The Spread's Chef Carlos Baez’s Chicken Mole Recipe from "Beat Bobby Flay" Recipe Recipe Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 21, 2016 On Thursday February 11, local chef Carlos Baez of The Spread threw down against celebrity chef Bobby Flay. After besting another Long Island chef in the first round, he and Flay went head-to-head to create the best chicken mole. Flay ultimately won the challenge, but it was close! The judges declared Baez’s mole supreme. Flay, however, adorned his with a tomatillo salsa that impressed the judges. I didn't win this challenge but I feel really happy with the results,” says Baez. “I know my chicken mole was well balance and traditional.” Baez used his grandmother’s recipe for mole in the challenge. “My mom was so happy when I told her that I was going to make my grandmother’s recipe,” he reveals. “Mole-it's something that I'm really proud I know how to make.” Chef Carlos Baez’s Chicken Mole Recipe Read More
Behind the Scenes - Sneak Peek at Gates' Re-Opening Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 19, 2016 When is Gates opening? How many of us have been asked, and have asked others, that question? Good news…the anticipated re-opening is almost here and CTbites was invited by the new owners to sample several of the items that will be featured on the opening menu. Gates, an institution that opened in 1979 as the first restaurant on Forest Street, was sold last year, and many residents compared the closing to the loss of an old friend. Residents who have enjoyed a burger and beer at the bar or a family dinner in the dining room should feel a sense of excitement when the doors re-open very shortly. Those who have longed for that burger and beer at the bar or a family dinner in the dining room will again enjoy their meals at Gates - and yes, the name will remain ‘Gates.’ Diners will also find comfort in the direction that the new owners are taking to maintain the modernized nostalgia of this New Canaan institution. They told CTbites, with children in the New Canaan school system, they wanted to create an inviting atmosphere where families can go for a great meal, and adults can enjoy a burger and beer in the bar. “Gates has been here for 35 years and we want it to be here for another 35 years.” Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events & Happenings for February 22-30 Restaurant Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 18, 2016 Chefs Craig Hutchinson and Alex Lischynsky have started [oink] pop-up dinners to showcase local, seasonal ingredients. Main Street Grill in Watertown will be the next setting on Sunday February 28. This time, The Cocktail Chemist, Dimitrios Zahariadis, will be there to create cocktail pairings. The menu includes salt sturgeon, risotto, and more! $75 pp. If you love sausage, be sure to sign up for “Sausage Making 101” at Fleisher’s Craft Butchery’s Westport location. On Tuesday February 23 at 7pm, learn about basic anatomy, knife skills, and more before trying your hand at skills like butchering, twisting, and linking sausages. It costs $100 per person. https://www.fleishers.com/school/classes/ Chef Donatella Arpaia, judge on The Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, will speak at The Quick Center’s Open VISIONS Forum on Friday February 26 at 8pm. The Quick Center is located at Fairfield University, which Arpaia is an alumnus of, so it’s fitting that the talk is called “From Undergrad Stag to a Hotshot TV Foodie: How This Iron Chef and Restaurateur Followed Her Dream to Success.” Tckets are $45. What happens at the Ice Bar stays at the Ice Bar! Rizzuto's in Westport is holding its Second Annual Ice Bar Party on Friday February 26 and Saturday February 27 from 6pm to midnight! The outdoor party includes New Amsterdam Cocktails and more. Read More
Winter 2016 Stamford Downtown Restaurant Weeks Start Feb 22nd CTbites Team February 17, 2016 Oh it's on! Stamford Restaurant Weeks are back starting February 22nd. This is your chance to get out there and dine at some great local restaurants you've been meaning to try. The best part...there are dining deals at over 25 Stamford venues. Reservations are highly recommended, so book your tables early and make reservations here. View the list of participating restaurants below: Restaurants offering $10.15 Lunch and $15.15 Dinner: Read More
Savor, a Celebration of Wine, Food and Spirits in Hartford Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 16, 2016 On April 7th, Savor, a celebration of wine, food and spirits will converge on the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. Savor will kick off its second year with a brand new event: Savor the Legends presented by Plan b. The exclusive Thursday evening reception gives guests the opportunity to taste five years of the legendary Pappy Van Winkle bourbon while mingling with headlining Chef Robert Irvine and enjoying Plan b’s barbeque fare. The weekend continues with the “Sip, Savor, & Stroll Grand Tasting” that has sessions on Friday from 7-10:30pm and Saturday from 12-4pm. It includes the chance to try craft beers, quality wines, spirits, and food offerings from top Northeast restaurants as chefs show-off their recipes on Savor Culinary Demonstration Stage. The celebration concludes with a Charity Gala on Saturday. The champagne reception begins at 7:30pm and dinner goes from 8-11:30pm. I had an amazing time at Savor’s inaugural celebration last year. In honor of this year’s event, I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Chef Robert Irvine. The celebrity chef, TV personality, and fitness guru is the face of Savor. In addition, his charity, the Robert Irvine Foundation, will receive proceeds from the event. Read More
Match Restaurant's Recipe for Maple Braised Squash Recipe Stephanie Webster February 15, 2016 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. Read More
EOS - Contemporized Greek Cuisine in Romantic Setting Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger February 14, 2016 Eos Restaurant opened in 2008 by Nikki and Jimmy Glekas and his mother Dina Glekas Loukrezis with the goal of serving contemporary Greek cuisine. Chef Minas Sotirakopoulos recently joined the EOS culinary family and Nikki Glekas invited CTbites to sample a few of the newest additions to the menu, which blends the family’s Greek heritage with modern-day flair. The interior of the restaurant is relaxed and inviting. The single dining room features a banquette along the entire right wall with seating for twenty plus an addition thirteen four-guest tables, nicely spaced to allow for normal conversation. Above the banquette are photos from the family’s recent visit to Greece while the opposite wall is adorned with wavy modular art, creating a relaxed aquatic feel reminiscent of a seaside restaurant along the Mediterranean. The mood is soft and romantic from the indirect lighting in the tray ceiling and carefully spaced, yet unobtrusive spot lights. Read More
Matt Storch To Open Vietnamese Restaurant in Black Rock, Bridgeport Stephanie Webster February 13, 2016 This just in! Matt Storch and his partners at The Noodle Group LLC have purchased the old Home on The Range location at 2992 Fairfield Avenue in the Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport. Storch says “I’ve been looking to launch this idea for five years now and this spot seemed like a perfect launching pad so we jumped on it!” The concept is Vietnamese done easy with all day service and a small menu of Vietnamese classics including pho, banh mi, spring rolls, banh bao and amazing rice & vegan dishes. “We are trying to introduce the mainstream to Vietnamese food,” says Matt, but Chef Storch will not be the guy in the kitchen this time. The concept is built entirely around his boys’ Vietnamese grandmother, Ty Phung. “No one cooks better Vietnamese than my mother in law.” (Readers: If you attended our CTbites' Vietnamese Pop Up dinner at Match back in 2014, you know Ty is the real deal.) Joining Storch for this new project are his partners from Match, Jason Wojnarowski (owner of the epically delicious Donut Crazy), and Susan McConnell. With Wojnarowski in the mix, donuts were a must. In fact, a special selection of donuts, (some Vietnamese inspired) will be a part of a larger breakfast program featuring Vietnamese coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and of course pho and congee starting at 7AM. Read More
New Tapas Restaurant ZARAGOZA Coming to New Milford Restaurant Milford Tapas CTbites Team February 12, 2016 Zaragoza, a new tapas and craft cocktail bar, is scheduled to open at 31 Bank Street in New Milford in the spring of 2016. Zaragoza represents the next adventure by Newtown resident Artie Praino, who previously owned the Newtown Deli, Sandy Hook Deli, Sideline Café, Woodbury Deli, and Bayside (NY) Salumeria. Praino is following his passion for Spanish cuisine combined with small bites to be shared with friends and family. “Tapas are simple, but hearty and unpretentious food. Our ingredients and recipes will be fresh and robust, beautiful to look at, and mouthwatering to eat. Tapas to me means friends and family enjoying food and flavors on shared small plates -- a warm and familial dining experience.” Read More
Stamford Museum and Nature Center Hosts Winter Farm to Table Supper Feb 27th CTbites Team February 12, 2016 The Stamford Museum and Nature Center will be hosting its Winter Farm to Table Supper on Saturday, February 27 at 6 pm and will feature Executive Chef Scott Miller, creator of Max’s Chef to Farm Program. This exceptional dining experience will take place in the intimate setting of the Bendel Mansion. The evening will begin with artisanal hors d’oeuvres and cocktails to be enjoyed during an exclusive gallery tour led by New York artist Peter Bradley of the new pop-up exhibition – EXTREME ART: Massive & Miniature – with artworks from the permanent collection of the Stamford Museum & Nature Center. Started in 2009, the Chef to Farm dinner series is an opportunity for guests to enjoy the freshest foods and produce in the sublime beauty of Connecticut’s Farms. Each dinner is cooked from scratch and showcases that day’s best produce, sourced daily from local farmers, ranchers and fisherman. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events & Happenings for February 15-21 Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 11, 2016 Harvest Restaurant’s new Westport location is now open for lunch and brunch! Join them starting at 12pm on weekdays and 11:30 on weekends. Outer Light Brewing Company will host a Pop-Up Dinner on Tuesday February 16 at 6:30pm. The exact menu is a surprise, but the chefs will use locally sourced ingredients as well as the flavors from Outer Light. Guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beer, and wine too. Beginning on February 17, Teff Eritrean & Ethiopian Restaurant in Stamford will offer delivery and online ordering through their website, seamless, and grubhub! Half Full Brewery’s Rare Beer Nights are legendary… and their first Rare Beer Night of 2016 will take place on Wednesday February 17! Guests will get to meet Tom Price, their new Head of Brewery Operations. They’ll also get to try 2 of his limited release beers: “Sensible Decision 1,” a hoppy IPA, and “Sensible Decision 2,” a Baltic Porter. There will be meat from Fleisher’s Craft Butchery and cheese from Greenwich Cheese Company, too. Tickets are $40 and must be purchased in advance. On Thursday February 18, Ordinary in New Haven is mixing things up! Rather than a beer tap takeover, they are having a wine takeover with Charles Smith wines. Read More
25 Spots For Great Oysters In Connecticut Restaurant Oysters Seafood Best of CT Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 10, 2016 It’s no secret that oysters are a catalyst for romance. Ordering from the raw bar is adventurous, yet sexy: the perfect start for a date. With its proximity to Long Island Sound, 618 miles of coastline, and bustling culinary scene, Connecticut is the perfect place to dine on fresh seafood. Here are 25 CT restaurants in the state that serve up delicious oysters. Read More
MECHA Launches Late Night Menu in Sono Restaurant Asian Noodles Norwalk SONO Stephanie Webster February 10, 2016 MECHA in Sono is launching their Late Night Menu served Thu 10pm-12pm, Fri and Sat 10pm-1am. The Late Night Menu will feature special snacks and Ramen as well as cocktails you can only get after hours. To celebrate, they will be introducing the menu and hosting a PARTY Thursday, February 11th at 10PM. Enjoy some special treats from the kitchen (even some complimentary chicken sandwiches) and some amazing cocktails from their late night market menu. A few highlights from the Late Night Menu include: THIT BO KHO beef brisket jerky, SHOYU BREAKFAST RAMEN w/ brown butter, bacon, egg, and cheese; WONTON MI RAMEN w/ fried shallots, sesame, greens, pork & shrimp wontons $10. Remember, slurping in encouraged. Read More
Liuzzi’s Gourmet Market In North Haven: A Well-Crafted Bridge to Italian Foodways Ingredients Cheese Italian Specialty Market New Haven Anna Bendiksen February 09, 2016 Anna Bendiksen is new to the CTbites team. Anna is a former scholar of Russian literature, and a food blogger over at threecoursesonaweeknight.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter @anna_bendiksen. When Domenico “Dom” Liuzzi talks about artisanal cheesemaking, his eyes light up. “Quality is what sets us apart from Stop and Shop,” he said in a recent conversation at Liuzzi’s Gourmet Market---not that anyone could mistake his store, which carries over 200 cheeses, for anything other than the Greater New Haven landmark it is. The cascades of Italian speech in the air, the display cases featuring Liuzzi’s own house-made cheeses, the scent of cured hams and sausages hanging overhead, the attentive staff darting about---all combine to make Liuzzi’s a prime destination for foodies from Connecticut and beyond. The cheeses for which the store is best known---the result of the family’s cheesemaking heritage stretching over a century---are its burrata (favored by Mario Batali), a caciocavallo (“cheese on horseback,” so named because it is strung in rope to drip dry), and two kinds of ricotta (whipped and large-curd). Yet the cheese offerings at Liuzzi’s, located in North Haven, don’t stop with these house-made specialties. You’ll also find imported Grana Padano (a cheese similar to Parmesan that is favored by Italian children and a standby in Lidia Bastianich’s new cookbook Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine); Moliterno, a raw sheep’s-milk cheese exquisitely scented with black truffle paste; the best of American artisanal cheeses such as Humboldt Fog; and many more. Read More
The Winners Of MacChilifest 2016 Are.... CTbites Team February 09, 2016 The votes were tallied at the annual MacChilifest competition held at Bedford Middle School in Westport on Sunday Feb. 7, 2016 and the event has crowned several local champions including one for the best mac 'n cheese. Guests voted in 3 categories, Classic Beef Chili Category, Creative Chili Category, Mac 'n Cheese Category. Classic Beef Chili Category: 1st Place: Chilibomb in Fairfield for their “Texas Peacemaker” Chili 2nd Place: The Weston Fire Dept. with their “SmokeEater” Chil 3rd Place: Southport Brewing Co. with their “Maple Stout” Chili Read More
20 CT Restaurants for Decadently Delicious Desserts Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 07, 2016 The lights are dim. Conversation flows. A luscious, silky piece of chocolate cake arrives at the table. You both pick up your fork, lean in, and dig into the silky decadence in front of you. Cakes, Soufflés, Cream Puffs, Tarts, Crépes, Brulées are more... Go enjoy some with your loved one this Valentine's Day. Here are 20 restaurants that serve decadent, sexy desserts in Connecticut. Read More
Happy Hour at Basso Café in Norwalk Restaurant Cocktails Norwalk Bar Amy Kundrat February 05, 2016 Basso Café exudes an easy intimacy that comes with a chef-owned restaurant whose reassuring presence is felt both in and out of the kitchen. Chef Renato Donzelli has built a loyal following of customers at his Norwalk restaurant who come for both his creative Italian-meets-South American dishes, as well as his charming hospitality and boundless energy. And now, they are coming for a newly added bar menu and cocktail list. During a recent renovation, Basso Café invested in a new bar area with seating for about twelve, and a special menu of cocktails and snacks, thanks to a hard-won liquor license after eight years in business. Although you can still BYOB, Chef Donzelli has crafted a happy hour menu that can be enjoyed Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 6 pm, as well as a mini happy hour from 11 to 12 noon each day for lunch. A self-described “hot blooded Italian” who grew up in Venezuela, Donzelli focuses his creative energy on a menu that blurs the lines between dishes from those two countries, creating his own unique cuisine. “I start from the back,” is how Chef Donzelli explains his approach to his menu. The new cocktail and wine list are meant to compliment the food, and long-time diners will be rewarded with a solid selection of shaken and stirred, classic and contemporary cocktails, as well as wine and beer. Read More
The Spread's Chef Carlos Competes on Beat Bobby Flay Feb 11th Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 04, 2016 Chef Carlos Baez is a local favorite. He has impressed diners with delicious dishes at The Spread in South Norwalk since 2013. Now, he’s taking his talents to an even grander stage: Food Network! He will compete in an episode of Beat Bobby Flay that airs Thursday February 11 at 10pm. Baez has never met Bobby Flay before, but considers himself a fan of the popular cooking channel. “I’ve been a big Food Network fan, so I definitely saw the show before,” he reveals. “When I watched, I put myself in the other chef’s shoes and thought about what I would do.” It was a conversation with a regular customer from The Spread that turned Baez from spectator into competitor. She had heard about the casting call for the upcoming season and sent Baez a link. Within 2 days of submitting his name, Food Network responded. They expressed interest and asked for additional information, including a bio and application. Baez says 3-4 months passed before he heard back again. They had positive news: they wanted him on the show! The episode was filmed in June of 2015, about 6 months ago. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events & Happenings for February 8-14 Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 04, 2016 Match Restaurant is hosting a “Day After Brunch” on the Monday after the Super Bowl. The special menu will include ingredients from Fleishers Craft Butchery and cocktails sponsored by William Grant & Sons, including Reyka Vodka & Hendricks Gin. Doors open at 11:30, with the menu running until 3:00. Please call for reservations ASAP as tables are filling fast. On Fat Tuesday, February 9, there are 2 parties to check out: The Spread’s celebrates Mardi Gras with dishes like gumbo stuffed jalapenos, seafood jambalaya, and catfish po boy sandwiches. Walrus + Carpenter will be serving up live jazz, Shrimp Po' Boys, Muffuleta, & beignets. More exciting news for The Spread… Chef Carlos will make his Food Network debut on Thursday February 11! He and Bobby Flay will go head to head on “Beat Bobby Flay!” Tune in at 10pm. Champagne and oysters? Yes, please! Shell & Bones Oyster Bar & Grill is having a special 5-course tasting menu inspired by Roederer Champagnes on February 9. Chef Arturo Franco Camacho will prepare dishes, like a crispy soft duck egg and porcini dusted dayboat scallops, that complement the champagnes. It is $135 per person, plus tax and gratuity. For the menu and reservations, see: During February, elm in New Canaan will be donating 100% of their Cosmo cocktail sales to “Help Ann Depuy battle ALS” on GoFundMe. Read More
Impress Your Valentine: Baked Oysters Florentine Recipe via Marcia Selden Marcia Selden Catering February 04, 2016 There’s a reason oysters are a permanent fixture on Valentine’s Day menus! They’re one of the most famous aphrodisiacs and have a reputation for love and fertility. If you’re looking to spark some romance this year, make our delicious and easy Baked Oysters Florentine. Read More
