Several weeks ago CTbites first announced the opening ofNola Oyster Bar in South Norwalk,described as a seafood restaurant with dishes from Maine to New Orleans. After my initial visit, it is apparent that much of the food is influenced by the great flavors and traditions of New Orleans, but the creative interpretations are singularly of Chef Dan Kardos.
Exposed brick walls, wood and tin columns, and wrought iron rails dominate the interior with white “antique” chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to create a very New Orleans visual. The front area includes a large, arced granite-topped bar that seats 10, plus a large reclaimed “Bankers’ Table” that seats an additional eight guests overlooking the floor to ceiling windows. The center section of the restaurant overlooks the kitchen, plus the rear room is available for regular dining or a private event.
Nola Oyster Bar is a place for fun, drinks and great food.
With very little fanfare, Nola Oyster Bar will open its doors this weekend in SONO in the space formerly occupied by Wasabi Chi on the corner of Main and Washington. As CTbites announced a few weeks ago the menu will primarily focus on seafood from Maine to New Orleans.
The previous open interior has been completely redesigned into three dining areas. The bar area features both a long bar with numerous stools for cocktails and dinner, while the two dining areas occupy the remaining space. The rear dining area is convertible for use as a private dining area.
Chef Dan Kardos is overseeing the kitchen and a sneak peak at his opening menu confirms the seafood focus with variety of options. Included are traditional raw bar selections of oysters and clams plus several crudos. “Small Plates” offer several varieties of cooked seafood including braised mussels, an oyster pan roast and several renditions of oysters. The entrées maintain the seafood focus with poached lobster, shrimp and grits, and other grilled and roasted seafood, but expands into a few non-seafood selections that include hanger steak, fried chicken, a combination bacon-cheeseburger. CTbites was told that the menu will expand rapidly over the first few weeks.
Stay tuned as CTbites revisits Nola Oyster Bar in a few weeks for an in depth review.
Dina Cheney is a Connecticut-based food writer and author of Year-RoundSlow Cooker, published in 2013 by The Taunton Press. I recently chatted with her about her latest book, what makes Connecticut a special place for dining out, and her inspiration for fellow food writers.
As a CT resident, what do you think makes CT a special place for food and dining culture? I love living in Connecticut! We moved from Manhattan nearly 10 years ago, and I haven't felt at all deprived from a culinary perspective. Being on the coast, the seafood is terrific! I also think CT residents are educated and discerning, so the restaurants and shops that cater to them are top-notch, many quite sophisticated.
As a mother of two, what are some of your favorite family-friendly places to eat out? So many! We love City Limits and Coromandel. This sounds strange, but—being part Syrian—I love exposing them to Middle Eastern food. So, we enjoy taking them to Safita in Fairfield (plus Shiraz in Elmsford, which is in Westchester County). Other Connecticut favorites are SoNo Baking in South Norwalk for breakfast and The Bedford Post Inn in Bedford (also for breakfast) and ReNapoli Pizza in Old Greenwich.
Word of mouth, and great word at that, brought me to The Spread, a spanking new dining hot spot in Sono. Two months young, the restaurant is the result a partnership of four guys, all with two decades-worth of bar and restaurant experience combined, plus one young and very talented chef, Arik Bensimon. Formerly the Executive Chef of Napa & Co., Chef Arik brings the food in this rustic yet hip joint to a level of excellence and seriousness not seen in Fairfield County in some time. The Spread’s menu is global in scope. It represents a range of cultures--Arik’s Moroccan background and French training, the partners' of Costa Rica, Italy, and France with a dash of New York and California in the mix. Indeed, the menu is all over the place, locally sourced and international, but somehow this eclectic mishmash works. Though dishes are simply titled on the menu, they are, in fact, complex and beautifully executed.
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.
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”!
As part of the Friend of The Ferguson Author Series, Food Writers Katie Workman of The Mom 100 Cookbook, Michele Stuart of the award winning Michele's Pies & Claire Criscuolo, and owner of Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven will be speaking about their experiences and signing books on Wednesday, November 7 from 6-8pm.
Wine reception will begin at 6 p.m. Appetizers courtesy of Bar Rosso and Capriccio Cafe. Discussion will start at 6:30 p.m. followed by a book sale and signing. Tickets are $15. Proceeds benefit the Library. Register Here
In celebration of Kathleen King's new cookbook, BAKING FOR FRIENDS: Over 120 scrumptious recipes from Southampton's favorite baker, Kings Food Markets will host a book signing and Q&A with Kathleen at its Old Greenwich, Connecticut store location on Saturday, October 13th at 12p.m. Guests attending will have the opportunity to meet the author and taste some of Tate's delicious sweets.
Tina Rupp is a professional food photographer who works with Food & Wine Magazine and Weight Watchers and also photographs many cookbooks and national print ads.
Today just after this tart came out of the oven, I FINALLY realized why I bake and don’t really cook. I burned applesauce. Who does that? The running joke between me and my husband is that I can burn just about anything I cook: eggs, toast, fishies for my daughters and then today it was applesauce made from all of the extra apples I sliced for the shoot. It finally hit me. When I bake, I have a timer! When I cook on the stovetop, no timer! Eureka moment for sure. Thankfully, my husband is an amazing cook, beef bourguignon, the works. Nice balance with all the baking I do and fortunately I can also make a mean salad. No timer needed.
“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.
The most appealing aspect of John Barricelli’s new cookbook “The Seasonal Baker: Easy Recipes From My Home Kitchen to Make Year-Round” is the reassuring conversational tone of his introductions and tips, which are not just sprinkled, but dolloped throughout the book. The title is a mouthful, but accurate, with the emphasis on the home kitchen. If you want to recreate the multi-layered Chocolate Ganache Cake or Crème Brulee Tartlets from the Sono Baking Company’s repertoire, go to John’s first cookbook of the same name. The Seasonal Baker is a go-to resource of thoughtfully selected and approachable recipes,both sweet and savory, meant to be prepared in a home kitchen. They will dazzle the diners, and not daunt the baker.
The book is well organized, dividing its 135 recipes into 9 clear sections from Muffins, Quick Breads and Breakfast Treats through Crisps, Cobblers and Other Fruit Spoon Desserts to the savory Tarts, Quiches, Pastas and More, and finally Focaccia and Pizza on the Grill. With few exceptions, the recipes are designed for everyday baking and John’s heartfelt introduction sets you up for all you will encounter in the book, essentially a mash-up of food and family.
Chris Cosentino: Chef/Partner of Incanto, Boccalone and Pigg, former Iron Chef, and author of the new cookbook, Beginnings: My Way To Start a Mealis the featured chef partner this season at Williams-Sonoma. With his inspired interpretations of Italian dishes and innovative whole animal cooking, Cosentino has proven he’s someone to watch in the culinary world.
On June 13, 5-7 pm you can join him at William Sonoma for an evening of Chris’s seasonal, Italian-Style first courses. These simple, rustic recipes reflect the chef’s love of cooking – both at home and in the kitchen of his San Francisco restaurant, Incanto and artisan salumeria, Boccalone.
COST: $75 includes 2-hour demo, a signed copy of the book and dinner!
Please call the store at 203-221-8667 for more information.
When Kelsey Banfield became a mother she quickly learned that organization was necessary to successfully run a household. Babies are unpredictable in their needs and they can easily wreak havoc on the day’s plans. A fussy baby needs tending to. Clutter piles up, as does laundry as well as those lists of things we need to accomplish. Many of us have been there and our babies are much older. While we can better organize our days, we’re still incredibly busy and there never does seem to be enough time in our day. So while Kelsey utilizes her daughter’s naptime to get things done, those of us without napping children can carve out some time during the day where we can do the same, whether it be morning, afternoon or evening. Whether we have newborns, active toddlers or busy teenagers with heavy schedules, Kelsey’s approach to fitting great food into our lives is one that can be adapted by us all, and you can share her secrets in her new cookbook, "The Naptime Chef, Fitting Great Food into Family Life."
If you’re a sucker for hand-baked bread and artisanal cheese and seasonal farm fare (and who isn’t?) you'll want to head over to Barnes & Noble in Westport this Sunday, May 6 at 11 a.m. for a book signing, foodie and children’s event in support of Westport's Wakeman Town Farm.
Jason Sobocinski of New Haven's Caseus restaurantand host of “The Big Cheese” will join SoNo Bakery's John Barricelli, host of "Everyday Baking," to offer tastes and sign copies of their beautiful cookbooks, Caseus Fromagerie Bistro Cookbook and the SoNo Baking Company Cookbook as part of a Bookfair Fundraiser for Wakeman Farm.
Not only will you get to meet the authors and peruse their new books, but Caseus is bringing its famed Cheese Truck to the event. The Cheese Truck is a mobile kitchen that drives the streets of New Haven selling to-die-for grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, daily sausages, salads and more!
Katie Workman, author of the new hit cookbook The Mom 100 Cookbook is coming to the Westport Public Library on Thursday, May 10 at 10:00 a.m.
Katie Workman is the founding editor in chief of Cookstr.com and a mother of two. In The Mom 100 Cookbook she delivers solutions to the 20 most common cooking dilemmas that every modern mom faces, providing recipes and tips for parents who are so baffled by their kids’ food preferences that mealtime has become a minefield.
Katie Workman will talk about her new cookbook The Mom 100 Cookbook, answer questions from the audience, and give a book signing.
Ok mothers...here's what people are saying about this new compendium:
“One of the best cookbook authors of her generation.” — BOBBY FLAY
“These are the 100 recipes everyone needs!” — INA GARTEN
Join Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant on March 31st for a special evening of food and celebration with Didi Emmons. Emmons, a chef, author, educator and former restaurateur will make a special appearance at Barcelona Fairfield to promote her IACP nominated cookbook Wild Flavors, One Chef’s Transformative Year Cooking from Eva’s Farm.
The cookbook features unusual food that is grown on a farm run by Eva Sommaripa, a renegade 70-year old farmer from southeast Massachusetts, who grows for a variety of notable chefs in New England.
The evening wil begin with a cocktail hour where guests will have to opportunity to meet with Emmons and peruse signed copies of her latest cookbook. In addition to Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant’s regular menu, we will be offering a special a la carte menu featuring specialties from Eva’s farm such as juniper berries, sunchokes, lovage, claytonia and other foraged and cultivated flavors prepared by Barcelona Wine Bar’s Culinary Director, Adam Halberg.
Giada De Laurentiis, famed Italian chef, New York Times bestselling author and Food Network star, will greet fans and sign 1,000 copies of her brand new cookbook WEEKNIGHTS WITH GIADA: Quick and Simple Recipes to Revamp Dinner (Clarkson Potter; on sale March 27, 2012) at Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk on Wednesday, March 28 starting at 5:00 p.m.
Providing an intimate sneak peek into Giada’s day-to-day family life with husband Todd and daughter Jade, and chock-full of gorgeous color photographs, WEEKNIGHTS WITH GIADA will be a new favorite for longtime fans—and a new kind of handbook for home cooks everywhere.
Stew Leonard’s is offering the cookbook at a special book signing price of $29.99 or two for $50.00. Please note that customers are asked to purchase at least one copy of WEEKNIGHTS WITH GIADA at Stew Leonard’s in order to get in line for the book signing.
RAFFLE: Ten lucky fans will win a free copy of WEEKNIGHTS WITH GIADA and a reserved place at the front of the line to have their book signed.
Did you miss Paula Shoyer, author of THE KOSHER BAKER, on the Food Network’s new baking competition “Sweet Genius”?
If so, you can catch her in Westport on Wednesday, January 25 when she will be offering a baking demonstration and scrumptious tasting at Chabad of Westport.
Shoyer performed magnificently on “Sweet Genius.”.She was poised, cool and creative in that episode in October 2011. Along with other contestants, she was given unexpected, last minute challenges like being asked to integrate jelly beans and hot sauce into her recipe already in the works. Her rosemary lemon sponge cake with raspberry mint sorbet between the layers was not the version she had planned on when she started!