CTbites Invites: Sample Fairfield's New Chilibomb CTbites Invites CTbites Team January 18, 2012 Calling all chili lovers! Chilibomb of Fairfield recently exploded onto the scene creating a stir among lovers of the hot stuff. A creative chili menu covering a broad spectrum of heat and ingredients, from mild and vegetarian to meaty and down-right scary, Chilibomb will challenge any brave (or not so brave) chili soul. We've teamed up with Chilibomb to offer TWO limited-time chili options designed for game day, whether you are hosting a Super Bowl party or want to spend a lazy afternoon curled up with a bowl of chili: 1. The 3 Chili Sampler 2. The Chilibomb Party Pack. Learn more. Read More
Brewing Beer With Jon Vaast Of Dressing Room Ingredients Chef Talk Recipe Beer James Gribbon January 17, 2012 In 2006 Dressing Room restaurant was created as a collaboration between actor Paul Newman and chef Michael Nischan. Both men could fairly be called food policy activists, and their desire was to create what they called a Homegrown Restaurant, focusing on American heirloom food made from local, organic ingredients. Dressing Room's name stems from its location, adjacent to Newman's Westport Country Playhouse, but one of its staff, chef Jon Vaast, was kind enough to invite CTBites into his home instead to show us how the 21st century gent practices the ancient art of home brewing. [A note before we begin: as much as I enjoy beer, I had never before actually made it. I enjoy driving, but if I attempted to build an overhead valve engine there would inevitably be sundry and possibly vital bits left lying on the garage floor when I was done. Luckily, brewing has significantly fewer chances to produce flaming wreckage, but I apologize ahead of time to for anything I may leave out.] Read More
The Sun WineFest '12 & Ticket Giveaway Amy Kundrat January 17, 2012 The Sun WineFest 2012 is a destination weekend for food lovers in the tri-state area who descend on the Mohegun Sun Convention Center for a fabulous line-up of food and wine-filled events beginning Friday, January 27 through Sunday, January 29, 2012. Tickets are still available and we are pleased to be able to offer a pair of tickets to one lucky CTbites readers for Sunday's Grand Tasting. Read More
MESA- Modern Mexican on Fairfield's Black Rock Tpke Restaurant Mexican Kid Friendly Sarah Green January 15, 2012 There's a new muchacha in town, and her name is MESA! Bold as brass and situated in what has been, at least during my 10 years in Fairfield County, a most unlikely zone, this modern Mexican is worth its weight in oro. It is fair to say that my last choice when picking an ethnic food destination has always been Mexican. (Having been to Mexico many times, and having eaten the absolute freshest delicious food there, I have always found American-Mexican to be heavy, loaded with too much cheese and way too saucy.) But the times they are a'changin and Mesa is making its way to the top of my destination list. Why you may ask? I'll tell you. Read More
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
Bernard's & Sarah's Wine Bar Present: Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner Restaurant Cheese Events Ridgefield Wine Dinners CTbites Team January 13, 2012 Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner will be held on Sunday, January 27 @ 7 PM [UPDATED]. This party is a true celebration of great food and great wine, with musical stylings courtesy of the Kelly Mittleman Trio! The event features Ridgefield's finest with Bernard's Restaurant, Sarah's Wine Bar and Monica from 109 Cheese & Wine. Check out the menu below: Read More
Ad: Play With Your Food 10th Anniversary Gala CTbites Team January 11, 2012 To honor PWYF’s 10th anniversary season, Play With Your Food is throwing a Gala Celebration, "Two For the Road." The event will be held on Saturday, January 28 at 6:30pm at Dragone Classic Motor Cars and will combine the backdrop of the trendy classic car showroom with what Play With Your Food does best: serve up tasty food and good theatre. Hearty hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and wine begin the evening. Catering sponsors include Blue Lemon, Garelick and Herbs, Matsu Sushi, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and more than 15 other of the area’s finest restaurants. Read More
o.a.t.s: A Modern Take on Granola Ingredients Breakfast Kid Friendly Margie Treisman January 10, 2012 What does “o.a.t.s.” stand for? Outrageously addictive tasty snack? Obscenely arduous to stop [eating]? Yes, but no. Simply put, o.a.t.s. is oats. Plus a handful of other identifiable ingredients (all of which I can pronounce), combined to create a truly delicious “granola for the foodie.” o.a.t.s. granola was developed only a year ago by two Westport women, Julie Gaines and Dana Noorily. Both women are busy moms – between them they have five kids under the age of seven – and passionate foodies. Disappointed by commercial granolas, Julie set out to bake her own at home. After sharing the results with Dana, they joined forces, selling hundreds of mason jars of the granola through friends and family last holiday season. Read More
Bobby Q's Beer & BBQ Event / Menu Update CTbites Team January 08, 2012 We're excited for this weeks CTbites event at Bobby Q's and here's why you should be too. Join Bobby Q owner Bob Le Rose and special BBQ guests and brewers for an unforgettable night of craft brews and BBQ on January 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. This event is priced at $60 per person which includes a BBQ demo with specials guests, dinner paired with craft beer as well as dessert from Cocoa Michelle. Award-winning BBQ pitmasters Steve Z of R2BQ and Dave Conti of Red Planet BBQ and top microbrewers will make an appearance for the demo. Bobby and his crew will pair their signature BBQ dishes including pulled pork, burnt ends, ribs, brisket and chicken, and a variety of sides with a selection of craft brews. Space is limited and is 21 and over only, and reservations are first come, first served. More Info & RSVP Read More
Carpe Diem Opens w/ Northern Italian in New Canaan Restaurant Italian New Canaan Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 08, 2012 Food lovers of New Canaan rejoice! Carpe Diem, a Northern Italian inspired restaurant by Alan Basaran, has opened and the housemade pastas are delicious. As CTBites presented earlier, Basaran, a North Stamford resident and owner of Carpe Diem Restaurant in New York City, is excited about creating delicious Northern Italian cuisine in New Canaan, his wife’s hometown. Read More
Bill Taibe's "The Whelk" Opens in Westport in 2 Weeks Restaurant Seafood Westport Lunch Stephanie Webster January 06, 2012 Up until yesterday, if you had asked Bill Taibe for the name of his new Westport based seafood restaurant, he'd tell you what he told the town when they needed a name for the phone directory, "The oyster place in Saugatuck." But as of this morning, this seafood haven has been given a brand befitting its waterfront surroundings in Westport's burgeoning restaurant scene. "The Whelk" will be opening in roughly two weeks, and the restaurant is poised for its first round of guests. The interior reflects the clean lines of a beautiful ship with beadboard paneling, industrial metals, and warm woods, but despite the seafaring undertones "there is a sense of responsible kitchiness here. We didn't want to go obvious nautical," says Taibe. He describes The Whelk's clean architectural interior as "The South of France meets Maine." Green park bench inspired seating runs the full length of the sunlit dining space and 2 high communal tables stand proudly behind the white marble bar. In keeping with Taibe's passion for local sourcing, everything in the restaurant was made in the USA. Read More
Bombay Chile & Cilantro Chicken via Jeanette's Healthy Living Features Recipe CTbites Team January 06, 2012 Lately, I’ve been craving the warm spices of Indian food, and so this week, my kids were treated to a new chicken dish – Bombay Chile and Cilantro Chicken, marinated with lots of warm spices, including coriander, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne. This is definitely a dish that can be started early in the day or the night before, then thrown on the grill or broiled just before dinnertime. I marinated the chicken in the morning, cooked everything before I headed out the door to pick my son up from school, and just reheated it as soon as we walked in the door an hour later. Served with a bright Cilantro Sauce, this is a unique, flavorful chicken dish that I will be making again. To go with this spicy chicken dish, I made some Indian Lemon Rice using brown rice, and Spinach Thoran (I had picked up some leafy green vegetables from the local Indian supermarket that were labeled “phoi leaves”, that looked like New Zealand Spinach). Read More
Pinkberry in Greenwich Opens on the Avenue Amy Kundrat January 05, 2012 The largest Pinkberry shop in Connecticut has opened at 369 Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, CT. We got to take a quick spin around their newest shop (they are also open in Fairfield and West Hartford), sample the goods and get back in line for more. Read More
Gelatissimo in New Canaan is Very Gelato Restaurant ice cream New Canaan Dessert Marina Giannangeli January 05, 2012 The first thing I thought of when I heard “Gelatissimo” was that with a name like this, the place must be authentic. I was not disappointed in learning more about this delightful spot in downtown New Canaan when I met with its owners Andrea and Nuccia. In Italian, Gelatissimo means very gelato; the supprelative “issimo” is used to exalt a description from standard to the very most, this is something I love about the Italian language, that things can be highlighted, made bigger, tastier or more beautiful - or just the opposite- by adding this sort of supprelative. “Issimo” is reserved for the very most and who doesn’t want more gelato!? Here, Nuccia and Andrea have done the very best in gelato; their cheery interior is consistently buzzing with happy customers-several appear to be regulars while others are venturing in for the first, but not last time. Read More
