Connecticut Wine Festival Returns July 28th-29th CTbites Team June 28, 2012 The CONNECTICUT WINE FESTIVAL returns this summer on Saturday and Sunday, July 28th and July 29th. You’re sure to “have a grape day” at the Fourth Annual Connecticut Wine Festival, which returns to the Goshen Fairgrounds in Connecticut this summer. Featuring fine wines, specialty food vendors, artisans, and live music, it is the perfect summer activity for both the amateur and sophisticated wine connoisseur. The festival enjoyed a record number of guests last year, and this year, organizers are promising “more music, more excitement, good food, and lots of great local wines.” Sponsored by the Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association, adult guests can sample the finest wines Connecticut has to offer from many of the state's top wineries – all included in their “tasting ticket” price. They also receive a free tote bag with a commemorative wine glass to use for the tastings. More information and a complete list of participating wineries can be found at www.ctwine.com. Read More
Bonda Chef Jamie Cooper @ Westport Farmers' Market Restaurant Farmers Market CTbites Team June 27, 2012 Jamie Cooper, Head Chef and Owner of Bonda in Fairfield, will be offering a Summer Farm Salad at the Westport Farmers’ Market on Thursday, June 28th between 10 am and 2 pm.Chef Cooper’s inspiration for his appearance at the Market came from Riverbank Farm in Roxbury, CT. He will be assembling a simple summer salad with all ingredients sourced locally from Riverbank Farm. His demonstration will not only show how light and delicious dinner can be, but just how easy it is to shop locally. Cooper will compile a mix of crisp sugar snap peas, scallions, ripe gold tomatoes, and fresh fennel topped it off with a refreshing lime basil vinaigrette. As the heat continues to beat down, there is something so satisfying about a summer salad and a meal that leaves the market 90% complete. Read More
Dine With Design 2012 Recap @ The Philip Johnson Glass House Restaurant Events New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger June 27, 2012 On June 9, the second annual Dine with Design Event occurred on the incomparable grounds of the Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan and presented some of the most imaginative and brilliantly designed food selections that have ever graced this legendary compound. Six extraordinary chefs who exemplify the farm-to-table philosophy of Darryl Eckstrine’s “Harvest to Heat” cookbook and numerous artisans converged in the morning, braving the mist and light rain and created dozens of culinary delights including foie gras profiteroles; farro pasta with a duck heart ragout; citrus cured sardines with Calabrian chilies; plus numerous interpretations of lamb and pork bellies. As I marveled at the chefs’ creativity and tasted each of their dishes, it became apparent that the guests would experience an amazing culinary adventure. Read More
Thursday Night Throwdown @ Espresso NEAT Restaurant Coffee Cooking Classes Darien Amy Kundrat June 27, 2012 Interested in showing off those latte art skills? Or perhaps you just want to learn the basics and sip your way through a fun evening. Either way you are in luck. Espresso NEAT in Darien is hosting their inaugural Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) Latte Art Competition on July 12. A $5 buy-in will get you into the evening's event. This first event of the season is a customer invitational (everyone is invited). Prizes and sponsors to be announced. Read More
Behind-the-Scenes at Fairfield’s Newest Gastropub: The Chelsea Restaurant Fairfield Opening Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster June 26, 2012 The Chelsea, located in the heart of Fairfield on Unquowa Place, will open in a just under a month in mid-July. The new 80 seat restaurant includes 12 outdoor seats, a lively bar, a global gastropub menu and a hefty dose of whimsy. The trio responsible for creating what will likely be Fairfield County’s newest hot spot are: Scott Beck, co-owner of Match and The Loft in South Norwalk, and Tavern in Monroe; Matt Storch, Chef and co-owner of Match in South Norwalk; and Kevin McHugh, Co-Owner of Grey Goose in Southport and Spotted Horse in Wes Read More
Second Date! Holbrook Farm Dinner with Chef Michael Bick Restaurant Bethel Farm Dinner Amy Kundrat June 26, 2012 Holbrook Farm and Chef Michael Bick of Some Things Fishy Catering are hosting their second BYOB farm-to-table dinner of the season on Sunday, July 22, 2012, 4 p.m. at Holbrook Farm in Bethel, CT. The event is $55 per person. To make reservations, email or call 914.572.5648 to make reservations. Their first event of the season was captured by Alicia Ghio of Local Food Rocks. Check out her recap and photos, here. Read More
King's Kitchen @ Southport Beach: Beyond Beach Fare Stephanie Webster June 24, 2012 Southport beach-goers will be donning their swimsuits with extra zeal this summer with the addition of King’s Kitchen emerging on the shoreline restaurant landscape. Every six years the beach concession at Southport Public Beach comes up for lease, and this year a team of young entrepreneurial brothers, Carter and Hunter King, won the hearts and stomachs of Southport officials with their vision for local, organic beachfront cuisine. King’s Kitchen is housed in a tiny pastel hued beach shack, with public picnic tables serving as the “dining room,” but the bright bold flavors and farm fresh ingredients are casually inspired and downright delicious. Sure there’s still a hot dog (Doggy Style) on the menu, but there is also a Lobster BLT and an exceptional Pulled Berkshire Pork Sandwich with grilled pineapple on Wave Hill Ciabatta. This aint your average beach shack. Shopping farmers’ markets almost daily, King’s Kitchen’s commitment to using only the best local ingredients, and the menu’s creativity elevates casual beach fare into something crave-worthy. Read More
You're Invited: Happy Hour @ Dressing Room July 10th CTbites Team June 22, 2012 Celebrate summer with CTbites and Dressing Room. Join Chef Jon Vaast and Beverage Director John Cronin for this special summer Happy Hour on Tuesday July 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on The Dressing Room's newly enhanced patio! This CTbites hosted Happy Hour includes 2 drinks and features new summer cocktails paired with a menu of creative appetizers conceived especially for this event by Chef John Vaast. Enjoy pulled pork sliders with cole slaw garnish, roasted shallot custard, smoked sunburst trout mousse with gigante bean puree and trout caviar, smoked buffalo wings with caveman blue cheese, gazpacho shooters, and other delicious small bites. RESERVE YOUR "SEAT" HERE. Read More
Beach Burger/ Mr. Frosty's:Topping Contest Finalists Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger June 21, 2012 We would like to thank all of our readers who developed some incredible combinations in CTbites "Create Your Own" Beach Burger Topping Contest. We received thirty different hamburger entries and sixteen milk shake recipes. We met with Anthony Luciani, owner of Beach Burger, and went through each entry; it was an incredibly difficult decision. With so many creative choices and equally creative names such as the “Black and Blue Burger” and the “Want S'Mores”shake, it was challenging to narrow the field, but here are our top five finalists in the Burger Contest and the top three finalists in the Milk Shake Contest: Hryan – “Beach Bum Burger” - avocado, bacon, arugula, tomato and basil mayo Alex D’ - “The Ultimate Pizza Burger”- Stuffed with fresh Buffalo mozzarella and pepperoni and topped with Marinara sauce and fresh basil. Served on Focaccia Bread Lee – “Black and Blue Burger” - Blue Cheese stuffed patty, blackening spice, Sriracha blue cheese dressing, bacon, shredded lettuce, crispy fried onions, and tomato Read More
Foodie Art Exhibit @ Westport Art Center: Call For Entries Events Deanna Foster June 20, 2012 We know CTBites readers love food in all forms – casual, elegant, ethnic, constructed, deconstructed, and certainly in written form. We’ve recently learned about one more food form for you to experience: artistic. The Westport Arts Center’s September exhibition, Foodies, will celebrate food as art and WAC is inviting the community to come to the table with their artistic interpretation of the ways food can feed our souls as well as our stomachs. The Foodies Exhibition will open on Friday, September 14th when the gallery’s tables and walls will be set with works related to food that have been judged and selected by local foodies, Bill Taibe of LeFarm and The Whelk, Pat Callaghan of Pepperidge Farms, Stew Leonard of Stew Leonard’s, and Michel Nischan of The Dressing Room. Read More
Ad: Tasti D-Lite, Healthy & Delicious for 20 Years Restaurant kids activity Advertisement Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team June 20, 2012 Tasti D-Lite opened in NYC 20 years ago as a low-calorie alternative to ice cream and quickly snowballed into a frozen dessert mecca with a cult-like following. At their Fairfield location, Tasti D-Lite is bringing their 100+ flavors and all natural ingredients to our community offering health-conscious individuals a dessert that is indescribably delicious. Made with the finest ingredients including real dairy and no artificial sweeteners, Tasti D-Lite is lower in calories, sodium, carbs and sugar than ice cream and leading frozen yogurt brands. What makes Tast D-Lite such a guilt-free indulgence? Here's the scoop: Read More
Festivities: Guest Chef @ Westport Farmers' Mkt June 21 Restaurant Chef Talk Farm to Table Farmers Market CTbites Team June 19, 2012 Let the festivities begin! This Thursday, June 21st at The Westport Farmers’ Market, Bill Kaliff Executive chef and Co-owner of Festivities will be providing hungry shoppers with a taste of one of Fairfield County’s premier catering companies. Chef Kalif will begin the first of his two demos at 11 am, with a Faro Ancient Grain Pilaf served with fresh sautéed vegetables and arugula sourced from Ambler Farm. His second dish of the morning, Tabouli with Hearts of Romaine, will be served with his infamous Legacy Olive Oil (which tastes just a little bit like heaven). At 1 pm Chef Kaliff will again show how fun and simple entertaining can be in his second demonstration of the day. Kaliff will be offering a pulled chicken sandwich, served in baby pitas mixed with yogurt, cucumber sauce, and his signature “Magic Sauce” which is known to draw a sizable crowd on its own and is now a staple in my kitchen. Read More
eleven14 Kitchen & Chocolate Lab Open at the J House Hotel in Greenwich Restaurant Cocktails Greenwich Amy Kundrat June 17, 2012 Greenwich has a new kid in town. The J House, a boutique hotel in Riverside, has opened eleven14 Kitchen and The Chocolate Lab. The hotel's modern and playful layers of lounges and indoor/outdoor dining areas, paired with a culinary program led by Chef François Kwaku-Dongo most notably of Spago, make it a place you’ll want to explore this summer. Read More
Aux Delices Opens in Westport: Great Food for Busy People Features Restaurant Prepared Food Specialty Market Westport Breakfast Take Out Lunch Kid Friendly CTbites Team June 17, 2012 Back in Greenwich it was more than 10 years ago that I first walked into Greg Addonizio and Debra Ponzek’s tiny yellow-and-blue striped jewel of a café, Aux Delices. I went there almost every day, unable to resist their lemony ginger tea, inspiring desserts and gourmet take-out items. After I moved to Westport, I literally dreamed about their unbelievably decadent chocolate cake. Now, at long last, my dreams have come true. Aux Delices, which in French means “all the delicious food in life,” has opened a new location...in Westport, centrally located at 1035 Post Road East. With an airy, relaxed French brasserie ambience of copper fixtures, colorful chalkboard menus, and an outdoor patio, it’s the perfect instant getaway. And, while the service is quick and easy, the food however, is anything but fast food-like. With the exception of a few imported specialty items, drinks and cheeses, all foods and pastries are baked on-site, prepared by culinary institute-trained chef Ponzek, who describes her own cooking as “quality, healthy food for busy people.” Read More
Saugatuck Grain & Grape Gets Greenlight for Wine Bar Cocktails Opening Amy Kundrat June 15, 2012 Saugatuck Grain and Grape in Westport has been approved for the construction of a wine bar, c2h6o, at their existing 40 Railroad Place address by the town’s Planning & Zoning Board of Appeals. Their plans include transforming half of their existing retail space into a separate stand-alone wine bar in the burgeoning Saugatuck neighborhood.With the plans a year in the making, owners Mimi McLaughin and Jeff Marron are ecstatic their project has the green light to move forward. "I feel like I just gave birth to a teenager, this thing's been incubating for so long!" said McLaughlin this morning less than 12 hours after plans were approved, "We're really excited that it's actually becoming a reality now. Jeff has done quite a bit of research to develop a cocktail program that is both sophisticated and educational. He plans to really focus on vintage cocktails and the cocktail culture trends of the late 19th century." Read More
Taste and See Cupcakes in Milford Features Restaurant Bakery Milford Kid Friendly Dessert Cindy Hartog June 14, 2012 Is Taste and See Gourmet Cupcakes in Milford worth a 30-minute drive from Westport? The answer is a resounding “yes”! Recently, I’ve diagnosed myself as cupcake obsessed. There are worse obsessions, right? Through mail order, vacation excursions, and day trips, I estimate I’ve tried more than 50 cupcake purveyors. With complete honesty, Taste and See is my winner. Read More
Amuse Bouche: Food News for June 13 CTbites Team June 13, 2012 Curious about the sand outside of Valencia Luncheria? Their outdoor patio seating is coming soon. The Venezuelan beach theme is now complete. If you haven't heard, Le Pain Quotidien has opened in Stamford across from Fairway Market. The organic Belgian bakery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and serves a great latte. Beach Burger/ Mr Frosty's is also officially OPEN for business at Harbor Point in Stamford. Get all the delicious burger and frozen dessert action at their new convenient location. From the people who brought you Bobby Q's, Bar Q BBQ restaurant & bar is open in Stamford. Come for the dry rub, stay for the drinks @15 Clark Street at Main Street. The grand opening of Fro-Yo World in Westport is June 30th @ 11:30AM. Swing by for self serve frozen yogurt with 10 rotating flavors and 45 toppings. First 400 customers receive a FREE t-shirt @ 361 Post Road West. Read More
2012 Guest Chef Lineup @ The Westport Farmers' Market Ingredients Farm to Table Farmers Market Stephanie Webster June 12, 2012 You've waited all Winter. You've been patient. You've eaten produce flown in from countries far away, and had daydreams involving fresh blueberries. But now, your wait is over. It's time to rejoice with fresh local farm fare. The Farmers' Markets are back in session. And there's more good news. The Westport Farmers' Market is hosting 24 guest chefs this season, who will demo seasonal recipes and prepare tasting samples for Market guests. Wait till you see the lineup: Elm, The Boathouse, le Farm, Match, Sugar & Olives, Barcelona & more. CTbites will bring you continued coverage on the upcoming market chefs. and you can view the complete schedule below: Read More
