The Schoolhouse's Tim LaBant @ Ambler Farm Restaurant Events Farm to Table Local Farm Stephanie Webster August 09, 2011 The details of Tim LaBant's Ambler Farm dinner have been announced. On Saturday September 10th, Wilton's very own award-winning chef, Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton, will present an organic harvest feast + Ambler's own produce. Arrive to cocktails on the Farm. Supper served family-style in the Ambler fields. Tours of this beautiful property will be offered, (one of the oldest farms still in use in Fairfield County)...as well as other diversions. ON THE TABLE-Roasted multicolored Ambler peppers and eggplant with ricotta, olive oil, herbs,sunflower seeds and grilled Wave hill toast-Mason jars with pickled beetsFIRST COURSE-Salad of assorted fresh Ambler Farm tomatoes accompanied with cornbread, Crème fraiche and grilled green onionsMAIN COURSE-Slow roasted Berkshire pork shoulder-Summer succotash (zucchini, Summer squash, pearl onion,bacon,peas and corn)-Confit potatoes with nasturtium, fennel pollen, frisee with goat cheese dressing Read More
Peace Tree Desserts in Westport: Give Peace A Chance Ingredients Features Westport Dessert Margie Treisman August 09, 2011 Contented goats frolicking in green meadows, giving fresh, naturally homogenized milk. Local, sustainable, organic ingredients. The leafy Bohdi Tree, symbol of Buddhist enlightenment. Lovely images to associate with . . . dessert. Yeah, yeah, kumbayah, you may say. Get to the good stuff -- the treats, not the trees. But they go hand in hand at Peace Tree Desserts, according to owner and chef Robyn Eades. The Peace Tree, inspired by her dog Bodhi, is a fitting symbol for Robyn’s approach to sourcing and creating delicious desserts. Even the Peace Tree labels are eco-friendly, made from soy ink and recycled paper. Read More
Grande Burger Opens in Stamford Restaurant Cocktails Stamford Comfort Food Burgers James Gribbon August 07, 2011 Sometimes you just want to go out - no specific plans, no goals for the evening besides just wanting to go hear loud music and blow off steam. It would be nice to have a few drinks, you think, but whatever will do: just get me a beer/cocktail/shot, man. Sometimes you're just in an "eat to live" kind of mood, and anything filling will do. Other times you're more discerning, selective: you could really go for a burger, but generic "burger" arriving wrapped in paper won't cut it. For those times, there's the new Grand Burger in Stamford. Yes, the former G/R/A/N/D ultra lounge has been re-imagined as a burger place, and the menu is the result of the discerning eye of Executive Chef Nick Bilello, creator of Burger Bar in SoNo. Read More
Shout Out: Best Ice Cream / Frozen Dessert in Fairfield County Restaurant CTbites Shout Out ice cream Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster August 07, 2011
Reheated: Beers, Burgers & Parties CTbites Team August 05, 2011 It’s officially the last month of Summer ‘11 and we bring you updates to help you see it off with a bang: lots of beer, outdoor parties, and one fantastic burger. What else is August for?A Dinner Party and the whole city’s invited... Stamford is throwing a bash to pump up its dining scene on Wednesday, August 10. It kicks off at 5:30 on the UConn campus with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails by ZAZA, Kujaku, Black Bear, and others, then takes guests to their choice of a dozen restaurants, among them Barcelona, Quattro Pazzi, and Tappo. Via The Feast, find more info on the event and reservations here.Blog Party!!! at Napa & Co. on Monday, August 15 at 7 PM. Chef Arik invites all ye hungry bloggers to a $75 five-course tasting menu which includes wine pairings. See their site for more info or call 203 353 3319 to reserve a spot (only 10 up for grabs!). Join CTbites Editor, Stephanie Webster as well as writers Liz Rueven and Sarah Green. Read More
"Will Drive 4 Food" Dinner @ Bernard's in Ridgefield Restaurant Events Specialty Market Wine Dinners Amy Kundrat August 05, 2011 Bernard's Restaurant in Ridgefield will be hosting a "Will Drive 4 Food" dinner on August 21 at 6 p.m., inspired by the recent trip of 109 Cheese & Wine owners Monica & Todd Brown. This family style seven-course meal will take place at a single long table in the garden of Bernard's Restaurant, the first event of its kind at the restaurant. (See menu below). The inspiration was a recent cross-country trip the Browns took in their vintage 1963 Porsche 356, traveling through California, Oregon and Washington and the midwest. In addition to enjoying the scenery and enjoying some amazing meals, they were Read More
Food, Friends & Fun at New Canaan Farmers’ Market Ingredients Restaurant Farmers Market Local Artisan Local Farm New Canaan Farm Fresh CTbites Team August 04, 2011 The past few years have seen a spike in the amount and popularity of Farmers’ Markets, and the New Canaan Farmers' Market is no exception. Every Saturday morning from May through November vendors and townspeople crowd into (and around) the Municipal Parking Lot across from the town library. They come here to shop for local produce, pick up breakfast or lunch, and mingle with family, friends, acquaintances and strangers. The market is still small compared to others in the area, but the number of vendors and buzz around it is on the rise as more and more people seek quality, fresh food and want to know where it comes from. Read More
Main Course Catering @ Westport Farmers' Mkt Aug 4 Ingredients Catering Farmers Market Westport Recipe Liz Rueven August 03, 2011 Cecily Gans, Chef and Owner of the Main Course Catering Company, will have the rapt attention of salad enthusiasts at the Westport Farmers’ Market this Thursday August 4th, as she introduces two new dressings to liven up those farm fresh greens. Starlight’s greens will share the spotlight with Beltane Farm’s goat cheese as she turns to fresh herbs, stone fruits and berries to accentuate the summer theme. Chef Gans describes her favorite cheese vendor’s cheeses as “ a muse for my dressings.” Talk about inspiration springing from one ingredient! Gans’ two dressings are virtual opposites, with the ASIAN THAI (see recipe below) utilizing Thai Basil and rice vinegar as a base for a spicier salad. Read More
The Filling Station Co. August Burger & Shake Restaurant New Canaan Comfort Food Kid Friendly Dessert Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger August 03, 2011 The August 2011 Filling Station Special Burger and Shake combine another full flavored hamburger with a sweet flavorful tribute to another of my favorite fruits with the “Steak Burger” matched with a sweet Cherry Shake. The Steak Burger includes the Filling Station’s farm-raised hamburger topped with the newly introduced secret-recipe steak sauce, raw onions and tomatoes. Similar to last month’s BBQ Special, this month’s special delivers bold flavors to complement the mild organic beef. The FS steak sauce was developed over many months of experimentation to deliver a flavor profile that pays tribute to the Peter Luger Sauce’s vinegary-tomato based variety. Read More
Saugatuck Grain & Grape in Westport Ingredients Cocktails Entertaining Specialty Market Westport Beer Marina Giannangeli August 02, 2011 Vintage gated tables lined with tequilas and rums, while bourbons and whiskeys are abundantly shelved nearby. I am especially drawn to Jeff Marrons’ corner display of tequila bottles—both of the consumed and collected variety—gathered on a custom riddling rack table. The presentation makes the space feel personal and homey, as if this could be someone’s personal collection. So, I am not surprised to learn that fiancée and owner Mimi McLaughlin has a background in interior design and fashion retail, evidenced in her attention to the smallest details, down to the charming tags, framed signs and chalk drawings at the entrance. 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
BBQ an’ Crab at B.an.C House in Norwalk BBQ Norwalk Seafood Kid Friendly Lou Gorfain July 31, 2011 Barbecue and Crab. That may not be a combo found in nature, but the two do live together, albeit on separate sides of the menu, at the new B.an.C House of Norwalk, a restaurant packed with flavors and patrons, (The name is an acronym for BBQ an' Crab.) B.J. Lawless and Buckley Ryan -- founders of the popular Norwalk pub BJ/Ryans -- believed Southern Connecticut needed a great crab and seafood house. However Northern seafooders have trouble surviving the winter, so BBQ not only winterproofs the menu, it conveniently taps into America's hottest food trend. The ribs also serve as a sentimental salute to the late Norwalk Rib House, Cogburns, which once occupied the same space and where B.J.and Buckley first met and began hatching their restaurant concepts. Read More
Meet Antonella! CTbites' Summer Intern Extraordinaire Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster July 30, 2011 We have been very lucky to work with a talented young writer and food blogger Antonella Pagani this summer as our first CTbites intern. She has been working hard helping us create our soon-to-be-launched CTbites directory, covering food news and covering her hometown of New Canaan, CT where she lives with her family, when she is not attending school in Florida. As summer winds down and she is about to take off and head back to Florida, we thought it would be a great time to share what makes this gelato-scooping, squid-ink-croquette eating, Batali-loving food writer tick. Read More
Reheated: Weekly Food News for July 29 CTbites Team July 29, 2011 In case you missed it: Big openings at Mario Batali’s Tarry Lodge and Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack last week in Westport! New York Times gives “clubby” Stamford favorite Bar Rosso their Worth it stamp of approval - and so do we. Celeb chef wannabes prepare to get your cook on: Food Network Star is searching for its next kitchen celeb with an open casting call in NYC Friday August 5th. More details via The Feast.The guys behind Southport’s Gray Goose are bringing “an elevated version” of their popular concept to downtown Westport, scheduled to open this winter. Via Westport News. Read More
Sono Baking Company is Opening in Westport Restaurant Coffee Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster July 28, 2011 Yep...You heard me correctly. The Sono Baking Company is expanding their bakery mecca and opening up shop in Westport. This Sono institution has just signed a lease on the charming new barn at the A & J Farm Stand, right on the Post Road (seen above). The Westport location will feature a cafe serving grab-n go-items as well as a full espresso bar to accompany their wide selection of baked goods, cakes, pastries, cookies and artisan breads. Owner John Barricelli says "We hope to be open in late August or early September." We hope so too. A good espresso is hard to come by around here. Welcome to the neighborhood. The Sono Baking Company @ The A & J's Farm Stand 1680 Post Road East, Westport. Read More
Saugatuck Craft Butchery Opening in Westport Ingredients Specialty Market Butcher Stephanie Webster July 27, 2011 Ryan Fibiger, a recent graduate of Fleisher’s Grass Fed and Organic Meats’ whole animal butchery program, is bringing his skills to Westport...Saugatuck to be exact. Coming this September, Saugatuck Craft Butchery featuring pasture raised & organic meats will be open for business. Analiese Paik of the Fairfield Green Food Guide recently spoke with Ryan about the shop as well as his meat CSA which will launch before his retail doors officially open. Here is the concept in Ryan's own words... "Our mission is to bring back the neighborhood butcher with an emphasis on whole animal butchery, education, and the creation of community. We will provide locally raised meats, prepared foods, restaurant wholesale, catering, instructional programs, and an exceptional shopping experience to customers in Fairfield County." Read More
Ridgefield Farmers' Market Ingredients Farmers Market Local Farm Amy Kundrat July 27, 2011 The Ridgefield Farmers' Market has returned this year in a new location adjacent to the Ridgefield Boys and Girls Club just off Governor Street. Open for the past month, this year the market has beefed up their presence with guest chefs and a growing list of regular vendors, that takes place weekly throughout the summer on Fridays from 2 to 6 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
10 Things You (Probably) Don't Know about Olive Oil Ingredients Specialty Market Stamford Lou Gorfain July 26, 2011 Steve Jenkins is exultant. "I landed it for five bucks a bottle!" After 6 harrowing years of International hustle and heartbreak, the self proclaimed Rock Star of Olive Oil has finally brought his plunder home. Liquid sun fills the Fairway bottle he victoriously holds aloft: a robust Baena from Andalucía. It's identical to the oil produced for six generations by Spain's celebrated Nuez de Prado family. "I won't buy it from them." Jenkins pauses for effect. “The importer is a robber." He offers a sip. The ride starts smoothly enough on the tip of my tongue. By the time the oil reaches the back of my throat, I'm on a roller coaster through a fruit orchard. Jenkins grins, "Love that finish." Steve doesn't just love, he ravishes olive oil. Indeed, he's more of a curator than a retailer, offering over 100 different varieties of olive oil on his shelves, priced from 10 dollars a liter to over 40. For the past decade, Fairway's legendary grocer/explorer/buyer has been foraging the groves of the Mediterranean basin all around, trudging its hills and climibing its 400 year old trees, consumed by his quest for the planet's finest olives and oils. Read More
