Meet The New Culinary Team @ Vespa Restaurant in Westport Restaurant American Brunch Happy Hour Italian Westport Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger August 16, 2015 Vespa Restaurant recently introduced its new culinary team, Executive Chef David White and Pastry Chef Susanne Berne to create a vibrant menu to complement the relaxing décor and wonderful water view. The duo will collaborate in creating a menu for the full dining experience, from the first bite of Antipasti to the last bite of Dolci. In addition, the restaurant recently unveiled its lunch service, a new dessert menu and the commencement of “Apertivo Hour” from 4-6PM, offering half price beer, wine, $8 select cocktails and a small plates menu. Chef David joins Vespa from The Inn at Pound Ridge, where he was the Chef de Cuisine. Prior to working with Chef Jean-Georges, he sharpened his skills in Europe before returning to the US to further refine his talents with award-winning Andrew Masciangelo at Savona. Chef Berne’s passion for the culinary arts was sparked by a pastry course in college before receiving her Grande Diploma in Pastry Arts in 1999. She subsequently won back-to-back ACF Florida Pastry Challenges in 2003 & 2005. CTbites recently visited Vespa to sample a variety of the new culinary team’s Italian-inspired creations. Read More
CTbites Chef Demo Lineup @ The Blues Views & BBQ Festival, Sept 5 & 6 Restaurant BBQ Events Festival CTbites Team August 16, 2015 The 8th annual Blues, Views & BBQ Festival presented by the Westport Downtown Merchants Association will be held in Westport CT on September 5 & 6 at the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts and the grounds of the Westport Library. CTbites will once again play host to the areas top chefs as they grill up and demo some of their favorite dishes and offer up samples for attendees of the festival. Come on down and meet this incredibly talented group of local chefs. CTbites Chef Line-up for 2015 Saturday 9/5 12:00- Match- Chef Matt Storch 1:00- Walrus + Carpenter- Chef Jon Vaast 2:00- The Spread- Chef Carlos Baez 3:00- Fleishers Craft Butchery- Emily Mingrone Sunday 9/6 12:00- Bobby Q’s – Tim Doherty 1:00- Vespa - Chef David White 2:00- HooDoo Brown- Cody Sperry 3:00- Da Pietro’s- Chef Pietro Scotti Read More
The Cake Boss Opening Carlo’s Bakery At Mohegan Sun September 12th Restaurant Bakery Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team August 12, 2015
Teff Ethiopian & Eritrean Restaurant Opens in Stamford Restaurant Ethiopian Specialty Market Stamford Lunch Emma Jane-Doody Stetson August 11, 2015 As children, we’re instructed not to eat with our hands. But at Teff, a newly opened Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant in Stamford, CT, you’re supposed to do just that. On the brink of Harborview and a stone’s throw away from downtown, Teff’s location is ideal. It sits in the space that formerly housed the Red Sea Deli. The Mekonen family owned the deli for 14 years. Although they mainly served classic American fare there, they offered Ethiopian food from Thursday-Saturday. “We had good reception, people wanted it, but it was time consuming,” says Elsa Mekonen, Teff’s operations manager. “We thought it would be good to have a full time Ethiopian restaurant.” The concept led to the creation of Teff, which officially opened for business on July 30. Hadas Mekonen, matriarch and chef, grew up in Eritrea, a small country that used to be part of Ethiopia. She was the third oldest in a family of 16, so learning how to cook was essential to help provide for the family. At age 9 she started observing how her mother browned and prepared the spices. From there, she learned how to cook entire dishes. Read More
Harvest Dinner on the Farm at The Hickories w/ Chef Tim LaBant, September 13th Restaurant CT Farms Farm Dinner Farm to Table CTbites Team August 09, 2015 With August in full swing, farmers across Connecticut are preparing for one of the most important times of year; harvest season. On September 13th, 2015 Connecticut Farmland Trust will be celebrating the bounty of the harvest at The Hickories farm in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Please join other local food enthusiasts from 3:00 to 7:00 PM for a locally grown dinner prepared by Chef Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale. Chef LaBant will be preparing hors d’oeuvres, a family style dinner, and dessert from farms across the state featuring produce from The Hickories farm and Sport Hill Farm, meat from Stuart Family Farm, ice cream from the Farmer’s Cow, and cheese from Beltane Farm and Cato Corner Farm. (Ticket info here) Wine and local beer will also be served at the event, however, attendees are also encouraged to bring their favorite beverages. Bluegrass music will be provided by Dick Neal and Friends. Read More
Table 104 Osteria & Bar in Stamford Italian Pizza Stamford Lunch Jessica Ryan August 09, 2015 CTbites writer, Jessica Ryan, recently attended a press dinner at Table 104 Osteria & Bar in Stamford. Here are her tasting notes. Tucked away unassumingly on Long Ridge Road, this unpretentious restaurant offers exceptional fare. Together Chef Domenico Iovieno, Restaurateur Walter Cappelli and Chef and Restaurateur Enzo Bruno have teamed up to produce a restaurant that is vibrant, inviting, spacious and modern. Table 104 Osteria & Bar offers a creative menu featuring fresh, cooked from the heart comfort food with notable inspirations from Rome and the Italian coastline. Read More
The Cook & The Bear: Weekly BBQ at Millwright's in Simsbury Restaurant Beer Amy Kundrat August 09, 2015
Friday Froth: IPAs On The Left Of The Dial James Gribbon August 07, 2015 Does anyone else still listen to the radio, or am I just an evolutionary throwback? I guess both parts of that question can be true independently, but I still gravitate to the left of the dial. My own music collection, satellite radio, it can all get repetitive, but I turn on some indie NPR station like FUV in the lower numbers and I can hear Malagasy guitar, ambient chillwave, and Wavves after the news. I need those curveballs. All this is to say some of us may be a little IPA'd out today. Establishments all over the area have been tapping India Pales all week before yesterday's climax, and hop exhaustion can be for real. This week I've picked three IPAs which may refresh and enliven numb tongues and jaded senses. All available in our area, outside the norm. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Shoreline Wine Festival, Caribbean Jerk Fest, Farm Dinners & More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson August 07, 2015 The “Best of Greenwich” celebration in association with Moffly Media will take place at the Delamar Greenwich on Monday August 10 and 7pm. The elegant evening will showcase food and cocktails from the area’s best restaurants as well as other surprises. Tickets are $55 per person. The Mattatuck Museum will host a special food event inspired by art: “Farmer's Market - A Summer Menu Collage from the Litchfield Hills.” Museum director Bob Burns invites you to The Silo in New Milford on Wednesday August 12 private cooking demonstration and dinner. It costs $110 for members and $135 for non-members. Registration is required 203-753-0381. Time is running out for the family to learn about “A Day in the Farmer’s Life” at the Stamford Nature Center. Every Wednesday at 2pm through August 22, farm staff will host hands on demonstrations illustrating activities from the farm like milking, grooming, and more. It is free for members or free with gate admission for non-members. Also on Wednesday, Dogfish Head takes over the taps at Cask Republic Stamford. Try over 20 Dogfish Beers, including 5 from the vintage cellar, starting at 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/CaskRepublicStamford Read More
Celebrate National IPA Day: A Guide To Great IPA's On Tap Ingredients CT Beer Beer James Gribbon August 06, 2015 Holy Mother of God, do I love IPAs." Thus did I begin acolumn from my early days as a beer writer here at the Bites of CT, and the bloom has yet to fall off that particular rose. Two of the beers in that review from 2011 aren't around anymore, one remains a permanent favorite, and today is a particularly good day for anyone who shares my adoration of the sainted hop.Happy National IPA Day, everyone. Here's a quick rundown of a few spots who have reached out and let us know what's on tap. Anoint thy lips. Read More
A Guide To Pickling: Preserve The Summer Harvest via Marcia Selden Catering Marcia Selden Catering August 05, 2015 Pickling is a great way to preserve in-season, farmer’s market vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, beets, onions tomatoes and cauliflower. Yummy, crunchy and with endless flavor variations, pickling can be tons of fun too! We want to demystify the process, since it’s actually quite easy. We guarantee that your friends will be very impressed if you bring a jar of homemade pickles as a hostess gift. Get your Pickling Game on! Pickling Do’s & Don’ts -DO invest in a canning kit that includes jar tongs and a wide funnel to make the process easier. We like this one from Ball ($10) -DON’T cut corners. The jar and lid sterilization process is vital as well as the amount of vinegar used in order to get the perfect, crunchy pickle you desire. Read More
Good2Gourmet - New Meal Delivery Service in New Canaan & Darien Features Darien Delivery Service Home Delivery New Canaan CTbites Team August 04, 2015 Tired of cooking? Looking for something less expensive than take-out from a restaurant? Then a new venture on Vitti Street in New Canaan, GOOD2GOURMET, may be an alternative. The brainchild of local resident and mother of four, Lisa Strupp, GOOD2GOURMET offers a variety of soups, salads, and entrées for families to enjoy. Teaming with business partner Kevin Schmudde, the two enlisted the culinary skills of Executive Chef Eric Ulbrich to create a menu that includes soups, salads, pastas, and entrées. Customers go to the website (they do not take telephone orders), place their order, choose a 1-hour delivery window (curbside pick-up at the store is also available) and the food will be on the front stoop as requested. Alternatively, customers can visit and purchase a selection of items at the store. Read More
Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield: Gluttonous Carnivorianism Restaurant American BBQ Ridgefield Take Out Kid Friendly Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger August 02, 2015 The heck with “Veni, vidi, vici,” my return visit to Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield was more we came, we saw, we ordered and man we tried. And when I say we tried…we tried EVERY meat on the menu and we tried to eat every ounce of meat on numerous trays. If this was a gunfight with Hoodoo Brown in the 1870s we would be full of holes, he won. Armed with a reservation for the “BBQ Room,” twelve of us ventured to Hoodoo Brown. As our group congregated, I placed the initial appetizer order plus a round of beers, sodas and lemonades. To warm up our appetites, this initial order included two large BBQ Nachos (one with chopped brisket and the other with pulled pork), a dozen Bourbon Teriyaki Wings and a couple of Strawberry and Arugula salads. As we waited, super Pitmaster Nestor Laracuente wandered into the room to offer his humble thanks to all of us for coming and wished us a great meal. He was heading back to Queens for the evening before beginning the return voyage the following morning at 4AM. Read More
Weekly Nibble: County Fairs, Iron Bartender, Clambakes, Potluck Picnics + More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson August 02, 2015 Cask Republic New Haven will host another installation of their famous Iron Bartender Competition on Monday August 2. It starts at 6pm. Fairfield Wine and Cheese wants to introduce you to incredible local cheeses. Join them for “The Northeast: Choices In Our Backyard” to learn about them and taste them. It takes place at the Fairfield location on Tuesday August 4 from 7-9pm and in Greenwich on Thursday August 6 from 7-9pm. The cost is $45 per person. Take a journey to the Mediterranean on Wednesday August 5 at Amarante’s Sea Cliff in New Haven. The walk around tasting features wine and a buffet centering on that theme. It takes place right on the seaside so guests can enjoy views of the harbor. It goes from 6:30-9pm and costs $50 per person. On Thursday nights through September 17, take a ferry to the Sheffield Island Lighthouse for a clambake. The evening unfolds in a tented pavilion on the lighthouse lawn. It starts at $69 per person, with a tour of the lighthouse included in the charge. The Tolland County 4-H Fair takes place August 7-9 in Vernon, CT. http://www.tollandcounty4-hct.org/ Read More
Plan B Burger Bar Opens in Fairfield CT James Gribbon July 31, 2015 Burgers, beer, and bourbon are all girders in the framework of the American soul. Melting pot, mixed salad, however you'd like to characterize who we are as a nation, there aren't many spots on the map where our divisions don't disappear at the three Bs. Now that Plan B Burger Bar has officially come to Fairfield, there are fewer areas in Connecticut where all three of these cornerstones can't be had in the same place. CTBites was there a night before the official opening to bring you your first look. Fairfield's is located at 1262 Post Road, in a 4,600sq. ft. building which used to be a post office. Read More
Q & A With Christy Colasurdo - Author of "The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook"- CTbites Team July 29, 2015 CTbites contributor Christy Colasurdo recently wrote The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook, and we caught up with her to get the scoop about the book she calls “a celebration of food and farms”. CTbites So, first of all, your new cookbook is beautiful. As a photographer, I have to say that I was impressed by the images. CC Thanks! Coming from you, that is high praise! We were lucky in that Tracey, my co-author, had written the first book in the series, The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook, and she was able to tap into a talented young photographer named Oliver Parini to shoot for this book as well. In addition, we struck gold when we met Winter Caplanson, executive director of the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market (and a darned good photographer herself). Winter created a contest where photographers went out and shot at various Connecticut farms and fisheries in hopes of landing a photograph in the book. Read More
The WattyMelon Flip Flop Cocktail c/o Watsons Catering Ingredients Features Cocktails CTbites Team July 28, 2015 Summer means cocktails – preferably accompanied by fresh fruit, flip flops and a not a care in the world. Watson’s Catering has a refreshing take utilizing RIPE, one of our favorite craft juices, called the Watty Melon Flip Flop that is sure to become one of your summer evening staples. The WattyMelon Flip Flop Cocktail Yield: 1 cocktail Ingredients: ½ shot glass of Tito’s vodka 1 shot RIPE margarita mix (lime sour) Read More
Rothbard Ale + Larder, European Beer Bar, To Open In Westport (By Walrus + Carpenter Team) Restaurant Beer Garden German Westport Beer Opening Stephanie Webster July 28, 2015 Walrus + Carpenter owners, Adam Roytman and Joseph Farrell, are teaming up again with a new restaurant concept in downtown Westport. This new venture, housed in the cozy subterranean dining space that was once Tierrra, will maintain the casual neighborhood vibe diners have grown accustomed to at Walrus, but this duo will leave the BBQ in Black Rock and head to Europe for a completely different approach to comfort food. Westport has its first European Beer Bar (right by Old Town Hall). Rothbard Ale + Larder will open this fall with a menu focused on Central European fare. Rothbard will draw inspiration from the cuisines of Alsace, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, with a little Northern Italy thrown in for good measure. A preview of the menu in progress reveals specialties including Spatzle, Mussels, Rabbit Goulash, Steak Frites (Fleisher’s), housemade Jagershnitzel and Raclette, (a Swiss cheese, melted table side and draped over potatoes, bacon and onions). Hearty fare will be complimented by more delicate salads and fish entrees. “There will be something for everyone” says Roytman. Farrell and Roytman are particularly enthusiastic about the “For The Table,” section of the menu where diners can order entrees for 4, in the communal spirit of a true beer hall. Read More
Best Warm Lobster Rolls On The Connecticut Coast: 2015 Update Restaurant Delicious Dives Lobster Seafood Lunch Lou Gorfain July 26, 2015 Welcome to the end of July, summer’s center point. The perfect time for our annual quest to find the best of Connecticut's official pleasure of summer: warm, buttery lobster rolls. At the suggestion of readers, chefs, CTBites staff and a food critic or two, we've added an array of food trucks, pounds, shacks, and even a high end restaurant to our previous portfolio (see 2014 edition here). So take a ride up the balmy Connecticut coastline. We start in the southwest and head northeast, as CTBites forages the best warm lobster rolls in America. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Jazz Jam, Craft Brew Races, Gin Tasting, Farm Potlucks & More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson July 24, 2015 Walrus + Carpenter in Bridgeport hosts a “Compin and Stompin Jam Session” on Tuesday July 28. Try some of their delicious BBQ while listening to a mix of swing, modern, and fusion. New England Brewing Company is taking over the taps at Prime 16 in New Haven on Wednesday July 29. Enjoy their classics while also witnessing the release of some new beers. It starts at 4pm. Wednesday July 28 6-8pm, learn about (and sample!) Brooklyn's Ginsmiths’ Gins at the Center Street Public House in Darien. Center Street Public House also invites softball teams to the pub after their weekend games for $2 off draughts, house wines, and appetizers. Ancona’s Wines & Liquors wants to teach you the art of wine and food pairing Thursday July 30 at 6:45pm. Try 5 wines alongside 5 summer dishes, $30 per person. Reserve your place (203)544-8958 or monique@anconaswines.com. The New CT Farmer Alliance has a summer potluck series. Read More
