A Conversation with Tim and Nina Zagat Interview CTbites Team March 27, 2014 Co-Founders Nina and Tim Zagat of the indespensible dining guide, the Zagat Survey, will be visiting the Yale School of Management this Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 11:45 am. The event is open only to the Yale community but luckily for us, they will be broadcasting it live. Zagat has been an essential resource guiding diners on the best places to eat, drink and shop for over three decades using crowd-sourced diner reviews, their own editors, and their well-known 30 point scale. Read More
À Vert French Brasserie in West Hartford: Just Like Paris Restaurant French Hartford West Hartford Lunch CTbites Team March 26, 2014 Photo courtesy of Julie BidwellFull disclosure: I’m crazy about Paris. For many years, when David and I went to Europe we stopped off to visit his college roommate who lived in an elegant apartment near the Eiffel Tower. The 7th Arrondissement has no shortage of fine restaurants and bistros de luxe, but more often than not we would have an apéritif in the apartment before heading off to a lively brasserie or bistro populaire in the Latin Quarter. I still love French bistros and keep my eye out for new ones in Connecticut. Some are French in name only, but the minute I entered À Vert, a new brasserie in West Hartford, I was in Paris. The zinc bar, the wine list chalked on the mirror. The pressed-tin ceiling, the white tile and exposed-brick walls—authentic, romantic and real, including the warmth and friendliness that define bistro dining in the City of Light. It’s all good, but food beautiful food is the overriding reason to dine at À Vert. How could it not be? It’s owned by two chefs who in recent years have been making the Connecticut foodie world sit up and take notice: David Borselle at Bar Bouchée in Madison and Dorjan Puka at Treva around the corner in West Hartford. Read the full article on ConnecticutMag.com. Read More
Make Your Refrigerator Disappear. Integrated vs. Built-In Overlay @ Clarke? (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team March 26, 2014 For CTBites readers, fresh ingredients are key and proper food preservation is the way to maintain them. Three generations ago, Sub-Zero introduced refrigerators and freezers that were the same depth as standard kitchen counters. And they have been improving on the concept ever since. With the exception of those homeowners who love the look of an iconic gleaming stainless steel Sub-Zero refrigerator (and there are many), most people have long wished they could make their refrigerator disappear, while still keeping food preservation close at hand. If your online research or a visit to your kitchen designer has turned up terms like "integrated" and "overlay" refrigeration, you may be like many homeowners who find this choice confusing. In fact, that is one of the questions most often asked of the consultants at Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom. The original Sub-Zero Built-in Refrigerator requires a countertop depth of no less than 26-3/16". With a Built-In Sub-Zero, you can help to disguise your refrigerator or freezer by putting a cabinetry panel (overlay) on the face of the refrigerator, freezer or combination. The face of the appliance will blend with your kitchen, but you will still know it is an appliance. Read More
Food Trucks & Block Party @ Westport Country Playhouse CTbites Team March 25, 2014 Westport Country Playhouse will host a “2014 Season Kick-off Block Party,” on Saturday, April 12, 4 to 7 p.m., offering a fun, party-like atmosphere with food trucks, games and activities for adults and kids, prizes, special ticket offers, and a look at the Playhouse’s “backstage experience.” Admission is free and open to the public.Three local food trucks, Skinny Pines Pizza, LobsterCRAFT, and Christophe’s Crepes, will be on site with their specialties available for purchase. Beaver Beer will provide a free tasting of their brews, and Shake Shack will offer complimentary custard.For more information, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Read More
Little Pub New England Brewery Dinner Restaurant Beer Dinner Pub Beer CTbites Team March 24, 2014 Join us on April 1st @ Little Pub Ridgefield for a New England Brewing Company beer dinner hosted by New England Brewing Company’s partner/head brewer Matt Westfall. The evening will boast a five course beer pairing menu (view full menu below with pairings), a little education, and some general merry making. Matt Westfall will discuss the flavor profile, ingredients, and brewing process for each beer while also sharing stories about New England Brewing Company’s journey to becoming one of the region’s most respected and beloved craft brewers. Our own beer expert, James Gribbon will be on hand to answer any questions about his Friday Froth column or beer in general. Read More
Bick's Burgers Opens in Danbury Restaurant Danbury Lunch Kid Friendly Burgers Amy Kundrat March 23, 2014 Bick's Burgers opened on Friday, March 7 on Ives Street in downtown Danbury. And while I will save the true burger review for our resident expert, Jeff, here is a very early look at what to expect from Fairfield County's newest burger joint from our quick stop on opening day. The Bick's Burger concept is fairly straightforward–a modern take on burgers, elevated with homemade touches, and delivered with a solid 75/25 burger. The business is a partnership between Chef Michael Bick of SomeThings Fishy Catering, and his entrepreneurial son, Ian Bick. In a nod to its humble diner roots, Bick's embraces the décor of the 50's drive-in diner. A row of counter seating and stools faces the kitchen's flat top griddle, and a black and white checkered floor and red vinyl booths complete this homage. There are several homemade touches on the menu. Homemade buns, including brioche, truffle brioche and sesame Read More
Pizza Week 2014: The Definitive Guide to New Haven Pizza Restaurant Pizza New Haven CTbites Team March 22, 2014 Did you celebrate Pizza Week? Our very own executive editor and pizza lover Amy Kundrat breaks down the New Haven apizza scene for Eater.com's #PizzaWeek national initiative. In The Definitive Guide to New Haven Pizza, Amy focused on the parlors we all know and love. There is pizza, and then there is apizza. New Haven-style pizza is the latter; a hotter, crispier, and dirtier descendant of Neapolitan style pie. What ribs are to Kansas City, cheesesteak to Philadelphia, and crabcakes to Baltimore, pizza is to New Haven. If you grew up in or around the Elm City, your pizza parlor allegiance can be fierce. So how did Connecticut's second largest city become ground zero for some of the best pizza in the United States? Just what is New Haven-style pizza? Head on over to Eater.com for the full story. Read More
Vote for CTbites for Best Local Blog in Best of Fairfield County Readers Poll 2014 Stephanie Webster March 22, 2014 To all our readers who have enjoyed CTbites this past year, please VOTE FOR CTBITES to win BEST LOCAL BLOGGER in the annual Best of Fairfield County Readers Poll. Every vote makes a difference. VOTE HERE. Here's how to vote: Quickly register and then select the MEDIA & EDUCATION category. You will find CTbites under "Local Blogger" &"Local Twitterer." VOTING ENDS APRIL 2nd! Thanks for your support! Read More
The Invite: 5 Course Chocolate- Infused Dinner w/ Fritz at Chocopologie CTbites Invites CTbites Team March 21, 2014 Join Fritz Knipschildt of Chocopologie, and CTbites on Tuesday April 1, 2014 7-9:30 pm as we indulge the master chocolatier and his talented team of chefs in realizing his vision for a perfectly decadent Chocolate- Infused meal for $60 pp.This intimate dinner will feature five courses infused and/or influenced by Fritz's passion for chocolate. Inspired by his Danish roots and New Nordic cuisine, Fritz has created a truly unique menu... and for this night only! Each course will be paired with wine or spirits and will conclude with a decadent dessert, and Chocopologies Signature Chocolate Martini and coffee or tea. View menu below & DETAILS HERE. Read More
Friday Froth: Take The Black Ingredients Restaurant CT Beer Beer James Gribbon March 21, 2014 Springing forward is an effective way to A) add more light to the day, and B) feed the wailing vacuum where Morning People's souls would otherwise reside. Morning people are real-life Dementors who funnel away our sleep, and schedule 8a.m. meetings in their quest to rob us of the precious joy of living, but I say no. No cheap bagels can replace my repose, no tray of institutional eggs, and no bacon cooked under a clothes iron is worth my limited hours on this Earth. So I turn my back on the light, and embrace the dark. Tell 'em, Ray. As you have no doubt already read here on CTBites, The Ginger Man in South Norwalk revived their Great Wall of Stouts last week, allocating fifteen taps to the blackest of beers, and even going so far as to darken their trademark copper tap wall. Highlights of the event included a 2011 vintage of the impeccable Imperial Stout Trooper from New England Brewing, the deservedly popular Founder's Breakfast Stout (made with coffee, naturally), boozy, heavy offerings which drink like a meal, Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Restaurant Beer Dinner Cooking Classes Events Wine Shop Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 21, 2014 Monday March 24, Plan B in Stamford presents “Distill it with Willett.” Five courses will be paired with bourbon and bourbon cocktails… and they’ll use bourbon in every single course! 6 pm. $75pp, tax and tip included. Also on the 24th, Napa & Co in Stamford presents “A look at Sauvignon Blanc the hot white grape!” They’ll guide you through a global look at the varietal in New Zealand, Sancerre, Russian River, Napa Valley, South Africa and Washington! $45pp. 6:30pm. Brewery Ommegang comes to Harlan Social on Tuesday, March 25th for a 5-course menu paired with their beers. $70 plus tax and tip. 6:30- 9:30pm. Call 203.883.8000 to reserve seats. Event Menu: Tuesday March 25, Barcelona in West Hartford presents “New England Beers & Tapas.” In celebration of March Madness, Chef Eric is going to prepare some savory tapas to pair with some of New England’s thirst-quenching beers. $29 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 860.218.2100 March 25 is “Good Meats! An Evening with Charcuterie” at Fairfield Cheese Co. 7-9pm. Call 203.292.8194 for more information. Wednesday March 26 is the “Iron Bar Gala” at Plan B Burger Bar in Milford. Read More
Napa & Company Gets a New Chef: Adam Truelove at the Helm Restaurant American Italian Stamford Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger March 20, 2014 Since opening in 2006, Napa & Co. has received numerous accolades as one of the best restaurants in Connecticut with a creative and inventive menu. Co-Owner Mary Schaffer told CTbites that her vision from the start has been the “wine country cuisine of Northern California…flavorful, fresh, simply prepared food with its roots based from the European influence of wine growers coming to the area from Spain, France and Italy over the last 100 years.” The restaurant prides itself on “blend(ing) the cultures” of various cuisines. Schaffer also has a keen eye for culinary talent and last year she hired and handed oversight of the kitchen to Executive Chef Adam Truelove. Chef Adam earned a degree in Mathematics before following his culinary passion and enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan. After graduation, he honed his skills at Town and Esca Restaurants before returning to the FCI as a Chef Instructor. He relocated to the Fairfield County area as the opening Sous Chef at Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, the Executive Chef at Pine Social in New Canaan and eleven 14 Kitchen in Greenwich as the Chef du Cuisine. Last year Napa & Co. reached out to Chef Adam and asked him to join its team to oversee the kitchen as Executive Chef. Read More
Jane and Michael Stern's 'Roadfood' to Star in New Haven Event Connecticut Magazine March 19, 2014 From Rhode Island to Oregon, and North Dakota to Texas, Jane and Michael Stern have been everywhere and they’ve tried everything. On March 26, they're even going to try letting community college students take a crack at some classic roadfood recipes, for a good cause (details below). Their 36-year journey to find the best “roadfood” in the country has taken them to best tiny diners and local haunts, many of them easily overlooked if not pointed out. And that was the goal from the beginning; to show other travelers where the best food is, no matter how humble the location may be. Over the last three decades, the former couple—they were married and got divorced but continue to be writing partners—has released 10 books and launched the interactive website Roadfood.com to chronicle the journey. Every cheeseburger, gumbo, bread pudding and milkshake from coast to coast have been documented through intelligent prose and tempting photographs. The ninth edition of “Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 900 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More,” was recently released. The culinary students at Gateway Community College in New Haven are going to try their hands at some classic “roadfood” recipes at the school’s next “Chefs of Our Kitchen” (C.O.O.K.) event on March 26, and Jane and Michael will be on hand to talk about their adventures and sign books. The event begins at 6 p.m.in Gateway's Cafe Vincenzo. Tickets cost $95, with the proceeds going toward funding scholarships for Gateway students and providing professional development opportunities for the college’s faculty and staff. Read The Full Article at ConnecticutMag.com Read More
Little Pub Gets Ready to Open in Cos Cob: Sneak Peek Restaurant Cos Cob Greenwich Pub Bar Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster March 18, 2014 The Little Pub you know from Ridgefield and Wilton is opening its third location down south in Cos Cob, and CTbites received a sneak peek at the interior and plans for this new venture, now under construction. When Little Pub opened its doors in Ridgefield back in 2009 with its cozy feel of an alpine lodge meeting an English pub, it rapidly became the go-to spot for casual family friendly pub fare with a beer list that rivaled any bar around.. Fireplaces and rough wood beams graced the white plastered walls, and in a town filled with higher end chef-driven restaurants, Little Pub sets itself apart with a simple, well executed comfort food menu that appeals to both kids and adults. When CTbites asked Owner, Doug Grabe, and Operations Manager, Lars Anderson why Cos Cob, , both said “the people asked for it.” Turns out, restaurant owners do read those Comment Cards, and the cards at Little Pub said “we need you in Greenwich,” specifically Cos Cob whose demographics skew heavily towards families. Read More
Match in South Norwalk to Reopen This Week: Opening Cocktail Party Thursday Restaurant Norwalk SONO Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster March 16, 2014 After months of planning and a sleight of hand two week renovation, Match restaurant in South Norwalk is poised to reopen this week with a blow-out opening cocktail party celebrating the new Match on Thursday, March 20 at 5 pm. Beginning Thursday at 7:30 pm, reservations will be accepted for dinner with business as usual for SoNo’s beloved restaurant. Match opened up its still very dusty doors to CTbites over the weekend before the reopening, giving us a behind the scenes look at what to expect from the new Match, from its décor (purple!), new brand (relaxed and modern), to its new menu (more is more) and glimpses of a handful of reimagined and darn good looking dishes. A steady fixture in the Fairfield County dining scene with chef/owner Matt Storch at the helm for the past fourteen years, Match has built a loyal following and a menu of popular dishes along the way. In fact, when Match first announced it would close temporarily for renovations, many people reacted with equal parts fear and excitement, worried they would lose their beloved dishes such as Carpetbaggers and Wasabi Tuna (or was that just us?), but also looking forward to the restaurant’s facelift. Here's what to expect... Read More
Restaurant Scene Explodes @ Stamford's Harbor Point Restaurant Deli Frozen Yogurt Stamford Latin American Burgers Lou Gorfain March 14, 2014 Hard to believe, but spring beckons. It’s just a few days away. And along with hyacinths and daffodils, a number of new eateries will soon be blossoming at Stamford's Harbor Point -- just in time for those hazey lazey dayz. (Yes Virginia, there is a Summer) At the spectacular 6000 square foot Glass Garden on the waterfront, Aaron Sanchez is now shooting for a Cinco de Mayo opening for his new latin themed resto. As CTBites first reported last year, Sanchez will be working his spanish sorcery in a sexy, high end dining, cocktail and wine lounge space. But there's a name change: “Alegre” has become “Poloma” According to Jon Sabrowski, Harbor Point's Leasing Director, a bouquet of other new eateries are targeting a Memorial Day opening. Among them is an American grill from South End Hospitality, whose pedigree includes Black Bear, Darien Social, Bobby Q's and McFadden’s. The tap house will feature a rooftop bar, offering a panoramic view of the harbor and the Sound beyond. (Yes Virginia, there are sea breezes.) The restaurant faces the 22 story twin towered apartment complex currently under construction (We can report that the 242 unit complex will not be the hotel-condo once envisioned.) Read More
Plan B Throws "Iron Bar" Gala w/ Willett Distillery, NPR's Faith Middleton & Millwright's Tyler Anderson Restaurant Celebrity Chef Events Bar CTbites Team March 13, 2014 This just in from Plan B Burger Bar..... You think Bobby Flay and Michael Symon got anything on us? Those Iron Chef's may know how to cook but this is Iron Bar - time to put that work where it matters, getting our drink on. Hanging with Faith Middleton, Tyler Anderson and Drew Kulsveen sipping some cocktails and chowing on some beef fat fries. Yes, I did just say WNPR's Faith Middleton and Chopped Winner Tyler Anderson will both be there. Don't worry we've got more fab celebs for you to party with. This is your one and only chance to select this year's Iron Bar Champion. Read More
GIVEAWAY: Tix to 4B Festival... Beer, Bourbon, Bacon & BBQ for All CTbites Team March 13, 2014 The 4B Festival, the area’s first of its kind festival of specially curated beer, bourbon, barbecue and bacon is around the corner on March 22nd...but it's ALL SOLD OUT!! DO YOU WANT TIX TO The 4B Festival? We can help! CTbites is GIVING AWAY 5 pairs of tickets to the "Regular Admission Session 2" on Saturday March 22nd, 5:30pm-9:30pm. Each pair of tix is a $150 value!! TO WIN TICKETS, YOU MUST BE A CTBITES FACEBOOK FRIEND & POST A COMMENT BELOW AS TO WHY YOU DESERVE TO GET THAT PAIR OF TICKETS. 5 LUCKY WINNERS. GOOD LUCK! Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 13, 2014 This weekend, Fountainhead/Fat Cat Pie Co. in Norwalk will offer complimentary tastings of wine from the Southern Rhône. Fairway Market has its own house-baked Beer Bread! It’s made with local Blue Point Brewing Co. Hoptical Illusion IPA and is a combination of wheat, rye and sourdough. It has a strong essence and smell of hops and can be included in any type of meal of the day! Stop by to pick yours up- great for St. Patty’s! Artisan Restaurant has a brand new prix fixe lunch menu. On weekdays, enjoy an appetizer, entrée, and coffee or tea for just $19. See the menu here. The luck ‘o the Irish is giving you even more delicious choices to enjoy at Rodizio Brazilian Steakhouse in Stamford. They are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with some traditional and not-so-traditional additions to the menu: Corned Beef and Cabbage, Parsley Potatoes, Shamrock Brazilian Limeade, Leprechaun Limeade, Green Beer, Shamrock Coffees, Shamrock Cremes. Through the 17th. Strada 18 in SoNo is celebrating St. Patty's with a $29 prix fixe including Chef David's Famous House-Made Corned Beef, Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread Guinness Stout & Irish Whiskey Specials Guinness Stout Gelato! Read More
New Haven May Be Home to Another Tarry Lodge CTbites Team March 12, 2014 Connecticut may be home to another Tarry Lodge Enoteca and Pizzeria, due to arrive in New Haven as early as this summer, according to recent news reports by The New Haven Independent who covered the recent Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on Tuesday evening: The Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group intends to open a Tarry Lodge restaurant at 278 Park St., according to Lauren Zucker, Yale’s director of New Haven affairs. Yale holds a long-term lease on the property, which is owned by St. Thomas More. The Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group already have successful locations in Port Chester, NY and Westport, CT, led by Joe Bastianich, chef Andy Nusser, and general manager Nancy Selzer. Read More
