Filtering by Tag: Cocktails

Cask Republic in South Norwalk Reinforces a Resurging Neighborhood's Destination Dining

Restaurant Cocktails Norwalk SONO Bar

Amy Kundrat

Washington Street, the epicenter of South Norwalk and a resurging dining scene, welcomes another new dining experience worth exploring. Cask Republic is a modern take on the communal tavern, now open at 99 Washington Street, formerly occupied by The Gingerman. The new restaurant delivers on its tavern promises with chef-driven comfort food and drink – American at its culinary core with an abundance of global influences.

Sayulita: Standout Mexican in South Glastonbury

Restaurant Cocktails South Glastonbury Tacos Mexican

Hope Simmons

Step through the door at Sayulita in South Glastonbury, and, right away, you’ll see: this is no ordinary Mexican restaurant. Clean and simple, with lots of wood and natural light, Sayulita features what’s fresh and local from the farms of South Glastonbury to the shores of Stonington. A poster of a surfing contest with a sugar skull, a thick turquoise glass bottle for the water that’s brought to your table. On my last visit, ’50s music played in the background. It’s casual. It’s comfortable. It’s a departure from most Mexican you’ve ever had before. Named after the seaside surfing town north of Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita is the most recent restaurant endeavor of Adam and Bill Driggs, owners of 2Hopewell and Birch Hill Tavern. With Chef Van Hurd, of Hell’s Kitchen fame, at the helm, you’re in for a uniquely tasty adventure here.

Sometimes the most excellent feasts can be found at the beginning and end of the menu—appetizers and desserts. Add quality cocktails and out-of-the-ordinary tacos to round it out and what you’ve got is my favorite way to enjoy a meal at Sayulita.


Can Tiin Opens in Bridgeport: Inspired Dishes with a Vietnamese Flair

Restaurant Asian Bridgeport Cocktails Noodles Vietnamese

Deanna Foster

CTBites readers who don’t live in Bridgeport now have an excellent reason to drive and dine there with the opening of Can Tiin in the downtown area. The dishes at Can Tiin (pronounced “canteen”) lead with a Vietnamese influence, are based on French techniques, and incorporate other Asian flavors. This culinary panoply is deftly handled by Chef Brian Reilly, who explained, “We take traditional Vietnamese dishes and honor them, but allow ourselves the latitude to experiment and go out of the box a little. We continually challenge ourselves to push the envelope without getting cute or overly fussy.” The result is neither cute, nor fussy, but fun, inventive and tasty. (Read our opening announcement for details on the management team.)

The Blind Rhino Sports Bar Opens in South Norwalk

Restaurant Beer Cocktails Norwalk SONO Sports Bar Bar

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

When I hear “sports bar,” I think lots of big screen TVs, beers, burgers, wings, nachos, anything to go with my Jets or Giants jersey. The Blind Rhino, recently opened in South Norwalk on Main Street just north of Washington, is undoubtedly a sports bar, with 27 big screen TVs, shuffleboard, darts, and jerseys adorning the walls. At the same time, it has elevated the cuisine with impressive menu items, an array of craft beers and a variety of whiskeys.  Many sports bar staples are still on the menu, but with a twist!

Owner /Chef Jamie Pantanella oversees the cuisine.  He has worked in restaurants and catering all over New England for the past 22 years. His most recent restaurant experience includes The Brewhouse and Gingerman SoNo.  At The Blind Rhino, Pantanella hones his years of experience to offer his “highlight reel.”

The menu is not large, but each item is thoughtful and flavorful.  “While having sections like wings, appetizers, soups, and sandwiches seem to be par for the course, having items like Togareshi Dry Rub Wings, Cider Braised Pork Belly Sliders, and a Sliced Ribeye Cheese Steak is exactly how we want to take the dining experience to the next level,” says manager Casey Dohme.


Holiday Themed Pop Up Cocktail Lounge Opens Tonight: Miracle on Wall Street in Norwalk

Restaurant Cocktails Bar

Stephanie Webster

Amp up the festivities this holiday season by visiting Miracle on Wall Street, a pop up holiday themed cocktail bar opening in Norwalk’s Wall Street neighborhood on December 9th. What to know before you go? This is NOT your average pop up bar. The concept began in New York City last year when Miracle on 9th Street transformed an East Village lounge into a brilliantly kitschy holiday hangout. Guest mixologists, custom holiday glassware, tons of tinsel, and cocktails with names like “ The Reindeer’s Revolt,” created a uniquely fun drinking experience. Guests went crazy for the concept and now there are four pop up locations in NYC, DC, and as of today, CT. 

Sexy Cocktails Debut @ NoMa Social Lounge in New Rochelle

Restaurant Cocktails New Rochelle Bar

Lou Gorfain

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.  

 


Kawa Ni Announces New Happy Hour And Cocktail Menu

Restaurant Cocktails Happy Hour Japanese Westport Bar

James Gribbon

Kawa Ni, Westport's izakaya by the river, has been both a haven of Japanese-inspired food and a boisterous drinking scene since its opening just over a year ago. The party is about to start earlier, as Bill Taibe and co. have announced the debut of their new happy hour menu of food and drink at the Bridge Square, starting now.

Izakayas are small taverns which cater to the occasionally raucous after work set in Japan, so the new menu, with its focus on a limited number of small bar bites backed up by almost twice as many drinks, is right on theme. The prices of food and drink alike are sharply reduced for the happy hour, which runs Tuesday -Friday 4-6PM. 


The WattyMelon Flip Flop Cocktail c/o Watsons Catering

Ingredients Features Cocktails

CTbites Team


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)


Guide to CT Wine & Spirit Shops for Summer 2015

Ingredients Features CT Beer Cocktails Specialty Market Wine Shop

April Guilbault

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...


“Pretty in Pink” Margarita Recipe: Grapefruit, Blood Orange & Hibiscus

Features Cocktails Recipe

Jennifer Spaide

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!

Kawa Ni Bartender Competition #1: Photo Gallery & Recap

Ingredients Cocktails Westport Bar

Sarah Green

Move over "show case showdown," there's a new showdown in town. Jeff Maron, bar manager of Kawa Ni in Westport (and both of the other Bill Taibe's jaunts) hosted the first of six Bartender Competitions where some of the North East's finest BAR-istas concocted some fabulous potions for the judges and guests to imbibe and describe. The goal of this event series is to showcase the art of the craft cocktail and elevate mixology in CT. 

Each 'tender was required to create 5 identical cocktails using one ounce of the sponsored ingredient - in this case, Appleton Reserve Rum, and one ounce of the secret ingredient - in this case Ancho Reyes chili liquor. Other than that, each drink-master was given free reign to embellish, add, adjust and design their signature cocktail. There was even some blow torching of fruit. The end game was to impress the panel of 4 judges, including the lucky winner of the CTBites cocktail naming contest, and Adam Roytman of Walrus and Carpenter (from whence many of the evening's delicious nibbles were provided).


La Zingara in Bethel Launches a New Cocktail Program

Restaurant Bethel Cocktails

Amy Kundrat

Photo: La ZingaraLa Zingara in Bethel will launch a new cocktail program beginning April 1 with a menu spanning classic cocktails to their own crafted creations. The backbone of the new menu will be rooted in house made ingredients, including syrups, grenadine, fresh-squeezed juices, and (a handful of) bitters. In addition to the new cocktail program, Ecco Rooftop Eatery & Bar (located just above La Zingara) will reopen on April 1 as well.

"We are finally bringing La Zingara up to par on the cocktails that we have been doing on the [Ecco] rooftop for a while now. We are looking to bring the same quality that we bring to our food. Clean, simple drinks that utilize what is in season. Twists on the classics," said Lisa Tassone, La Zingara and Ecco owner.


The Rob Roy Cocktail: A Manhattan with a Kilt

Features Cocktails Recipe

Amy Kundrat

When the winter doldrums set in, and the temperatures flirt with zero, I set my sights firmly on brown spirits. Whisky, not whiskey, to be exact. A dram will usually do the trick, but on occasion I like to sully that perfect spirit by making it the foundation of a Rob Roy cocktail.

If you can reconcile the fact that you’re meddling with the perfection that is scotch, with sweet vermouth and bitters, then you’ve found your perfect century-old cocktail. It’s essentially a Manhattan with a kilt, which is a fitting description seeing as it was created in New York’s Waldorf Astoria in 1894 for an opera based on the Scottish folk hero and outlaw Robert Roy MacGregor.

There is something about peated scotch and a roaring fire, but an unpeated or blended whisky for your Rob Roy will also do the trick.


Holiday Flip Cocktail Recipe via Sean Nye of Match in SoNo

Features Cocktails Recipe

Stephanie Webster

Looking for the perfect Holiday Cocktail recipe for your festivities? Sean Nye has mixed up a little something special for CTbites, from his new post, behind the bar of Match in South Norwalk. 

Sean hails most recently from Walrus & Carpenter, as well as Bodega and South End in New Canaan. Jusy sayin...the man knows how to make a drink. 

Enjoy this truly delicious recipe for the "Holiday Flip" made with Applejack Brandy, cardamaro and nutmeg. And if you're simply too tired from opening presents, just go order one at Match.

Holiday Flip Cocktail Recipe


The Year-Round Gin & Tonic

Features Cocktails

Amy Kundrat

The gin and tonic has become one of my favorite year-round cocktails. Now before you shout INFIDEL or HERESY and run for the torches to scare me and my cocktail into hibernation until the summer equinox, hear me out.

The first rule of a year-round G&T: the gin must be considered carefully. If you’re looking for guidance here, you can’t go wrong with the St. George Terroir Gin, which grounds this G&T with an earthy bite of “Douglas fir, California bay laurel, coastal sage, and other evocative botanicals.” One whiff and you’ll instinctively look over your shoulder for the bear that modeled for the label. Trust me, this is the gin you want for a cold weather G&T.

Next, find yourself a clean and crisp tonic. I recommend and will rarely stray from Q Tonic. Don’t even think about desecrating the G&T with a tonic like Schweppes, or please don’t tell me about it because I WILL judge you harshly.


How To Create The Classic Holiday Cocktail Bar via Sheila Barton Catering

Features Catering Cocktails Entertaining

Sheila Barton

Sheila Barton is a local caterer with a flair for food styling. After watching her work her magic at several parties, we asked her for a few tips on creating your own "Classic Cocktail Bar." Here are her tips...

I thought it would benefit many to talk about how to set up the perfect holiday cocktail bar. Not only are the essentials so very important, but so are Style, Texture and Taste. I am always about creating an experience..starting with your eyes and ending with taste. Even if you can only afford to serve one great wine and one great beer, you can still do it with style. If you can throw in a classic craft cocktail or two, more the merrier!

So to first create Style, it is important to create a feeling of glamour and fun. You do this with visual appeal using different heights and Texture.


CTbites' Guide to Happy Hours in Stamford CT

Restaurant Cocktails Stamford Wine Bar Beer Bar

Eliza Schlesinger

The work day comes to a close and all I can think is “Holy hell I need a bottle of wine …maybe two… maybe three… who’s coming with me?” But where do I go? What places offer specials? What vibe am I feeling? I instantly start googling “Happy Hour Downtown Stamford” but nothing pops up and suddenly I am in a panic, yes a panic. We’ve all been there many times…so I have compiled the ultimate list to help fellow happy hour enthusiasts.

Personal favorites for each day are:

  • Monday - Cotto, with half-priced bottles of wine and delicious tapas it’s the perfect way to ease into a hectic week;
  • Tuesday - Lola’s Mexican Restaurant, Taco Tuesday & Margaritas…need I say more?
  • Wednesday - Brickhouse Bar & Grill, known to many regulars as “wing night” it’s a low-key, delicious and fun way to finish hump day;
  • Thursday – Barcelona, delicious tapas and great deals on a variety of wines, the young and vibrant scene is always served up;
  • Friday – Hudson Grille, come for the happy hour and stay for the DJ, just be sure to bring your dancing shoes;

Bourbon and Whiskey Tasting Fundraiser

Features Cocktails

CTbites Team

The Norwalk Historical Society is hosting a fun-spirited Bourbon and Whiskey Tasting Fundraiser, with speaker Gregg Glaser, publisher and editor of Modern Distillery Age, on October 3, 2014, 7:00-9pm at Mill Hill Historic Park - Town House Museum, 2 East Wall Street, Norwalk, CT.  

A sampling of six selections will be tasted from around the world. Join us for an entertaining and informative discussion on the history, production, style and character of each. Appetizers are included. Must be 21 years and older to participate in the tasting.

Tickets - Early Bird until 9/26: $35-After 9/26: $40-At the door: $50. Purchase tickets here.


Top 10 Craft Cocktails in Lower Connecticut

Ingredients Restaurant Cocktails Bar Best of CT

Lou Gorfain

“We've come through the Dark Ages of the Cocktail," observes Gretchen Thomas, Director of Wine and Spirits for Barcelona and Bartaco.. "There was a time here when the spirit of choice was mainly Vodka, and the best we could do was flavor it.”

Though Connecticut may be a bit late to the party, the Craft Cocktail has finally, fully arrived. In fact, the drinks created at many local bars are as artful and artisanal as what's cooking in the kitchen.

Today’s barcraft is almost culinary … reflecting the way we now cook and dine: with fresh seasonal ingredients, locally sourced and often hand crafted.  Re-mixes of the old classics are updated with super premium, small batched spirits and served with stunning visual presentations and precisely balanced flavor constructions.  

“Cocktails have become part of the meal,” notes Jeff Marron, who heads up the beverage programs at Bill Taibe’s restaurants in Westport.  They are enjoyed for flavor and complexity more than potency.

The much celebrated legacy drinks of the Prohibition Era were often filled with unreliable spirits that were masked by powerful mixers.  And the boozy indulgences at Mid-century served as Mad Men escapes more than savored enjoyment.  After Viet Nam, mixed drinks barely survived the counter cultural revolution.   It took a new millennium to revive the cocktail’s pleasurable role in America’s drinking and dining.

Indeed, the eras of Gatsby, Draper and Joplin have long passed, and the Golden Age of Cocktails has come to the Gold Coast. So here’s our toast to the 10 top local Craft Cocktails…  and the men and women who are raising the bar.  Cheers!