Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar Opens in Danbury CTbites Team January 22, 2013 Ignacio Blanco and Chef Juan Garcia, the duo behind the successful trio of Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bars in Hamden, New Haven and Northhampton, are opening their fourth location in Danbury. The newest Ibiza Tapas and Wine Bar will be open for regular business beginning this Saturday, January 26 at 93 Mill Plain Road in Danbury. For more information, call 203.730.8800 or visit www.ibizatapaswinebar.com. Read More
Elm Restaurant's Chef Brian Lewis Offers Cooking Classes Features Cooking Classes CTbites Team January 22, 2013 Chef Brian Lewis and Elm Restaurant in New Canaan are beginning a series of hands-on cooking classes to illustrate the flavors of the season, tempt the palate and teach the aspiring little chefs in the family. On Wednesday January 30 from 11am to 2pm, Chef Brian Lewis will teach various methods of creating healthy and delicious winter dishes. The recipes will feature winter greens and roots and how best to complement these ingredients with citrus & grains. In addition the main event will prepare a salt-baked Branzino, an age-old technique that creates a moist and luscious presentation. The cost of this event is $90 and includes hands-on instruction, recipes and a three-course lunch. The second class is schedule for Wednesday, February 20 for the “lil’ chefs.” You can drop off your aspiring chefs (minimum age 9 years old pleas) at 11AM for a three-hour cooking class during Winter Break and Elm will guide them through the making of pasta with tomato sauce plus that good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies. The fee per child for this class is $45 and includes instruction, recipes and lunch at the chef’s table. For more information, check out the elm restaurant web site. Read More
Bistro Latino: Chef Rafael Palomino Comes to Old Greenwich Restaurant Celebrity Chef Greenwich Spanish Latin American Lou Gorfain January 20, 2013 Acclaimed chef, author and restaurateur Rafael Palomino recently opened Bistro Latino in the space first occupied by Boxing Cat Café and then Greenwich Tavern in Old Greenwich. The vast dining room has been done over in dark wood flooring which is flanked by racked walls that flaunt an extensive portfolio of international wines. Palomino won his food-star stripes when he opened Sonora in Manhattan almost two decades ago, introducing Manhattan to Nuevo Latino cuisine, and earning raves from the city’s food critics. Sonora's wild success inspired Rafael to bring his unique cooking style to satellite restaurants in New Haven, Tuckahoe, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Sonora now lives in Port Chester. Despite its name, Greenwich's Bistro Latino is not really Nuevo Latino since the dishes are more of Spain than Latin and South America. Rafael has created a menu that features European tapas and paella -- which he anoints with flavors from his Columbian and Queens roots. "Spanish bathed in Picante Style," is how the restaurant describes it. As a result, Bistro Latino is really more about invention than tradition. Read More
Friday Froth: Winter Update Ingredients Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon January 18, 2013 "You shouldn't be scared of spiders," I remember my mother telling me. "You're much bigger than they are." At the time this line of reasoning seemed like neither a straight line, nor particularly reasonable, but I had no adequate retort at eight years old. Spiders were little, misshapen beasts from hell's own imagination then, and they remain so now. Doubly so, since now I know about things like the Brown Recluse, but that's not important. A spider I can hit with a magazine before turning on my heel and shrieking away. I am millions of times larger than a cold virus, and that hasn't stopped it from kicking my ass. So take that, 1987 Mom. All this is to say I haven't been drinking a lot of beer lately, but here are a few tidbits from the scattershot days in which I've been both awake and able to breathe over the past month.Sixpoint in Brooklyn literally turns out (at least one) new beer every month. See their single-hopped Spice of Life series for just one example. In that vein, I finally had the Pacifica version which came out in November, and can still be found on tap here and there. Read More
Chef's Table Dining @ Fine Food for a Cause Charity Event CTbites Team January 17, 2013 Stamford YMCA’s second annual Fine Food for a Cause event is scheduled for Monday, January 28, 6 p.m. at the Stamford Yacht Club. Area food lovers can dine “At the Chef’s Table” and enjoy a four-star, three-course dinner prepared by several of the area’s finest chefs. Restaurants and featured chefs include: Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant (Chef Michael Lucente) Columbus Park Trattoria (Chef Michael Marchetti) Da Pietro’s Restaurant (Chef Pietro Scotti) David’s Soundview Catering (Chef David Cingari) Lolita Cocina Napa & Co. (Chef Leonardo Marino) Stamford Yacht Club (Chef P. Quint Smith) Thali Restaurant (Chef Prasad Chirnomula) Additionally, the cocktail hour will feature cuisine from Tabouli Grill and Sushi Village, with dessert creations by Chocopologie. Stamford-based Corus, LLC is providing two types of vodka and specialty drinks for the evening. Read More
Casa Villa: Beloved Taco Joint Opens in Bridgeport Restaurant Bridgeport Delicious Dives Tacos Mexican CTbites Team January 16, 2013 Stamford's beloved Mexican restaurant Casa Villa opens a new location in Bridgeport TODAY. The menu will be very similar to that at their East Main Street location, including their signature al pastor tacos and tamales. Congratulations to owner Alvino Villa and his team! Hacienda Villa is located at 2810 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport CT. Click here to read our review of CASA VILLA Read More
Chowdafest 2013: Restaurants Compete...YOU Judge! CTbites Team January 16, 2013 The rumors are true - Chowdafest has grown so popular that they're holding this year's competition at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. They expect upwards of 10,000 chowder and soup lov'n fans to come out and help set a record donation to Connecticut Food Bank! The uniquely football-themed chowder and soup competition will take place on "SOUP"er Bowl Sunday Feb. 3rd from 11:00-4:00.No one can sit at home and watch 8+ hours of pre-game so kick off your Super Sunday with us. Kick-off isn't until 6:30. Restaurants Competing for BEST Chowder, Soup and Bisque: Blue Lemon Bobby Q's Bodega Taco Bar The Brewhouse Close Harbor Seafood Crab Shell Donovan's Dunville's Ginger Man High Tide Gourmet Liquid Lunch Mansion Clam House Nicholas Roberts On the Rocks O'Neill's Old Post Tavern Restaurant at Rowayton Rory's Southport Brewing Co. Super Duper Weenie Tavern on Main Valencia's Circle your calendar and plan on being a judge once again, sampling decadent chowder, soup and bisque from award winning restaurants from all over CT. Get into your football gear and be part of this "soupah" time before the Super Bowl starts. Read More
"Play With Your Food" Launches 2013 Season! ellen bowen January 15, 2013 Performing arts producer JIB Productions has announced its Play With Your Food program at Toquet Hall in Westport , on Jan. 15, 16 and17, Fairfield Theatre Company on Jan. 22, and at Greenwich Arts Council January 23 and 24th Now in its 11th season, PWYF is a theater program that includes a seasonal buffet lunch and dessert, short-play readings by professional actors and a post-show discussion. Performances are held from noon to 1:30 p.m. on dates in January, February, March and April. January’s lunch in Westport and Greenwich will be catered by Norwalk’s Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro, and will feature Chef Robert Triolo’s seasonal lunch roll ups: Butternut Squash & Honey, Ginger Truffle Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad w/ Sage, a Sweet Potato salad w/ Mixed Greens & dried fruit. Read More
Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree Class @ Ambler Farm CTbites Team January 15, 2013 It's that time of year again. Sign up for Ambler Farms immensely popular, Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree program. Sign up quickly...these classes fill up fast. Training sessions are either: Sat., Feb. 9th at either 10-11am or 1-2pm. Learn the science and history of maple syruping by being a hands-on part of the process. We will send regular updates on the running of the sap so you can come to the Farm to collect sap from your tree. We will boil down the sap in our sugar shack and send each family home with their very own bottle of Ambler Farm maple syrup.The season runs from early February to mid-March (a typical season is five weeks long). If you are traveling during February or March, we will collect sap for you. $65 per non-member family/$60 per member family. Register here. Read More
Rustico Trattoria: Traditional, Tasty Italian in Westport (sponsored post) Restaurant Gluten-Free Italian Special Dietary Needs Westport CTbites Team January 13, 2013 Wherever you are from, a meal at RUSTICO is like coming home. From the kitchen of Chef Miguel Angelo D'Onofrio, exquisite and thoroughly Italian dishes are only a heartbeat away. This family owned and operated establishment has been open for a year showcasing Chef Miguel's talents and passion for Italian cuisine. Chef Miguel was born in Brazil and his mother is from Spain, but he is all ITALIAN on his father's side and these roots run deep. From traditional recipes, handed down from generation to generation yet modernized by Chef Miguel's creativity, a meal at RUSTICO is a delicious culinary experience. Using only the highest quality meats and fish - no hormones or antibiotics of any kind - and sourcing only the freshest ingredients, Chef Miguel prepares each dish to perfection. For 25 years he worked as an executive chef in Connecticut and was most recently co-owner of Finalmente Trattoria, also in Westport. Now in his own space he prepares dishes that originate from the passion that is Italia, RUSTICO is an extension of Chef Miguel's history. Read More
The Chelsea Burger via "A Hamburger Today" CTbites Team January 11, 2013 The Chelsea Burger The Chelsea in Fairfield prepares one of the top burgers in Fairfield County and now receives its due recognition. Our own Jeff “Jfood” Schlesinger’s latest contribution to A Hamburger Today gets down and dirty with the Salt and Pepper Burger and the Chelsea Burger described as “one of the most flavorful combinations of meat, toppings, and bun in the area.” See what chef and co-owner Matt Storch and co-owners Scott Beck and Kevin McHugh have in store for you when you visit. See the full review on A Hamburger Today. Read More
Invites: Lunch @ JHouse's eleven14 Kitchen & Chocolate Lab CTbites Team January 11, 2013 Join CTbites on Wednesday January 23 from 12-2 at Greenwich, CT's newest spot for food and conversation! eleven14 Kitchen and Chocolate Lab hosts this afternoon of seasonal, vibrant cuisine and a peek into the art of chocolate making .3 Course lunch prepared by Executive Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo with special dessert course to include a wonderful presentation from CHOCOLATE LAB. Purchase your tickets here. Lunch Menu to include:"Creamless" Yellow Squash Soup with pumpkin seed oil.Choice of main course of Roasted Wild Salmon with root vegetable salad or Grilled Free Range Chicken Paillard andwinter chopped salad. Decadent "Interactive" eleven14 "Chocolate Bar" Read More
Westport Farmers' Mkt Hosts Cabbage Recipe Contest Ingredients Farmers Market Local Farm Westport Recipe CTbites Team January 11, 2013 Cabbage -A cultivated plant (Brassica oleracea) eaten as a vegetable, having thick green or purple leaves surrounding a spherical heart or head... Do you have a cabbage recipe that you think can win a contest for the best cabbage recipe? On January 19, next Saturday, The Westport Farmers' Market will be accepting all entries. At 11:00 a.m. celebrity Judges/Chefs Nancy Roper (from Boxcar Cantina and Truck) and Bill Taibe (from Lefarm and Whelk) will taste their way through the entries declaring a winner at high noon. The winner will receive a Westport Farmers' Market tote filled with market goodies worth well over a $100 and have the option to share their recipe with the 3,000 people who receive the WFM newsletter each week. There is one stipulation to the contest - the cabbage that is used must be from a local farm and the name of the farm must be noted with the entry. Email Lori Cochran, Market Director, by Jan 17 to enter- director@westportfarmersmarket.com Read More
Bar Sugo & Chocopologie "Chef Swap" Event CTbites Team January 10, 2013 Want more great fun? After the CTbites announcement of the first Artisan Iron Chef, the event sold out in one day. So as any good marketer and restaurateur knows, success breeds success. So CTbites is pleased to announce that Bar Sugo’s Pat Pascarella will both team up with and compete against Chocopologie’s Fritz Knipschildt in “Chef Swap.” Mark your calendars with these dates… On February 25th Pat will don the sous chef role for Fritz at Chocopologie to create a four-course extravaganza. And then on the following night February 26th the two will perform role reversal at Bar Sugo. But as anyone who watches Iron Chef knows there is the twist of the secret ingredient. In this case, four days prior to the event Pat will choose the secret ingredient for Fritz and Fritz will likewise choose an ingredient for Pat. Read More
The Great Wall of Stouts Beer Event @ The Ginger Man Restaurant Beer Dinner Norwalk Beer Stephanie Webster January 10, 2013
Food 411: Name The Restaurant That Served This... Restaurant Food 411 Italian CTbites Team January 10, 2013
Kids Review: Vietnam Palace in Stratford via AsherZeats Restaurant Asian Delicious Dives Stratford Vietnamese Kid Friendly CTbites Team January 09, 2013 Asher is an 8th grader at Fairfield Country Day School. He has a true passion for food and started his blog, AsherZeats, in September of 2012. Asher reviews everything from Michelin starred restaurants to great dives. This review originally ran on AsherZeats. “Anyone who tells a lie has not a pure heart, and cannot make a good soup. “-- Ludwig Van Beethoven. This Saturday we traveled to Vietnam Palace (a new restaurant, opened this past June) located at- 955 Ferry Boulevard, Stratford, CT in a very busy shopping center. When we entered, we noticed two very cool statues of lions and a statue of a Buddha. The ceilings were filled with many upside down umbrellas and the restaurant was extremely clean. We also saw that it was a family run business (the best kind of business) with a very small number of people working there. When we were seated, we were greeted by an EXTREMELY friendly Husband/Wife pair who could not be any nicer. Read More
Kibberia in Danbury to Host Belly Dancing Dinner Amy Kundrat January 09, 2013 Kibberia Restaurant and Café in Danbury will be hosting their third belly dancing night on February 2, with performances by dancers from the Riskallah Riyad Dance Studio. A $45 prix fixe menu includes Middle Eastern specialities beginning with mezze, followed by a lamb entree and dessert. This event is BYOB, table service swill be provided, and advanced reservations are required. Read More
