Chef Brian Lewis Brings elm restaurant to Millstone Farm

Restaurant Farm Dinner Farm to Table Local Farm

CTbites Team June 25, 2014

This summer, Chef Brian Lewis brings the tables of elm restaurant to Millstone Farm to share the flavors of the season with a new series of farm dinners under the stars. Millstone’s beautiful landscape will set the stage for a 4-course feast of seasonally-driven cuisine. Each event will begin at 6 p.m. with small bites, lawn games, live music and farm tours for the entire family. See dates below:

Tickets are $35 per child and $135 per adult, BYOB, tax and gratuity included. Limited family-style seating. Reserve at info@elmrestaurant.com or call 203.920.4994. Reservations will be accepted one month prior to each event. For more information, please visit the event page at www.elmrestaurant.com.

Old School Pizzeria in Fairfield c/o The Lunch Break Chronicles

Restaurant Fairfield Pizza

CTbites Team June 25, 2014

Photo: Keith Whamond

Hearst Newspaper's Lunch Break Chronicles is where we often go to find hidden gems in Fairfield County. Brett Mickelson recently visited the latest pizza parlor with a familiar chef—Derek Furino, formerly of Behind the Net in Darien and John Dough's Pizza Bar in Norwalk has moved on to become a partner in Old School Pizzeria in Fairfield.

Here's the report from Brett:

And The Winner of the Match Cocktail Naming Contest Is....

CTbites Team June 24, 2014

Chef Matt Storch and Mixologist, Adam Patrick, have made a decision regarding the summer cocktail that over 150 CTbites readers attempted to name. There were some solid choices out there from people all over CT, but we are pleased to announce that...

The winner of the Match Cocktail Naming Contest is Frank Doherty with his winning name "Da Plane, Da Plane." Get the reference?

A huge thank you to all those who participated, and we will be back soon with another Cocktail Naming Contest later this summer.

Ridgefield High School Student Christopher DiFabio Spins Pizza Pies for a Cause

Kids Bites Restaurant

CTbites Team June 24, 2014

Ridgefield High School Junior Christopher DiFabio will take over the pizza kitchen at ReNapoli in Old Greenwich on June 28 at 3 pm for an hour-long pizza-making competition to raise money for the charity Full Courts Peace. DiFabio will will race the clock, making as many pizzas as possible within the hour. He is asking for sponsors to pledge a dollar for each pizza produced. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Christopher is the son of six-time world pizza champion Bruno DiFabio, owner of 10 pizzerias around the country including ReNapoli and Pinocchio pizzerias in Wilton and New Canaan.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will support the building of a basketball court in Havana, which he plans to visit in the fall. He is asking for sponsors to pledge a dollar for each pizza produced. Connecticut residents interested in supporting the cause can contact christopherdifabio@aol.com or Bruno@pizzascience.com, or drop by ReNapoli to submit a pledge. All pledgers are invited to attend a pizza party reception at 7pm, where Christopher and Bruno DiFabio’s award-winning pizzas will be served.

Rooftop Fireworks Party hosted by The Spread SoNo July 3rd

CTbites Team June 23, 2014

Avoid the traffic and the crowds and help celebrate Independence Day on THURSDAY JULY 3rd* from 6:30-10 pm on the rooftop in SoNo hosted by the boys of The Spread. For $65 pp, you get FREE parking, passed appetizers, full dinner, sangria, Thimble Island Beer and American Harvest Vodka drinks, and admission to the best fireworks in CT, viewed from the roof of the N Water St Parking structure across from Maritime Aquarium! View the complete menu below:

Supported by the The Norwalk Parking Authority, and presented by Spread Out Catering, The Spread Executive Chef Carlos Baez will create a special menu just for this event, and there will even be an after party just down the street at The Spread with live music.

Grab some friends and party till you are red, white and blue in the face!
There is even discounted pricing available for groups of 6 or of 10. Group of 6 gets over 10% off, and groups of 10 over 15% off!

Connecticut's Best Dairy Farm Ice Cream: 2014 Edition

Ingredients Restaurant Road Trip ice cream Best of CT Kid Friendly Dessert

Lou Gorfain June 22, 2014

With summer finally here, we have updated and expanded our annual roundup of the best dairy farm ice cream in Connecticut.

You can’t get closer to farm fresh ice cream than tasting it at farm. Not only do you see the cows, you whiff them, and that aroma is part of the authenticity of the experience, if not the charm. Sure, these farms aren’t close by. But WTD. They’re “Worth The Drive” And worth the lick: usually the freshest, creamiest, and most flavorful retail ice cream available in Connecticut.

While Chocolate and Vanilla remain cash cows, dairy farms also offer a greater array of flavors than you’ll find at parlors or in the supermarket freezer case. In fact, farmers have begun to rival restaurant chefs for sheer inventiveness and culinary dairying-doo.

So, for your and your family’s guilty or innocent pleasures, we submit our favorite cow-to-cone ice creams …

Win Two Seats to Napa & Chef Elizabeth Falkner Pizza Party

CTbites Team June 20, 2014

Secrets of a Supermarket: The Science of Selling

Ingredients Features Specialty Market

Lou Gorfain June 20, 2014

There exists an arcane branch of psychology dubbed “Supermarket Science." To uncover the secrets of how and why we buy our groceries, researchers treat a supermarket floor as a behavioral lab. They track such factors as our route through the store, our eyeball movement in the aisles, even our conversation at the checkout counter. As a result, nothing in a supermarket is there by happenstance.

So how much does a supermarket play the customer? Encourage you to buy more?

To find out, we asked Robert Reinisch the manger of Stamford's Fairway market to candidly talk about his store’s selling strategies. We chose Fairway not only to take advantage of Reinisch's openness and passion to do well by his customers, but also because it’s a food-centric supermarket. No banks, no pharmacy, no kitchenware, not even a loyalty card (another window on your personal buying habits.)

We asked Robert about the first axiom of Supermarket Science: “The more time spent in the store, the more money spent in a store.”

"Absolutely we want the customer to spend as much time as possible here," Reinisch allowed. "Our average shopping trip lasts about an hour."

Wow, that's 50% longer than the national average of 40 minutes. What’s Fairway’s secret? Appealing to a customer’s basic emotions.

The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 19, 2014

Walrus & Carpenter in Bridgeport is celebrating 1 year with a Pig Roast on June 26th. No reservations. Just swing by.

Olio of Stamford debuted an all new dinner menu. They serve dinner Tuesday - Thursday from 5:30-10:00 and Friday - Saturday til 11pm. They are also now open for lunch Wednesday-Saturday.

Monday June 23, Craft 260 of Fairfield presents its third beer dinner with New England Brewing Co. Tickets are available for sale for $85. Tax and gratuity are included.

Harry's of Fairfield presents “Lesser Known Grapes - Great Flavors” on Wednesday June 25 from 7-9pm. Doug Rankin, owner of Missing Link Wine Company, will introduce you to a number of new and unique grapes and wine flavors. $35 one session.

Visit the Darien Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 11-4pm.

This summer, enjoy happy hours at Thali in New Haven on Wednesdays from 5-7 pm.

Scafata Recipe from BONDA Restaurant

Features Chef Talk Recipe

CTbites Team June 19, 2014

BONDA prides itself on always using the finest and freshest ingredients – and local, when available. On June 19th, Chef Jamie will be demo'ing & serving his beautiful recipe for Scafata (recipe can be found below), highlighting a medly of seasonal vegetables.

Last season Jamie procured many vegetables at Westport Farmers’ Market - primarily from Sport Hill Farm and Fort Hill Farm. He often drives directly to Sport Hill Farm throughout the week as it is about just as far from his restaurant as the Westport Market - and open every day! Jamie also frequents the weekly Greenfield Hill Farmers’ Market outside BONDA's doorstep (every Saturday during the Summer).

Every spring Jamie picks his own ramps at his secret spots and this year was a banner ramp season! To extend the season Jamie is pickling his own ramps and pureeing and freezing the greens for future use. Most recently a friend has opened up his organic garden to Jamie and lucky diners have been enjoying a variety of beautiful lettuces.

2014 Food Truck Festival in Hamden

Restaurant Food Truck Hamden

CTbites Team June 18, 2014

The second annual Hamden Food Truck Festival is taking place this Friday, June 20, from 4:30 to 9 p.m.at Hamden Town Center Park.

Over 30 vendors will fill the park, including:

SAVORY

Caseus, Spuds Your Way, Firedog, Turkey HUT LLC, Fryborg, World Famous Ted's Steamed Cheeseburgers, The Whey Station, Szabo's Seafood Take Out, Prepared Foods and Catering, Mamoun's Falafel Cart, Aurora's Gypsy Cafe, The Soup Girl, Smoke Box BBQ, Uncle D's Blazin BBQ, and Ricky D's Rib shack.

SWEET

Four Flours Baking Company, LLC, Sugar Bakery & Sweet Shop, NoRA Cupcake Company, Addeo's Italian Ice, Nana's Ice Cream truck, Ben & Jerry's of Canton, CT, Six Pence Pies, Elm City Kettle Corn, DiSorbo's Bakery, Fruit Whirled.

Spud Stud Food Truck: Enormous Potatoes and Toppings

Food Truck

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger June 17, 2014

As the food truck craze expands throughout Fairfield County, new menus are continually being presented offering the customer even more choices. Over the last ten years we have witnessed the options expand to include Mexican, burgers, pizza, lobster rolls, crepes, grilled cheese and porchetta sandwiches. Another inventive variation is offered by Spud Stud, the brightly colored truck adorned with a smirking potato with its arm around the shoulder of a bikini-clad vixen.

The Spud Stud truck is one of three that are parked outside my office building each Wednesday, and it draws its loyal weekly devotees, plus many new and curious customers. Presented by husband and wife team Craig and Krista McCarthy, Spud Stud offers a variety of options, but their marquee product is the “Loaded Baked Potato” and enormous, split baked potato stuffed with one on fourteen toppings ranging from traditional toppings to eclectic combinations.

The New Downtown Milford Farmers' Market

Seasonal Restaurant Farmers Market Milford

Amy Kundrat June 17, 2014

The new Downtown Milford Farmers' Market, led by Market Master and Scratch Baking Manager Alex Malaspinas, will be open every Saturday, now through October 11, 2014 from 9 am to 1 pm. The market is located at 58 River Street in Milford, CT and is easily accessible by train as the lot sits adjacent to the Milford train station. Featured vendors include Scratch Baking, Vaiuso Farms, Rose's Berry Farm, Lisa's Soaps, Dash N' Drizzle, Calandrelli Kettle Corn, Tasty Good Eats, Chiropractic & Wellness Center of Milford, Autumn Rose Flower & Gift Shop, Maple View Farm, and more as the season gets underway.

If you can't make it into Scratch Baking in Milford, Alex also shared the bakery's special events schedule this summer:

The Best Tacos in Connecticut: Ultimate Guide

Restaurant Darien Fairfield Food Truck Hartford Norwalk Stamford Tacos Mexican New Haven Best of CT Kid Friendly

April Guilbault June 15, 2014

There is truly a Mexican restaurant for everyone. There are the quiet ones that scream “authentic! authentic! authentic!” and then there are the more modern ones with the guac that is “hand-slapped” or “slapped to order.” Excuse me? Was it naww-ghty? Mex goes 50 Shades, I see. And if the recent lime shortage (I can’t think of lime-hijackings without giggling, sorry) has you in a tizzy and wondering just how the heck you and your margaritas are going to make it through the summer, just head to these places. Let them figure out the limes, you can figure out how many drinks and how much lime-infused guacamole to have.

Here's our list of the 16 Best Taco Restaurants & Trucks in Connecticut. Feel free to add your favorites to the list below.

Road Trip to Philly: Food, Bars & Culture

Philadelphia Philly Road Trip

Elizabeth Keyser June 13, 2014

When I told a friend I was going to Philadelphia for a couple days, he said, “second prize, two weeks in Philadelphia.” That old W.C. Fields joke is funny, but two days in this art-filled, foodie city made me wish for two weeks. There’s lots to explore. Chef-followers will recognize Iron Chef Jose Garces, Top Chef Kevin Sbraga, and empire-building chef Stephen Starr. Locals will tell you about their favorite mixologist Katie Loeb.

CT Bites readers will discover the American food revolution took root early in Philadelphia, and it’s flourished. Philly’s vibrant city streets are filled with interesting architecture, art, museums, restaurants, cafes, clubs and bars. Yet, it’s a polite city. People murmur, “Excuse me.” And if they see you with a map in your hand and a befuddled expression on your face, they offer directions. Showing the Brotherly Love is what they do.

Brauhaus Schmitz

The Philadelphia food story begins with the Germans, who first arrived in 1683. Today, lines form out the door Fridays and Saturday’s at Brauhaus Schmitz, which specializes in New German cooking.

Friday Froth: Sweet, Sour and Stout

Ingredients Friday Froth Beer

James Gribbon June 13, 2014

You're hungry, but you sit there, getting hungrier, because you don't know what you want to eat. Spoiled for choice, you end up ravenous and choosing the closest, quickest option for an ultimately unsatisfying resolution. An Italian combo sub is good, but Thai would have been better. Barbeque usually hits the spot, but enchiladas suizas are what you were really craving. Sometimes having fewer options can lead to happier conclusions. This week I'm going to give you a few options in three categories, and hopefully it will make your decisions a little easier the next time you're faced with a giant wall of six packs, or a tap list with fifty options.

How about something fruitier to start? A drink almost like a punch, or a cocktail you'd get at a tiki bar? One answer to sate this need is Birrificio del Ducato Frambozschella. This is an Italian beer made with fresh raspberries and lactic acid, then aged in wooden barrels. It pours a deep, dark ruby red, and had almost no head at all as it was poured for me. You'll be able to smell the pH from four inches away and it's sour, but it never threatened to turn my face inside out.

The Drawing Room in Cos Cob Presents: Artist’s Table Dinner, June 22nd

Restaurant Cos Cob Events

CTbites Team June 12, 2014

The Drawing Room in Cos Cob has announced a June 22nd date for the next Artist’s Table Dinner Series event. For those unfamiliar with The Drawing Room, it is an intimate gem, with a small dining room and garden patio that extends the tiny restaurant in the warm seasons and a newly remodeled art gallery in the space adjacent to the cafe.

“The Artist’s Table”, is a seated, plated dinner, with limited seating, situated right in their beautiful gallery, featuring local farms, artisanal cheeses and fresh, local ingredients, which highlight particular artworks and artists in their current exhibit. This Dinner Series is an exciting combination, bringing together art and food lovers and alike.

Their executive chef, Paul Lockely will be teaming up with Bjorn Eicke of Thomas Henkelmann to artfully create a five course dinner inspired by artworks from the current exhibition, "Ebb and Flow."

Each course is well thought-out and inspired by the current collection of artwork in the gallery. (See menu below) In other words, each dish is based on a piece of artwork.

The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 12, 2014

Morello of Greenwich launches a new two-course prix fixe lunch menu, which will be offered seven days a week, beginning Sunday, June 15. It will be available throughout the summer in addition to Morello’s traditional Italian and Mediterranean menu items.

On Tuesday June 17, learn “How to Brew Your Own Beer at Home” at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library in Newtown. This FREE class will teach you how to brew a beer at home as well as explore its history and different styles. You will sample four different styles of home brew and learn about different ingredients. You can sign up by calling the library 203-426-4533 or register here. Participants must be over 21.

Also on Tuesday, Plan B of Milford presents a Game of Thrones Dinner. Watch the finale while dining on 6 courses and drinks from the Ommegang Brewery. $60pp, 6-9pm.

Enjoy “Taco Tuesdays” at Lola’s Mexican Kitchen in Stamford. Tacos and Coronitas are just $2 each from 5pm to 10pm.

City Limits Diner of Stamford and White Plains City just debuted its “Burger and Beer Blast” which will take place on Tuesdays. From 5 p.m. to close, enjoy half priced draft pours of Stamford’s Half Full Brewery with the purchase of any City Limits burger.

Fresh Nation Enables Home Delivery for Westport Farmers' Market

Ingredients Features CT Farms Farmers Market Home Delivery Local Farm Farm Fresh

CTbites Team June 11, 2014

Fresh Nation, the online marketplace for farmers markets, and Westport Farmers’ Market announced they have formed a strategic partnership to provide online shopping and home delivery. Fresh Nation will operate an online storefront for the Market, providing local consumers with the ability to place an online order from many of their favorite Market vendors and receive same day home delivery from a Fresh Nation personal shopper.

Fresh Nation delivers fresh food direct from farmers markets to consumers, by bringing local farmers markets together into a convenient online shopping destination, enabling farmers and food makers at the markets to reach new customers who do not normally make it to the market. The company employs trained food shoppers to go the markets and personally fill customers’ online orders. After receiving orders from Fairfield County residents for Thursday delivery, Fresh Nation fills these orders at the Westport Farmers’ Market and drives them directly to customers’ homes.

“We are committed to bringing the freshest and best foods from the Westport Farmers’ Market to all members of our community,” said Lori Cochran

Dad’s & Grad’s Ultimate Grilled Pizza Party w/ Recipes from Marcia Selden

Ingredients Features Grilling Holiday Recipe Kid Friendly

Marcia Selden Catering June 10, 2014

Time to celebrate your special Dad (June 15^th ~ Father’s Day) or your fabulous Grad! There’s no better time to fire up the grill and throw a party. We've got a great salad to start… our grilled romaine with a blue cheese and bacon vinaigrette.

Another one of our favorites things to make, at Marcia Selden Catering, are grilled pizzas. The varieties are endless. It’s a little different and who doesn’t love pizza! This is a rare treat.

As for the pizza, if you don’t want to make your own dough, most stores sell great pre-made dough to make it real simple. Buy (from a good salad bar) or make lots of the toppings.

The best way to set yourself up for success is to arrange all of the toppings in bowls on a table by the grill. Guests can simply choose their toppings and grill up the pizzas on the spot.