Brendan Walsh, Dean of Culinary Institute of America Speaks Sept. 18 Education CTbites Team August 30, 2013 Ridgefield Magazine presents a year of discussions with prominent people in the food industry. Restaurateurs, farmers, and chefs will speak about relevant topics in their world of culinary expertise. It begins Wednesday, September 18, at 7 pm at The Prospector Annex, 454 Main St., to hear Brendan Walsh, dean of the Culinary Institute of America and former owner of the Elms Restaurant & Tavern, speak about how What We Eat Can Change the World. Seating is limited. Read More
Jason Sobocinski Hosts Friends of Boulder Knoll Fundraiser Restaurant Cheese Farm to Table Local Artisan Local Farm Emma Jane-Doody Stetson August 29, 2013 Usher in autumn with an elegant farm-to-table dinner featuring beautiful wines, craft brews, and delicious cuisine. On September 18 at 6pm, the Friends of Boulder Knoll will hold a multi-course meal prepared by Jason Sobocinski, host of The Cooking Channel’s “The Big Cheese.” The event will also feature wine pairings created by Southend Wine and Spirits of Cheshire, CT. They will pour “boutique” vino from the Halter Ranch line. Mikro Brew Bar will offer craft beers andPi Pies Bakery will provide a sweet ending to the evening with artisanal, freshly made baked-goods. Guests will be entertained with music by On Call, “Connecticut’s premier musical duo.” They can also participate in a silent auction featuring items from local businesses The event supports Friends of Boulder Knoll, a Connecticut-based organization dedicated to educating the community about sustainable agriculture and sustainable communities. Read More
Front Porch Cocktail Recipe via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Ingredients Features Cocktails Entertaining Recipe Jeff Marron August 28, 2013 I like making (and drinking) this cocktail. Maybe it's because that you can't tell how bitter the Sibila Amaro is. It adds just the right amount of complexity to cut through the sweetness of the preserves. The Domaine Canton adds an underlying ginger spice while the Plymouth Gin and Carpano Antica Vermouth tie everything together. I like to call this kind of cocktail a "think or drink" cocktail. You can either think about every sip, analyze it and pull the flavors apart or just sip it on your front porch on a beautiful Summer day while watching the grass grow. Read More
Two Roads Brewing Hosts Oktoberfest Celebration Restaurant Brewery Events Holiday Beer CTbites Team August 27, 2013 Two Roads Brewing Company announces its first annual “Ok2berfest” celebration to be held on the grounds of their brewery in Stratford, CT on September 21 and 22. “Rain or Shine, this will be an absolute blast” said Brad Hittle, Two Roads’ CEO. Influenced by Two Roads own name, Ok2berfest plans on being “twice” the fun of a traditional US Oktoberfest event. “We are doubling down on everything, introducing 2 different Oktoberfest beers and hosting 2 bands each day, for 2 days.” Even Head Brewer Phil Markowski will be getting into the Ok2berfest spirit, delivering 2 unique renditions of classic Oktoberfest beers, one named “Eine” and the other named “Zwei.” Read More
Honey Harvest Celebration with Red Bee Honey & Saugatuck Grain & Grape Restaurant Cocktails Weston Westport CTbites Team August 27, 2013 Red Bee Apiary will be toasting to this year’s honey harvest with their final Talk, Tour and Tasting of the beekeeping season on Sunday, September 8th, 1-3PM. Jeff Marron of Saugatuck Grain & Grape joins the festivities year with special honey-inspired cocktails and liqueurs for the tasting menu. Marina Marchese will lead a private tour of her Red Bee apiary and gardens and demonstrate the honey harvest process. Guests will then be seated at farmhouse tables in the apiary for a tasting flight of seven single-origin honeys and perfect pairings using locally-sourced cheeses and breads and fresh herbs from Red Bee’s garden. Read more and check out the menu on Fairfield Green Food Guide. Read More
Great Gatsby Moonshine Ball & Cocktail Contest in Middletown Celebrates Prohibition Era Restaurant Cocktails Middletown Amy Kundrat August 26, 2013 The producers of Onyx Moonshine, a Connecticut liquor distillery, are hosting The Great Gatsby Moonshine Ball on September 27, 2013 from 8 pm to midnight at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, CT. The prohibition era-inspired event will bring together 15 restaurants for a cocktail challenge. Each restaurant will compete by creating a custom jarred infusion using fruits, vegetables and herbs, with Onyx Moonshine 111, the company's higher proofed version of its moonshine. Read More
Baro New World Cantina: Latin American Tapas in Fairfield Restaurant Brazilian Mexican Latin American Sarah Green August 24, 2013 Craving some Latin American delicacies? Head over to 1229 Post Road in Fairfield and check out the brand-spankin'-new BARO' New WORLD CANTINA, the latest labor of love brought to you by the Reyes family (also owners of MEZON and 2 other restaurants in Danbury.) The wine list is mostly Spanish but the food selection - served mostly "tapas" style - comes from Brazil, Uraguay, Argentina, Mexico and the Dominican Republic where Juan and Richard Reyes and family were born. The decor is welcoming and stylish, complete with a glass-faced ceviche bar which looks onto the bustling and aroma filled kitchen. Dark wood tables and benches, some high tops and a large bar as well as birch branch wall decorations are inviting. But the food's the thing. We'll be back for a more intensive review but here are our first impressions: Read More
Westport Farmers' Market Fundraisers Feature Mystery Location & Chef Lineup Restaurant Farmers Market Underground Dinner CTbites Team August 24, 2013 This year, the Westport Farmers’ Market will turn its annual Fork It Over fundraiser into four dinners on four different nights, featuring some of the area’s most celebrated chefs. The chef list reads like a Who’s Who of the Fairfield County culinary scene: Matt Storch (Chelsea and Match), Bill Taibe (LeFarm and The Whelk), Michel Nischan (Dressing Room, featuring Johnny Vaast), Tim Lablant (Schoolhouse Restaurant) and Jeff Taibe (Oak & Almond) to name just a few, are planning meals and menus unlike anything you’ve come to expect from them, and featuring ingredients from Norm Bloom, Sport Hill Farm, Fort Hill Farm, Oxhollow Farm, Craft Butchery, and others. The catch? WFM will tell you when, but not where (at least, not until the day before). And they’re not telling who, either. Read More
No Kid Hungry New Canaan Hosted by Elm Restaurant Events New Canaan CTbites Team August 23, 2013 Join Host Chef Brian Lewis of New Canaan's Elm restaurant for a multi-course dinner and live auction of sensational culinary lots to ensure No Kid Hungry in Connecticut and across the United States on September 30, 2013. No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® Campaign is ending childhood hunger in this nation by connecting kids in need with nutritious food and teaching families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. You can help surround kids with the nutritious food they need where they live, learn and play. For more information or to support this cause and attend this event, please visit ShareOurStrength.com. Special Guest Chefs: Carey Savona, Heirloom (New Haven, CT)Geoff Lazlo, The Whelk (Westport, CT) Special Guest Sommelier:Jeff Barbour, New Canaan Wine Merchants (New Canaan, CT) Read More
Fritz Knipschildt & Team Chocopologie Add New Nordic Dishes to Menu Restaurant Chef Talk New Nordic Norwalk SONO Lunch Dessert ellen bowen August 23, 2013 Surrounded by candles on a wet Tuesday evening in April, Master Chocolatier, Fritz Knipschildt, of Chocopologie, and his talented Danish born and trained chefs; Christian Wilki and chef/manager, Christel Marie Moerck introduced 35 CTbites guests to the Nordic cuisine of their homeland, Denmark. Inspired by the New Nordic Cuisine of Scandinavia, and Rene Redzepi's "World's Best Restaurant," NOMA in Copenhagen, this special 12 course meal turned into an amazing four hour event curated as part of the CTbites Invites program. The evening itself was so well received, and so much fun for the chefs and the guests, that this Chocopologie creative team was inspired to offer as part of their new Fall menu some of the traditional Nordic dishes and techniques they had been trained in and missed preparing here in the United States. Read More
Friday Froth: Summer Morning Coming Down Beer Dinner Events Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon August 23, 2013 Who's ready for summer to be over? You are? Well go stand in the corner with your dunce parka on, because NO. Don't listen to the dermatologists, with their "rules" and "facts": long days are our friends and we all have to get out and show some appreciation or the great dragon will return and swallow the Sun. That's the way it works and LALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU telling me there are only two weeks left in the season. No. There is an absolute pile of beer and event news I want to tell you about this week, but I think this first one belongs above the jump, with beer reviews to follow: SoNo Marketplace will present Barks&Beer this Saturday, a $5 event to benefit Bully Breed Rescue, a New Canaan organization that helps save pit bulls, Staffordshire terriers and bulldogs. I have personal experience with pit bulls who have been rescued from abusive, neglectful owners, and seeing their transformation into happy, loving dogs just because someone cared about them for the first time in their lives is tangible proof there is good in the world. See the proof for yourself, and maybe let it lick your face, Aug. 24 from 1 to 6p.m., 314 Wilson Avenue, Norwalk. (bullybreedrescueinc.org)B. United will be running another beer academy at Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford on Aug. 27 on the subject of bottom fermented beers. Read More
Community Plates Food 4 All Fundraiser [Update] CTbites Team August 21, 2013 Hunger in the United States makes no sense. Community Plates is working to end it. Join Community Plates on October 1, 2013 at their annual fundraiser to kick off the 2013-2014 food rescue season. Help them meet their goal to rescue 3,000,000 meals over the coming year. Food for All 2013: A Night to End Hunger in Fairfield County.(click here to register!) 6:30 – 7:30 VIP Cocktail Reception 7:30 – 10:00 A Night to End Hunger in Fairfield County Read More
Chef Cindy Hartog Launches Kids Cooking Classes @ Oak & Almond CTbites Team August 21, 2013 Chef Cindy Hartog, owner of Cindy's Sous Chefs, has been teaching kids to cook in Fairfield County for over 10 years. Starting this fall, Cindy wil be teaming up with Oak & Almond in Norwalk to offer a comprehensive Kids Cooking Class program, "Oak & Almond Culinary Academy." Classes will meet once a week for 10 weeks, beginning the week of September 9, from 4-6. The fee is $700. Class size is strictly limited. The kids will be cooking full meals (except during 2 strictly dessert sessions), and will get to sample their foods in the beautiful restaurant itself. The menu for the classes will follow Cindy's Sous Chef's curriculum, focusing on food from around the world. Cindy's goal is to foster a kid's passion for food. Italy will include Pasta from Scratch, Tiramisu, Panzanella, and more. Japan includes sushi rolls and dumplings. Children will have a chance to eat their creations within the main restaurant. Parents wishing to eat or drink during class time will have a discount applied to their check. There will also be a cake decorating class using an airbrush, Cookie Creations, and a Chocolate Craze class. Read More
The Chelsea: Gazpacho Meets Mozzarella & Tomatoes Recipe Ingredients Features Entertaining Recipe Matt Storch August 20, 2013 The Chelsea in Fairfield boasts a vibrant pub scene and some pretty tasty fare. Chef Matt Storch who oversees the kitchen with Jeff Spence (also from Match Restaurant) says, "There's a lot of love in every dish." Given the season, we were feeling the love for this classic mashup: Gazpacho meets Classic Mozzarella & Tomatoes. Enjoy this dish while tomatoes are still in season, because unless you are canning those beauties, the harvest time for local vipe ripened tomatoes is coming to a close in September. Enjoy a little bit of The Chelsea in your kitchen. Read More
Baldanza Natural Market & Cafe Opens in New Canaan Restaurant Specialty Market New Canaan Breakfast Lunch CTbites Team August 20, 2013 The makeover at 17 Elm Street in New Canaan is complete and Baldanza Natural Market & Café is now open. With an organic focus and local sourcing, owners Sandy and Angela Baldanza are offering clean, fresh dishes from local sources. The décor is reminiscent of an old fashioned country market with 12 interior seats and 18 on the patio for guests to enjoy the cuisine on site or ask for a take-away. The display case now offers organic salads with many of the items sourced from local farmers including Riverbank, The Hickories, John Boy's, Ryder and Ceccarelli’s Farms. The Café is currently serving both breakfast and lunch. The opening breakfast choices include eggs, pancakes, French toast, Daily frittatas, granola and freshly baked croissants. The lunch options range from hot dogs and hamburgers to a Gruyere and Grafton Cheddar sandwich, plus a kale and arugula salad with cherry tomatoes and Gruyere. Daily "Specials" may include a Sliced Strip Steak Sandwich with Grafton Cheddar, L&T. In the early evening Baldanza offers take-away dinners including a lemon scented organic half-chicken. Stay tuned when CTbites returns to sample the cuisine. Read More
Arethusa Al Tavolo: The New Gem of Litchfield County Restaurant Farm to Table Litchfield Local Farm Cindy Hartog August 18, 2013 Arethusa Al Tavolo is the new gem of Litchfield County. Only a one hour's drive from Westport, past lush pastures and glistening lakes, Arethusa Al Tavolo takes you on a culinary journey. The restaurant is located right next door to the Arethusa Dairy Shop, founded by Manolo Blanik owners George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, whose taste and style manifests itself in all of their ventures: The Arethusa Bar, The Dairy Farm, and Arethusa Al Tavolo, which opened in June 2013. The dairy produces milk, house made ice cream, and Arethusa cheese to take home. The restaurant highlights fresh local ingredients, and Chef Daniel Magill, who has worked with the likes of Daniel Boulud, works his magic in a dining space that is bright and airy, but with no airs. The food is the centerpiece. Read More
Pick Your Own Raspberry Season is On! CTbites Team August 18, 2013 This just in from Bishop's Orchards in Guilford CT... It's that time of year. PICK YOUR OWN RASPBERRIES at Bishop's Orchards. Come out with your family and friends to Pick Your Own. It's the beginning of the season and the berries are ripening up nicely! It's something to do that is fun for all ages!Picking Hours are subject to change due to weather and crop availability. Always call first before coming, 203-458-PICK) Read More
Community Plates "Food For All" Fundraiser to End Hunger in Fairfield County CTbites Team August 16, 2013 SAVE THE DATE!! Community Plates is a non-profit organization that has employed one simple idea to address the complex issue of hunger. Community Plates connects food to people in need of it, by rescuing good food that would otherwise be thrown away and delivering it to hunger relief agencies in Fairfield County. On October 1st, 2013, Community Plates will be hosting a fundraiser to raise money to continue their mission. We hope you can join us! Details coming soon... Read More
