44 CT Restaurants for New Years Eve & New Years 2016 Restaurant Holiday Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 21, 2016 The countdown is on to the countdown to the year’s end! As 2016 draws to a close, Connecticut restaurants are ushering in 2017 with epic parties, prix fixe menus, special dishes, and signature cocktails. Here is the ultimate guide to where you can celebrate New Year’s Eve and the New Year. Mezon, Danbury: They will offer a 6 course prix fixe menu for $65 per person. Opt for the 6pm or 8:30pm seating. The bar will be open for walk-ins and a special a la carte menu will be available. The Spread, Norwalk: Visit the Spread in Norwalk for an NYE menu with Hamachi Crudo, Lamb Saddle, Seared Scallops, Veal Confit, and Chocolate Mousse. Ordinary, New Haven: Bar Ordinary in New Haven is doing something far from "ordinary," a Retro Ski Lodge New Year's Eve Party! Start your evening at the Tundra Bar for a libation then move your way into the Moose Ski Lodge for some warmth by the hearth! Roia, New Haven: Roia will be serving bites at the bar + all night happy hour. In the dinning room 5 course prix fixe, including truffles, venison, foie, artichokes and other delicacies, plus Jazz quartet playing from 7:00pm onwards. Pearl, Westport: Chef Mike at Pearl in Westport is preparing a NYE menu. There will also be a DJ, dancing, party favors, and a toast. Plus, kids eat free from 12-7pm! Read More
Brunching at The National in Greenwich Restaurant American Brunch Greenwich Bar Lunch Jessica Ryan December 20, 2016 Christmas was in the air in Greenwich this past weekend as the town’s Annual Holiday Stroll offered something for everyone: a chance to meet Santa, a ride in a horse drawn carriage, and for me, the opportunity to try out The National’s Holiday Brunch. I had not yet been to Chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s newest and his first restaurant in Greenwich. The celebrity chef has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and CBS Morning Show and has starred in many Food Network programs including Chopped, The Next Iron Chef and Cooks vs. Cons, the network’s newest show. Read More
Hidden Gem: El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant in Bridgeport Restaurant Bridgeport Delicious Dives Mexican Lunch Kid Friendly Elizabeth Keyser December 18, 2016 The first thing to do when you sit down at a sturdy wood table at El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant is order an agua fresca. These icy fruit drinks are made to order; the grinding blender drowns out the Mexican t.v. and music, and soon you’re sipping the most refreshing beverage. My favorite is the melon or watermelon, depending on what they have in the kitchen. Mango is sweeter. I haven’t tried the tamarindo. El Paraiso is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Bridgeport. It’s on Madison Avenue, near Capitol. The white gates covering some of the windows make it look closed, but inside, especially on weekends, El Paraiso is bustling and welcoming, the room filled with families with children. The waitresses smile. Speaking Spanish is an advantage, but by no means necessary. Read More
Friday Froth: Top Beers Picks From BeerConn 2016...Savor The Unexpected Beer CT Beer James Gribbon December 16, 2016 Beer is traditionally kept on ice, so it only makes sense for BeerConn to take place in a hockey arena. Thus it was again as 50 breweries from Connecticut and beyond came together at the arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, where a single ticket included unlimited tastings, and raised money for Kids Need More, a motivational camp for children with life threatening illnesses. Two Roads, quickly becoming the most widely known Connecticut beer in the nation after only fours years in existence, was in attendance, along with home state brewers such as Black Hog, Hooker, Relic, Thimble Island, and New England Brewing Company, who showed up with two nationally sought after beers, Coriolis and Locust Reign. There's magic, though, in the unexpected, and I was excited to see some Connecticut brewers still in their infancy in attendance, including Brass Works (Waterbury), Fairfield Craft Ales (Stratford), Brewport (Bridgeport) and Hanging Hills (Hartford). Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of December 19-26 Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 16, 2016 Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford hosts a super-sized tap takeover on Tuesday December 20. New England Brewing, Beer'd, and Kent Falls are all teaming up starting at 5pm. On December 22, Ordinary in New Haven invites you to a night with Black Hog Brewing! There will be vintage hip hop along with drink specials starting at 9pm. Chop Shop Cooking has a few classes this week. Try an Asian Flavors Dinner Party on December 21 from 7-9pm or Say Yes to the Dress(ing) on December 22 from 7-9pm. Classes are $80 per person. Cindy Hartog is the Artistic Director of Education of the Westport Community Theatre… as well as a formally trained as a chef and full time kids culinary teacher. She will offer a Holiday Themed Kids Cooking Class on December 23 from 3-4:30. Email her at chefcindy@cindyssouschefs.com to secure a space. Read More
South Avenue Butcher Opens in New Canaan Ingredients Butcher New Canaan CTbites Team December 16, 2016 New Canaan, Connecticut is excited to welcome an old fashioned butcher shop to its already impressive culinary offering. South Avenue Butcher is the creation of businessmen, long-term friends and Darien residents Dermot Flynn, Alan Griffin and James Farrell. The friends grew up in southern Ireland where rural towns would have a butcher shop and locals would go in for special cuts of meat and advice. The concept, which was inspired by a nostalgic chat at the bar, is a direct nod to their farming heritage and reinforces that consumers care about their meat source. They strongly advocate the community and have plans to support local town events. The proper old-style butcher specializes in home-made sausages and burgers - they will even make some to a specific family recipe. Heading up the operation is Head Butcher, Michiel Hutten who hails from the Netherlands. He worked at Darien Butcher Shop, and has over 30-years of butchery experience. Inside the store he will serve prime cuts and order in specific meats. The meats are sourced from animals that are free to roam and will be organic wherever possible. Read More
Celeriac Apple Soup w/ Pancetta Recipe via Westport Farmers’ Market Recipe Farmers Market Recipe Lynn Felici-Gallant December 15, 2016 Come clean. Celeriac is downright intimidating. Just what is that knobby-looking thing and how does one cook with it? Fear not, celeriac is not the province of chef menus only. Armed with a few facts and a killer recipe, you’ll want to run, not walk, to the Westport Winter Farmers’ Market this weekend to pick up the root and impress your friends and family. Let’s start with what it is. Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceuem), is a species of celery in the family of plants that includes parsley, carrots, anise, and parsnip. Like many of its cousins, celeriac is a root vegetable that is often harvested during fall when the vegetable is sweetest. Indeed some species can remain underground throughout winter with mulch and protection; this is the reason it is often plentiful at winter farmers’ markets. While the root is most-often harvested when it is about 4 – 5 inches round, smaller bulbs can pack a more sugary punch. And the vegetable can be stored for 4 to 6 months at 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit once purchased. Celeriac is delicious sliced and eaten raw but – as Chef Silvia Baldini demonstrates below Read More
Dress Up Your Party with Garelick & Herbs Holiday Platters (sponsored post) Ingredients Recipe Gift Guide Holiday CTbites Team December 15, 2016 This holiday gift alert just in from Garelick & Herbs. Looking for a delicious present that will be joyously received? Check out one of Garelick & Herbs gift platters...or design your own. Take the guess work out of your next hostess gift. These beautifully curated custom gifts are perfect for any occasion. Stopping by your friend's for brunch? We have fabulous holiday housewarming gifts. Corporate Clients need a holiday gift? Send over one of our sweet-tastic dessert boxes or a signature Office Munchie Snack Basket. We can even send over a surprise lunch to your favorite client. Also, don’t forget your manicurist and hair stylist! Nothing warms the heart and soul more than something delicious from Garelick & Herbs. Having an impromptu celebration? Going away for the weekend? Your hosts will love our snacktastic gifts–customize salty, sweet, crunchy and colorful. We have everything you need served up on a platter. Read More
21 CT Restaurants Open for Christmas Eve & Christmas 2016 Restaurant Events Holiday Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 14, 2016 Over the river and through the woods… to delicious restaurants we go! From New Canaan to Essex to Mohegan Sun, some of Connecticut’s best restaurants are hosting holiday festivities on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day itself. Be sure to make your reservations early… seats fill up quickly! Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point, Saybrook: On Saturday December 24, guests can enjoy holiday inspired dishes like Mascarpone-Butternut Ravioli, Ricotta Meatballs, and Srirachi-style Calamari at Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point. On Christmas Day, they will have an extensive buffet from 12-6pm. Pearl at Longshore, Westport: Pearl in Westport will celebrate Christmas Eve with a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner. The Whelk, Westport: Open for Christmas Eve dinner with their regular menu and a few specials TBA. Basso Cafe, Norwalk: On Christmas Eve, Basso Cafe in Norwalk will serve dishes off of its regular menu as well as some newly created dishes prepared specifically for the evening. They will be closed on Christmas Day. Roger Sherman Inn, New Canaan: Open on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they have a special menu in honor of the holiday, which features dishes like a Roasted Filet Mignon and Lobster Thermidore Read More
Stew Leonard's Christmas Cookie Milk Available For Limited Time! Ingredients Recipe Holiday Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster December 14, 2016 Check the shelves at your local Stew Leonard's TODAY because their first ever Christmas Cookie Millk will be available for a limited time this holiday season. Stew Leonard's Christmas Cookie Milk a sweet, creamy milk that has the same flavor as a sugar cookie that's been dunked in milk. It comes straight from their dairy farms in upstate NY and is free from artificial growth hormones (rBST) and antibiotics. This milk goes from the farm to each of our stores in as little as 24 hours, and is sold in a ½ gallon glass for $4.99. Stew Leonard's Christmas Cookie Milk is going to go fast. Go grab some now. Read More
10 "Must Drink" Cold Weather Cocktails in Lower Fairfield County CT Restaurant Cocktails Recipe Bar Best of CT Andrew Dominick December 13, 2016 It’s been a warm autumn, and while we’ll all hope the same for the upcoming winter season, we know it just won’t last. Chilly temperatures are inevitable and let’s face it, your puffy coat, skully, and gloves may not cut it. You need something else to warm up your soul, something that will always be there for you at various bars in lower Fairfield County…Cocktails. I recently visited my favorite bars around the county to seek out the best seasonal cocktails. While this is MY list, I did try my best to switch up the flavor profiles and the spirits used, otherwise they’d be all bourbon and whiskey based, or it would be a list of Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs. There are some clear liquors involved, as well as warm beverages and seasonal flavors such as apple, cinnamon, clove, and even carrot. I tried my best to include every city or town up 95 from Greenwich to Westport, but that wasn’t the end result. I wanted to go further north but this “research” would’ve stretched into another season. I found that Norwalk and Westport had the most seasonal stuff going on when it comes to booze, so don’t be offended if your favorite bar in your neighborhood didn’t make it. It doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, I just simply met my quota for this list, and my liver told me to “just stop already.” Hopefully this helps with your drinking adventures, and hopefully you have some cold weather cocktail suggestions at your most frequented haunts, because we’re all always looking to warm our souls with good libations. Read More
Ch'i Public House Opens in SoNo - Exceptional Asian-Inspired Cuisine Restaurant Asian Chinese Japanese Norwalk SONO Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 11, 2016 Ch’i Public House opened in late November in the space formerly occupied by Ocean Drive and Red Lulu on Washington Street in SoNo. The forces behind the new Asian-inspired restaurant are Rob Moss, Marco Siguenza and Dave Studwell, owners of neighboring Washington Prime. Overseeing the kitchen is Executive Chef Mark Taruna, whose long career spans attending the French Culinary Institute and working as the Sous Chef for Nobu Matsushisa at Nobu. He subsequently joined The Food Network and ran the Iron Chef kitchen where he worked with Morimoto, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay. He brings a new level of creativity to many classic recipes with bold flavors and textures, from the simplest dumpling to the most complex sauces. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for The Week of Dec 13-19th Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 09, 2016 The Beer Collective presents a Brett 101 Class all about Kent Falls Brewery on Tuesday December 13 at 6:00pm. The evening will include a curated list of Kent Falls beers and a buffet-style offering from their Chefs. It costs $40 per person and tickets can be purchased online. Onyx Moonshine in East Hartford gave empty barrels from their spirits to local Connecticut breweries, who created 15 unique beers aged in the whiskey-soaked wood, which were featured at this summer’s Secret Stash Beer Bash. After the event, it re-filled each barrel with whiskey for aging. Try these 15 beer-influenced whiskies on Tuesday December 13 or Wednesday December 14 from 5:30-8pm. It costs $35 per person. Chop Shop Cooking’s December Cooking demonstration classes include wine, water, seltzer and plenty of food. On Wednesday December 14 from 7-9pm, join them for a Spanish Tapas class or sign up for Thursday December 15 from 7-9pm to learn about fish. The classes cost $80 per person. Go Fish in Mystic is celebrating 50 years of Robert Mondavi wines. Join them on Wednesday December 14 from 5:30-7pm to enjoy Mondavi wines paired with their tasty dishes. Please call 860-536-2662 to make a reservation. Read More
Room 112 Opens in Sono: A Modern Day Speakeasy in Connecticut Restaurant Cocktails Late Night Norwalk SONO Bar Jessica Ryan December 09, 2016 Room 112 is shaking up the pulse of the lively SoNo restaurant scene. A modern-day speakeasy with a rock’n’roll edge, and eclectic, modish décor recently opened its doors at 112 Washington Street. Owner Isaac Patrick Camoro’s vision was clear the minute he walked into the then empty space. Room 112 conjures up images of an urban garage meets underground lounge. Eclectic and unconventional this new bar is a truly unique experience; the antidote to the typical Fairfield County bar scene. The main level, framed in exposed brick, offers the perfect canvas for local artists to showcase their talent, thus lending themselves perfectly to the bar’s eclectic furnishings and lighting. Downstairs, a “man-cave” style game room includes a pool table, dartboards, shuffleboard, a jukebox, several HD TVs and a sleek bar. Read More
Art’s Deli in Westport Soon to be Winfield Street Italian Deli Restaurant Deli Italian Westport Lunch CTbites Team December 08, 2016 More exciting Westport deli news from WestportNow. Westport’s iconic Art’s Deli at 13 Post Road West, near the intersection of Riverside Avenue, is under new ownership. Art’s Deli, 13, Post Road West, will become Winfield Street Italian Deli. Breno Donatti, the new owner, also owns Norwalk’s Winfield Italian Deli, 69 Winfield St., and, since February, Winfield Street Espresso & Panini Bar, 4 Railroad Place, across from the Westport Metro-North Railroad Station in Saugatuck. He said the name of the Post Road West business will be renamed Winfield Street Italian Deli once all town-required permits are approved and issued. Read the full article on WestportNow. Read More
Holiday Cooking with Wolf: There Really is a Difference (sponsored) Recipe Kitchen Gear CTbites Team December 07, 2016 There are a lot of appliances in the marketplace that claim to be the best, and as we turn our attention to holiday cooking and baking, we thought it would be valuable to understand how one manufacturer stands out in a class all its own. Wolf distills legendary professional heritage, power and finesse into cooking equipment whose precise control ensures the dish you have in mind will be the dish you bring to the table. While Wolf offers a wide array of industry-leading appliances (Gas, Dual Fuel and, now, Induction Ranges; Built-In Ovens; Cooktops; Specialty Modules; Ventilation and totally unique Coffee Systems), their technology just keeps getting more exciting. This Oven is Like No Other Read More
Angela Baldanza of Baldanza Café Wins Food Network Cooks vs Cons - ‘Tis The Seasoning CTbites Team December 07, 2016 Another of Fairfield County’s restaurant owners joins the growing list of winners on The Food Network. Last night Angela Baldanza, owner Baldanza Café in New Canaan cooked her way to victory on Food Network’s Cooks vs Cons. The culinary competition, hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian, sees talented home-cooks go up against kitchen professionals. Angela remained focused and calm and won the prize in the blind taste test with her rack of lamb, followed by French toast and caramelized apple. Read More
BunBurgerBun Food Truck - Gluten, Soy & Nut-Free Burgers, Fries & More Restaurant Food Truck Norwalk SONO Special Dietary Needs Comfort Food Kid Friendly Burgers Maizy Boosin December 06, 2016 Hi, my name is Maizy. I'm 13 years old, love food, and have celiac disease. When I heard about BunBurgerBun, a food truck that specializes in gluten free burgers and fries, I had to go try it out. Arriving at the truck in Stamford, I was instantly impressed by the menu because it had all the favorites. I ordered three things while I was there: The sweet and salties, The Jammer burger, and the chicken tenders with a side of fries. My absolute favorite thing that I ate was the Jammer: A burger on a gluten free peasant bun with house-made pickles and a bacon relish. I love pickles and those on the BunBurgerBun truck are fantastic. They are made with mustard seeds, onions and have this great classic pickle taste, but with a hint of a spicy undertone. When I took my first bite of the burger, the first flavor was vinegar. This came from the pickles, as well as the amazing bacon relish. Read More
Rye Ridge Deli Opening in Oscar’s Space in Downtown Westport via Westport Now Restaurant CTbites Lunch Events Deli Stamford Westport Comfort Food CTbites Team December 06, 2016 This corned beef related news just in from WestportNow. Westport’s Main Street is getting a Deli back. Rye Ridge Deli will open next year in space long occupied by Oscar’s Delicatessen, 159 Main St. Partners Mike Ventorino and Scott Martin today in the future home of Rye Ridge Deli and Restaurant at 159 Main St.. Partners Scott Martin and Mike Ventorino will open the third Rye Ridge Deli sometime early next year, they said today. Other Rye Ridge Delis – described as a New York Kosher-Style Deli and Restaurant—are in Rye Brook, N.Y. and Stamford. Oscar’s closed in August a week before the death of longtime owner Lee Papageorge after a 42-year presence on Main Street. “I got a lot of calls after it closed, asking me to take a look at it,” said Martin, an eight-year Wilton resident. “We signed the lease around Halloween.” Read the full story on WestportNow. Read More
Outrageous BBQ at Mason Dixon Smokehouse in Stamford BBQ Southern Stamford Bar Comfort Food Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 04, 2016 World-class BBQ returns to CT with the homecoming of renowned pitmaster Nestor Laracuente, who is overseeing the kitchen at Mason Dixon Smokehouse in Stamford. When I heard that Nestor was teaming up with Mason Dixon, I was ecstatic, the mounds of his perfectly prepared meats that I raved about at Hoodoo Brown were indelible etched in my memory. Would Mason Dixon fill the void that I have felt for months? Bottom line…yes, the food is spectacular. Laracuente is a soft-spoken lover of meats and Southern rock who spent years perfecting his craft. After leaving CT last year, he returned to Brooklyn where he spent time with his buddy at Beast of Bourbon in Bed-Stuy. His time was spent experimenting with new rubs, new dishes, waiting for the right opportunity for his return to Connecticut. His newest venture, of which he is part-owner, opened a few weeks ago and it is slowly expanding the menu. Read More
