a young aspiring chef in your family, check out Ramin's video contest below. Ramin, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, was greatly influenced by the cultures of her Iranian mother and Trinidadian father. The marriage of two different heritages and lifestyles would result creating in new traditions; food was one of them. Ramin explained, “We had access to Middle Eastern markets growing up, but all Middle Eastern ingredients are not the same. Read More
Tokeneke's Pumpkin Carnival in Darien October 15th Kids Bites Events Holiday kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team September 30, 2011 Tokeneke’s annual Pumpkin Carnival will take place Saturday, October 15th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The rain date is October 16th. For over forty years, Tokeneke’s Pumpkin Carnival, held at the Tokeneke Elementary School on Old Farm Road, has been an annual tradition for families in and around Darien. The Carnival features attractions for all ages, including a haunted house, rides, games and crafts, rock climbing, bouncy castles, a bake sale and raffle prizes. In addition, food will be provided by Burgers, Shakes & Fries, Upper Crust Bakery & Café, and Heights Pizza. Read More
11th Annual Ambler Farm Day Kids Bites Events Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster September 27, 2011 The 11th Annual Ambler Farm Day is Sunday, October 2, 2011, 12pm-4pm at Ambler Farm, 257 Hurlbutt Street in Wilton CT. This is a wonderful local family friendly event celebrating the Fall harvest with a hay maze, farm animals, children's crafts, live music and more. (Plus, you will want to visit your local pumpkin patch early this year. We hear the rains were tough on crops and pumpkins may not be as plentiful) Below is a full list of activities. Grab the family and head on over. Read More
Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar in Monroe Kids Bites Restaurant Monroe Special Dietary Needs kids activity Comfort Food Kid Friendly CTbites Team September 20, 2011 And now a word from our 10 years old food critic.... Hey kids, guess what? Want to win a free Mac Daddy’s T-Shirt? Mac Daddy’s will give the first 10 kids to correctly guess the amount of macaroni boxes used to fill the pan on the wall (described below) a free t-shirt Contest ends on November 20th. Mention CTbites to enter. What do you think of when you think of macaroni and cheese? A small box of Kraft mac and cheese? Well… now I think of Macdaddy’s Macaroni and Cheese Bar, an amazing macaroni and cheese restaurant with at least 20 different kinds of macaroni. I had thought that Macdaddy’s was going to be bigger than it was (they can seat about 25 people) but that didn’t mean it wasn’t good. Macdaddy’s is a quick service restaurant (which means that you order at a counter and they bring the food to your table). Read More
Road Trip: Ballo Italian Restaurant & Social Club @ Mohegan Sun Road Trip Restaurant Italian Andrew Dominick August 26, 2011 Restauranteur John Tunney, owner of the popular Mexican restaurant Besito in Hartford, expects to wow you with his 12th and newest restaurant, Ballo. The word “Ballo” is Italian for “dance.” Diners can expect the usual eating and drinking, but you can do what the name says and dance as well. Ballo Italian Restaurant and Social Club will join Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse, Todd English’s Tuscany, and Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain at Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino this September. Even though Ballo is still under construction, Tunney’s idea is unique, and when he speaks, you can imagine how original this new restaurant will be from the usual. Read More
Kids Review: Stir It Up by Ramin Ganeshram Kids Bites Chef Talk Cookbooks Kid Friendly Rebecca H. Ryan August 22, 2011 Rebecca is a 7th grader at The Unquowa School in Fairfield, CT. She loves to read, write, draw and cook. This is her review of Ramin Ganeshram's new book, Stir It Up. [Note: Don't miss the great recipe for Coconut Dark Chocolate Cookies below.] In Stir It Up by Ramin Ganeshram, the thirteen year old main character, Anjali, causes quite a stir when she chances losing some of the most important things in her life. Anjali loves to cook; she loves working in her family’s roti shop. Her dream is to have her own Food Network cooking show by the age of fifteen. On the other hand, her father wants her to take an entrance exam to get into the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in New York City. Read More
Cooking for Kids: Camp Fine Dining w/ Chef Paul Desiano Kids Bites Cooking Classes Education kids activity Amy Kundrat August 01, 2011 Camp Fine Dining is a two week camp for teenagers that will run this August led by Paul Desiano, Chef and Owner of Cello (formerly Plate) located in Copps Hill Plaza in Ridgefield. In the first week, Camp Fine Dining will focus students on basic skills including knife cuts, butchering, sauces, and pasta making. By the second week, the students and Chef Desiano will brainstorm a 5-course tasting menu. The class will spend the first week preparing and the program will conclude with the students cooking that menu for their families. Dates and time: August 16 -18, August 23 – 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Read More
Kids Review: Bond Grill Hibachi and Asian Bistro in Norwalk Kids Bites Asian Japanese Norwalk CTbites Team July 27, 2011 Carly Monson is our roving 10 yrs old food critic. She hopes to get Fairfield County kids excited about eating in new venues like this one... Do you love to have fun while eating delicious food? Well, then Bond Grill Hibachi and Asian Bistro in Norwalk, C.T. is the perfect restaurant for you! I felt very welcomed when I first walked in. Bond looks very modern and most Asian restaurants look very ancient. Bond offers Hibachi and traditional Asia food, we chose Hibachi. The Hibachi dining room has a totally different vibe (from the main dining area), you feel like you’re in Asia. The walls are painted a dirty green and the texture looks created by hand. Read More
Tour India with Thali's Chef Prasad Chirnomula Road Trip Chef Talk Road Trip Indian Amy Kundrat July 20, 2011
Zee Burger in Woodbury: A First Beefy Bite Road Trip Restaurant Woodbury Lunch Burgers Amy Kundrat June 05, 2011 When news first broke that Carole Peck, our east coast answer to Alice Waters, would be opening a burger joint adjacent to her popular farm-to-table Good News Café in Woodbury, the first thing I did was clear my calendar. The second thing I did was ask the obvious question. Was this the same Carole Peck who has been running the Café in Woodbury since 1993, hosting culinary trips to France and espousing local farms? Burgers? Carole, really? Actually it makes perfect sense that Peck, who has been committed to sourcing locally and seasonally for Good News Café for almost twenty years, would want to widen her spectrum and open a more accessible establishment using the same approach that has won her accolades and a loyal following. Fueled by an extended financial recession, the inexpensive luxuries of the gourmet burger joint formula has been trending in Connecticut. Peck has joined the fray staying true to her signature style – by creating the farm stand version of the burger joint. Read More
Caramel Popcorn & Pretzel Bars via The Parsley Thief Kids Bites Features Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert katie vitucci May 20, 2011 This weekend, I once again volunteered to organize the Bake Sale at my children's school carnival. Last year, I made bags of caramel popcorn, which was a big hit! I planned on making it again this year. But, due to time constraints, I needed to find something easier. While these Chewy Saramel Popcorn & Pretzel Bars taste a lot like caramel corn, one batch made 24 {big} bars...which could be cooled & wrapped individually in plastic wrap. This ended up being a lot easier than stuffing little cello bags with sticky popcorn. I also loved the idea of mixing sweet, chewy caramel popcorn with salty, crunchy pretzels...I'm a huge fan of the sweet/salty thing. Read More
Kids Review: Swirl Ice Cream & Treats in Redding Kids Bites Ridgefield Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team May 05, 2011 Carly Monson is our roving 10 yrs old food critic. This week, she reports on a kids classic... Is your sweet tooth pulling you towards some candy and a scoop of ice cream? Then you have found your place, SWIRL! Swirl has about 11 different flavors of ice cream and millions of different candies. My new favorite ice cream flavor is Swamp. Swamp tastes very much like Oreos and the chocolate chips and M&M’s in it give it a nice crunch. Another flavor of ice cream that I love is good ol’ fashion chocolate. I think that Swirl’s chocolate is a little sweeter than other places but definitely in a good way. They have recently added a new flavor, Eggnog. I thought their Eggnog surprisingly tastes a lot like peppermint and is very sweet. My brother’s favorite flavor is Mud. I think that Mud tastes like a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup. I don’t like peanut butter but my brother says Mud is awesome. Swirl also has one of my mom’s favorite, vanilla frozen yogurt. Read More
Cooking Camps For Kids in Fairfield County Kids Bites Cooking Classes kids activity kids cooking party CTbites Team April 14, 2011 I don’t remember any of my peers taking cooking classes when I was a kid, but the world is different now, what with the Food Network and all the other TV cooking shows, websites, special events and the general blossoming of our foodie culture. At the same time, it’s no longer a given that a child learns to cook at home with Mom or Grandma, so a little outside instruction is often welcome. Whatever the reason, cooking classes for kids are a phenomenon of our times, and Fairfield County has many options for kids who are so inclined. This will be an occasional series on opportunities for kids to learn to cook (mostly) in the Fairfield County area. Because right now is the time to think about summer camp, let's start there... Read More
Kids Make Pizza Every Sunday @ Coalhouse in Stamford Kids Bites Restaurant Pizza Stamford kids activity kids cooking party Kid Friendly Liz Rueven March 11, 2011 Sundays are pizza making days for kids at Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford. First rule co-owner, Gerard Robertson, puts out there? DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE A MESS! Better his place than yours, and a lot more fun, for sure. If one too many rainy days has given your clan cabin fever, this is a great way to get out, make your own pizza and learn something too. Robertson invites kids of all ages to pull up a stool and gently work a ball of dough on the long stretch of white marble that wraps around the pizza prep area and the enormous coal oven. Read More
Kids Review: Toro Asian Fusion in Newtown Kids Bites Restaurant Asian Japanese Newtown Kid Friendly CTbites Team January 27, 2011 Carly Monson is our roving 10 yrs old food critic. She hopes to get Fairfield County kids excited about eating in new venues like this one... Do you enjoy going out to an Asian fusion restaurant with your friends and ordering loads of things to share? Then you will love Toro, a fun family restaurant for all ages. My family and some of our close friends, including my BFF celebrated New Year's Day by going out to dinner. I thought Toro had a calming and welcoming feeling when I walked in. We started out by ordering soup, edamame and seaweed salad. Almost everybody at the table ordered miso soup. I thought that the miso soup tasted a lot like seaweed, it was probably because there was more than enough seaweed in the bowl. The seaweed salad had a little kick right when you swallowed. The edamame was served with a lot of salt. Read More
Local Chef Competes in Obama’s LET’S MOVE Campaign Kids Bites Events kids activity Recipe Liz Rueven January 06, 2011 CRUSTLESS QUINOA AND KALE QUICHE was served and critiqued in elementary school? That is precisely what happened last month as 200 fourth and fifth graders at Holland Hill Elementary School in Fairfield tasted the dish they had voted to “try” in response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s LET’S MOVE! campaign to combat childhood obesity. Green Gourmet to Go chef and owner, Linda Soper-Kolton jumped on the opportunity to participate in the nation wide contest to create a tasty, highly nutritious, child friendly dish by approaching her own son’s elementary school Principle, Frank Arnone. Lucky for the students and the chef, Mr. Arnone loved the idea of involving his students in the process of discussing ingredients and tasting the contest entry. Read More
