A pleasant surprise is always welcome – especially on the third rainy day in a row at the end of April.
That is why Taberna Food & Wine Bar, tucked away in a residential neighborhood on the Fairfield Bridgeport line, was such a good find. For a recent lunch date we entered through the upscale bar area into a bright, tasteful white-tablecloth dining room and immediately noticed we were the only diners. Never a good sign, my companion and I wondered out loud how they could possibly serve a decent lunch when only two diners make up the lunch rush. As the meal progressed two more tables filled, both business lunch types, but by then our initial reservations had abated, as we were deep into a delightful and delicious meal.
It's been 24 hours since I left Bereket, a tiny hole in the wall Turkish restaurant located behind a Citgo station on Bridgeport's Main Street. As I write this I wonder, is it too soon to go back?
Bereket has been dubbed by people in the know as Fairfield County's best kept secret, and I finally understand what all the fuss is about. Mind you, this place is not fussy. Hidden beside of the gas station's mini mart, Bereket's small dining space has only 3 tables and boxes of Turkish beverages and pantry staples lining the walls. But what this single room Turkish delight lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in the quality, freshness, and flavor of the food.
Owner Selahattin Cinar has been in business for 6 years, and chats with customers while holding court in the kitchen preparing a steady stream of take-out orders. He greeted us warmly as we walked in, and we were relieved to find that he spoke enough English to answer questions and help us navigate their extensive menu. When we asked what was good, we were led to a display case filled with cold mezes (appetizers) and kebabs awaiting the heat, and simply told,it's all good. And it was.
It’s way too soon to change the name to Green Rock, but Black Rock is getting greener. Green Gourmet To Go, offering local, organic vegetarian and vegan meals, will open on Fairfield Avenue in April (yes I know the photo says March, but dates slip). The attractive little storefront, with its soothing celedon walls and coppery silk curtains will offer healthy and environmentally conscious hot and cold lunches and dinners.
Chef-Owner Linda Soper-Kolton was a lifelong food lover and dedicated home cook before she decided to attend the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. The recent NGI graduate is inspired. She wants makes to make eating healthy meals easy and approachable.
“I’ll serve burritos, but healthy burritos,” she said in a recent interview. Think burritos filled with sweet potatoes, kale, black beans and grains. Her Dixie burger is made from black-eyed peas and sweet potatoes and served with chipotle sauce. Her hummus and avocado wrap gets punch and crunch from shiitake “bacon” crisps.
Walking into this funky spot in Bridgeport immediately makes me yearn for my Brooklyn hipster days. I spent the early 90’s in Brooklyn with my future husband and Two Boots was a place we frequented. This CT outpost really brings me back. Stepping in underneath the retro neon martini sign outside, a very mod theme continues. The walls are adorned with mardis gras beads and concert flyers and the long counter and tables shine in a combination of lipstick red and shiny chrome.
And then there’s the smell…garlicky, spicy and yeasty. Two Boots may have built its reputation on Creole pizza, but my nose knows there more going on here.
After quickly being seated for lunch I am handed a kitschy menu, which immediately draws me in. Blackened catfish, jambalaya and po’boys. I’m nearly drooling, but wait there’s a long list of specials too. Today the chef must have found some great portabello mushrooms because there’s a run on them. They’re tossed in the salad special; they’re featured in a pasta special and on a po’boy too. Lucky for me, I love portabellos.
Remember falling in love? Pulsing with excitement at the prospect of your lips meeting for the first time? Well it was years ago for me but I’ve found that feeling again and I just can’t get enough of...gelato? Okay, not just gelato, but gelato so good it has worked its way into my dreams.
Helados Vazquez has stolen my heart. Don’t let the Spanish name fool you; this gelato is straight off of Rome’s via de Condotti. I first wandered into this tiny shop in the Black Rock section of Bridgeportafter seeing a movie at the Showcase movie theaters, it’s right down the street. As I opened the door, subtly Spanish décor and the feel of a European coffee shop greeted me. Was I really in Bridgeport?
In Fairfield County, Vietnamese cuisine is not as plentiful as other asian cuisines, so you really have to dig deep, and go where the Pho is...wherever it is. I recently received a tip from a CT Bites reader that good Pho was to be had in Bridgeport at a small mom & pop restaurant called Pho Saigon. We rallied our enthusiastic tasters and headed out to Iranistan Street in Bridgeport, an area that is definitely "off the beaten path", but you do what you've gotta do for good food. You won't find this place in Zagats.
We entered what seemed to be the living room of a small corner house, furnished with gum-ball machines, plastic floral table cloths, and big pots of luke warm tea on the tables. Clearly, dining here was about the food, not the decor. We were greeted warmly, although not in English (which is generally a good sign that the food will be authentic), and escorted to a clean table piled high with squeeze bottles of fiery sauces and jars of fish paste. Lucky for us, the menu had translations, so we ordered half of the 21 item menu (as most dishes were under $7) and waited for the food to arrive.
Yes, I know we have been featuring a great many frozen desserts these days but tis the season, so here is one more not to be missed frosty snack. Grab your kids, and run...don't walk to Timothy's in Bridgeport. This old school ice cream parlor may no longer use the salt-and-ice churners that stand in the front window, but their ice cream is every bit as classic and delicious as it gets. It’s cranked out by hand in their back room, made with sweet cream, that is not too sweet (as we have found in Cold Stone Creamery's product), and comes in several dozen inventive flavors. It is truly one of Fairfield County’s best-kept secrets.
I first caught wind of the somewhat elusive Bloodroot Restaurant on Fat Cat Pie Co’s menu. In the midst of the pizzas and salads (more on that later), you will find “Bloodroot Oatmeal Sunflower Seed Bread," a thick slice of homemade, cake-like bread that tastes both healthy and decadently delicious at the same time. With its crunchy crust and spongy interior, the Bloodroot bread became a personal obsession. To my surprise, I found that Bloodroot is more than just heavenly bread. It is a full-blown “feminist restaurant & bookstore” in the midst of a residential neighborhood in Bridgeport, serving organic, seasonal, local vegetarian food. If the bread was this good, I could only imagine what the rest of the menu had to offer.
A pleasant surprise is always welcome – especially on the third rainy day in a row at the end of April.
