Amuse Bouche: Food News for June 1 News CTbites Team June 01, 2012 Oaxaca Kitchen in Westport is launching "live music Fridays" beginning on June 22nd. Bands will start at 10pm and play until close. Mr. Frosty’s / Beach Burger is opening in Stamford @ 100 Washington Boulevard. Stay tuned for details. Craft Beer Tasting @ Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market in Fairfield on Saturday June 2nd @ 12pm, 1pm & 2pm to introduce and sample their new lines of American Craft Beer. We hear: New England Brewing has released a limited edition run of Gandhi Bot Imperial IPA in 16oz. cans. Let us know in the comments if you've seen any around, and where. The Sun BBQ Fest in this weekend at Mohegan Sun with tons of tasty BBQ, pitmasters, a farmers' market, and live music. Read More
Invites: 4 Course Dinner @ The Boathouse at Saugatuck CTbites Invites CTbites Team May 31, 2012 Join CTbites and Chef John Holzwarth on Tuesday June 19th 7:30 to 9:30 pm for an intimate evening at The Boathouse at Saugatuck. Chef Holzwarth has carefully selected a 4 course summer menu celebrating beautful fresh (always local) seafood. Each course will be carefully paired with wine selections from the Loire Valley. This dinner is $80 pp. Reserve Your Seat HERE. Here is the menu for this special event: Local oysters two ways, roasted & raw, paired with a crisp Muscadet Home Made Lobster Ravioli, Lobster Jus, Favas and Fines Herbes, paired with a refreshing Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Main course will feature fresh and creatively prepared Market fish ( to be selected day of event based on local availability), Salad of Frisee, Citrus, and Shellfish paired with seasonal rose Vouvray or Anjou Blancs Read More
CT Invasion: CT Chefs Cook The James Beard House Restaurant Chef Talk Events Stephanie Webster May 31, 2012 For a chef, one of the most coveted cooking spaces in American is the tiny kitchen that sits in the belly of The James Beard House on West 12th Street, NYC. The ancient copper pans, the elegant dining room, and the chef's whites that hang on the wall bearing the signatures of accomplished chefs from around the world, carry with them a lineage that celebrates the prolific food writer, cookbook author, and teacher, James Beard. Today, The James Beard house provides culinary inspiration, education, and scholarships, but at the heart of this narrow townhouse is a “performance space” for visiting chefs, the gold standard for any culinary career. Last week, six Fairfield County chefs paid The Beard House a visit, and the meal that resulted was a celebration of CT talent, seasonal ingredients and camaraderie. Read More
Rizzuto’s: A Day of Italian Food, Wine & Cars, June 10th Kids Bites Restaurant Events Italian kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team May 30, 2012 On Sunday, June 10, 2012, NOON – 4 PM, Rizzuto’s, located in the Saugatuck community of Westport, has teamed up with The Ferrari Club of America and FIAT of Larchmont for a day-long event filled with Italian food, wine, and cars. The event takes place during the Formula 1 Grand Prix Du Canada race, which will be shown on 2 large screen HD TVs. Race car fans can take a virtual lap around the track in a GoSimRacer Race Car Simulator. Kids feeling the need for speed can race through an on-lot GoGo-Kart track presented byGrand Prix New York Racing. Rizzuto’s is pulling out all the stops with classic Italian dishes and an Italian wine tasting. San Pellegrino will be keeping things cool and Rizzuto’s will be grilling outdoors this year, preparing sausage and pepper wedges and meatball sliders. Read More
Fat Cat & Kermit Lynch Italian Wine Dinner June 9th CTbites Team May 30, 2012 Fountainhead Wine & Fat Cat Pie Co are teaming up with Kermit Lynch for a very special dinner on Saturday June 9th, 7:30 pm. Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant is one of the wine pioneers in this country and perhaps the most influential in terms of the importation of tiny production, off the beaten track wines that now are considered benchmark examples. The combination of impeccable sensibilities, conviction to import esoterica, as well as a palate that thirsts for discoveries makes him one of the living legends in the wine trade. This being said, you can imagine their excitement when Fountainhead Selections, Fountainhead's import and distribution side of the business, was selected as the purveyors of the legends' Italian portfolio in Connecticut. Read More
BONDA En Plein Air Dinners @ Greenfield Hill Grange Restaurant Events Stephanie Webster May 29, 2012 BONDA Restaurant takes dinner to the outdoors this July with BONDA En Plein Air at Greenfield Hill Grange #133. BONDA will host a one week series of magical and intimate evenings dining in the open air, “en plein air” from July 11th – 15th @ 6:30 pm nightly. Following a cocktail hour, guests will be invited to a four course dinner (with wine of course!) artfully curated by Chef/Owner Jamie Cooper – all enjoyed in the sweet summer air with a background country orchestra of crickets and birds Price: $150 per person all inclusive of tax and gratuity, non refundable but transferable, rain or shine. BONDA will begin taking reservations Monday, June 11th at 10:00 am Call 203.292.9555 or email bondarestaurant@hotmail.com Read More
The Winner of The Sun BBQ Fest Giveaway Is..... Stephanie Webster May 29, 2012 We are pleased to announce the winner of the Sun BBQ Fest Giveaway. Craig Dolphin has landed himself 2 free passes for this grill-tastic event as well as a spankin new Weber Grill. Thanks for sharing your recipe for Catalina Shrimp on a skewer Craig. Eat some tasty food on our behalf. Stay tuned for our next giveaway. Read More
WFM Weekly Trivia : Win Swag @ Westport Farmers' Mkt Lori Cochran May 28, 2012 Answer the following question. We will randomly select a winner from the correct answers to receive a fine lookin' Westport Farmers' Market T Shirt. How many countries are GMOs outlawed in? Read More
Nauti Dolphin: New York Style Pizza in Fairfield Restaurant Fairfield Pizza Amy Kundrat May 28, 2012 If you've ever missed a train or slogged through a daily commute, you know it often comes down to being at the right place at the right time. A few minutes late and you may find yourself recalculating your entire day's schedule. But if pizza is your business, and your ovens are quite literally at the tracks, you're always at the right place at the right time. Situated on the northbound side of the Fairfield train station, Nauti Dolphin in Fairfield serves up New York-inspired slices and pies that not only serve clock-watching commuters, but loyal Fairfielders who find themselves visiting the station whether or not they have a train to catch. Paired with fairly inexpensive prices, over ten years, and a constant stream of commuting stomachs, Nauti Dolphin is one of the town's favored neighborhood pizza take-out and delivery joints. Read More
Sticky Balsamic Ribs via The Parsley Thief Features Entertaining Recipe katie vitucci May 26, 2012 Looking for a great recipe for your Memorial Day BBQ? No joke, these are the best ribs ever! After asking my husband what he thought of them, he swallowed his bite & replied, "This may be the best thing I've had in my entire life". But, this is coming from a man who loves him some ribs...anyway, anyhow. Like all good ribs, these require time, but very little effort. Once they are done marinating & slow cooking in the oven, the grilling part takes about 5 minutes. The perfect thing when you are having company & don't want to be in the kitchen when your guests are there. This recipe will be a summer regular for us. Read More
Opening Day @ The 2012 Westport Farmers' Market Ingredients Restaurant Farmers Market Local Farm Specialty Market Westport Stephanie Webster May 24, 2012 CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE TO LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY The Westport Farmers' Market opened today with an official ribbon cutting ceremony attended by members of the Fairfield County community who came to show their support for the market and "living local." First Selectman Gordon Joseloff and State Representative Jonathon Steinberg brandished their scissors with vigor as market shoppers applauded the start of the Westport Farmers' Market season. Also poised for the big day was Chef Jon Vaast of Dressing Room, one of the 23 guest chefs who will be appearing at the market throughout the season doing recipe demos and tastings (more on that later). The crowd was packed with people enjoying their Skinny Pines Pizza, Raus' Cold Romans, Boxcar Cantina Tamales, and Du Soleil Fine Foods...and the rain held out. VIEW PHOTO GALLERY HERE. Read More
Amuse Bouche: Food News for May 24, 2012 News CTbites Team May 24, 2012 The oh-so-beautiful Terrain is now open for dinner in Westport. Browse this stunning home and garden store before you sample Chef Wolfson's uber burger. Tickets for The Harbor Brew Fest in Bridgeport go on sale June 1st w/ over 20 craft beers on tap, food trucks & entertainment. Many Farmers' Markets are officially open for the season. Get the latest on all the markets & vendors updates for 2012 at The Fairfield Green Food Guide. Sun BBQ Fest is June 1-3 @ Mohegan Sun. Don't miss your chance to win free passes & a Weber Grill in our Sun BBQ Fest Giveaway. Read More
CTbites Invite: Blue Lemon Cooking Demo & Lunch Recap Restaurant CTbites Invites Westport Lunch Meaghan Morelli May 23, 2012 Blue Lemon chef Bryan Malcarney can clean, prep and sear a baby squid in just under 10 minutes, all while making small talk with a patio full of hungry diners. In fact, he makes it look pretty easy. “That’s my job,” the affable chef joked to a lunch crowd last week at a cooking demo organized by CTBites. The lattice and flower enclosed patio was packed with avocational foodies who had jumped at the chance to learn from one of the area’s most established chefs through the CTBites Invites program, which has regular offerings to take people behind the scenes in some of Fairfield County’s most respected kitchens. Read More
Kids Review: Cadiz Tapas in Bethel Kids Bites Restaurant Bethel Gluten-Free Spanish Special Dietary Needs Kid Friendly CTbites Team May 23, 2012 Most of the time at restaurants, I have no idea what to order because there are so many great choices. At Cadiz, however I can choose many different dishes. I can even order ten and share with friends and family. Cadiz is a place where you order several tapas and share among the group. Don’t be fooled though. It is located in the Bethel movie theater but that doesn’t mean it's cheap diner food. Plus, there are some great gluten-free options. My family started out with a basket of bread, a small plate of hummus with baked pita chips, and a bowl of Greek olives. The bread had a crunchy and flaky crust with a soft and warm inside. It tasted amazing; a great way to kick off the meal. Read More
Festivities Catering Now at Wilton Farmers' Market Restaurant Catering Entertaining Farmers Market Wilton CTbites Team May 22, 2012 Festivities, one of Fairfield county’s premier catering companies for over 28 years will be “popping up” with their signature, hand-made party food- Party Express at the Wilton Farmers’ Market. Opening day is Wednesday, May 30 from 2-6 p.m. and running each Wednesday through September 12th. Party Express at The Wilton Farmer’s Market offers freshly made party foods featuring the harvest from local farms. The rotating menu includes a wide range of delicious foods from “Snacks For Beach & Patio” to “Bento Box Meals To Go” to ‘Legacy Foods” borrowing world flavors from our families of origin. Also offered are weekly vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free alternatives. Executive Chef/Co-Owner, Bill Kaliff is particularly excited to be expanding his menu to showcase “legacy foods” while incorporating Connecticut Grown whenever possible. Read More
Gold Coast Gourmet: Freezer...Meet Mark Ingredients Delivery Service Home Delivery Sarah Green May 22, 2012 Freezer, meet Mark. Mark Seigel, owner and purveyor of GOLD COAST GOURMET for the past 22 years, will be your freezer's best friend - reliable and ALWAYS there when you need him. I was lucky enough to be referred to Mark by a Westport friend (he only works by referrals, no door-to-door harassment) and just in the nick of time. With Memorial Day weekend and the warm summer months approaching, there is enormous potential for a lot of home entertaining with many "Mom, I also brought the rest of the team home for dinner " possibilities. If you are like me, this can cause some major anxiety. This year, no problemo. Gold Coast Gourmet provides home delivery of prime meats, gourmet seafood and much, much more. The great thing about this service is that you are purchasing items by the "box" meaning that most things come in individually wrapped, perfectly manageable, flash-frozen portions. Read More
Dine With Design @ The Glass House: Chef Update Restaurant Events Farm to Table Local Artisan Local Farm New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger May 21, 2012 The second annual Dine with Design will happen June 9, 2012, on the magnificent and incomparable grounds of Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan. With the tremendous success of prior year’s food presentations, the afternoon will again feature incredible tasting menus designed and prepared by some of the most renowned and respected chefs in America. Several of the chefs are featured in Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer’s cookbook, Harvest to Heat and this year’s day and evening lineup will create one of the most delicious culinary experiences of the season. The participating chefs include three locals, Jeremy McMillan from The Farmhouse Restaurant at The Bedford Post Inn, Frederic Kieffer from Artisan in Southport, and Tim LaBant from The Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton; two chefs from Cambridge, MA, Tony Maws from Craigie on Main and Ana Sortun from Oleana; plus Missy Robbins from A Voce in New York City and Gabriel Rucker from Le Pigeon in Portland, OR. The last two of the featured chefs, Missy Robbins and Gabriel Rucker present two vastly different paths up the culinary ladder and as well as approaches in their current restaurants. Read More
Estia's American Opens in Darien: Breakfast & Beyond Restaurant Brunch Darien Local Farm Breakfast Comfort Food Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger May 20, 2012 When restaurateur Colin Ambrose decided to follow his wife and three daughters and return to Fairfield County from the eastern end of Long Island, he brought with him a reputation for delivering creative farm to table cuisine. As the former owner/chef of Estia’s in Amagansett and the current owner of Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor, Ambrose is celebrating his Darien homecoming by opening his latest restaurant, Estia’s American. After Ambrose settled on the location that formerly housed Ole Mole, he immediately set to create a rustic Americana décor that included American flags created from book spines, relaxing beach paintings and his personal collection of cookbooks and novels, including several by his uncle Stephen Ambrose. Read More
Ambler Farm Summer Picnic Tickets on Sale CTbites Team May 19, 2012 Mark your calendars for Ambler Farm's Summer Picnic in Wilton, CT. Saturday, June 16th from 6 to 11pm. This event hails Ambler Farm's annual kick off to summer. Begin the evening picnicking on blankets and relaxing with friends and continue on with live music, hayrides and horseshoes. After dinner, do-si-do your way to the dance floor for some traditional country-western dancing! Back by popular demand, local country chic food will be prepared by Delicious Affair and will feature Ambler Farm organic produce. Read More
"The Whole Hog" Celebrity Chef Fundraiser, May 24th CTbites Team May 18, 2012 On Thursday, May 24th at 6:30pm, four of Connecticut’s superstar chefs with a passion for nourishing neighbors with fresh, locally-grown ingredients will gather at the Clarke Showroom in SoNo for a delectable evening of wine, vine and swine! Tim LaBant of the Schoolhouse at Cannondale restaurant in Wilton, John Barricelli of SoNo Baking Company in South Norwalk, Bun Lai of Miya's Sushi in New Haven and Joe Wolfson, the new executive chef of Terrain Garden Café in Westport will creatively prepare and serve inspired free-range pork creations and offer a few sneak peeks of their seasonal offerings. Read More
