Would Thomas Jefferson Choose Sub-Zero & Wolf Appliances for Monticello? (sponsored post) CTbites Team January 23, 2015 From the time he took his domestic servant James Hemings to Paris in 1784 to learn French cookery, Thomas Jefferson made sure that his enslaved cooks were trained to prepare meals in the French manner. According to the official Monticello website dedicated to Jefferson's iconic home, Hemings passed his skills on to his brother Peter, while servants Edith Fossett and Fanny Hern received years of training from a French chef in the President's House at Washington. On Jefferson's retirement in 1809, they returned to Monticello to find a new kitchen that replaced the old one in the cellar of the South Pavilion. The site of meal preparation was now a much larger space. Read More
Boulevard 18 to Host Robert Burns Whisky Dinner CTbites Team January 22, 2015 “Prudent, cautious self-control is wisdom's root” – Robert Burns Throw caution to the wind and join fellow Scotch lovers at Boulevard 18 on Thursday January 29th and celebrate the birthday of poet Robert Burns. Chef David Raymer is creating a special four course dinner, each paired with a special Scotch chosen by Alex Meier-Tomkins, the Spirits Portfolio Manager and Scottish Whiskey Guru for Slocum & Sons Importers & Spritis Merchants. Read More
Walrus + Carpenter Launches All Pie Dessert Menu Restaurant American Bridgeport Dessert Stephanie Webster January 22, 2015 In the dessert world, pie trumps all. It's all American, even if it isn't apple, and when done right, it's just plain delicious. Walrus + Carpenter in Bridgeport recently launched a new dessert menu that features...you guessed it, pie. In fact, the menu is ALL pie, 6 different tantalizing options including: Bourbon-Chocolate Pecan Pie, Chess Pie, Key Lime and their signature "Walrus Pie," featuring a bacon-chocolate chip cookie crust, bacon crumble, bacon candy & peanut butter ice cream (Get in the car...there's still time). In keeping with Walrus' attention to detail, this master of all things smoked meat have put a little extra love into each and every pie. The creative cookie based pie shells, the flakiness of the Apple Pie's cheddar crust, and the gently torched meringue are just a few noteworthy elements. Plus, Walrus + Carpenter is now open 7 days a week, so you can enjoy this 6 pie menu 24/7. View the full Pie Menu Photo Gallery below: Read More
Chef Mario Batali Visits New Haven's Yale Sustainable Food Program Restaurant Italian Yale New Haven Amy Kundrat January 22, 2015 In celebration of his new book, America: Farm-to-Table, and of the opening of Tarry Lodge in New Haven, Mario Batali will visit the Yale Sustainable Food Program and join its director, Mark Bomford, in conversation on Friday, January 23 from 3 to 4 pm at the Whitney Humanities Center 53 Wall St. New Haven, CT 06511. This event is open to the public but seating is limited. Visit the YSFP website for more information on this event. Batali will also host a three-course lunch at Tarry Lodge, for $85 per person on January 23. For details or to purchase tickets, visit the Tarry Lodge website. If tickets are sold out, contact the restaurant to be added to a wait list: (203) 672-0765 or email infonh@tarrylodge.com. Read More
Winter Farm Supper with Chef Tim LaBant @ Stamford Nature Center Feb 28 CTbites Team January 22, 2015 The Stamford Museum & Nature Center will host a Winter Farm to Table Supper featuring Owner/Chef Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale. This exceptional dining experience will take place on Saturday, February 28 at 6 pm amidst the permanent collections of the Bendel Mansion Museum Galleries. The evening will begin with artisanal hors d'oeuvres and signature cocktails to be enjoyed with a special preview tour with the artist James Gurney of the Stamford Museum’s new exhibition – Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum. The exhibition will also feature added selections from the Stamford Museum & Nature Center’s Paleontology Collection. Read More
Wildly Different Beer Class: Wild Beer Co. & B. United @ Harry's in Fairfield Ingredients Beer CTbites Team January 21, 2015 Harry's Wine & Spirits is teaming up with B. United & Wild Beer Co for a very unique beer class and tasting on Thursday, February 19th 7-9pm. The Wild Beer Co was set up in September 2012 by Andrew Cooper and Brett Ellis to brew beers with a bit of a difference. Their goal is to focus on different ingredients, different yeasts and different barrel aging techniques. Which will be discussed throughout the tasting class. Their Evolver IPA that was featured in Draft Magazine as a one of the TOP 25 beers of2014. Wild Beer Co's beer is not brewed to style but are inspired by ingredients, occasions or experiences. Read More
13 Tasty Places to Watch The Super Bowl in CT Bar Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 21, 2015 It’s official… the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots will face off in this year’s Super Bowl! It all takes place on Sunday, February 1 and area restaurants are making sure the event is both entertaining AND delicious. While some of your favorite places are showing the game on their TVs with food and drink specials, others have prepared takeout options perfect for your game day parties. Here are 13 Tasty Places to Watch Super Bowl 2015 in CT. O’Neill’s Irish Pub, Norwalk: O'Neill's Super Bowl party features specials, wing specials and lots of door prizes! Harlan Social, Norwalk: Harlan Social will have a gourmet buffet and unlimited tap beer and house wine from 5:15 p.m. to the end of the 3rd quarter. The buffet features Harlan burger sliders, smoked turkey reubens, Korean fried chicken wings, brats & krauts, braised lamb tacos, and more! Bodega, Darien and Fairfield: Bodega Fairfield and Darien have a super bowl menu and catering options. Email catering@bodegatacobar.com for more information. Read More
Morello Bistro Hosts Blue Point Beer Dinner Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 20, 2015 On Thursday, January 22nd, Morello Italian Bistro will host the BLUE POINT BEER DINNER featuring the beers of BLUE POINT Brewing Company. Enjoy a 4-course dinner and listen to guest speaker Mark Weiner, Blue Point’s Brew Master. (View menu below.) Blue Point Brewing Company is famous for its World Beer Cup winning Toasted Lager. Blue Point Brewing Company was founded in Patchogue, NY in 1998 by Mark Burford and Pete Cotter. This traditional 30-barrel brewhouse produces more than 20 different ales, stouts and lagers that have helped make them one of the fastest growing craft breweries in the country. Read More
Bistro Versailles Hosts La Soirée Couscous Restaurant Greenwich CTbites Team January 20, 2015 [UPDATED] Bistro Versailles is hosting La Soirée Couscous on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 7 p.m as part of their dinner event series. The evening is $75 per person excluding tax and gratuity. R.S.V.P. at 203.661.6634 or emailing bistro@versaillesgreenwich.com. La Soirée Couscous Read More
Soosh Sushi Opens on Summer Street in Stamford (And It's Kosher!) Restaurant Japanese Kosher Stamford Sushi Jessica Ryan January 18, 2015 The best places, I believe, are the more unassuming places. The little treasures that are off the beaten path, hidden away where you least expect. The best food is the food that is what it is – unpretentious, fresh and bursting with flavor. And that’s the best way to describe this new unassuming little Japanese restaurant in Stamford, Soosh. It was a social media friend of mine, Pierre-Christian D. Frye, owner of PCDF Architecture in Greenwich, who first told me about Soosh. Perhaps he was a bit biased as he was hired as the restaurant’s architect. He explained how he turned what was basically an old storage space into a stylish Japanese eatery. “For the new Soosh restaurant I worked closely with the owner to bring the vision to life of a truly modern, timeless dining experience. I accentuated the compact space with unique lighting and a rich mix of textures, tiles, wood and metal. Read More
Tap-a-Tree Maple Syrup Program @ Ambler Farm CTbites Team January 18, 2015 It's that time of year again. Sign up for Ambler Farms immensely popular, Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree program. Sign up quickly...these classes fill up fast. Learn the science and history of maple syruping by being a hands-on part of the process at Ambler Farm in Wilton. There are two training sessions offered (February 7th at 10am or 1pm); only ONE session is required for training. On that day you will choose a tree and hang your bucket that will collect sap. We will send regular updates on the running of the sap so that you can come to the Farm to collect sap from your tree. We will boil down the sap in our sugar shack and send each family home with their very own bottle of Ambler Farm maple syrup. Read More
Friday Froth: Down With Anchor! Ingredients CT Beer Beer James Gribbon January 16, 2015 A California brewer reached across the country to attack Hartford's City Steam and, distressingly, they've won. At issue? Anchor thinks they own the word "steam." Regular Friday Froth readers may remember when I first mentioned the lawsuit brought by Anchor Brewing against City Steam Brewery Cafe almost a year ago. This week a judge ruled Anchor Brewing in San Francisco can force City Steam in Hartford to chance its name. The lawsuit was upsetting then, and it's dead-fish-on-a-hot-sidewalk repellant now. I'm urging every craft beer drinker in Connecticut to boycott Anchor beer. Just don't buy it. It's that easy. Our voices and and dollars will be noticed. Just this week, Lagunitas dropped a similarly frivolous lawsuit against Sierra Nevada due to overwhelming consumer derision. Let's tell Anchor we in Connecticut are not going to take it laying down. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Mohegan Sun Winefest, Kids Cooking Classes, Whole Hog BBQ & More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 16, 2015 NEAT Coffee is now offering their freshly roasted beans via coffee subscription! Sign up for your monthly coffee fix be emailing coffee@NEATcoffee.com. AMG Catering has announced the dates of their 2015 Kids Summer Cooking Camps! Join Cask Republic Stamford on Monday, January 19th for a great night of Food & Beer with Allagash Brewing Company. The five course dinner includes dishes like coffee rubbed pork empanadas and house duck pastrami paired with craft brews such as Allagash Bourbon Black. $75 per person. Journey through Italy with Bar Sugo's “Serie Vino” Italian Wine Class & Food Pairing Series. Each one hour class in the series (there are five in total) will focus on a particular Italian region, history behind the wines, and the food that best accompanies them prepared by Chef Pat Pascarella. The series will take place each Tuesday at 7:00pm and this week- January 20- is Campania. Thursday January 22 is the next installation of Walrus + Carpenter’s BrewGrass with Whole Hog BBQ. There will be plenty of delicious food and live music from BrewGrass. Read More
Bacon Recipe Contest @ The Westport Farmers' Market Lori Cochran January 15, 2015 Westport Farmers’ Market is starting 2015 right...with a Bacon Recipe Contest. Westport Farmers' Market is challenging Fairfield County to bring out their best bacon recipe on January 24 to the Westport Farmers’ Market located at 7 Sylvan Lane, Westport, CT (inside Gilbertie’s Herb Garden). At 11:00 a.m. Celebrity Judges will be Chris Hickey, co-owner and Chef Carlos from The Spread will taste their way through the entries declaring a winner at high noon. The winner will receive a market bag full of goodies and a WFM t-shirt. Read More
Arethusa Farm & Dairy Plan New Bantam Breakfast and Lunch Spot Restaurant Litchfield Breakfast CTbites Team January 15, 2015 The former Bantam Coffee Shop along Route 202 or Bantam Road will become the latest Arethusa Farm dining destination, focusing on breakfast and lunch and utilizing Arethusa Farm & Dairy products. This will be the second dining destination for George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, who also run Manolo Blahnik. Read the full story on Connecticut Magazine. Read More
Best Fireside Dining in CT: 16 ‘Hotspots’ via Connecticut Magazine Connecticut Magazine January 14, 2015 Whether or not April is the cruelest month as poet T.S. Eliot so famously wrote, February is definitely one of the coldest and most forbidding months in New England. Folks tend to hibernate amid winter’s wrath— but we say, “Be brave and go out to enjoy wonderful dinners at Connecticut’s fabulous restaurants.” Are we crazy? Nope. We just know how many hotspots are literally hot— make that comfortably cozy — because they offer true, luxurious fireside dining. Here are 16 "Hotspots" that feature fireplaces for your CT dining pleasure. Read More
WIN TIX for Chocolate, Dessert & Wine Festival to Benefit Shelter for the Homeless Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 14, 2015 Join your neighbors and friends for a very special night to support the Shelter for the Homeless, while enjoying over 70 exhibitors serving up Chocolate, Dessert & Wine! Win Two Tickets to this fantastic Chocolate, Dessert and Wine Lovers Festival!!!! To earn a chance to Win two tickets: Like us on FACEBOOK and POST A COMMENT BELOW ON WHY YOU SHOULD WIN! Read More
The 16th Annual Taste of Ridgefield January 25 at Founders Hall Restaurant Events Ridgefield CTbites Team January 13, 2015 A Taste of Ridgefield will be held on Sunday, January 25, 2015 at Founders Hall, located in Ridgefield, CT. The 16th annual event will draw restaurants, caterers, and wine merchants from Ridgefield for two serving sessions 12:30 – 2:30 pm, and 4:00 – 6:00 pm. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. This event is hosted by The Rotary Club of Ridgefield and sponosred by Fairfield County Bank and Vazzana Management Consulting to benefit its schoarship fun and support a new fuel subsidy initiative to help needy families in Ridgefield. Participating restaurants include: Read More
Hot Chocolate Recipe Roundup via Marcia Selden: Nutella, Junior Mint + Dulce de Leche Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert Marcia Selden Catering January 13, 2015 Kick your hot chocolate into overdrive in the month of January because, let's face it, what else is there to do but ski...and eat? Take cocoa from from hum drum to yum yum with these killer recipes from Marcia Selden Catering. What are we talking about? We've got hot chocolate recipes including: Classic (and awesome) Hot Chocolate Recipe, Nutella Hot Chocolate,, Junior Mint Hot Chocolate, Dulce de Leche Hot Chocolate with Toasted Marshmallows. Read More
Lunch Break: Soups & Sandwiches at Wah Lah in Bethel CT Restaurant Soups Bethel Comfort Food Lunch Amy Kundrat January 11, 2015 Wah Lah is the ideal lunch location for a cozy cup of soup or a delicious pressed sandwich, with a side of small town charm. A fast-casual restaurant that focuses on the holy lunch trinity of soups, sandwiches, and salads, Wah Lah sets itself apart thanks to its amiable and talented owner-chef Keith Burke, and a well-executed and consistent menu that honors classic and wholesome recipes. Keith opened Wah Lah in 2010. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, he worked in the foodservice industry for 14 years, traveling across the country before deciding to change his pace and put down roots in the small Connecticut town of Bethel. The fast casual dining concept appealed to him, and he decided to marry that approach to the lunch-friendly category of soups with salads and sandwiches soon following. Wah Lah’s menu is a list of eight to twelve soups made fresh daily Read More
