Holiday Recipe: Autumn Old Fashioned by La Zingara in Bethel Recipe Cocktails Holiday Recipe CTbites Team November 24, 2015 Although we all love the Thanksgiving holiday, there comes a time in any family gathering where one simply requires a cocktail or two. La Zingara in Bethel is here to help you in your time of need with a classic drink. Their Autumn Old Fashioned cocktail recipe will drown out any trying relative, and just make the dinner that much better. Read More
Bren Smith, Founder of Ocean Farming Non-profit GreenWave, Awarded Buckminster Fuller Challenge Award Restaurant CT Farms New Haven Amy Kundrat November 24, 2015 Bren Smith, the founder of GreenWave and Thimble Island Oyster Farm, an ocean farming non profit based in New Haven, has been making headlines recently as the recent recipient of the prestigious Buckminster Fuller Challenge. The award recognizes GreenWave's design for the world’s first multi-species 3D ocean farms. The non profit's work aims to restore ocean ecosystems while creating jobs in coastal communities through restorative ocean farmers. In addition to the New Yorker's "Is Seaweed the Next Superfood?," listen to a recent story on NPR.org: Read More
Holiday Recipes: Scandinavian Caramelized Potatoes & Mushroom Toast via Community Table Recipe Holiday Recipe Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 23, 2015 One of our favorite Litchfield County restaurants, Community Table, has contributed these deceptively simple but absolutely delicious appetizers for the upcoming holidays. Chef Marcell Davidsen's recipes for Scandinavian Caramelized Potatoes & Mushroom toast will delight even the most discerning guest. You may want to add this one to your virtual recipe box. Read More
The National Opens in Greenwich: A Conversation with Chef, Restaurateur, & TV Host Geoffrey Zakarian Interview Restaurant Celebrity Chef Greenwich Opening Amy Kundrat November 21, 2015 The National, the newest restaurant from celebrated chef, restaurateur, TV host, author, and philanthropist Geoffrey Zakarian, is now open in the heart of downtown Greenwich, at 376 Greenwich Avenue. We were invited to sit down with the chef just 24 hours after he opened the doors to the public. Sitting in a corner banquette, our candid conversation spanned his 30-year career, including his love for Greenwich, formative culinary influences, and his advice for aspiring chefs. The National feels like an extension of Zakarian himself. They both exude a studied yet casual New York elegance, are utterly charming, and yet quite approachable. A former Greenwich resident, it is no surprise he chose to open the restaurant within this community he knows so well. The modern american bistro feels at home on the Avenue and inside, boasts the welcoming charm of a neighborhood café with a seasonal menu positioned to please. Read More
Holiday Recipe: Chef Carey Savona's Heirloom Kale Salad Recipe Holiday Recipe Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 21, 2015 "By far our most requested recipe (I get at least three a week) is for our kale salad. I know that kale has jumped the shark, but this recipe was featured in the CT Farm to Table Cookbook and it fits well on the holiday table; healthy, but still very flavor forward," says Chef Carey Savona of Heirloom in New Haven. Enjoy this recipe for Heirloom's Kale Salad. Read More
Weekly Nibble: SE Uncorked Serves Lunch, Thanksgiving Restaurants, Happy Hours & More! Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 20, 2015 Uncorked fans no longer have to get their fix during dinner. They're now open for lunch service Tue-Sat starting at 10:30am. You can still grub on some of their signature dishes as well as a few new seasonal lunch specials to enjoy as well. Fjord Fish Market’s Darien location is open! The fourth location is situated at 1015 Boston Post Road. They offer with sushi rolled daily on premise, a selection of hot soups, dips, lobster dinners to go, and a take-out menu. They pride themselves on their responsibly-sourced fish and seafood. (Please note there is no poke bar yet.) On Tuesday November 24, Barcelona West Hartford invites you to “Thanksgiving: Barcelona Style.” Chef Eric will teach you how to prepare Thanksgiving inspired tapas and a whole turkey. It costs $29, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 860.218.2100. The event starts at 7pm. Vespa in Westport is proud to announce two new promotions: a redone happy hour and Wine Wednesdays. Read More
Sexy Cocktails Debut @ NoMa Social Lounge in New Rochelle Restaurant Cocktails New Rochelle Bar Lou Gorfain November 20, 2015 For decades, the locally owned Radisson in New Rochelle has been a beloved pillar of the lower Westchester community. But sadly, the matriarch was getting a bit long in the tooth. So the family transformed her vibe from venerable to vogue, a Manhattan style Boutique Hotel. As one of the designers of that refurb, Colby Brock, the Food and Beverage manager, named the new restaurant and lounge NoMa Social (NoMa stands for “North of Manhattan” and bears no alliance with the renowned Noma in Copenhagen). Colby brought in highly regarded Executive Chef Bill Rosenberg, (f.i.sh., Barcelona) to upgrade the kitchen, and she recently hired 32 year old Mike DeFalco as the Bar and Nightlife Manager. A major mission: inject some hip to a ho-hum bar menu. NoMa’s splashy lounge – replete with zebra stripes and a funky, deep house/electro trance playlist -- has become a hot spot for a young, party and pick-up crowd. To add to the jump, DeFalco has set about creating a cavalcade of sexy craft cocktails. Read More
Holiday Recipes: Champagne + Caviar + Capers = #holidaychic by Watson’s Catering & Events Watson's Catering November 19, 2015 We’re popping the cork a little early in celebration of our new video series with CTbites. Our first feature shows you how to wow any guest this holiday season with two stunning appetizers, Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cups & Caviar Mini Pancakes, and a glittering Confetti Cocktail. We’ve taken a few shortcuts to help make this easy and speedy for any host or hostess. From caviar to champagne and capers to cucumbers, these recipes are not only easy to make but are perfect to ring in the New Year. Watch the video tutorial or check out the step-by-step recipes below from Watson's Catering & Event Planning. Read More
Holiday Recipe: Black Truffle & Leek Bread Pudding from elm restaurant Recipe Holiday Recipe Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 18, 2015 Executive Chef Luke Venner, of elm restaurant in New Canaan, has a decadant and delicious Thanksgiving recipe for our CTbites readers. If you want to make your guests extra happy this season, go beyond traditional bread pudding with his recipe for Black Truffle & Leek Bread Pudding. We are quite certain it will elicit praise all around. Of course, personally I'd rather have Chef Venner cook it himself, but if you can't get to elm restaurant, try this recipe at home this Thanksgiving season. Your guests will thank you. Read More
9 Events to Check Out for CT Beer Week Restaurant Beer Brewery CT Beer James Gribbon November 17, 2015 Connecticut Beer Week has officially begun, and CTBites is here to bring you a sampling of events and other news of note. This week is a celebration of both beers made in Connecticut, and the restaurants and bars who help our small state be such a big part of the national beer scene. The hashtag for searching on social media is #CTBeerWeek, and a further list of events can be found here. Many links to further events and information are included below, and please let us know in the comments if there's anything we may have missed. 1. Kent Falls Debuts Shruggie - Kent Falls will drop its brand-newest IPA, Shruggie (¯\_(ツ)_/¯) this week, starting in Litchfield on Nov. 18. Kent Falls calls this part of their "bartender interaction series." I may have agreed to order one through interpretive dance. Their next event will be at J. Timothy's.2. Get Beer'd - J. Tim's will host a Beer'd Brewing tap takeover Nov. 17, including Elihue, This Side Of Paradise, and Midnight Oil. Read More
Stuart Family Farm: Grass Fed Organic Meat + Home Delivery in CT! (sponsored post) Home Delivery Local Farm CTbites Team November 17, 2015 With the holiday season fast approaching, Stuart Family Farm can supply your family and friends with some of the highest quality, best tasting, most humanely raised meat products found anywhere. Located on the Litchfield/Fairfield County border in picturesque Bridgewater, CT, the Stuart Family raises 100% grass fed/finished beef, pastured pork, and pastured poultry. Stuart Family Farm is an environmentally friendly farm, utilizing organic fertilizer on all pastures and hay fields and is free of all herbicides and pesticides. The cow herd is pasture rotated throughout the grazing season and is fed hay that is grown exclusively on the farm during the winter months. The farm became certified Animal Welfare Approved in 2008 and is audited annually to maintain active certification. AWA is a food label for meat products that come from farm animals raised according to the highest animal welfare and environmental standards. Read More
Thanksgiving Recipe: Match Restaurant's Maple Braised Squash + Wine Pairing Recipe Holiday Recipe CTbites Team November 17, 2015 It's time to get ready for our favorite holiday here at CTbites...Thanksgiving. Chef Matt Storch has a recipe to consider as you get your Thanksgiving menu organized, Maple Braised Squash. Our wine expert, Emma Doody, has also chimed in with some suggestions for wine pairings to enhance this dish. The sweet flavors from the maple and the squash call for a wine that imparts sweetness of its own. At the same time, I would stay away from a true dessert wine. They tend to have syrupy, thicker bodies and the maple will already have that texture. The wine should have a touch of acidity to cut through the decadence.An ideal bottle to complement this is Robertson Winery’s 2015 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer. It retails in Connecticut stores for around $9.99. The wine, which comes from South Africa, hovers on the brink of dessert wine. The late harvest makes it sweet without being rich. One could also pair an Italian Muscato with the dish. Read More
Holiday Recipe: Cauliflower & Apple Soup via Marcia Selden Catering Recipe Holiday Recipe Soups Marcia Selden Catering November 16, 2015 We are days away from Thanksgiving, and the menu planning has kicked into high gear. Marcia Selden Catering has shared one of their favorite fall soups. This recipe for Cauliflower & Apple Soup with Curry Drizzle, can be served both hot and cold, with equally delicious results. Happy holidays and enjoy. Read More
Fleishers Craft Kitchen in Westport Now Open for Dinner Under Chef Adam Truelove Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger November 14, 2015 Saugatuck Craft Butchery was founded in 2011 by Ryan Fibiger and Paul Nessel with the philosophy of combining “traditional butchery skills with sustainable, whole animal practices and modern-day food movement ideals.” It purchases locally raised animals from farmers that share this philosophy, dry-ages the meat in-house and sells directly to the public. Over the last four years, as its popularity increased, it expanded to a new, larger location across the street that would feature both a butchery and a restaurant and earlier this year it merged with Fleishers Butchery, of Brooklyn, to become Fleishers Craft Butchery. After the successful launch of breakfast and lunch service, Fleishers recently hired Chef Adam Truelove, formerly of Tarry Lodge, Napa & Co. and Pine Social to oversee its culinary expansion. In the last month it both opened its doors at its newest location in Cos Cob and expanded the service in Saugatuck to include dinner to showcase the farm raised meat and poultry from the butchery coupled with Chef Adam’s creativity. With a very low key environment, 30 seats and an additional six stools at the bar, the restaurant will offer a simple menu, as well as Family Dinners, from Tuesday through Saturday from 530-930PM. Read More
Weekly Nibble: Game + Farm Dinners, Beer Festivals, Knife Skills Class & Organic Delivery Service Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 13, 2015 Greenwich restaurant week continues! Through November 18, many of Greenwich’s best are offering prix fixe menus and other specials. Stonington’s Beer’d Brewing and West Hartford’s MaxBurger are teaming up for a beer dinner with guest speaker Aaren M. Simonici, owner and brewmaster. The dinner will take place on Monday November 16 from 6-9pm. Meanwhile, Cask Republic in Stamford is hosting a beer dinner of its own on the 16th. Craft brews from Jack’s Abbey will accompany a five-course meal, plus an amuse! It costs $85 per person, tax and gratuity included. Thanksgiving is fast approaching! On Tuesday November 17, join Fleisher’s Craft Butchery in Westport for “Knife Skills & Poultry 101 with Victorinox Swiss Army.” The class is designed to teach basic knife skills and specifically delve into breaking down and carving poultry. It costs $100 per person and lasts from 7-9pm. Barcelona Greenwich invites you to a scotch and game dinner on November 18 at 8pm. Chef Michael will prepare small plates and seasonal specialties alongside specialty scotches. It costs $45 per person and reservations are required. For reservations, please call the restaurant at (203) 983-6400. Read More
Westport's Popular Eatery, The Granola Bar, Opening in Greenwich Stephanie Webster November 12, 2015 The Granola Bar, the popular Westport-based restaurant known for their exceptional coffee program, creative smoothies, and their healthy approach to traditional comfort food, is set to open a second location in Greenwich in early 2016. Granola Bar owners, Julie Levitt and Dana Noorily, are excited to bring their creative and locally sourced breakfast and lunch options to Greenwich residents and businesses at 41 Greenwich Avenue. The new 2700-square-foot restaurant will offer extensive seating and a large take-out section for people on the go. In conjunction with this expansion, The Granola Bar will debut a new seasonal menu on November 11 at the Westport location. Read More
First Look: Rothbard Ale + Larder European Gastropub Opens in Westport Restaurant Beer Gastropub German Westport Comfort Food Stephanie Webster November 11, 2015 Rothbard Ale + Larder European Gastropub quietly opened its doors last week in downtown Westport. The menu focuses on central European fare with dishes drawing inspiration from the cuisines of Alsace, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. The beer and wine list mirror this sentiment, and a beautiful interior renovation transports diners to a cozy chalet in the depths of the Bavarian Alps. Chef Adam Roytman's commitment to both the cuisine and "larder" concept are tangible in every detail of this new speakeasy-esque venture with longtime partner Joseph Farrell (Walrus + Carpenter). From the crispy schnitzel and rich hearty bratwurst (house-made) to the authentic absinthe fountain and German beer steins, Rothbard Ale + Larder is the real deal. Read More
15 CT Restaurants Open for Thanksgiving Dinner Restaurant Holiday Thanksgiving Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 10, 2015 Thanksgiving arrives Thursday November 26 and many Connecticut restaurants are inviting you to spend the holiday with them. From buffets to prix fixe and traditional to creative, there are a number of styles so that you can pick the best for you and your loved ones. NOTE: We came across a few more restaurants after the publish date of this article, so we've gone beyond 15. Enjoy! Millwright's, Simsbury Cafe on the Green, Danbury Artisan, Southport Bernard's, Ridgefield Elm Restaurant, New Canaan Mill on the River Restaurant, South Windsor Capital Grille, Stamford and Hartford Harbor Lights, Norwalk Read More
Help Others Receive a Weekend Meal Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger November 09, 2015 How many of us enjoyed a delicious dinner with friends and family at a restaurant this weekend? For many of our neighbors, just having a hot meal on the weekend is something they can only hope for...and now you can help. On Monday, November 16th, Baldanza in New Canaan is opening its doors and hearts and sponsoring "Bowls at Baldanza - Supporting National Hunger and Homelessness Week." The evening will support Filling in the Blanks, an organization that provides needy children with meals on the weekend. 100% of the proceeds, yes all of the proceeds, will go to Filling in the Blanks...so no child goes hungry Read More
