Fortina Restaurant: Casually Hip Italian Opening in Armonk, NY

Restaurant Armonk Greenwich Italian Pizza Stamford Comfort Food Kid Friendly

Nancy Kleeger

Fairfield county residents will be soon crossing the border (passports not required)-- into Upper Westchester County's suburb of Armonk, after this week's opening of Fortina.  Chef Christian Petroni, recently Executive Chef of Greenwich's Barcelona Restaurant, is joined by John Nealon, ex-GM of the same provenance and Nealon's childhood friend, Rob Krauss as business partners. Both Nealon and Krauss originally hail from Westport.  Petroni, a local himself, is also co-owner of Cooked & Co., in Scarsdale.

Recalling the many memorable meals he had eaten during his time spent in Italy, Petroni's vision was to bring Italy's simple authentic flavors, cooking methods and presentation to the dishes he serves at Fortina. This vision is executed with the help of 2 wood burning ovens imported straight from Naples, Italy which serve as a focal point in the main dining room. In fact with the exception of just a few menu items, everything is cooked in these fiery hearths...even a pasta dish or two! (And you should hear Petroni when he speaks of his ovens...like a proud new Papa ) 

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Think Again Before You Default to Gas: The Wolf Induction Cooktop! (sponsored post)

CTbites Team

Talk to most home chefs and you'll get a knee-jerk, "When it comes to my range or cooktop, I want gas."

It may be hard to believe, but if you are considering a cooktop, the Wolf Induction Cooktop may very well change your mind. Think extraordinary control delivering an instant boil and equally fast true simmer, a delicate melt function, extreme energy efficiency and a level of safety that gas simply can't deliver.  

Induction cooking has been used in Europe for decades by professionals and homeowners demanding the best in performance. Wolf offers five options with even more to come and they offer features and benefits not seen in any other cooktop in the industry. Ranging from a 15" 2-burner option (with total functionality) to 30" and 36" framed and unframed models, Wolf Induction Cooktops are 90-95% energy efficient; as a result, no heat is wasted because energy is supplied directly to the cooking vessel. This is compared to 55% efficiency for a gas burner. In fact, these cooktops actually sense your cookware and the elements will not heat without an induction-compatible pan on the cooktop surface. Cookware made from aluminum, copper or glass (including Pyrex) is not compatible. However, Culinary Institute of America and Staub cookware offered through Clarke's Savoir Fare kitchen boutique works perfectly, as do many other lines. 

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The Best Warm Lobster Rolls on the Connecticut Coast

Restaurant Delicious Dives Seafood

Lou Gorfain

Connecticut's signature food may not be New Haven Pizza or Steamed Hamburger.  And it’s certainly not Nutmeg (indeed, not a single nutmeg seed has ever been planted, much less harvested, in the Nutmeg state.  But that's a tale for another time).  

Actually, Connecticut’s truly indigenous dish may be the Warm Lobster Roll, a state treasure.   According to the new edition of John Mariana's authoritative Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, the Connecticut Lobster Roll was likely born in 1927 at Perry's Restaurant in Milford. A customer asked owner Harry Perry to serve his lobster meat off the shell, dressed in butter, and placed in a bun.   No need for a cracker, picks, or bib.  As the New Haven Register tells it, the new sandwich proved to be so popular that Perry soon mounted a large sign over his restaurant that read "Home of the Lobster Roll."     

Today, order a lobster roll in most of New England and you'll probably be served something quite different:  a bun filled with chilled lobster salad, the crustacean mixed with mayo, celery, and various condiments.  But travel along the Connecticut shoreline and your sandwich will likely be similar to Perry's original:  warm lobster meat drizzled in butter and piled high in a grilled bun, either long or round.  

With summer starting, CTBites embarked on such a trip - up the state’s entire coastline in search of the best Connecticut Lobster Rolls. 

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Mediterraneo Opens at Hotel Zero Degrees in Norwalk

Restaurant Mediterranean Norwalk Opening

CTbites Team

 

The coastal Mediterranean food we’ve come to know and love at the Greenwich Avenue restaurant Mediterraneo, has been successfully replicated inside Norwalk’s new urban-chic boutique Hotel Zero Degrees.

Restauranteur Ramze Zakka is the force behind Z Hospitality Group and its stable of sleek and popular restaurants, such as Acqua, Aurora, Mediterraneo, Sole, and Terra. In a notoriously difficult business, Zakka has been able to pile up the restaurant successes across Fairfield County (and Westchester) with equal emphasis on exceptional dining and desirable settings. Mediterraneo at Hotel Zero Degrees raises the bar on both of these counts. 

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The Pop Shop Market – Making a Pop Up Debut in Fairfield

Fairfield Food Truck

Kathleen Atkins

The Pop Shop Market is popping up in Fairfield this weekend!  The first of 4 yearly Pop Shop Markets will be making its debut at the Fairfield Theatre Company’s warehouse and parking lot on Saturday, June 1st.  People of all ages are invited out to experience the European-style open-air market.  Kelly Scinto, Andrea Espach and Ashley Kane, founders and curators of the Pop Shop Market wanted to create a unique experience unlike any other pop up shop.  “We wanted to plan a fun day; one that would bring shopping, food, drinking and music together,” says Scinto.  

The Pop Shop Market will feature a variety vendors from all over the area, showcasing items such artwork, jewelry, and repurposed furniture by local artists, designers and merchants.  All this shopping will surely leave you hungry!  Or perhaps it is the all the incredible local food that will draw you out this Saturday.  The Pop Shop Market has recruited some of Connecticut’s most popular food trucks!  Grab a lobster roll from LobsterCraft, a meatball grinder from the Local Meatball, some California-style fish tacos from Taco Pacifico, fries from Fryborg, and top it all off with some soft-served ice cream from Cowabunga Food Truck.

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Sugar & Olives Gets Serious About Baking w/ Pastry Chef Cindy Bearman

Bakery Brunch Norwalk kids cooking party Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert

Stephanie Webster

Sugar & Olives in Norwalk has been known for their inventive homemade indulgences, but with pastry chef Cindy Bearman at the helm, Sugar & Olive's bake shop is becoming serious business. Their bakery department not only offers cakes to order as well as favorites such as homemade devil dogs, pop tarts, decadent oreos, and porridge cakes, but they are also offering a range of pastry classes for both novice and serious bakers (even kids). 

Cindy Bearman brings years of experience as the opening chef for ABC Kitchen in NYC, and has worked at Le Cirque, and with Daniel Boulud. Her creativity and knowledge mingled with Sugar & Olive's dedication to sourcing local and organic ingredients from farms such as Arethusa Farm milk (Litchfield CT) and Speckled Rooster Farm eggs (Westport CT), make them a go-to spot for any birthday or sweet craving. They also offer wheat free and nut free desserts for those with food sensitivities. 

Pastry classes at Sugar & Olives are hands on affairs and heavy on technique. From Frosting 101 to Gum Paste Flowers, their is something for everyone this Summer. Check out a few of the classes below, or go to Sugar & Olive's web site for a complete listing of classes.

 

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Bistro 7 in Wilton: The Backstory

Restaurant Farm to Table Wilton

Lou Gorfain

At times the story behind a restaurant can be as delicious as what’s on their menu.   For instance, consider the improbable tale of how Wilton’s Bistro 7 came to be….

Breno Donatti began his restaurant career seven years ago as a dishwasher at Pizza Post in Greenwich.  A young kid from Brazil, he had just come to America, spoke no English, and was without home, money, or many friends.   Today, he is the popular co-owner and host of Bistro 7, a trendy restaurant in Wilton; his English is impeccable; and he lives in a lovely apartment in Stamford which he shares with his even lovelier wife, one of America’s most esteemed coloratura sopranos. (Her bio is just as amazing, but we’ll get to that shortly.)

After graduating high school, Breno had enrolled at a Nutrition College in South Brazil..  “Although my family was in the car business.  I always had this passion for food,” he explains.  “At school, I loved dealing with farmers and the business side of the industry.  ”

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Recap: Happy Hours Cocktails Al Fresco @ Artisan, Southport

Restaurant CTbites Invites

sherri daley

That “drink after work” thing is not really about a drink.  It’s an escape from ennui, stale air, the copier just ran out of toner, we didn’t like the tone of that last email from our biggest client, and there’s a personal text message on our cell phone we’ve decided not to answer until later. Much later.

We claw our way out of the office, desperate for a breeze and a cocktail, and begin the search for an outside venue, of which there are precious few, and those include curbside seating on busy streets and tables in parking lots.

But Artisan in the Delamar Hotel in Southport opens their back doors onto an open-air bar and patio where, if you pretend a little bit, you can think you are in Europe.  

The hotel itself provides privacy from traffic on three sides, and the tiny street that abuts the fourth is private. Bicycles are lined up in sturdy racks, rattan furniture and Adirondack chairs are scattered in conversational groupings, and flowers hang from trellises and bloom in pots and boxes; hence, the name: the Pergola, Patio, and Garden Bar.

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10 Questions with Chef Carey Savona of Heirloom

Interview Chef Talk New Haven

Amy Kundrat

Carey Savona is the Executive Chef of Heirloom at the Study at Yale in New Haven and the Head of Culinary Development for Study Hotels. Heirlooms's self-described "American-heritage" approach to cooking, leveraging small batch growers and neighborhood artisan suppliers, makes it one of our favorite New Haven haunts.

A tireless force in the Connecticut food scene, Chef Savona is passionate about seasonality and the city of New Haven. He earned his kitchen stripes working alongside some of the most talented chefs and restaurateurs in the country. Savona has lived and cooked in San Francisco, Connecticut, South Florida and in New York City where, with Drew Nieporent and the Myriad Restaurant Group he earned Two Stars from Frank Bruni of the New York Times for his work at Mai House in Tribeca. 

 

If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? 

Spaghetti Carbonara.  We always have pancetta, guanciale or bacon.  Always eggs and good cheese and parmigiano or pecorino is part of that repertoire.   Carbonara is great anytime.  Better for breakfast or after a night of too much wine.  Is there such a thing?

What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? 

Last dish at work was spaghetti with olive oil, parsley, chilies and pecorino.  Eaten out of a mixing bowl, quickly huddled next to a stove as we began to get hammered with dupes.  Last dish I made at home was an egg and cheese sandwich for my wife (Alison Savona) and I that we shared over coffee before we both left for work.  Best and saddest part of my day.

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Must Try: Pho Mai Vietnamese in Bridgeport

Restaurant Asian Bridgeport Delicious Dives Vietnamese

Elizabeth Keyser

“You know how to eat that?” asked the kindly woman as she set a steaming bowl of soup before me at Pho Mai.  Did I know how to eat pho? To handle the chopsticks and spoon? To lift the long noodles from the big bowl of broth without slapping myself in the face with a wet noodle? I’ve learned over the years.  But Vietnamese food can be perplexing to the uninitiated. It’s hands-on. 

Pho Mai makes the best Vietnamese food I’ve found in Fairfield County. It’s been open for about a year, and it’s worth a jaunt to Wood Avenue in Bridgeport (across from the Wood’s End Deli) to enjoy the fresh, herb-filled, sweet, sour, and fermented flavors of Vietnamese food.

Pho Mai’s red awnings strike a cheerful air on a bleak corner. Inside, the place is spic and span clean, with freshly painted yellow walls. Big orange fish swim back and forth in an aquarium that bubbles soothingly. The restaurant has been near empty every time I’ve been, and that’s a shame because the food here is seriously good, and it’s a great place for a weekend lunch with a group of friends.

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The Bedford Posts' Pork Chops w/ Grilled Cherries & Wild Mustard Greens

Features Chef Talk Holiday Recipe

CTbites Team

Despite the inclement weather this year, Memorial Day weekend always harkens the launch of grilling season. Chef McMillan, of The Bedford Post in Bedford, NY is no stranger to a fiery hearth, so we've asked him to ring in the season with a recipe from the restaurant.

Chef McMillan recently conducted a series of grilling themed dinners at The Bedford Post and as a locavore, he and his staff have taken to foraging the property for ingredients to use on their menu. Hence the use of Wild Mustard Greens and Nasturtium seen in this recipe for Pork Chops with Grilled Cherries, Wild Mustard Greens, and Nasturtium Leaves. 

Happy Grilling!

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Friday Froth: Nepenthia, Part 1

Ingredients Beer

James Gribbon

"Nepenthes pharmakon," its says in the Odyssey. Literally: "anti-sorrow drug," or "... a drug which eased men's pains and irritations, making them forget their troubles." 

Smiles abounded on a hill in the woods of Oxford, Connecticut, as B. United International opened both its doors and taps on a brilliantly sunny day this May for Nepethia, a one-day event. The beverage importer's stated mission is to bring the most spectacular examples of low volume, hand crafted beer, mead, cider, and sake from around the world to the U.S. The collected industry representatives (and I) weren't there to forget, though. There was too much to learn. 

I've mentioned B.United, and the beers they import, more than a few times here on CTBites, and they've been an impressive lot.

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SONO Restaurant "Weeks" Start June 3rd

Restaurant Restaurant Week Events

Stephanie Webster

It's that time of year again. Sono Restaurant Week is back from June 2-16 running for two delicious weeks this year. Why 2 weeks? Scott Beck of Match Restaurant responded "Every year we have gotten feedback from people that wished that we could extend Restaurant Week for an additional week so that they might get to go to more than one place so we decided to give it a try."

"There are 15 restaurants participating this year which is largest number of restaurants we have ever had so everyone is pretty excited" says Beck.  SoNo also has some great new restaurants such as Nola Oyster Bar, Mama's Boy Southern Table, Estia's, and The Spread, for people to try. And, of course all the staples in SoNo are participating again. People can check out the list of all the participating restaurants and their Restaurant Week menus online at www.connecticutrestaurant.

You can view the complete list of participating restaurants below. Happy eating...

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Stamford Museum Annual Wine & Food Tasting June 7

CTbites Team

The Stamford Museum & Nature Center will hold its 16th Annual Wine Tasting on Friday, June 7 at 7 pm. The SM&NC will celebrate with a night of fine wine tastings, enticing silent auction items, delicious bites from local caterers and restaurants, and live music with Jay & Ray.

All of the wines for the evening will be provided by BevMax.  Participating caterers and restaurants include: Marcia Selden Catering, A·S Fine Foods of Stamford, California Pizza Kitchen, Catering by Christine, Chiappetta Olive Oil, David's Soundview Catering, Festivities, Harlan Social, Valencia Luncheria, Napa & Co, plum plums, Olio, Station Eats, Susan Kane Catering, The Fez, Wave Hill Breads Bakery & Café, and Wise Guys. Desserts will be provided by: EOS, DiMare Pastry Shop, illy caffé, Le Pain Quotidien, Sweet Lisa's Exquisite Cakes, and Tabouli Grill.

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Artisanal Honey Tasting w/ Red Bee Honey's Marina Marchese

CTbites Team

In celebration of National Pollinator Week, Slow Food Metro North, Audubon Greenwich, and the Fairfield Green Food Guide are pleased to present Taste the Terroir of American Honey. Honey bees play a vital role in our food chain, pollinating one-third of the food we eat and producing a wide range of artisanal honeys. On Saturday, June 22, from 4-6 pm, Red Bee Honey founder, beekeeper and author Marina Marchese will take guests on a tasting journey to discover the unique sensory qualities (terroir!) of 7 single varietal U.S. honeys featured in her latest book, The Honey Connoisseur, and how to best pair them with food. 

Rare and coveted for its distinctive flavor profile – floral notes with warm hints of baking spices and anise – sourwood honey is a national treasure cataloged on Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste. Marina Marchese will be celebrating this regional honey plant’s contribution to biodiversity, while honoring Slow Food USA’s work to promote and preserve it, with a special tasting of an award-winning harvest of sourwood honey.

Celebrate the Launch of The Honey Connoisseur, a new book by Marina Marchese, Founder of Red Bee Honey, Co-authored with Kim Flottum, Editor of Bee Culture Magazine.

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Raus Coffee to Debut New Drink at Westport Farmers Market

Ingredients Features Restaurant Coffee Farmers Market

Amy Kundrat

Raus Coffee will debut its newest iced espresso drink, the Roman Navel, at the opening of the Westport Farmers’ Market on May 23. The new drink was inspired by a trip to Seattle’s Café Vita, where Raus Coffee founder Donny Raus became smitten with the Medici, an espresso-based chocolate and orange drink. The success of the flavor combination compelled him to recreate it using his own approach. The Roman Navel is the third product in Raus’s award-winning espresso product line.  

Donny and I met recently at the soon-to-open Steam Coffee Bar in Westport, so he could give me a sample of this newest obsession. So I had a baseline, I also grabbed his other two iced espresso-based drinks, the Roman Kiss and (my old personal stand-by) the Cold Roman. 

 

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Bottlerocket Hosts Yoga + Wine/Craft Beer Tastings

CTbites Team

Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit and Maggie Converse of Pop Up Yoga are teaming up to bring fun and flavor to Westport this summer. Converse will lead a one-hour open level yoga class at Bottlerocket every Saturday in June 4:30 to 5:30. Participants will then enjoy a casual tasting of summer wines and craft beer. Individual classes are $25, and a 4-class package for $85.

Participants should wear comfortable clothes in which they can move and bring their own yoga mat. The open level, alignment-based class is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced yoga practitioners. You can even feel free to bring your dog! Tickets are available at http://yogasummersaturdays-estw.eventbrite.com/

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PastaPresta Opens at the SoNo Marketplace

Restaurant Farmers Market Italian Norwalk Pasta Comfort Food

Amy Kundrat

The SoNo Marketplace—with its hive of local food purveyors, artisans,  weekly farmers’ market, and plans for a summer beer garden—may be best argument to never set foot inside a supermarket again. I was recently lured back to the Marketplace by the opening of PastaPresta, a new fresh pasta vendor anchoring the entrance of the market’s vast 50,000 square-feet.

One evening of fresh pasta and market nibbles, and a closer look at the people behind the market later, I was reminded why this culinary hub deserves a regular visit and why, despite its recent vilification, gluten is good (maybe great).

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Ten Best Restaurant Burgers: Greenwich to New Haven 2013

Restaurant Fairfield Norwalk SONO Stamford Westport Comfort Food Best of CT Burgers

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger

One year, hundreds of miles, close to thirty pounds of various cuts and blends of meat, thousands of fries…searching for the ten best hamburgers.

Nestled between Shad Roe, Bahn Mi, Shrimp & Grits, Nonni's Meatballs and Montauk Black Bass was “The Burger.” It was the equalizing dish amongst the best chefs in the area.  As I tasted the creativity that each of the chefs placed into their version of this 100+ year old tradition, I was in awe. The combinations were brilliant, how the flavors balanced and complemented each other, the choices that they made to place their individual mark on this dish, each was unique. 

Most of the meat was sourced locally, many from the same vendor with slight variations in blend and grind...some used a medium-grind while others requested a third, finer grind. Cheese and bacon played a major supporting roll, and the choices varied amongst the chefs.

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