Friday Froth: Kent Falls Shower Beer and Wild Beer Evolver Beer James Gribbon July 19, 2015 The freshest beer news, delivered weekly, is one of my goals with Friday Froth. Tender, green shoots of hop aroma and flavor, seeded by the brewer, come to full fruition the moment you crack a young IPA, and tend to wilt when left to languish on a shelf. The hop plant is like knowledge that way, reaching its true potential when you use it to water yourself. Bursting through the dewy soil of Connecticut's beer scene this week was a new leaf in the form of Shower Beer from Kent Falls Brewery. How new are we talking? The five gallon pilot batch sampled by myself and others at the latest Beers At The Beach event in Norwalk was the only one in existence, for now. Read More
Weekly Nibble: "Blues On The Beach," Crawfish Boils, CT Wine Festival + More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson July 16, 2015 On Tuesday July 21, The Weekend Kitchen in Essex presents “Chill’n and Grill’n” with Chef Jenn Magrey. From 6:30-10pm, learn dishes like grilled Succo-Squash salad, planked captain Cod filets with herb lemon butter sauce, and Greek chicken. It costs $75 per person. 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.) Starting July 23, City Limits Diner is bringing BBQ to Westchester with a special menu including dry-rubbed ribs, sides such as braised greens, and homemade desserts. The summer specials last until August 6. Thursday July 23 is Uinta Night at Cask Republic New Haven. Read More
Guide to CT Wine & Spirit Shops for Summer 2015 Ingredients Features CT Beer Cocktails Specialty Market Wine Shop April Guilbault July 15, 2015 If there is one sound that can make you think of a hot summer day, it is the clink of ice in a big, tall glass. Ka-chink, clink, clink. Does a fizzy sound follow on the heels of those ka-chinks? Is there a ker-plop of a citrus wedge tumbling into that cool pool of refreshing, fizzy goodness? Ahhhh...and this is the sound that follows all of those...Ahhhh. Hello, icy cold craft beer, hello tart and tingly gin and tonic, hello creamy pina. It’s so nice to see you again. To make you overflow with summer lovin’, we have found spirit shops around the state that will put the ka-chink-clink-clink in your future... Read More
Michel Nischan Judges Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Attends State Dinner @ The White House CTbites Team July 14, 2015 Chef Michel Nischan, Wholesome Wave CEO and Founder, joined forces with First Lady Michelle Obama, WGBH, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a judge in the fourth annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge early this year. The aim of the lunchtime challenge is to promote culinary education and healthy eating among youth across the country. On July 9 and 10th, Chef Nischan participated in a day-long welcome event for the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners, demoing some of his favorite, affordable and healthy recipes, and attending the Kids “State Dinner” at the White House. Read More
Ready, Set, Growler: New Law Makes Beer To Go an Option in CT via Connecticut Mag. Connecticut Magazine July 14, 2015 The news seems to just get better and better for Connecticut beer lovers. As of this month, growler sales are legal in Connecticut at bars and restaurants. Growlers—64-ounce or 32-ounce (half growler) jugs that are filled with draft beer—have long been a popular take home option at Connecticut breweries (when filled properly without excess air, growlers preserve the draft flavor of a beer). However, until now, in Connecticut the only place to get growler fills has been at breweries. Though a clear boon to beer enthusiasts, the law change raises some complex questions for elite beer bars about pricing (if they charge $7 or $9 a pint for premium craft beer, how much would a growler fill cost?), quality control (an improperly filled growler does not keep beer fresh long at all) and staffing (can they afford to have an employee filling growlers on a crowded Friday or Saturday night?). As a result of these and other questions, Connecticut beer bars seem split on whether or not to proceed with growler fills. Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford just opened a new craft beer and bourbon bar at its current space. Originally the plan was to have 72 beers on tap but when news of growler sales being legalized hit, owner Gerard Robertson upped it to 85 tap lines. Read More
Tix On Sale for Westport Farmers’ Market 2nd “Mystery” Fundraiser w/ Chefs Arik Bensimon, Matt Storch, James Cooper & Geoff Lazlo Stephanie Webster July 13, 2015 Four spectacular events to celebrate the seasons. These special events will be filled with the best chefs, farmers and food around and will occur once a season (spring, summer, winter and fall) to highlight the delights of each season. What more could a locavore ask for? Tickets for the next event can be purchased on July 15th here. The locations for the next event are top secret but CTbites has the line-up of chefs for the July 26th event...and they are good! Matt Storch, James Cooper, Geoff Lazlo and Arik Bensimon and a few special guests that will be left to surprise and delight. The catch? Read More
Bailey's Backyard in Ridgefield: 2 CTbites Writers Explore Their New Summer Menu Restaurant Farm to Table Ridgefield CTbites Team July 12, 2015 When Sal and Forrest invite you to a summer tasting menu, you say yes first and ask questions later. That would be Sal Bagliavio, owner of Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield, and Forrest Pasternack, the restaurant’s executive chef. The two have been the creative force behind the restaurant’s New American menu since its reinvention just two years ago. The story of Bailey’s actually goes back to 1999 when Sal, a chef himself, renovated the then coffee shop into a beloved Ridgefield restaurant that he ran for over a decade. Eager for a new chapter but happy to remain in Ridgefield, he reimagined it as a New American restaurant driven by seasonal ingredients and local purveyors in 2013. Over the past two years, Bailey’s has solidified its place in the Fairfield County dining scene thanks to the adventurous culinary spirit of Chef Pasternack and the dedication of Bagliavio. Read More
Miya's Sushi Announces CSA/Fishery Limited to 12 Memberships Ingredients Features CSA Fish New Haven Amy Kundrat July 12, 2015 Photos: Andrew Sullivan Miya's Sushi in New Haven, led by Chef Bun Lai, is launching a first-of-it's-kind CSA/Fishery set to launch this August. Membership includes a monthly delivery of 6-8 servings of seafood for 5 months at a cost of $800, with delivery included (free to New Haven area, additional costs may apply to regions beyond). Here is the announcement and details from Bun Lai: Miya’s Sushi is thrilled to announce the first installment of the member-driven Allies in Sustainable Food. This first season will be limited to a dozen memberships, beginning in August and ending in December of 2015. By being a member of Allies in Sustainable Food, you are supporting the experimentation and research of a small, local, innovative restaurant. Due to high food and labor costs, Miya’s operates on a thin margin, so your financial support will go directly into the development of our most groundbreaking off-the-menu approaches to sustainable eating. Read More
Friday Froth: Three Rare Beers You Should Be Drinking James Gribbon July 10, 2015 A single strawberry means a lot when you're in space. Commodities anywhere are delicacies somewhere, and so it is with beer. IPAs from New England Brewing and Two Roads are practically table beers here, but Sea Hag is a hard get just over the border in New York, and Will Gordoncouldn't even find a Lil Heaven in Massachusetts for his Drunkspin session IPA post. Add trophy hunters and the detestable trend of beer scalping into the market, and even local beers can become endangered species. Today we're going to look at three beers brewed in New England which still manage to be rare birds in Connecticut. The real life James Bond was an ornithologist, which means he spent a lot of time looking for that short, elusive sighting. Prepare to do the same here, but I've selected three beers which I think are well worth the search. Read More
Pick Your Own Blueberries Opens Today @ Bishop's Orchards in Guilford CT Ingredients Features Local Farm Pick Your Own kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster July 10, 2015 Pick-Your-Own Blueberries is NOW OPEN at Bishop's Orchards in Guilford CT. Today is Opening Day with weekday hours 8am-1:30pm, Saturday 8am-4pm, and Sunday 9am-4pm. Blueberry season lasts about 6-7 weeks, up until late August. Blueberry admission is FREE into the field. You MUST pay for what you pick, by the pound. The field location for Blueberry picking is at their Main Orchards located off of New England Road. Remember to always call their PICK line before heading out at 203-458-PICK. Weather and crop availability are always a factor so hours and locations can change at anytime. If strawberry season was any indication of what is to come with blueberries, we are all in for a real treat! Read More
Weekly Nibble: Bacon & Brew, Kids Cooking, Wine Dinners, Meet the Farmers + More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson July 09, 2015 This summer, Mama’s Boy in South Norwalk offers “Cruise and Cuisine” on Friday nights. Enjoy a three course dinner on the Norwalk Harbor at sunset. It runs through August 28 and costs $57 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Beer meets farm fresh cuisine on Monday July 13. Kent Falls Brewing and Birch Hill Tavern will host a 5 course beer dinner in Glastonbury, CT with locally sourced dishes created by Chef Chris Evans and his culinary team. Purchase your tickets for $65 pp here. Kids are home for the summer and you can treat them to cooking classes at Stew Leonard’s Newington location. This week, they’ll offer a “Quick and Healthy Snack & Meal” class for toddlers (ages 2-5, adult must accompany child). There will be two sessions Tuesday July 14: 9:30-10:30am and 11:30am-12:30pm & Saturday 9:30-10:30am. The cost is $15 per child. Barcelona is more than a wine bar. On Tuesday July 14, the West Hartford location invites you to “Stony Creek Brewery Night.” Chef Eric Stagl will pair his cuisine with the local craft brews for a unique beer dinner. It starts at 7pm and costs $45 person, plus tax and gratuity. Read More
Party In The Park in Stamford on July 18th: Food Truck Rodeo Folks Play Host Again James Gribbon July 08, 2015 The first ever Food Truck Rodeo & Music Festival rode into Stamford on June 20th, and a large crowd shrugged off the rain to get their grub on. More than twenty food and beverage trucks ringed Mill River Park, offering a diversity of selections ranging from BBQ, to pizza, Caribbean food, donuts, tacos, lobster rolls, pierogies, and grilled cheese. The coffee truck seemed to be doing a good business on a warm, drizzly day, but visitors were just as likely to be seen with a cup of beer from Blue Point Brewery in one hand and frisbee in the other in the Rodeo's beer garden. Anyone who missed the Rodeo will get a second chance on July 18, when the food trucks and music return for Party In The Park. Advance tickets are $5, and double to $10 at the door. Read More
Homespun Mexican at Mexicali Rose in Bethel and Newtown Restaurant Bethel Newtown Mexican Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat July 05, 2015 Mexicali Rose is the type of small town dive you might take for granted if you grew up with it in your backyard (like I did), or you selfishly want to keep it to yourself (like I do). As a kid growing up in Newtown, I knew it was preferable to its Subway strip mall neighbor, but it wasn’t until I logged many thousands of miles of travel and dozens (hundreds?) of taco joints, that I truly saw this place. Homemade tortilla chips, walls covered in a clutter of Mexican folkloric kitsch, a handful of enamel top tables, and one very kind family that owns and runs the restaurant make Mexicali Rose one of my favorite hidden northern Fairfield County gems. Read More
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
