Weekly Nibble: Oysters, CT Beer Summit, Cooking Classes, Stamford Restaurant Week + More

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 26, 2015

Stamford’s Winter Restaurant week begins Monday March 2 and runs through March 16. Over 30 Downtown Stamford restaurants will offer special prix fixe options. Participating restaurants include places like Barcelona, Cask Republic, Tengda Asian Bistro, and more. Please call ahead to confirm pricing and the dates offered.

Head over to The Spread in South Norwalk Tuesday March 2 and help raise money for the “Sheffield Island Lighthouse Education Program.” Starting at 430PM Chef Carlos will prepare oysters fourteen different ways. In conjunction with Copps Island Oysters, The Spread team will host an evening filled with Oyster Shooters, Poached Oysters. Oysters Casino, Oyster sliders and their famous BBQ grilled Oysters.

Tuesday March 3, you have your pick of great cooking classes:

Chef Pat Pascarella of Bar Sugo in Norwalk continues his new series of cooking classes with “The Art of Braising” on Tuesday March 3 at 7pm.

Holbrook Farm Home Gardening Seminar

Amy Kundrat February 26, 2015

Holbrook Farm in Bethel will be hosting "How To Start Your Home Garden," a home gardening seminar on Saturday, March 21 at 9:30 to 11:30 am at the farm, located at 45 Turkey Plain Road in Bethel, CT. Tickets are $30 per person.

The seminar, led by John and Jess at Holbrook Farm, includes best growing practices, and tackling common questions such as: how to amend soils, when to start what plants, how to plan for succession planting, do I start from seed or plants, when can I start planting my garden outside, raised beds or no, and more. A Q & A session will follow.

NOFA Winter Conference Celebrates Local Food, Organic Farms & Sustainable Living March 7

CTbites Team February 26, 2015

Just in from NOFA

Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut welcomes gardeners, food lovers, farmers, families, environmentalists, and cooks to our annual celebration of local food, organic farms, and all things sustainable at the 33nd annual Winter Conference on March 7, 2015. This is our largest event of the year which last year attracted 900+ participants passionate about organic farming, food, gardening and land care.

Plum Foods Hosts "Dinner Underground" March 8th

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 25, 2015

Chef Plum of Plum Luv Foods is at it again with the first 2015 Dinner Underground installment entitled “DINNER UNDERGROUND: EDMOND TOWN HALL TAKEOVER.”

On Sunday, March 8, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM Chef Plum will host the event at 45 Main Street in downtown Newtown, offering food, frolic and fun. The current menu that Chef Plum has designed is incredibly eclectic and diverse. The first course includes three sliders of “Land Sea and Air” and features elk, fried Copps Island Oysters and foie gras. Head south for the second course and enjoy frogs’ legs with Anson Mills grits and braised kale. Transport yourself to the Asia and enjoy a pork belly Ramen bowl with togarashi and egg for course number three. The fourth course brings the guests to the Caribbean with prawns with a coconut cloud and lemon parsnip puree. And finish the evening with a Southwest cannoli with candied pepper and sweet tostones.

Donate a Blanket, Get Wine, @ Olio's "Warm Blanket Drive"

CTbites Team February 24, 2015

If you are looking to share the warmth and enjoy a great meal, Olio Restaurant on Hope Street in Stamford is once again hosting its Warm Blanket Drive. Owners Steve Costanzo and Moira Hyland have been a pillar in giving back to the community and between now and March 7^th bring in and donate a new, or like new blanket, and enjoy a glass of complimentary wine while you dine.

The Spread Hosts "Oyster Madness" March 3rd w/ 14 Oyster Preparations!

CTbites Team February 24, 2015

Head over to the Spread in South Norwalk next Tuesday March 3^rd and help raise money for the “Sheffield Island Lighthouse Education Program.” Starting at 430PM Chef Carlos will prepare oysters fourteen different ways. In conjunction with Copps Island Oysters, The Spread team will host an evening filled with Oyster Shooters, Poached Oysters. Oysters Casino, Oyster sliders and their famous BBQ grilled Oysters.

Ice Bar & Winter Patio Party @ Rizzuto’s Westport + Ice Luge!

CTbites Team February 23, 2015

Tired of the cold? Why not embrace it at Rizzuto’s Oyster Bar & Restaurant? Their popular outdoor patio will play host to a New Amsterdam Ice Bar & Winter Patio Party. Specialty cocktails & oyster shooters served all night on February 27 & 28 Only. Grab your ski gear and head over to Westport. Guests must be 21 and older. Don't miss the Ice Luge Constructed By Ice Matters!

Rizzuto's Oyster Bar & Restaurant is located @ 540 Riverside Ave in Westport.

1st Annual Market Style Street-Food Rave in Stamford via HeyStamford!

Restaurant Festival Stamford

CTbites Team February 23, 2015

Da Legna: New Haven's Best Kept Pizza Secret

Features Restaurant Pizza New Haven

Amy Kundrat February 22, 2015

Da Legna is the best kept secret for New Haven pizza lovers. But it shouldn’t be.

Ask a friend who lives or works in New Haven for their favorite pie, and steel yourself for a slew of anecdotes, a bit of Elm City history, and maybe even a neighborhood geography lesson – Wooster v. State Street. Then, after declaring their allegiance to one of the “big three,” lean in, because your friend may end their (a)pizza diatribe with an almost conspiratorial whisper of “Da Legna,” the two-year old State Street restaurant devoted to wood-fired pizzas, Italian tapas, and a refreshing lack of pretense.

Three Interviews with Connecticut James Beard Award Semifinalists

Interview Chef Talk Washington

Amy Kundrat February 21, 2015

Chefs Tyler Anderson, Bill Taibe, and Joel Viehland were recently recognized by the James Beard Foundation as semifinalists in the 2015 Best Chef: Northeast category. On the occasion of their nomination, we asked each of them to answer a few questions, from the serious (key influences and mentors) to the hypothetical (a CTbites blank check to open a new restaurant).

Want to know where Chef Tyler Anderson's next restaurant could be, who Chef Viehland would love to cook for, and who is one of Chef Taibe's biggest influences (hint: he is a chef in one of his kitchens)?

Read on for this and more from three of Connecticut's best chefs.

Weekly Nibble: Mimi Sheraton; Tim LaBant; Cooking Classes; Whole Hog Dinner + More

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 20, 2015

Monday February 23, Napa and Co is giving you the opportunity to meet with Justin King of organic winery King Wine Estates of Oregon. The night will feature three courses with wine pairings. $50pp (plus tax and gratuity).

Celebrate Johnny Cash’s birthday with Walrus + Carpenter on Thursday February 26. The night will be hosted by BrewGrass and include a whole hog BBQ dinner.

Mimi Sheraton, award-winning author and former restaurant critic for The New York Times, will be at the Westport Public Library on Saturday, February 28 to discuss her new book, 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List. Sheraton's appearance will be a conversation with Matt Storch, chef and owner of Match Restaurant. Details here.

The Barcelona restaurants have a number of offerings this week:

Tuesday February 24 at 7pm, Barcelona West Hartford presents “Craft Beer and Tapas.”

CT NOFA 2015 Winter Conference

CT Farms Danbury

CTbites Team February 19, 2015

CT NOFA's Winter Conference is Connecticut's largest food, agriculture and sustainability conference, held Western Connecticut State University's Midtown Campus in Danbury on Saturday, March 7.

The conference will focus on the future of sustainable farming through dozens of workshops, an exhibition space with over over 70 vendors featuring local foods, crafts, books, and sustainability initiatives. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Kristine Nichols, Rodale Institute Chief Scientist who will deliver a speech on the "Regenerative Agriculture for Soil & Climate Health."

Burger Bests: Bailey's Backyard's Cheddar & Ale, One Excellent Burger

Restaurant American Ridgefield Comfort Food Burgers

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 19, 2015

The next stop on my unending burger quest found me sitting at a high top table in the rear of Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield. This modest two room restaurant is known for its creative cuisine with an unwavering Farm to Table attitude instilled in the entire menu by Executive Chef, Forrest Pasternack.

Many told me about the Cheddar and Ale Burger, and it was time I tried it for myself. The Burger is served with caramelized onions, cheddar & ale sauce on a brioche, with a side of shoestring potatoes.

CT Chefs Anderson, Taibe and Viehland Named James Beard Semi-Finalists

CTbites Team February 18, 2015

Three of Connecticut’s best chefs were recognized this week by the James Beard Organization as 2015 Restaurant & Chef Award Semifinalists. The three outstanding chefs include Tyler Anderson of Millwright’s in Simsbury, Bill Taibe of Le Farm, The Whelk and Kawa Ni, in Westport, and Joel Viehland of Community Table in Washington.

Each was announced as a semi-finalists in the 2015 “Best Chef – Northeast” category. For those of us who have enjoyed the outstanding cuisine of these three culinary masters their inclusion comes as no surprise.

The American Chestnut Educational Tasting on March 5

CTbites Team February 17, 2015

UPDATE MARCH 4TH - EVENT IS CANCELLED FOR TOMORROW DUE TO THE WEATHER AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED IN THE SPRING. As announced by Fairfield Green Food Guide.

Join Steve Conaway of The American Chestnut Foundation, Chef Silvia Baldini as he leads a "Culinary Demonstration and Tasting," and Analiese Paik for a discussion entitled "Heirloom and Ark of Taste" on Thursday, March 5 at The Carriage Barn Arts Center in Waveny Park in New Canaan. The informative session runs from 6:30-8:30 pm.

Conaway is the Conservation & Outreach Director of the Greenwich Land Trust, home of the American Chestnut Tree Sanctuary, and a fountain of information of chestnut growing. Please bring your questions for the Q&A to follow his talk. Next, Chef Silvia Baldini of Strawberry and Sage will discuss how to store, cook, and peel fresh chestnuts, and demonstrate how to prepare Mont Blanc chestnut cakes, a classic chestnut dessert from her native Italy. Analiese Paik of the Fairfield Green Food Guide will inform guests about rare and delicious heirloom and Ark of Taste foods and provide insider tips on sourcing them.

Local Chef Adam Greenberg (Fortina) Competes on "Chopped"

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 16, 2015

Chef Adam Greenberg of Fortina will be the latest local chef to appear on The Food Network’s “Chopped” on February 24^th at 1000PM. The chefs are each given a ”mystery basket” and are required to create an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert re-purposing each of these ingredients. Three world class chefs then critique each chef’s creation down to the smallest details. Lose the round and you are “chopped,” the others move to the next round. Win all three rounds and you are the Chopped Champ. Chef Adam was kind enough to share a few thoughts on the competition and his culinary future with CTbites.

Mediterraneo in Norwalk ... A Culinary Tour of Southern Europe

Restaurant American Norwalk

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 15, 2015

Mediterraneo, a ‘destination restaurant’ in the Hotel Zero Degrees on Main Street in Norwalk is a beautiful backdrop for Executive Chef Albert DeAngelis’ culinary tour of the Mediterranean. The aquatic inspired dining room features a large bar area to the left, with several high top tables to augment the bar seating, and to the right is the main dining room. With hardwood floors, white chairs and a large nautical flag painting along the far right wall, the dining area presents a clean and airy feel. The highlight of the room is the floor to ceiling glass wall that overlooks the panoramic, million-dollar waterfall view on the river. From a magnificent French Braised beef “Bourguignon” to a mild Tuscan Prosciutto wrapped rabbit loin to an outstanding Wild black sea bass, the menu at Mediterraneo offers wide varieties of clean flavors and combinations. Mediterraneo is one of five local restaurants owned by the Z Hospitality Group.

Friday Froth: Notes From Big Brew NY Beer Festival

Ingredients Festival Friday Froth Beer

James Gribbon February 13, 2015

Session beers are popular now, but a single drinking session rarely includes 250 different beers. The Big Brew NY Beer Festival returned to White Plains on Feb. 7 with hundreds of kegged and bottled beers, plus a VIP area with almost 30 casks of special ales. It's tough to write with a beer in one hand and camera in the other, but I managed to record a few notes and observations from what has become a very good midsize beer festival.

First: it may look crowded in a few of these photos, but the crowd was never an issue. Beer fest attendees tend to be pretty easy going. Most seem happy just to be in a place where they can simply stick out their glass and have it filled, and it's exciting to try new brands and styles without running the risk of taking your first sip and realizing you're now stuck with a six pack of beer you wouldn't use to poison driveway weeds.

Celebrate Fat Tuesday @ The Spread in Sono

CTbites Team February 12, 2015

Celebrate NOLA style at The Spread in Norwalk on February 17th. Chef Carlos has created a special Fat Tuesday menu that will be offered in addition to their a la carte dinner menu. It's not easy to find Crawfish Étouffée and Beignets in Fairfield County. Get over there there next week and join the party.