Fork It Over Recap: Westport Farmers' Market Throws A Locally Inspired Clam Bake Restaurant Events Farm to Table Farmers Market Stephanie Webster September 23, 2013 CLICK ON IMAGE TO LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY Sunday night harkened the first of four highly anticipated “Fork it Over” fundraising dinners to benefit the Westport Farmers’ Market. Market Director, Lori Cochran, added a dash of mystery this year as guests submitted their RSVP’s (quickly I may add as the events sell out in a matter of minutes), without any knowledge of the location or the chefs participating in any of the four culinary evenings. Alas, diners waited for weeks, running through possible guest chef scenarios in their heads, and waiting for the morning of the event when news would arrive. The inaugural event was held at The Grange in Fairfield, and the first Chef in the Fork it Over lineup was none other than Matt Storch of Match Restaurant assisted by Jeff Spence of The Chelsea. On the lawn guests were greeted with the smell of grilled sausages in 3 varieties from Saugatuck Craft Butchery, a peek into Chef Storch’s La Caja China smoke box filled with Norm Bloom’s oysters, clams, and lobsters, and a bar with expertly crafted Cocktails and wine pairings from Saugatuck Grain and Grape. What we had here was an old fashioned end of the summer Clam Bake. The evening was looking good. If you missed it, no worries, we've got lots of photos. VIEW PHOTO GALLERY Read More
ON20 in Hartford: Lofty Views, Gorgeous Food, Top Chef, New Prix Fixe Lunch Menu Restaurant Hartford Douglas P Clement September 22, 2013 The season we’ve just entered, that glowing, golden transition from high summer to early autumn, with cooler temperatures and the first blush of fall foliage, is the year’s best backdrop for fine dining. This menu of gorgeously-presented, heavenly-tasting farm-to-table cuisine will continue indefinitely—just like the unparalleled views of the cityscape and the Connecticut River Valley that guests enjoy at the restaurant, named for its location on the 20th floor of The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance Company - and here’s the season’s best invitation: ON20 in Hartford, a nonpareil Connecticut restaurant with a very talented young chef, is launching a new $30 prix fixe lunch menu that highlights locally-grown ingredients. Close your eyes and order anything on the menus created by Executive Chef Jeffrey Lizotte, who, barely into his 30s, has worked with David Bouley, at Le Bernardin and at the two-star Michelin Restaurant, La Bastide St. Antoine in France. He’ll send out plates that are works of art, and bites that will leave you trying to put words to the rhapsody of flavor epiphanies with each forkful. (ON20 is open Monday through Friday for lunch, Thursday and Friday for dinner, and hosts happy hours Wednesday through Friday.) Read the full story on Connecticut Magazine's Web site. Read More
CTbites Hosts Blogger Lounge at Greenwich Wine+Food Festival CTbites Team September 22, 2013 CTbites is pleased to participate in this year's third annual Greenwich Wine+Food Festival, hosting the CTbites Blogger Lounge. The CTbites Blogger Lounge is a new addition this year, inviting food bloggers, writers, photographers and chefs to connect with like-minded food lovers and recharge during the busy afternoon festivities. Throughout the afternoon, CTbites will be hosting an agenda of chef appearances and moderating a series of interviews by and with chefs. All Chef Q & A's will be recorded and made available for viewing on CTbites. Visiting chefs include: Arik Bensimon of leFarm, Tim LaBant of the Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Debra Ponzek of Aux Delices, Matt Storch of Match and Chelsea, and Gretchen Thomas of Barcelona Wine Bar, mixologist, Adam Patrick of Walrus & Carpenter, and Geoff Lazlo of The Whelk. Chef Storch will also act as a moderator for select CTbites interviews. Also VIP and Network Chefs to be announced shortly. The lounge will be available for media only, but keep an eye out as...we will be giving away Blogger Lounge tickets to 10 CTbites Readers. If you are a food blogger or chef and are interesting in visiting the CTbites Blogger Lounge, please contact: amy@ctbites.com or steph@ctbites.com. Read More
Join Us @ Greenwich Wine & Food Festival 2013: The Ultimate Foodie Event CTbites Team September 21, 2013 JOIN US for the GREENWICH 2013 WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL presented by Serendipity Magazine, all proceeds benefitting The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. This tented event on 6.3-acres features celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations, gourmet tastings, wine and spirits and live performances by favorite headlining musicians. This event brings together the very best Chefs, Sommeliers, and food experts in the Fairfield County/ Westchester area. Events include: The Culinary Village taking place on October 5th hosts Gourmet tastings by 90 of the Northeast’s finest food, wine and spirit vendors. Celebrity Demo Tents will feature: Duff Goldman, Graham Elliot, Sara Moulton, Francois Payard and many many more. Mixology Tent features: Gretchen Thomas of Barcelona, and Adam Patrick of Classic American Whiskey Cocktails. Plus, there's a Burger Throwdown & Food Trucks galore. And for the first year, CTbites will join the festival by presenting The CTbites Blogger Lounge. CTbites will be hosting an agenda of chef appearances and moderating a series of interviews by and with chefs. The Blogger Lounge will be available for media only, but keep an eye out as...we will be giving away Blogger Lounge tickets to 10 CTbites Readers. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Read More
Walrus & Carpenter Host Crispin Cider Tasting Restaurant CTbites Team September 21, 2013 Walrus & Carpenter, one of Fairfield County's most exciting new restaurants will be hosting a...no...not wine...not beer...CIDER tasting event, Crispin Cider Tasting Thursday September, 26th. How better to herald the beginning of fall than with the menu below? Pork, Bourbon, Squash...Take a look. For Walrus newbies, the kitchen is led by Executive Chef Paul DiMaria, formerly of the beautiful Community Table in Washington, CT. Walrus and Carpenter is located at 2895 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport. This is an evening you won't want to miss. 1st Course – Crispin Original + Cider Cocktails Fall spiced smoked pork + apple sausage, goat cheese crostini, tarragon aioli, cider-red wine reduction 2nd Course – Bourbon Barrel Aged Cider Butternut squash + sweet potato soup, smoked bacon, apples + thyme Read More
Westport-Weston Restaurant Week: 23 Restaurants, Dining Deals Restaurant Restaurant Week CTbites Team September 20, 2013 Mark your calendars; The Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce will once again sponsor the tastiest two weeks of the year during Westport’s Fall Restaurant Weeks -- Sunday, September 29th thru Saturday, October 12, 2013. This biannual event provides the perfect opportunity to take advantage of great savings at Westport’s best restaurants throughout town. Twenty-three local eateries will feature exclusive 2-course lunch, and 3-course dinner options (prix-fixe) during the two-week period. It’s an ideal time to discover Westport’s hidden dining delights at savings of up to 40%. Participating restaurants are: 323 Main Restaurant & Bar • Blue Lemon • Cru Restaurant and Lounge • DaPietro's • Matsu Sushi • Pink Sumo Café Sushi & Sake Café • Rizzuto's • Sakura Japanese Restaurant • Tabouli Grill • Tarantino’s • Tarry Lodge • Terrain Garden Café • The Mumbai Times • Rive Bistro • Positano's Ristorante • Artisan • Acqua Ristorante • Post 154 • Spotted Horse Tavern • Tavern on Main • Tengda Asian Bistro • The Red Hen at the Westport Inn • Arezzo Ristorante. Read More
Foodie Road Trip: Mystic, CT for Seafood & Sweets Restaurant Mystic Road Trip Emma Jane-Doody Stetson September 20, 2013 “Cute Connecticut Day Trips.” Search. Labor Day had left me with an unexpected day off from work, and I’d turned to Google to help decide what to do with the time. The results came in with a definitive winner: Mystic, Connecticut. Between an aquarium, a historical seaport, and seaside shops, the town seemed like the perfect destination. And perfect it was. In addition to its attractions, Mystic also holds an array of amazing restaurants overflowing with fresh seafood. After a morning at the aquarium, my friend and I chose a place called “Go Fish” for a late lunch. It is located in Old Mistick Village, an area of small shops and boutiques meant to feel like a colonial New England town. We walked into a space adorned with large sea inspired murals painted in vibrant colors- almost Warhol-esque. There was a beautiful large bar accentuated with rows of shiny glassware. Even though it was three in the afternoon, several people were enjoying a meal or a drink at the bar. Go Fish specializes in fresh seafood; ideal for the person wanting to appreciate the coastal milieu. Specials included an assortment of local raw oysters and jumbo crab legs. Guests can choose from an array of appetizers, sandwiches, soups, and entrees. My favorite feature was that full entrees could be ordered as small plates as well. I decided on a small plate version of their Steamed Littleneck Clams with grilled chorizo Read More
"The Founding of the Food Network: A 20 Year Retrospective" CTbites Team September 19, 2013 The New School will be hosting a panel on "The Founding of the Food Network: A 20 Year Retrospective," on September 27, 2013, from 6-7:30 pm. It is open to the public; there is no charge. For those unable to attend, the panel will be taped and available online. Panel description and speakers below. Speakers include Reese Schonfeld, co-counder CNN and the first president of The Food Network; Joe Langhan, formerly of an executive at Colony Communications, currently President, Media Program Network; Pat O’Gorman, lead producer for new talent and documentaries; and Allen Salkin, author of From Scratch: Inside the Food Network. Moderated by New School faculty member, Andrew F. Smith. Description: Twenty years ago, the Food Network began broadcasting tapes of old cookery programs. It wouldn’t start live broadcasts for another two months, and when it did, there were not many viewers. From these modest beginnings, the Food Network has grown into one of America’s most successful cable network channel and in process, it has engendered hundreds of other food and cooking shows on cable and broadcast networks, and its culinary competitions have converted food into a spectator sport. Read More
Campari Martini via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Jeff Marron September 19, 2013 The bitterness of Campari can be overwhelming to a lot of people. This is the reason why if you ask some people if they like it, they'll scrunch their face up and say "No! It's terrible!". While on the other hand, the part of the population that either grew up with sipping Campari after big meals to aid digestion or have had it properly incorporated into a delicious cocktail would disagree. I would fall into the "Campari Lovers" category. Although, there was a time in my life which I couldn't stand the stuff. It was only until I had a couple of sips of a perfectly made Negroni cocktail that I had changed my mind. Inspired by other recipes, I tweaked this cocktail to soften the bitterness and bring out more of the beautiful complexity and citrus notes of Campari. The sea salt allows the hidden orange citrus, rhubarb and herbal notes to push forward on your palate. It creates a different experience on the tongue allowing different taste buds to "fire" to highlight more subtle flavors. Simple syrup acts as a smoothing agent. It carries all of these flavors to the back of the throat, softening the bitterness and adding a well place sweetness in this refreshing cocktail. This is a great cocktail for any time of the year for any occasion. Read More
Upcoming Beer Dinners: Relic Brewing, Stone Brewing, Cask Republic Restaurant Beer Dinner CT Beer Beer James Gribbon September 19, 2013 Relic Brewing has been producing small batches of beer from their location in Plainville for well over a year, and they’ve been at the top of my mental checklist of Connecticut brews to try for some time. They’ve recently given all of us two more reasons/excuses/opportunities to satiate both our curiosity and thirst, starting with their Autumnal Celebration on September 20th. This will be a free event on Relic’s grounds at 95 B Whiting St. in Plainville, and feature local purveyors of wood fired pizza, paella, bratwurst, fries, porchetta and, of course, locally brewed beer. The second, possibly more noteworthy, event involves Relic pairing with restaurant 50 West, also of Plainville, for a Belgian beer dinner on October 2. Relic produces several Belgian-style ales, one of which will be paired with five of the six courses at the meal, including some highlights like: Read More
Guess The Chef...Again!! Win Westport Farmers' Market Swag CTbites Team September 18, 2013 We're back with another exciting edition of "Guess The Chef." This round, we are guessing the Chef for the September 29th dinner.... If you follow CTbites, you've likely heard about the upcoming "Fork It Over" underground dinners to benefit The Westport Farmers' Market. If not, WFM is hosting 4 pop up dinners over the next 2 months with both mysterious locations and guest chefs. We've had so many questions regarding what mystery chef will be cooking on which dates that we thought we'd have ourselves a little fun. The Guest Chef Cooking on September 29th gave these clues to CTbites. The FIRST PERSON TO GUESS THE CHEF BELOW WINS a basket of fabulous swag from local CT vendors courtesy of The Westport Farmers' Market. Good luck!! What is your favorite ingredient? Eggs. They are so versatile and have many different applications. They can be used in any meal of the day and are found in dishes all across the world. My favorite way to cook an egg is to poach it and then eat it alongside pork belly, braised greens, and toast. Hobby when not cooking? Brewing beer. I have been doing it for three years and currently, I'm building an automated system that can brew batches up to thirty-one gallons. My specialties are hoppy IPA's and chocolate stouts. Read More
Kids Review: Wilson's BBQ via AsherZeats Kids Bites Restaurant BBQ Fairfield Southern Lunch Kid Friendly CTbites Team September 18, 2013 “It’s no sin to get sauce on your chin.” - Bishop Tutu Last weekend I got a chance to make the short trek to Wilson’s Barbecue (1851 Post Rd Fairfield, CT ), to enjoy some incredible Pit BBQ. Wilson’s is owned by Ed Wilson, who has competed in and judged numerous BBQ competitions throughout his life. Ed is an extremely kind man, who goes out of his way to talk to everyone who enters his restaurant. He even happily agreed to sit down and talk to me after my fantastic meal, about what makes his food so good. He couldn’t be nicer. When we arrived at Wilson’s we were greeted by Mr. Wilson who said hello and wished us an excellent meal. As I entered the restaurant I noticed the comfy, road-house-esque atmosphere that was filled with memorabilia of his experiences as a chef and owner. When it was time to order, we got a lot! Read More
Saugatuck Craft Butchery Moves in Westport w/ New Take-Out Menu & Kitchen Features Restaurant Butcher Prepared Food Westport Take Out Lunch Sarah Green September 17, 2013 Just a quick hop, skip and a purely sustainable, pasture-fed jump across Riverside Ave is the spankin' new Saugatuck Craft Butchery, now re-opened for business in Westport! Owner Ryan Fibiger and crew are ready and waiting with a crisp, clean, larger locale complete with a larger retail space as well as a complete, working kitchen where fresh, prepared foods are being made for purchase. Head Chef Mark Heppermann and his sous chefs have begun with sandwiches and salads, all made with the freshest ingredients. Meat from well...that's obvious, veggies pulled straight from the earth of the edible gardens - courtesy of Homefront Farmers - that surround the shop, and breads delivered daily from ELI's and Balthazar in NYC. The day we visited, we were pleased to find a Lamb Meatball Sandwich with pickled red onions and house made hummus as well as a gorgeous "Beets Me" salad with Quinoa, watercress and goat cheese. Read More
Your Vote Counts! Connecticut Magazine Readers' Choice 2014 Restaurant CTbites Team September 16, 2013 CTbites readers have great taste. So let's help Connecticut Magazine choose the best in Connecticut dining in their annual Readers’ Choice: Best Restaurants 2014. Voting is done online—on the form below—from now through the first week of October and winners will be tallied by early December. VOTE: Connecticut Magazine Readers' Choice Read More
GIVEAWAY!!! Win Tix to Sun BrewFest @ Mohegan Sun Oct. 4-6 Restaurant Beer Dinner Events Beer CTbites Team September 16, 2013 CTbites is GIVING AWAY 2 PASSES TO SUN BREWFEST FOR EITHER DAY...WINNERS CHOICE!!! TO ENTER GIVEAWAY: Post a Comment anywhere on CTbites and Mention "Sun BrewFest @ Mohegan Sun." We will announce the winner on September 30th. Sun BrewFest returns to Mohegan Sun this October for a celebration of one of the oldest, most finely crafted beverages of them all: Beer. Sun BrewFest offers evening tasting sessions on Friday, October 4th and Saturday, October 5th in the Uncas Ballroom. New this year will be a Sunday morning BrewBrunch on October 6th in the Sunburst Buffet. The second annual Sun BrewFest kicks off with two separate tasting sessions featuring more than 100 varieties of Craft and Microbrews to Imports & Domestics and limited editions. Some of the beers on tap will include Goose Island, Newcastle, Dogfish Head, Long Trail, Tenth & Blake’s Batch 19 and more. Samples will be available for all guests during each tasting session, where they will receive a souvenir mini-pilsner glass to be used as their tasting glass for 2 ounce pours from the various breweries. Food tickets will also be sold for $1.00 each, allowing guests to purchase food items from a variety of their favorite Mohegan Sun restaurants. Read More
Art of the Sandwich: Meat & Co. Opens in New Haven Restaurant New Haven Lunch Amy Kundrat September 15, 2013 Chef Will Talamelli Leave it to the New Haven craftsman of cocktails, John Ginnetti of 116 Crown, to make us demand more from a sandwich. His newest venture is Meat & Co., a sandwich shop located next door to his 9th Square bar and restaurant known for serving Connecticut’s most inventive cocktails. With Meat & Co., Ginnetti has turned this same discerning gaze onto the art of the sandwich. The mission of Meat & Co. is to treat the sandwich, that familiar and humble lunchtime meal housed between two slabs of bread, with the same “contemplation and calculation” that goes into the carefully constructed 116 Crown cocktails. According to owner John Ginnetti and Chef Will Talamelli (also of 116 Crown), this means “a great deal of prepping, cooking, technique and spice” goes into each sandwich. Toss out the words "Boars Head" or $5-foot-long and they WILL be met with a grimace. In other words, leave your notion of the sad lunchtime deli sandwich at the door. The implicit part of Meat & Co.'s mission is a sense of style, perception, and culinary cool written all over its carefully constructed menu and the rehabbed red brick walls. Read More
Bar Sugo in Norwalk Hosts Game Dinner October 22 Stephanie Webster September 15, 2013 For more information, contact Bar Sugo at Bar Sügo – 102 Wall Street – Norwalk, CT 06854 – 203.956.7134 Read More
Friday Froth: Age Of Exploration Ingredients Brewery Beer James Gribbon September 14, 2013 Due to the relativistic effects of recent travel Friday Froth only APPEARS to have posted on Saturday. Adjust your perceptions accordingly.We are explorers in this place. Early people trudged or sailed the natural world to see what had never been seen before, as far as they knew - to discover just what was out there. Incredibly daunting missions had deceivingly simple directions: Sail to India. Find the north pole. Go get spices. Head west. When the pilot on the conquistador Francisco Pizarro's ship was asked by another navigator how to find Peru when sailing from Mexico's Pacific coast he answered "Sail south along the coast until you no longer see trees. Then you are in Peru."Like most people from the 19th century on, it's easy to think we've seen everything. There is only so much to the surface of the Earth, and the natural world often changes too slowly for us to see. Go to Hawaii or Iceland and you can see new Earth being made, but it seems we've already mapped out or looked down on the rest of it, right? The Earth may remake itself slowly, but its people gush creativity. We produce what is new under the Sun. The world of craft beer is a particularly fertile valley.Evil Twin is the label created by one Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, of Denmark. Read More
The Best Gelato Shoppes & Store Brands in CT: A Roundup Ingredients Specialty Market ice cream Best of CT Kid Friendly Dessert Lou Gorfain September 13, 2013 In September, as fresh flavors fill in the garden, berry patch, and orchard, it seemed a perfect time to hunt for the best Gelato. “Flavor is what Gelato is all about,” says Guy Chandonnet who buys Fairway’s frozen foods and deserts, “Unlike ice cream,” he told us, “low fat gelato doesn’t coat the taste buds with butterfat. So its full flavors can really burst through. As we tasted our way though both store-bought and shop-scooped Gelato in Southern Connecticut, we were dazzled with the invention and intensity of flavors. Because it's slow churned, Gelato is denser and silkier than ice cream, making it a superior platform for flavor. And since Gelato melts more quickly in the mouth, it delivers that flavor quickly and dramatically. That's why most gelato masters delight in imaginative, often unexpected flavor adventures, mixing sweet, savory, salty and tart, and incorporating fruits, vegetables, herbs, cheeses, and even meat flavors into their frozen creations. What’s in season often translates to what’s in Gelato. Here are some of the spectacular flavors we recently tasted in Southern Connecticut’s supermarkets and gelato shoppes. Read More
We Are Family: Food & Family @ Osianna & Quattro Pazzi ellen bowen September 13, 2013 At CTbites, we love to meet with chefs and restaurant owners and hear them tell about their inspiration and taste their creative food and wine pairings. Recently, we noticed that many of our favorite and most successful places have an added story to tell…that of working alongside…or in some cases around the corner or in the next town from a loved one. Be it a sibling, a spouse, or an in law, we asked a few questions about their experiences and heard some amazing and inspiring stories about love, family, and a passionate commitment to what they do and thought these ” pairings “ were worth highlighting! Here is the first taste of a series about the personal side of CT dining! Osianna and Quattro Pazzi- Fairfield, CT and Stamford, CT Twenty years ago, Biagio Riccio, known to all as Gino, put down roots in CT and began to grow quite the foodie family tree! I will try my best to do justice to all of the family heritages, both Italian and Greek, but as the parade of family members kept joining us on my visit to Osianna, I found myself actually drawing a large family tree in my notebook. Read More
