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
Several years ago I sampled Chef Pat Pascarella’s Pasta Bolognese and it was one of the best Bolognese I had ever tasted. Since that time, Pascarella opened Bar Sugo on Wall Street in Norwalk and I have enjoyed many of Chef Pat’s creations. He recently introduced his full-table Pasta Tasting menu and invited CTbites to sample the five courses…from a straightforward tomato and basil to a complex lobster, morel and truffle. The incredible Bolognese that Chef Pat served me several years ago was a prelude to the fantastic five courses that I enjoyed with wine pairings from Sommelier Megan Pacarella.
Hand-crafted cocktails will be paired with a four course tasting menu alongside guest speaker and distiller Michael Sharry. Bailey's chief mixologist, Bryan Walsh, has compiled an impressive lineup of cocktails paired with Executive Chef Forrest Pasternack's locally-minded menu. Price is $75 per person plus gratuity.
Sometimes, when it comes to beer, I envy starfish. Nature can tear the humble sea star in half and it just returns with backup, like a teeny Lernaean Hydra. The creature that is "Connecticut Beer Week" underwent a similar duplication for 2014 - with one week in May and another in October - and, after trying to be everywhere at once, I failed, regenerated, and present the first in this three part recap.
Starfish likewise have the remarkable ability to turn inside out to eat. I like to think this would give them infinite eating capacity, which would be handy at your average multi-course beer pairing dinner. Fittingly, beer pairing events with Two Roads appear to be binate: the first of which was held at The Cask Republic in Stamford to kick off Connecticut Beer Week: The Revenge, this October.
The hosts for the night were Two Roads Brewmaster Phil Markowski, who was debuting his Unothrodox Russian Imperial Stout, and Executive Chef Carl Carrion, whom I've mentionedbefore.
Walrus+Carpenter and Mecha Noodle Bar partner on Thursday 10/30 7 pm for a BO SSäM dinner for $100 pp starring Smoked Pork Shoulder, Kimchee, Oysters, and other East Asian flavors...against the backdrop of 70's cult action films of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. Buy Tix Here.
If you were lucky enough to attend the last W+C event..."The Speakeasy", this promises to be "Astonishing, Unstoppable, Mind-Blowing and Delicious"!
The mission is to bring together East Asian flavors with Western smoking techniques for one incredible evening, inspired by cult film, "Way of The Dragon", starring the high kicking, fast punching Lee and Norris.
Ninja Warrior attire or any fun Halloween costumes are encouraged but optional.
Join The Stamford Museum and Chef Brian Lewis of elm restaurant in New Canaan for an exceptional dining experience amidst the permanent collections of the Bendel Mansion Museum Galleries. On Saturday, September 20th, Chef Lewis, a fierce advocate for eating local, will be cooking works his magic for four courses of delicious seasonal foods, paired with a selection of exquisite wines. Seating is limited. Purchase tickets here.
The evening will begin with farm-fresh hors d’ouvres and signature cocktails to be enjoyed with a special preview of the Stamford Museum’s new exhibition – The Smithsonian Institution’s The Way We Worked – with added selections from SM&NC’s historic Agricultural Tool Collection that served the farmers of North Stamford c. 1900.
Think Match is great for dinner? For the first time in their 14-year history, Match is launching Lunch, but not just any lunch. Match will be serving a pop-up style themed lunch. Each week Match will be transformed by putting aside the usual menu and letting their chefs get creative to keep your curiosity piqued. What themes you ask...
Matt Storch writes, "Like tacos? We've got an ode to ‘Taco’s or What?’ coming your way. Crave our burgers? We'll transform into a classic roadside burger & dog joint. Love Italian? We'll pull out the red checkered tablecloths!"
Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday May 21, you can join Match three days a week, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11:30 am – 2 pm.
To find out what's on the menu, follow Match on Facebook and Twitter to see what's for lunch! Call or visit Opentable for reservations.
One hundred twenty four. That's how many breweries posted events for the first American Craft Beer Week in 2006. Since then, the number of microbreweries, brewpubs and beers bars has quintupled, and they all bring out their best and brightest for this one week celebration of fermented grain. Last year there were 1,269 individual events reported to the Brewer's Association. with who knows how many slipping under the radar. So, the question rises: where will you be during American Craft Beer Week?
We've compiled a quick primer with a rundown of events for each day of ACBW 2014 to give you all an outline of what Ninkasi has let slip between her delicate fingers and onto your town. There are more events in the Constitution State this week than we can print, but we've tried to find something for everyone in several different counties, and feel free to comment if you know of anything we may have missed. Allons-y!
Tuesday May 6, Cask Republic in Stamford is hosting a 5C Bluepoint beer dinner. Cask has invited all 5 of their head chef's from Cask Republic and Ginger Man to lead the evening's culinary journey. Each will throw down a dish of their choice to be paired with a hand-picked Cask Ale from Blue Point Brewery.
Wednesday May 7 is “Mommie Food Fair” at Pellicci’s in Stamford. Fairfield County Dishcrawl, FC Moms Blog, and City Moms Blog have partnered together for the National Event. The Mommy Foodie Fairs take place in 16 cities across the United States. From a mocktail competition to a create your own chip dip contest, this is an opportunity for moms to meet and mingle. A number of fun brands will be represented. Tickets can be purchased directly here.
“Wonderful Wednesdays” returns to New Canaan Wine Merchants on Wednesday May 7. A portion of all sales from the evening will go to benefit Meals on Wheels.
Like beer? Like food? No? What are you doing here? Get out. Go back to your breatharian compound. Right: now that they're gone, we can lead off with a bit of news involving both beer and food, as Stone Brewing Co. and The Ginger Man in South Norwalk have announced a beer pairing dinner on Monday, May 12.
The five course meal will be paired with five Stone beers, including a cask conditioned batch of their Go To IPA, Matt's Burning Rosids, Ruination, a 2012-vintage Old Guardian barleywine, and a cellared batch of 12.12.12 Vertical Epic, which I reviewed right here in January of 2013. The dinner will be $75/person, and includes tax and tip. For more info, click right here. On to the reviews...
The last time I slid down the fire pole onto my usual spot at the bar at Ginger Man, I noticed a new beer from Omnipollo on the menu. I quite enjoyed my last encounter with the Swedish brewery, despite waking up covered in reindeer bites and lingonberry jam the next day, so I thought I'd give their Nathalius Imperial IPA a shot. There is an immense hop aroma just as soon as the glass makes its way within reach, like you've just stuffed your head into a bag of Chinooks, which... actually isn't a bad idea.
Each month Saugatuck Craft Butchery hosts an eight course dinner party paired with wine for twenty guests that highlights a different protein and Craft's pasture to table ethos. This approach—sourcing whole pasture-raised animals from small to medium-sized farms—follows what is often referred to as a nose-to-tail philosophy of utilizing the entire animal. These dinners are a celebration of this approach, a collaboration among the butchers and chefs at Craft, and a creative challenge for the Craft culinary team.
"They are so talented that my challenge as an owner, is to keep their interest.These dinners are a creative outlet and they celebrate what the shop does. They use all parts of the animal, from snout to tail," said owner and head butcher, Ryan Fibiger. Selecting the themes for these dinners may be a team effort, but much of the culinary planning comes from Mark Hepperman, Craft's Resident Chef and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with over 20 years of experience.
One of the previous events in this series was the "Spring Lamb Dinner" which utilized two thirty pound young lambs for eight courses sourced from Josef Meiller farm and slaughterhouse in Pine Plains, New York.
The new Cask Republic in Stamford is hosting their first ever beer dinner on May 6th, and we hear it's going to be pretty epic. Cask has invited all 5 of their head chef's from Cask Republic and Ginger Man to lead the evening's culinary journey. Each will throw down a dish of their choice to be paired with a hand picked Cask Ale from Blue Point Brewery. Casks in contention will be selected at this weekend's Blue Point Brewery Cask Festival.
Welcome to the neighborhood Cask. We're glad you're here. Details are below:
Join us on April 1st @ Little Pub Ridgefield for a New England Brewing Company beer dinner hosted by New England Brewing Company’s partner/head brewer Matt Westfall. The evening will boast a five course beer pairing menu (view full menu below with pairings), a little education, and some general merry making.
Matt Westfall will discuss the flavor profile, ingredients, and brewing process for each beer while also sharing stories about New England Brewing Company’s journey to becoming one of the region’s most respected and beloved craft brewers.
Our own beer expert, James Gribbon will be on hand to answer any questions about his Friday Froth column or beer in general.
Monday March 24, Plan B in Stamford presents “Distill it with Willett.” Five courses will be paired with bourbon and bourbon cocktails… and they’ll use bourbon in every single course! 6 pm. $75pp, tax and tip included.
Also on the 24th, Napa & Co in Stamford presents “A look at Sauvignon Blanc the hot white grape!” They’ll guide you through a global look at the varietal in New Zealand, Sancerre, Russian River, Napa Valley, South Africa and Washington! $45pp. 6:30pm.
Brewery Ommegang comes to Harlan Social on Tuesday, March 25th for a 5-course menu paired with their beers. $70 plus tax and tip. 6:30- 9:30pm. Call 203.883.8000 to reserve seats. Event Menu:
Tuesday March 25, Barcelona in West Hartford presents “New England Beers & Tapas.” In celebration of March Madness, Chef Eric is going to prepare some savory tapas to pair with some of New England’s thirst-quenching beers. $29 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 860.218.2100
March 25 is “Good Meats! An Evening with Charcuterie” at Fairfield Cheese Co. 7-9pm. Call 203.292.8194 for more information.
Celebrate Black Friday with Val’s of Greenwich! Barhill Gin will be hosting a tasting to get us geared-up for the holiday season. This complimentary event will take place from 3-7pm on Friday November 29.
On Monday December 2, Buon Appetito Restaurant will partner with Super Cellar Liquors for a 4 course wine dinner. It begins at 6:30 at the restaurant in Canton, CT. $75 pp. For the menu and reservation information, see https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs126/1102509927877/img/1248.jpg .
On Tuesday December 3, Luca Wine Bar and Visco Wines will partner with Harry’s Wine & Liquor to present a wine dinner called “The 4 Big B’s of Italy.” It will feature four of Italy’s coveted wines: Barbera, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, and Barolo. They will be paired with 4 courses including homemade crepes, ravioli, veal shank, and poached pear for dessert. $98 pp, all inclusive. Please call Luca Wine Bar for reservations: (203) 286-5617.
A quick bit of news to start this week's Froth: it turns out The Little Pub in Branchville has been aging kegs of a select few high gravity beers for the past year, and has started tapping one per Monday night. Issuing forth from the specialty tap on Monday, Nov. 25 will be Dogfish Head Olde School - a 16% ABV barleywine fermented with dates and figs. High alcohol, minimally hopped beers make the best candidates for aging, and tend to relax as they undergo further conditioning over time, so these beers will taste different from when they were first bottled in 2012.
The robust duo of Green Flash Double Stout and New England Brewing Imperial Stout Trooper are scheduled for the first two Mondays in December (be absolutely sure to try that second one, on Dec. 9, if you're at all able), followed by Ovila Abbey Quad, Sierra Nevada Narwhal, Dogfish Head 120 Minute, and the second generation of the Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada collaboration ale, Life&Limb.
On Monday November 25, Barcelona in West Hartford will offer a Thanksgiving Prep cooking class. Guests can learn to make chorizo stuffing, red chimchurri for the turkey, and more. The class starts at 7pm and costs $35pp, plus tax and gratuity.
Tuesday, November 26 Fairway Market will partner with Fox Radio to hold a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County. 8am-7pm.
On November 30, Breckenridge Beer Company is partnering with the Craft Beer Guild of CT for a wine and cheese class. The class is $20/person, limited to 12 people due to size. Class begins at 4PM at Grand Vin Fine Wines of New Haven 28 E. Grand Ave. More information here.
There is a road, no simple highway, Between the dawn and the dark of night
The wind outdoors stings in little nips - a puppy with needle-like teeth. The light is ruddy and beautiful in the early afternoon, but it arrives flat, and it provides meager heat. Nature, having provided, is exhausted. We'll have to see ourselves through this night.
Did grim darkness inspire the brewers up the highway at Two Roads Brewing Co.to create an inky ale and name it Route Of All Evil? Who is this hellish clown, and why am I suddenly afraid of tricycles? Time for a stiff drink.
"Ales From The Crypt" says the label, and this beer pours almost dead black. The barest hints of red appear at the edges where the bubbling solution allows weak trickles of light to pass through. Fear of the dark begins to fade, though, as you notice a thick, tawny head bubbling up from within this Evil, and there's not much - cold, dark, or otherwise - that can't be overcome through the application of seven-point-five percent alcohol.
The head leaves a sticky, bubbly lacing on the glass, and there's a clean and malty smell with just a suggestion of hops. The first swig is sharp with slightly acerbic, darkly toasty grain. The eyes can play tricks in the dark and tell the mouth to expect a heavy weight, but this beer's surprise is its light mouthfeel. There's no viscosity here, and large spherules of carbonation burst on the tongue. Route Of All Evil is a counterpoint to silken nitro stouts or the caloric feast of many winter ales currently hitting the market.
A chill in the air…days getting shorter…colorful leaves swirling….Welcome to October and the Westport Downtown Merchants Association’s 2nd annual Biergarten on the Green on Saturday October 19th 1:00-5:00 pm. Meet under the big tent on historic Veteran's Green right in downtown Westport, CT and sample some of the finest, award-winning local, national and international craft and micro brews.
A mini tasting mug will be provided for samples from breweries such as Blue Point on Long Island, Goose Island from Chicago, East Coast Brewing from New Jersey, and Beaver Beer from right here in Westport. The Shock Top beer car will be back with the tap in the trunk and the Mohawk of wheat on the roof. New breweries are added every day.
Seasonal food such as knockwurst, bratwurst, pulled pork and chili will be available for purchase. The food experts from CTBites will present chefs from Tavern on Main, and The Spread, demonstrating ways to pair the beverage of the day with delicious food; and the Zany Oompah Band will be back performing all the classics: waltzes, polkas and drinking songs for sing-a-long and dancing!
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.
