CTbites Voted "Best Local Blogger" in Fairfield Country Readers' Poll CTbites Team June 09, 2013 We almost forgot to share our good news. CTbites would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our readers and friends who voted for us to win "Best Local Blogger" & 2nd Place for "Best Local Twitterer" in the 2013 Fairfield County Readers' Poll. We are only as strong as our community of passionate foodies and eaters, and we look towards you for guidance. If you have tips, comments, or would like to let us know about a dining experience you've had in CT, please Contact Us. Read More
Friday Froth: A Tour Through The Exotic Beer @ Nepenthia, Part 2 Ingredients Oxford Beer James Gribbon June 07, 2013 Streamlined now, I returned to action. My kit included nothing but a camera, a notepad, a pen, the tasting glass they loaned me, and the clothes I hoped to still be wearing by the time I reemerged. I made my way confidently back into Nepenthia. Exotic, hand selected beers waited to be found all throughout the facilities at B. United International in Oxford, Conn. - spread across tables staffed by the men and women who made them. If Steve Inskeep's voice woke me from this dream I was going on a three state rampage. I crossed the threshold into BU's loading bay and saw lines of colorful bottles adorned with the owl of Hitachino. Toshiyuki Kiuchi, owner and brewmaster of Kiuchi Brewery (makers of Hitachno beers) was gesticulating madly with a broad smile on his face, making himself clear, or at least somewhat understood, to a group of bottle shop reps. Read More
3rd Annual International Food Festival at Olde Mistick Village Road Trip Restaurant Mystic Shoreline East CTbites Team June 07, 2013 Olde Mistick Village Merchants will host the 3rd Annual International Food Festival this weekend on June 8 and 9, 2013, from 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday, and 11 am to 6 pm on Sunday, rain or shine. This event is free and open to the public. The festival will present the best of international cuisines from numerous local restaurants and award winning executive chefs. Participating food purveyors will include: Beachside Catering, Harp & Dragon, Hub's Clam Shack, Johny's Peking Tokyo, Mango's Italian Ice, Mystic Diner & Restaurant, Portuguese Fisherman, Pizza Grille, Semolina Pasta Shop, Taste of India, The Pita Spot, Toasted, Zest Fresh Pastry and more. Read More
The Beer Garden at Harbor Point Hosts Community Plates Night Beer CTbites Team June 06, 2013 The Beer Garden at Harbor Point is hosting Community Plates Night at Harbor Point on Wednesday, June 19 from 4-9pm. The event is free, and open to the public. A percentage of all drink sales at the Beer Garden and food sales from Lobster Craft, Hot Off the Grille, VanChetta, the Rolling Rotisserie food truck & Mr. Frosty Mobile Ice Cream Truck are going to Community Plates to help connect food available for rescue with people who need it. All of the festivities are in the name of helping to end hunger in Fairfield County. For questions about the event, please contact communityplatesevents@gmail.com or we'll see you there. Read More
Chelsea, Spotted Horse Owners Sign Lease for Swanky Franks Space in Westport CTbites Team June 05, 2013 The lease on the old Swanky Franks at 1050 Post Road in Westport has been handed over to restaurateurs Kevin McHugh and Scott Beck who collectively co-own 6 restaurants in Fairfield County (including Spotted Horse, Gray Goose and The Chelsea). These guys bring some serious street cred to the party...and actually quite a bit of party as well. McHugh, who was the original co-owner and designer of The Little Pub in Ridgefield, plans to create a similar casual themed pub for lower Fairfield County area. Plans are being drafted and an open date is being targeted for the Fall. We will bring you more information as the build out begins. Read More
Local Chefs Speak @ Farmer-Chef Event, Wakeman Farm CTbites Team June 05, 2013 On Monday, June 17, a panel of distinguished restaurateurs and farmers is getting together at Wakeman Town Farm, 134 Cross Highway, Westport, to talk about The Farmer-Chef Connection. The public is invited to join local chefs including Bill Taibe (le Farm & The Whelk) and Nancy Roper (Boxcar Cantina) for a lively discussion about why it's more important than ever for restaurants to source and serve local foods, and why it's vital for consumers to support these local venues. Held at 6:30 p.m. at Wakeman Town Farm, the event will feature a moderated discussion between our area's top sustainable restauranteurs, food purveyors and consumers. Read More
L'Escale Hosts Serge Hochar of Chateau Musar Ingredients Wine Chat Natalie Kronick June 05, 2013 There are moments in the career of a wine sales rep that will forever last in ones' memory. One of those moments happened this past Friday night when I had the privilege of dining and tasting through some of the most remarkable and enigmatic wines of the world – Chateau Musar. To my delight, I had the rare opportunity to dine next to Serge Hochar, wine maker of Musar in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, at L'Escale in Greenwich, CT. The event was sponsored by Nicholas Roberts Fine Wine in Darien, CT by Peter Troilo. Serge came to speak with his son, Marc Hochar. In the lineup, we had six wines; three red and three white wines; all individually spellbinding and curious. But before I even start to tap into the amazing-ness that is Ch. Musar, I want to talk about Serge. Serge Hochar, in of himself, is an enigma. But he's the kind of puzzle that you can't stop playing with, like a rubix Cube or those metal trick toys that are so simple, yet hard to find the right notch. Serge has been an engineer, a doctor, a lawyer and in his lifetime and the only thing that has held his attention so long is wine. Talk about a man that has found his calling in life! His wines are right in line with his own personality. Read More
Winner of Harlan Social Sandwich Naming Is... CTbites Team June 05, 2013 Thanks to all of the readers who submitted some incredibly original names for the Harlan Social Chicken Sandwich Naming Contest. Over 100 entries were submitted. After careful consideration and diligence, the winning name is: The Harlan Double Dip, Submitted by Lee Lee will receive a $150 gift certificate from Harlan Social. Thanks to all and stay tuned for the next Name That... Contest Read More
Fortina Restaurant: Casually Hip Italian Opening in Armonk, NY Restaurant Armonk Greenwich Italian Pizza Stamford Comfort Food Kid Friendly Nancy Kleeger June 04, 2013 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 ) Read More
Think Again Before You Default to Gas: The Wolf Induction Cooktop! (sponsored post) CTbites Team June 04, 2013 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. Read More
The Best Warm Lobster Rolls on the Connecticut Coast Restaurant Delicious Dives Seafood Lou Gorfain June 02, 2013 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. Read More
Mediterraneo Opens at Hotel Zero Degrees in Norwalk Restaurant Mediterranean Norwalk Opening CTbites Team May 31, 2013 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. Read More
The Pop Shop Market – Making a Pop Up Debut in Fairfield Fairfield Food Truck Kathleen Atkins May 31, 2013 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. Read More
Sugar & Olives Gets Serious About Baking w/ Pastry Chef Cindy Bearman Bakery Brunch Norwalk kids cooking party Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster May 30, 2013 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. Read More
Bistro 7 in Wilton: The Backstory Restaurant Farm to Table Wilton Lou Gorfain May 30, 2013 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. ” Read More
Recap: Happy Hours Cocktails Al Fresco @ Artisan, Southport Restaurant CTbites Invites sherri daley May 29, 2013 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. Read More
10 Questions with Chef Carey Savona of Heirloom Interview Chef Talk New Haven Amy Kundrat May 28, 2013 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. Read More
Must Try: Pho Mai Vietnamese in Bridgeport Restaurant Asian Bridgeport Delicious Dives Vietnamese Elizabeth Keyser May 26, 2013 “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. Read More
The Bedford Posts' Pork Chops w/ Grilled Cherries & Wild Mustard Greens Features Chef Talk Holiday Recipe CTbites Team May 25, 2013 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! Read More
