Manhattan's Dig Inn Opens in Rye Restaurant Rye Brook healthy Breakfast Lunch CTbites Team January 10, 2017 Just over the border in Rye... Dig Inn, a highly successful natural restaurant with 13 locations in Manhattan and one in Boston is opening its first suburban venture on January 12th at 112 S. Ridge Street at the Rye Ridge Plaza. Dig Inn mindfully sources ingredients to deliver wholesome meals at a reasonable price, democratizing good, food. Along with the company's signature menu with farm fresh options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this location will include new and unique features specifically created for Westchester County. The Rye location will feature family packages, long tables for communal noshing, private nooks for working and reading, and cooking classes with our head chefs. In addition, it will offer an intimate 10-seat chef’s counter, serving vegetable-forward entrees, including mushroom tartare on flax crackers, and black lentils, grilled chicories, and butternut squash conserva…perfect for date night. Read More
Where Do Local CT Chefs Eat Out? Cody of Hoodoo Brown BBQ Restaurant Chef Chef Talk Jessica Ryan January 10, 2017 Welcome to our 2nd installment of "Where Do CT Chefs Eat Out?" Do they prefer to go home and relax? Or do they like to go out? If the latter, what are some of their favorite places, locally and beyond? Do they might have any secret hole in the wall places and would they be willing to share these with us? We began our series with Chris Gonzales of Hapa Food Truck. Next up, we speak with Cody of Hoodoo Brown BBQ. Read More
Terra Ristorante Opens Today in Danbury Danbury Italian Lunch CTbites Team January 09, 2017 Terra Ristorante, a Northern Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Greenwich, is opening its second location in Danbury, CT, the eighth restaurant for the Z Hospitality Group. Over twenty-five years ago, founder and owner, Ramze Zakka, opened Terra in Greenwich, the first of his eight eateries, to fulfill his dream of owning a restaurant that serves simple and delicious food in a more relaxed alternative to the already existing white glove and fast casual restaurants. Terra was a bistro that introduced authentic Northern Italian food where guests would feel like they were transported to Florence for a genuine dining experience. Everything from food and beverages to Italian music has been carefully curated to achieve this goal. Read More
Pho 99: Magic Number for Pho in East Hartford and Wethersfield Restaurant Asian East Hartford Hartford Noodles Vietnamese Wehtersfield Lunch Kid Friendly Hope Simmons January 08, 2017 My magic number for pho is 99. There are those who say 501 is better. I say, are you sure? Because, though I used to eat there back in the day, now my money's on Pho 99 all the way. Friendly service, clean, and more varieties of spring rolls than anywhere else I know. For me, it’s the pho gold standard. Not to mention, Chef Peter Nguyen is a sweetheart of a guy who takes pride in what they serve in his restaurants. The smiling man with the infectious laugh is the heart, soul, chef and secret recipe holder within the Pho 99 kitchen. “The soup is a BIIIIIIIIIIIG secret! No one, family even--Mary’s (his business partner’s) husband don’t know! My wife don’t know! My cousins—don’t know! There’s a lot of businesses like us who come ask, what the heck are you doing? Unbelievable! What you put in there? I say, I do the same as you do!” Peter smiles, knowing full well what he does separates him from the pack and is absolutely not the same. Read More
Rye House to Add to the Eclectic Port Chester Dining Scene American Port Chester Lunch CTbites Team January 06, 2017 The folks from Rye House wanted to share some recent updates. This is not a CTbites review but a head's up to restaurants in the area. Located in a historical building, circa 1890, whose antique brick façade and grand door arches frame the corner of Willett Avenue and North Main Street in the New York City suburb of Port Chester, Rye House (opened in 2015) is named after the American distilled spirit and the spirit of an American neighborhood tavern. Spearheaded by Our House Hospitality, whose eating and drinking establishments include the original Rye House and Sala One Nine, Tapas Bar & Restaurant, both located in the Flatiron district of New York. Rye House Port Chester pulls no punches – instead, it offers a break from the norm, with good food and drink at the forefront. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week of January 9-16 Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 05, 2017 The Stand Juice Company has tips for you to start off the new year right! For the month of January, follow @carissa.of.the.stand on instagram for 30 days of wellness tips! She’ll cover everything from fitness to nutrition to beauty products. Fleisher’s Craft Butchery presents Beef Butchery 101 at their Westport location on January 10. The two hour class will cover the four primal cuts of beef, butchery, preparation, meat quality standards, and more. The class includes a complimentary drink and snack from the kitchen. It costs $125 per person. Prime in Stamford celebrate 1 year in business with a three-course $50 price-fixed dinner – $65 with paired wines (selected by beverage director Paulo Villela), available for TWO weeks – Monday, January 9th through Sunday, January 22nd. View menu here. Sierra Nevada beers are tasty… and also sustainable! On January 10, The Beer Collective in New Haven invites you to a Sierra Nevada Sensory and Sustainability Seminar. In addition to learning about what it means for a brewery to be LEED certified, you will learn to spot imperfections in beer like oxidiation. Tickets are $35 per person. Read More
CTbites Staff Picks for Top CT Eats in 2016 CTbites Team January 04, 2017 2016 was another great year for restaurant dining throughout CT. We asked the CTbites staff to share some of their most memorable meals, go-to spots and varied dining experiences from this past year.Here are our favorite meals and restaurants of 2016. Read More
Colchester’s Cato Corner Farm Expanding its Artisanal Cheese-making Operation via CT Magazine Specialty Market CTbites Team January 04, 2017 Colchester cheesemaker Mark Gillman has a lot of irons in the fire. For one, he and his business partner (and mother) Elizabeth MacAlister were recently awarded two significant grants: one from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the other from the state Department of Agriculture. The combination of these awards will fund important functional changes at Cato Corner Farm, their 75-acre, 45-cow cheesemaking operation. Read More
Where Do Local CT Chefs Eat Out? Chris Gonzales, Hapa Food Truck Interview Restaurant Chef Chef Talk Jessica Ryan January 03, 2017 I've always wondered where the chefs from our favorite local restaurants eat when they finally get some time away from their busy schedules. Do they prefer to go home and relax? Or do they like to go out? If the latter, what are some of their favorite places, locally and beyond? Do they might have any secret hole in the wall places and would they be willing to share these with us? This column will be on ongoing feature. We start our series with Chris Gonzales of Hapa Food Truck. Read More
CTbites Staff Picks for Top CT Eats in 2016 Restaurant Top 10 Eats Best of CT CTbites Team December 31, 2016 2016 was another great year for restaurant dining throughout CT. We asked the CTbites staff to share some of their most memorable meals, go-to spots and varied dining experiences from this past year. Here are our favorite meals and restaurants of 2016. Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger My favorite dishes in 2016 ranged from a chicken sandwich to pasta with crab and sea urchin butter. The food was smoked, braised, quickly seared, fried, raw, served between two slices of bread, on a porcelain plate, in a bowl, on an aluminum tray and a paper plate; all were bold and balanced. It was quite a diverse year for me. My Top-10 alphabetically. Ch’i Public – Tuna Tartare - The diced tuna was encased in a ring of thinly sliced cucumbers, topped with thin wedges of avocado, small mounds of red and black fish roe, micro greens and plated with dollops of wasabi cream, yuzu and cucumber-lime sauce. The array of differing and complementing flavors was flawless. The Cottage – Wagyu Steamed Buns – Take a couple of sweet and delicious steamed buns, add slices of outrageous fall-apart tender brisket and top with a little spicy Napa cabbage kimchee, a delightful aioli and you have the perfect start to the meal, plus a side of duck fat potato tempura. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of January 2 - 9 Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 30, 2016 El Segundo now serves brunch! From the Breakfast Burger to the Arepa to Breakfast Poutine, there is much to enjoy on Saturdays and Sundays. Kick off the new year with some jams at Walrus + Carpenter in Bridgeport. On Tuesday January 3 enjoy a Compin’ + Stompin’ Jazz Jam Session. Then on Thursday January 5, the restaurant will be filled with the sounds of Symphonic Bodega. On Wednesday January 4, the South Windsor Community Center presents “Cooking Up Stories” for children ages 3-5. Kids can delve into stories, then cook recipes based on them. Playtime and crafts are included as well. It costs $100 per registrant. Start your new year healthy with an easy vegan cooking class on Thursday January 5. The Stand Juice Company in Fairfield will teach you how to make one pot dishes for the whole family. It runs from 7-9pm and costs $45 per person. Read More
The Cottage in Westport Expands With New Bar & Larger Dining Area Restaurant Brunch Cocktails Farm to Table Westport Bar Stephanie Webster December 30, 2016 Chef Brian Lewis' The Cottage is spreading its wings just in time for the new year...or rather its footprint, with a beautiful new expanded bar area. Lewis has taken over the adjacent space, once housing a barber shop, and has spent the last few months building out the perfect drink haven. The new bar area will have full service dining at the 10 seat bar alongside creative cocktails, local draft beer and an expanded wine program. Another addition is bartender, Ralph Leon who has been in the business for over 18 years, and has some very exciting new drinks planned for 2017. Read More
Falafel Waffle with Israeli Salad Recipe via Marcia Selden Recipe Recipe Breakfast Marcia Selden Catering December 27, 2016 We’re slightly obsessed with this recipe for Falafel Waffles. They have tons of flavor, lots of color and are a fun and unexpected surprise at any gathering. Whip out that waffle iron and get cooking. Read More
Barcelona Wine Bar Opens in Waypointe Norwalk Restaurant Cocktails Norwalk Spanish Tapas Wine Bar Bar Lunch Opening Stephanie Webster December 23, 2016 After 20 years as a Sono institution, Barcelona Wine Bar has moved up the street and officially opened its doors in Norwalk’s new Waypointe complex. Their new home looks and feels much like the creative dining spaces guests have come to expect from Barcelona’s five CT locations, but as SVP Adam Halberg says “ Waypointe will feel familiar, but there are some key areas that make this new location quite unique.” The open kitchen, massive 40 seat bar, and a new menu approach will take their authentic and distinctive Spanish tapas menu even closer to the markets and restaurants of Spain. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of December 26- January 1 Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 23, 2016 Every Monday, Shell & Bones in New Haven offers Service Industry Night from 9pm to close. Partake in 1/2 Price Bottles of Champagne, $3 Beer Specials, $6 Featured White, Rose & Red Wine by the glass, and a late night bar menu until 11PM. There are also rotating weekly specials… check their facebook page! On Monday December 26, Two Roads hosts their good friend Sean Lawson of Lawson's Finest Liquids. (Yes… that includes Sip of Sunshine!) Two Road’s Master Brewer Phil Markowski teamed up with him to create a limited brew, Typecast Farmhouse IPA, a dry-hopped Farmhouse ale using ingredients from both Vermont and Connecticut. Sip of Sunshine on draft as well. The opportunity to try these beers is one day only, so visit the brewery starting at noon. Mecha Noodle Bar SoNo invites you to their holiday party on December 30 at 10:30pm. $10 gets you food and two beverage tickets… plus access to a night of live music and fun. That’s pho sure! Why not counteract holiday indulgences with a run? OK, so it’s a beer run. Half Full Brewery’s Pub Run starts and finishes at the brewery the 4th Wednesday of every month. The group is of all abilities and ages. Join them at 7:30pm on December 28. Read More
Organika Kitchen Opens in Southport w/ Vegan, Gluten & Dairy Free Menu Restaurant Organic Southport Special Dietary Needs To-Go Vegetarian healthy Vegan Jessica Ryan December 22, 2016 Gino and Cathy Riccio have been an integral part of the Fairfield County restaurant scene for the past three decades, but their newest venture – an organic plant-based eatery – is uncharted territory for the couple. While many alleged healthy eateries have been popping up all over the place, Organika Kitchen takes the idea of healthy eating to a new level. I recently sat down the Riccios to learn about the inspiration behind their latest endeavor. Organika is more than a restaurant Gino explained, “It’s an experience that is as much about the food as it is the customers and the employees.” Organika opened its doors in August to praise from vegetarians, vegans and meat-eaters alike. Cathy expanded on her husband’s thoughts. “We felt that we needed to be eating healthier. We grew up eating healthy, but somewhere along the way processed foods started to enter our diets. Now we have all this modified food and heavy-duty pesticides so even when we try to eat healthy we aren’t always.” Read More
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
