Discount Code for CTbites for "Beers At The Beach" Event

CTbites Team May 30, 2015

"BEERS AT THE BEACH is a summer beer series put on by the Welcome To Connecticut Podcast and hosted by Ken Tuccio.

Ken Tuccio, the host of BEERS AT THE BEACH has put together a special discount for readers of CT Bites. If you purchase tickets on June 1st (before 12am on Tuesday June 2nd) and use the coupon code CTBITES at checkout, you will get 15% OFF of the ticket price! You can buy tickets HERE.

The first event in the series takes place at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk on Thursday June 11th. The event kicks off at 6:30pm and will feature the beers from Beer'd Brewing

Chefs of Our Kitchen (C.O.O.K.) Series

Restaurant Dinner Events New Haven

CTbites Team May 30, 2015

The third annual C.O.O.K. series presented by Gateway Community College Foundation features chef-led culinary evenings at Gateway's campus in New Haven. Upcoming events include Neil "Singing Chef" Fuentes on June 3, 2015 and Abby Dodge on November 4, 2015. Tickets for the Neil Fuentes dinner are $65 per person.

Tickets include:

6 p.m. Pre-event reception with wine, beer soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres in Gateway’s New Alliance Foundation Art Gallery
A cookbook, memoir or recipe booklet
A chance opportunity to meet the author/chef
A 6:45 p.m. 3 course meal prepared by the featured chef and Gateway Community College Culinary

The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook: Author Signings w/ CTbites Contributor Christy Colasurdo

CTbites Team May 29, 2015

Updated to include new event dates and locations.

The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook, a beautiful new cookbook co-authored by CTbites' contributor Christy Colasurdo, launches on June 1. The book, a celebration of local food and farms, takes readers on a tasting tour of Connecticut, where you'll meet the state's top chefs and the farmers who provide them with hyper-local provisions. For a full list of events and information, visit connecticutfarmtablecookbook.com.

June Book Signings

Stew Leonard's in Norwalk: Saturday, June 6 from 11-1
Back 40 Mercantile in Old Greenwich: June 4 from 3 to 6 pm

Best Doughnuts in CT 2015 Edition: Friday June 5 is National Doughnut Day!

Restaurant Bakery Doughnuts Breakfast Best of CT Dessert

CTbites Team May 29, 2015

Yes, it’s a recognized national holiday, and CT has great doughnuts for sweettooths ready to celebrate! Here are places serving delicious ones. Thank you, readers, for your contributions!

Uncle Leo’s, Redding
Speedy Donuts, Norwalk
Whitney Donut & Sandwich Shop, Hamden
Lakeside Diner, Stamford
Beach Donuts, Old Lyme
Darien Doughnut, Darien
Orangeside, New Haven
Lorca, Stamford
Coffee An’ Donuts, Westport
Stew Leonard’s, Norwalk, Danbury, Newington, Yonkers
SoNo Baking Company, Norwalk
Donut Crazy, Shelton, Stratford
Neil's Donuts, Wallingford
Faddy's Doughnuts & Ice Cream, Windsor

Friday Froth: Connecticut Beer Triple Double

Ingredients CT Beer Friday Froth Beer

James Gribbon May 29, 2015

When we last left Friday Froth, your occasionally humble and rapidly expanding host wastalking American Craft Beer Week, and local offerings from OEC, Stony Creek and Stubborn Beauty. We'll continue the furthering rides the Connecticut beer bus this week as we take our minds on a drive to Bristol, Hartford, and Stratford. Buckle up, because it gets heavy.

Life is currently pretty fluid out there on the vast, rolling prairie of American craft beer. Everyone who lays hands on a mash paddle seems to be inventing a new style, or at least melting an existing style down and sculpting it into a new form. Much of this morphology arrives in the world with enough alcohol to sterilize minor gunshot wounds. These come stamped with labels marked "double" or "Imperial," which are largely interchangeable, and just mean "strong."

Where to Enjoy Negroni Week in CT: June 1 - 7, 2015...Every Drink = $$ For Community Plates

Amy Kundrat May 28, 2015

7 days. 3 ingredients. A good cause.

Negroni Week, presented by Imbibe Magazine and Campari, will take place from June 1-7th when bars around the world will mix their favorite Negroni variations and donate a portion of proceeds from each Negroni sold to a charity of their choice. Launched in 2013, Negroni week is as a celebration of one of the world’s great cocktails and an effort to raise money for charitable causes. It has grown to include more than 1,300 participating bars around the world, raising more than $120,000 for charities. In Fairfield County, proceeds will be going to Community Plates, Fairfield County’s local food rescue organization.

Connecticut's Participating Bars

116 Crown, New Haven
Amore Cucina & Bar, Stamford
Brick + Wood, Fairfield
Carbone's Bloomfeld & Hartford
DishNEAT, Westport
Luxe Wine Bar & Cocktails, Westport
Main Street Grill, Watertown
Match, Norwalk
Oak Haven Table and Bar, New Haven
Ordinary, New Haven

Weekly Nibble: Guide to CT Farmers' Markets, SoNo Eats, Ninety9Bottles Beer Festival, Book Signings + More

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson May 28, 2015

“SoNo Eats” (formerly SoNo Restaurant Week) is a six-day promotion that features the unique and fine dining options available in South Norwalk with Special Prix-Fixe Dining Deals May 31 – June 5. View participating restaurants here.

On June 6th, Stamford Museum & Nature Center will host their 6th Annual Food & Wine Celebration Enjoy a festive evening of fine wines, delicious fare from the area's top caterers and restaurants, celebrating the museum's rich history as an educational and cultural treasure for Stamford and the surrounding communities. Buy Tickets here.

Fairfield Cheese Company has posted their summer Cheese Class School schedule and it's creamy and delicious.

Kick off the summer "al fresco" season at the gorgeous outdoor patio and restaurant at Artisan Southport on Wednesday June 3 with a Happy Hour from 5:30-7:30pm. Enjoy creative hors d'oeuvres by innovative Chef Frederic Kieffer and specialty Artisan Margaritas for $39 per person. View menu and purchase tickets here.

Sugar & Olives' Ramp and Pistachio Pesto Recipe

Recipe

CTbites Team May 27, 2015

Jenn Balin of Sugar & Olives will be the guest chef at the Westport Farmers' Market Thursday May 28th and she will be whipping up some of her incredibly delicious Ramp and Pistachio Pesto. I've had it over eggs. It's killer good. You can find the recipe below.

If you'd like to taste some for yourself, head on over to The Westport Farmers' Market or visit ANY farmers market as ramps are in season, and pick up the ingedients to make this recipe at home. Enjoy!

SUGAR & OLIVES' RAMP AND PISTACHIO PESTO

Food Truck Rodeo & Music Fest: Food Trucks, Music & Beer via HeyStamford!

Restaurant Events Food Truck

Hey Stamford! May 27, 2015

Here's the scoop on Stamford's Food Truck Rodeo from our friends @ Hey Stamford!

A few weeks back we shared the news with you about the Blue Point Brewery Food Truck Rodeo & Music Fest. The event is just weeks away, June 20th at Mill River Park in Stamford Downtown and we are excited! With live music, almost 20 food trucks and kids games galore, it will literally be a fun family day of food and music!

It's a who's who of local food trucks slinging their best meals with almost 20 of the best food trucks in our area in one spot you can expect a little of everything from apps, to main courses to desserts and everything in between. Check out this list..it's a work in progress as more are being added as we speak.

The Revitalized Downtown Milford Farmers' Market

Farmers Market Milford

CTbites Team May 27, 2015

The newly revitalized Downtown Milford Farmers Market will be operating every Saturday all spring and summer, located at 58 River Street 9am- 1pm. It will boast a variety of specialty local vendors (vendor list can be viewed below). In addition to fresh produce, tasty treats and artistic treasures, Market Masters Lesli Flick and Alex Malaspinas of Scratch Baking will be distributing a market specific recipe each week to excite your taste buds and liven up your weekend cooking. “Our daytime market will provide a shopping experience for the entire family,” Flick, owner of Milford’s Scratch Baking, said.

Amidst the hum of CT based vendors in this stylized farmers market setting, patrons will also enjoy live music, interactive events and entertainers, as well as prepared foods. From flowers to free-range meats, this year’s market has set it's sights on outstanding pleasures for the palate and the people.

Opening Day @ The Westport Farmers' Market

Stephanie Webster May 26, 2015

On May 21st, The Westport Farmers' Market opened its virtual doors for the 2015 summer season. Opening day brought a veritable Who's Who of the local restaurant community as chefs came out to show their support for the market as well as local farms and vendors. View the gallery above for highlights.

Market Director, Lori Cochran is looking forward to a great season. “What a great day! We are humbled by the continued support and thrilled with the season we have in store for everyone. Join us for lunch and enjoy a wide variety of quality food while enjoying a river view.”

2015 will bring a full lineup of weekly guest chefs, a few new food trucks and kids programming. See you there on Thursdays from 10-2pm at 50 Imperial Avenue in Westport.

Join Us For Happy Hour Cocktails & Hors D'oeuvres @ Artisan Southport

ellen bowen May 22, 2015

Kick off the summer "al fresco" season at the gorgeous outdoor patio and restaurant at Artisan Southport on Wednesday 6/3 5:30-7:30 with a Happy Hour for $39 featuring creative hors d'oeuvres by innovative Chef Frederic Kieffer and specialty Artisan Margaritas. Buy Tickets Here.

Chef Kieffer has prepared a special menu of passed hors d'oeuvres utilizing the brand new outdoor grill and include:

*Grilled Baby lamb chops, minted yogurt dip
*Shrimp & pineapple skewers, ginger glaze
*Prosciutto, mint & grilled melon, barrel aged balsamic
*Chicken & chorizo kebab, chimichurri
*Sesame salmon skewers, kecap manis, spring onion
*Mediterranean brochette, spicy tomato glaze

Even the Artisan Margarita will include a grilled lime garnish!

Friday Froth: Connecticut On Craft Beer Week

Ingredients CT Beer Friday Froth Beer

James Gribbon May 22, 2015

American Craft Beer Week was last week, and my pants hate me. You'd think massive doses of beer paired with little to no sleep for long periods of time would do a body good, but no. Anyone would tell you that if you'd just listen, but then you'd also have to hear about "healthy decisions" and "getting out of that bulldozer this instant," and anyway I can always buy new pants.

So, I'm fat now and here are some of the beers which left me with a) no regrets in that regard, and b) this red line under my navel.

Stony Creek Dock Time. For the past several years, the tasting room at Two Roads has reigned supreme in Connecticut. It is a massive, brightly lit space which fairly bubbles with history, it has an enormous central bar, and the stools have these bearings in them that let you spin around. Truly a top notch operation. Now, though, dare mention the Two Roads tasting room in any context and people will burst from out of nowhere shouting a chorus of "BUT HAVE YOU BEEN TO STONY CREEK" like it's the "fiiiiive gooold-en riiiiings" part in The Twelve Days of Christmas.

You know what? That's fair.

CT Hops for Hope Brewfest Supporting the SMS Research Foundation

Restaurant Brewery

Amy Kundrat May 22, 2015

CT Hops for Hope, an intimately-scaled craft beer festival in New Britain on August 30, 2015, is organizing a fundraising event with 100% of proceeds benefitting the Smith-Magenis Research Foundation. The event will feature a terrific lineup of 20+ craft breweries, craft beer enthusiasts, and food trucks.

Tickets are $45 for general admission and $55 for early bird admission, and will be available for sale beginning Friday, May 22 at 11 am. General admissions includes all brewery samples, but does not include the price of any food trucks, which will be selling their food separately. The event will take place at The Quartette Club in New Britain, rain or shine. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cthopsforhope.com.

HAPA Food Truck - Tacos with a Philippine Twist

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger May 21, 2015

There’s a new food truck in Stamford and it is well worth the visit. HAPA Food Truck rolled onto Bell Street this week serving three types of tacos, Korean short rib, Philippine chicken adobo and Nonny’s sweet peppers, burgers, both beef and Ahi, plus bowls of poke and chicken adobo. CTbites stopped by to sample a few tacos and meet the owner.

Let Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Co. Pack Your Summer Picnic!

CTbites Team May 21, 2015

Summer calls for a lot outdoor dining and snacking—from family trips to the beach to romantic outings for two—but sometimes shopping for and packing up lunch is too much effort for a vacation day. This summer, Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company introducing a solution. Let us pack your picnic for you with a curated collection of fresh-cut cheeses and meats, delicious dried fruits and nuts, and even an eco-friendly cheese tray with biodegradable serving utensils. These picnic essentials come packed in our custom to-go boxes in two sizes that make a fun and easy addition to picnics, beach-trips, boat rides, and so much more. Trust us with the planning and the presentation so you can enjoy the most important part: the flavor!

Call ahead to order a basket for pick up or stop in and browse while we pack your picnic for you!

Weekly Nibble: Farmers' Markets, BYOB, Fleishers Delivers, CT Breweries + More

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson May 21, 2015

On Tuesday nights, bring your own bottle of wine to accompany a Chef’s tasting menu at Morello Italian Bistro in Greenwich. There will be no corkage fee for guests enjoying the special menu (guests not ordering it will be charged a $25 corkage fee.)

The Darien Farmers Market kicks off its 2015 season on Wednesday May 27 at the Goodwives Shopping Center located at 25 Old Kings Highway North in Darien, CT. It will be open every Wednesday through Christmas from 11:00am to 4:00pm, rain or shine.

Fleisher's Craft Butchery is now delivering! If you can't make it for lunch at Craft Kitchen, just call... avorite burgers, steak frites and pulled pork tacos are now available for delivery. To order delivery Tuesday-Friday 11am-3pm. Call 203-318-9816 or order online via GrubHub or Seamless.

On Wednesday, May 27, the Madison Beach Hotel invites you to a 5-course gourmet dinner featuring Madison's own Mad Hill Peppers. Each course will also be paired with pepper-infused cocktails. It lasts from 6:30-9:30pm and costs $89 per person.

Also on Wednesday, Harry’s in Fairfield presents a Kermit Lynch Wine Class from 7-9pm. Attracted by the Old World wine cultures of Europe, Kermit became a retailer, distributor, and national importer for authentic wines that express their terroir. It costs $35 for one session.

On Thursdays pm, from 10am-2 the Westport Farmers’ Market continues its 2015 summer season.

Zuppardi's Pizza Truck Now Rolling in Connecticut

Restaurant Food Truck Pizza New Haven

Amy Kundrat May 20, 2015

It was four years ago this month when I first met a Zuppardi's sausage pie. They say you never forget your first, which I then ensured by writing about it for Serious Eats.

So imagine my surprise when I learned they were rolling out a Zuppardi's pizza truck, and my elation when I ran into said truck, a bright red beacon on an otherwise gray and drizzly New Haven day, on the corner of Chapel and Church in New Haven. Put another way, if New Haven's signature pizzas were the rat pack, the Zuppardi's sausage pie would take center stage alongside New Haven's other apizza stars: Sally's tomato, Pepe's clam, Modern's Italian Bomb, and Bar's mashed potato. Yup, it's that good.

Audubon Greenwich Hosts 2nd Annual Sustainable Food & Farm Expo w/ Local Chefs and Tastings

Ingredients Going Green Local Artisan

CTbites Team May 20, 2015

Community Is Invited to a Day of Learning with Local Experts

Audubon Greenwich will host the second annual Sustainable Food & Farm Expo on Sunday, May 31, from 10 am until 5 pm. This year’s Expo will showcase high quality food producers, retailers, a celebrity chef, and farmers who will teach guests how to prepare and enjoy a wide variety of local and sustainably grown foods, plus grow some of their own. Register online for tix.

The public is invited to enjoy twenty food exhibitors and vendors plus talks, demonstrations, and tastings with a wide range of experts every thirty minutes. Fleisher’s Craft Butchery and Grass Rxoots will cater lunch, snacks, and beverages suitable for vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, locavores, and those with food allergies or adhering to an organic diet. Chef Silvia Baldini of Strawberry and Sage will share her passion for cooking in three different culinary demonstrations and tastings where locally sourced ingredients take center stage.

Two Roads’ Second Annual Road Jam Concert: Soul Rebels, Food Truck & Beer!

Restaurant Brewery CT Beer Events Festival Beer

CTbites Team May 20, 2015

Stratford, CT's Two Roads Brewing Company will be celebrating their 2nd annual Road Jam concert on the grounds of their 100 year-old brewery building and it promises to be just as fun as last year with four awesome bands, great food trucks and plenty of Two Roads beer.

Building on the success of last year's event, this year's Road Jam will be a must-attend festival for music lovers. Two Roads has hired three local bands as well as a headliner all the way from New Orleans to keep you dancing until last call.

Returning this year will be the Alpaca Gnomes who killed it at last year’s event and new to the line-up this year are two other Connecticut favorites, the psychedelic Snooty Garland and jam group The McLovins.

Headlining the event is New Orleans' finest brass band: The Soul Rebels. They have shared the stage with everyone from Kanye West to Dave Matthews and have collaborated with some of this generation's best musical acts. They have been described by the Village Voice as “the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong.” Two Roads is thrilled to feature them as the main act.