Nosh Hound Eatery is the newest entry to theStamford Food Truck scene. When I saw the post by my buddy over at Hey Stamford, I was curious. When I read his praise and a menu that really intrigued me, it had potential, and I decided to drive to Stamford and give it a shot.
Nosh Hound is the brainchild of owners Sam Ralbovsky and Maycie Maringer. After graduating from the Culinary program at Johnson & Wales University and a three-month cross country food inspired road trip, they returned to Sam’s hometown of Stamford, CT. The two young cooks became enamored by the diverse cooking styles they encuntered on their cross country adventure and wanted to show their passion with a menu of “global cuisine experienced through the medium of sandwiches, snacks, and small bites.”
Unassumingly tucked away amongst the store-fronts in downtown Fairfield is Catch a Healthy Habit. Maybe you’ve not been in a while…maybe you’ve never been at all, or you’ve been curious, but you’ve never been. The Cafe has been in Fairfield for over six years and in New Haven for two years prior to opening in Fairfield.
This casual, health-based, raw, gluten-free and vegan eatery focuses on clean eating. Their products are organic and non-GMO and the tastes and presentations are delicious and beautiful. They recently launched their new Spring/Summer menu and Stephanie Webster, armed with her camera, and I had the opportunity to stop in and sample some of the newest goodies to grace the menu. The food is gorgeously plated, visually stunning, allowing the naturally vibrant colors of spring to take center stage. As the weather heats up and we shed our outer layers we still need to satisfy our hunger without feeling weighted down.
Melt Mobile has just announced the launch of a franchise opportunity for budding entrepreneurs looking to break into the food truck business. Franchisee operators will be able to license Melt Mobile’s name and business model, and under the guidance and expertise from Darlene and Diana, carry on this scrumptious dairy infatuation grilled between two slices of buttery bread, further reinforcing that we all just need to Take it Cheesy.
It was March of 2012. Food Network’s new reality show “3 Days to Open with Bobby Flay” followed entrepreneurs Darlene Andersen and Diana Hall through the grueling task of launching a food truck business. The process was caught on film, there for all to see – the good, the bad, the soggy bread and the burnt cheese. But that was fine by Darlene and Diana.
“It might not have been pretty,” recalls Darlene of the not-so glamorous side of reality TV and the reality of the food biz, “But everybody got what they wanted out of it. And that’s just how business works.”
It sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s actually the start of a “yolk!” Chefs Eric Felitto and Jason Cade of The Chelsea teamed up with their friend and banker, Michael Bertanza to create The Tasty Yolk food truck located at 4700 Park Avenue in Bridgeport. Despite the rain, the truck made its debut on Thursday May 5 to lots of customers eager to try their gourmet twists on breakfast sandwiches.
“Every year, we try to figure out how we’re going to make our fortune,” jokes Felitto. “We finally decided to use our skills and make a food truck.” The trio makes for the perfect team. Felitto, Chef at The Chelsea, can coordinate with Sous Chef Cade so that someone can attend to the truck while continuing to work at the restaurant. Meanwhile, Bertanza works just across the street at Fairfield Bank. It’s easy for them to come together.
Almost a year ago I visited Hapa Food truck and ordered three tacos. Little did I know that the smiling face of owner Chris Gonzales, who prepared those delicious tacos was hiding an incredible talent of delivering bold, balanced and creative cuisine. After I finished the tacos he told me I needed to try the burger. I was too full at the time and told him I would come back. Shame on me for waiting a year. Since that time Hapa has developed quite a following and Chris recently opened Miro Kitchen in Fairfield, and a colleague who visited Miro told me it was fantastic.
Well…fast forward and I recently returned to Hapa for the burger. The smiling face of Chris was replaced by an equally smiling and friendly face of his wife, Nicole. I ordered the HAPA burger with fries and she asked if I liked Brussels sprouts, of course I do.
The HAPA burger consists of grass-fed beef topped with pork belly, Vermont cheddar, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, house aioli, encased in HAPA’s signature ube bun.
We recently told you about the array of food trucks travelling the streets of Fairfield County and bringing delicious food straight to you (view Top 20 Fairfield County Food Trucks here). New Haven, and its surrounding areas, is also a hub for some truly excellent food trucks! They also have a bevy of food carts. From sweet cupcakes to aromatic java to finger-lickin’ good barbeque, there is a diverse assortment of mobile cuisine to savor.
Here are 25 Food Trucks & Carts in New Haven and beyond worth visiting.
The Cheese Truck, New Haven: The Cheese Truck brings grilled cheese sandwiches, soup, sausages, salads, and more to the streets of New Haven. It comes from the team behind Caseus, the popular New Haven bistro.
The Little Red Seafood Truck, Shelton & New Haven: Nothing captures summertime in New England more than fresh seafood. The Little Red Seafood Truck is an offshoot of Szabo's Seafood, located in Shelton. They have seafood sandwiches like the scallop roll, lobster roll, and salmon burger. They also have soups and salads.
Farm Belly, New Haven: The Farm Belly food truck and caterer brings farm-fresh food to the streets of New Haven. They visit local farms and farmers’ markets to find produce, meat, and dairy. One of their signature items is the egg-and-cheese sandwich, made with local eggs and farmstead cheese. They even make their own ketchup and hot sauce.
Cowabunga, CT: The Cowabunga Food Truck has soft serve ice cream and grilled selections. They use pasture raised, grass fed beef. Try one of their tasty burgers, like their signature Cowabunga Burger. It comes with pepper jack, bacon, grilled onions and peppers. Book the truck for an event, or select their Backyard BBQ package.
Fairfield County residents know that the area rocks… and it also “rolls”! Fairfield County hosts a number of outstanding food trucks that serve an array of cuisines. Meatballs, crepes, tacos, potatoes, Carribean… It’s all available right on the city streets or even in your backyard!
Here are 20 delicious food trucks you can visit or hire for your next event.
Hapa: Based in Stamford, Hapa serves three types of tacos: Korean short rib, Philippine chicken adobo and Nonny’s sweet peppers, burgers, both beef and Ahi, plus bowls of poke and chicken adobo.
The Poutine King: The Poutine King prides itself on being "the first food truck in the north east United States" to offer Poutine, a Canadian dish. Those wanting a classic version can order the traditional poutine. More adventurous eaters can enjoy the Sweet Potato Poutine or the Poutine Burger.
Skinny Pines: The Skinny Pines pizza truck sells wood fired pizzas. It makes use of local ingredients by sourcing its toppings from area farms. The menu changes with the season, but past pizzas have been topped with fresh sun gold tomatoes, zucchini, scapes, garlic, and eggplant, to name a few.
Taco Loco Party Truck: Taco Loco is recognized as the first Mexican food truck in CT! The restaurant is based in Bridgeport.
Approaching this gleaming 1968 Airstream, one is met by the two welcoming, smiling souls who commandeer this shining new-fangled-but-vintage food truck. You also can’t help but remember a particular (vintage?) REM song...Shiny Happy People! Or at least, that’s what stuck in my head (and I believe I just showed my age)-how could it not?
Waiting to find just the right Airstream and then taking the better part of a year to refurbish it themselves with ol’ fashioned grit and many a YouTube instructional video, Kathy and Michael McGovern have launched Baked and Sauced, a food truck like none other in our fair state. This once shag-rugged, pleather-filled Airstream has now been lovingly strung with sparkling lights, adorned with sweet flowers in Mason jars that sit upon the serving window, and a charming seating area that serves as a lounge for guests. Picture your ultimate grown-up clubhouse and you get the picture. Add to this charm the fact that this Airstream has...a liquor license.
Serving saucy desserts and craft cocktails, this truck is serving to the over 21 crowd (and bring I.D., they card)!
No partridges and pear trees in our version, but there were....
12 Frosted Cookies...11 Drinks-a-Drunk...10 Dips-for-Dipping...9 Ice-Cold Cocktails...8 Trays of Hors d’oeuvres...7 Festive Brunches...6 Company Dinners...5 CooooookieTraaaaays (everybody sing)!...4 Cheese Straws...3 Baked Hams...2 Yule Logs...and (finally)...1 Healthy Meal for MEEEEE!!
Time to get back on that wagon, everyone. And thankfully, you have us to help you do it! Happy 2016 to you and may it be filled with good eats and good health! And ok, a good organic wine or beer now and then.
Here are 15 Healthy Restaurants, Juice Bars, Organic Market & Food Trucks across the state of Connecticut.
Vegetarians and vegans and clean eaters rejoice, The Stand Juice Company has opened its 3rd location and is now open in Westport.
Carissa and Mike Hvizdo are passionate about what they do and passionate about the plant based juices, snacks, sandwiches and baked goods they serve at The Stand. Their commitment to “providing good food and a better earth using the land to do so,” has paved the way to their newest and 3rd location.
Mike and Carissa met at a farmer’s market. They will tell you that their connection was profound - brought together by her passion for living life off the land and Mike’s first-hand experience with conquering a rare blood disease through natural healing methods, which ultimately led to him earning his holistic educator certification and his work with the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, FL.
Boothbay Lobster Company is opening its first bricks and mortar location at Harbor Point in Stamford in the upcoming months. To give the community a taste of what to expect from super-fresh Maine lobster, the company is periodically parking its Boothbay Lobster Company truck 100 yards down the street from the restaurant, serving two types of Lobster Rolls, a BLC sandwich, Lobster Mac & Cheese, plus a few non-lobster items. On a beautiful afternoon CTbites visited the truck to sample the newest addition to the Harbor Point neighborhood. As I approached the truck I noticed a sign stating that the lobster were caught the previous day…this was an ultra-fresh product.
The Stand Juice Company, whose mantra is, Life, Fueled by Plants, is about to open its third location in Westport, CT.
Carissa and Mike Hvizdo, are the life force behind Fairfield County’s feel-good The Stand Juice Company. The Stand has been serving up plant based juices, snacks, sandwiches and baked goods since 2005. The business has flourished over the last 10 years and the duo’s standing within the local sustainable food community is palpable among industry jocks, farmers, and loyal consumers.
The excitement surrounding The Stand Juice Company’s newest location at 1200 Post Road East in Westport only further celebrates the enjoyment and healthful benefits people have been experiencing since Carissa and Mike first made their mark in the organic juice world in 2005 with their original location on Wall Street in Norwalk.
The food truck craze continues and I visited Crazy Taco-Mex. The simply decorated truck includes a Sombrero with the rim in the shape of a handlebar moustache. The menu includes Tacos ($3.50) Quesadillas ($6), and Burritos ($7). I was interested in Tacos and ordered three, a steak, a carnitas and a chicken. The menu states that each is topped with onions, cilantro and salsa verde.
Lisamarie Ault was flying high. For twenty years she had served as the personal Chef to Edgar Bronfman, Sr., the billionaire magnate of the Seagram’s empire, preparing the best of everything for a man who demanded world-class excellence. That's exactly what he got from a devoted chef who was trained at CIA and cooked at restaurants from Switzerland to Hawaii. Lisamarie led a rarefied life in her own culinary paradise.
But then she suddenly fell back to earth. In December of 2013, Bronfman abruptly died, and his family no longer had need for a personal cook. Lisamarie was out of a job … and a dear friend. “Mr. B”, as she calls him, had become the father she lost days before she took the position two decades earlier.
“In March of last year, I had no idea what I was going to do next,” she recalls. “Suddenly, out of the blue, I learned that Mr. Bronfman had included me in his will.” On an impulse, Lisamarie decided to buy an old food truck, and take it on the road under the banner of "PARADISE FOODS.”
Here's the scoop on Stamford's Food Truck Rodeo from our friends @ Hey Stamford!
A few weeks back we shared the news with you about the Blue Point Brewery Food Truck Rodeo & Music Fest. The event is just weeks away, June 20th at Mill River Park in Stamford Downtown and we are excited! With live music, almost 20 food trucks and kids games galore, it will literally be a fun family day of food and music!
It's a who's who of local food trucks slinging their best meals with almost 20 of the best food trucks in our area in one spot you can expect a little of everything from apps, to main courses to desserts and everything in between. Check out this list..it's a work in progress as more are being added as we speak.
It was four years ago this month when I first met a Zuppardi's sausage pie. They say you never forget your first, which I then ensured by writing about it for Serious Eats.
So imagine my surprise when I learned they were rolling out a Zuppardi's pizza truck, and my elation when I ran into said truck, a bright red beacon on an otherwise gray and drizzly New Haven day, on the corner of Chapel and Church in New Haven. Put another way, if New Haven's signature pizzas were the rat pack, the Zuppardi's sausage pie would take center stage alongside New Haven's other apizza stars: Sally's tomato, Pepe's clam, Modern's Italian Bomb, and Bar's mashed potato. Yup, it's that good.
Stamford’s Harbor Point now boasts “Sign of the Whale,” a roof top beer garden with views of Long Island Sound. Visit them on weekdays for happy hour from 4-7pm. During that time, try $4 drafts, $5 mixed drinks, and $2 off all wine by the glass.
Freshii Fairfield is encouraging kids to eat healthy with its “Kids Eat Free program” in the month of May. Kids ages 10 and under will receive a free, healthy lunch on weekends with the purchase of an adult entrée.
CT has great beers and now you can try them at Cask Republic New Haven. Monday, May 11 is an ALL CT Night! They’ll have brews from every brewery in CT available.
May 12th, Vespa in Westport will host the 1st of their Vintage Vespa wine dinners w/ Marchesi Fumanelli's “Iconic Wines from an Iconic Family.” The Marchesi Fumanelli family have been cultiaving grapes and producing prestigious wines since 1470. Event starts @6:30pm, $125 not including tax or gratuity
The first annual New Haven Food Truck Festival will take place on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31, along the Long Wharf Waterfront. A celebration of New Haven street food, the family friendly event will include live music, children's activities local vendors, and rides provided by Marenna Amusements. Tickets are $5 per person (children age 17 and under are free).
Proceeds will fund a micro loans and other financial assistance to New Haven's emerging small business entrepreneurs.
Fairfield has worked its way up the food chain, offering all sorts of great dining opportunities for those with even the most discerning palates. With all the new restaurant openings, there was one thing that was lacking in the town’s culinary offerings; a really good health-food based option. Until now - enter Freshii.
Sandwiched in between The Fairfield University Bookstore and Chef’s Table is Freshii, recently opened by owner Jonathan Blob who also owns the Westport location. Although word had not yet really gotten out, the restaurant was bustling the two times I went in, first to check it out, then when I returned to chat with Blob.
The store, long and narrow, airy and bright, evokes a fresh, healthy attitude. Bright green, leaf-colored chairs are neatly lined up against the long counter space on one wall just below a large mirror reflecting the words...EAT. ENERGIZE. from the opposing wall. The light woods and grass-like covered wall lend themselves perfectly to an eatery of this type. A large menu board lists many and varied options. There are choices for breakfast, smoothies, juices, salads, wraps, bowls, soups and burritos.
