Weekly Nibble: Bo Ssam, Halloween Parties, Pancakes & More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson October 24, 2014 On Tuesday October 28, Harlan Social presents a New World vs. Old World Wine Dinner. Called their “largest event to date,” it will feature a custom 5-course menu paired with 12 premium wines. There will be a 7:00pm reception followed by dinner. $178pp all-inclusive. There will be a Halloween Party at South End in New Canaan starting at 9pm on Wednesday October 29. $42 gets you unlimited beer, wine, specialty cocktails, and snacks. Enjoy live music while you party. Walrus+Carpenter and Mecha Noodle Bar partner on Thursday October 30 for a “BO SSäM Dinner.” The mission is to bring together East Asian flavors with Western smoking techniques for one incredible evening, inspired by cult film, "Way of The Dragon," starring the high kicking, fast punching Lee and Norris. 7pm $100 pp. On Thursday October 30, B.J. Ryan’s in Norwalk will hold a 6 course beer dinner. It begins at 7pm and reservations are required. For more information and to get your seat, call (203) 866-RYAN or email. Barcelona SoNo is teaming up with The Spread for a Second Annual Halloween Party. The event starts at 9 PM on Halloween, Friday, October 31st. There will be DJs, drink specials, and a costume contest with fabulous prizes! Joe Bastianich will come to Stew Leonard’s Wines in Norwalk on Saturday November 1. Read More
"Future Chefs," A New Cookbook by Westport Author, Ramin Ganeshram Features Chef Talk Cookbooks Recipe Jessica Ryan October 24, 2014 This is not a kid cookbook – well, of course it is, but it’s not the type of cookbook you’d expect from a bunch of kids. This is a book to be gifted, passed on and shared, especially among children and teenagers. It’s inspiring and thought-provoking. Future Chefs: Recipes by Tomorrow’s Cooks Across the Nation and the World is the brainchild of chef, food writer and author, Ramin Ganeshram. Future Chefs is a remarkable collection of stories and recipes from extraordinary children world-wide. Some of the recipes are quite complex, others couldn’t be more simple, but the messages about the food and around the food are what inspires. We are introduced to a new generation of chefs, foodies and tastemakers and we see the ever changing world of food through their eyes. Today’s children are smart and savvy. They are aware of all that lies around them. Many of these children are keenly aware of health and nutrition, the importance of fresh, wholesome ingredients, supporting local businesses and farms and using organic ingredients. In Future Chefs you will meet all sorts of children from a wide array of socio-economic backgrounds – some are privileged, others are not, and many have remarkable stories to share. These children, are focused and determined. Collectively they have published recipes, have food blogs, have been invited to the White House as guests of Mrs. Obama, and have made appearances on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, NPR, and Chopped. Read More
Locali Bar & Pizza Kitchen in New Canaan Rolls Out New Fall Menu...And It's Good Restaurant Italian Pizza New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 23, 2014 Executive Chef Mogan Anthony of Locali restaurant in New Canaan rolled out his fall menu, inspired by the fresh autumn ingredients, and invited CTbites to stop in and sample a few of his new culinary creations. My favorite of the Small Plates was the “Shaved Local Cauliflower.” The thinly sliced raw cauliflower was tossed with pieces of Medjool dates, cashews, and drizzled with white Balsamic. The earthiness of the crispy cauliflower was beautifully complemented by the sweetness in the dates and the slightly tart balsamic. The cashews added additional earthiness and a delightful crunch. Read More
Recipe for Coleslaw from TRUCK Chef Features Recipe CTbites Team October 23, 2014 This Thursday, October 30th, at the Westport Farmers' Market, chef/owner of TRUCK restaurant, Nancy Roper, will be demonstrating their house coleslaw. Stop by and try a mini green chile cheeseburger topped with TRUCK coleslaw. TRUCK Coleslaw 1/2 head medium sized farmers' market white cabbage, thinly sliced 1/4 head medium sized farmers' market red cabbage, thinly sliced 1/2 lemon juice and zest 3 carrots shredded 1/4 red onion, finely chopped 1 cup parsley, chopped 1 cup mayonnaise (add more or less depending on house saucy you like your coleslaw) freshly ground black pepper to tastefinish with Maldon salt Gently mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Read More
16 Fall Recipes from Our Local CT Chefs Features Chef Talk Recipe Video Recipe Emma Jane-Doody Stetson October 22, 2014 Temperatures have started dipping and a fall chill is in the air! CTBites has collected recipes from local chefs and popular restaurants that embody the seasonal harvest. We've compiled some of our favorites below- and included three new fall inspired recipes. Try Chef Frederic Kieffer's Acorn Squash Cappuccino Soup, Chef Matt Storch's Quince and Hazelnut Torte, and Cask Republic's Harvest Vegetable Medley. Autumn Harvest Apple Contorno, The Boathouse Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Chef Nicole Cider Braised Turkey Legs, le Farm Prosecco Apple Fizz, Sugar & Olives Baby Pumpkin, Bernard's Spiced Dark Chocolate & Pumpkin Seed Bark with Sea Salt, Katie Vitucci Homemade Apple Fashioned Cocktail, Luxe Wine Bar Pecan Pie, Leticia Schwartz Apple Tart, Tina Rupp Read More
Spotlight on The "Local Burger" @ Local Kitchen & Beer Bar in Sono... Delicious Restaurant Norwalk SONO Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 21, 2014 In my continuous and unending search for great hamburgers in Fairfield County, I returned to SONO to sample Chef Dan Kardos’ latest version at LOCAL Kitchen and Beer Bar. Kardos is no stranger to my “Best of” list with previous version from both Harvest Supper in New Canaan and NOLA (at this same location) earning a spot. The interior of the restaurant has been transformed, with more woods and lights plus the rear room (never my favorite) was converted into a Bourbon Bar. The new décor gives a much hipper and fun feel. Chef Dan’s latest version is named “THE LOCAL BURGER” and includes all natural, humanely raised beef, sautéed wild mushrooms, bacon, Swiss cheese, fronions and black pepper mayo, encased in a Wave Hill bun…served with French fries and a pickle. Read More
Jax & Co. Opens in Sono, from the Owners of Mama's Boy: Breakfast, Lunch & To-Go Dinner Restaurant Norwalk Prepared Food SONO Southern Breakfast Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger October 19, 2014 Whenever the owner of a restaurant that serves great food announces a second location, I am excited to see where this second venture will lead. After hearing that Greer Fredericks, the co-owner of Mama’s Boy in SONO, was opening JAX around the corner on North Main, I couldn’t wait for my first visit. JAX opened a few weeks ago and currently serves a wide range of breakfast options, plus a tremendous selection of creative sandwiches at lunch. It is also placing the final touches to its soon to be released take-away dinners, and awaiting the delivery of its ice cream machine.Located just south of the SONO theatre, the interior is completely redesigned, accented with a red painted art nouveau ceiling and lots of wood throughout…it is definitely the sister restaurant to Mama’s Boy. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Martha Stewart; Harvest Festivals; Foragers Feast; Cooking Classes + More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson October 17, 2014 Monday October 20, Craft 260 in Fairfield teams up with Stone Brewing Co. for the 4th time. The beer dinner is $90 per person, tax and gratuity included. Limited seating. Also on Monday, Napa and Co continues its Fall Wine Series with the “Spanish Inquisition.” The exceptionally deep wines of Rioja will be the centerpiece of the evening. Enjoy 6 wines and 3 small plates. $50pp (plus tax and gratuity). The Westport location of Fjord Fisheries (1835 Post Road East) will be having two "Sushi Sampling Days" on Wednesday October 22 and Thursday 23. Anyone who stops into the store from 11:30 on can enjoy an array of delicious rolls available to taste. All will be expertly rolled by their Sushi Masters, David and Ken. Celebrate The Spread’s 2nd Anniversary on Thursday October 23. From 5-7pm, they’ll serve special hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Also on Thursday October 23, you can participate in a "Foragers Feast" to benefit the Garden Education Center in Greenwich. The farm dinner party will be hosted and prepared by Chef Geoff Lazlo. It will include purveyors such as Mike's Organic, Greenwich Cheese Shop, and Green and Tonic. Read More
Friday Froth Beer Scoop! OEC Brunneis & Something Gneiss James Gribbon October 17, 2014 Beer scoops are the best scoops, and I have a great one for you today. This is the first ever review of Brunneis, the newest beer from OEC Brewing, and it goes on sale at the brewery in Oxford tomorrow, from noon to 7p.m. We're also going to take a figurative look at two more beers: one from this coast that's hard to come by, and one from the North Coast out west which has been all over Connecticut lately. Craft beer's funny like that.Brunneis is an Oud Bruin-style beer, and has been blended from batches of OEC's strong altbier, a heavy German ale, a brown Belgian-style strong ale, and a rauchbier, or "smoked beer." These beers are then aged in barrels which variously and formerly held whiskeys, zinfandel and fortified wine. Blended together, they result in a double fermented, bottle conditioned, 9%abv ale that presents like a Flemish red, but darker.The bottles ($13) are 1 pint, 9.4oz., and sport labels which tell their blend number (currently number one), suggested serving temperature and glassware (52º F, snifter), and date of blending (9/29/14 on mine). The baroque artwork on each is (outside as well as in) the work of brewmaster Ben Neidhart. Read More
Black Rock Farmers Market Throws a HARVEST HOOTENANNY Oct. 25th Ingredients Restaurant Bridgeport Farmers Market Stephanie Webster October 16, 2014 The Black Rock Farmers' Market is throwing a party to celebrate the closing of the market for the 2014 season. Go shop the market on October 25th from 9-1pm, and then stay for an afternoon of celebration at their Harvest Hootenanny featuring local food, local breweries, and live music, from 1-5pm. Musical guest will be Black Rock's own Oh, Cassius! Hootenanny Event Schedule Pig Roast (sponsored by Walrus + Carpenter) Beer Tasting for Charity (Two Roads Brewery and other local breweries) Lounge Area (sponsored by B:Hive) Bonfire Bouncy Obstacle Course Dunk Tank (sponsored by Stoked Progressive Smoke Shop) Haunted House (sponsored by St. Ann Academy) "Corn Hole" Bag Toss Game (sponsored by B:Hive) Live Music from Bedlam Brothers Square Dancing led by Bill Fischer, the Dance Caller Read More
An Interview w/ Adam Richman via CTbites' & Serendipity Blogger Lounge Interview Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Stephanie Webster October 15, 2014 Good times were had at this year's Greenwich Wine + Food Festival as National and local celebrity chefs sat down with Chef Matt Storch and Serendipity Editor, Danielle Manion at the CTbites & Serendipity Blogger Lounge. Here is the first installment, our interview with the formidable Adam Richman, made famous with his hit show "Man V. Food" on The Travel Channel. Adam even has some great local restaurant recommendations! Read More
Do-It-Yourself Caja China Box Pig Roast via Saugatuck Craft Butchery Ryan Fibiger October 15, 2014 Ever wondered how to roast a whole pig at home? Well so did many of our readers who wrote in after Porktoberfest, looking for a recipe and instructions. If you can get your hands on a pig, it's not actually that difficult... We asked Ryan Fibiger of Saugatuck Craft Butchery, if he could give CTbites some pointers on a do-it-yourself pig roast using the popular Caja China roasting box. Here's what he said... The instruction online and on the La Caja China website (http://www.lacajachina.com/whole-pig-worksheet_a/330.htm) are pretty good. I would use these as a starting point and amend with the following: A 40-50# pig will take ~4hrs, 50-60# ~5hrs, 60-70# ~7hrs, 70-80# ~8hrs, 80-100# (max) ~10hrs Craft always brines the pig and inject the larger muscles two days prior to cooking. We use the following ingredients in proportions that differ depending on the pit master: (salt, black peppercorn, garlic, oregano, cumin, chili powder, oranges and juice, limes and juice, lots of ice. Salt is key here, it should be slightly saltier than the ocean to taste) Read More
Chowdafest 2014 Winners + A "Slurp It Up" Photo Recap Stephanie Webster October 14, 2014 This past Sunday, thousands of chowder loving foodies from all over Connecticut converged at Norwalk’s Calf Pasture Beach to determine the state’s best chowder, soup and bisque at Chowdafest 2014. 36 restaurants competed with soupy entries such including traditional New Englands, lobster bisques, Manhattans, even a chicken pot pie soup. But, in the end there could only be a few winners. The very popular Creative Chowder category was exceptionally close as eight restaurants showcased their culinary skills. The Spread from South Norwalk took top honors for their chorizo and shrimp chowder which was also the highest rated entry for the entire event. Voters chose Donovan’s of South Norwalk for their New England clam chowder, winning for the third consecutive year. Gray Goose of Fairfield took first place in their first Chowdafest competition winning the Traditional Chowder category for Manhattan and Rhode Island clam chowders only. Newcomer Soup Thyme of Monroe won the Soup & Bisque category Read More
Martha Stewart & Joe Bastianich Coming to Stew Leonard's in Norwalk CTbites Team October 14, 2014 There's all sorts of celebrity action going down at Stew Leonard's this month. Martha Stewart & Joe Bastianich will make appearances to sign books and wine at their Norwalk locations. Saturday, Oct. 25: Martha Stewart will sign copies of her new cookbook, ONE POT: 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More. Weather permitting, the book signing will take place outside in our Hoedown (under the red & white striped tent). More info here. Photography is allowed, but in order for the line to move quickly, Martha is not able to pose for photographs. Saturday, Nov. 1: Restaurateur, author, and TV personality Joe Bastianich will visit Stew Leonard’s Wines in Norwalk to sign bottles of his family’s famed Bastianich wines. Stew Leonard's wine specialists will provide samples of select labels from the Bastianich Winery. More info here. Read More
Vegetable Soup Recipe via The Granola Bar of Westport CTbites Team October 13, 2014 Jes, a 28 year old Rhode Island native, discovered her passion for cooking at a very young age. Throughout her young adult life, Jes traveled up and down the East Coast gaining experience from various restaurants. Last summer, fate stepped in and presented Jes with the opportunity of a lifetime--to become head chef at The Granola Bar. TGB owners Julie and Dana worked closely with Jes to create a spin on healthy meals. Read More
Restaurant Re-Boot: Bistro 7 In Wilton CT Restaurant American Farm to Table Wilton Lou Gorfain October 12, 2014 Seven is Breno Donatti’s lucky number. His restaurant, “ Bistro 7” is located on Highway 7 in Wilton. “Seven is God's favorite number,” he told us, “And I also got the inspiration for Bistro 7 in the 7th district of Paris in a place called ‘Cafe Central.’” Well, hopefully we won’t jinx anything by dubbing his re-programed farm–to-fork café in Wilton as “Bistro 7.1.” With a new chef, sous chef, general manager, and a reimagined food and beverage menu, Donatti has updated his operating system, and from what we tasted at a recent Grand Reopening, the app is not just new, but vastly improved: less complicated and well-priced. We began with a Roasted Root Veggie Bisque, blended with slow cooked carrots, butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potato, root spices, and garnished with a bacon chip. Breno claims it’s even better than his award winning Butternut Squash Bisque and we don’t disagree. Read More
Heirloom Hosts Gluten Free Dinner with Del Posto's Executive Chef Mark Ladner Restaurant Gluten-Free Pasta New Haven CTbites Team October 10, 2014 Heirloom in New Haven will be hosting a gluten free dinner with guest Chef Mark Ladner of Del Posto NYC and Iron Chef fame on Monday, October 13 at 7:30 pm. Seats are $125 per person, which includes food, wine, tax & gratuity. The evening has limited availability with only 34 seats, credit card reservtions are required. Please call 203-503-3919. Earlier in the day at 4 pm, Chef Ladner will be joining Pasta Flyer in New Haven for a talk at St. Anthony's Hall. Read More
Friday Froth: Holy Schnitzengiggles Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon October 10, 2014 "I wish it was winter so we could freeze it into ice blocks and skate on it and melt it in the spring time and drink it!"Beerfest is a movie by Broken Lizard (the Super Troopers guys), who take the "unlikely hero saves the rec center" trope and get it knee-walking drunk in front of horrified loved ones. I'm a big fan. The action centers on the proprietors of Schnitzengiggle Tavern, a family of German descendants on a quest to regain both a long lost lager recipe, and America's beer drinking honor. The movie is extravagantly crass, usually leaves me sore both from laughing and a hangover, and MAY have been the inspiration for New England Brewing Company's Schnitzengiggles Festbier. Allegedly.Schnitzengiggles pours a distinctly brassy color, with a respectably sticky head. There are more hops to the nose than most märzens, and just a light whiff of malt. It is a beautifully smooth, slightly dry lager, and it has a very nice marbling of grainy richness. The hop character comes through in terms of a fruity flavor, rather than the more staid, traditional bitterness, and I'd say that's to be expected from the brewery that brought us Gandhi-Bot and Coriolis. I could and would drink this by the stein, liter, or glass boot. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Restaurant Weeks; Fall Food Stroll; Oktoberfest; Winemaker Dinners, Cheese Festivals & More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson October 10, 2014 Fairfield Restaurant Week lasts from October 12-18. Participating restaurant will feature prix fixe lunch and dinner menus. Lunches will be $10 or $15 and dinners will be $20 or $30, depending on the location. More info here. It’s also West Haven Restaurant Week from October 13-19. Click here for participating restaurants and their specials. Cask Republic and Two Roads come together on Monday October 13 for a beer dinner in Stamford. It features 5 courses and 6 brews, including 3 “very rare beers”. Brewmaster Phil Markowski will be there as well. $75 per person. Meanwhile, it’s CT Beer Week at Cask Republic’s New Haven location! All week long, they’ll specials on tap and cask conditioned ales from CT breweries. View schedule here. Tuesday, October 14th is the next installation of Fairfield Cheese Company’s fall classes. This time, it’s “Perfect Pairings: The Basics of Matching Cheese with Beer.” $45 per person, 7-10pm. Read More
Walrus + Carpenter & Mecha Noodle Bar Host BO SSäM Dinner!!!! CTbites Invites Dinner Events CTbites Team October 09, 2014 Walrus+Carpenter and Mecha Noodle Bar partner on Thursday 10/30 7 pm for a BO SSäM dinner for $100 pp starring Smoked Pork Shoulder, Kimchee, Oysters, and other East Asian flavors...against the backdrop of 70's cult action films of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. Buy Tix Here. If you were lucky enough to attend the last W+C event..."The Speakeasy", this promises to be "Astonishing, Unstoppable, Mind-Blowing and Delicious"! The mission is to bring together East Asian flavors with Western smoking techniques for one incredible evening, inspired by cult film, "Way of The Dragon", starring the high kicking, fast punching Lee and Norris. Ninja Warrior attire or any fun Halloween costumes are encouraged but optional. Tempting menu items include: Read More
