Where To Find Great Ramen in CT Via CTNow Restaurant Asian Japanese Noodles Vietnamese CTbites Team January 17, 2017 Photo: Suzie Hunter/Hartford Courant This in from CTNow's reporter, Leeanne Griffin... Where's the ramen? It's a common question among food lovers in Connecticut, where the authentic Japanese noodle soup can be scarce, compared to booming scenes in big cities New York and Los Angeles. But ramen's availability has been growing here, as established restaurants have responded to demand, and new noodle bars have popped up around the state in cities and suburbs alike. Here's a guide to some of Connecticut's top ramen (not to be confused with the packaged brand). Tiger Belly Noodle Bar Granby's Tiger Belly opened in August, and a few early visitors balked at the price tag for its pork and vegetable ramens, confusing the dishes with the inexpensive packaged instant noodles, said owner Ki'yen Yeung. Read the complete listing of CT Ramen joints here. Read More
Peaches Juke Joint in Nowalk: Two Guys Enjoy Some Southern Hospitality Restaurant Norwalk Southern Bar jeffrey schlesinger January 15, 2017 CTbites has been following Greer Fredericks since she opened Mama’s Boy in Norwalk in 2013. She believed that low country southern cuisine could tantalize Fairfield County diners, from shrimp & grits, chicken and waffles to mile high desserts. Mama’s Boy’s food started the trend where down home, stick to your ribs cooking with bold flavors, deep fried, with cheese and calories were an accepted cuisine. Greer’s newest venture is Peaches’ Juke Joint, a fun-loving, take off your shoes, leave your inhibitions at the door and have some fun with a side of food. She hired Paul Failla to oversee the kitchen; many will remember Failla from his days at neighboring Bar Sugo. Ctbites was recently invited to sample Chef Paul’s newest creations and feel the vibes at Peaches. Read More
The Closing of Stamford's Napa & Co...In Mary Schaffer's Own Words Restaurant Stamford Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 15, 2017 Sad, relieved, elated, surreal, proud and excited. That is how Mary Schaffer described her feelings the day after Napa & Co. closed its doors after ten years serving some of the finest cuisines and the most exciting wines to hundreds of thousands of satisfied guests. During that time, Mary, with her keen instinct for great chefs, hired notables to oversee the kitchen at Napa, including Bill Taibe, Arik Bensimon, Adam Truelove and Dan Kardos. In the last seven years, CTbites, Mary and Napa have shared a unique relationship, Mary was kind enough to open her kitchen to our first Behind the Scenes Mushroom Iron Chef article, offered inside glimpses of the hamburger that changed the scene for hamburgers in Fairfield County and allowed us a visit with Celebrity Chef and world pizza champion Elizabeth Faulkner while she grilled pizza. We could write a very long tribute to Mary, her team and the cuisine at Napa, but decided to ask a few questions and allow Mary to tell our readers what it was like creating the groundbreaking restaurant that changed it all in Fairfield County… The big question on everyone’s mind is why now? Read More
Chef Brian Lewis of The Cottage Cooks @ The James Beard House CTbites Team January 13, 2017 Chef Brian Lewis returns to the James Beard House in New York City for an elegant evening on January 24. Friends of The Cottage to receive the member price of $135 vs. the public price of $175. To receive, book by calling 212.627.2308 and reference the code THYME. VIEW THE FULL MENU BELOW The evening of the event, there will be a livestream from the kitchen from 6:15pm-10:00pm at jbfkitchencam.org. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for January 15-22 Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 12, 2017 The Hops Company (THC) in Derby hosts their first game dinner on January 17. Partake in dishes like Wild Game Sausages, Native Duck, Wild Boar Osso Buco, and Chocolate “Moose” alongside beer or wine. It costs $65 per person. On January 18, Nouveau Monde Wine Bar in Newtown presents a Ramey wine pairing dinner at 6:30pm. The evening features 4 courses alongside complimentary wines. The Spotted Horse in Westport offers a "Wine and Dine Wednesday" promotion all day. Bottles under $100 are 50% and bottles over $100 are 25% off. Walrus + Carpenter invites you to one of their popular Brewgrass & Pig Roast events starting at 7:30pm on January 19. Listen to melodies as Walrus + Carpenter dishes up a whole hog. New Canaan Wine Merchants will have a wine class about Tuscan Wines on Thursday January 19. It lasts from 7:00-8:30pm and includes cheese from the Darien Cheese Shop. Read More
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
