Eren’s Grill: Regional Turkish Cuisine in Fairfield CT Delicious Dives Fairfield Middle Eastern Turkish Lunch Kid Friendly Elizabeth Keyser December 16, 2012 The first thing I noticed when I walked into Eren’s Grill was the neatness and precision of the refrigerator case. Platters of perfectly aligned kebabs await the grill. Bowls of bright-red-hued eggplant-tomato salad and pale, fluffy humus. Glistening rows of dark-green stuffed grape leaves. Then Eren, a young man wearing chef’s white’s embellished with the Turkish flag, stepped out from the open kitchen and proudly started telling me about his fresh and homemade food. Fairfield’s new and only Turkish restaurant is a small joint in a strip mall. With just a few tables, it does a lot of take-out and catering. Whether eat-in or take-out, it’s a welcome addition to the Tunxis Hill section of Fairfield, a neighborhood that could use more good food. And the food here is good: fresh and full of flavor. Ottoman cuisine has a long and noble history, and Eren – who was head chef of the Athens’ Tike, an international group of Turkish restaurants in places like London, Cyprus and Kiev -- for 8 years -- is proud to put his signature on it. “I want to play a little,” he says. Read More
Friday Froth: Winter Update Ingredients Beer James Gribbon December 14, 2012 OK, first off: big news yesterday, as Westvleteren 12 hit retail in the United States for the only time ever. This is absolutely one of the world's finest beers (it scores a perfect 100 with over 1,300 reviews on BeerAdvocate), and the only way to get it, apart from this super limited release, is to travel to the St. Sixtus Abbey in Belgium. The sole reason Westvleteren 12 is available at retail (for an eye-popping $85/six pack with two glasses) is because the abbey needed a new roof. You can read all about it here, but Fairfield County residents will have to skip over the border into New York to places like DeCicco’s if they want to experience this ultra-rare elixir. A complete list of retail locations can be found here, so good hunting. Read More
Dinosaur BBQ: Two Guys Eat Meat & Drink Beer in Stamford Restaurant BBQ Stamford Beer Kid Friendly jeffrey schlesinger December 13, 2012 Jim Morrison believed the ghosts of American Indians jumped into his head as a child and gave him spiritual direction for the rest of his life. I had a not totally dissimilar experience the night of Dinosaur BBQ's soft opening party after I returned home, wherein I undressed and found the ghosts of several pigs, cows and hickory trees inhabiting my shirt. The sign on the window said "Private Party" and there were people checking names at the door, but the attendance must have been close to 200. Owner John Stage seemed to have prepared for twice that number, thus accounting for the volume of aerosolized meat and wood, which, in their previous and more solid forms, were of course what brought Dinosaur to Stamford, the crowd to it. Read More
Southport Brewing Co. Expands into SONO with “NOLA” Chef Talk Norwalk SONO Seafood Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 12, 2012 What is all that activity on the corner of Washington and Main Streets in SONO? CTbites has discovered that SBC Restaurant and Brewery will open its fifth location in the space formerly occupied by Wasabi Chi. Currently name NOLA, SBC's Bill Dasilva told CTbites that the new restaurant will be an Oyster bar with “twists on traditional seafood from New Orleans to Maine” in “a very casual, comfortable and cool” atmosphere. The opening is targeted for February 2013. Overseeing the kitchen will be long time favorite to many in Fairfield County, Executive Chef Dan Kardos. Chef Kardos began his culinary career with SBC while a teenager and worked in several Fairfield County restaurants over the last few years including Napa & Co., Harvest Supper, @Bar Rosso, and most recently with Chef Bill Taibe at The Whelk. Read More
Pagano's Seafood in Norwalk: Restaurant & Insiders Shop Here Ingredients Norwalk Seafood Specialty Market Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 11, 2012 When a recipe called for whole uncleaned squid, I knew that the ingredient would be difficult to find. However, I did not expect it to be impossible. After 4 grocery stores, 4 markets, 6 restaurants, multiple phone calls and exactly 0 success, I began to think otherwise. Fortunately, a friend with ties to the food industry gave me a little tip as I was about to surrender: Pagano’s Seafood in Norwalk. Sure enough, they had plenty of whole squid for purchase. I started on my recipe within the hour. It turns out that Pagano’s is greatly respected in both the restaurant community. They provide fish to some of the area’s most popular dining destinations including The Homestead Inn, Quattro Pazi, Napa and Company, Barcelona, Match, The Spotted Horse, and Bartaco. They even serve restaurants and markets in Massachusetts and New York. When I asked Allen Pagano, a founder and owner, why Pagano’s was so sought after, he chuckled and responded simply, “Because we’re the best.” Read More
Champagne Tasting Event @ Nicholas Roberts Fine Wine Dec 16 Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 10, 2012 The holiday season sparkles, and now your wine can too! On Sunday December 16, Nicholas Roberts Fine Wine will hold a champagne tasting from 1-4pm. The event is particularly special; it will feature selections known as “grower” champagnes. The designation indicates that 100% of the product was grown by the person whose name appears on the bottle. The bond between grower and wine results in champagne that is finely crafted, expressive, and artistic. Owner Peter Troilo is excited to give people the opportunity to try this lesser known part of the champagne market. He first encountered the wine four years ago and immediately gained respect for it. “I never looked backed,” he recalls. Read More
Seasons Eats: Stamford's Hidden Gem in Plain Sight Restaurant Deli Delicious Dives Diner Stamford Lunch Kid Friendly Lou Gorfain December 09, 2012 What to call it? By all outward appearances, Seasons Eats looks like your typical lunch takeout storefront. Looking through the window, you witness chaotic swarms of downtown types picking up a salad or sandwich to take back to their desks. But peer a little closer and discover a culinary gem that defies categorization. "We're not a deli. We're not a sandwich shop," says Phil Costas, a New York Times Three Star chef, who with his wife Liz, runs the place. “Maybe we're a cafe. I don’t know. We keep evolving.” That’s why the Costas have just changed the name from Katie’s Gourmet to Seasons Eats. What started as a gourmet specialty shop 16 years ago, an offshoot of their highly successful American restaurant Kathleen’s, has become a… I don’t know, maybe the best word for it is indeed “Eats.” In this tiny 1300 square foot storefront, Phil and his five elves serve nearly 1400 delightfully inventive breakfasts, lunches and dinners a week. Read More
Dinners at the Farm Tickets on Sale TODAY= Great Gift Restaurant Farm to Table Local Farm Wine Dinners Farm Fresh CTbites Team December 07, 2012 The 7th season of Dinners at the Farm has just been announced...just in time for holiday shopping. Every summer Dinners at the Farm brings their celebrated benefit dinner series to local Connecticut farms by hosting amazing multi-course feasts of just from the earth food, cooked fresh that day. They'll be dicing, chopping, sautéing and plating delicious locally grown food in the fields of host farms including Barberry HIll Farm, Scott's Farm & Greenhouses and White Gate Farm for 12 glorious summer nights in 2013. And, as with every year, these dinners are benefits. Dinners at the Farm will be donating $20,000 towards the critical work of our beneficiaries CitySeed, CT Farm Land Trust, Working Lands Alliance,Region 4 Schools and NEW this year, The New Connecticut Farmer Alliance, a group of emerging farmers working to grow and sustain new farms in Connecticut ensuring a viable agricultural future. Visit their schedules and tickets page for more details and to purchase tickets. Farm dinners make great gifts, just in time for the holidays. View our PHOTO GALLERY here. Read More
Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for the Connecticut Foodie Cookbooks Cooking Classes Entertaining Gift Guide Holiday April Guilbault December 06, 2012 As is always the case, one holiday ends and another is launched into our consciousness almost instantly. Those crumbs from the pumpkin pies are just being swept away, but The Holiday Season is officially here and Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa shopping has begun. What to get? Where to get it? It’s the annual quest. We’d like to make things a wee bit easier for you, as we’ve found some great items for the food lovers on your list. Buy one, buy several! Either way, you will seen as one of those “good gift givers”! Read More
10 Questions w/ Chef Scott Quis of Barcelona Stamford Restaurant Chef Talk Stamford Stephanie Webster December 05, 2012 Chef Scott Quis has been the Executive Chef at Barcelona Restaurant in Stamford since 2010. His credentials go like this: Culinary Institute of America; Executive Sous Chef @ Café Boulud; Chef @ Picholine in New York City...not too shabby. He lives in Norwalk, has a wife, and a baby, and loves coming in to work every day. Here are some things you may not know about the guy in the kitchen who cooked up those delicious Black Truffle Croquetas and Chorizo w/ Sweet & Sour Figs you enjoyed last weekend. Don't miss his recipe of the moment; Snapper Ceviche, seen below. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up?I have a fire pit in the backyard of my home so I'd probably roast a chicken or make a paella with a side of seafood risotto. Read More
Westport Farmers' Market Opens Dec. 8th @ Gilbertie's Lori Cochran December 04, 2012 This just in from The Westport Farmers' Market... "When One Farmers’ Market Door Closes Another One Opens! As the temperatures start to dip and winter approaches we must bid a fond farewell to what has been a phenomenally successful summer season. However, we are thrilled to announce the start of the Winter Westport Farmers’ Market which will officially begin on Saturday, December 8th at 10:00am. The market will return for our third season at Gilbertie’s Herb Garden on Sylvan Lane in Westport. Read More
Cotto Wine Bar and Pizzeria Opens in Stamford Restaurant Italian Pizza Stamford Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 04, 2012 There’s a new kid in town, Stamford that is, and its name is Cotto Wine Bar and Pizzeria. Husband and wife Claudio and Silvy Ridolfi have teamed with Chef Kevin Kraklio to create a traditional Italian menu (with a few exceptions) that includes a wide variety of Tapas, entrée-sized dishes and pizzas. Located in the space that formerly housed Tappo, the trio first transformed the interior into a sleeker space, with a front-to-back Italian marble topped bar along the right wall, black-and-white photos adorning the left wall, a curved wood-planked ceiling and an enormous gas fired pizza oven in full view in the rear. Raised in Rome, Cotto represents Claudio and Silvy’s first restaurant in the United States, while Chef Kraklio takes the helm of the kitchen after attending the French Culinary Institute and working at restaurants throughout Italy. Read More
Pink Sumo Opens in Westport w/ Former Nobu Chef Restaurant Asian Japanese Westport Sushi Sarah Green December 02, 2012 Why Pink? Why Sumo? I'm not sure that I understand the restaurant's name (as it conjures up images of a very large, pony-tailed wrestler in fuchsia bikini bottoms) but there is no mistaking the quality of the food at Westport's latest Sushi and Sake cafe, PINK SUMO! Located at 8 Church Street, across from the YMCA and the colossally popular Spotted Horse, PINK SUMO suits the cozy, subterranean space that formally housed Manolo and, before that, Zest. Those restaurants couldn't seem to make it work in this location but I am pretty sure that PINK SUMO is here to stay. Here's why... For starters, PINK SUMO'S owner, Skye Kwok, is doing it right by employing former NOBU Sushi Bar chef Eric Cheng to run the kitchen. With great expertise and aplomb, Cheng presents each dish as a work of art. And as the painter chooses the best oils for her art, Cheng uses the highest quality sushi-grade fish purchased by Kwok (also owner of SWEET BASIL in Fairfield) from YAMA, the renowned Japanese fish purveyor in New Jersey. Experienced chef, high quality fish and charming, newly popular location are certainly the ingredients for success. Read More
Friday Froth: Ripple Beer James Gribbon November 30, 2012 Imagine yourself as the stone. Years of erosion - wind, sand, and tumbling through the water over other rocks - have erased your crags. Once an infinitesimal part within the slowly creeping monolith whole of the sea floor, you've become a matte-smooth egg, now just a few grams in mass, warm and dry in the sun. You are lifted, hefted easily by a child whose other hand is held by an adult. You arc through the air with the throw - in sunlight and shadow as you tumble - to land with a small splash on a wavelet. Ripples spread outward and above you as you flutter down to join the sea floor once again. You are the ripple, moving outwards. Behind you nest concentric rings, flowing towards but never catching you as your diameter grows. They wane, but you travel without drag, somehow separate from everyday space, and unslowing. Still just a small ring, but you're growing, and sweep up a canal in Stamford, Connecticut. Your diameter grows, and sweeps over a writer, contemplating a Half Full Rye IPA. Read More
Olive Oil Tasting w/ Olivette: Things I Never Knew... Ingredients Education sherri daley November 29, 2012 Since I attended a 2-hour olive oil tasting at Olivette, co-sponsored by The Fairfield Green Food Guide, I am deeply ashamed of my olive oil buying habits and I promise to be a better person. I thank Alina Lawrence, co-owner and general manager of Olivette, an olive oil and vinegar tasting room and specialty foods store in Darien, for her inspired decision to invite professional olive oil taster Arden Kremer to host the tasting. I thank Ms. Kremer for her patience with my sweetly stupid questions, and I will change my ways before someone sees what I am pouring on my salad. Historically, I have bought olive oil that comes in a bottle that has lots of Italian writing on it in squirrely script, maybe some pictures of olive trees. Also, sometimes there is a sale on industrial-sized cans of olive oil which I know will last me years because I live alone and do not use olive oil for any purpose outside of the kitchen. Read More
Little Pub Opening Second Location in Wilton Restaurant Wilton Beer Comfort Food Burgers Jessica Ryan November 28, 2012
Wakeman Farm Winter CSA Sign Up is Now! Ingredients Local Farm Farm Fresh CTbites Team November 27, 2012 Winter is drawing near, and many of us will eat the last of our local, farm-fresh veggies alongside our Thanksgiving turkey. Luckily, with Winter Sun Farms & Wakeman Town Farm in Westport, you get to keep eating Hudson Valley vegetables and berries all winter. You don't want to miss your first pickup. If you haven't signed up yet, now is the time! (Here is more info on CSA's and how they work.) The season kicks off in December, when your share is projected to include: Sweet Corn, Butternut Squash Puree, Green Beans, Peppers, Tomato, Blueberries and Pea Shoots. New this year, our tomato puree comes in a shelf-stable jar. Sign up at www.wintersunfarms.com and check Westport, CT as your pickup point. WinterSunFarms Winter CSA Pickup at Wakeman Town Farm Read More
Downtown Westport Foodie Fest Recap ellen bowen November 27, 2012 With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the Northeast, the FIRST Downtown Westport Foodie Fest truly offered the “FUN before the Storm,” during the weekend of October 26th. Over 1000 attendees came out to enjoy the picture perfect Fall weekend and sample craft beers, attend wine and foodie events and stroll Westport’s scenic downtown along the shores of the Saugatuck River. Foodie Fest featured unique food, wine and beer events throughout downtown Westport and was presented by Westport Downtown Merchants Association, CTbites and The Sunrise Rotary, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting local non-profits, Connecticut Food Bank, and Homes With Hope thru a Food Drive sponsored by Westport Farmers Market. The featured event on Saturday was “Biergarten On The Green,” on Veterans Green, a tasting tent of over 30 local craft beers Read More
SoNo Market Place Opens December 1st in Norwalk Ingredients Restaurant Bakery Chocolate Coffee Norwalk Pizza Specialty Market Wine Dinners Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger November 26, 2012 A week prior to the official opening on Saturday December 1st, SoNo Market Place decided to sponsor a soft opening on November 23rd and I decided that tasting some good local food was a whole lot better than fighting the crowds at the mall. All of the food purveyors were in full test-mode and my first stop was Flat White Coffee to taste the coffee described to CTbites by owner, John Palino, back in September. This was a creamy blend of rich coffee and steamed milk, a brand brought over from New Zealand, and one that should meet with great success in CT. But it's not just about coffee at SoNo Market Place. With over 20 food vendors and eateries, this European style market is poised to be a foodie destination. Guests lined up at Wise Guys Pizza for New Haven style pies; Norm Bloom served up fresh oysters and clams straight from the Norwalk waters, and Fish & Chips were on the menu from Gotta Nibble. Caterering company, Festivities, has a permananet spot here with their take-out biz, "Party Express." Local specialty purveyors and well known brands such as Knipschildt Chocolatier, Wave Hill Breads, and Nothin' But Granola have also opened shop at the market. Read More
