Brian Herlihy and Gina Douvas followed their passion for cooking by opening Kouzina, a Greek/Mediterranean restaurant in New Canaan featuring the best of their family recipes. This husband and wife team were raised in households where large family meals were a regular event (Gina in Astoria, Queens and Brian in Katonah), and each developed a love for cooking at an early age. After numerous trips to Greece with Gina, Brian fell in love with the cuisine and their vision took shape. After Brian retired from the Pound Ridge Police department their dream became a reality and in June the couple opened Kouzina on Forest Street in New Canaan. Originally envisaged as a specialty food store and market that would sell olives, olive oils (from Gina’s family farm in Patras, Greece), cheeses, artisanal breads and prepared foods; the project expanded and now features a restaurant.
That’s correct…the name ofFilling Station in New Canaan is transitioning to Station Eats as it expands into other towns in Fairfield County. And as this column mentioned last month, the new flavor concept for this month’s Special Burger and Shake is Southeast Asia with the Station Eats’ Korean Burger. To complement the Korean Burger, this month’s Special Shake is an All-American Loopie Doop Chocolate Chip Cookie Shake.
New Canaan's First-Ever Restaurant Week will take place during the week of August 26 - September 3, 2011.
Special prix fixe menus will be available at the restaurants below, but there is more than dining during "The Taste of the Town Stroll." Donations to the New Canaan Food Pantry will be accepted between 6 - 9 PM, Thursday, August 25th at designated areas in exchange for an opportunity to win fabulous prizes.
Participating restaurants include: Tuscan, Fifty Coins, Cherry Street East Café, Gates, Plum Tree Restaurant, Cava, Roger Sherman Inn, Thali, Solé, The Pine Social, Kouzina, Club Sandwich. (Check back here for updates.)
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.
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.
Here's the latest on Filling Station Co's July burger and shake and an introduction to the new Filling Station Co Salad.
The July 2011 Filling Station Special Burger and Shake combines a full flavored hamburger with a sweet flavorful tribute to one of my favorite fruits with the BBQ Cheeseburger and a delicious Peaches and Cream Shake.
The BBQ Cheeseburger includes the Filling Station’s farm-raised cheeseburger topped with house made BBQ sauce, griddled onions, thick cut bacon, and pickled jalapeño peppers. There are several bold flavors in this month’s offering. The Filling Station’s thick cut bacon continues as a favorite of mine and the griddled onions added a nice crispy, flavorful addition. I am usually not a big fan of spicy additions and the jalapeño peepers were a concern, but pickled jalapeños are making an appearance on many menus this summer and I have grown to enjoy the pickled variety.
This fall, the New Canaan culinary landscape will welcome an exciting addition with the opening of elm, a new restaurant by Chef Brian Lewis. Chef Lewis has cultivated strong relationships with local growers and producers and looks forward to bringing his seasonally inspired, modern American cuisine to New Canaan. Lewis is especially thrilled to be opening his first restaurant in New Canaan, a town where he once lived and was married to his wife Dana.
CTBites is proud to announce that over the next few months Chef Lewis and elm will be the subject of an exclusive “Behind the Scenes” series chronicling the various aspects of bringing this much-anticipated restaurant to town including interior renovations and design as well as at-the-farm interviews as Brian visits local area farms in preparation for opening day.
The June 2011 Filling Station Special Burger and Shake are a tribute to the upcoming summer season with a backyard favorite Chili Cheeseburger and a delicious Strawberry Maple Waffle Shake.
The Chili Cheeseburger includes the Filling Station’s farm-raised meat topped with cheese, their house-made chili, lettuce, and tomato. The “chili” is the Filling Station’s Sloppy Joe, which was developed in-house after significant research and development and includes BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, vinegar and several other ingredients to allow for a sweet and sour combination that nicely complements the flavors in the organic meat. The lettuce adds a nice crispy element, the tomato accents the tomato-ey based chili and the cheese is an essential part of any hamburger, in my opinion. The lightly toasted bun is still a favorite with a light exterior crunchy and the soft interior. I enjoyed this burger and it is a good way to start to the upcoming summer months.
In less than two weeks, June 11th from 12:00-3:00 pm, five of America’s most inspirational Farm to Table chefs will converge at the late Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan to prepare their visionary seasonal creations. The much anticipated Dine with Design – An Outdoor Celebration of Farm-to-Table Cuisine event includes several of the outstanding Chefs featured in the cookbook “Harvest to Heat – Cooking with America’s Best Chefs Farmers and Artisans.” The legendary Chef Michel Richard of Central Michel Richard in Washington DC and Michel in Washington, DC and McLean, VA; Chef Lee Chizmar of Bolete restaurant in Allentown, PA.; Chef Brian Lewis, co-creator of the Bedford Post, whose new restaurant, elm, opens this fall in New Canaan ; Chef Bill Taibe of LeFarmrestaurant in Westport; and Chef Derek Wagner of Nicks on Broadway in Providence, RI will each create a spectacular luncheon cuisine to delight the palate of all who attend.
This month’s Special Burger and Shake at the Filling Station in New Canaan celebrates Cinco de Mayo by offering a departure from its traditional hamburger ingredients. The May 2011 Special pairs a Chorizo Burger with the Special Shake of the Month, Dulce de Leche. The former combines the spiciness of a house made chorizo patty with the mild flavors of queso fresco, lettuce, tomato and house-made lime cilantro crema, while the latter adds a different ingredient to its Dulce de Leche interpretation.
CTBites is pleased to present this month’s sneak peak preview of Filling Station’s April 2011 Special Bacon Blue Cheese Burger and its Special Caramel Sea Salt Shake. Although April 1 is normally associated with jokes and pranks on friends and family, the April monthly special burger and shake is neither as it combines some favorite all time flavors.
This month’s Special Burger includes theFilling Station'sfarm raised 75/25 beef with toppings of thick cut bacon, crumbled blue cheese, crunchy deep fried onions, lettuce, tomato and Worcester sauce infused mayonnaise.
When I visited Filling Station Co. today, the staff was busy experimenting with the timing of their new non-pressed burger technique for the recently announced Stamford location and I asked if I could try the April burger cooked with this new method. I performed my ritual of cutting the burger in half and saw that the new method produced a perfectly prepared medium rare. My first bite was delicious.
Cava Wine Bar is a welcoming entrance to New Canaan’s Restaurant Row on Forest Street where it has firmly taken its position as one of New Canaan’s best restaurants. The pasta dishes all feature in-house made varieties with an extremely light texture, the pizza offers traditional Neapolitan styles, and the entrées include several excellent fish, meat and poultry options.
Cava opened in 2004 and was the first of three Fairfield County restaurants operated by the Siguenza family. Vicente oversees the wine selections, Kleber personally chooses all the fish purchases and their sister Chef Nube Rivera is the head chef of Cava’s kitchen.
Looking for that perfect restaurant to woo your significant other this Valentine's Day? Try one of these great romantic spots in Fairfield County, CT.
Schoolhouse - WiltonThis quaint renovated schoolhouse is the quintessential special occasion spot (if you can get a reservation). Local ingredients and nuanced flavors highlight this menu.
Paci - Southport Nestled in the Southport train station, Paci's unique interior combines a renovated freight depot with urban modern chic. This Southport favorite has been serving some of the best Italian fare in FC since 1996.
Reheated is a twice-weekly round-up of bite-sized food news in Connecticut and beyond.
In Connecticut...
A book signing & reception at Fairfield Cheese Company on Dec. 17 from 5 to 7 pm with Angela Miller, author of HAY FEVER: How Chasing a Dream on a Vermont Farm Changed My Life. Call for info: 203.292.8194.
Crumbs in Greenwich is finally open and will give away 1,000 cupcakes on Sat., Dec. 18 beginning at 8 a.m. Info The Feast.
Breaking food news in New Canaan includes a new fro yo joint, an expansion for Chef Luis and a new Italian market. Info Patch.com.
SoNo Baking Company's John Baricelli shares a grown up recipe for ginger snaps. Recipe via RidgefieldCTBlog.com.
The Stamford Advocate is reporting there will be a new grocery store opening soon in Stamford's Springdale section on Hope Street. Info Stamford Advocate.
There are lots of NYE bashes, but only Thali will celebrating with an Indian DJ, Bollywood Masala songs, and an Indian grand buffet dinner at $70 pp. RSVP @ Thali.
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.
Chocoholics pay attention! Next time you have that hankering for serious chocolate, run over to treat yourself and your best friends to the extraordinary Belgian style, hand filled, preservative free chocolates at Belgique Chocolatier.
Belgique is familiar to some chocolate lovers in Fairfield County who have enjoyed the chocolates, fine pastries and ice cream at Susan and Pierre Gilissen’s first location in Kent, CT. After searching for a storefront in Fairfield County, they landed on a jewel of a space set back from Elm St. in New Canaan. This location opened in mid-September and is 100 % about the chocolate. Before opening in Kent in 2001, Chef Pierre Gilissen served as Executive Chef and Manager at the Residence of the Netherlands Ambassador to the U.S. in Washington, D.C. There, he prepared all meals, receptions and teas for the Ambassadors, their families and up to 1,000 guests. His passion for chocolates began during his years there.
The lines between farm stand and restaurant are growing ever more blurry with the recent opening of Farmers Table on Forest Street in New Canaan, a hybrid farmers market, bakery and the latest restaurant to embrace the farm-to-table dining trend. Intimate in both name and practice, the tiny 6 top restaurant delivers farm fresh hospitality with a farm stand persona.
Eating at Farmers Table is like inviting yourself to dinner at a friend’s house
Photo: Kate SchlesingerMargherita Aloi, the Owner/Chef of Aloi in New Canaan, brought her culinary talent and vision to New Canaan several years ago. Raised in a small town in Piedmont, Italy, she entered the Culinary Institute of Barolo at the age of fourteen. After working for several years in Italy she was recruited by the renowned Pino Luongo, the chef and owner of New York’s La Madri Restaurant (and author of one of my favorite cookbooks “A Tuscan in the Kitchen”). She arrived in the US at the tender age of 18 and assumed the position of Pasta Chef at Le Madri, and subsequently advanced to its Executive Chef in 1998. Fortunately for New Canaan, in 2004 she visited and fell in love with our small town. Margherita accepted the position of Executive Chef at Bel Mare, the predecessor restaurant at the Aloi location, reinvented the restaurant and subsequently purchased the building. Aloi offers both inside and al fresco dining. The interior space is intimate and the décor is subtle and relaxing. The al fresco dining on Aloi’s terrace is one of my favorite places to dine on a warm evening with my wife and friends.
Photo Credit: Natasha Montero“Déjà vu all over again” – Yogi Berra
In April 2006, Cherry Street East suffered the greatest catastrophe that can strike any business when it became engulfed in flames. A total loss; many loyal patrons stared at the charred remains of their local pub, their beloved hangout, and the place that since 1977 had served one of the best burgers in Fairfield County. Cherry Street East was a piece of the fiber of the New Canaan community and patrons were concerned that Cherry Street East would become a distant memory. In a true tribute to the owners John and Mary Bergin, the local residents formed an alliance with the owners to reconstruct an exact replica of the original building. The eclectic clientele returned and include local business people sharing an appetizer and burger for lunch, several regulars holding court, and families out for a burgers and fries dinner.
With the building rebuilt to its former glory would the legendary burgers return?
