Fairfield County Chef's Table Restaurant Bethel Darien Greenwich Norwalk Ridgefield Stamford Westport New Canaan Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster April 11, 2014 After several years of immersing ourselves in the Fairfield County dining scene as partners and editors of CTbites, we had the opportunity to trade pixels for print. We are very excited to announce the launch of our book, Fairfield County Chef's Table, featuring over 50 restaurants and recipes, now available at your local book store and online. The book, published by Globe Pequot Press, was written by Amy Kundrat (yours truly), the executive editor and partner at CTbites. The photography is by none other than CTbites founder and editor in chief Stephanie Webster. It is the culmination of the many years we have been writing about and photographing the Connecticut food scene. This two year project was a blast to work on, and we only wish we could have included 50 more of our favorite restaurants. For more information, please visit our website. A special thank you to all the chefs, restaurant owners, farmers, friends, CTbites contributors, and CTbites readers who shared their time, expertise, and support. We hope you enjoy the book, experiment with the recipes from some of our favorite restaurants, and share it with your friends and family! Book Signings Barnes & Noble, Milford: April 27 @ 1 pm Barnes & Noble, Westport: May 17 @ 1 pm Read More
Bodega's Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Starts May 2nd (Suckling Pig Included) CTbites Team April 11, 2014 Bodega Taco Bar is keeping tradition alive and keeping Fairfield County partying with their annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. With the maiden voyage of the Bodega Food Truck this month, there will be even more to celebrate. Beginning Friday, May 2 thru Monday, May 5, the indoor / outdoor festivities include Bodega’s signature Mexican inspired fare, tequila tastings, cocktail specials, live music and dancing. Oh yeah. Celebration highlights include our self-proclaimed "Year of the Pig" menu which includes; roast suckling pig plato, pork belly lollipop (and now we are excited), pork chop stack with green apple chimmichuri, roast pork mexi-ramen bowl: cracklin' pig taco, and pork and crab dumplings. Sunday Family Cinco Brunch is family fun day with a piñata, games, and Bodega’s version of "touch a truck" with the new Bodega Food Truck. Tequila infused revelers can dance to Latin DJ spun tunes at both locations Saturday night. Read More
Passover Recipes: Nut Free Haroset & Matzo Kugel via Marcia Selden Catering Features Holiday Special Dietary Needs Recipe Marcia Selden Catering April 10, 2014 It's never too late to add a few new Passover recipes to the menu. Here are two more great Passover classics from Marcia Selden Catering including a Nut Free Haroset and a delicious Matzo Kugel. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 10, 2014 Get a Taste of Easter at Stew Leonard’s on Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13, 2014. Stew’s culinary team will offer complimentary tastes of their best sellers for Easter throughout the store. Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk- Saturday, April 12 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, April 13 12 – 4 p.m. On Monday evenings, order the special Burger & Bordeaux at South End in New Canaan and enjoy a Speakeasy Burger and a glass of Bordeaux for $25. Tuesday is Burger Night at Darien Social. Every Tuesday there will be new burgers, created by the Chef. Come out and enjoy the menu and the great price. Half Full Brewery in Stamford holds another Rare Beer Night on Wednesday April 16th. Rare Beer Night is a recurring series that will take place on the third Wednesday of each month. The evening will feature 3-5 test batches and attendees will receive full pints of each beer. Tasty food pairings will also be provided by Fairfield Cheese Company and Fairway Market. Also on Wednesday, Barcelona SONO presents “La Vida del Mercat,” a walk-around tasting that will feature our favorite food vendors, both locally and from Spain. This event will be farmers market style Read More
Passover Macaroons & Soufflé Cake Recipes via Tabouli Grill Features Holiday Recipe Dessert Judy Roll April 10, 2014 Passover begins April 14th as does the hunt for new and exciting crowd pleasing recipes for your Passover table. We found some excellent selection in the recently pubished e-book, “4 Bloggers Dish: Passover, Modern Twists on Traditional Flavors," but in case you still need a few more dessert options for your repertoire, here are the recipes for Macaroons and Chocolate Soufflé cake from Chef Judy Roll of Tabouli Grill. Read More
The Schoolhouse's Farm to Fork Dinners @ Millstone Farm Go On Sale May 1st CTbites Team April 09, 2014 Tickets for The Schoolhouse's Farm to Fork 2014 go on sale May 1st @ 10 am. If you are unfamiliar with Millstone Farm's "Farm to Fork" dinner, here's the scoop: Wilton's own, Chef Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale prepares four locally sourced courses served family style under the stars (weather permitting). The evening begins with a cocktail hour on the lawn (drinks included), followed by a tour of the 75 acre farm, and then dinner (BYOB). Take our word for it. This is one of the most unique culinary events in the area, and Millstone Farm provides the perfect backdrop (as well as extremely local ingredients). Dinner dates and details are below: Read More
Sun Winefest's Wine Review: What To Buy & Try Ingredients This Week In Wine Wine Shop Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 08, 2014 The annual Mohegan SunWineFest caters to a variety of interests. Restaurants, artisans, winemakers, and distributors unite in the sprawling Convention Center to deliver an epic weekend. However, wine lies at its heart; it is a “wine” fest after all! I enjoyed all of event’s facets, but as CTbites' wine correspondent, I paid careful attention to the hundreds of bottles presented. I researched the offerings ahead of time, questioned the representatives, and- of course- tasted the bounties to bring you a full report on which wines reign supreme. Check out my full report on: The Rise of Sauvignon Blancs, Is Oak a Joke?, Hail a Cab, Pleasing Pinots, Behold the Blend as well as a few other wine and spirit highlights. Read More
The NEW Versailles Bistro & Patisserie in Greenwich - From the Owners of Méli-Mélo Restaurant Coffee French Greenwich Breakfast Lunch Dessert Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger April 06, 2014 Almost a year ago, without notice or forewarning, a “For Sale” sign appeared on the window of Versailles Restaurant in Greenwich. At 6:15AM the following morning, Marc Penvenne was driving his usual route down Greenwich Avenue to his restaurant Méli-Mélo when he saw the sign. A few months earlier he started looking at several locations to open a second restaurant and now Versailles was available; he now knew the perfect location. Twenty years earlier, Penvenne was the manager at Versailles and left to open Méli-Mélo with his wife, Evelyne. Now, Marc and Evelyne are the proud owners of both Méli-Mélo and the re-invented Versailles Bistro and Patisserie. When you enter the reimagined restaurant, the front area is a patisserie, complete with white marble-topped tables, bistro chairs and glass display cases filled with tantalizing pastries. Behind these cases is a coffee bar, serving some of the best café au lait in Greenwich. In the rear, the patisserie opens to a restaurant with bistro style dark wood tables and chairs plus a long leather lined banquette. The walls are adorned with photos of Paris and framed French posters dating from the first half of the 20th century. Read More
Connecticut Food Bank's 2014 Walk Against Hunger Stephanie Webster April 06, 2014 For most of us, the biggest decision we face when we’re hungry or need groceries is where to shop. But for many of the 390,000 people in Connecticut who do not have enough food to eat, their decisions involve whether to buy groceries or pay the rent. For others, soup kitchens and shelters provide the only meals they will eat. You can help raise funds for anti-hunger efforts in Connecticut by participating in Connecticut Food Bank’s 2014 Walk Against Hunger. JOIN THE CTBITES TEAM . Walks will take place on April 27th in Bridgeport, May 4th in New Haven, May 18th in both Norwich and Waterbury (new location!). Each spring, the Connecticut Food Bank sponsors a Walk Against Hunger to raise money and consciousness about hunger in our state. Register for one of the Walks below: Read More
Cask Republic Stamford Hosts "5C" Bluepoint Beer Dinner w/ 5 Chefs Restaurant Beer Dinner Beer CTbites Team April 03, 2014 The new Cask Republic in Stamford is hosting their first ever beer dinner on May 6th, and we hear it's going to be pretty epic. Cask has invited all 5 of their head chef's from Cask Republic and Ginger Man to lead the evening's culinary journey. Each will throw down a dish of their choice to be paired with a hand picked Cask Ale from Blue Point Brewery. Casks in contention will be selected at this weekend's Blue Point Brewery Cask Festival. Welcome to the neighborhood Cask. We're glad you're here. Details are below: Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 03, 2014 Stratford, Branford, and New Haven Restaurant weeks continue through April 11th and 12th! Click here for menus, participating restaurants, and details. On Monday April 7, Barcelona Fairfield presents “Light & Delicious Spring Tapas.” If you would like to add tasty yet light items to your spring menu, this is the class for you. Join Chef Helton and learn how to make chorizo & figs, and early spring vegetable dishes. $35 pp + tax and gratuity. For reservations, call the restaurant at 203.255-0800 Tuesday April 8, Geronimo’s in Fairfield presents a special tasting of Herradura tequila to benefit Operation Hope. The fun starts at 7pm. Details here. Olio (a Stamford, CT favorite) is now open for lunch! It will be served Wednesdays-Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. http://www.oliostamford.com/ Learn about "E. Guigal Wines of Rhone Valley, France” on Wednesday April 9th. The event takes place from 7-9pm at Harry's on the Post Rd in Fairfield. The Guigal CT Brand Manager, Francois Chaillou, will provide expert guidance and information during this tasting of a top producer of the Rhone Valley. Their wines are the benchmarks for every Rhone appellation, and over the last thirty years they have become arguably one of the most lauded producers in the world. $35 one session Read More
4 Bloggers Passover E Book: 50+ Kosher Recipes CTbites Team April 03, 2014 Ten weeks ago, one of our past contributors, Liz Rueven, clicked open an e-mail and read an enticing invitation to join three other food bloggers on a fast and furious journey that has resulted in this collaborative cookbook, “4 Bloggers Dish: Passover, Modern Twists on Traditional Flavors.” With over 60 recipes in six sections, this book has plenty to offer traditionalists, vegetarians, vegans and those with gluten-free restrictions. In addition to a wide range of healthy, re-invented and highly original dishes, we break it down with suggested menus so you won’t schvitz a bit when your vegetarian cousin says she’s celebrating this holiday of freedom at your table. They are promo’ing the launch with a super reduced price of $1.99. To purchase this EBook go to: http://amzn.to/1erq37Z Preview a few of the recipes below via Liz Ruven of KosherLikeMe.com: Read More
Chef Jon Vaast Joins Sugar & Olives in Norwalk: Now Serving Dinner Restaurant Brunch Local Farm Norwalk Organic Lunch Stephanie Webster April 02, 2014 There's a new chef in the kitchen at Sugar & Olives in Norwalk. You may recognize the name from his years cooking over at Dressing Room in Westport. It's Chef Jon Vaast, and Jennifer Balin, owner of Sugar & Olives, explains her new hire as "An Organic collaboration between two like minded people." Johnny and Balin have been strong advocates for the local and sustainable food movement, and simply put, want to create a menu with delicious food sourced from within an arms reach of the shop. Every ingredient at Sugar & Olives is seasonal, and comes from a farm near the restaurant. Balin says "whenever possible, she selects ingredients that are also Organic." With Chef Vaast at the helm, Sugar & Olives is excited to announce that in addition to their daily weekday service, and one of the best brunches in Fairfield County, they have begun dinner service Thursday through Saturday. Read More
The 4B Festival Recap: Didn't Score Tix? Here's What Went Down in New Haven Restaurant Cocktails Beer James Gribbon April 01, 2014 The first ever 4b Festival had several teething problems, but attendees having fun didn't seem to be one. Well, let me back up a step... The 4b Festival was a celebration of the bacon, BBQ, beer and bourbon available in Connecticut. Do you like these things? Yes? Then 4b was for you... and you, and you and you, and a lot of other people. Many Americans, let's say most of us, love these alliterative drinks and foodstuffs, and are all about an event which puts them in the same place at the same time. I personally had several B's for the first time at the festival, both food and drink, learned quite a bit, and met some great new people. I also left hungry, and not in a figurative sense. The inaugural 4b Festival was held at the Old Trolley Barn, a warehouse just off the State Street exit on I-91 in New Haven. Most of the event's parking was several blocks off site (and an extra $5), but it was a sunny day and walking off a few calories before an event like this is for the best, anyway. I walked through the gates just before the fest's second session began at 5:30, and was met with a line of people which would have done the TSA proud. Like I said: people like bacon. Read More
Eleven 14 Kitchen - A Delightful Journey into California Cuisine Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger March 30, 2014 Eleven 14 Kitchen is a beautifully designed restaurant offering deliciously prepared cuisine. Reminiscent of the California culinary experience that accentuate the natural flavors of each of the ingredients, the menu offers meats, fish and poultry in artfully composed presentations. The stunningly designed and decorated restaurant is located in the J House Hotel in Riverside, Greenwich. The front area contains a U-shaped marble topped bar with leather covered bar stools and several chandeliers cast an inviting light to socialize and drink beers and specialty cocktails. The rear of the space is dedicated to the dining area, with 100 seats plus a new outdoor patio that will be ready for dining al fresco this summer. The ambient lighting is soft from the cloth cover lighting over the rear tables and the entire room is lit from the center chandelier with low lights. The décor is relaxed, and stylish. Overseeing the kitchen is Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo, a native of the Ivory Coast who spent fifteen years as Wolfgang Puck’s Executive Chef at Spagos Restaurants Read More
Sono Baking Company Opening Darien Shop on Tokeneke Road Ingredients Restaurant Bakery Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster March 29, 2014
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 28, 2014 Saturday March 29 is a Charter Oak Beer Tasting in Madison, CT. Summer is becoming closer, why not visit the beautiful shoreline town of Madison and enjoy some locally brewed craft beer? Charter Oak will be sampling 1687 Brown Ale, Royal Charter Pale Ale, the newest release, the Wadsworth India Pale Ale. Free event. Call 203-801-5218 for more information. 188 Boston Post Road Madison, Connecticut. Wednesday April 2 is Bistro B’s Spring Wine Dinner at the Bridgeport location. Menu by Chef Joseph Italiano, 4 course dinner with wine parings. $50.00 per person plus tax and gratuity. For information and reservations, call 203-908-4224 or visit www.bistrob.net. The new Match has been open for just a handful of dinners, but they’re bringing back a beloved friend… Thursday Burger Night! In case you need a refresher, the burger is 7 ounces of aged, ground, grass-fed beef from Saugatuck Craft Butchery, on a caramelized onion brioche bun, smothered with a bacon-cheese sauce and sweet & sour onion jam. Hungry yet? Also on Wednesday Muse Paintbar in Hartford will offer “Painting, Wine & Beer, and Good Times!” Read More
Chef Bill Taibe Opening New Asian Restaurant in Westport Restaurant Asian Bill Taibe Chinese Japanese Westport Stephanie Webster March 27, 2014 If there is any cuisine that is not represented well in Fairfield County, it is Asian, but all of that is about to change. Bill Taibe, Owner of The Whelk and Le Farm, has informed CTbites that he has signed a lease on the old Bistro 88 space in Bridge Square, Saugatuck, and will be opening his 3rd venue by the beginning of summer. What now you ask? Think Asian. This new venue will take its culinary and design inspiration from the traditional Izakaya Japanese pubs, which offer a casual dining experience, lots of small tapas-sized snacks, and great drinks. "I've wanted to do Asian since I was at Relish," says Taibe. When asked why Asian, Taibe stated, "In all honesty, it's the food that I gravitate towards most often...and we are always looking to challenge ourselves." "Imagine The Whelk...but Asian." The new venue will be a mix of Japanese and Chinese. "It's our own interpretation of Asian cuisine, but will draw from those regions." Read More
10 Questions for Jeffrey Lizotte of Hartford's ON20 Restaurant Hartford Chef Talk Amy Kundrat March 27, 2014 Chef Jeffrey Lizotte is the executive chef of Hartford's acclaimed ON20 restaurant and Connecticut’s only nominee for FOOD & WINE’s annual People’s Best New Chef award [you can vote online through March 31 at 5 pm]. A Connecticut native, Lizotte has been executive chef of ON20 since 2012. A graduate of Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, Jeffrey has worked under chefs David Bouley and Eric Ripert, and completed stages in France at the acclaimed La Tupina in Bordeaux, and the two Michelin-starred La Bastide St. Antoine in Grasse, France. In 2009, Lizotte returned to the nutmeg state as Chef de Cuisine at ON20, becoming executive chef in 2012. The same year, he earned a silver medal at the Bocuse D’Or USA and was awarded Valhrona Best Pastry while representing the U.S in the international culinary competition Trophee Passion. A talented Connecticut chef, CTbites invited Lizotte to participate in our '10 Questions' column to understand what makes him tick as a chef both inside and outside of the kitchen. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? Pasta Carbonara – everyone likes a good pasta dish. It is simple and one of my favorites. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Read More
New Haven Restaurant Week is April 6 - 11, 2014 Restaurant Restaurant Week CTbites Team March 27, 2014 New Haven Restaurant Week returns Sunday, April 6- Friday, April 11. The 14th installment of the promotion will feature prix fixe menus for lunch ($18) and dinner ($32) at 29 of New Haven's finest restaurants. www.infonewhaven.com/restaurantweek. View a complete list of participating restaurants on Info New Haven or follow NHV Restaurant Week on Facebook. Read More
