Sono Baking Company To Take over Java Coffee in Westport Westport Stephanie Webster December 18, 2014 Yep. It's true. In a few short months, Java Coffee in Westport at 44 Church Lane is a thing of the past (sad to see them go). The good news? Sono Baking Company has just signed the lease for that very same location, and hopes to be up and running by February-ish. Owner, John Barricelli, says "The old Java location will be more of a cafe, with our primary retail storefront in Westport being the Post Road shop." "This location will not be a full bakery, but will feature complete menus for breakfast and lunch, great coffee, and possibly dinner...down the road." We will keep you posted as we get closer to the opening date. Read More
CTbites Readers Get Special Gift @ Sugar & Olives Winter Market Ingredients Farmers Market Norwalk CTbites Team December 18, 2014 CT Bites readers who shop the market get a free gift with a purchase of $25 or more, a seasonal seasoning; a tin of our coffee salt rub (great for roasts or steaks) featuring Gorilla Coffee Beans and Himalayan Pink Sea Salt. Keep it or gift it, either way it’s a delicious addition to your holiday meal. This indoor, rain-or-shine market/outing will run every Friday through February (except after Thanksgiving Christmas and New Year’s), offering locally produced edibles, including milk, eggs, cheese, honey flour, grains, produce and meats. More Info Here. Read More
What Makes A Beer A Connecticut Beer? Ingredients CT Beer Beer James Gribbon December 18, 2014 Recently there was some discussion on Twitter, that infinite forum for public opinion, as to what makes a beer Connecticut Beer. At issue was the newly released Sip Of Sunshine IPA from Lawson's Finest Liquids. SOS, as we'll call it, is brewed at Two Roads in Stratford, Conn., so Elm City Beer Lovers asked if it belonged on their "Best of CT Beers" list. The obvious catch? Lawson's Finest was established in Warren, Vermont circa 2009. So: does being brewed and sold in Connecticut make it a Connecticut beer you're drinking? It depends on what you think.First, we have to consider how hard a line we're going to draw. Some beers are obviously capital C-B Connecticut Beers: New England Brewing in Woodbridge, Beer'd Brewing in Stonington, Relic Brewing in Plainville, Southport Brewing Company... all established, licensed, brewed and sold in Connecticut. Verdict: Connecticut Beers. That's easy, but are beers like these the only ones worthy of the name? What's the orthodoxy here? Read More
Kids & Adult Cooking Classes @ Aux Delices Features Cooking Classes Education Kids kids activity kids cooking party CTbites Team December 17, 2014 Aux Delices' 2015 Winter/Spring Kids & Adult Cooking Class Schedule has just been announced. Aux Délices offers cooking classes for adults and children at their professional catering kitchen in Stamford. Classes are generally held on Wednesday evenings for adults and Sunday afternoons for children. Classes are hands-on for children and both participation and demonstration for adults. Their focus is to teach easy, interesting and seasonal food preparation, utilizing a variety of cooking techniques. The chef instructors are from Aux Délices, as well as from well-known restaurants in Fairfield County and New York City. Lynn Manheim, the Cooking School Director does an incredible job engaging and challenging both children and adults, while teaching students the basics of cooking along the way. View the complete schedule below...For more information, click here. Read More
Road Trip: Miami Dining Guide c/o MIABites.com ellen bowen December 17, 2014 A few months ago, CTbites Director of Marketing and Invites Curator, Ellen Bowen, launched MIAbites.com to cover the fast growing food scene in Miami and Miami Beach (taking advantage of the fact that Miami is her 2nd home). With the holiday season approaching and many CTbites readers heading south for Christmas and New Years break (or going just to escape winter’s wrath ) we felt it only right to keep you in good food during your travels. Check out MIAbites recent Best Bites Dining Guide, a comprehensive guide to all the good eats in Miami and Miami Beach. Read More
13 Places to Celebrate New Years Eve in Fairfield County CT Restaurant Holiday Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 17, 2014 Plans for New Year's Eve? Usher in the New Year at one of Fairfield County's favorite restaurants and celebrate with great food, music and libations. Many will offer their regular menus while others are offering fix prixe extravaganzas. CTbites New Year's Eve round-up summarizes those restaurants that are offering special menus for ringing in 2015!!! Make your reservations early as the best spots and times usually go first. Here are 13 Fairfield County New Year's Eve Restaurant Parties... Read More
The Rosie O Sandwich @ Reddi Rooster in Stamford Restaurant Delicious Dives Stamford Breakfast Comfort Food Kid Friendly Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 14, 2014 Breakfast of Champions? The "Rosie O" at Reddi Rooster in Stamford may not qualify for this title or as a healthy start to the day, but when you want a diversion from the granola, the yogurt, the egg white omelet, the fresh fruit and throw calorie count to the wind, this sandwich is a great choice. Reddi Rooster is located on Route 1 on the east side of Stamford near the Darien border. It is a fairly non-descript roadside luncheonette serving sandwiches, wraps, and a few hot dishes. The Rosie O has garnered some positive press as one of the best breakfast sandwiches in area so when I found myself in the area I decided to stop in and see for myself. It is available on a roll for $4.50 or as a wedge or a wrap for $7. I ordered the roll version and grabbed one of the seven stools. A steady stream of guests entered, ordered and waited, always a good sign…locals know. Read More
The Year-Round Gin & Tonic Features Cocktails Amy Kundrat December 12, 2014 The gin and tonic has become one of my favorite year-round cocktails. Now before you shout INFIDEL or HERESY and run for the torches to scare me and my cocktail into hibernation until the summer equinox, hear me out. The first rule of a year-round G&T: the gin must be considered carefully. If you’re looking for guidance here, you can’t go wrong with the St. George Terroir Gin, which grounds this G&T with an earthy bite of “Douglas fir, California bay laurel, coastal sage, and other evocative botanicals.” One whiff and you’ll instinctively look over your shoulder for the bear that modeled for the label. Trust me, this is the gin you want for a cold weather G&T. Next, find yourself a clean and crisp tonic. I recommend and will rarely stray from Q Tonic. Don’t even think about desecrating the G&T with a tonic like Schweppes, or please don’t tell me about it because I WILL judge you harshly. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Pig Roast; Happy Hours, Cooking Classes; Wine Making & More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 12, 2014 The Chelsea is now La Chelseita… well on Monday-Friday from 4-6:30 for their new Happy Hour! Enjoy specialty taquitos and tacos, $3.99 wine & drink specials, $1.99 ponies, $2.99 domestics, and $3.99 internationals. Rare Beer Night takes place at Half Full Brewery in Stamford on Wednesday December 17. The night features special test batches of beers from their Nano System. Guests can receive full pints of these brews and enjoy foods from local vendors. The event is limited to 40 people and costs $30 per person. 7-9pm. Sugar & Olives in Norwalk gives you 2 opportunities to learn about cooking while eating and drinking on Wednesdays: Their “Weekday Nooner” takes place Wednesdays 12-2pm. Watch them demo 3 recipes and then enjoy a 3 course lunch (with drinks too!) The classes start at $40. Cooking classes also take place Wednesday evenings 7-9pm. The cost is $80 and now you can buy gift certificates as a holiday gift: Thursday December 18, Walrus + Carpenter of Bridgeport will do a Carolina-Style Whole Hog Barbecue! There will be plenty of delicious food and live music from BrewGrass. Read More
Chowdafest Organizer Launches "Chilifest" Feb 1st: You Vote! CTbites Team December 11, 2014 The “hot” gift of this holiday season might be tickets to Chilifest. Chilifest is a pre-Super Bowl event that takes place on Feb. 1, 2015 at Bedford Middle School in Westport CT from 11AM to 3PM. Just like its sister event, Chowdafest, veryone is given a spoon, ballot and pencil, then sample 18 different kinds of chili's and vote on their favorites. Chilifest will feature three categories of chili's: classic beef, creative chili (turkey, vegetarian, green etc.) and “Firehouse” chili. Twelve local restaurants will compete in the classic and creative categories while firefighters from the Fairfield, Norwalk, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton Fire Departments are slated to compete in a separate category for best firehouse chili. Some of the restaurants competing in the 2015 competition include: Bobby Q's (Westport), Cask Republic (New Haven, Stamford), Chef's Table (Fairfield), Chilibomb (Fairfield), Liquid Lunch (Milford, Read More
Marcia Selden Catering’s Best Holiday Hors D’oeuvres Features Entertaining Recipe Marcia Selden Catering December 11, 2014 The holidays are right around the corner, and you know what that means…. parties, parties and more parties! Whether you’re hosting or bringing, we’ve got you covered with this season’s most delicious hors d’oeuvre recipes, including: Polenta Bites with Mushroom Duxelle; Chevre & Fig Jam Tartlettes; Gruyere & Red Pepper Jelly Tartlettes & Poached Shrimp with Assorted Dipping Sauces. Your guests will think you hired a caterer! Read More
Napa & Co. Announces 2015 Wine Class Schedule Wine Bar Wine Dinners Wine Tasting CTbites Team December 11, 2014 Napa & Co. announced its 2015 Wine Class / Tasting schedule that will span the world and offer classes for the novice, the experienced wine connoisseur and those looking for a deeper understanding of various regions and blends. Prices range from $50 to $120 per person (plus tax and gratuity) and includes up to six different varieties. All classes start at 630PM. Monday January 12th - WINE 101 - Start the year with an interesting class for the novice wine drinker and learn how to better describe wines and pair each with food. Enjoy 3 whites and 3 reds. $50pp (plus tax and gratuity) Monday January 26th - Jordan Library Wine Tasting 2001-06 - Jordan is one of the icons of Alexander Valley producing Old World style Bordeaux blends. We will try a vertical tasting of 6 wines and see how well they age, and how they’ve changed. $120pp (plus tax and gratuity) Read More
Greenwich Cheese Company Opens in Cos Cob, via Owners of Fairfield Cheese Co Ingredients Features Cheese Cos Cob Greenwich Specialty Market CTbites Team December 10, 2014 Laura Downey and Chris Palumbo, co-owners of Fairfield Cheese Company, will open Greenwich Cheese Company at 154 East Putnam Avenue in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, CT, December 11, 2014. Building on the success of Laura and Chris’ popular Fairfield Cheese Company, which opened in 2009, the new location will carry on the tradition of offering the area’s best selection of cut-to-order from larger wheels, artisanal and farmstead cheese from around the world and artisanal cheeses from here in the US, in addition to an array of small batch handmade charcuterie and specialty food accompaniments. Laura and Chris take their craft seriously and are both the only retail owners in Connecticut to be American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professionals (ACS CCP), a certification that only a few hundred people have nationwide. Adding to the talented team is Greenwich store manager Kevin DeFreitas who brings 15 years of cheesemongering experience to this new endeavor and has worked with such industry pros as Ken Skovron from the Darien Cheese Shop. Read More
How To Create The Classic Holiday Cocktail Bar via Sheila Barton Catering Features Catering Cocktails Entertaining Sheila Barton December 10, 2014 Sheila Barton is a local caterer with a flair for food styling. After watching her work her magic at several parties, we asked her for a few tips on creating your own "Classic Cocktail Bar." Here are her tips... I thought it would benefit many to talk about how to set up the perfect holiday cocktail bar. Not only are the essentials so very important, but so are Style, Texture and Taste. I am always about creating an experience..starting with your eyes and ending with taste. Even if you can only afford to serve one great wine and one great beer, you can still do it with style. If you can throw in a classic craft cocktail or two, more the merrier!So to first create Style, it is important to create a feeling of glamour and fun. You do this with visual appeal using different heights and Texture. Read More
Wine Making Class & Tasting @ Barcelona West Hartford Ingredients Restaurant Cooking Classes WIne Wine Tasting CTbites Team December 10, 2014
Freshii Announces "Kids Eat Free" Program CTbites Team December 09, 2014 Freshii Westport has just announced its Freshii Kids Eat Free program, which aims toward increasing the number of kids who eat healthy meals as part of their regular diet. This program runs until the end of January 2015. During this time, Freshii is offering kids under the age of 10 a FREE entree from the kids menu on Saturdays and Sundays when their meal is accompanied by an adult entrée (one free kids meal per adult entrée). Read More
Celebrate The Holidays With Walter Stewart's Market (sponsored post) CTbites Team December 09, 2014 The holidays are a wonderful time to take advantage of Walter Stewart's Market in downtown New Canaan. Stewart's Market makes everything easier during this busy season, and with over a century of experience, they know a thing or two. Whether you are entertaining, gift giving, looking for great holiday decor, or simply finding that perfect wine, Walter Stewart's has it all. (Don't miss their impeccable suggestions for holiday wine pairings below.) Happy Holidays from Walter Stewart's Market and Stewart's Spirits! Read More
Westport Farmers’ Market Hosts Apple Recipe Contest Dec 13th CTbites Team December 08, 2014 The Westport Farmers' Market is challenging Fairfield County to bring out their best apple recipe to the Westport Farmers’ Market. To sweeten up the holidays, WFM is challenging Fairfield County to bring out their best apple recipe on December 13 to the Westport Farmers’ Market located at 7 Sylvan Lane, Westport, CT (inside Gilbertie’s Herb Garden). At 11:00 a.m. Celebrity Judges from The Whelk, Lefarm and KawaNi will taste their way through the entries declaring a winner at high noon. The winner will receive a Westport Farmers’ Market t-shirt, serious bragging rights and market goodies and have the option to have their recipe shared with the 3,000 people who receive the WFM newsletter each week. There is one stipulation to the contest – the apple that is used must be from a local farm and the name of the farm must be noted with the entry. Details: Read More
Excellent New Fall Menu @ Harlan Social in Stamford Restaurant American Stamford Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 07, 2014 Two years ago Harlan Social opened as a part of the Lockworks project in Stamford amidst questions on whether the area would support the restaurant or whether the restaurant investors and the developers were visionaries. Two years later Harlan Social’s success shines as a local hang-out, an after work meeting spot, and a destination restaurant. Harlan Social was the brainchild of Owner & Executive Chef Steve Lewandowski, who was previously the Sous Chef at Manhattan’s Abby restaurant, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Fantino in the Ritz Carlton before joining Tribeca Grill and becoming its Executive Chef. Currently overseeing the kitchen is Executive Chef Michael Sobelman, whose resume includes Sardis and Tribeca Grill with Lewandowski. When Harlan Social opened Lewandowski immediately reached out to Sobelman to join him and oversee the kitchen. Harlan Social recently introduced its new Fall menu and CTbites visited to sample some of the new additions. Read More
