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.
What’s better than pizza? A great pizza developed by some of the best chefs in the area. Over the next six months, local favoriteBrick + 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.
Several years ago Danbury resident Bruce Lyon decided to leave his career in commercial real estate to start his own mobile catering service that specialized in authentic Neapolitan pizza.
And after one of his most successful years in the business, Lyon has decided to move part of the operation -- Victoria's Wood Fired Pizza -- into brick and mortar, leasing a storefront on P.T. Barnum Square in Bethel that had been home to several different businesses over the past few years.
We've more than doubled our business in the past year alone," Lyon said. "And we've had a huge increase this year in weddings. The rustic, style wedding is really becoming popular, and it works perfectly with our business model."
After six weeks of overdoing the bubbly and those cheesy hors d’oeuvres (sooo good), ‘tis time to turn that calendar page and welcome all things cleaner and leaner. 2015 is here, with new delights to entice us and healthy flavors and dishes to keep our immune systems fueled, our skin glowing, and our bellies from bulging. This year, as you treat your body well, will cauliflower be the new kale? Will that little green nut, the pistachio, reign supreme with its antioxidants, vitamins and protein? There are so many ways to treat our bodies well and, luckily, we have found a great offering of area resources that will satisfy our tastebuds and help keep our bodies healthy. Happy New Year!
Here are 18 Places to Eat Healthy in Connecticut for 2015: Juice Bars, Restaurants, Organic Markets, Food Trucks & More!
You know how you “just know” when a new restaurant is going to be good? That’s the feeling you get in the first ten minutes at Brick + Wood, a new restaurant and wine bar in Fairfield’s Brick Walk Plaza on the site of the former Ponte Vecchio restaurant. When you make a great find like this, it’s a double-edged sword: You want to share it with friends, but at the same time keep it your secret a little longer. We decided to share. You’re welcome.
On a recent lunch visit, as we perused the distressed-wood and worn-brick decor, an amuse bouche appeared out of nowhere—two crispy crostini topped with fluffy homemade ricotta, sautéed broccoli rabe and imported prosciutto—as if to say, “Let’s get this party started.”
Tarry Lodge opens their newest outpost in New Haven this weekend and will be participating in New Haven's restaurant week beginning on Sunday. Tarry Lodge New Haven is located at 278 Park Street in New Haven.
The Yale Daily News reported its opening today, noting its smaller footprint and more student-friendly focus:
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.
It is a unique place that can transform itself from a casual, family friendly lunch and dinner spot to a young and hip late night stop after a dinner of popcorn at the movies. Romanacci Cafe (which translates as “From Rome”) on the Norwalk-Westport border is such a place, offering Artisan pizzas, salads, Focaccia paninis, crepes and freshly made Italian pastries.
Tucked into a strip center on the Post Road, Romanacci is the handiwork of two brothers, Graziano and Maurizio Ricci. Both hail from Rome, where they attended culinary school and worked alongside their parents as well as in other family-run restaurants.
Graziano migrated to the US almost 18 years ago and eventually oversaw the kitchen in New Haven’s Hot Tomatoes. He subsequently convinced his younger brother, Maurizio, to join him as its maître d’, and they finally chased their dream of owning a restaurant. When the owner of Norwalk’s Osteria Romana decided to sell his business, the brothers decided to purchase the restaurant with the intention of bringing a younger attitude and clientele to complement Graziano’s fresh pastas, breads, and sauces. Osteria Romana continues to thrive with a loyal and regular crowd, outdoor seating and a cozy bar area.
Hearst Newspaper's Lunch Break Chronicles is where we often go to find hidden gems in Fairfield County. Brett Mickelson recently visited the latest pizza parlor with a familiar chef—Derek Furino, formerly of Behind the Net in Darien and John Dough's Pizza Bar in Norwalk has moved on to become a partner in Old School Pizzeria in Fairfield.
Finally…the weather has changed…the farms are beginning to produce spring vegetables… and al fresco dining is in full swing. CTbites recently posted a round-up of over forty restaurants with al fresco dining including Locali in New Canaan and many readers added their favorites.
At the northern end of Forest Avenue, aka Restaurant Row, the patio of the newest restaurant addition, Locali, opened its patio, doubled the seating and Executive Chef Mogan Anthony has completely revamped the menu. The new spring offerings include nine predetermined pizza combinations and sixteen appetizers and salads, all for sharing, plus a smattering of pastas. All of these new culinary delights combine bold flavors and textures to highlight the seasonal bounty.
Did you celebrate Pizza Week? Our very own executive editor and pizza lover Amy Kundrat breaks down the New Haven apizza scene for Eater.com's #PizzaWeek national initiative. In The Definitive Guide to New Haven Pizza, Amy focused on the parlors we all know and love.
There is pizza, and then there is apizza. New Haven-style pizza is the latter; a hotter, crispier, and dirtier descendant of Neapolitan style pie. What ribs are to Kansas City, cheesesteak to Philadelphia, and crabcakes to Baltimore, pizza is to New Haven. If you grew up in or around the Elm City, your pizza parlor allegiance can be fierce. So how did Connecticut's second largest city become ground zero for some of the best pizza in the United States? Just what is New Haven-style pizza?
There is a synergy that sets Matt Stanczak's Stanziato's Wood Fired Pizza in Danbury apart. The combination of a chef/owner with a sincere devotion to his craft, a respect for simplicity, a loyalty to local ingredients, and last but certainly not least, Matt's fearless and fun leadership, make the sum of Stanziato's greater than its parts.
Local Food Rocks captured the essence of Stanziato's perfectly in this behind-the-scenes video of how they build their fires (Jenga-style), what makes their pies so amazing (slow fermentation, good old Danbury water), and a couple trips to local farms you may recognize.
This talented duo behind the blog and RMedia.TV deserves its own shout-out. Alicia (passionate home cook and blogger) and Renato (the man behind the camera and guitar) Ghio are literally a rocking duo. Check them out.
If you watch one thing this weekend, make it this. And if you go to Stanziato's, don't miss the soppressata and chilies pizza and pair it with a salad.
You just did it all this holiday season. And by that, I mean...cookies became a food group. Mixing, stirring and shopping had you working your “muscles” (how to polish something, right?). Real exercise resided in the back seat, crammed in between boxes and bags and wrapping paper. Your sanity was also wedged in there, too, now that you think about it. Thank goodness that a new year is upon us because you weren’t quite sure you could take another week, chaotic and fun as it may have been. And yes, there was much good in the holiday season...but it’s all....tiring. So now, after the decadence and gluttony, let’s reset. Recharge. And for the love of Pete, put down that cookie.
Here we offer, as your first gift of the New Year, some great resources, including juice cleanses, yoga joints and healthy eats, to get your body and mind back on track and ready for action in 2014!
Bruno DiFabio is the owner and pizzaoilo at ReNapoli in Old Greenwich, and has been making pizza for thirty years. A fact made more interesting when you consider he is only 42. He has considerable bragging rights with five World Pizza Championship titles under his belt and stints at the famed ovens of Spacca Napoli, Da Michele and Trianon in Naples.
What does Bruno make for Christmas dinner? Pizza, of course. His Sfincione di San Giovanni (Sicilian Christmas Pizza) recipe is below and is a must read for any serious pizza aficionado. This holiday season, make them what they want...pizza.
Three words to describe the outstanding cuisine that Locali Pizza Bar + Kitchen, the latest addition to New Canaan’s Restaurant Row. This twenty-eight seat restaurant / pizza bar is already making its mark on the culinary landscape of New Canaan.
Executive Chef Mogan Anthony and his team are creating vibrant flavors and textural contrasts in many of their dishes, intermingled among other selections that are pleasantly soft and mild.
The interior design, with a strong focus on organic materials, creates a cozy and inviting environment with guests choosing between table or bar seating. In full view of the dining and bar area is the beautiful, hand-crafted ceramic encased Stefano Ferrara wood-fired brick oven.
Joining Chef Mogan in the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Ruben Liriano and Chef Antonio Legato oversees the wood burning pizza oven. Chef Mogan gained his training at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore and subsequently under Chef Jean Georges Vongericthen in three different locations, plus the Bedford Post and Village Social in Mt. Kisco.
Cooking with wood fire has a preternatural, almost primal appeal. You could argue that as cavemen, it was our first foray into comfort food. The intense heat and smoke has the power to transform otherwise unassuming ingredients. The six-month old Fortina in Armonk, begins with this deceptively simple ethos–Italian food, cooked simply, in wood fired ovens–and elevates it with a thoughtful culinary execution and a familiar, if familial, disarming vibe.
“There is a complexity to the simplicity,” said Rob Krauss, one of Fortina’s three partners along with John Nealon and Christian Petroni, nailing what makes the restaurant’s cuisine tick. I’m fairly certain Krauss is also referring to the restaurant’s team, an extended family of sorts that works equally hard at the food as they do cultivating the culture at Fortina
More than the sum of its wood-fired parts, Fortina relies on the culinary prowess and Italian heritage of partner and Executive Chef Christian Petroni, formerly of Barcelona Greenwich, as both muse and ringleader. “My background is Italian, I grew up spending summers in Ponza. One of my favorite restaurants is Peasant. As a young cook, Frank de Carlo was an inspiration as a chef. I was intrigued by cooking in wood ovens. There is something about it that is so gratifying. It’s a beautiful thing.” Along with chef de cuisine Jodi Bernhard, formerly of Barcelona, the kitchen has the creative chops responsible for its daily printed menu.
For decades, Colony Grill has offered pizza. Pizza (with a capital P) and only pizza. Delicious pizza, to be sure, with a unique thin crust and lots of available toppings (including the legendary hot oil). But with the exception of veg toppings -- fresh mushrooms, onions, black olives and peppers (stingers and cherry) -- there was no greenery to be found.
Veg-avores rejoice! Colony Grill is now offering a Salad Pizza. The signature Colony crust comes topped with fresh mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots tossed with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Clean and simple. As it says on the menu, No Cheese, No Sauce.
Yep, it’s healthy. Good for folks training for the 3rd Annual Colony Grill “Hot Oil” 5K on November 10. (Until then, $1 for each salad pizza sold will go to race proceeds, which benefit local police and fire department initiatives.) For those who like clean eating (and we definitely do), this salad pizza is a welcomed addition to the Colony menu board.
The intersection of Locust Avenue and Forest Street in New Canaan will be in full restaurant mode again in a few weeks when Locali Pizza Bar and Kitchen, a tribute to Napolitano pizza and small plates, opens in the space that formally housed Kouzina. The restaurant is brainchild of Joe Bueti, whose previous restaurants include 121 in North Salem, Strega in Pleasantville and his current location in Mt. Kisco, Village Social. Bueti is teaming with business partner Anthony Legato in this new venture. Overseeing the kitchen is Chef Mogan Anthony, the current chef at Village Social, and a former participant on “Chopped.” Chef Mogan’s background includes working under Chef Jean Georges Vongericthen in three different locations and a stint at the Bedford Post under New Canaan elm restaurant’s Chef Brian Lewis. The redesign is fully in process and their aim is an inviting, more intimate atmosphere that will deliver classic food and Neapolitan dishes.
How cool is it to walk up to a 1952 Chevy Pick-Up truck and order a perfectly prepared Napoletana pizza, with great ingredients imported from Italy, prepared by a classical trained Italian chef, and baked in under two minutes in a blazing hot, wood-fired oven. Pizza Luca, the brain child of Chef Dean Medico, creates pizza masterpieces that are steeped in the tradition of Italy, using only the best ingredients from Italy to create three distinctly southern Italian pizza delicacies, the Marinara, the Margherita, and the sauce-less Bianca.
Fairfield county residents will be soon crossing the border (passports not required)-- into Upper Westchester County's suburb of Armonk, after this week's opening of Fortina. Chef Christian Petroni, recently Executive Chef of Greenwich's Barcelona Restaurant, is joined by John Nealon, ex-GM of the same provenance and Nealon's childhood friend, Rob Krauss as business partners. Both Nealon and Krauss originally hail from Westport. Petroni, a local himself, is also co-owner of Cooked & Co., in Scarsdale.
Recalling the many memorable meals he had eaten during his time spent in Italy, Petroni's vision was to bring Italy's simple authentic flavors, cooking methods and presentation to the dishes he serves at Fortina. This vision is executed with the help of 2 wood burning ovens imported straight from Naples, Italy which serve as a focal point in the main dining room. In fact with the exception of just a few menu items, everything is cooked in these fiery hearths...even a pasta dish or two! (And you should hear Petroni when he speaks of his ovens...like a proud new Papa )
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. 
