Filtering by Tag: Fairfield,Syrian

Middle Eastern Home Cooking @ Safita

Restaurant Fairfield Middle Eastern Syrian Vegetarian Lunch Kid Friendly

Sarah Green

Overlooking the Mediterranean sea, nestled among 3 hills and their valleys, is the beautiful, old town of Safita, Syria. Only a few miles from the long island sound, nestled between Westport and Fairfield proper, is the beautiful, month old middle eastern restaurant, SAFITA. It is the "Tale" of two Safitas, both with their charm, beauty, and authenticity. And it is just this authenticity that Kheder Hassoun and his family bring to this brand new Middle Eastern restaurant, situated where the old Chat 'N Chew used to be. Tiny in size but big in hospitality, Safita, at 2217 Post Road in Fairfield is pulling in the crowds, night after night. This is middle eastern at its finest, with "Ummu" ("mother" in Arabic) Amal in the kitchen, cooking up all her own recipes from scratch. This ain't your roadside Shawarma.

Bonda Restaurant is Back...Now in Fairfield

Restaurant American Fairfield

Margie Treisman

If you liked Bonda at its former Westport/Saugatuck location, you’ll love its new incarnation in Fairfield’s Greenfield Hill (the former home of La Colline Verte and Fraiche). Sure, we miss Abbondanza – owner/chef Jamie Cooper’s former Saugatuck gourmet deli/catering operation and site of the original Bonda.  But we’re excited he’s now focused on the restaurant and taking it to the next level in this new location.  It’s a clean, inviting space, with warm orange walls, fresh white trim, vintage posters and comfortable seating. The small, sixty-seat restaurant was nearly filled to capacity when we visited on an otherwise quiet Tuesday evening in October. For good reason. In fact, for at least three very good reasons.

Reason 1:  The Bond-alicious food.  Inventive yet simple dishes, expertly prepared.  Although the menu has a classic American backbone, Jamie treats the world as his pantry.


Advertisement: Tasti D-Lite Is Coming to Fairfield!

Kids Bites Restaurant Fairfield Kid Friendly Dessert

Stephanie Webster

Good news for Tasti D-Lite fans. Made with natural ingredients, this lower calorie frozen dessert treat is opening its doors in Fairfield CT on October 20th at 1201 King Highway in Fairfield's Staples Plaza.

 Tasti D Lite has long had a cult following among health-conscious consumers as well as celebrities who line up to enjoy their guilt-free confections. Now Fairfield can enjoy the pleasure of Tasti without the commute, and CTbites readers get a FREE topping during the month of October!

The Fairfield store will have nine tables, comfortable couches, and Wi-Fi access. Pair this with 100+ creamy delicious flavors (most of which are gluten free), including Toasted Coconut, Caramel Apple, and Mud Pie…why would you ever leave? 


School Lunch Makeover: From Farm To Fork

Kids Bites Education Fairfield Local Farm Recipe

Jessica Ryan

I walked into the Unquowa School kitchen this morning to talk to Chef Peter Gorman and Chef-in-Residence Lauren Issaeff, as they were busily making 80 gallons of heirloom tomato sauce to be served to the children, faculty and staff over the course of the school year. Peter and Lauren had their hands full with the seeds, pulp and juices from the various colored heirloom tomatoes that had been freshly picked from Sport Hill Farm, up the road in Easton.  On top of the stove, garlic, (also from Sport Hill Farm), simmered in olive oil, and a large bundle of basil, from Gilbertie’s Farm, sat patiently waiting to be tossed in. I was overcome by the wonderful aromas swirling around the kitchen. It was just 9:00 a.m., but how I wished it was lunchtime!  This is not an atypical scene in this private school’s kitchen. 

Cult Classic, Colony Pizza, Comes to Fairfield

Restaurant Delicious Dives Fairfield Pizza Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly

Amy Kundrat

Connecticut pizza fans are not much different than baseball fans. Each are rabidly and often irrationally supportive of their team or in this case, their pizzerias. And just as that imaginary line splitting Connecticut into Yankees and Red Sox territory exists, so does the invisible border separating followers of Stamford's seventy-five year-old institution, Colony Grill, from those forming lines at Pepe's and Sally's on New Haven's Wooster Street. 

Depending on your team, one thing is certain. We in Connecticut take our pizza very seriously. The pizza rivalry is heating up in Connecticut with Colony Grill's expansion onto Fairfield's Post Road. Opening this past Memorial Day weekend, Colony Grill in Fairfield has already cultivated a near-instant following drawn to its thin crust hot oil pies and booming bar scene. 

Die-hard fans of Stamford's Colony Grill will not be dissapointed in its Fairfield incarnation.  The nearly-identical menu is matched by an identically delicious pizza, minus the decades of pizzeria patina, a combination of occasionally surly service and constant throng of people and take-out orders we've come to appreciate (read: tolerate) in Stamford.    


Kids Talk: The Under 10 Set Reviews Sunny Daes

Kids Bites Restaurant Fairfield Stamford Trumbull Westport ice cream Kid Friendly Dessert

Multiple Eaters

When Ben & Jerry's closed in Westport this Fall, there were murmurs of discontent amongst the younger crowd. Where does one get homemade ice cream with solid mix-ins in this town? Fortunately help was just around the corner...literally. Sunny Daes opened just months later and now Westporters young and old don't have to drive to Fairfield to get their fix.

This full service ice cream shop has 68 flavors of frosty desserts says owner, Sergio Keskin. Plus, it isn't shipped in on trucks; it's made right behind the counter. If this isn't enough to get you in the door, they also serve gelato, frozen yogurt, soft-serve ice cream, and ice cream cakes

Sure, I could tell you how good the ice cream is, but I thought it made more sense to let the kids tell it like it is...


School is Back in Session @ Fairfield Cheese Company

Ingredients Education Fairfield Specialty Market

Stephanie Webster

Fairfield Cheese Company classes are back in session and school has never been this delicious. Whether you are a cheese novice looking for a an introduction to the basics, or a cheese-aficionado seeking to expand your knowledge on a specific variety, they've got the class for you. 

I jumped at the chance to attend one of these sessions back in October and spent some time with owners Laura and Christopher who lead these entertaining and informative evenings. If you would like some background on Fairfield Cheese Company, check out our review, "Cheese 101."

With wine pairings from Harry's Wine & Liquor, this is the perfect way to break out of that dinner-and-a-movie date night rut. If you attend any of the classes below, let us know what you think!

Cheese School Class Schedule-Spring  2010


Osianna Taverna: A Lunch Oasis with Great Value

Restaurant Fairfield Italian Mediterranean Seafood Lunch

Deanna Foster

Going out for lunch carries specific expectations. If you’ve gone beyond the decision to just get a bite to eat, other desires come into play:  In addition to good food, you want a certain atmosphere, efficient service, and ideally, a reasonable price. A recent mid-day visit to Osianna Mediterranean Taverna in Fairfield satisfied all our requirements for a delightfully laid back lunch with excellent food that nourished, but didn’t stuff us, and proved to be an exceptional value.

An energetic buzz greeted us when we entered the restaurant


Health in a Hurry: Fast Food That's Good for You

Features Restaurant Fairfield Organic Special Dietary Needs Vegetarian healthy Farm Fresh

Liz Rueven

Entering Health in Hurry in Fairfield is like entering a close friend's kitchen after she has prepared fragrant dishes for you all day. Owner, Sue Cadwell, greets customers while literally standing in the kitchen of her 275 Sq. foot storefront tucked away off the Post Road.  There is nothing but a short counter to separate you from the simmering pots and a couple of dedicated cooks chopping and packing healthful, mightily flavored dishes to go. Sue's philosophy is simple. She provides a welcome alternative to fast-food for busy people using organic, whole foods, seasonal produce and ethnic flavors from around the world. 

What she does in this tiny kitchen is remarkable, and even while working she is always ready to  pause and greet her customers with a welcoming smile and a hug.  She will ask if it is your first time there and gladly explain as much or as little as you would like to hear about each dish and its ingredients.  Food allergies? Food sensitivities? No problem. Sue caters to all dietary needs and to her loyal following. This may be a small, intimate operation, but Heath in a Hurry has a big heart and big intentions.


Fairfield Cheese Company: Cheese 101

Ingredients Features Catering Education Fairfield Specialty Market Farm Fresh

Stephanie Webster

Have you ever walked into a cheese shop, and been utterly confused by the array of choices in front of you? For those of you who just nodded your heads, let me introduce you to Fairfield Cheese Company. Their bright beautiful retail space, right next door to Harry's Wine and Liquors, serves as a canvas for carefully chosen specialty foods and an impeccable selection of artisinal and locally produced farmstead cheeses. When Laura Downey and Christopher Palumbo opened their doors in May of 2009, they did so with a purposeful dedication to demystifying the daunting process of buying cheese and introducing their customers to the range and craftsmanship of artisan cheeses. "Cheese stores can be intimidating. We wanted to take away the mystique….It's not rocket science" says Laura. 

Shopping Guide: Green Foodie Finds for the Holidays

Ingredients Fairfield Holiday Westport New Canaan Farm Fresh

CTbites Team

Analiese Paik, Founder of the Fairfield Green Food Guide is constantly scouring the farm stands and markets of Fairfield County for great green foodie finds. She has come up with a list of wonderful local products just right for the holidays. Happy shopping!  

Holy smoke!: The Willie Bird whole smoked turkey, formerly available exclusively through Williams-Sonoma’s catalog, is now available at Palmer’s Market in Darien. You can thank Richard the butcher for bringing in this famous all-natural, vegetarian fed bird from Sonoma, CA to grace your holiday table. Save yourself the shipping and head to Palmer’s Market at 264 Heights Road in Darien, just off exit 10 on I95 across from the Noroton Heights train station. They also have fresh Long Island duck!


The CT Bites Suzysaid Lunch Recap

Restaurant CTbites Lunch Events Fairfield French Lunch

Stephanie Webster

Yesterday a group of CT Bites and Suzysaid readers enjoyed their first in a series of lunch events, this one at Cafe Lola in Fairfield. The dining room was abuzz with satisfied diners who, for a mere $15, savored a wonderful 3 course meal in the warmth and elegance of owners Ivanina & Henri's Donneaux French bistro.  

We arrived early to check out the scene.  In the kitchen, Chef Henri had things under control and was beginning to prep his first plate of Ratatouille. Ivanina (who manages the restaurant and creates their excellent wine list) was greeting guests and making sure things were running smoothly. And they were! I sat down with two of our CT Bites contributors, Sarah Green and Jenny Vynerib and began strategizing the meal. 

Here is what we ate:


Raw Vegan Food Done Right: Catch a Healthy Habit Cafe

Restaurant Fairfield Special Dietary Needs Vegetarian healthy Lunch

Liz Rueven

Here in Fairfield County, there are a number of interesting vegetarian cafes, restaurants and markets that focus on mostly organic, mostly vegetarian ingredients and healthy eating. The most recent addition is Catch a Healthy Habit Cafe, just past the Community movie theatre in Fairfield.  In the ever burgeoning foodie scene that is sprouting in Fairfield, this one is unique and specific in its orientation and intention.  Be assured that everyone who ventures (and I mean adventures) into this cool spot is in for an unusual experience.

CATCH A HEALTHY HABIT is a raw, vegan cafe.  HUH?  No need to be stumped.


Meet the Yeastie Boys @ Billy's Bakery in Fairfield

Ingredients Bakery Fairfield Breakfast Comfort Food Dessert

Marcy Shinbaum

Those of us that live in the town of Fairfield have followed Billy’s Bakery from its tiny rustic beginnings to its current bright retail space like a pig snorting out truffles.  We stop in and wander around wondering what doughy treats we will pick up, but really, we know exactly what we want before even stepping out of the car.  The reason we wander is because it gives us an excuse to meander over to the sample basket and spread soft churned butter on slices of fresh baked bread.  I’m not embarrassed to admit that on more than one occasion that sampling has been my lunch.

I recently decided to stop into the bakery with a fresh eye, contemplating whether or not this local shrine was good enough to warrant a road trip from the far corners of Fairfield County.  


CT Bites Lunch Event @ Cafe Lola: Free Gifts!

Restaurant CTbites Lunch Events Fairfield French

Stephanie Webster

On Tuesday December 8th & Wednesday Dec 9th 2009, CT Bites and Suzysaid invite you to an exclusive lunch event at Cafe Lola in Fairfield. This $15 prix fixe lunch includes a fabulous goody bag with products and coupons from local vendors, and a 3 course meal. Menu is below.

Reserve your spot now by calling 203-292 8014, and mention CT Bites.  Lunch is available from 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM.

Read the Cafe Lola review on CT Bites.

 

$15 Prix Fixe Menu