CHAR Opens in Byram, Greenwich: A Menu Built to Please Restaurant Byram Greenwich Lunch ellen bowen October 27, 2013 Westchesterites and Nutmeggers...CHAR in Byram is open! In the crazy scene that was this year’s Culinary Village at The Greenwich Wine+Food Festival there were a few major culinary stand outs…and one was a Grilled Octopus with Garlic Confit prepared by CHAR. From that single bite I knew that a visit to this Greenwich newcomer was required. Situated along the river in Byram on the NY border, CHAR is owned by experienced GM, Jimmy Rucova, and his two brothers who also run Dolphin and Cafe Hudson, both in Yonkers. CHAR has a warm, but "cool" interior, with multiple dining spaces all outfitted with beautiful reclaimed wood. The wall coverings are former floor joists from old buildings in Brooklyn and the flooring is water-logged white oak from Alabama. A stone fireplace provides the focal point in the main dining room and antique brass fixtures dot the faux-tin ceiling to provide a casually hip environment. But the food is the real news at CHAR. Read More
Recap: Final Fork It Over "Brunch" Fundraiser With Chef Jeff Taibe Restaurant Events Farmers Market CTbites Team October 25, 2013 CLICK ON ABOVE IMAGE TO LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY On Sunday, the final Fork It Over event to raise money for The Westport Farmers' Market, was held at the Norfield Grange in Weston. Jeff Taibe from Oak & Almond charmed us with an afternoon of Southern fare that left everyone licking their fingers and wanting to know what else this talented chef has up his sleeve. To top it off, John Barricelli from Sono Baking Company did not leave a sweet tooth in the house untouched. Please see below for the full menu and recipe. These events were a group effort with the talents of Saugatuck Grain & Grape, Lauren Kreter and Something Borrowed and an amazing staff. VIEW PHOTO GALLERY HERE c/o Liz Dorney. Read More
Sneak Peek at Eclectic Luncheonette in New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 24, 2013 A stop at the newly opened Eclectic Luncheonette and Catering on Vitti Street offered a glimpse into the cuisine that owner/chef Robert Milano will bring to the east end of downtown New Canaan. The periwinkle exterior adds a bright, southern feel to this residential-commercial street; an inviting beginning to any visit. The interior is more sterile, offering 22 seats and a long counter where orders are placed. The lunch menu consists of various salad combinations, sandwiches with melted cheese, soufflés and desserts. Most tend to include fried ingredients or cheese so be careful if you are looking for a lower caloric lunch; you can create your own salad from a list of a dozen ingredients. My lunch started with a cup of the house made “Tomato Bisque.” The tomato-ey flavor was rich and delicious, the texture was silky from the addition of cream, and the diced scallions added a nice crunch with just a touch of spiciness. Read More
Wine Highlights from The Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Wine Chat Winesday Emma Jane-Doody Stetson October 24, 2013 How much can change in a year! Last year, I attended the Greenwich Wine & Food Festival as a CTBites contest winner. I was just a typical reader who had entered the website’s Facebook contest in the hopes of getting a ticket to the coveted annual event. Now, just a year later, I was standing under the CTBites tent, which was prominently stationed right at the entrance to the festival. After attending Greenwich Wine & Food last fall, I went on to write for the website and ultimately become their wine correspondent. And at that moment I was preparing to interview some food and wine heavyweights including Gretchen Thomas of Barcelona and Laurie Forster, “The Wine Coach.” 2013 marks the third year for the Greenwich Wine & Food Festival. Serendipity sponsors the event and a portion of the proceeds go toward Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Read More
Bodega Taco Bar presents Dia de Los Muertos Nov. 2nd CTbites Team October 23, 2013 Always one to throw a party, Bodega Taco Bar presents Dia de Los Muertos, "Day of the Dead", one of Mexico’s most important festivals since pre-Hispanic times. While it may sound a bit macabre, the day is actually met with great joy as families gather to welcome the souls of the departed on their annual visit home. Read More
Barcelona Restaurant Cooking Classes @ ALL Locations! Restaurant Cooking Classes Education CTbites Team October 23, 2013 Ever wondered how the chefs come up with the seasonal menus and specialty dishes at your local Barcelona Restaurant? The Barcelona Cooking Class series can shed some light on everything from "Seasonal Veggies" to "Spanish Stews,""Braises," and "Holiday cooking." These classes are held in the kitchens with Barcelona's Executive Chefs. Check out the great list of Cooking Classes at your favorite Barcelona Restaurant. Cooking classes make great gifts! Stamford Classes Where: StamfordWhen: 10/26/13 @ 2:00 PMFall Vegetables Cooking Class$45 per person, plus tax and gratuityEnjoy the beginning of Fall and join Chef Scott as he shows off some of his favorite ways to cook up the great vegetables that Connecticut has to offer! Read More
Michele's Pies New Cookbook, Perfect Pies & More, Available Today! Kids Bites Features Cookbooks CTbites Team October 22, 2013 One of the perks of living in Fairfield County is the proximity to Michele's Pies two locations in Norwalk and Westport. I've been around the block when it comes to pie, and Michele's are simply the best. When Michele Stuart first got into pie-making, she burned out three ovens in her ski condo in Vermont supplying local farmers’ markets with pies made with “love and fresh fruit. ”Those days are long gone. Now, with her second cookbook, and 27 National Pie Contest Championships, Michele is poised to take over the pie eating world. If you can't get to one of her stores, and would like to bring some of her culinary magic into your own kitchen, check out her new cookbook: Perfect Pies & More. After the success of Perfect Pies, Michele Stuart went back into the kitchen—the same kitchen in Vermont where she first dreamed up the award-winning creations that inspired her to open the popular Michele’s Pies shops. Read More
Recap: Friends of Boulder Knoll Dinner w/ Caseus Fromagerie & South End Wine Restaurant Cheese Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson October 21, 2013 On Wednesday September 18, 2013, I had the opportunity to attend a farm-to-table dinner presented by the Friends of Boulder Knoll, a group focused on educating the local community about agriculture and sustainability. I was invited by Tim Crakes of South End Wine and Spirits, a boutique wine store in Cheshire, CT, that would be providing the beverages for the event. I wasn’t sure what to expect; in fact, that is a part of the state I seldom frequent. While I take Metro North into New York City on a regular basis, I have never stepped onto it in the opposite direction. What I found was a gorgeous small town and vibrant farming community. Both Tim and the Friends of Boulder Knoll provided me with total access to an evening of purity, totally untouched by the pace of the city and daily life. Read More
Marcia Selden's Contest Winners Throw Down "Chopped" Style w/ Ron Ben-Israel Kids Bites Features Catering Sarah Green October 19, 2013 Last Wednesday night, the 3 finalists of the CTbites/Marcia Selden Ultimate Dinner Party contest met for a "CHOPPED"-style cook-off at the GORGEOUS Marcia Selden headquarters in Stamford. Marcia and daughter/partner Robin along with celebrity chef and "Sweet Genius" host Ron Ben-Israel were the judges and...Oh, what a night! The three lucky finalists were Lisa Eppley of Darien, Krystle Ang of Stamford and Hannah Bukzin of Westport, aged 13...no, really! They came, they saw (by way of a thorough tour of the facility by Jeff Selden, son/partner of Marcia and the ever-fabulous Chef Nicole Straight) and they made their way to the kitchen with high hopes of conquering that grand prize - a Gourmet to Go meal delivered to the winner's home, some cool Marcia Selden swag and, most importantly, the honor of the win! So the timer was set for one hour, the contestants were told the rules - open the baskets to find the three mystery ingredients, make any dish you like as long as all three ingredients are present and have the dish presentable for the judges in exactly one hour - and the challenge began. And for the mystery ingredients? Drum roll please!!! Ritz Crackers - Chick Peas - Strawberry Pop Rocks Candy Read More
Friday Froth: A Pale Wolf Approaches Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon October 18, 2013 I do a lot of talking about Brooklyn beers in this space, between the eponymous Brooklyn Brewery, Sixpoint, He'brew/Coney Island etc. - and more on that later - but today we're going to start by kicking it up to the Boogie Down. The Bronx gets a lot of respect as the birthplace of hip hop and the home of Bullwackie's distinctly NYC dub, but if you know anything about the foodie scene outside of Arthur Avenue in the borough, you know more than me. I like to keep my eyes and ears open, though, and my mind well lubricated, so it wasn't too long before I was on the scent of a new brewer out of Port Morris. The Bronx Brewery's flagship beer is called Bronx Pale Ale, and was slapped down on the bar top before me in an industrial looking one-pint can. I personally like the stripped down appearance of the silver and black can, and immediately noticed the brewery had followed the trend of printing the beer's ABV, SRM and IBUs right on there, but they had taken it a few steps further and included the Pale Ale's Original and Final Gravities. Read More
"How We Eat" Discussion Series Hosts Jane Stern of Roadfood.com October 23rd Interview Education CTbites Team October 18, 2013 Restaurateurs, farmers, and chefs speak about their world of culinary expertise as part of How We Eat, Ridgefield Magazine’s year of discussions with prominent locals in the food industry. Jane Stern, RoadFood author, magazine writer who commands a large following on the topic of road food roadfood.com, will talk about food and dining as cultural anthropology. Putting what we eat into the context of culture, history, and attitudes. This talk will be held on October 23, @ 7 pm Events take place at the Prospector Annex, 454 Main Street, Ridgefield, until the main theater is completed in summer 2014, when they will move to the main theater on Prospect Street. To reserve a free seat, contact Julia Reis. Read More
Prime 16 Tap House & Burgers Hosts Connecticut Tap Takeover Oct. 23 CT Beer Beer CTbites Team October 17, 2013 Prime 16 Tap House & Burgers, located at 464 Boston Post Road in Orange, Connecticut, will be hosting a Connecticut Tap Takeover on Wednesday, October 23 at 5pm.Twenty of Prime 16's thirty taps will be pouring all local, all Connecticut beers the night of October 23rd. Come meet over a dozen brewery reps and brewmasters from some of Connecticut's best breweries. Scheduled to attend are reps and brewmasters from Beaver, Cavalry, Charter Oak, City Steam, George Washington, Half Full, New England, Olde Burnside, Stony Creek, Two Roads and Weed (and more!)This event featuring Connecticut beers is especially one to attend as many of these brewers don't have their own tasting rooms. It's an ideal opportunity to taste local beers and speak to the brewers who've created the brews on a one to one level. Read More
Locali Pizza Bar and Kitchen to Open in New Canaan Restaurant Italian Pizza New Canaan Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 17, 2013 The intersection of Locust Avenue and Forest Street in New Canaan will be in full restaurant mode again in a few weeks when Locali Pizza Bar and Kitchen, a tribute to Napolitano pizza and small plates, opens in the space that formally housed Kouzina. The restaurant is brainchild of Joe Bueti, whose previous restaurants include 121 in North Salem, Strega in Pleasantville and his current location in Mt. Kisco, Village Social. Bueti is teaming with business partner Anthony Legato in this new venture. Overseeing the kitchen is Chef Mogan Anthony, the current chef at Village Social, and a former participant on “Chopped.” Chef Mogan’s background includes working under Chef Jean Georges Vongericthen in three different locations and a stint at the Bedford Post under New Canaan elm restaurant’s Chef Brian Lewis. The redesign is fully in process and their aim is an inviting, more intimate atmosphere that will deliver classic food and Neapolitan dishes. Read More
Freshii Opens in Downtown Westport w/ Healthy Eats for All Restaurant Westport healthy Lunch Kid Friendly CTbites Team October 16, 2013 I was looking for a quick but healthy bite when I walked into Freshii. Set in downtown Westport next to Starbucks at 1 Main St and also accessible from Parker Harding Plaza. the new healthy fast food cafe opened late September with light, modern, clean decor of green seats and wood tables and a list of organic ingredients on the wall resembling the periodic table of the elements. The food matched the setting, with simple but well-balanced and flavorful salads, bowls and wraps including the "superbiotic" with spinach, romaine, chick peas, cucumbers, sundried tomatoes, corn, artichoke hearts, red peppers, red onion and cucumber dill dressing and the "ninja" with edamame, soy nuts, cilantro and asian sesame dressing. Catering to almost every dietary restriction and food preference, their rice, quinoa and noodle bowls offer vegan, nut- and gluten free choices such as the "warrior" with brown rice, corn, red onions, cajun spice and ranch dressing. Read More
Recap: Willett Distilling Visits Bobby Q's for Evening of Bourbon & BBQ Restaurant BBQ Events James Gribbon October 16, 2013 Fire is your friend, and on a cool evening at the end of September, so is smoke. Many a hefty stave of Connecticut oak lent its flavor to platters of pork ribs, sausage and smokey burnt ends of brisket at our latest CTBites Invites event. Blue flame lit hand rolled cigars, courtesy of Connecticut Cigar Company, and the gathered crowd on the rooftop bar at Bobby Q's in Westport was warmed by fire of a different kind, via Willett Distilling. We try to lovingly craft our dinner pairings for Invites events, and few things blend as seamlessly as fall weather, bourbon, and BBQ. The former can excite and sharpen the senses, while the latter two coddle and insulate - an ideal coalescence of need and satisfaction to contemplate through a wreath of fine tobacco smoke under a starry sky. Read More
Brooklynite Cocktail Recipe via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Features Recipe Cocktails Recipe Jeff Marron October 15, 2013 This is an older cocktail I modified during my research of local honey. Other than the Bee's Knees cocktail, I wanted to find another "staple cocktail" to use with honey from Red Bee Apiary. This is a delicious adaptation on the classic Daiquiri. Instead of using simple syrup, orange blossom honey syrup is used. I have used many rums in this recipe and I keep falling back on Ron Zacapa 23 year old from Guatemala disregarding the recommended Jamaican rum. This particular rum is soft and subtle with a rich molasses sweetness that finishes with notes of light caramel outlined in Madagascar vanilla bean. The flavor profile of this rum is just a perfect balance between the acidic lime juice and the floral orange blossom honey. Read More
Food Highlights from The Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Restaurant Events Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 14, 2013 VIEW JFOOD'S PHOTO GALLERY BY CLICKING ABOVE IMAGE What a great day at the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by Serendipity Magazine wondering around the grounds, sampling food and wine from 100 different restaurants and wine shops, chatting with chefs, owners and fellow food lovers and listening to the chef interviews in our CTbites’ Blogger Lounge. Fairfield County chefs were well represented and each did our little neck of the culinary world proud. It is impossible to go through each of their offerings but several deserve individual shout outs. [VIEW MY PHOTO GALLERY HERE] In alphabetical order: Read More
Sneak Peek at Greenwich's Golden View Firenze Restaurant Greenwich Italian Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 13, 2013 The culinary landscape in Greenwich expands with the recent opening of Golden View Firenze at 249 Railroad Avenue with its owner, chef and menu direct from Florence, Italy. For many years Tommaso Grasso, owner of Golden View Open Bar overlooking the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, visited friends in the US and they recently convinced him to bring his upscale cuisine and vibe to Greenwich. He persuaded Italian chef Francesco Casu to join him from Florence, and the two have created a traditional and authentic Tuscan menu. Entering the restaurant, you immediately feel the European influence in the décor. The sleek black and white tables and chairs were imported from Italy and the walls are all adorned with paintings also imported from Italy. The entire space has an inviting European hip ambience and is spacious for the forty guests who will dine on traditional Tuscan cuisine. The entire rear of the dining area is dedicated to the stainless steel kitchen with a Chef’s Counter for four lucky guests. Read More
Muffin Tin Meals: Chicken Pot Pie, Turkey Meatloaf & Zucchini Leek Baked Noodles Recipes Features Recipe Kid Friendly Marcia Selden Catering October 12, 2013 Crisp fall days are upon us, and if you’re like most people, you’ve let go of that lazy end of summer vibe and are now into full-on rush mode. Too busy for dinner? Think again… We have you covered with these delicious, warm, could-even- be-eaten-for-breakfast muffin tin meals. These tasty little bites are a snap to make, freeze beautifully, and are the perfect dinner or snack for your hungry posse: Chicken Pot Pie, Zucchini & Leek Baked Noodles, and Turkey Meatloaf. Your family will thank you. Read More
