Filtering by Tag: Road Trip,SONO

The Spread to Open in S. Norwalk w/ Local Celeb Bartenders & Arik Bensimon

Restaurant Chef Talk Cocktails Norwalk SONO

Stephanie Webster

“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. 


Estia Restaurant Brings Greek Cuisine to SoNo

Restaurant Greek Norwalk SONO Lunch

Nancy Kleeger

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’s Washington 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. 


Tour India with Thali's Prasad Chirnomula

Road Trip Road Trip Indian

CTbites Team

Indian Master Chefs Prasad Chirnomula and Maneet Chauhan, along with Culinary Instructor Jody Eddy have meticulously planned a gastronomic and cultural journey to India, December 1 - 13, 2012.

One way to reach India's heart is through its stomach. Centuries of applied epicurean experimentation have led to several regional centers of India such as the regal Rajasthan. Through formal and informal discussions throughout this journey, Prasad and Maneet will provide invaluable insights of their homeland and guide you through one of the greatest gourmet spice journeys you will ever experience.

From the bustling metropolis of Delhi to the serene natural quiet of the Thar Desert, you will explore India and celebrate the tastes and the sights and the sounds, while meeting the people that give India its name and its fame.

For a detailed itinerary, pricing and more information about registration, visit www.jhcbh.com.


The CTbites and 109 Cheese & Wine Road Trip Giveaway

Restaurant Cheese Giveaway Ridgefield Road Trip

CTbites Team

From the coast of Maine, to the island of Nantucket, to the beaches of Long Island ... who doesn’t love a great summer road trip? As we downshift into the slower and warmer final weeks of summer, CTbites wants to know, what are some of your favorite road trip destinations?

Comment on this post sharing one or more of your favorite summer road trip destinations for a chance to win a picnic basket from 109 Cheese and Wine filled with cheese, wine and charcuterie from the Ridgefield wine shop. 


Foodie Road Trip: Three Days in Cape Cod

Restaurant Cape Cod Road Trip Seafood

Elizabeth Keyser

Cape Cod is the perfect summer road trip destination for busy people.  About a three-hour drive from Fairfield, Connecticut, the towns of Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, hold good news for food lovers.  On a recent three-day getaway, my husband and I sought casual-but-good waterfront places where shorts fit the dress code. We discovered inspired and classic renditions of New England fare.

Woods Hole is where the ferry leaves for Martha’s Vineyard, but it’s a destination in itself. The quaint gray-shingled town rests on a spit of land, where on a recent idyllic summer day, sunlight sparkled on the water, and breezes blew stress away.  Ah, vacation.


Top Fairfield County Chefs @ The James Beard House

Restaurant Events Road Trip

Stephanie Webster

Get ready to grab the phone. On May 23rd, six of CT's top chefs have come together to create a meal highlighting some of the best cooking Fairfield County has to offer. The prestigious James Beard House in New York City will play host to this ensemble featuring a 6 course dinner with paired wines and a cocktail reception to start. You wont want to miss this. 

Let's take a moment to run through the roster: Matt Storch (Match), Bill Taibe (Le Farm & The Whelk), Arik Bensimon (Napa & Co), Tim Labant (Schoolhouse at Cannondale), Lisa Storch (Catch a Healthy Habit), and Fritz Knipschildt (Knipschildt Chocolate and Chocopolgie), with wine and cocktails provided by Saugatuck Grain and Grape. 

The price is $130 for James Beard members and $170 per person for non-beard members.   Please contact the James Beard House for reservations.  212-627-2308.


Road Trip: Ballo Italian Restaurant & Club @ Mohegan Sun

Road Trip Restaurant Italian Road Trip

Andrew Dominick

A month ago I contributed an article about John Tunney’s latest creation, Ballo Italian Restaurant & Social Club. Now, I am pleased to bring you a sneak peek at not just the décor, not just a menu preview, but of the reason we are all here, for the food. 

But first, let me take you on a brief tour of this restaurant/bar/dance club/lounge. Remember that preview article? All that construction and the pictures of what it will look like? Seeing those photos is one thing, seeing this place in person is another. The wraparound marble bar, the sphere-like hanging lamps, the giant lanterns, and the fireplaces, give Ballo a glow unlike any other restaurant in Mohegan Sun Casino.

 


Road Trip: Stone Barns Harvest Festival

Restaurant Road Trip

Amy Kundrat

The Stone Barns 8th Annual Harvest Festivities will take place on October 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Pocantico Hills, New York. Worth the short road-trip just over the border, this day will feature a mouth-watering line-up of food vendors including Skinny Pines pizza, Balthazar Bakery, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, and Stone Barns/Blue Hill at Stone Barns pork sandwiches; live music featuring Dan Zanes & Friends and Spuyten Duyvil; a Farmers Market with delicious food from local purveyors; workshops on food and farming; and more! See below for a complete list of vendors and more information. 


Friday Froth: Bats, Balls, Pils and Hops

Ingredients Friday Froth Road Trip Beer

James Gribbon

Does everyone still have all their fingers after Monday's festivities? You do? Great, because we should really play some catch. Baseball's midsummer classic is coming up, and those of us so inclined are by now completely engrossed in America's pastime. Even those who don't like the game can't escape the news of Derek Jeter's impending 3,000th hit, and everyone should go to Cooperstown: home of the baseball hall of fame and Brewery Ommegang. 

Ommegang is an American brewery which specializes in Belgian style beers. They're pretty damn good at it, too, having taken top awards from Belgian brewers in Belgian beer contests in Belgium.

Fairfield County Reports: The El Bulli Experience

Restaurant Road Trip

Multiple Eaters

Poised to close at the end of the season, El Bulli has been fielding millions of reservation requests for the relative few coveted tables that remain to experience Chef Ferran Adria's operatic meals in Roses, Spain. This mecca for molecular gastronomy has been in the sights of two regular CTbites readers, a professional chef, Matt Storch of Match Restaurant in Sono, and a professional eater, Chris Grimm, who recently visited El Bulli and have graciously shared their experiences with us. 


Friday Froth: The Cask Republic in New Haven

Restaurant Road Trip Beer New Haven

James Gribbon

How about a little food with our beer this week? After all: drinking on an empty stomach, while entertaining in a "hide the women and children" kind of way, is generally not recommended. So let's travel outside of Fairfield County this week (gasp!), and take a road trip to The Cask Republic in New Haven.   

"The Cask Republic" may sound like early 18th century Tortuga, but owner Christian Burns has forgone rum, anarchy and pirates in favor of more refined surroundings. This point should come as no surprise from the man who also owns The Ginger Man in South Norwalk. The space is mostly wood and leather - a large bar, communal cocktail tables, and booths encourage an atmosphere of fellowship - and then there are the taps. Fifty-three pleasure dispensers line the left wall behind the bar. Fifty-three, plus one cask engine for dispensing cask-conditioned brews and over eighty bottled beers. That gets all six hands of Vishnu clapping furiously.


Road Trip: Spa Sampler @ The Mayflower Inn

Road Trip Restaurant Holiday Manchester Road Trip Travel

Margie Treisman

Photos: Courtesy of The Mayflower InnMy husband and I recently had the chance to spend a day at the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, CT.  It was, in a word, sublime. It’s nestled in the Litchfield County countryside, with rolling hills, lush foliage and perfectly manicured gardens  -- a New England picture-postcard paradise. The Inn itself is an elegant, magnificently maintained, five-star luxury spa resort.  I could go on for hours about the place. But this is CTBites -- let’s talk about the food.

Dining & Music @ Old Lyme's Midsummer Festival

Restaurant Author Old Lyme Road Trip Shoreline East

Amy Kundrat

This weekend the town of Old Lyme will host the Midsummer Festival, a two-day celebration featuring concerts, exhibitions, and a heavy dose of Connecticut food, farms and food writers this Friday, July 30 and Saturday July 31 in the town’s historic district.

In addition to concerts, exhibitions and workshops for kids, the Midsummer Festival boasts a great-line up for gourmands, which is where we gladly come in, beginning with an en plein air market featuring Connecticut grown produce and products. On Friday evening, Dinners at the Farm will be serving picnic dinners out of their “Chuckwagon” for $25 a person and will be back at it on Saturday serving breakfast and lunch in an outdoor cafe on Saturday for Festival-goers.


Meatopia BBQ NYC...It's Only 1 Hour Away!!

Restaurant Events Road Trip

Stephanie Webster

While we pride ourselves in seeking out great eats in Fairfield County, sometimes good food requires a road trip. If you're looking for a little meat-oriented culinary adventure this weekend, we've got just the thing for you. Jump a train to NYC and savor the BBQ smorgasbord that is "Meatopia."

What is Meatopia?

On Sunday, July 11th from 11:30am – 4:30pm, 30+ Chefs and BBQ teams will be kicking up the heat & barbecuing every dish under the sun.  Restaurants like La Esquina, Boqueria, Wilson's BBQ and even "The Food Lab" from Seriouseats.com will be contributing to the Meatopia Menu. 

Here's the best part...These top chefs will be only be barbecuing local and sustainable meats. Many chefs are pairing with a local farm to use products from regional farms. Truly, how can you not go?

Now let's get some drooling going here...Contemplate for a moment a few of their featured menu items including: Smoked Duck Tacos, Mexican BBQ Lamb, Mini Short Rib Pies, and a Grilled Bacon Sandwich. (Who needs the lettuce and tomato, really?)


Road Trip: Old Lyme & Chester for Great Food and Fun

Road Trip Restaurant Old Lyme Road Trip Shoreline East

Elizabeth Keyser

In these cold cabin-fever days of winter, a road trip to a country inn casts an alluring spell.  Dreaming of a cozy dinner in front of a flickering fireplace, we hit the road to check out The Bee & Thistle Inn and Spa in Old Lyme. (100 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT)

The Bee & Thistle has been an inn since 1930, but Linnea and David Rufo have breathed new life into the historic building since buying it 4 years ago. Linnea is a multi-talented, energetic and attractive woman with 20 years of experience in the hospitality business as a chef (she worked at Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Mercer Kitchen), innkeeper (The Inn at Stockbridge in Massachusetts) and award-winning events planner (too numerous to list).

She’s the Bee & Thistle’s executive chef and hostess, and has created a cozy ambience filled with good food, art and music.