Top 10 Craft Cocktails in Lower Connecticut Ingredients Restaurant Cocktails Bar Best of CT Lou Gorfain September 16, 2014 “We've come through the Dark Ages of the Cocktail," observes Gretchen Thomas, Director of Wine and Spirits for Barcelona and Bartaco.. "There was a time here when the spirit of choice was mainly Vodka, and the best we could do was flavor it.” Though Connecticut may be a bit late to the party, the Craft Cocktail has finally, fully arrived. In fact, the drinks created at many local bars are as artful and artisanal as what's cooking in the kitchen. Today’s barcraft is almost culinary … reflecting the way we now cook and dine: with fresh seasonal ingredients, locally sourced and often hand crafted. Re-mixes of the old classics are updated with super premium, small batched spirits and served with stunning visual presentations and precisely balanced flavor constructions. “Cocktails have become part of the meal,” notes Jeff Marron, who heads up the beverage programs at Bill Taibe’s restaurants in Westport. They are enjoyed for flavor and complexity more than potency. The much celebrated legacy drinks of the Prohibition Era were often filled with unreliable spirits that were masked by powerful mixers. And the boozy indulgences at Mid-century served as Mad Men escapes more than savored enjoyment. After Viet Nam, mixed drinks barely survived the counter cultural revolution. It took a new millennium to revive the cocktail’s pleasurable role in America’s drinking and dining. Indeed, the eras of Gatsby, Draper and Joplin have long passed, and the Golden Age of Cocktails has come to the Gold Coast. So here’s our toast to the 10 top local Craft Cocktails… and the men and women who are raising the bar. Cheers! Read More
The Smokebox in Hamden: New Haven Area BBQ Has Arrived Features Restaurant BBQ Hamden New Haven Amy Kundrat September 14, 2014 SmokeBox in Hamden first opened to support the smoked meat habit of its sister restaurant Ordinary in New Haven. Its owners, Jason Sobocinski of Ordinary and Caseus, and Mike Farber of Mikro in Hamden, opened their doors to the public for lunch about six months ago. The kitchen's founding mission was simple, support the partners' network of New Haven and Hamden restaurants as a commissary kitchen with barbecue, and open for lunch if there is demand. And demand there is. Smokebox has become a sought after lunch destination thanks to its smoky slow cooked meat forward lunch box approach to barbecue. Also, there is the fact that this is real barbecue. Getting it right requires a constellation of well-sourced materials and ritual: types of woods, cuts of meat, spices or rubs, wet (sauce) or dry, and above all things, time—all things that Smokebox takes very seriously. Read More
WIN TICKETS to Craft Butchery's Porktoberfest Oct 5th CTbites Team September 13, 2014 Craft Butchery's highly anticipated Porktoberfest is back and CTbites will be giving away 4 tickets to this beautiful pig-fest. TO WIN TIX: Post A Comment Below and TELL US WHY YOU WANT TO ATTEND PORKTOBERFEST. Poems and Creativity are Welcome. EATS: Craft will be whole-roasting three 100-lb Berkshire pigs, as well as New England Brewing beer-braised bratwurst, kielbasa, sausages and smoked potato salad. Garelick & Herb will be providing delicious non-meaty sides: coleslaw, sauerkraut, pretzels, etc. On the sweeter side, Saugatuck Sweets will be making traditional German desserts. DRINKS: Beer partner is New England Brewing, and we will be featuring their beers alongside local Oktoberfest options KIDS: Apple cider and s'mores available for kids Read More
Two Roads Brewing Company's "OK2BERFEST" September 27 & 28th! Restaurant Brewery CT Beer Festival Beer CTbites Team September 13, 2014 It may be known as Oktoberfest but the real fun begins later this September. Stratford, CT's Two Roads Brewing Company will be celebrating their 2nd annual "Ok2berfest" on the grounds of their 100+ year old brewery and it promises to be two days of beer, food, music and… more beer! Building on the success of last year's event, this year's Ok2berfest will be a must-attend festival for beer lovers. And speaking of beer, Two Roads has brewed up two different Oktoberfest style beers just for the occasion dubbed "Ein" and "Zwei," that honor the Bavarian Oktoberfest tradition that originated in 1810.And since nothing goes better with flavorful craft beers than good food, great local eats will be served by some of the area's top food trucks. If you've ever been to Two Roads, you'll be familiar with some of the amazing culinary creations area chefs have been serving up in these fun gastro-mobiles! Tickets are on sale through Two Roads website: www.tworoadsbrewing.com where you will also find more information about the day including band schedule, the food truck line up and other pertinent information. Read More
2014's Chowdafest is October 12th: 36 Restaurants Battle, YOU Vote! CTbites Team September 12, 2014 Chowdafest is a culinary competition pitting award winning chefs & restaurants against each other where YOU are the judge! When you arrive, you get a pencil, ballot and spoon. Then slurp down 36 decadent samples of chowder, soup and bisque. It's up to you to determine whose chowda is the best. Chefs will compete in 4 categories: New England Clam Chowder, Manhattan and Rhode Island Clam chowders, Creative Chowder and Soup & Bisque. We had so much fun last year, we decided to make a short video. Here were the highlights from 2013. But this year will even bigger and better! Chowdafest has moved outdoors to Norwalk CT - the Chowder Capital of CT. It will be held outdoors at the idyllic Calf Pasture Beach which is exit #16 off I-95. Chowdafest remains one of the best deals around. Save $5, compliments of Stop & Shop, when you buy your ticket on-line for just $10 (adults). $15 at the door, $5 kids (6-12) and kids 5 and under are FREE. VIP tickets will be available this year for serious chowdaheads. Kids receive FREE chef hats, stickers and more while supplies last. Chowdafest will be held rain or shine. Buy Ticket Here. Every year a large portion of Chowdafest ticket sales go to a local charity fighting hunger in our community. This year Chowdafest will be donating half of its proceeds to Community Plates! Read More
Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events for Week of Sept 15th Emma Jane-Doody Stetson September 12, 2014 Chef Aarón Sánchez’s new Stamford restaurant, Paloma has started serving lunch daily on Monday from 11:30-2:30pm. The menu includes dishes such as Chile de Arbol Steamed Mussels with Chipotle Lobster Stock; Ancho Cacao Braised Short Rib Sliders; and Camitas. After their success at the Mohegan SunWineFest, Casey Flat Ranch Wines have finally emerged on the Connecticut market! Join Artisan Restaurant and Brenda Bulllington of Casey Flat Ranch Wines for a 4-course wine dinner Sept.16. Each dish will be paired with a wine from Casey Flat Ranch. The intimate yet fun event will include 12 people, so reserve a spot @ 203.307.4222. Parent Child Resource Center hosts "Food Trucks in the Valley" on Thursday September 18th from 4 - 8 pm (rain date the 23rd) at Shelton Riverwalk. The FREE event includs 15+ food trucks, wine and beer, ciders, live music, a car show, and childrens' activities. Proceeds support PCRC's programs that serve children and families, most of whom suffer from trauma, abuse and neglect. The SoWe Food + Wine Fest comes to Southern Westchester County September 19-21. One of their signature events, The Best Chef Battle, will feature celebrity chefs like Rocco Dispirito, Graham Elliot, Franklin Becker & Dave DiBari. You can also visit the “Culinary Village” which will feature an array of food and wine for you to try. For tickets, a schedule of events, and details, visit: http://sowefwf.com/events/ Read More
Nourish New Haven Food Conference on September 19 at Yale Divinity School Features Restaurant Events New Haven Amy Kundrat September 12, 2014 Nourish New Haven, the local food justice and sustainability conference with Greater-Yale and Greater-New Haven partners, will take place again at Yale Divinity School on September 19-20, 2014. Register here. Space is limited. Read More
Qdoba Mexican Grill Opens in Westport w/ Fast Tasty Tex-Mexican Restaurant Westport Mexican Lunch Kid Friendly CTbites Team September 11, 2014 Qdoba Mexican Grill is now OPEN in Westport in Playhouse Square. Qdoba is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant, serving up the kind of quick meal you can feel good about eating...or feeding your kids. Qdoba serves burritos made in the San Francisco burrito style, tacos, quesadillas, taco salads, 3-Cheese Queso, Queso Diablo, tortilla soup, Mexican gumbo, and darn good fresh guacamole. Sure, there is some more authentic Mexican food to be had in Fairfield County, but in the "fast food" category, Qdoba is right up there. Read More
GIVEAWAY!! Win Tix To Exclusive Greenwich Wine & Food Festival Dinners & Events Festival Giveaway CTbites Team September 10, 2014 Would you like to win FREE TICKETS to the GREENWICH FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL? We've got some seriously sought after tickets to the following events that we are jusy dying to give away.... 2 Tickets to Gala Tickets ($325 value. Friday evening) 2 Tickets to On Stage Box Seat Dinner with Red Rooster ($475 value. Saturday evening) 2 Tickets to Oysters & Wine ($125 value. Thursday evening) TO WIN: Like our Facebook page in the next 12 days, or if you're already a part of our Facebook community, just COMMENT on ANY FACEBOOK POST in the next 12 days & mention The Greenwich Wine & Food Festival. We will randomly select 3 winners on September 22nd. Read More
The Harbor Brew Fest is Back @ Harbor Yard w/ A Bounty of Beer & Food Trucks Ingredients Restaurant CT Beer Festival Beer CTbites Team September 10, 2014 This in from the folks @ The Harbor Brew Fest... On a perfect fall day, there is no better place to sip a frosty than at The Harbor Brew Fest. The festival will feature international, domestic and local beers, CT’s most popular food trucks and talented bands. Harbor Brew Fest is taking place on September 20, 2014 at the Bluefish Stadium at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, CT. The Harbor Brew Fest will tap off with a Brewers Special from 12pm – 1pm. General Admission will begin at 1pm and we will pour until 5pm. In addition to adding more Brewers (100!) and 13 food trucks (view full list below) for our 2014 brew fest we will have our CT Craft beer tent, which will feature all of the best CT Craft Beers. Ticket sales will be limited and will sell out before the day of the event. A percentage of proceeds will benefit Harbor Light Foundation. Ticket info here. Read More
Family Friendly 3rd Annual Slice Of Saugatuck is Sept. 14th w/ Wine, Food & 5 Music Stages! CTbites Team September 09, 2014 The third annual Slice of Saugatuck Festival is set to go off on Sunday September 14, from 1-4pm (rain date Sept 21). The family friendly Wine & Food and Retail Experience has once again expanded, both in the number of participating venues and what is being offered to the festival goer, especially kids. “The festival is back and it’s bigger,” said WWCC Executive Director Matthew Mandell, “Not only will there be tastings at over two dozen eateries, and great offerings by all the other merchants; there will be a mini maker space, drones, obstacle courses, bouncy houses, magicians, hoola hoops and rock climbing. The kids are going to love it.” Also added this year, will be a retrospective of historic Saugatuck created by the Town curator Kathie Bennewitz. Read More
11 Places for Apple Picking in CT Ingredients Local Farm Pick Your Own kids activity Emma Jane-Doody Stetson September 09, 2014 As autumn approaches, farmers journey out to their fields to begin the harvest. Apples lie at the heart of the season: apple cider, apple pie, or even a simple Gala or Braeburn apple are beautiful bounties on a crisp afternoon. CT's farms and orchards are inviting you to pick-your-own apples as the leaves start to change their color. Here are 10 places where you can enjoy a fall afternoon. If you love apples, be sure to check out these recipes for a Hot Cinnamon Apple Toddy and a Prosecco Apple Fizz from Sugar & Olives. Bishop's Orchards, Guilford Rogers Orchards, Southington Lyman Orchards, Middlefield Rose's Berry Farm, Glastonbury Silverman's, Easton Blue Jay Orchards, Bethel Rose Orchards, Branford Drazen Orchards, Cheshire Johnny Appleseed's, Ellington March Farms, Bethlehem Scotts Orchard and Nursery, Glastonbury Read More
NEAT Opens in Westport: The Art of the Beverage from AM to PM Restaurant Cocktails Coffee Westport Bar Breakfast Amy Kundrat September 07, 2014 Coffee bar by day, craft cocktail bar by night, NEAT is now open at 6 Wilton Road in Westport from 7 am to midnight, seven days a week. If you are familiar with NEAT’s location in Darien, the approach will feel instantly familiar, if distilled into a much fuller and complete café experience. NEAT retains its unpretentious devotion to the art of the beverage, extending its reach into the evening as your palate naturally shifts from caffeine to spirits, seamlessly maintaining its full attention to the craft beverage experience. Read More
Join Us @ Community Plates "Food For All" 2014 Fundraiser: Help End Food Insecurity CTbites Team September 07, 2014 If you could deliver a meal to a family who otherwise would have gone hungry, would you do it? What if you could feed 900 people for the $50 admission price to this year's "FOOD FOR ALL" Fundraiser? If the answer is yes, keep reading... On Thursday, October 2, 2014, Community Plates will hold their annual FOOD FOR ALL fundraiser showcasing over 20 of Fairfield County’s newest restaurants and top bartenders presenting signature dishes and Craft Cocktails. Community Plates is the technology-fueled, direct-transfer food rescue organization dedicated to ending food insecurity in America. The celebratory evening begins with a VIP cocktail reception (6-7 PM) featuring Marcia Seldon Catering & The Spread, followed by the main event (6:30-8:30 PM) which will include featured restaurants, libations, music, dancing and more. General admission tickets are $50 and VIP tickets can be purchased for $100. Tickets are can be purchased here. View the complete Restaurant Lineup Here. Featured Chefs, Restaurants & Mixologists Read More
Friday Froth: Here's Where To Get A Good Beer in CT Ingredients Restaurant Beer Garden CT Beer Beer James Gribbon September 05, 2014 "Man, that sounds good. Where can I get some?" I hear this, in some variation, frequently. The answers vary: if you want OEC beer, you have to go to the brewery in Oxford on a Saturday; if you want Avery Maharaja, you have to go to 2008, before some dastardly deal blocked its distribution in the state.This week we're going to step away from specific beer reviews and focus instead on restaurants and bars where you (yes, you, specifically) can find good craft beers - bottles, cans and draft.So that's the bait, and here's the hook: I'm inviting all of you to contribute to the list. I can't know everywhere a firkin is being tapped, and I'm especially light on taprooms outside of Fairfield County, so let's make the comments section a living document, a resource for craft beer exploration. The list below will encompass places where I've actually bent an elbow, not just places I heard of, so fill in any omissions I've made in the comments. We're going to start by working our way northeast from: Read More
Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events for Week of September 8th Emma Jane-Doody Stetson September 05, 2014 Barolo in New Canaan hosts a Kobrand Winemaker Dinner on Monday September 8. The 4 course dinner will be paired with delicious Italian wines from the two winemakers. $95pp, 7:00 pm. For reservations, call (203) 920-4015. Here's the menu. Cask Republic New Haven hosts Nebraska Brewing Rare Beer Night Tuesday September 9 from 6-9 pm. Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market partners with Luca Ristorante and Martin Scott Wines to host a Piedmont Wine Dinner with Owner/Winemaker Guiseppe Vajra. It will take place on Tuesday, Sep 9 at 7PM. $98 with tax and tip included. Call (203) 563-9550 for information and to reserve. Darien Social’s Wine & Dine Wednesdays continue with ½ price wine and a special steak dinner. Choose from a Porterhouse, NY Strip or Filet, which comes with a salad and two side dishes, for just $28 a person. Like beer? Check out the CT on Tap beer festival, Saturday, September 13th at Ives Concert Park from 3PM-6PM! Sample over 120 craft beers from the best American Craft Breweries. VIP tickets are $55 and GA tickets are $35 when bought in advance. Day of GA tickets are $45. Read More
Match Restaurant Celebrates 15 Years w/ A Month of Special Events & Offers CTbites Team September 04, 2014 Match restaurant is thanking its patrons for 15 great years with a full month of special offers and events during September. Chef Matt Storch says "September will be a month full of gifts as we express our gratitude for your continued support." These gifts include: $30 3 course dinners, "$15 For You" program where Match hands you $15 to use in the month of September, $15 Bar Flights & oh so much more. Check out the full list of dining special below. $30 3-Course Dinner Sunday 21st – Friday 26th. The menu (filled with dishes from the last 15 years) will be on the website next week. We highly recommend reservations for this limited event! $15 For You Join us this week Wednesday –Saturday and we will hand you $15 to use throughout the month of September. Read More
WFM & Westport Cinema Initiative Team Up for FED UP October 2nd CTbites Team September 03, 2014 On Thursday, October 2, @ 7.00 p.m, Westport Farmers' Market & The Westport Cinema Initiative will screen the groundbreaking movie FED UP at the Christ and Holy Trinity Church. FED UP is the film that the food industry doesn’t want you to see. The reason: so much that we have accepted for the past 30 years as healthy eating is no more than propaganda from food-producing giants that have millions of dollars invested in temptation, and gain fantastic profits from it. But we are addicted. We say we are eager for good health – for ourselves, our children and our children’s children. But our behavior betrays us. Consider the obesity epidemic and the alarming rise in diabetes sufferers. Most of these serious conditions were rare only a few generations ago. So what can we do? Read More
Recap: CTbites Chef Demo Tent @ Blues Views & BBQ Festival BBQ Andrew Dominick September 03, 2014 Blues, Views & BBQ Recap These past few years at the Blues, Views & BBQ Festival I had the pleasure of covering it as a news guy, doing my usual reporter thing, furiously snapping photos, taking notes, chatting with vendors, you get the idea. But every year I asked my friends at the CTbites demo tent if they needed help. “Toss me an apron,” I’d say. Or “Are you sure you don’t need a hand?” I wanted to help for two reasons. One: Because I know and like them. And two: I’m sure if I helped they would feed me. Year after year the demo tent featured top Fairfield County chefs showcasing their skills and handing out free samples of all types of BBQ and grilled meats. Now do you see why I wanted in? Alas! My wish was granted when I was asked to help out at this year’s 7th Annual BLues, Views & BBQ Fest and the idea of “Will Work for Food” became a reality. Read More
