The Whelk's Burger - Still Outstanding Restaurant Westport Best of CT Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 08, 2015 The 2015 “Dry Aged Beef Burger” prepared by Chef Anthony Kostelis begins with a 7-8 ounce patty topped with sweet pickles, Bella Bantam cheese, bacon and onion mayonnaise, all encased in a buttery brioche. The meat was deep and rich in flavor, perfectly seasoned and compressed slightly to maintain the grind of the meat. It was juicy in the middle of the burger but a little dry at the edges. The Bella Bantam cheese from Arethusa Farm was outstanding, melted atop the patty. It was mild with a slight nuttiness, a great complement to the burger. The bacon at The Whelk was one of the best I have tasted in years, with a incredible smokiness and also added a little crunchiness to the burger. Read More
DiMare Pastry to Open Second Location in Downtown Stamford Restaurant Bakery Stamford Dessert Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 07, 2015 Here’s some great news for residents of downtown Stamford… DiMare Pastry Shop has announced that it will open its third location at 30 Spring Street in Stamford, serving its delicious cakes, pies, cupcakes, pastries, rolls, breads and its ever-popular and outrageous cannoli dip. The location will be named DiMare Pastry Downtown and is convenient to the explosion of apartments in downtown Stamford along Washington, Atlantic and Bedford. The newest location on Spring Street will be familiar for patrons of Bar Rosso and Volta as DiMare becomes the third occupant in this storefront. The interior design is currently in the planning and development phase and the artist rendering on their Facebook page (above) indicates a sleek design to showcase their outstanding baked goods. Thanks to OmNomCT for confirming the details. Read More
Friday Froth: Tröegs, Jack's and Zoë Ingredients CT Beer Beer James Gribbon February 06, 2015 Tröegs Brewing Company made its Connecticut debut this week at The Cask Republic, The Ginger Man, Coalhouse Pizza, Craft 260, Max Burger and other locations around the state. Troeg's, from Pennsylvania, has a large portfolio of highly rated beers which are welcome additions to the universe of options currently available in the Constitution State. This week's installment of Froth starts with Troeg's Nugget Nectar, one of the darlings of the current American beer scene, and a limited release for the late winter. Nugget Nectar is a 7.5% imperial amber made with traditional European malts and fancy American hops. It pours the color of bourbon with an enticing meringue of head. There are very sweet, peachy hops to the nose, probably due to the Nugget and Simcoe varieties which make part of the hop bill, and a good balance of flavors to the first sip. The color is a faithful predictor of the maltiness in this one, but the fruity hop character is fully apparent early on. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Tequila Dinner, Chocolate Tasting, Valentine's Cooking Classes & More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 06, 2015 Bodega of Fairfield presents and Azuniza Tequlia Dinner on Monday February 9. It includes 5 courses such as tres guacamoles, surf & turf tacos, and skirt steak Churssaco alongside with Azuniza cocktail pairings. It starts at 7:30pm and costs $65 plus tax and gratuity ($75 at the door). Email david@bodegatacobar.com for details and to reserve. Also on Monday, Analiese Paik of the Fairfield Green Food Guide presents a “Single Origin Chocolate Tasting Workshop” at Olivette, located at 1084 Post Road in Darien. It lasts from 6:00-8:00 pm and costs $25 per person. Napa & Co’s Wine Classes continue with “Sinful Zinfandel” on Monday February 9th. Sample examples from Rombauer, Titus, Ridge, Old Ghost, Four Vines and Robert Biale. It costs $85pp (plus tax and gratuity) and starts at 6:30pm. Journey through Italy with Bar Sugo's “Serie Vino” Italian Wine Class & Food Pairing Series. Read More
CT Foodie Valentine's Day Gift Guide 2015 Restaurant Chocolate Gift Guide April Guilbault February 04, 2015 “Cooking is like love. It should entered into with abandon or not at all.” Such delicious, true words from Harriet Van Horne, who first penned this line for Vogue magazine in 1956. In the spirit of channeling Ms. Harriet, we hope that wild abandon flies out the proverbial window this Valentine’s Day and that you can enjoy some new culinary experiences and delights with your honey. Love is food for the soul and we want your soul overflowing! Here are 12 gift ideas to entice and treat, from sweets to beers to bling... Read More
Fairfield gets Freshii! Nutritious Healthy Food For People On The Go Fairfield Juice Bar Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Westport healthy Lunch Jessica Ryan February 03, 2015 Fairfield has worked its way up the food chain, offering all sorts of great dining opportunities for those with even the most discerning palates. With all the new restaurant openings, there was one thing that was lacking in the town’s culinary offerings; a really good health-food based option. Until now - enter Freshii. Sandwiched in between The Fairfield University Bookstore and Chef’s Table is Freshii, recently opened by owner Jonathan Blob who also owns the Westport location. Although word had not yet really gotten out, the restaurant was bustling the two times I went in, first to check it out, then when I returned to chat with Blob. The store, long and narrow, airy and bright, evokes a fresh, healthy attitude. Bright green, leaf-colored chairs are neatly lined up against the long counter space on one wall just below a large mirror reflecting the words...EAT. ENERGIZE. from the opposing wall. The light woods and grass-like covered wall lend themselves perfectly to an eatery of this type. A large menu board lists many and varied options. There are choices for breakfast, smoothies, juices, salads, wraps, bowls, soups and burritos. Read More
Mura Pop-Up Delivers Outstanding Ramen Restaurant Japanese Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 01, 2015 Ramen is one of the great dishes of the world. Contained within a single bowl is the essence of all flavors; and the most recent pop-up restaurants overseen by Chef Mogan Anthony (Locali) just over the border into NY are phenomenal. Chef Mogan was raised in Singapore and was captivated, at an early age, by the flavors in Asian cuisine. His early training included studying under some of the best Asian chefs. Read More
Olea in New Haven Delivers Extraordinary Spanish Dining Restaurant Spanish Tapas New Haven Connecticut Magazine February 01, 2015 Olea's condomiz / Photo: Jen Kaufman, Connecticut Magazine Many in the New Haven area mourned the closing of Ibiza last spring. The restaurant has been reimagined by former Ibiza chef Manual Romero who is now the owner and chef, reviving this modern Spanish tapas mecca for the city once again. Our friends at Connecticut Magazine recently visited, giving it an excellent rating, and here's why: When Ibiza in New Haven closed last spring, Connecticut lost a culinary treasure. Located on High Street, steps away from two famous art museums, it was itself a work of art, showcasing the best of modern Spanish cuisine in the state and on the East Coast. Busy, buzzy, frequently bustling, with a mile-long list of intriguing tapas and a devoutly loyal customer base, it vanished suddenly, as if it had never been. Rumors flew. Diners mourned. But within six months, the spirit of Ibiza rose like a phoenix in the same location but in a glamorous new guise, re-imagined and rechristened, Olea. Read More
Friday Froth: Snowed In With Barleywine Ingredients Brewery CT Beer Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon January 30, 2015 Deep snow requires strong booze. Our ancestors knew it, we know it, and every year around the winter solstice we can see a certain class of beer made specifically for snow days start to take up shelf space. Barleywine is beer better served at 55º than 35º, and best enjoyed when it's 25º outside. It's usually sold in large format bottles of the 22-26oz. variety, and will wrap you in an invisible sweater of at least 10% alcohol. Blizzards are a good thing when you're properly stocked. Barleywine has been deployed as a winter knock out drop by bored or insufficiently rowdy residents of the frostier climes for centuries. It is NyQuil by another name, and it is a blessed boon to those of us who seek to replace the lost hours of sunlight with - in order - hijinks and oblivion. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Chocopologie Cookbook, Brunch, Making Meatballs, Truffles & More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 29, 2015 Match will host an Industry Brunch on Monday February 2. The a la carte menu will feature items like Storch’s famous onions & eggs, carpetbaggers, chocolate chip pancakes, and bacon egg and cheese on a pizza! Reservations are HIGHLY recommended! Call 203-852-1088 Ext 4. Start your week with Darien Social’s Monday Pasta Night. Choose a pasta, add a sauce, and finish it with your choice of toppings. It’s just $13 for all-you-can-eat pasta, soup or salad, and breadsticks. Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market invites you to Wine Tasting 101- their most popular class. It unfolds over two Wednesday sessions, Feb 4 & 11. Learn about the 4 taste zones of the tongue, the basic grape varieties, and more. $50 for both classes. Call 203-259-4692 for reservations. 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. “The Ultimate Tasting Experience” Read More
Brick + Wood in Fairfield Hosts Guest Chefs Pizza Series Fairfield Pizza CTbites Team January 29, 2015 What’s better than pizza? A great pizza developed by some of the best chefs in the area. Over the next six months, local favorite Brick + Wood will hand over the heat of its wood burning pizza ovens to local chefs for an evening of Love, Life {and Chefs!}. Each guest chef will bring their vision and recipe of the perfect pizza to these ovens for a special evening of food and fun. Read More
Michel Nischan Honored as 2015 Humanitarian of the Year by James Beard Foundation Stephanie Webster & Amy Kundrat January 28, 2015 Photo: James Beard Foundation Congratulations to Michel Nischan who is receiving the 2015 Humanitarian of the Year award from the James Beard Foundation. Chef Nischan is an ardent supporter of the sustainable food movement and two-time James Beard Foundation Award winner. Here at CTbites, we know and love him as the founder and partner of the former Dressing Room Restaurant and as the founder, president, and CEO of Wholesome Wave. Read More
Parallel Post in Trumbull Launches Girl Scout Cookie Inspired Dessert Menu Restaurant Trumbull Dessert CTbites Team January 28, 2015
Raising Backyard Chickens Seminar @ Cannon Grange Hall in Wilton CTbites Team January 27, 2015 Raising backyard chickens has become increasingly popular with the expanded awareness of the importance of locally and sustainably grown and produced food. Experienced chicken keeper Bil Mikulewicz will demystify the project in his talk “Backyard Chickens or One Man's Journey With A Bunch Of Dumb Clucks” on Thursday, February 5, 7pm at the Cannon Grange Hall, 25 Cannon Road, Wilton, Conn. Read More
10 Year Anniversary for Rizzuto’s Wood-fired Pizza Kitchen & Bar in Bethel, CT Restaurant Bethel CTbites Team January 27, 2015 Rizzuto’s Wood-fired Pizza Kitchen & Bar in Bethel, CT is celebrating their 10-year anniversary beginning January 25 through February 21 with special $10 lunch and $20.04 dinner prix fixe menus. Owner Bill Rizzuto opened the neighborhood Italian restaurant in December of 2004, transitioning from his career as a hotelier to restaurateur, now with multiple locations across the state, including Stamfrod, West Harford, and Westport. Read More
Kids Bites: Snow Ice Cream Dessert Recipes Kids Bites kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team January 26, 2015 Every year, CTbites pays homage to the first storm of the season with this classic recipe. If you're in the house with your kids and things are getting ugly...why not put that white stuff falling out of the sky to good use and make dessert ? Remember, only use clean snow. Stay away from the yellow stuff. Ick. Grab your mittens and a spoon and head outside while the snow is still fresh for some "Snow Ice Cream" and "Frosty The Snowman Ice Cream Delight." Read More
Road Trip: Chamard Vineyards Farm, Winery, & Bistro in Clinton Ingredients Restaurant Clinton Road Trip Vineyard WIne Lunch Jessica Ryan January 25, 2015 How often does one get to visit a vineyard that’s blanketed by crisp white snow, or highlighted by a fiery autumnal backdrop, making it even more magical than it already is? Nestled in the shoreline town of Clinton, about a mile beyond the hustle and bustle of the outlet shops is a charming vineyard that boasts over 20 acres of grapes as well as their bountiful fruit, vegetable and herb gardens. One might not consider Connecticut to be wine country, but Chamard Vineyards Farm, Winery, & Bistro is worth noting. Established in 1983, Chamard’s winning Estate Reserve wines are exclusively made in their winery, and can be enjoyed in their Tasting Room or in their dining room. The bistro offers a creative farm-to-table menu featuring a French inspired American menu. Their Chardonnay and Merlot are very good. Read More
Mura Ramen + Gastropub Pop-Up In Pound Ridge Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 25, 2015 Chef Mogan Anthony of Locali is bringing his Asian heritage and early career training to his latest venture. Over the next few weeks, Chef Mogan will team with several locations for a pop-up restaurant featuring appetizers, Ramen and other Asian specialties. The first event occurred last week in Mt. Kisco and the second session will be held this Wednesday and Thursday, January 28th and 29th just over the NY state border in Scotts Corner. After surviving the "blizzard of the century" join Chef Mogan and warm yourself with Buns, Ramen and Sweets. Tickets for this event are $29 and will feature three courses. Drinks, tax and gratuity are extra and the events is cash only. For resrvations call Village Social at 914-864-1255. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Bourbon Tasting, Super Bowl Parties, Wine, Bone Broth + More Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 23, 2015 Goose Island Bourbon County is taking over Gingerman Greenwich’s taps on Monday January 26! Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Bourbon County Coffee Stout, and Bourbon County Barley Wine will be on draught from 7-11pm. Monday January 26 Napa & Co will hold a “Jordan Library Wine Tasting 2001-06” as part of their Winter Wine Classes. Jordan is one of the icons of Alexander Valley producing Old World style Bordeaux blends. Participate in a vertical tasting of 6 wines and see how well they age and how they’ve changed. $120pp (plus tax and gratuity). “The Reds: Wine and Meat” comes to Barcelona West Hartford on Tuesday, January 27th at 7pm. Join Chef Eric and learn the secrets to pairing red wines with hearty red meats. To make a reservation, please call 860.218.2100. It costs $49 per person. Are you feeling under the weather? Or maybe you're just in need of a wellness boost. Saugatuck Craft Butchery is offering hot mugs of nutrient-dense bone broth from their healthy, pasture-raised animals. Read More
