“The SoNo scene has lost a bit of luster and we'd like to help bring some flavor back downtown,” says Chris Hickey, Co-Owner of The Spread opening October 2012.
Mr. Hickey, and his partners, Christopher Rasile, Andrey Cortes, and Shawn Longyear may be just the men for the job. With strong backgrounds in hospitality and almost legendary careers managing Bar at Barcelona’s SoNo and Greenwich locations, these four partners are poised to create some dining buzz in Michael Young's former Habana location.
But, despite boasting one of the largest bars in Fairfield County, The Spread is not just about creative cocktails. Enter the talented Chef Arik Bensimon, most recently the Executive Chef at Napa & Co., and now you’ve got yourself some serious culinary street cred to compliment the talent behind the bar.
Gavrielides Restaurant Group, the family behind Harbor Lights, Eastside Café, and Overtons, all located in Norwalk, have added yet another egg to their already full basket of food establishments.
Recently opened “Estia”, which shows off the Gavrielides family’s Greek roots, is a welcome addition to SONO’sWashington Street. It’s official: This tiny block now proudly boasts a veritable potpourri of cuisine, and with Greek cuisine now on offer, it is fast becoming a diners paradise. Let’s hope Estia, along with its’ neighboring partners in crime can live up to the increasing demand for quality, sophisticated food, so SONO can continue to thrive.
There seems to be a new trendy area developing just where Westport meets Southport. To borrow from our trendy NYC neighbors, maybe we should call it "Down Under (the exit) Nineteen Overpass" or DUNO. In the past year, we have seen some great new restaurants open in this area, including the oh-so-trendy GREY GOOSE at 246 Old Post Road and the latest COROMANDEL, serving great Indian food at 17 Pease Avenue . Now, luckily for us, a second TABOULI GRILL opened 2 weeks ago at its new location at 3381 Post Road. (Formerly home to Ole' Mole.) TABOULI GRILL is making DUNO it's second home and we quickly made it ours.
Today, I tried a new spice called zaatar (or za'atar) in a meatball recipe. Meatballs are popular with my kids, and an easy way to introduce new spices to them. Zaatar, a Middle Eastern spice, is a mixture of sumac (which has a lemony taste), thyme and sesame seeds. Zaatar is not a strong spice, but it has a nice tang from the sumac.
Traditionally, zaatar is mixed with olive oil and baked on a flat bread called manakeesh bi zaatar. It is also eaten with labneh (a strained yogurt), bread and olive oil for breakfast. In the Middle East, zaatar is believed to have health advancing properties, including making the mind alert and the body strong.
What do you get when you combine a Greek-Lebanese restaurateur with a French chef? A Mediterranean bistro with brasserie flair. In Darien, a town long on Asian eateries and upscale pub fare, a true ethnic restaurant is a welcome addition. In fact, Cafe D'Azur Mediterranean Bistro & Creperie's opening was highly anticipated by those of us familiar with Myrna's eponymous restaurant in Stamford, a popular lunch spot.
I dropped in on Cafe D'Azur a couple weeks after it opened
Last spring we told you about Bereket, an tiny authentic Turkish eatery tucked behind a gas station in Bridgeport. This fortuitous find primarily offered takeout, but if you were lucky enough to get one of the 3 small tables, you were served food worthy of an Ottoman emperor. While we loved hiding out behind the Citgo station, we were pleased to hear that owner Selahattin Cinar had moved his very reasonably priced menu and talented cooks to a much larger space in Blackrock (the old Helados Vazquez). With an upgraded interior worthy of the excellent fare, Selahattin can now focus on the customer experience...and a more gracious host you've never seen. Warm up your car for a quick departure to Bridgeport.
Overlooking the Mediterranean sea, nestled among 3 hills and their valleys, is the beautiful, old town of Safita, Syria. Only a few miles from the long island sound, nestled between Westport and Fairfield proper, is the beautiful, month old middle eastern restaurant, SAFITA. It is the "Tale" of two Safitas, both with their charm, beauty, and authenticity. And it is just this authenticity that Kheder Hassoun and his family bring to this brand new Middle Eastern restaurant, situated where the old Chat 'N Chew used to be. Tiny in size but big in hospitality, Safita, at 2217 Post Road in Fairfield is pulling in the crowds, night after night. This is middle eastern at its finest, with "Ummu" ("mother" in Arabic) Amal in the kitchen, cooking up all her own recipes from scratch. This ain't your roadside Shawarma.
The Jewish holidays are around the corner, and with the kids just barely back to school, it seemed as though we could all use a little assist with the Rosh Hashanah menu this year. Next week? Really?
Judy Roll of Tabouli Grill in Stamford has come to the rescue with three great recipes to fill out your holiday table. Here's what's on the menu: Cumin Roasted Cauliflower with Yellow Raisins and Toasted Pine Nuts, Bubbe’s Brisket, and Kasha Varnishke. If you really just don't feel like cooking, Tabouli Grill is also happy to do the work for you as you can see in their Rosh Hashanah Package below.
To paraphrase Bogey, I’ll just say that - Of all the joints in all the towns in Fairfield county, we walked into “The Fez.” It was a rainy evening and I could have sworn I saw Rick and Ilsa running for cover from the deluge. They should have come in! This new Moroccan-style restaurant at 227 Summer Street in Stamford, co-owned by Bharat Patel and Eric Monte, is an alluring respite from whatever storm you are escaping. It’s cozy and warm. And it’s very cool. “Cool? In Fairfield County?” you ask. Indeed - Here’s looking at The Fez, kids.
The physical space is deliciously inviting with sexy red walls and dim lighting.
Until a few months ago, Stamford was a two falafel town, Myrna’s Authentic and Layla’s Falafel. That’s why I was thrilled this fall when I began to hear rumblings of a new contender for the Stamford, Connecticut Middle Eastern heavyweight title. Tabouli Grill had entered the ring -- with gloves on.
“Oh, you’ve got to try it,” cooed one of my Stamford girls. “It’s so fresh,” declared another, “I’m there once a week” and the holy grail of suburban dining, they deliver too!
I’m always on the lookout for great ethnic food close to home.I crave flavors that transport my taste buds and snap me out of the food doldrums.A trip to Layla’s Falafel does just that.
Offering a full menu of authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, Layla’s (named for its owner) serves up well-priced, flavorful and fresh fare.Ideal for takeout, a quick lunch or a pre-movie pit-stop, it’s a solid alternative to your standard takeout repertoire.
Some friends and I met for lunch the other day at the Fairfield location (the other two are in Stamford) and shared a variety of dishes at one of the handful of tables in their small and spare setting.
