Aarón Sánchez & Chris Batemen Unveil Seasonal Menu At Paloma, Stamford Restaurant Celebrity Chef Stamford Lunch Latin American Lou Gorfain July 03, 2015 After a bloggers’ tasting at Paloma in Stamford’s Harbor Point, CTBites sat down with Chef de Cuisine Chris Bateman to review the menu -- and his creative relationship with celebrity chef-owner Aarón Sánchez. Bateman is a culinary prodigy. Fresh from CIA, the young chef opened Four Seasons Restaurants and Hotels around the world. So debuting Paloma last summer wasn’t his first big time rodeo. Sánchez may be its star, but Bateman runs the day-to-day show. We wondered how much the celeb is involved in the creation of Paloma’s menu. “Very much,” Bateman replies. “We work closely. But he’s wide open to my ideas, and listens really well.” The unshaven, still youthful chef, sporting jeans and a Yankee cap worn backwards, confides, “Aarón is the reason I’ve stayed here. I love cooking with him.” Read More
Clearing the Air: How to Select Overhead Ventilation for Your Kitchen (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team July 03, 2015 Homeowners often tell us that one of the elements in designing a new kitchen that is the trickiest for them is selecting ventilation. There are many kinds of ventilation to consider and, in this post, we'll be looking at the most popular, overhead ventilation. Overhead Ventilation...why do we need it? There are four by-products that are created when we cook: heat, grease, steam & smoke. The purpose of your ventilation is to remove these by-products from your kitchen so they are not deposited on your ceiling, walls, cabinets, fabrics, etc. How do we achieve this? There are four basic factors in selecting the right overhead ventilation for your project. 1. Choose Canopy Size and Design Read More
Weekly Nibble: New Salumeria, $1 Oysters, Food Truck Festivals, Lobster Bakes + More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson July 02, 2015 Lugano Wine Bar & Salumeria is now open! Greenwich’s latest restaurant and bar is currently open Monday thru Saturday for Lunch, Happy Hour & Dinner. Sundays are soon to follow with a weekend brunch. Find them at 1392 East Putnam Avenue Old Greenwich, CT 06870. Eli’s Tavern in Milford offers $1 oysters on Tuesday nights and a $20 prix fixe menu for ladies on Wednesday night. This week, Fairfield Cheese Co. offers “Cheese 101.” Learn about different kinds of cheeses, cheese-making, and more… with a little wine too! The class comes to Fairfield on Wednesday July 8 from 7-9pm and Greenwich on Thursday July 9 from 7-9pm. It costs $45 per person. The Riverfest Food Truck Festival will take place in Hartford’s Mortensen Riverfront Plaza July 9, 10, and 11. Enjoy the best of mobile cuisine, live entertainment, and fireworks. Cocktails! Cupcakes! Two favorite treats come together at Nixs in Hartford on Thursday July 9. The summer soiree goes from 5-9pm and features Amsterdam vodka cocktails, sweets from Nora's Cupcakes, hor d'oeuvres, and more. Read More
Win 2 Free Tickets to Beers At The Beach Event w/ Ken Tuccio CTbites Team July 01, 2015 Last month Ken Tuccio, the host of the Welcome To Connecticut Podcast, launched the very first BEERS AT THE BEACH event in Norwalk, and it was a huge success. The second BEERS AT THE BEACH will happen Thursday, July 16th at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk.This event will feature the beers of Kent Falls Brewing. Tickets for this event are on sale now at WelcomeCT.com, but Ken is giving readers of CTBites the chance to WIN a pair of tickets to the event! All you have to do is send an email with your name, and why you think you should win, to ctbitescontest@welcomect.com. The most creative entry will be selected by Ken onMonday July 6th, and that lucky winner will get a pair of tickets to July's event. Read More
15 American Restaurants in CT for July 4th Dining Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 30, 2015 America is the land of the free, home of the brave… and full of delicious food! Here in CT, we have a host of notable restaurants serving up American favorites. Be sure to call ahead to confirm their holiday hours. Here are 15 places with classic fare perfect for an Independence Day celebration. Do you have a favorite American restaurant in CT? Tell us below. 1. Ted’s Montana Grill, Hartford2. Shake Shack, Westport and New Haven3. Bailey’s Backyard, Ridgefield4. Archie Moore’s, New Haven, Wallingford, Derby, Milford, Fairfield5. Darien Social, Darien6. The Spread, Norwalk7. Engine Room, Mystic8. Craft 260, Fairfield9. Johnny Utah’s, Norwalk Read More
Lithos Restaurant in Darien: New Greek in Town Restaurant Darien Greek Homepage Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger June 28, 2015 Lithos Restaurant opened in April serving an array of Greek specialties from a house made hummus to individually prepared crocks of Moussaka to a full selection of dinner entrées including fish, meats and chicken. Located at the eastern edge of Darien in the building that formerly housed Anthony's coal fired pizza, Lithos redecorated the interior to a lighter feel with blues, taupes and fixtures to inspire a Mediterrean softness. There is a long bar in the rear of the dining area, tables, booths and a large dining table that seats 10-12 to the right of the space that can be secluded by a sliding curtain. This month the restaurant commenced lunch service with a fixed price ($16 on my visit) 3-course special that includes an appetizer sampler, a choice of entrées and a dessert of yogurt, honey and fruit. Read More
A Wonderful Wine & Cheese Evening with Fairfield Cheese Company Cheese Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger June 28, 2015 On a beautiful evening, sixty wine-and-cheese lovers gathered at the Pequot Museum in Fairfield for an education on five specially selected cheeses and wines chosen by Laura Downey and Chris Palumbo, the owners of Fairfield Cheese Company and James Beard Award Winner Max McCalman. For two hours McCalman guided the group through the wonderful wines and delightful cheeses and masterfully conveyed his insight and passion. McCalman is a leading promoter of artisanal cheese production and was America's first restaurant-based Maître Fromager. He was conferred the title of Maître Fromager as designated by France's Guilde des Fromagers and is the author of Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best, which won a 2006 James Beard Award. Read More
Westport Arts Center & Westport Farmers' Market Launch "Young Shoots" Student Digital Photography Competition CTbites Team June 28, 2015 The Westport Arts Center and the Westport Farmers' Market are excited to announce a student digital photography competition, Young Shoots, for kids and teens ages 8-18. The competition, jointly sponsored by the two Westport non-profit organizations, is designed to provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their creativity through the digital photography medium, and to showcase the local color and vibrancy of the Westport Farmers' Market. Jurors for the competition include Helen Klisser During; Westport Arts Center's Artistic Director, Eileen Sawyer; local photographer and member of the Westport Farmers' Market Board of Directors, and Stephanie Webster; Editor-in-Chief for CTbites.com. Submissions are due by August 1, and selected photographers will be notified August 15. Young Shoots submission guidelines are as follows: Read More
Weekly Nibble: BBQ's, Veracious Brewing Opens, Beef & Bourbon, Italian Wine Dinners + More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 28, 2015 On Monday, June 29, Beverage Director Olie Berlic and Chef de Cuisine Chris Bateman of Paloma will present a 6-course dining experience that will pair craft-made bourbon cocktails with Latin-inspired botanas. Later, cigars can be enjoyed on Paloma’s gorgeous second story patio. Reservations required. $65 plus tax/gratuity. Meanwhile in Fairfield, Craft260 & Beer'd Brewing Company are partnering for a beer dinner with 6 beers and 5 courses of food. Tickets are $90, inclusive, and can be purchased at Craft 260. Vespa is hosting a "Backyard BBQ" on the patio on Saturday July 4 from 4-7pm. Enjoy a savory menu of grilled dishes (think burgers, grilled sausage, grilled chicken, veggies and shrimp skewers) for $5 and that's not all...select beers and wine for $5 too! This event is kid-friendly and menu is only available on the patio. From Monday June 29 to Friday July 4, enjoy 50% off all American Wines at Napa & Company in Stamford to celebrate Independence Day. Please note that they will be closed on July 4. Veracious Brewing Company is now open for business in Monroe, CT! Stop in Thursdays from 3-8pm, Fridays from 12-8pm, and Saturdays from 10-8pm. It is located at 246 Main Street. Washington Prime in South Norwalk invites you to a Beef and Bourbon Tasting Social on Tuesday June 30 at 6:30pm. Try Bulleit bourbons while the chefs serve a variety of beef dishes in progression: WP Small Plates, NY Strip, Ribeye, Filet Mignon, and Porterhouse. $85 per person, reservations required. Read More
Westport Farmers' Market 2015 Guest Chef Lineup CTbites Team June 28, 2015 While creating a thriving local hub for seasonal food, WFM has selected 20 of the top area chefs and restaurants to show you a thing or two about using the delicious freshness you can find each week at the market. Fairfield County’s favorite farm-to-table chefs will appear weekly to conduct classes and demos from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. They will help you learn how to use locally produced, seasonal ingredients found at the market to prepare fresh, easy meals for your family. Well, then pull up a chair this and every Thursday. No need to bring a pen and paper, either! Each chef will have recipes ready for you to take home and test out in your kitchen. Every chef demo will feature a local chef who supports the local food culture, and the WFM. They share WFM’s dedication to real farmers who grow real food. And what they do with it is really delicious. Read More
Meet the Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream Team at Barrett Bookstore in Darien on July 11 Restaurant Events ice cream Homepage Amy Kundrat June 28, 2015 Laura O'Neill and Connecticut natives Ben and Pete Van Leeuwen started Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream in 2008 with pair of buttercup yellow ice cream trucks and a mission to revitalize traditional ice cream making by using only whole, natural ingredients. Less than a decade later the business has grown to include several bricks and mortar shops, a fleet of trucks, and a gorgeous new cookbook with 100 classic and new ice cream recipes. Barrett Bookstore in Darien will be hosting a talk with authors Ben and Laura on Saturday, July 11 at 12 pm with a Q/A session, book signing, and of course, an ice cream tasting. Read More
Pho Hong Thom: A Must Eat Vietnamese Gem in Bridgeport Restaurant Asian Bridgeport Delicious Dives Vietnamese Sarah Green June 28, 2015 Here’s a little secret...SHHHH!!! We got a tip from those in the know - and by that I mean some of Fairfield County’s finest chefs - that the place “around town” for truly authentic Vietnamese Pho is PHO HONG THOM on Wood Ave in Bridgeport. Naturally, we FORCED ourselves to give it a try. Tiny, unpretentious, even down-right plain, patrons come here for the food, not the decor. But they come. Empty when we arrived at 11:30 but jam packed by noon, PHO HONG THOM draws ‘em in and keeps ‘em coming back for more. Here’s why: PHO HONG THOM gets its name from Hong and Thom Nguyen, owners of this family-run establishment in the heart of Bridgeport. Originally from a tiny village near Hanoi, the Nguyen family are “all in” with sons and a daughter helping out whenever possible. This is family cooking at its best and you get a hint of that as a mosaic of flavors greet your nose upon arrival. Broth is at the heart of this menu - and I’ll tell you what Pho.. Read More
Back 40 Kitchen: Modern Farmhouse with Organic Mission to Open in Greenwich this July Restaurant Farm to Table Greenwich CTbites Team June 21, 2015 The Back 40 Farm Group will open Back 40 Kitchen this July on Greenwich Avenue, a modern take on organic farmhouse cuisine. Back 40 Kitchen will be a haven for those seeking healthy, organic food without sacrificing sophistication. The restaurant will source the majority of its produce from Back 40 Farm, an 85-acre family-owned organically managed farm in Washington, CT, as well as other regional organic and sustainable farms and purveyors. Read More
CTbites Invites You! New Canaan Taste Tours Food Event CTbites Team June 21, 2015 New Canaan Taste Tours returns after last years sold out series to offer a self-guided food tour beginning Tuesday June 30 and continuing throughout the summer every Tuesday and Wednesday until August 25th. Enjoy three of the top restaurants in New Canaan for $55 pp ( tax and tip included). Purchase Tickets here.The 2015 Taste Tour will focus on an easy walking tour starting on Elm Street and ending on Forest Street featuring restaurants: elm, Baldanza Natural Market and Cafe, and Cava Wine Bar & Restaurant. What's On The Menu Read More
Friday Froth: Beers At The Beach With Beer'd Brewing Ingredients CT Beer Events Beer James Gribbon June 20, 2015 The first ever Beers At The Beach micro-fest went down at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk earlier this month, and CTBites was there to give you a look. The party's host, Ken Tuccio of the Welcome To Connecticut podcast, created the event to showcase in-state breweries which don't have large distributions, and give people a chance to try the beers and meet the people who make them. The guest of honor on June 11th was Beer'd Brewing of Stonington. Burgers and hot dogs were provided by Ripka's Beach Cafe as part of the party, and shrimp, clams and oysters were also on ice for bites al fresco. Beer'd took the opportunity to launch their new imperial amber, Get To The Choppa! Read More
Strawberry Salad with Feta, Avocado and Toasted Almonds c/o Watson's Catering Recipe Eating In Ingredients Recipe CTbites Team June 19, 2015 Strawberry Salad with Feta, Avocado and Toasted AlmondsIt's strawberry season here in New England, which means a full-on strawberry frenzy in the kitchen for us here at CTbites. Watson's Catering and Events has created this easy and delicious summer salad. If you still have a quart of strawberries leftover from your strawberry-picking adventures, this is where you'll want to put them to work. Read More
Boothbay Lobster Company Opening in Stamford's Harbor Point: Wicked Fresh Maine Seafood Restaurant Seafood Stamford Opening Lou Gorfain June 18, 2015 It’s official. The Boothbay Lobster Company will be opening its first restaurant in early 2016 at Harbor Point in Stamford. In fact, owner David Galin had just finished hanging up the announcement sign in the window of the new location, when we asked about his plans. Since Boothbay is Lobster Haven in Maine, our first question had to be, “Connecticut Lobster Roll or New England Lobster Roll?” “Both,” Galin said, grinning. “And either way, we’ll serve tail, knuckle and claw meat in a really good bun.” The restaurant concept is so fresh that Galin and his somewhat silent business partner are still refining the details, but “fresh” is the operant theme: seafood plucked directly from the cold waters of Maine immediately trucked to Harbor Point. When the concept is further embellished, Galin promised to give CTBites readers a very early preview. This we can leak. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Outdoor Dining, Whisky Tasting, Beer Dinners, Summer Cooking Classes + More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 18, 2015 Southport Brewing Company, with locations in Southport and Milford, has opened their patios! Come enjoy some drinks and food outdoors. Monday June 22, Stamford’s Bar Rosso will hold a 4 course Pio Cesare wine dinner. All of the cuisine is inspired by Piedmont, Italy. It costs $75 per person and begins at 7pm. Call for reservations at 203.388.8640 or email Beer Monday June 22 Cask Republic Stamford will hold a Captain Lawrence Beer Dinner. Crew members at Cask had the opportunity to brew a double dry hopped session IPA with them that will be featured at the dinner. It is 7pm, $75 ticket (inclusive of tax/tip). Every Tuesday night, Harlan Publick’s bar and patio will be open and serving sample-sized treats for $2. You can choose from Harlan Angus Beef Sliders, Peekytoe Crab Fritters, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Tacos, Korean Fried Chicken, Pok Pok Style Pork Ribs & More. There will be select $3 beers as well. Wednesday, June 24th, Walrus + Carpenter is celebrating their 2 year anniversary with an all you can eat pig roast buffet, live music and O.G. cocktails! Read More
“Pretty in Pink” Margarita Recipe: Grapefruit, Blood Orange & Hibiscus Features Cocktails Recipe Jennifer Spaide June 17, 2015 One of our favorite local foodies, Jen Spaide, is a mother, chef, writer and natural food & health advocate. She also does recipe development for Barcelona/ Bartaco and makes a darn fine cocktail. Tis that time of year, when all should be drinking margaritas. Fresh, bright and summery, with just a little bite, this "Pretty In Pink" Margarita recipe is a keeper. Enjoy! Read More
