Bodega Taco Bar to Open in Darien Restaurant Darien Mexican CTbites Team July 11, 2012 According to the Lunch Break Chronicles, Bodega Taco Bar will be opening in Darien at 980 Post Road this fall. Read More
The 6th Annual Shoreline Wine Festival in Guilford CTbites Team July 11, 2012 The Shoreline Wine Festival takes place on August 11 & 12 and features Vineyards and Wineries from all over Connecticut at Bishop's Orchards Farm Market & Winery. Come sample the fruits of their labor. Enjoy food from local restaurants. Taste products from local businesses. Enjoy and purchase crafts from local artisans. Expand your knowledge of food and wine at seminars offered by local experts. Enjoy all of this while listening to the sounds of live music of renowned bands from around New England. Ticket admission includes tastings, entertainment, and more. Food is provided by local food vendors for an additional price. Wine from all participating wineries is available for sale at the event. For more information, visit www.shorelinewinefestival.com. Sponsored and Hosted at Bishop's Orchards Farm Market & Winery, 1355 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT. Read More
Amuse Bouche: Food News for July 10, 2012 Restaurant Westport Beer CTbites Team July 10, 2012 Happy Hour with CTBites Come on down to the Dressing Room TONIGHT (tickets are $40), July 10 for Happy Hour on the patio from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Price of entry will secure you two drinks and appetizers as we reveal our cocktail naming contest winner. Summer Chill: Food and Music to Benefit FTC The Fairfield Theater Company is a non-profit group well worth supporting. They bring excellent music, theater, comedy and film to their locations at The Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport and Stage One by the Fairfield Train station. They will host Summer Chill this Friday at Stage One with food courtesy of Molto, an open bar, and entertainment by The Fry Daddys on Friday, July 13. Beer Run Eli Cannons Tap Room in Middletown will host a Saranac Brewing beer tasting TONIGHT, July 10 featuring their Blueberry Blonde, Chocolate Orange Porter and Lemon Ginger Saision. They'll have a Stone Brewing Ruination 10th anniversary party tomorrow July 11.Speaking of Ruination, Prime 16 in New Haven will also host an event on Thursday, July 12 featuring 10th Anniversary Ruination and a Double Dry Hopped Ruination. At the new Bottlerocket of Westport, check out two free tastings this week: Thursday, July 12, 4-7pm: Locally made (Port Chester, NY) Honey Comb Vokda from StilltheOne Distillery and Saturday, July 14, 4-7pm: In honor of Bastille Day we'll be pouring both Lillet Rosé and Kronenbourg 1664 beer. Read More
Chef Michael Batt @ Westport Farmers' Market Restaurant Farmers Market Westport CTbites Team July 10, 2012 Chef Michael Batt has been on the Food Network, trained under master chefs Geoffrey Zakarian (Town, LeCirque), Gray Kunz (L’Espinasse) & Terrence Brennan (Picholine, Artisinal), and is coming to this Thursday as the guest chef at the Westport Farmers’ Market on July 12. Eight years ago Michael Batt was the talk of New York, well on his way to becoming the next big thing in the City. Working at restuarants including City Hall, Thom, and Terrence Brennan’s Seafood & Chop House, Chef Batt was rapidly working his way to the top. Then fate stepped in and he met his wife, Gallia. Shortly after, the two moved to Connecticut and took over Food Design, then run by another husband and wife team. Today, Michael and Gallia run their business like a family, with many of the staff with them since 2004. Read More
Provençal Cuisine at l'escale in Greenwich Amy Kundrat July 08, 2012 Over the years, l’escale in Greenwich, CT has settled comfortably into its inimitable harbor location, continuing to be a port of call for many discerning diners in the surrounding zip codes and home many notable chefs along the way. Not satisfied to rest on its rankings and get by on its good looks, owner/operator Rick Wahlstedt (Artisan, Le Colonial, Japonais and La Goulue) recently hand-picked a team of veterans, including its opening Executive Chef Frederic Kieffer, to revive the l’escale esprit de corps. The care that went into selecting a talented team, a trio of veterans with venerable ties to fine French dining, has also been carried over to a seafood-centric Provençal menu. The result is a renewed focus that translates to ocean-centric Gallic refinement for one of Greenwich’s best dining destinations. Read More
Beach Donuts in Old Lyme: A Connecticut Cult Favorite Road Trip Restaurant Old Lyme Shoreline East Breakfast Dessert Amy Kundrat July 06, 2012 Like facial hair and irony, the doughnut has received the hipster embrace, ushering in the likes of Voodoo, Dynamo and Doughnut Plant from New York to Portland, making the once doughnut-non grata, cool again. Oblivious to the wax and wane of this food trend, “Beach Donuts” in Old Lyme, Connecticut has steadily and unironically been powering the shoreline with a traditional take on these habit-seeking baked goods for over sixty years. Each Saturday and Sunday in the summer, Ted Powaleny delivers about 125 dozen doughnuts from a kitchen in Clinton to the Shoreline Community Center in Old Lyme, just two blocks from Sound View Beach. From 7 to 10:30 am (or until they sell out), volunteers sell “Beach Donuts” hand-over-fist, with proceeds from the $1 doughnuts, benefitting the Community Center. Read More
Open House @ Thomas Hooker with NoRA Cupcake Truck Road Trip Restaurant Bloomfield Hartford County Beer Amy Kundrat July 06, 2012 The Thomas Hooker Brewery (home to that refreshing summer seasonal, Watermelon Ale) has invited NoRA Cupcake Truck to their twice-monthly Friday Open House, July 6, 2012. The Brewery hosts these events on the 1st and 3rd Friday each month from 5 to 8pm. $10 for pint glass, tasting, and tour (Portion of proceeds go to The Village For Families and Children). Thomas Hooker Brewey is located at Tobey Road in Bloomfield, CT. For more information, visit hookerbeer.com. Read More
South End to Open in New Canaan Restaurant New Canaan Opening Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger July 05, 2012 The expanding number of New Canaan restaurants continues with the announcement of the newest addition, South End, which will open prior to Labor Day on Pine Street next to New Canaan Wine Merchants and feature the culinary creations of Chef Nicholas Martschenko. He is joined at South End by his business partner Keith Siskind, the former General Manager of Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, who will oversee the front of the house. Read More
Harvest Supper in New Canaan Closes Restaurant News CTbites Team July 05, 2012 Residents and visitors who walk down Elm Street in New Canaan will notice a change in the restaurant scenery. After several years Harvest Supper closed its doors on Saturday, June 30. Known in town for incredibly delicious food and included on my list of recommended hamburgers in Fairfield County, many will miss the coziness of the interior and the inventive cuisine designed by Chef Dan Kardos. Stay tuned as CTbites investigates where Restaurateur Grace Lamb next takes her culinary vision. Read More
Flour City Pasta: Organic Artisinal Pasta at Your Local Farmers' Market Restaurant Farmers Market Organic Pasta CTbites Team July 05, 2012 Farfalle, Fettuccine, Orecchiette, Penne, Fusilli, Orzo…..the list goes on, and my heart beats a little faster each time I hear one of these magical words. That’s what pasta is really, a little bit of magic. It has the power to transport you to your first bite of mac and cheese in your Grandma’s kitchen, to Sunday night baked spaghetti, to home. Although I am not Italian, pasta has always been a part of my life and my weakness. This long-lasting relationship began when I was in a high chair, with bowties and butter and has since spiraled to squid ink fettuccine topped with sautéed scallops served in a warm Gorgonzola cream sauce as a college student today. In between, there has been shrimp alfredo, orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sweet sausage, vegetable lasagna, and the classic Bolognese. As I grow, so does this list. Read More
Dinners at the Farm Begin this Week in East Lyme CTbites Team July 03, 2012 The sixth season of Dinners at the Farm begins this Thursday evening, July 5 for six nights at White Gate Farm in East Lyme, CT. There are a limited number of tickets still available. Check availability and RSVP. A portion of the proceeds from this seasons' dinners will benefit: CitySeed, Connecticut Farmland Trust, Working Lands Alliance and new this year Region 4 Schools' healthy lunch program. Check their facebook page for updates and menus. Here's a sampling of this weekend's menu: Read More
Plan B Burger Bar: Pre Prohibition Dinner Restaurant Events Milford Burgers Cindy Hartog July 03, 2012 Many have described me as a Plan B Burger Bar addict! As a professional chef, most people assume I am a food snob, only interested in 5 Star dining venues. This is not the case. When I eat out, I am looking for quality and ambiance. Ambiance can mean elegance but it can also mean, as in this case, just plain fun! While Plan B’s special Prohibition event was all about the past, it is important to note that the Plan B Burger Bar's everyday menu shines with top notch natural beef burgers (veggie, portabella, salmon, and chicken versions are available too), salads, fun starters, a great assortment of fries, and weekly specials. If you have never been to Plan B Burger Bar before, last week’s Pre Prohibition Dinner would not have been an accurate introduction. Their Pre Prohibition Dinner was a forage into a new land. It was more of a Five Star dining experience, with expertly plated food and service, and even more unique top-notch drinks. Read More
Chef Rob Bleifer @ Harry’s Wine and Liquor for “Entwine” Tasting CTbites Team July 03, 2012 Executive Chef and Food Network personality Rob Bleifer is teaming up with Harry’s Wine and Liquor Market in Fairfield for a wine tasting to showcase Entwine line of food-friendly wines on July 7 from 1 to 4 pm. Entwine is a partnership between Food Network’s culinary team and Fifth Generation Winemaker Karl Wente of Wente Vineyards. The partnership has "created wines that are delicious on their own, yet also work with the flavors of food." For more information, contact William Miller at 203.459.4692 or visit http://www.harryswine.com. Read More
Bottlerocket Wine & Spirits Opens in Westport Restaurant Westport Wine Chat Stephanie Webster & Amy Kundrat July 02, 2012 Is grilled Mahi Mahi on the menu tonight? Not sure which wine or beer would best complement the fish? Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit is now open in Westport at 1790 Post Road East offering a seamless, cleverly organized wine shopping experience. With its roots in downtown Manhattan, Bottlerocket hopes to offer wine fans in Fairfield County a better understanding of wine, beer and spirits. Plus, they've got street cred. Bottlerocket has been named the #2 wine store in New York City by Zagat: "An 'innovator' among vintners...an 'A+ in creativity' for the 'eye-catching' themed displays..." Read More
Art's Deli: An Old Classic Returns to Westport Ingredients Restaurant Deli Italian Specialty Market Westport Kid Friendly CTbites Team July 01, 2012 Having been in Westport for almost eight years, I am definitely enjoying all the hip, new restaurants popping up like wild mushrooms, from California fusion to country chic. I love the innovative foods, inventive cocktails, the trendy decor and the chance to hang out with people who are far more interesting than I am. But sometimes I crave a little old school, mom-and-pop, and a diversion from my mostly vegetarian ways. After driving past Art’s Deli on the Post Road, I finally went in, and discovered a wonderful new, old place. It seems that in spite of all that has changed, what’s old has become new again. But this time, it’s better than ever. Read More
Friday Froth: Get Some Sun Ingredients Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon June 29, 2012 Sorry for the delay, all, it took me two weeks to track down any of the new Sixpoint beers south of Fairfield, but they do seem to be propagating through liquor stores and brewpubs. Apollo was the first beer I picked up, since it is Sixpoint's summer seasonal this year, and I am an incurable geek about both space and Greek mythology. I was held helpless in this beer's sway even sitting on the shelf and, having run a few pints through my bloodstream, my slavish dedication hasn't lessened. Apollo gives off a brilliant aroma of yeasts and Bavarian wheat. Its color scores a 3.7 on the Standard Reference Method scale (or SRM; in this case straw colored, tending towards pale gold), a unit of measure especially useful when printed on the outside of opaque cans. Its unusual clarity (for a hefeweizen) is a result of the the beer being put through a centrifuge before canning, allowing it to keep the flavor and body, but with fewer solids. Read More
Sprout Creek Farm, Sixpoint Brewery & Whole Foods Launch "Point of Origin" Cheese Features Cheese Beer Amy Kundrat June 29, 2012 Beer and cheese can make an ideal pair. Sipping a quality brew with the right cheese can elevate and complement the respective flavor profiles as any cheesemonger or brewer would tell you. But Beer IN cheese? Leave it to Sprout Creek Farms, Sixpoint Brewery and Whole Foods Market to create this perfect symbiosis in the ale-washed “Point of Origin” cheese. Conceptualized by Chris Manca, Specialty Products Coordinator for Whole Foods Market's Northeast Region, "Point of Origin" is "grassy, with a whiff of malt that does not announce its presence too boldly," explains Manca, who also helped name the cheese "Point of Origin." Read More
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
