Invites Recap: New Nordic Dinner at Chocopologie c/o Fritz Knipschildt Restaurant CTbites Invites Events ellen bowen April 26, 2013 So what happens when creative and innovative chefs are given the chance to create a special dinner inspired by their homeland, Denmark and The World’s Best Restaurant, NOMA of Copenhagen?? Well…a 10 Course “New Nordic” Dinner with Fritz Knipschildt of Chocopologie presented by CTbites Invites, turns into a true culinary happening. I lost count, but 10 courses turned into 16 courses, each paired with local wines from CT, Upstate NY and Long Island and beers from local breweries; Southport Brewing Company and City Steam of Stratford. But first a little food history as Fritz explained the evening ahead. In November 2004, on the initiative of the Danish chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer of the then newly opened NOMA restaurant, chefs and food professionals from all the Nordic countries met in Copenhagen to discuss how best to develop what they called the "New Nordic Cuisine." In particular, they sought to emphasize the need for what they described as "purity, simplicity, and freshness" as well as increased use of seasonal foods. Restaurants were encouraged to develop traditional dishes making use of ingredients benefitting from the local region's climate, water, and soil. As Fritz stressed, this cuisine was taking the farm-to table movement one step further, by foraging the earth for unique flavors and ingredients by using fresh herbs, moss, edible flowers and burnt hay to enhance the flavors of each dish. Read More
Fairfield Cheese Company Celebrates 4 Years w/ a Case Takeover Ingredients Cheese CTbites Team April 26, 2013
Food Network's "Chef Wanted" Show Casting in CT Area CTbites Team April 25, 2013 We recently got word from the casting director from The Food Network's "Chef Wanted" show...they are looking for local CT restaurants & chefs for their hit series. Chef Wanted is a series where Chef Anne Burrell helps top restaurants in need of an executive chef find the perfect candidate for the position. They are currently casting in Connecticut, and need your help. When top restaurateurs are in need of an executive chef, they turn to Anne Burrell to help them find the perfect candidate. On Chef Wanted, Anne tests the culinary mettle and business acumen of all the candidates in order to find the perfect fit for the restaurant. They are searching for both restaurants looking to hire an executive chef, as well as qualified chefs who are looking for a real job opportunity with a great restaurant! See full casting call information below, or for more information, please visit us them www.chefwantedcasting.com. Read More
Yelp Prohibition Party on April 30 @ Hartford's Russian Lady Restaurant Events Hartford Amy Kundrat April 25, 2013 Yelp will be hosting a roaring good time at their Prohibition Party at The Russian Lady in Hartford on April 30 at 7:30 pm. Complimentary bites, prohibition-era hooch, jazz, burlesque, vintage swing dancing are planned (fedoras are optional). This party is FREE to attend with a $10 SUGGESTED DONATION to Hartford Preservation Alliance, Yelp's nonprofit partner. For more information and to RSVP, visit: http://www.yelp.com/events/hartford-yelps-prohibition-party Participating restaurants serving food, include: Read More
CTbites Judges The Darien Library Cake Baking Contest Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 25, 2013 The Darien Library hosted its first annual Cake Baking Contest on Thursday April 18th and CTbites and Omnomct were invited to judge the entrants. Twelve bakers, including kids, teens and adults submitted home-made cakes. The contestants baked numerous varieties including a chocolate bundt cake, two toasted coconut cakes, a rich chocolate and Nutella cake, a chocolate cake with meringue frosting, one cake decorated with funfetti, a pink and white starburst decorated cake, a three-tiered fondant decorated cake based on the book “City of Thieves,” a clock cake, and a cake depicting a four-eyed monster popping out of a book. All of them were creative, all of them showed the love and caring from each of the bakers and each of the bakers was proud of their creations. We judged them in four categories including taste, appearance and texture. Read More
Sixpoint & Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner @ Barnum Publick House Restaurant Beer Dinner James Gribbon April 24, 2013 Brooklyn comes to Bridgeport on April 30th, as the borough's premier brewers trundle up I-95 to Barnum Publick House. This will be a four course dinner, and beers from both breweries as part of every course. The event runs from 6:30 - 10:30p.m., and reservations ($50, plus tax and tip) can be made by calling 203-690-1044. The evening's menu and a quick impression of the host venue are below the jump. Read More
Ginger Man Brewmasters Beer Dinner May 6th Restaurant Beer Dinner Events Beer CTbites Team April 23, 2013 View the complete menu below: Read More
How to Make a Great Burger - Start with Great Meat Ingredients Chef Talk Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 23, 2013 Want to start an argument…talk hamburgers. This simple grilled piece of ground meat is one of the most polarizing topics in the culinary world. Websites are fully dedicated to hamburgers, magazines run covers and full articles on hamburgers, super-chefs are sent to their knees if their hamburger is not on par with their foie gras, and the backyard griller will season and treat his hamburger like haute cuisine. Why does a simple patty of cooked ground meat on a bun with toppings generate such love and vitriol, simultaneously? Let’s start with the meat. There are currently numerous choices…local farm, commercial farm, grass-fed, grain-fed, dry-aged, wet-aged, medium grind, fine grind, single grind, double grind, so many permutations, and so little time. I reached out to Ryan Fibiger of Saugatuck Craft Butchery for some sage advice. His response, “come in and I can show you how our best burger meat is cut, blended and ground.” So one afternoon Ryan gave me a two-hour butchery course as he broke down the front quarter of a cow, combined and ground the cuts, and finally prepared and served two different hamburger blends. Read More
Woodbury Celebrates Earth Day: Food Trucks & Fun Restaurant Woodbury CTbites Team April 22, 2013 Celebrate Earth Day in Woodbury, CT on Saturday, April 27 at Hollow Park from 11 am to 4 pm. This 19th annual event, sponsored by the Woodbury Business and Economic Development Committee, as well as New Morning Market will feature local, natural and organic vendors and exhibitors. Food vendors this year will include the Caseus Cheese Truck, GZen's G Monkey truck, El Camion, Chet’s Italian Ice, Le Petite France’s fresh crepes cart, Dottie’s Donuts and Annie Bananie ice cream. “2012 was the first year that the event was held at Hollow Park instead of New Morning’s parking lot area” says Joe Donato, chairman of the Woodbury Business and Economic Development Committee. “It was incredibly well attended, with more than 120 vendors and exhibitors, and over 5,000 guests. We could not be happier.” Read More
CTbites Guide to Connecticut Farm Dinners Restaurant Farm Dinner Farm to Table Local Farm Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster April 21, 2013 The abundance of ramps across Connecticut menus this past week not only signals spring, but also the imminent seasonal collaborations between local farms and the chefs who love them. For Connecticut's farm-loving dining scene, this can only mean one thing—farm dinners are just around the corner. Why do we at CTbites look forward to these farm dinners so much? It allows us to celebrate and support both the chef as well as the farmer while appreciating the bounty of the Connecticut landscape that we call home (many, but not all of these dinners are fundraisers). With the promise of a new destination and communal seating, diners can enjoy the company of like-minded food lovers. And of course there is the simple and pleasurable act of dining en plein air with grass beneath your feet. As it is still early in the season, this list of a dozen or so events is in formation, so if you'd like to recommend a dinner or an event we may have missed, please include it in the comments and we will update our list. Whether you look forward to farm dinners as much as we do, or have yet to embrace this seasonal ritual, we encourage you to give one or many a try this year! Read More
300 Seat Beer Garden @ Harbor Point Opening in Stamford Restaurant Beer Dinner Food Truck Stamford Beer CTbites Team April 20, 2013 Imian Hospitality, in collaboration with Building & Land Technology, announce The Beer Garden @ Harbor Point. Beginning in early May beer enthusiasts will have a new venue to call their own, Stamford’s first ever waterfront beer garden with over 300 seats, craft beer, and food trucks. And now we are excited for Summer. With a carefully curated roster of 24 craft beers on draft showcasing hard to find ales from Dogfish Head, Captain Lawrence, Curious Traveler and local Connecticut brewers Thomas Hooker, Half Full and Two Roads, it promises to be a beer lover’s nirvana. The Beer Garden will also feature a reserve list of large format bottled craft brews for the true connoisseur. In addition, master mixologist Jason Clark has created a collection of hand crafted American-centric cocktails that provide a refreshing alternative to great beer. A rotating collection of Gourmet Food trucks slotted along the Beer Garden’s driveway will provide a culinary bounty that will contribute to the innovative and unique character of the Beer Garden. Lobster Rolls & Crab Cakes from Lobstercraft, Wood Fired Farm to Table Pizzas from Skinny Pines, Sandwiches from Hot Off The Grill, Authentic Caribbean from Maddy’s and Gourmet Grilled Cheese from Melt Mobile Read More
Friday Froth: A Real Mouthful Beer James Gribbon April 19, 2013 "Slow food" takes on a new meaning when applied to me. I am, and always have been, an exceptionally slow eater. A childhood friend of mine nearly landed me in the school psychologist's office after he convinced so many people, including a school administrator, of his theory that I was obsessively chewing eat bite a certain number of times before I'd take the next one. I had to eat in front of an assistant principal before people would let it go. The real reason is I just talk too much. Well that, or I just zone out while wandering along some neural pathway; and I'm nearly always served last at restaurants. It's like there was a secret memo passed around the service-industry: "This man not to receive food until all others at table at least 45% done with their meals." I talk too much, but I haven't written nearly enough about Two Roads Brewing in my childhood home of Stratford, Connecticut. We're going to work on that today. Read More
New Haven Earth Day Celebration with Miya's Sushi & ROIA Restaurant New Haven CTbites Team April 19, 2013 New Haven Chefs Bun Lai of Miya’s Sushi and Avi Szapiro of the newly opened ROIA will square off for The Nature Conservancy’s Picnic for Earth after the Rock to Rock Earth Day bike ride April 20 in New Haven. At the Rock to Rock finish line in East Rock Park at about1 p.m., the two chefs will engage in the second annual “Picnic Battle for Earth, ” a light-hearted, friendly contest to craft the most delicious and sustainable picnic dish. James Beard Foundation Award–nominated Chef Bun will be defending his hard-earned title from last year’s picnic battle, and he and Chef Avi—who apprenticed under European Michelin star chefs—will be working with a palette of ingredients chosen by Facebook friends of The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut and donated by Elm City Market. Read More
Big News at Le Farm & The Whelk: Chef Changes & More Interview Restaurant Chef Talk Stephanie Webster April 19, 2013 CTbites has some big news for fans of James Beard nominated chef Bill Taibe and his Westport restaurants, Le Farm and The Whelk. Guests to both will find exciting changes and a couple of new faces in the kitchen at both of these Westport hot spots. Chef Arik Bensimon (The Spread, Napa) has already settled into Le Farm’s cozy chef's quarters, and Geoff Lazlo (Le Farm, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Hill Stone Barns) has moved from his post at Le Farm to head the busy kitchen at The Whelk. CTbites sat down with restaurateur and chef Bill Taibe to discuss the new starting lineup, and get some insight into the future plans for these immensely popular dining spots. When asked why Bill Taibe chose Arik for Le Farm, Taibe smiles and says "I’ve always been trying to get Arik over to Le Farm." Ever since Bill left Napa where Arik Bensimon worked as his sous, he knew he wanted to cook with him again. “We really clicked from day one,” says Taibe. "Arik has a beautiful elegance and rusticness to his food style. Our food just makes sense together." Having worked together before, the chef and owner already have a strong understanding of each others styles and expectations. Taibe went on to explain that, "sometimes the way I do things is the harder way, and Arik understands, it takes a long time to do things right." Read More
Little Pub Opens Second Location in Wilton TODAY Restaurant Wilton Ridgefield Cos Cob Greenwich Pub Comfort Food CTbites Team April 18, 2013 Wilton residents, rejoice! Little Pub's second location is now open at 26 Danbury Road in Wilton. They will offer the same fare, and thanks to a much larger kitchen, will also be offering some new items. Check it out and please let us know what you think! For the latest on their menu and what's on tap, check out littlepub.com and stay tuned to their Facebook page. Read More
Sweet & Simple Bakery Opens @ Fairfield’s Greenfield Hill Ingredients Restaurant Bakery Kid Friendly Dessert Jessica Ryan April 18, 2013 Michelle Jaffee is up and in her new home away from home at 75 Hillside Road long before the sun comes up. There, she’s busily getting ready for the day ahead creating delightful treats for her wholesale clients as well as the for her new SWEET & SIMPLE BAKERY. You may have seen her brand at your local retail grocer, but now Michelle has a storefront of her own, and her selection of cookies, brownies and cakes, which are available on a rotating basis, is growing daily. Cookies include, but are not limited to, chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, sugar, almond butter and thumbprints. If you’re looking for a cake for a Birthday or other special occasion, Michelle offers golden yellow, chocolate, coconut, banana, carrot, lemon, Red Velvet and strawberry shortcakes, as well as a wide selection of homemade frostings, ganaches and fillings. Sweet & Simple isn’t just your neighborhood cookie and brownie bake shop. They are continually adding items to their menu and now offer dinner rolls, and challah. Read More
Millstone Farm Launches Pig CSA: Pig Lovers Rejoice! CTbites Team April 17, 2013 Announcing Millstone Farm's First Ever Pig CSA! Want to explore your culinary creativity with different cuts of pork? Join Millstone Farm's summer Pig CSA and receive a share of one of their heritage breed Tamworth/Large Black crosses, butchered and wrapped for your convenience.Millstone Farm's pigs are given the space to roam and express their natural rooting instincts and enjoy a diet supplemented by scraps from our garden.The cost of a share is $8/lb and will include approximately 20 - 25lbs of various cuts, including roast, chops, sausage and bacon. Shares will be ready by late June or July and a $40 deposit is required for your participation in the Pig CSA.Email katie@millstonefarm.org to learn more or have your name added to the list. Membership is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis, so don't wait! Read More
Recap of Westport Playhouse Kick-Off Block Party Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 17, 2013 The “2013 Season Kick-off Block Party” at the Westport Country Playhouse was a fun time for all. With three outstanding trucks dispensing delicious food, plus beer supplied by Beaver Beer and ice cream from Shake Shack, it was an enjoyable afternoon. The crepes from Christophe’s Creperie were fantastic. Both savory and sweet crepes were offered with fillings including ham, brie, turkey, banana, Nutella, honey…there were plenty of choices. Mine included brie, ham and apple. The crepe was as good as you will ever taste. And then the creaminess and slight pungency of the brie, the sweet and crunchy apples and the saltiness of the ham all hit the palate simultaneously. It was just a delight. And I was not alone, as I stood in line at other trucks everyone was raving about the crepes. Skinny Pines offered several combinations. Let’s start with the crust…one of the best crusts in the area, outstanding. The toppings included Dressing Room meatloaf, caramelized onions, chorizo, spinach, red onion, olives, and basil. Each of the ingredients was bold in flavor and the trick was melding them together without one overpowering the others. The tomatoes are sweet and bright, likewise with the caramelized onions. The meatloaf was mild in flavor and the Mozzarella cheese was delicious. Read More
Burger Blast Roundup: The Prequel to Perfection Part 1 Restaurant Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 16, 2013 The last year has been filled with brisket, sirloin, Wagyu, chuck and short rib, all ground, seasoned and grilled to various degrees of perfection. The current count of visited restaurants now tops 60, including a wide range of venues. From non-chain fast food, to bars where burgers share the stage with great beers, to restaurants where the burger has become an “underground challenge” to high-end chefs, the list grows from Greenwich to New Haven. But only the top 10 will be chosen for the “Non-Chain Fast Food and Bar Burgers” and another 10 for the “Restaurant Burgers” lists. Many of those visited and tasted were the result of suggestions we received from our readers. With sixty+ burgers and thousands of fries under our belts (pun intended), CTbites begins this series of prequels to give quick thoughts on several that were enjoyed and others not so much. Let’s randomly roll through a few selected burgers in CTbites new weekly column…The Burger Blast. Read More
Vinted Wine Bar and Kitchen in West Hartford Restaurant American Tapas West Hartford Wine Bar Emily Cahill April 14, 2013 Vinted Wine Bar and Kitchen Cuisine: American, Tapas, Wine Bar, West HartfordPrice: Small plates range $3.95 - $17.95Our Highlights: wine, charcuterie, tapasHours: Kitchen open Mon – Wed 4-10pm, Thurs: 4-11pm, Fri-Sat: 4-12pm (Bar open late Mon-Sat) Sun: Kitchen & Bar 4-9pmOnline: Official Website | Facebook Small plates reach new heights at Vinted Wine Bar and Kitchen, where food is anything but secondary. Add 68 wines by the glass and you’re well on your way to finding that perfect pairing. Sister restaurant to The Federal in Agawam, Vinted burst onto the West Hartford dining scene in late 2012 when owners Ralph Santaniello and Michael Presnal launched their newest venture in Blueback Square. A classy vibe, inventive array of modern American tapas, and encyclopedic wine list leaves little, if anything, to be desired. Read More
