ROUGE Brasserie & Oyster Bar Opens in Byram, Greenwich Jessica Ryan December 15, 2013 CTbites recently attended a press dinner at ROUGE Brasserie & Oyster Bar, a brand new dining venture in the eclectic Byram section of Greenwich, owned by the cb5 restaurant group, which formerly owned Bleu on Greenwich Avenue. Chef Josh Moulton returns to cb5 in Greenwich after his role as Executive Chef at the Monkey Bar and Moda in NYC and West Restaurant in Los Angeles. The menu features hearty French bistro fare including classic steak tartare, sautéed foie gras, onion soup gratinee, skate meuniere, poulet en croute, and short rib Bourguignon. The restaurant, which previously housed the sexy Lolita Cocina (also owned by cb5), was graciously redefined with huge ornate white mirrors, exposed brick walls, elaborate chandeliers, and a more subtle color palette. It's playful but elegant, and the perfect spot for a first date. Read More
Friday Froth: Out Of The Black Ingredients CT Beer Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon December 13, 2013 I watched the International Space Station arc overhead last night at about half past five. Six crewmen from the U.S., Russia and Japan traced a fast arc overhead - a bright golden light from the hidden Sun, long since fallen below the horizon, reflected off their solar arrays and into my retinas, hundreds of miles below. I wondered if anyone was looking back, right at that moment. The station, five and half thousand days in Earth orbit at the time, faded away, long since over the north Atlantic, and I was left looking at stars like scattered grains of salt on a black sky. My throat burned from breathing the cold air. I headed inside, into light and warmth. Winter beers are a different breed. That's what they're meant to do - bring you in out of the cold, if only figuratively, and supply a bit of metaphorical light in this darkest of months. Cold isn't an object - it can't be added to something the way we add a layer of clothing or a memory. Cold is the lack of energy, of heat. It's like when we say we want to make a room darker, but that's impossible, too. What we're really doing is taking away the light. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Features Restaurant CT Beer Wine Dinners Wine Tasting Beer Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 13, 2013 Thursday December 12 at 7:30, Ancona’s in Ridgefield will host a high end wine tasting. Cost is $30/person. To RSVP please call (203)544-8958 or e-mail monica@anconaswines.com. On Friday December 13 from 7:30-10pm, try out a class at Muse Paintbar, a combination between a painting studio and beer & wine bar in downtown Manchester, CT. 10 beers & 12 wines will help bring out the artist in you… and you’ll go home with a painting. $39pp. View more info here. Every other Friday, Half Full Brewery holds an “Open House.” From 5:30-8:30pm, the taps are open and guests can try their hand at bags, life-size jenga, draw on the chalkboard wall, and hang out. $15pp. Details here. Lidia Bastianich will be spending some time in Stamford on Saturday, 12/14 at Fairway Market. From 1-3 pm you can meet her at the store and she’ll sign your copies of her brand new book, Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking: 150 Delicious and Simple Recipes Anyone Can Master. While there, you’ll be able to try out and buy some of Lidia’s pastas and sauces, too, with demos and tastings. Read More
CTbites Speaks With Lidia Bastianich Ingredients Interview Features Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Cookbooks Italian Lou Gorfain December 12, 2013 Like Oprah or Madonna in pop culture, Lidia is one-name-famous to foodies, a television star (Lidia's Italy -- PBS), renowned restaurateur (Felidia, Eataly, Delposto, Becco), a worldwide brand (Lidia's Sauces and Pasta), bestselling author (Lidia’s Commonsense Guide to Italian Cooking is her latest), mom, grandmother, whew, one name so many roles. So CTBites was delighted that Lidia carved out time from her hectic schedule to chat with us prior to her book signing this Saturday at Stamford's Fairway Market (details below.) Incidentally, Lidia is no stranger to Connecticut. Her son Joe and his family live in Greenwich, she tapes her PBS show in Norwalk, and of course the Bastianich clan is associated with Tarry Lodge in both Westport and Port Chester. We began the conversation, wondering what Lidia the little girl would think if she could peer into a crystal ball and see the famous Lidia of today. “When I was nine years old we had fled from Communist Yugoslavia and my family was in a refugee camp,” she told us, “I think that little girl, her mouth would be open at what I’ve accomplished.” Then Lidia thought about that youngster for a moment and resolutely stated, “But you know, I always had confidence I was going to amount to something And food was so very important to me, because we didn’t have much.” Read More
CTbites Editor Picks: 2013 Holiday Gift Guide CTbites Team December 12, 2013 Amy Kundrat, Executive Editor A Day in the Litchfield Hills: Kent, Community Table & Arethusa Dairy Store "I prefer an experience-as-gift over a gift-wrapped box any day of the week. One of my favorite local experiences is a day in the Litchfield Hills. It almost always begins with a stop for some book browsing and shopping in Kent, an early and always amazing dinner at Community Table (do save room for Tommy Juliano's desserts), and a late stop at Arethusa Dairy Store to load up on milk, cheese and ice cream." Reservations at CommunityTableCT.com. Hours and information at arethusafarm.com. Glengoyne Scotch “I love collecting single malt Scotch of all styles. But my go-to dram is a 12 or 15 year-old bottle of Glengoyne. It’s unpretentious, unpeated, well-rounded, and nicely priced. A Highland Scotch, Glengoyne still use wooden “washbacks” for fermentation, air dries their barley (they'd would never dream of using peat smoke), and distills their whisky more slowly than any other Scottish distillery. Read More
Wine Pick: Michael Keenan of Keenery Winery Talks Shop Ingredients Chef Talk Wine Chat Wine Shop Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 11, 2013 Michael Keenan spent about half of our time together describing his wines. He spent the other half apologizing for his colorful language. “Once in San Diego I participated in an elegant dinner- 10 wines with 10 courses. I found out later there was a secret contest to see how many times I would drop the f bomb during it,” he admitted with a look of mischief in his eye. When our giggles subsided, someone asked, “So how many times were there?” “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “At least 18.” If a stereotypical winemaker is arty and even a touch pretentious, Keenan proved anything but. His spirited attitude and knack for lively storytelling won me over immediately. The story of his wines begins when his father, Robert Keenan, purchased 180 acres of abandoned land in 1974. The property on Spring Mountain in Napa used to be a well-established vineyard called the Conradi Winery. Unfortunately, it fell into disrepair during prohibition. Robert saw hope in it though and hired a contractor to begin the ambitious task of breathing new life into the land. Read More
Hot Buttered Rum Cocktail Recipe via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Features Recipe Cocktails Entertaining Recipe Jeff Marron December 10, 2013 When the leaves on the trees in New England start to fall, my cravings for cocktails change a bit. I tend to lean towards drinks that will warm me up next to the fire. The aromatics of cinnamon and clove just seem to pair so well with the scents that come from the fireplace. To me, a Hot Buttered Rum cocktail is the essence of New England in Winter. This is an easy drink to prepare. You build it in a coffee mug. There isn't any stirring or shaking or muddling. You don't have to be an expert mixologist to make a perfect Hot Buttered Rum. You just need a dark, aged rum. Here, I use my favorite, Ron Zacapa 23 year old. You can certainly use other brands, as Ron Zacapa can reach premium prices. Some less expensive options that work well in this drink would include El Dorado 12 year or 15 year, Angostura 5 year or 7 year, Diplomatico Anejo Rum or Blackwell Jamaican Rum. Read More
Meet Lidia Bastianich @ Fairway Market Stamford December 14th CTbites Team December 09, 2013 Come to Fairway Stamford on December 14th from 1-3PM to meet Lidia Bastianich and get a signed copy of her latest book, Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking. Bastianich is the author of eight cookbooks, the host of Lidia’s Kitchen on PBS and owner of Felidia, Del Posto, Becco, and Eataly. Shoppers will also have the opportunity to sample some of the LIDIA’S line of pasta and sauces. In her beautifully illustrated new cookbook, Lidia Bastianich lays out a comprehensive curriculum of wise cooking tips--from the cutting board to the kitchen table. Channeling the instructive elements from her TV show, she teaches us that a good dose of common sense is the key ingredient to a stellar meal. As storyteller and chef, she draws on anecdotes to educate and illustrate. Recalling lessons learned from her mother, Erminia, and her grandmother Nonna Rosa, Lidia pays homage to the kitchen sages who inspired her. Read More
Locali Pizza Bar + Kitchen Opens in New Canaan Restaurant Italian Pizza New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 08, 2013 Clean…Balanced…Flavorful… Three words to describe the outstanding cuisine that Locali Pizza Bar + Kitchen, the latest addition to New Canaan’s Restaurant Row. This twenty-eight seat restaurant / pizza bar is already making its mark on the culinary landscape of New Canaan. Executive Chef Mogan Anthony and his team are creating vibrant flavors and textural contrasts in many of their dishes, intermingled among other selections that are pleasantly soft and mild. The interior design, with a strong focus on organic materials, creates a cozy and inviting environment with guests choosing between table or bar seating. In full view of the dining and bar area is the beautiful, hand-crafted ceramic encased Stefano Ferrara wood-fired brick oven. Joining Chef Mogan in the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Ruben Liriano and Chef Antonio Legato oversees the wood burning pizza oven. Chef Mogan gained his training at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore and subsequently under Chef Jean Georges Vongericthen in three different locations, plus the Bedford Post and Village Social in Mt. Kisco. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Features Restaurant Cooking Classes Education Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 06, 2013 On Friday December 6, join 109 Cheese and Wine and Jim Morrison from Artisan Wines for some exceptional Italian red wines including Barolo, Brunello, and a few others. The event will take place in Ridgefield, CT and costs $55pp. 7-9pm. http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/507053 Saturday December 7 from 4:30– 6:30pm Amity Wines and the CT Craft Brew Guild will have a beer tasting. It will include Down East Appe Cider, Breckenridge Regal Pilsner, Green Flash Saison, Wachusett Larry IPA, Six Pints Global Warmer, Andechs Dopplebock, and more. Please RSVP to Kim or Tony directly at 203-387-6725 or tony@amitywines.net. Amity Wines Tasting Room: 65 Amity Rd, New Haven, CT 06515. http://www.amitywines.net/events/ Bishops Orchards in Guilford, CT conducts wine tours every Saturday this month at 2:00pm. Tasting and Tour combo for $10pp. http://www.bishopsorchards.com/index.php Monday December 9 at 7pm, Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market, 55 degrees Restaurant, and Vias Imports present a “Piedmont Holiday Wine Dinner” with guest host Michael Petrizzo, Northeast Brand Manager. $89 plus tax and tip. 5 courses with wine pairings. http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/508378 Tuesday December 10, Barcelona New Haven will hold a “Spanish Holiday Dishes” cooking class. Guests can join Chef Frank as he demonstrates how to prepare Barcelona-inspired holiday and New Year’s dishes. 7pm, $25pp. http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/calendar.htm Read More
10 Questions with the "Singing" Chef Neil Fuentes Interview Chef Talk Amy Kundrat December 06, 2013 Chef Entertainer Neil Fuentes (a.k.a. "The Singing Chef") was recently featured on the Food Channel giving audiences a tour of one of his favorite New Haven spots. Rubamba. We sat down with Neil to discuss his favorite ingredients, kitchen nightmares, and go-to dishes. 1. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in one hour, what would you whip up? One of the most effective recipes I like to make when I am in a rush is my Mustard Chicken, It’s fast, with deep flavors and really quick. I grab whatever I have in the freezer, chicken breast, chicken thighs, a whole chicken or whatever. I place the chicken in in a large soup pot! I put water until it’s covered with water. Put on the stove on high and covered. To that I add a 3/4 cup of good old yellow mustard. 1 tbsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. I let the chicken boil covered for 15 minutes. Then I uncover the chicken and keep it on high. The liquid will start reducing creating a super delicious sauce. One the sauce is thick I shut the stove off. At that pout I take the chicken off the pot and place it on a baking sheet with a rack and put it older the broiler in the oven until is nice and brown. I serve this chicken with a simple rice and sweet fried plantains. 2. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Read More
Elm Restaurant's Lil' Foodies Event w/ Chef Brian Lewis Kids Bites Education Farm to Table kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team December 05, 2013 Asher is an 9th grader at Fairfield Country Day School. He has a true passion for food and started his blog, AsherZeats, in September of 2012. “A little chocolate a day keeps the doctor at bay” I recently had the absolute pleasure of being a part of a unique experience called Lil’ Foodies. During this special event, Brian Lewis, the chef/owner of well regarded restaurant, Elm, and his wife Dana, guided a group of children from the age of 8 to the age of 16 through a culinary extravaganza. All for the fantastic price of… nothing! Our first stop on the journey was the New Canaan Farmers Market. During this time, Chef Lewis generously bought for us the freshest ingredients the market had to offer. We obtained fresh, crisp, juicy apples (of all varieties), a heap of straight from the ground fingerling potatoes, brightly vivid purple cauliflower, and much more. Chef Lewis taught the group about the importance of supporting local organizations and also about picking the freshest foods from the stands. Read More
Luxe Wine Bar to Re-Open Soon in Westport Restaurant Wine Bar CTbites Team December 04, 2013 Luxe Winebar (aka Luxe Modern Wine & Cocktails) at 190 Main Street in Westport will soon re-open on under new ownership. Former owner Robert Reilly has passed the torch to new owner, Dave Morton. The two are working together to make improvements to the menu and interior of the bar, while keeping things the way patrons liked it. “We had a loyal customer base that was disappointed to see LUXE had closed temporarily,” said former owner Robert Reilly. “Dave and I hope they’ll come back and find LUXE better than ever. Morton is working to make the setting warmer and friendlier, plus adding on menu items to complement the existing cheese and charcuterie. “The cheese and charcuterie have been well received,” Dave Morton says. “I want to give people even more options to choose from. New items will include desserts and chocolates from neighboring businesses, plus other wine-friendly noshes like hummus and pita chips, and olives.” Read More
Dinners At The Farm 2014 Schedule Has Been Announced! CTbites Team December 04, 2013 This just in from Dinners at the Farm: Temperatures are brisk, the holiday season is upon us and looping holiday music is everywhere, but that's no reason not to drift off into summer daydreaming. To help with that, we're happy to announce our 2014 schedule of farm dinners......it's our 8th season! We look forward to having you join us for our annual summertime, open-air feasts in the fields where our talented chefs cook-up mouthwatering dishes, on site, with just-from-the-earth food. In fact, plan on enjoying six or seven courses in one seating featuring local poultry, beef, pork, seafood and seasonal vegetables galore. Plus, our chefs cook a different menu every night, no two nights are the same. We're only hosting 10 dinners in 2014. If you're a veteran farm dinner guest then you know these dinners sell-out fast. As with every year, we'll be donating $20,000 to our longtime beneficiaries: CitySeed, CT Farmland Trust, Working Lands Alliance, The New CT Farmer's Alliance and Region 4 School's healthy lunch initiative. Purchase your tickets here. Read More
Foodie Gift Guide: CT & Beyond...Part II Ingredients Features Gift Guide Holiday Specialty Market Wine Shop Emma Doody & Gina Cunsolo December 04, 2013 The turkeys are gone and the radio stations have started playing seasonal tunes... The holidays are officially here! If you're looking to gift friends and family with awesome foodie presents and local treats, we've compiled some of our favorites for your perusal. We also enlisted the help of a prominent local chef, Mario LaPosta of Tarry Lodge in Westport, CT who offered his picks. Here are a few more gifts for your foodie loved ones. [See our Ultimate CT Gift Guide Part I here]. Happy holidays... And happy shopping! Cranberry Walnut Olive Oil, New Canaan Olive Oil For that one foodie in your life that seems to already have everything – consider shopping at newly opened New Canaan Olive Oil. Their wide assortment of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Vinegar flavors will entice even the most spoiled cooks, specifically their Cranberry Walnut Olive Oil. Great for salads or sautéing veggies, this seasonal flavor will add a toasty and tangy taste to any dish. And for our beloved bacon lovers, try their Bacon Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil – an easy way to add bacon flavor to almost anything! Read More
CTbites Invites Recap: Sushi and Sake Tasting w/ Oktopusake, Matsu & Bottlerocket ellen bowen December 04, 2013 The upstairs loft room at Westport’s Matsu Sushi was the scene of the most recent CTbites Invites Sushi and Sake Tasting on Wednesday 11/20. CTbites Invites is an exclusive feature that offers unique “curated culinary experiences” to CTbites readers, that are both tasty and informative, and this evening was no exception. The twenty-six very spirited attendees enjoyed an evening presented by Matsu Sushi owner, Paul Teoh, Bottlerocket Wines & Spirit representative Rachel Halperin, and Chris Dircks, creator of Oktopusake, a new small batch sake made in New Haven currently still in launch mode. Each guest was greeted with a signature Blue Saketini, a potent drink made with Vodka, Sake, and Blue Curacao topped with fresh shredded cucumber sticks. Read More
Congrats to Chowdafest 2014 Qualifiers CTbites Team December 03, 2013 Congratulations to those who earned a spot for Chowdafest 2014. This year there are 10 rookies in the field of 28. Five restaurants are competing in two categories. Almost 40 different towns from Mystic to Greenwich are represented. Below is the list of restaurants participating and the categories in which they will compete. This might be the most competitive group of chefs/restaurants to date. New England Clam Chowder: Bernard's (Ridgefield) - rookie Donovan's (Norwalk) - defending champion Go Fish (Mystic) - rookie Guvnor's Brewery (Norwalk) - rookie Mansion Clam House (Westport) - 2 time champ Old Post Tavern (Fairfield) Rory's (Darien) Wood'n Tap (Orange) - rookie Read More
Blue Hill at Stone Barns Launch Savory Yogurt: Blue Hill Yogurt Natalie Levitt December 03, 2013 There’s a new yogurt in town! Dan, David, and Laureen Barber the owners of local farm to table favorite, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, have launched a yogurt line called Blue Hill Yogurt. It is not the average run of the mill yogurt to say the least. It takes yogurt to a whole new experience. Yeah, you are probably saying to yourself “there are so many yogurts out there already. What could they possibly do to set themselves apart from all the rest?“ These yogurts have gone after the savory palette. That’s right, savory! They launched unexpected flavors such as carrot, beet, tomato, and butternut squash this week. The yogurt is made from 100% grass-fed milk, sourced from several small, family owned farms in the Northeast including Blue Hill Farm. The produce is also sourced from the same local farms that supply their restaurant kitchens, Blue Hill in NYC and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. I was excited when I heard about this new line as I have visited Blue Hill at Stone Barns many times over the years and have enjoyed walking the grounds, seeing the farm in action, and then enjoying an outstanding meal on premise. The pride for quality ingredients, taste, and presentation at Blue Hill is obvious in their yogurt too. Read More
Shearwater Coffee Roasters: Bringing Organic Coffee to Fairfield County Ingredients Coffee Specialty Market Trumbull Kathleen Atkins December 03, 2013 Americans have a loving obsession with coffee. We crave our daily fix, whether it is black, iced, with extra cream and sugar, or a shot of espresso. We crave the aroma, the taste and how coffee brings people together. However, coffee is so much more than just a beverage; it is a huge global business. Ed Freedman of Shearwater Coffee Roasters is in the thick of this global business, but is marking his own stamp on it. Shearwater Coffee Roasters, headquartered in Trumbull, Connecticut is the first and only USDA certified organic coffee roaster in Fairfield County. Shearwater bases its business on the three core principles of organic, artisan and altruism. They pride themselves on being committed to the integrity of organic roasting. “Organic is not a product line,” says Freedman. “It’s a way of life and what we do. “ The coffee plant is often grown with harmful chemicals, pesticides and herbicides. Read More
Little Barn Opens Thursday December 5th in Westport Restaurant Westport Beer Bar Comfort Food Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster December 02, 2013 Scott Beck (Match, The Chelsea) and his partner Kevin McHugh (Spotted Horse, The Chelsea), alongside Chef Jeff Spence (The Chelsea) have announced that their new project, Little Barn at 1050 Post Road in Westport, will open this Thursday, December 5th. They will be open for lunch and dinner, and will accept reservations for lunch only. Scott Beck was quoted in a recent pre-opening interview as saying,“We’re building a barn, and putting a pub inside," and so they did. The building, inside and out, features lots of reclaimed red barn siding, 2 spectacular reclaimed roof vents, and a 2 sided stone fireplace in the main dining space. It will cozy up the inside and also warm up the outside when eating or drinking on the outside stone patio. In the summer the bar and dining room have sliding doors that open onto the patio as well which will give it a nice open air feel. Read More
