Maple Syrup Tap A Tree Program @ Ambler Farm

Ingredients Features Education Cooking Classes Local Farm Local Artisan

CTbites Team January 08, 2014

It's that time of year again. Sign up for Ambler Farms immensely popular, Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree program. Sign up quickly...these classes fill up fast.

Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree program
Training sessions (choose only ONE): Sat., Feb. 8th at either 10-11am or 1-2pm.
Learn the science and history of maple syruping by being a hands-on part of the process. We will send regular updates on the running of the sap so you can come to the Farm to collect sap from your tree. We will boil down the sap in our sugar shack and send each family home with their very own bottle of Ambler Farm maple syrup.

The season runs from early February to mid-March (a typical season is five weeks long). If you are traveling during February or March, we will collect sap for you. Contact Kevin Meehan.

Enrollment Limited to 110 families. This program sold out quickly in previous years, so please do not wait to sign up. The number of trees at the Farm is limited, so we are unable to accommodate late requests or wait lists.

$65 per non-member family/$60 per member family.

GIVEAWAY!! Win 2 Tix to Sun Winefest Grand Tasting @ Mohegan Sun

CTbites Team January 07, 2014

CTbites is GIVING AWAY 2 TICKETS to SUN WINEFEST'S Grand Tasting on Sunday, January 26th. To be eligable to win, tell us why you want to go to Sun Winefest below & like us on Facebook!

Join Mohegan Sun for the 11th annual Sun WineFest Saturday, January 25th and Sunday, January 26th @ Mohegan Sun's Convention Center.

Sun WineFest 2014 will feature celebrity chefs including: Robert Irvine, Todd English, Jasper White, Govind Armstrong, Michele Ragussis and more.

With an amazing selction of beer, wine, specialty spirits and delectable dishes, this weekend extravaganza has something for everyone. Wine and beer enthusiasts can select from over 1,000 brands or enjoy tastings of specialty spirits. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions, hear commentary from the winemakers and experts and enjoy delicacies from some of the region's finest restaurants with tasting portions of signature dishes.

Valbella: Old School Italian Elegance in Greenwich

Restaurant Bakery French Greenwich Italian Dessert

Sarah Green January 05, 2014

I never go to Italian restaurants in Connecticut because I was lucky and spoiled enough to have eaten in Italy - a lot - and I always feel disappointed in the American version of Italian cuisine. So when a friend begged me to review VALBELLA in Greenwich, I was reluctant to say the least. The pastry chef, she claimed, was world renowned and his food art simply had to be reviewed. I did some research and decided to acquiesce. For more than 20 years, the stately, Victorian Valbella has been the archetype for excellent but old school Italian cuisine in the Greenwich/Riverside area, and has successful sister locations in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District and Midtown. And I can understand why. It is in no way funky or hip or cool but is extremely elegant and the food, though I am hesitant to admit it, was outstanding.

Loaf of the Week at Scratch Baking

Restaurant Bakery Milford

Amy Kundrat January 04, 2014

Beginning on January 31, 2014 for 8 weeks, Scratch Baking in Milford will be kicking-off their second annual "Loaf of the Week" club. Participants, known as "the loafers," receive a surprise bread and spread each week, paired with a recipe. Think of it as a winter CSA for your bread box.

"It really is alot of fun and honestly it is perfect for winter time when you just want to curl up and fire up that crockpot," said Lesli Flick, Scratch owner and baker.

Last year, Scratch's Loaf of the Week baked fresh loaves of brioche paired with a cinnamon raisin butter, ciabatta with pesto, and rosemary focaccia with a lemon curd. The cost to become a Loafer is $65 for 8 weeks of breads and spreads.

The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 03, 2014

Mohegan Sun’s Restaurant Week goes from January 12-17! Savor all the specials at Mohegan Sun's most renowned dining venues, including a three course dinner at Ballo Italian for $29.95.

On Saturday January 4 check out Half Full Brewery in Stamford for the “Hoptimist Experience,” a formal tour and tasting. They are open from 1-5pm with a Tour at 3:00pm. During the tour you will learn about the brewing process and how they got started. $5 gets you a Half Full Brewery sampling glass, six samples of beers on tap, and a guided tour. More Info Here.

Celebrate the return of Downton Abbey at the Silo Gallery at Hunt Hill in New Milford on Sunday January 5. A demonstration cooking class will feature an "Upstairs/Downstairs" menu based on the TV series and using recipes from “The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook.” The day will include a champagne cocktail, smoked salmon sandwiches, oxtail soup, lobster thermador, steak and kidney pie, and crepe Suzette. 11am-2pm. $90pp. Guests must sign up in advance.

Every Sunday Mama’s Boy in Norwalk hosts brunch with live music from 1-4pm. January 5 you can see Griffin Anthony perform.

Vegetarian Prix Fixe Wednesdays @ The Schoolhouse

CTbites Team January 03, 2014

This just in from Chef Tim LaBant @ The Schoolhouse at Cannondale:

The Schoolhouse Restaurant is bringing back "Vegetarian Prixe Fixed Wednesdays" for the month of January. It's a great opportunity to get over the holiday food hangover and focus on improving your overall feeling of well being. We did this last year and have had many requests to again offer meatless entrees. So starting this Wednesday, January 8 and each Wednesday during January, you'll enjoy 4 courses for $40. Cutting back on meat, even a little bit, can reap big health and environmental benefits. We hope you'll join us by making a reservation. Reserve a table and get more information here.

Get A Healthy Start to 2014: CT Resources for Juicing, Healthy Eats & More

Features Restaurant Juice Bar Juice Cleanse healthy Organic Take Out

April Guilbault January 02, 2014

You just did it all this holiday season. And by that, I mean...cookies became a food group. Mixing, stirring and shopping had you working your “muscles” (how to polish something, right?). Real exercise resided in the back seat, crammed in between boxes and bags and wrapping paper. Your sanity was also wedged in there, too, now that you think about it. Thank goodness that a new year is upon us because you weren’t quite sure you could take another week, chaotic and fun as it may have been. And yes, there was much good in the holiday season...but it’s all....tiring. So now, after the decadence and gluttony, let’s reset. Recharge. And for the love of Pete, put down that cookie.

Here we offer, as your first gift of the New Year, some great resources, including juice cleanses, yoga joints and healthy eats, to get your body and mind back on track and ready for action in 2014!

Reader's Choice Awards from Connecticut Magazine

Restaurant Best of CT

Douglas P Clement January 01, 2014

Connecticut Magazine reached out and you responded—now here are the results of their annual restaurant survey, featuring readers’ favorites in 35 dining categories. Bon appétit!

best in overall excellence

Bernard’s/Sarah’s Wine Bar, Ridgefield

The Spread, Norwalk

The Cellar Door, Ridgefield

best new restaurant

The Spread, Norwalk

Walrus + Carpenter, Bridgeport

Heirloom Food Co.,Danielson

Read The Complete Reader's Choice Awards List on Connecticut Magazine

Happy New Year from CTbites

CTbites Team January 01, 2014

This stunning Beef Wellington was created by CTbites contributor, Sarah Green. If you have photos from your New Years celebrations (of a foodie nature), send them to: info@ctbites.com.

"Small, Sweet, and Italian" from Sweet Maria's (Waterbury Bakery)

Features Bakery Cookbooks Recipe Dessert

Douglas P Clement December 27, 2013

The arrival of the holiday season gives rise to lots of thoughts. Plans for Christmas, and wish lists for gift-giving and receiving rank high at the moment, and interwoven with those is another shared, defining theme—food, as in feasts, finer and heartier fare than in fairer weather and a seasonal amnesty from sweet-treat restrictions.

That’s where Maria Bruscino Sanchez—aka Sweet Maria—comes in.

The owner and baker for nearly 24 years at Sweet Maria’s in Waterbury, a Connecticut destination bakery for cakes, cookies, biscotti and more, Bruscino Sanchez recently released her latest cookbook, and it’s a perfect one both for this time of year and for how we like to live, and eat, now.

In Small, Sweet and Italian, with 75 recipes and simple, straightforward instructions, “The mini sweet trend takes an Italian holiday with recipes like Cappuccino Hazelnut Cupcakes, tiny Torta Caprese, mini Italian cream horns, cannoli, Bellini and Limoncello cupcakes.”

The word “mini” is the key here; these are small bites that are far more delicious and satisfying than they are filling—meaning you can sample a variety without guilt.

“Mini everything has taken hold of the entire bakery industry,” Bruscino Sanchez writes at the beginning of the book, which, before digging into the recipes, offers an ingredients/pantry section, notes on the necessary equipment, helpful mini primers on baking techniques and even a section on pairing desserts with dessert wines.

“I grew up in a family where small portions meant a meal to serve twelve!” she writes in an opening section of the new book entitled La Dolce Vita means “The Sweet Life.” “Many of us love keeping up traditions, yet our lifestyles have changed to eat smaller and lighter. By baking minis, you can have it all: flavor, tradition, and variety.”

Read the full article on ConnecticutMagazine.com.

Easy Winter Breakfast Recipes via Marcia Selden Catering

Features Recipe Breakfast Kid Friendly

Marcia Selden Catering December 26, 2013

I think we can safely say winter has arrived. The chilly weather ushers in more opportunities to linger in our loungewear, add an extra log to the fire and settle in for a relaxing weekend breakfast. Invite a few friends over, heck they can even come in their pajamas! Here are a few of our most favorite make-ahead (sweet and savory) breakfast items including: Impossible to Resist Quick Cinnamon Buns, Ultimate Breakfast Strata, and Cheddar Bacon Buttermilk Scones.

CTbites Staff & Chef Picks for TOP EATS OF 2013

Restaurant Armonk Bridgeport Danbury Fairfield Norwalk Washington Westport New Canaan Best of CT

CTbites Team December 25, 2013

As food writers, photographers, and chefs, we have the pleasure of eating a lot of really great food. Fairfield County has experienced something of a restaurant explosion over the past year, as new chefs move in and move on, and menus expand. We've endeavored to expand our coverage beyond those borders, seeking to cover more of the state and sharing those experiences that are worth seeking out. Instead of coming up with a top ten list ourselves, we asked the CTbites extended family to share some of their most memorable meals and dining experiences this past year.

Bruno DiFabio of ReNapoli's Sfincione di San Giovanni (Sicilian Christmas Pizza)

Features Entertaining Pizza Recipe Kid Friendly

CTbites Team December 24, 2013

Bruno DiFabio is the owner and pizzaoilo at ReNapoli in Old Greenwich, and has been making pizza for thirty years. A fact made more interesting when you consider he is only 42. He has considerable bragging rights with five World Pizza Championship titles under his belt and stints at the famed ovens of Spacca Napoli, Da Michele and Trianon in Naples.

What does Bruno make for Christmas dinner? Pizza, of course. His Sfincione di San Giovanni (Sicilian Christmas Pizza) recipe is below and is a must read for any serious pizza aficionado. This holiday season, make them what they want...pizza.

TravelBites: Heading to Miami, Florida? Don't Miss MC Kitchen

Restaurant Miami Road Trip TRAVELBites

ellen bowen December 22, 2013

By request….CTBites is trying out a new column, TravelBites, for our readers heading out of the great state of CT. These articles will feature popular vacation/business travel destinations for local CT residents, but if you have a suggestion for a TRAVELbites, contact us.

Our first article features Chef Dena Marino and MC Kitchen in sunny Miami….one of the fastest growing “foodie” hubs in the US.

Hot culinary spots are opening in hotel restaurants like SLS South Beach with Katsuya or The Bazaar by Jose Andres as well as Soho transplant, Lure Fishbar in the Loews. Funky hipster dining options are popping up practically daily in the emerging fashion and art neighborhoods like in the Design District , Midtown and Wynwood…Miami and Miami Beach has something for everyone.

MC Kitchen, opened a little over a year ago, is the passionate creation of Chef Dena Marino and her friend, Brandy Coletta Hence, the M and C ). Chef Dena, who actually hails originally from northern New Jersey, moved to Miami a little over three years from her executive chef position at Ajax Tavern in Aspen to head up the kitchen at the now defunct Danny Devito’s restaurant, Devitos.

First Look: The Cask Republic Opens In Stamford

Restaurant CT Beer Cocktails Pub Stamford Beer Bar

James Gribbon December 20, 2013

Fans of craft beer and elevated pub grub have a home in Stamford at the new Cask Republic on Summer Street. Lines of draft beer stretch down the bar in the dozens, awaiting pairing with menu items created and overseen by executive chef Carl Carrion.

The Cask Republic's first, and only other, location is in New Haven, so there shouldn't be too much competition for customers with its second pied-à-terre next to The Fez and across from Buffalo Wild Wings in Stamford. Walk into the new Cask and you'll see a large front room in which a good many tables and chairs are ringed by cushioned booths and myriad framed photographs, with a long black bar dominating the right hand wall.

The bar, one of two in The Cask Republic, is clearly meant to be the center of both attention and action in this future hub of Stamford nightlife, and features 51 taps poking their way through sheets of copper. Illuminated liquor bottles flank the taps, with gas lamps and Edison bulbs lighting the entire expanse.

The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 19, 2013

Join New Canaan Wine Merchants for a holiday fundraiser on Thursday December 19 from 5-8pm. There will be a selection of wines and Semental Reposada tequila to taste. 10% of the day’s sales will go to charities and organizations supported by the Exchange Club of New Canaan.

On Saturday December 21, Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines in Darien will hold a “French Classics Tasting Event.” From 2-6pm, stop in to taste gorgeous French Classics from Bordeaux, Champagne and the Rhone Valley with importer and wine expert Ian Scudder from Serge Dore Selections. Free event. RSVP or stop in: http://www.nicholasrobertsltd.com/calendar/event?eventid=19522

Glen Liquors in Darien will also hold a complimentary Holiday Wine Tasting from 3-7pm. Shoppers can enjoy delicious wines perfect for the season.

Also on Saturday December 21, Mama’s Boy in Norwalk is having an open house holiday party. There will be complimentary hors d’oeuvres as well as wine and beer. 4-6pm. Prize for the craziest Christmas sweater!

The Spread in Norwalk will be having a Christmas Eve dinner: 4 courses for $40, ½ price bottles of wine, and a naughty and nice themed menu! Reservations advised.

WestportREADS Dining Series featuring “My Life In France,” by Julia Child

Education Underground Dinner

ellen bowen December 18, 2013

Shortly after docking in Le Harve, Julia Child had the lunch that changed her life. It was sole meuniere, and Julia said "It was the most exciting meal of my life. " Julia and Paul Child lived in Paris and Marseilles from 1948 to 1954, and it was during that time Julia developed the love of French food and the skills that made her famous. Paul fell in love with Julia because she was always herself, and America fell in love with her for the same reason. My Life in France tells the story of Julia Child's life: how she came to be an expert on French cuisine, revolutionize the writing of cookbooks and become the world's first celebrity chef.

Each January, The Westport Library selects a book and an author to be celebrated by the entire community through their popular WestportREADS program.

This year’s selection, the iconic autobiography , My Life in France, by Julia Child, tells the inspiring, and at times humorous story of a young woman’s discovery of France, fine food, and a passion for cooking.

In conjunction with this event, CTbites is holding a curated dinner series, “Dine Around Town With Julia,” offering the opportunity to dine and sample many of her most famous dishes; Boeuf Bourguignon, Coq Au Vin, Poisson Meuniere, and Cassoulet in a private setting with local chefs and in local restaurants in celebration of what would have been Julia Childs 100^th year. The dinners, priced at $100 pp, include 3 courses, 2 glasses of wine, tax and tip and are limited availability. A portion of the proceeds benefits programming for the Westport Library.

Bareburger Opens In Ridgefield CT w/ Organic, Grass-Fed Burgers

Restaurant Ridgefield Comfort Food Kid Friendly Burgers

Amy Kundrat December 18, 2013

Connecticut's first Bareburger, the micro chain restaurant known for organic ingredients, grass-fed humanely-raised protein, and sustainable practices, opened this week in Ridgefield. CTbites tagged along on a Friends and Family earlier this week with fellow Ridgefielders and had the chance to meet its trio of partners, Bareburger’s chef, and taste a couple of their burgers (elk and wild boar, to be exact).

"My Signature Dish," Chef Jodi Bernhard of Fortina in Armonk

Restaurant Armonk Chef Talk Italian My Signature Dish

Lou Gorfain December 17, 2013

"My Signature Dish" is a new CTbites column featuring a rotating cast of chefs, and the dishes that define their cooking style, or simply make them happy to fire up the stove.

Jodi Bernhard hardly hesitated when choosing her signature dish at Fortina, Christian Petroni’s "casually hip" Italian restaurant in Armonk. Her eyes gleaming, she said, "It's our Pork Braciole." Braciole, hip?

If you grew up Italian, you probably hold memories of Braciole near and dear. This classic rolled, stuffed meat roast, usually serves as centerpiece for those sprawling homemade Italian dinners that lazily linger across Sunday afternoons into evening. Braciole invokes home. And family. Instant Nostalgia.

Ok, so how does a chef modernize a memory? Autograph a treasured family photo?

“That is the gist of our approach at Fortina,” Jodi explained. “ We try to not stray too far from ‘mom's’ version, but still make it a restaurant dish with our stamp on it. We are true to simplicity and flavor.”

The notion of putting “Mom’s dish” on Fortina’s playful, hip menu was Christian’s, one of the restaurant’s owners. (Patroni and and Jodi once cooked together at Barcelona in nearby Greenwich.) Though she and Christian work as collaborators, the task of “restaurantizing” this homey meal was largely up to Bernhard.