Video: Matt Storch Demos Pea Carbonara w/ Poached Egg Features Chef Talk Entertaining Recipe Video Recipe CTbites Team June 08, 2012 When eggs and bacon come together with pasta, it's all good. When Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurant demos said dish, it's even better. This is exactly what went down during a recent video shoot, where Storch did a trial run for his entree selection at the CT Chefs' dinner at the James Beard House. Storch's carbonara has a seasonal twist that sets it apart from the classic dish. Instead of mixing the eggs into the pasta, he uses fresh peas and pea shoots to create a puree that serves as the sauce, while gently resting a poached egg atop before serving. This is a great entree to make at home. Watch and learn... Read More
Chef Cosentino, Iron Chef & Author @ William Sonoma Restaurant Chef Talk Cookbooks Events Specialty Market CTbites Team June 07, 2012 Chris Cosentino: Chef/Partner of Incanto, Boccalone and Pigg, former Iron Chef, and author of the new cookbook, Beginnings: My Way To Start a Meal is the featured chef partner this season at Williams-Sonoma. With his inspired interpretations of Italian dishes and innovative whole animal cooking, Cosentino has proven he’s someone to watch in the culinary world. On June 13, 5-7 pm you can join him at William Sonoma for an evening of Chris’s seasonal, Italian-Style first courses. These simple, rustic recipes reflect the chef’s love of cooking – both at home and in the kitchen of his San Francisco restaurant, Incanto and artisan salumeria, Boccalone. COST: $75 includes 2-hour demo, a signed copy of the book and dinner! Please call the store at 203-221-8667 for more information. Read More
Napa & Co. in Stamford Offers Early Bird 3 Course Prix Fixe Restaurant Farm to Table Stamford Stephanie Webster June 06, 2012 Napa & Co in Stamford is offering a great program this summer for diners who like to eat on the early side. For reservation or walk ins seated before 6:30PM, Napa has created a 3 course menu paired with some excellent wines that can be enjoyed for $53/pp. The menu will change throughout the summer based on what's in season, but this is a great way to sample everything Napa & Co. has to offer at a very attractive price. We've included their current menu below to whet your appetite. Read More
Dine With Design: Chef Menu Update CTbites Team June 06, 2012 The 2012 Dine With Design "Modern Picnic" at The Philip Johnson Glass House is just days away and the chefs have their menus ready to go for the event which will take place on Saturday, June 9th from 12pm to 3pm. This epicurean picnic provides an opportunity to sample savory dishes prepared by six award-winning chefs and ten talented artisans while exploring the buildings, grounds and art collections located on the 49-acre site. If you haven't already done so, you can still purchase tickets for this event, but first take a look at the drool-worthy menus below: Read More
Strawberry Season Starts June 7 @ Bishop's Orchards CTbites Team June 06, 2012 This just in from Bishop's Orchards... "The 2012 Pick Your Own Season is OFFICIALLY here. Our first day for PYO Strawberries is Thursday June 7, from 8:30 am - 1 pm. The Strawberry crop looks great this year and they are absolutely delicious and so sweet. Remember, our Strawberry season is only a few weeks long, so don't miss your chance to pick and enjoy the freshest local strawberries! We hope to be open most mornings thru late June, but weather conditions and the plentiful availability of ripe berries determines our daily schedule, so call in daily for our schedule. 203.458.PICK We hope to see you in the fields!" Read More
SoNo Restaurant Week is Back: June 17-22nd Stephanie Webster June 06, 2012 Sono Restaurant Week is back with very attractive dining opportunities during the week of June 17th - 22nd. Come for lunch or dinner for great deals at all your favorite Sono restaurants including: Bacchus, Barcelona, Coromandel, Match, Red Lulu, Sono Baking Co and Strada 18. View the complete list of participating venues below: Read More
Cocktail Naming Contest: Dressing Room Ingredients Cocktails CTbites Team June 05, 2012 Game on! We're back with another cocktail naming contest. WIN a FREE Lunch for 2 @ The Dressing Room. Here's How... The Dressing Room has a new summer sipper in need of a name. This cocktail features craft made spirits from New York and Connecticut. If your Cocktail name is selected, it will be featured on their new menu & you will receive a FREE LUNCH FOR TWO @ The Dressing Room. Here are the ingredients: "Your Name Here" Cocktail Recipe 2.0 oz Rime Vodka (CT distilled by Westford Hills ) 1.0 oz American Fruits Pear Liquer (Produced in Warwick NY) 0.5 oz Massener's Ginger Liquer Post your submission below (include email) , or if you're shy, feel free to send it to us directly. May the best namer win!! Good luck. Read More
Blue Lemon @ Westport Farmers' Mkt June 7 CTbites Team June 05, 2012 It’s official, the Westport Farmers’ Market is in full swing and you don’t want to miss a thing! School’s beginning to wind down, the days are getting longer, and summer is rapidly approaching. If your house is anything like mine, with the heat comes the challenge of finding something cool and refreshing for dinner. Look no further…. this Thursday, June 7th Bryan Malcarney, Chef and Owner of The Blue Lemon in Westport will be whipping up a cool Caribbean gazpacho for all to sample at the Westport Farmers’ Market. This cold soup is simple yet delicious and always a market favorite. Best of all, the majority, if not all of the ingredients, can be found at the market. Therefore, if you make your way to the Market this Thursday (which I highly recommend) you will not only leave with your taste buds singing, but with dinner practically done! Read More
Block Party on the Farm w/ CT NOFA CTbites Team June 04, 2012 CT NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) is turning 30 this year, and to celebrate 30 years of great food, fun, and community, they're having a Block Party. On June 23rd, come meet, socialize and bond with your local farmers and Organic Land Care Professionals with a farm tour, food truck, wine tasting, live music, and talk by Bill Duesing, CT NOFA's Executive Director. Farmer Dina Brewster will host a guided farm tour of The beautiful Hickories Farm in Ridgefield, followed by a wine tasting courtesy of Cellar XV. The Taco Pacifico food truck will keep the mood festive and keep you full of tacos. Dessert will be provided by The Cake Box, along with local brewery samples from Southport Brewing Company. Organic teas will be supplied by steaz. Read More
Terrain Westport Garden Cafe: Farm to Table Fare Restaurant Farm to Table Westport Farm Fresh Lunch Melissa Roberts June 03, 2012 The construction of Terrain along the Westport Post Road sprouted up faster than a weed; but unlike a weed, Terrain was a welcome sight--desirable and beautiful. I’m unsure who frequents this store, billed as “a shop for eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor” with its $100. terrariums and $2,000. wire tables, but I have noticed a lot of people are eating here. Terrain’s restaurant, the Westport Garden Cafe, with the look of a modern barn in all its refined rusticity--reclaimed wood tables adorned with potted flowers, bulbs suspended from above, and floor to ceiling glass windows--is bright and airy, completely lovely. To match decor, the menu itself is farm-to-table, boasting support for local farms such as Sport Hill, Holbrook, Oakview, The Hickories and Warrups. Alabama chef, Joe Wolfson, Food & Wine’s 2011 People’s Best New Chef from the Gulf Coast, does justice to his ingredients. Read More
Dressing Room Guest Chefs @ The Westport Farmers' Mkt Restaurant Chef Talk Farmers Market Local Farm CTbites Team June 02, 2012 Please welcome Conor Johnson, one of CTbites' summer interns, who will be covering the local Farmers' Markets throughout the 2012 season. This past Thursday at the Westport Farmers’ Market, the grilling, searing, and sautéing began as they kicked off the season with their first of the many scheduled guest chefs. The first chef featured was Jon Vasst, Executive Chef of The Dressing Room, who awed a sizeable audience as he worked his culinary magic before their hungry eyes. His first of two demos began at 11 am, the second at 1 pm, with upcoming market guest chefs Bill Taibe, of LeFarm and Arik Bensimon, of Napa & Co. in the audince to show their support. Read More
Friday Froth: Spring Things Ingredients Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon June 01, 2012 "The planet has needs for your deeds," read the bottle cap. I studied it as the beer's head made sizzling noises, bubbles popping in the glass. "Well," I thought, dropping the cap and producing a tinny rattle. "Obviously." I brought my eyes around to study the carbonation's wavering path as it rose through the brown fluid. A previous topper reading "It's later now than it has ever been before" stuck to my other hand as I put it down. I flicked the cap, and it skidded across the glass table, leaving a faint but traceable trail through the collected pollen. Weakening rays of early evening sun hit me on a slant as I closed my eyes and leaned back. Those beams wouldn't be much good for generating solar power, but they seemed to recharge my personal batteries just fine. Some sort of tiny insect crawled its way over the hills and valleys of my toes and back into the green grass. Ah, spring. Read More
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
