Take a Test Drive: The Wolf Convection Steam Oven (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team April 02, 2013 Cooks have long appreciated the way steam cooking preserves nutrients and keeps foods moist. Restaurant owners have relied on commercial convection steam ovens for years. Now Wolf makes convection and steam accomplish delicious feats that are impossible for other ovens. At Clarke, New England's official Sub-Zero showroom and test kitchen in South Norwalk, CT, you can see this incredible appliance in action. Witness a pound of dry pasta, a cup of water, chopped vegetables and stewed tomatoes placed on a shallow tray turn into the most delicious meal you've ever eaten...in a matter of minutes...without pots, colanders or any mess. Imagine putting a carton of a dozen eggs in the oven (with the carton!) and within ten minutes having perfect hard-boiled eggs. Forget to defrost your dinner steaks? Go from freezer to table creating a succulent, juicy filet mignon in little more than a half-hour. The Wolf Gourmet modes allow this oven to actually sense the size and type of food you place inside and cook it to perfection; many times without timers and recipes. Read More
The Artists’ Table: Unique Dining @ The Drawing Room Greenwich Deanna Foster April 02, 2013 The Drawing Room is a trio of businesses - a design boutique, a café, and most recently, an art gallery - all owned by the husband and wife design duo Kenleigh and Michael Larock. As designers, they are called upon to combine disparate elements and select accents that will bring harmony to a space. In this regard, The Artists’ Table Dinner was a perfect expression of their work. The Larocks, along with the Gallery’s Curator, Cameron Schmitz, and the Café’s Chef, Paul Lockely, brought symphonic harmony to their pairing of a five-course dinner with the art in the gallery’s current exhibition, Homeland. The attention to detail and care with which the menu and the evening were planned were apparent not only in the way the staff spoke about the process from concept to creation, but also in their genuine level of excitement in sharing the art and the chefs’ inventive interpretations of it. Chef Paul Lockely, of the Drawing Room, and Guest Chef Bjoern Eiken, of Thomas Henkelmann at Homestead Inn, created 5 dishes each inspired by one of the five artists’ works. Read More
Bufalina Wood Fired Pizza in Guilford Restaurant Guilford Pizza Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat March 31, 2013 Bufalina Wood Fired Pizza in Guilford is one of this shoreline town’s most charming and delicious destinations. Open since September 2011, Bufalina has earned a reputation for rustic, seasonally-driven, and Neapolitan-inspired pizzas. “We wanted to recreate the feeling that you are in our kitchen and we are cooking for you,” said Melissa Pellegrino, chef and co-owner of Bufalina alongside her husband, chef Matt Scialabba. Read More
Easter Eats: Grilled Lambsicles with Mint Pesto Features Holiday Recipe Jennifer Spaide March 31, 2013 Jennifer Spaide of Simplicious is constantly coming up with elaborate menus for her holiday celebrations that put my cooking to shame. When she tweeted about this one, I simply had to have the recipe. Grilled Lamb Chops are one of my favorite dishes, and when paired with this healthy and light Mint Pesto, they become the perfect Easter entree. Enjoy this beautiful dish. Happy holidays! Grilled Lambsicles with Mint Pesto Read More
Debra Ponzek's The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook Features Cookbooks Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster March 31, 2013 Debra Ponzek, owner of Aux Delices Fine Foods, knows a few things about getting food on the table. She cooks for her family and has a successful catering and restaurant business with locations in both Westport and Greenwich. Ponzek’s fourth cookbook The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook, comes out on April 1st 2013 as an answer to the age old question, What’s for dinner? “You write different cookbooks at different times in your life,” says Ponzek. “I have kids and the question of what will I serve for dinner is a constant.” To approach this mealtime conundrum, Ponzek has written her book with the organizing principle of,” What do I feel like eating tonight?” The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook is divided into basic mealtime genres such as: "Everybody Loves Burgers", "Pasta & Beyond", "On The Slow Side" for braises, "If You Love Chicken", as well as "Breakfast For Dinner" (my personal favorite). The concept is to take an ingredient your family enjoys and expand on what you already know. “I found that people tend to make the same 5 of 6 dishes every week,” states Ponzek. “I hope that people will be inspired by the recipes in The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook and find that they are simple enough to add these to their repertoire.” Read More
Invites:Barcelona Greenwich Lunch w/ NEW Executive Chef Michael Lucente CTbites Team March 30, 2013 Join NEW Executive Chef, Michael Lucente, as he opens the doors to Barcelona Greenwich specially for lunch exclusively for CTbites readers for a special tasting of new tapas and dishes on Thursday April 4 from 12-2 for $45. Reserve Your Seat Here3 courses includes charcuteria, assortment of new tapas, and assortment of new paella plus one glass of choice of white or red wine and coffee service...and all taxes and gratuity! Not usually open for lunch, this Invite at Barcelona Greenwich will be exclusive just for CTbites readers, who will have opportunity to tour the kitchen and visit with Chef Michael. Read More
Six Main in Chester: Mother's Day Brunch Class & More Restaurant Cooking Classes Shoreline East Vegetarian Vegan Amy Kundrat March 28, 2013 From macrobiotics to cooking the perfect brunch for Mom, Six Main restaurant in Chester has announced their class line-up for the month of April. Each class is $65 per person and includes recipes, demonstration by the chef instructor, and tasty samples of everything made in class. Call 860-322-4212 to reserve your seat, reservations are required. Asian Fusion Wednesday April 10th 11am-2pm The menu and recipes you'll learn for this class, includes: Spicy Mushroom Spring Roll, Veggie Pad Thai with crispy tofu, and Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream. Intro to Macrobiotics Wednesday April 24th 11am-2pm Read More
Reasons to Love Winesday: Wine Wednesdays at Mohegan Sun Restaurant This Week In Wine Wine Chat Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 27, 2013 It seems that Wednesdays are officially becoming synonymous with wine! In addition to our “Winesday” column, you can now enjoy an array of vino-based festivities at Mohegan Sun’s latest weekly event, “Wine Wednesdays.” The evenings embrace the acclaimed restaurants and lounges already present within the casino, but present them with an emphasis on wine. Four course pairing dinners unfold every Wednesday at both Bobby Flay’s Bar American and Todd English’s Tuscany. Casino guests can also relax with a glass of champagne and smooth jazz rifts at the Vista Lounge starting at 8pm. The first Wednesday of every month, though, has a special offering: “Tasting and Tapas” at Todd English’s Tuscany. I had the pleasure of experiencing the affair (which has an impressively alliterate title, I might add) earlier this month. Tasting and Tapas unfolded on the beautiful “patio” in the front of Tuscany. Tuscany has an indoor restaurant with the kitchen, bar, and tables, as well as a front portion looking out on the casino. Mohegan adopted the motif of a night sky, so guests sitting in that area feel the illusion of eating dinner under twinkling stars on a summer’s evening. Read More
A Good Beginning for Dino's Pizza in East Norwalk Restaurant Norwalk Pizza Lunch Kid Friendly Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger March 27, 2013 Located in 101 1st Street in the space formerly occupied by Beach Burger, Dino Sforza is creating very good pizza after only a few weeks. The interior still includes the familiar beach blue counter, tables and chairs and my first order was a half-pepperoni and half-sausage/ pepper. The crust of the pie was charred in some spots and still dark blonde in others and a quick peak underneath indicated a large variability so the ovens were still going through their normal calibration. The toppings were very generous, plenty of cheese, pepperoni, sausage and green peppers. Almost completely hidden was the sauce. Read More
New Haven Restaurant Week April 21 - 26, 2013 Restaurant Restaurant Week CTbites Team March 25, 2013 32 of downtown New Haven’s award-winning and internationally diverse restaurants are featuring prix fixe lunch and dinner menus from April 21 - 26, 2013. Participating restaurants offer a three-course, prix fixe menu consisting of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Prix fixe menus are priced at $18 for lunch and $32 for dinner. $1=1 person Join New Haven Restaurant Week and the Connecticut Food Bank to help those in need. Dine and Donate $1 to feed one person for one day. View Participating Restaurants Here: Read More
Nola Oyster Bar Brings Seafood to South Norwalk Restaurant Norwalk SONO Seafood Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger March 24, 2013 Several weeks ago CTbites first announced the opening of Nola 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. Read More
Friday Froth: March Madness...Beer News & Reviews Ingredients Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon March 22, 2013 March Madness has once again taken hold of America's mind, and I do not give a damn. I care about the tournament for exactly as long as the Huskies are still in it and, since they're out of the dance completely this year, I've been looking elsewhere for marginally productive entertainment. People like bracket-based tournaments, it seems, because there are a ton to be found on the intertron this month. Beer brackets, news and reviews follow in this week's Froth. Paste magazine, which is a pretty good source for new music and movie info, has the superbly named Top Of The Hops IPA Challenge, in which their editors purport to whittle down a national selection of brews in the quest to find America's best IPA. The bracket falls utterly flat, though, having taken cues from every other "national" review in history and leaving Connecticut beers completely off the list, despite having a Northeast region to the tournament. NEB's Gandhi-Bot remains the best IPA I've had in my entire life, and should have been the '99 UConn in this particular madness, but this is what you get when people from Atlanta grasp at a college sport not named football. Read More
Kids Bites: Stew Leonard’s Cookbook, Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs via Sunday Diners Kids Bites Recipe Sunday Diners March 22, 2013 This article first ran on Sunday Diners, a kid's guide to the best diners and breakfast joints in Fairfield County, Connecticut and beyond. Written by 4th Grader Alex (with a bit of help from his dad). For any one who doesn’t know, Stew Leonard’s is The World’s Largest Dairy Store,and I’m so lucky that it’s right here in Norwalk, CT. I’ve been going to Stew’s since I was a baby. They sell great bagels, fruits & vegetables, fried chicken, and of course… lots of dairy products. Their milk comes from their own cows, on their own farm – you can even see them on live video in the store… and sometimes in Stew’s Little Farm right in the parking lot. My favorite at Stew’s is the ice cream! Stew’s is super fun for kids – there’s lots’ of great displays and there’s always new things to try and taste! Today, instead of going out for breakfast, Dad and I decided to make breakfast at home. There’s a great recipe from their “Winning Recipes Cookbook” that’s written right on the back of their Cage-Free Egg carton label… “Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs”. It’s really easy to make, with some help from an adult… it’s delicious and healthy. It’s also a lot of fun to cook! Read More
What You Didn't Know About Sherry via Gretchen Thomas of Barcelona Gretchen Thomas March 21, 2013 Gretchen Thomas is the Wine & Spirits Director for the Barcelona/Bartaco Restaurant Group. I firmly believe the single most important product that Spain has to offer to the world is Sherry. Well, soccer fans may disagree, but I stand by my opinion. If Sherry wines were a world famous rock band, I have been the equivalent of a road groupie for the past 6 years…always a fan, love to partake, but having never penetrated to the source of the art (i.e. I’d never been Jerez!). Not until last year anyways. After more than twenty wine excursions to Spain in the past 7 years, I finally made my way to the deep south of Spain and visited Jerez, aka Sherry territory. Read More
Fairfield Cheese Co. Cheese School Spring 2013 CTbites Team March 21, 2013 Fairfield Cheese Company classes are back in session and school has never been this delicious. Whether you are a cheese novice looking for a an introduction to the basics, or a cheese-aficionado seeking toexpand your knowledge on a specific variety, they've got the class for you. Thursday, April 11th. 7-9pm: Grilled Cheese: Beyond Kraft Singles and White Bread April is National Grilled Cheese Month and what better way to celebrate than a class all about our favorite sandwich? Chris will guide us through several different variations while we explore what makes a great grilled cheese. $45.00 Tuesday, May 7th. 7-9 pm: Goat-a-palozza Spring is here and that marks the return of what we like to call, goat cheese season. Join us as we taste a plate of goaty delights that cross all styles of cheese, from fresh chèvre to washed rind, firm and blue. The goat possibilities are endless! $45.00 Read More
Best Brunch Restaurants in Fairfield County Restaurant Brunch Fairfield Norwalk Ridgefield Stamford Westport Wilton New Canaan Breakfast April Guilbault March 20, 2013 ...is something wonderful to be seen. In between daily meals one and two is something very delightful for you. How Dr. Suess-y, eh? Wedged in-the-between is the one and only: Brunch. With a capital B, thank you very much. Brunch is divine. You can roll out of bed late and into a perfectly wonderful, relaxed meal that begs to be savored. It lingers beyond the lunch hour and helps you cruise effortlessly into dinner. “There is no sincerer love than the love of food” says a quote that I stumbled upon recently. I think that is pretty darned accurate, especially when it comes to this meal. Here, for you, is a collection of some lovely spots to help you turn this noun into a verb...so go forth and brunch! Did we miss one of your favorite Brunch spots? Let us know... Read More
Cotto Winebar & Pizzeria in Stamford: Menu & Kitchen Changes Restaurant Italian Pasta Stamford Wine Bar Lou Gorfain March 19, 2013 After a brief bout of Musical Toques, Claudio and Silvy Ridolfi -- owners of Cotto’s Winebar and Pizzeria in Stamford -- have convinced veteran Chef Greg Depelteau to come aboard and expand their imaginative menu of small plates and pizza. Depelteau, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, is in total simpatico with the Ridolfis’ insistence that a dish, especially a small plate, should be driven by primary flavors. “These days a lot of chefs overdo things,” Greg contends and we agree. “Too many flavors confuse the diner.“ Cotto’s simple take on hanger steak, a cut prized for its flavor, makes the case. After marinating the muscular cut overnight in herbed EVOO, Depelteau quickly grills the meat on a blazing hot sheet pan to achieve a hard sear, while maintaining a surprisingly tender, rare interior. A Read More
5 Ways Kids Can Help Fight Hunger in CT Kids Bites Volunteer kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster March 18, 2013 People often write in to CTbites asking how their kids can get involved in helping the hungry in our local community. We decided to go to the source, Connecticut Food Bank, to see how best to assist in their efforts. It turns out there are quite a few ways kids can get involved. Here are some places to begin: Organize a Team to Walk Against Hunger. We just opened Registration for the 2013 Walk Against Hunger, www.ctfoodbank.org/walk. There are now four dates to choose from. There also may be opportunities for young people and families to volunteer at the walk. It’s truly a fun family event. Organize a food drive at school, with a sports team/club or the neighborhood, here’s a link to the info. on our site, http://www.ctfoodbank.org/how-to-help/donate-food Volunteer. Contact Kim Damien, our Volunteer Coordinator to learn about volunteer opportunities for young people and families. There’s volunteer information the CT Food Bank's volunteer page, or you can contact Kim at kdamien@ctfoodbank.org, or call 203-469-5000. Read More
Must Try: Lao Sze Chuan Chinese Restaurant in Milford Restaurant Asian Chinese Delicious Dives Milford Kid Friendly Elizabeth Keyser March 17, 2013 “How adventurous do we want to be?” Maria asks. “On a scale of one to 10?” She’s poring over the menus at Lao Sze Chuan and says it’s so authentic, some of these dishes aren’t found in Chinatown in New York City. Diced rabbit with peanuts. Hot and Sour eel with cellophane noodles. Pork intestines with blood cake. “We have to have frog’s legs,” she says. “And the clams.” She starts making a list. Donna and Mark’s list is already on their ipod. They’ve been looking at Lao Sze Chuan’s menu online since three in the afternoon. Maria passes me her list. Yes, the spicy ox-tongue and tripe is on it and I’m happy not to make more decisions. The menus – two of them, the main large, multi-plastic-paged booklet and the additional four page menu of Szechuan specialties -- are overwhelming. Pages and pages of intriguing descriptions like “Silky fowl with black mushrooms and bamboo shoots in casserole.” I pass Maria’s list to my husband, who glazes over at the sight of her tiny script of five appetizers and 11 entrees. He passes it to Donna and Mark. They cross-reference against their i-Pod list, and add a couple dishes to the feast. Yes! The pig’s ear. There’s nothing like dining with the right group of people at the right place, and our crew of 10 is excited about our adventure to the commercial belly of Route 1 Milford to see if Lao Sze Chuan makes the most authentic Szechuan cuisine in Connecticut. Read More
The Next Wave in Mobile Food: A Floating Oyster Bar Seafood Ramin Ganeshram March 16, 2013 This is a story about a boat, and oysters, and a new concept in dining...a moveable feast if you will. Once neglected, America's oldest oyster boat is taking on a new role as a floating oyster bar, and it's coming to a location near you. But to make this new culinary concept a reality, this boat needs your help. Here's the whole story.... Two years ago, a typical photo assignment changed the course of photographer Jean Paul Vellotti's life. You might say that was the day he became an accidental oysterman. When tasked with capturing a local captain for a Whole Foods Market advertising campaign, he visited the East Norwalk-based Norm Bloom & Son oyster firm. There, he climbed aboard a derelict oyster boat to get a better perspective of his subject who was standing on the bow of the immaculately kept Catherine M. Wedmore. Read More
