It’s the corner where downtown Stamford’s sidewalk café scene began. Bedford and Spring streets. Barrique has the best location in downtown Stamford, in a quaint stone building a few steps from the Art Deco Avon Theatre (date night recommendation--an independent film and Barrique’s bistro food).
In summer, Barrique’s large, wood doors fold open on both sides of the corner. For 14 years, it was Chez Jean-Pierre, and under new ownership since June, Barrique’s dining room has lost the humorous Renoir-esque mural of Jean-Pierre and his friends in favor of a subdued white and gray palette -- white-washed brick walls, café chairs, wrought iron chandeliers, and bare, dark wood tables. It’s a casual, relaxing atmosphere. And there’s a new bar room at the back of the restaurant, a cozy spot where jazz is played Wednesday evenings.
Executive chef/co-owner Louis Barresi’s menu mostly focuses on France, with Italian, Spanish, Latin, Asian and Latin influences. Barresi is a co-owner of Doppio Artisan Pizza in Greenwich, New York City and Long Island. Manager and partner Danny Silver is the sommelier. Barrique means “barrel” in French, and if you have questions about the 41 wines served by the glass, ask him. He’s the former sommelier at A Voce in New York City.
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.
"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.
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.
Fairfield county residents will be soon crossing the border (passports not required)-- into Upper Westchester County's suburb of Armonk, after this week's opening of Fortina. Chef Christian Petroni, recently Executive Chef of Greenwich's Barcelona Restaurant, is joined by John Nealon, ex-GM of the same provenance and Nealon's childhood friend, Rob Krauss as business partners. Both Nealon and Krauss originally hail from Westport. Petroni, a local himself, is also co-owner of Cooked & Co., in Scarsdale.
Recalling the many memorable meals he had eaten during his time spent in Italy, Petroni's vision was to bring Italy's simple authentic flavors, cooking methods and presentation to the dishes he serves at Fortina. This vision is executed with the help of 2 wood burning ovens imported straight from Naples, Italy which serve as a focal point in the main dining room. In fact with the exception of just a few menu items, everything is cooked in these fiery hearths...even a pasta dish or two! (And you should hear Petroni when he speaks of his ovens...like a proud new Papa )
In search of my culinary Dulcinea, I heard there was a new "cocinero" in the town. So, instead of hopping on a faithful nag, I got in my fickle Mini Cooper and headed to the Greenwich Barcelona for the culinary offerings of new head-chef, Michael Lucente. Chef Michael comes to Barcelona after 10 years of experience, starting as a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. He has been Sous Chef at BLT Steak in Westchester and Napa in Stamford and head chef at La Promenade des Anglais in New York. He had the exciting opportunity to Sous Chef on Iron Chef America in April of last year and joined Barcelona Greenwich in November. Greenwich, you're in luck. And so are Barcelona patrons everywhere as the revamping of Barcelona's signature menu is making tapas-cravers everywhere muy feliz.
The culinary landscape of New Canaan now includes the vibrant cuisine of the Iberian Peninsula with the opening of Picador, the second restaurant of owner Alan Basaran. Located on Elm Street in the space formerly occupied by Harvest Supper, the interior’s décor offers a warm and inviting environment as backdrop to the region’s vibrant cuisine. Copper-topped tables and a wrap-around leather-covered banquette fill the entire back and side walls with additional copper-topped tables with dark leather chairs occupying the remainder of the space. The walls are adorned with plates, mirrors and sconces; reminiscent of the region.
Acclaimed chef, author and restaurateur Rafael Palomino recently opened Bistro Latino in the space first occupied by Boxing Cat Café and then Greenwich Tavern in Old Greenwich. The vast dining room has been done over indark wood flooring which is flanked by racked walls that flaunt an extensive portfolio of international wines.
Palomino won his food-star stripes when he opened Sonora in Manhattan almost two decades ago, introducing Manhattan to Nuevo Latino cuisine, and earning raves from the city’s food critics. Sonora's wild success inspired Rafael to bring his unique cooking style to satellite restaurants in New Haven, Tuckahoe, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Sonora now lives in Port Chester.
Despite its name, Greenwich's Bistro Latino is not really Nuevo Latino since the dishes are more of Spain than Latin and South America. Rafael has created a menu that features European tapas and paella -- which he anoints with flavors from his Columbian and Queens roots. "Spanish bathed in Picante Style," is how the restaurant describes it. As a result, Bistro Latino is really more about invention than tradition.
Most of the time at restaurants, I have no idea what to order because there are so many great choices. At Cadiz, however I can choose many different dishes. I can even order ten and share with friends and family.
Cadiz is a place where you order several tapas and share among the group. Don’t be fooled though. It is located in the Bethel movie theater but that doesn’t mean it's cheap diner food. Plus, there are some great gluten-free options.
My family started out with a basket of bread, a small plate of hummus with baked pita chips, and a bowl of Greek olives. The bread had a crunchy and flaky crust with a soft and warm inside. It tasted amazing; a great way to kick off the meal.
If you're in the neighborhood and like your bubbles, don't miss the "Cheers to CAVA Wine Dinner" on Thursday, April 12th at Barcelona Restaurant in West Hartford, 7pm.
Champagne is one of the world’s most profound and expensive wines, usually only drank in times of celebration. However, Spain has its own popular sparkling wine created in the exact same style as its French counterpart, called Cava. While never bearing the generally high price tag as to Champagne, Cava is just as enjoyable and inspiring. As a self-declared “bubble head,” Gretchen Thomas, Wine & Spirits Director for the Barcelona Restaurant Group, is throwing a wine dinner showing off her favorites from several Spanish regions and their uncanny ability to pair well with even the heaviest and most flavorful dishes - a good thing since their Executive Chef, Adam Greenberg, is known for his creativity. This promises to be one of the most eye-opening food and wine pairing event of the season.
$45 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
For reservations, email gretchen@barcelonawinebar.com
WIN a FREE DINNER for TWO at Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar. Here's how..
You all did such a superior job with our recent cocktail contest, we decided to throw the gauntlet down once again. If your Cocktail name is selected, it will be featured on Barcelona Restaurant's new drinks menu & you will receive a FREE DINNER FOR TWO @ any Barcelona Restaurant (+ YOUR new cocktail).
"YOUR NAME HERE" Cocktail Recipe:
2 bar spoons of diced cucumber
½ oz. Simple Syrup
1 oz. Lime Juice
½ oz. St. Germain
1 oz. Vizcaya 12 yr. Rum
1 dash hellfire bitters
pimenton/sugar dipped cucumber slice
Post your submission below (include email) , or if you're shy, feel free to send it to us directly. Cocktail names must be submitted by March 31st.
Hearty souls splashed through the rain Dec. 7 on the way to Barcelona Restaurant in Fairfield, and were rewarded with a tornado of pork. Old world cheeses supplied by event host Michele Buster of Forever Cheese sat on the tables, piled on wooden boards, and would be joined by small blocks of quince jam and a roast suckling pig that ought to be legally classified as a mind-altering substance, but the star of the show, from start to finish, was a shoulder of cured Iberico ham.
Everybody loves a good adult beverage. This fairly safe assumption has inspired this recent Chef Talk mini-series focusing exclusively on uncovering and sharing some of Fairfield County's best cocktails.
You're going to need to break out the shaker with this first cocktail, the Barcelona Blood Orange Margarita.The margarita is one of the most popular picks at the restaurant known for a bustling happy hour and hearty Spanish tapas menu in its four locations in Fairfield County and now an outpost in your house. Cheers!
Parrilada del Mar - Grilled lobster, scallops, shrimp, mussels, fish, baby squid; sate fennel, lime juice and extra virgin olive oil Photograph by Judith PszenicaI am a sucker for drinks with a kick so when I heard that Meigas, an authentic Spanish restaurant in East Norwalk, was serving up jalapeno martinis alongside their tapas, it jumped to the top of my “Gotta Get To” list. For those unfamiliar with Meigas, it is has been around since the 80's (also under the name Meson Galacia). Some may recall (either with fondness or not) the elaborate Nuevo foam and emulsions that graced their plates in recent years. However, the menu shifted in late 2008, when Carlos Hernandez took over the helm bringing with him a return to more traditional Spanish tapas with a modern flair.
Eager to get my hands on this jalepeno martini and to get to the bottom of Meigas' uneven reviews, my friend and I headed over for lunch last Saturday.
The downtown Stamford fun quotient rose dramatically with the early-summer addition of a Fairfield County stalwart -- Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant. Having enjoyed many festive, delicious meals (and pitchers of sangria) over the years at Barcelona in both SONO and Greenwich, I wondered if the new Stamford location would compare favorably, or if the restaurant’s sixth outlet would start to feel too much like a chain.
I needn’t have worried. Barcelona in Stamford has a bustling urban bistro vibe all its own, and its energy and warmth spill out onto lower Summer Street thanks to a large, open sidewalk dining area. Handwritten chalkboard menus, warm wood floors and well-trained staff will make this the perfect setting for comfortable eating all year round.
