3rd Annual Wakeman Town Farm Harvest Fest Dinner Sept. 13th Restaurant CT Farms Farm Dinner Local Farm CTbites Team August 24, 2014 The third-annual Wakeman Town Farm Harvest Fest dinner is coming up on Saturday, September 13, @6 p.m. This Farm-to-Table event is held on the farm grounds, under a beautiful tent draped with twinkling lights. This special evening begins with hors d 'oeuvres and cocktails, and follows up with a full dinner prepared by rock-star chefs including: Artisan, BONDA, Le Farm, The Spread, Oak + Almond, DaPietro's and AMG Catering. Prosecco, beer and wine will be served throughout the night and you'll be rocking to the live band, "Last Call." Much of the seasonal produce at the event is generously contributed by local farmers. Help support the amazing programming and community at Wakeman Towm Farm. Read More
The Whelk's Summer Fruit & Vegetable Salad Recipe Features Recipe Recipe Lori Cochran August 22, 2014 Chef Lazlo has cooked in some of the world's most celebrated kitchens, including Chez Panisse, Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Blue Hill New York as well as in Bordeaux, France where he helped to teach and lead culinary tours of the region for Two Bordelaise. Most recently, Geoff was a sous chef at Gramercy Tavern in New York City where he cooked for 5 years. Geoff’s cooking style is ingredient-driven utilizing seasonal produce from area farms. He has spent his career traveling and visiting these farms to create a lasting relationship and gain a better understanding of their products. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events for Week of August 25-Sept 1 Emma Jane-Doody Stetson August 22, 2014 Monday, August 25th, try “Fresh Cheese Pairings” with Caseus in New Haven. The cheese will be paired with beer and wine, and their chef will give a burrata making tutorial as well. $40pp. Stamford Summer Restaurant Week continues! Over 30 Downtown Stamford restaurants will feature an array of lunch & dinner prix fixe menus. This time around, each participating restaurant will create a Signature Summer Cocktail. Allagash Brewing Company of Portland, Maine will bring their best brews to Harlan Social on Tuesday, August 26th. Harlan Social will create a special 5-course menu to be paired with their beers. $75 plus tax and tip. 6:30 - 9:30pm. Call 203.883.8000 to reserve seats. Also on August 26, feast on dinner at Eddy Farm with Chef Eric of Barcelona West Hartford. Read More
Food + Architecture: A Conversation with Sushi Chef Keizo Seki and Architect Kulapat Yantrasast at New Canaan's Glass House Restaurant Sushi Amy Kundrat August 21, 2014 Photo: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times The Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan is hosting Feast of Clarity: Food + Architecture on Sunday, September 14 from 3 to 5:30 pm. Architect Kulapat Yantrasast and chef Keizo Seki will collaborate with the National Trust Historic Site for an intimate kitchen table conversation on creativity and a tasting of specially prepared sushi. Tickets are $100 per person. This program is part of a part of an ongoing series of conversations at the Glass House called Glass House Presents. These programs sustain the site’s historic role as a meeting place for artists, architects, and other creative minds. Prior to each event, visitors can explore the Glass House campus and view current exhibitions, including Fujiko Nakaya: Veil. About the Participants Read More
Kevin Dundon, Ireland's "Chef of the People," @ Clarke in Milford MA (sponsored post) Celebrity Chef CTbites Team August 20, 2014 Kevin Dundon, Ireland's "Chef of the People," Set to Cook at New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen on the Eve of Boston's iFest Do you love the charm, wit and humor of the Irish? Do you think Ireland's food is all about potatoes, corned beef and cabbage? You may want to plan a weekend north in Boston this September, when the city hosts its first iFest, a three-day premium festival showcasing contemporary Irish culture, entertainment and innovation at Boston's Seaport World Trade Center. The live cooking and tastings by Ireland's finest chefs, including Kevin Dundon of PBS and Create TV fame in the U.S., will surely open your mind about modern Irish cooking. On the eve of that festival, September 25th, Connecticut foodies will also want to reserve a seat at Clarke in Milford, MA (their second showroom, in South Norwalk, is well-known in this area). Read More
Bill Taibe's Kawa Ni Opens In Westport Stephanie Webster August 20, 2014 Bill Taibe's new Izakaya inspired venture, Kawa Ni opens this week in Westport. Rather than describing this truly excellent menu, we thought we would just show you. Enjoy! Read More
Book Signing w/ Amy & Stephanie @ Westport Farmers' Market August 28 Cookbooks CTbites Team August 20, 2014 The Westport Farmers’ Market (WFM) invites you to meet the chefs & authors behind Fairfield County Chefs Table on August 28. They will be signing books and meeting readers from 11 to 1 pm at the Westport Farmers’ Market Thursday location at 50 Imperial Avenue, Westport. The Market runs from 10 am to 2 pm. Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster, the author and photographer of the book Fairfield County Chef's Table, will be at the August 28 market from 10:00 – 2:00 to sell and sign copies of their new book. The two women behind CTbites.com embarked on this book project with over 50 participating chefs to profile the region's favorite restaurants and share some of its most beloved recipes. They will be joined by several chefs who are profiled in their book, including Bill Taibe of leFarm and Whelk, Matt Storch of Match and Chelsea Restaurant, and Glen Collelo of Catch a Healthy Habit, who will be on hand to sign the book and meet market visitors. More information at www.fairfieldcountychefstable.com. For more information www.westportfarmersmarket.com or email director@westportfarmersmarket.com. Read More
CTbites Chef Demo Tent Lineup @ Westport's Blues & BBQ Festival BBQ Chef Talk CTbites Team August 19, 2014 Listen up food lovers. CTbites has rounded up some of the area's top chefs for two full afternoons of live cooking demonstrations, recipe tasting and general good times. On Saturday, August 30th & Sunday August 31st from 11:00-3:30pm come on down to Westport's Blues Views & BBQ Festival to meet: Chef Matt Storch of Match; Chef Jon Vaast of Walrus + Carpenter; Chef Chaz Mazas of Mama’s Boy; Pietro Scotti of Da Pietro's; Mark Hepperman of Saugatuck Craft Butchery; Carlos Baez of The Spread; Chef Ian Kokkeler of Barcelona FFLD; Fjord Fish Market; and Matsu Sushi's owner Paul Teoh. Come get schooled while you enjoy samples from 9 talented local chefs. View the full schedule below... Read More
Holbrook Farm Hosts Farm Dinner with Chefs from Stanziato's, Mezon, and Mecha on September 14 in Bethel CTbites Team August 18, 2014 Holbrook Farm in Bethel is hosting a farm dinner on Sunday, September 14 with Chef Matt Stanczak of Stanziato's Pizza, Chef Morgan Vondle of Mezon Tapas Bar and Chef Tony Pham of Pho Vietnam and Mecha Noodle Bar. Tickets are $110 per person. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit Circle Camps for Grieving Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a free one-week summer camp for girls ages 9-16 who have experienced the death of a parent. To learn more about Circle's mission, please visit CircleCamps.org. From Holbrook: An evening of amazing food, wine & beer and good will at the 2014 Farm Dinner in the Field! Hosted at Holbrook Farm in Bethel, the evening will celebrate the harvest with a collaboration between top Connecticut Chefs... The evening begins at 4:30 pm with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as guests mingle and tour the farm at their leisure. Dinner will be served family style with wine and local beer beginning at 5:30pm at candle-lit tables under a beautiful sailcloth tent. For more information and to purchase online, visit Holbrook Farm Dinner. Read More
Washington Prime Opens in Sono: Bustling Bar & Creative Food Restaurant American Norwalk SONO Steakhouse Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger August 17, 2014 Washington Prime recently opened at the entrance to the SONO “Ironworks” on the corner of Washington and North Water Streets and is already garnering positive feedback and enormous crowds each night. CTbites offered a sneak peek a couple of weeks ago and recently re-visited this high energy and bustling establishment on two separate occasions to sample the food. Self-described as an Eating + Drinking Well, Washington Prime reflects the collective vision of locals and co-owners Rob Moss and Marco Siguenza. Moss, a native of New Canaan, is no stranger to opening high energy restaurants in Fairfield County, overseeing many over the last ten years. Siguenza is the epitome of the American dream, starting as a busboy at Match Restaurant and now 16 years later one of the owners of Washington Prime, a neighboring restaurant. The kitchen is overseen by Executive Chef Jared Falco, classically trained at the French Culinary Institute. Before moving to Fairfield County, Chef Falco honed his culinary skills at Daniel and WD-50 in NYC. The trio are now working closely to present a vibrant bar scene with delicious interpretations of tradition cuisine. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events for Week of August 18-25th Emma Jane-Doody Stetson August 15, 2014 Stamford Summer Restaurant Week comes back from August 18 – September 1, 2014. The two week event includes over 30 Downtown Stamford restaurants and will feature an array of lunch & dinner prix fixe menus. This time around, each participating restaurant will create a Signature Summer Cocktail. New Canaan Taste Tours take place Tuesday and Wednesdays each week at 6:30 pm. Enjoy four of the top restaurants in New Canaan for $65 pp. Each Tour is limited to 12 attendees to insure both superior quality in food and service. Advance purchase required. The Ginger Man in Norwalk presents a summer happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-7 pm. Try oysters and clams for $1, flatbreads for $6, craft beers for $4, and more. Tuesday, August 19 Barcelona Greenwich encourages you to cook using “The Tomato Vine.” Chef Michael will teach you how to prepare recipes that hinge on the tomato. 7pm, $30 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 203.983.6400. Wednesday August 20, journey to Half Full Brewery in Stamford for “Rare Beer Night,” a monthly event. Try test batches of beer, partake in food pairings, and learn more about the process. The event is sit down, but casual. Limited to 40 people. Read More
Stamford Summer Restaurant Weeks Return: August 18 – September 1, 2014 Restaurant Week CTbites Team August 15, 2014 Yep...that's right. 2 glorious weeks of summer dining. This summer over 30 Downtown Stamford restaurants are serving up special lunch & dinner prix fixe menus in several different price options. The prices for lunch range from $10.14, $12.14 or $20.14 and dinner ranges from $15.14, $20.14 or $30.14. New this year: each participating restaurant will be mixing up its very own Signature Summer Cocktails to be featured during Restaurant Weeks. View the list of participating restaurants below: Read More
Cucumber Carpaccio Recipe via Barcelona Restaurant Ingredients Features Farmers Market Recipe CTbites Team August 14, 2014 Kokkeler hails from Austin, where he spent the last several years as executive chef as some of that city’s most well known restaurants including Uchi, Congress and the W Hotel in Austin. CUCUMBER CARPACCIO (serves five people) Read More
"Food Trucks In The Park" @ Veteran's Park in Stamford Food Truck Stamford CTbites Team August 13, 2014 Stamford has some good times cooking at Veteran's Park at 140 Atlantic Street. Celebrate summer with "Trucks in the Park's" rotating schedule of local food trucks and enjoy your lunch with live music from 11-2pm. Here's the complete schedule of trucks in the rotation 11:00am - 3:00pm Monday through Friday: Monday's: Bounty & Bodega Taco Bar Tuesday's: Bounty, The Poutine King, Valencia Luncheria Wednesday's: Melt Mobile, Firehouse Grill & Lobstercraft Thursday's: Have a Ball, Firehouse Grill, Valencia Luncheria Friday's: Melt Mobile, Bodega Taco Bar, Maddy's Food Truck Read More
22 Food Trucks To Try In Fairfield County, CT: A Mobile Roundup Food Truck Emma Doody and Jeff "Jfood" Schlesinger August 12, 2014 Food trucks are more than a trend… they’re a bona fide craze! They’re rolling into New Haven, Stamford, Norwalk, and many other Connecticut cities to give all the food-driven customers a chance to sample some of the best “street food” around. We compiled a guide to some of the best trucks that Fairfield County has to offer. Since these foodie favorites are mobile, their destinations can be uncertain. Be sure to visit their websites and social media pages to find out where they’ll be next. Bodega Taco Bar Food Truck Bounty Food Truck Buzz Truck The Cheese Truck Christophe's Crepes Cowabunga El Charrito Taco Truck Read More
Women's Tennis and CT Food Trucks Collide at New Haven's Connecticut Open Tennis Tournament Features Restaurant New Haven Amy Kundrat August 11, 2014 What does world class women's tennis have in common with some of Connecticut's most beloved food trucks? This year Valencia's arepas and Orangeside's square doughnuts happily collide with professional tennis at the Connecticut Open, the Women's Tennis Association tennis tournament held each August at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale in New Haven from August 15 - 23, 2015. Tennis fans can rejoice as some of Connecticut's most beloved food trucks will be represented within the revamped food court featuring local businesses including the Valencia Luncheria truck, Caseus's Cheese Truck, La Petite France, Tony’s Orangeside Donuts, Spuds Your Way, and The Lobster Shack. The tournament has also installed the new Baseline Tap House, a beer garden presented by Goose Island Beer Company, which will feature a selection of craft beers from Connecticut and beyond including Stoney Creek IPA & Amber Ale, Thomas Hooker Blonde, Spiked Seltzer, Bluepoint Bluberry, and Grey Sail Flagship Ale. Read More
Kawa Ni: An Exclusive First Look at Bill Taibe’s Izakaya-inspired Restaurant in Westport Restaurant Asian Chinese Cocktails Japanese Westport Comfort Food Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster August 10, 2014 CTbites was invited for an exclusive first look inside Chef Bill Taibe’s new restaurant, Kawa Ni, in Westport’s Bridge Square this week. Kawa Ni means “on the river,” an apt name for a restaurant in Saugatuck whose cuisine and service will take its cues from the informal Izakaya joints found in the Japanese cities of Kyoto and Osaka. Is it an american restaurant with japanese aspirations? Or is it a japanese restaurant with american inspirations? Both, says Taibe, who distills his love of post war japanese culture and a farm house style approach to japanese food within the walls of the intimate Kawa Ni. Equal parts food and drink, with a capital F-U-N atmosphere, the 40-seat Izakaya-inspired restaurant will get the party started by the end of the month. Read More
Scallop Crudo Recipe from Chef Arik Bensimon Features Chef Talk Seafood Recipe CTbites Team August 08, 2014 Chef Arik Bensimon of Le Farm wil be the guest chef at The Westport Farmers' Market on August 14th. Chef Arik will be be demo-ing and serving up his Scallop Crudo with Buttermilk, Yuzu, Beets, Cucumber & Peanuts. Scallop Crudo recipe can be found below. Chef Bensimon began his career at the age of 11 in his family’s restaurant in NYC. After culinary school he worked at renown restaurants such as Le Cirque, Picholine and La Panetiere. In 2009 Arik came to Connecticut as the executive chef of Napa & Co., then opened The Spread in Sono, and in 2013, he joined the team of LeFarm as Chef de Cuisine. Read More
Explore Local CT Farms on the 6th Annual Easton Farm Tour CT Farms Local Farm kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team August 08, 2014 Citizens For Easton (CFE) is pleased to announce the 6th annual Easton Farm Tour. This celebration of Easton, a local farming community within Fairfield County CT, is a self-guided tour of Easton farms couple with an old fashioned community fun day. Easton Farm Tour 2014 will be held August 16 from 10am to 3pm. This event begins at the Easton Firehouse Green, One Center Road, Easton, CT 06612. At this location, visitors will receive a copy of the road map, passes to events and incentives offered by farmers and community organizations at the different locations throughout day. During the homegrown event enjoy the many farming delights that Easton has to offer while you and your family learn where your food comes from. Enjoy food tastings, educational 18th and 19th century farm house living and cooking demonstrations, old-time fun and games, pony rides, hay ride, a petting zoo, greenhouse tours, fruits and vegetables from the farm and pick your own. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events, Aug 10-15th Emma Jane-Doody Stetson August 07, 2014 On Tuesday August 12, explore “The Tomato Vine” with Barcelona New Haven. Do you have an abundance of tomatoes from your garden? If you love tomatoes and want to expand your recipe repertoire then join Chef Frank while he demonstrates how to prepare a few delicious and easy recipes using tomato as the main ingredient. $25pp. Latin inspired Tierra in Westport is now open for brunch Saturday and Sundays 10:30 - 2:30. Call for reservations. 203.557.4850 Join Jones Family Vineyard for a French Country Picnic on Wednesday August 13 from 6:30-8:30. Start with a walk down to the vineyards to examine the different grape varieties we grow. Following the vineyard walk, enjoy our picnic meal at our Pine Barn. For more information, visit the event website: jonesfamilyfarms.com/events/winery. $65pp. Tour Long Island Wine Country with the Greenwich Wine Society on Thursday August 14, 2014 from 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM. The North Fork vineyard tour will go to three of the best wineries on Long Island: Paumanok, Pellegrini and Lenz. Read More
