4B Festival: Beer, Bourbon, BBQ, & Bacon Converge in New Haven Restaurant BBQ Cocktails Events Beer CTbites Team November 19, 2013 The 4B Festival announced the area’s first of its kind festival of specially curated beer, bourbon, barbecue and bacon is coming to New England. Happy Holidays to me! 4B concepted this indulgent experience in honor of two cornerstones of American heritage – fermented grains and salted meats – and to help drive local businesses and tourism. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships will go to the CT Craft Brewers Guild to help support local businesses. From microbrews to pork belly, the 4B Festival will bring together national and local purveyors all in one place to offer the most delicious and creative samplings to “4B” aficionados, all highlighted with musical performances, interactive art displays and live competitions among home brewers, BBQ taste tests and a bacon eating contest for the real meat eaters. From food samplings from pit masters, chefs and restaurants to bacon-infused treats to tastings at beer and bourbon stations with a souvenir shot glass. “After family there are very few important things in life, and we’ve narrowed them down to these four - Beer, Bourbon, Barbecue & Bacon,” said David Salinas Read More
Cooking with Fire: Fortina in Armonk Restaurant Armonk Italian Pizza Comfort Food Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat November 17, 2013 Cooking with wood fire has a preternatural, almost primal appeal. You could argue that as cavemen, it was our first foray into comfort food. The intense heat and smoke has the power to transform otherwise unassuming ingredients. The six-month old Fortina in Armonk, begins with this deceptively simple ethos–Italian food, cooked simply, in wood fired ovens–and elevates it with a thoughtful culinary execution and a familiar, if familial, disarming vibe. “There is a complexity to the simplicity,” said Rob Krauss, one of Fortina’s three partners along with John Nealon and Christian Petroni, nailing what makes the restaurant’s cuisine tick. I’m fairly certain Krauss is also referring to the restaurant’s team, an extended family of sorts that works equally hard at the food as they do cultivating the culture at Fortina More than the sum of its wood-fired parts, Fortina relies on the culinary prowess and Italian heritage of partner and Executive Chef Christian Petroni, formerly of Barcelona Greenwich, as both muse and ringleader. “My background is Italian, I grew up spending summers in Ponza. One of my favorite restaurants is Peasant. As a young cook, Frank de Carlo was an inspiration as a chef. I was intrigued by cooking in wood ovens. There is something about it that is so gratifying. It’s a beautiful thing.” Along with chef de cuisine Jodi Bernhard, formerly of Barcelona, the kitchen has the creative chops responsible for its daily printed menu. Read More
Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned Recipe via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Features Cocktails Entertaining Recipe Jeff Marron November 15, 2013 The "cocktail" found its place in literary history in 1806 in the May 6 issue of The Balance and Columbia Repository being defined to a confused reader by the editor as "Cock-tail, then is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters. It is vulgarly called a bittered sling...". Over the next thirty years or so, this definition became the "Old Fashioned" cocktail and was more of a way to make a drink than just a name for one. Taken by definition, if you use just those ingredients, you can make a Gin Old Fashioned, a Tequila Old Fashioned and so on. There was never any fruit or club soda involved in the original definition. That version seemed to pop up somewhere after Prohibition. Being the "back to basics" kind of guy I am, I don't use fruit or club soda in my Old Fashioned either. Read More
Friday Froth: Two For Two Beer Dinner CT Beer Beer James Gribbon November 15, 2013 There is a road, no simple highway,Between the dawn and the dark of night The wind outdoors stings in little nips - a puppy with needle-like teeth. The light is ruddy and beautiful in the early afternoon, but it arrives flat, and it provides meager heat. Nature, having provided, is exhausted. We'll have to see ourselves through this night. Did grim darkness inspire the brewers up the highway at Two Roads Brewing Co. to create an inky ale and name it Route Of All Evil? Who is this hellish clown, and why am I suddenly afraid of tricycles? Time for a stiff drink."Ales From The Crypt" says the label, and this beer pours almost dead black. The barest hints of red appear at the edges where the bubbling solution allows weak trickles of light to pass through. Fear of the dark begins to fade, though, as you notice a thick, tawny head bubbling up from within this Evil, and there's not much - cold, dark, or otherwise - that can't be overcome through the application of seven-point-five percent alcohol.The head leaves a sticky, bubbly lacing on the glass, and there's a clean and malty smell with just a suggestion of hops. The first swig is sharp with slightly acerbic, darkly toasty grain. The eyes can play tricks in the dark and tell the mouth to expect a heavy weight, but this beer's surprise is its light mouthfeel. There's no viscosity here, and large spherules of carbonation burst on the tongue. Route Of All Evil is a counterpoint to silken nitro stouts or the caloric feast of many winter ales currently hitting the market. Read More
Tacos El Azteca Truck in Norwalk Restaurant Food Truck Tacos Norwalk Delicious Dives Mexican Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger November 14, 2013 The Scene – Sitting at a red light at the intersection of Cross Street (Route 1) and Main Street (Route 123) in Norwalk. One of my favorite lunch spots, Nicholas Roberts sits vacant over my left shoulder. On the northeast corner a converted Meineke Shop with a hand-made sign indicating it was now a CT Inspection site (I thought we did away with those). But there was something calling me into the lot, a brightly painted food truck…and a good number of customers eating and ordering at its side window. The Decision - Sometimes you just gotta go with your gut and give into temptation. So I pulled in, approached the truck and looked at the menu…Tacos, Quesadillas, Burritos and Tortas. I looked at all of the plates that the others were enjoying and they were overwhelmingly tacos, and it appeared that four occupied each plate. Go with the flow... so I ordered beef, pork, tongue and head, all for $7. Included in the price were a small container of green sauce, a few lime wedges and a whole Jalapeño pepper. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Restaurant Holiday Wine Dinners Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 13, 2013 On Saturday November 16, Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines will hold its annual Harvest Tasting to benefit Turning Wine Into Water. The event will take at The Avenue Gallery in Norwalk, CT and last from 5-8pm. Suggested donations range from $35-$500 depending on which portion of the events guests wish to attend. Click here for more information or to reserve a space. On Tuesday November 19, New Canaan Wine Merchants will offer a wine & cheese class titled “Seasons Cheesings! Owner Jeff Barbour will team up with Erin Hedley of Artisanal cheeses to let guests learn and taste holiday pairings. It lasts from 7-8:30pm and costs $25 a person. Sign up or get additional information here. Harlan Social is holding a wine dinner on Wednesday November 20. It will feature: Wines from Celani Family Vineyards in Napa, California; Cocktail hour at 6:30pm; 5-course dinner at 7:15pm. Seats are limited and available for $175 a person. To see the menu, make a reservation, or find out more, visit http://www.harlansocial.com/index.html. It's time to order your Thanksgiving Pies & Cakes. Sono Baking Company & Michele's Pies are accepting orders NOW! Read More
‘Tis Truffle Season …The White Stuff Has Arrived ellen bowen November 13, 2013 So usually when one speaks of “the white stuff”…they mean snow…, which New Englanders know, will at some point be headed our way… But true food experts think “white truffle” when they hear “the white stuff”…and yes…white truffle season is also upon us. A subterranean fungi, “truffles” are round, warty, and irregular in shape and vary from the size of a walnut to that of a man's fist. The French black truffle from the Perigord region of southwest France is popular shaved over pizza and pasta and as an additive to butter and in making foie gras. The jewel of Italian gastronomy, the "white truffle" or "trifola d'Alba" comes from the Piedmont region in northern Italy and, most famously, in the countryside around the cities of Alba and Asti. It can also be found in Molise, Abruzzo, and in the hills around San Miniato, in Tuscany. They are harvested by expert “truffle foragers” with trained dogs or pigs who are able to detect the strong smell of mature truffles underneath the surface of the ground usually during the months of September and October before being sold at “truffle fairs” and released to those craving the delicacy. Pricing has climbed over the years reaching a high in 2012 of $3000 a pound for the coveted Alba white truffle. Read More
Grilled Cheese Eatery Opens in Fairfield: Grilled Cheese Reinvented Kathleen Atkins November 12, 2013 Café Lola, the charming French bistro that recently closed its doors after 5 years, has been reinvented with a classic American spin by owners Ivanina and Henri Donneaux. What is more comforting than the quintessential grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of homemade tomato soup? These are just a couple of the delicious items being served fresh daily at the Grilled Cheese Eatery, which is nestled among the shops on Fairfield's Unquowa Road near the Old Community Theater. “Eating habits have changed,” says Ivanina. “There is less formality when you go out to eat and we wanted to create a place that was more than a special occasion place,” thus the creation of The Grilled Cheese Eatery. Read More
18th Century Thanksgiving Dinner at the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum Restaurant Events Holiday Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 12, 2013 Connecticut Yankees have always taken pumpkin pie pretty seriously—especially at Thanksgiving—according to culinary educator, food journalist and TV chef Prudence Sloane. When the Connecticut River froze early in the fall of 1705, creating what might have been called The Great Molasses Shortage of 1705, the leaders of Colchester, Connecticut, postponed Thanksgiving until enough of the precious brown goo could be shipped in for the requisite pies. Sloane will expand on this delicious topic, and share other Thanksgiving gastronomic tidbits and trivia during her presentations at the third 18th-Century Thanksgiving Dinner at the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, on November 17, 2013, from noon till 3 p.m. Dressed in period clothing, Mr. and Mrs. Silas Deane will host the authentic Thanksgiving feast for up to 130 guests. Dinner will be preceded by a wine reception with light fare and 18th-century music in the musicians’ gallery. Guests can explore the Silas Deane House and engage the Deanes and Sloane in conversation before dinner. Read More
Tommy Juliano of Community Table: The Master of Dessert via Connecticut Magazine Restaurant Chef Talk Washington Dessert Laurie Gabaordi November 10, 2013
Meriano's Bake Shoppe Introduces Connecticut's First Cannoli Truck in New Haven Restaurant Food Truck Italian New Haven Dessert Amy Kundrat November 10, 2013 The Cannoli Truck from Meriano's Bake Shoppe Cuisine: Italian Bakery, Food Truck Price: $3 per Cannoli The Highlights: Traditional, Oreo, seasonal flavors Online: CannoliTruck.com | MerianosBakeShoppe.com The first time I heard the phrase "Cannoli Truck" I was convinced it was a New Haven urban legend. The city has trucks and carts filled with almost any cuisine you can imagine, but a truck filled with Italian pastries? This seemed too good to be true. Lucky for New Haven, the truck exists, and its pink and leopard-trimmed reality is far superior to any Italian pastry-filled mirage you can conjure. I discovered the truck early this summer, first as a hot tip from a New Haven friend excited to have a new truck to add to the city’s burgeoning food truck and cart scene. And then as luck would have it, the truck frequently parks in the neighborhood near my New Haven office, so I’m lucky to “stumble” into it, in all its 7 cannoli-flavor glory. Read More
Craft Butchery's Porktoberfest 2013: Thanks for The Memories... Restaurant Butcher Events Food Porn Kid Friendly CTbites Team November 10, 2013
Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines holds "Turning Wine Into Water" Fundraiser CTbites Team November 10, 2013 Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines, Darien. CT will host the 8th Annual Harvest Wine Tasting to benefit Turning Wine Into Water and Catholic Relief Services on Saturday, November 16th. This year's event will be held at The Avenue Gallery, 173 Main Street, Norwalk, CTTurning Wine Into Water has committed to funding a major CRS water and sanitation project in remote regions of Ethiopia. The project, a commitment by TWIW of $150,000, will save the lives of thousands of children who die each year from the lack of clean water. The Harvest Wine Tasting this year is a three tasting room event, featuring wine via Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines and food prepared by Chef Rob Troilo. Guests can register for any or all of the tasting rooms. Read More
CT Food Bank's "Virtual Food Drive" Ingredients Events Holiday CTbites Team November 09, 2013 It's that time of year again, and Connecticut Food Bank has launched its 2013 "Thanksgiving for All" campaign, a series of events and food drives which help Connecticut Food Bank make Thanksgiving special for thousands of our neighbors in danger of going without a holiday meal. This year, however, if you can't make it to a food drive or event, you can still help by supporting our Virtual Food Drive. Just click here and you can buy a turkey or some of the trimmings to help out another family in need. It doesn't get any easier than this, and it can make a world of difference for a family who may otherwise go without a turkey this year. Donation amounts range from $14 for a Thanksgiving turkey, to $22 for 24 cans of cranberry sauce to a $100 multi-family bag of groceries. There is a price point to suit almost everyone. A $30 donation can serve 130 meals! IF YOU CAN...PLEASE GIVE. Read More
Cassoulet and Carburetors: A Fall French Country Picnic Road Trip French Amy Kundrat November 08, 2013 What do 18 vintage cars and a hundred miles of Connecticut and New York roads have to do with creating the perfect french country picnic? The short answer–everything. The long answer? Each spring and fall, Matthew L. deGarmo, Ltd., a vintage automobile broker from Norwalk, hosts a series of fall tours for his clients and friends inspired by a shared passion for driving and the art of the automobile. “My passion for selling vintage sports cars comes from an even deeper passion for driving them. That sentiment is what gave birth to the rallies we organize... an opportunity to get these fantastic cars out of the garage and on to the open road where they belong.” said deGarmo. The rally welcomes cars no later than 1974 and often limits his rallies to about 15 cars per tour. Read More
PORKTOBERFEST Winners Are...... CTbites Team November 08, 2013 The winners of the PORKTOBERFEST Giveaway have been selected by the team over at Craft Butchery. The entries for this contest were epic in their creativity and passion. Here are the winning entries. Winners will be contacted today. Winner #1: Voltaire said that the pig is the most encyclopedic of animals -- meaning you could make use of his snout, tail, and everything in between. It is necessary that this assertion be tested for accuracy, and I am willing, with your help, to confirm M. Voltaire's observation. Read More
10 Questions with Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Scott Vaccaro Interview Chef Talk Beer Amy Kundrat November 07, 2013 Barcelona Wine Bar in SoNo recently hosted a beer dinner with Captain Lawrence Brewing Company founder and brewmaster Scott Vaccaro. The four course dinner paired a spanish inspired menu designed by Chef Freddy Chimborazo, with four of the brewery's beers (and at $45 per person, this felt like a dine and dash). The meal went from light to heavy, beginning with a first course paired a grilled shrimp with lemon aoili paired with Liquid Gold, a Belgian Style ale, to a fourth course pairing smoked short ribs with a smoked porter. In addition to the four well-matched courses, the highlight of the evening was getting to know Vacarro, Captain Lawrence's amiable founder and brewmaster himself. 1. How did you go from drinking Schaefer to brewing your own beer at the age of 17? I stumbled upon home brewing at a friends house my junior year in high school. I was amazed that you could actually brew beer at home. I was given the green light by my parents and with the help of my friends father I brewed my first batch in November of 1995. 2. You studied brewing at UC Davis, and worked at a few breweries including Sierra Nevada. Are you inspired by a particular style or brewery when brewing your beers? Read More
Community Plates Hosts Free Screening of "A Place at the Table" Nov. 12th CTbites Team November 06, 2013 Community Plates is Co-hosting a free screening of A Place at the Table on November 12th to raise awareness and inspire volunteers to help eradicate hunger. On Tuesday, November 12th, Community Plates will invite the public to a complimentary viewing of the documentary A Place at the Table. Community Plates has partnered with emergency assistance agency Person-to-Person to educate the audience about the widespread hunger crisis facing America and to encourage attendees to get involved in solving the problem through volunteerism. Doors open at 6:30 and the film begins at 7:00 pm. A Place at the Table tells the powerful stories of three Americans who face hunger on a daily basis, maintaining their dignity even as they struggle just to eat. The film has received much acclaim and shed light on a crisis that impacts 50 million Americans, including nearly 100,000 in Connecticut, one of the wealthiest states in the nation. “Community Plates’ mission is to end food insecurity in America, but to achieve this we need everyone to understand the breadth of the problem,” said Kevin Mullins, executive director and co-founder of Community Plates. “A Place at the Table offers an informative and compelling look that will hopefully inspire people to get involved to end hunger in America.” Read More
Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro, Coming to Greenwich via Serendipity Magazine Features Restaurant Bakery Celebrity Chef Greenwich Dessert Serendipity Magazine November 06, 2013 A Slice of Cake Boss via Serendipity Magazine. Buddy Valastro, the star of TLC’s Cake Boss and owner of the famous Carlo’s bakery, is opening shop in Greenwich, CT, this fall. He talks to Serendipity about the sweet life and what to expect at the new site: delicious pastries, over-the-top cakes, and maybe even tv cameras! Why did you choose Greenwich for your first Carlo’s Bakery out of New Jersey? I love it here, it’s a great town. I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve been able to spend here. There’s so much to do on Greenwich Avenue, and so many families in the area. I knew it would be a great fit for the first Carlo’s Bakery outside of New Jersey. I have friends who live in the Westchester area, so I’ve been able to get to know the area better when I visit them. Everyone wants to know — will you be working at the new bakery? Of course, I’m going to be there as often as I can. I’m a hands-on person, and it’s very important for me to make sure that our Greenwich location will meet the same standards I’ve built for Carlo’s Bakery. So, I’ll be here to make sure we’re running smoothly. Read More
