2017 Guide to Latin American Markets in Connecticut Features Ingredients Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Ingredients Latin American Anna Bendiksen March 21, 2017 The diverse cuisines that the cultures of Latin America gave the world are well represented in Connecticut. Markets in our state serve more than 540,000 Hispanic residents---and foodies of other ethnic origins who pass over Ortega taco kits for more enlightened fare. Whether you’re making corn tortillas from scratch, seeking beautifully ripe fruit at a great price, looking to pick up a luscious pastry, or preparing your grandmother’s mole, these stores are well worth the trip. Here’s your guide to Connecticut’s best Latin American markets. Read More
One-Tray Chicken Dinner Recipe via Chopped Champion Silvia Baldini Recipe Recipe healthy Chef Talk Silvia Baldini March 20, 2017 Mushrooms are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D and they promote immune boosting functions by increasing production of antiviral proteins. Some of my favorite mushrooms are Shiitake. They are simply delicious and they taste particularly divine in this, always fool-proof, oven roasted lemon and parsley chicken one-tray recipe. It takes 35 minute in the oven and minimal prepping. Even my children, those little rascals always poo-pooing mushrooms, after falling from their chairs laughing when they heard the word SHIITAKE, gobbled these ones down! Read More
Tix On Sale For "Food For All" Fundraiser: Strolling Tasting Event To Benefit Food Rescue US Features EVENT Fundraiser Stephanie Webster March 20, 2017 Whether you're a foodie or into food rescue, Food For All, the hottest strolling culinary event in Fairfield County, is the place to be on April 26th. Help Food Rescue US end local hunger while enjoying tasting plates and specialty cocktails from the region's top restaurants. Trust us - you don't want to miss this buzz-worthy, drool-inducing, "take a picture of this food!" night to benefit Food Rescue US. With every $1 donated = 20 rescued meals, as a guest at Food For All you know you're making a significant difference to hungry families!Restaurant sneak peek: Fortina, Fleishers Craft Kitchen, INDIA, Mecha Noodle Bar, Room 112. Visit event page for a full lineup of restaurants and details. Read More
A Roman Refresh At Stamford's COTTO Restaurant Stamford Italian Pizza Pasta Cocktails Lunch James Gribbon March 19, 2017 The Italian word cotto translates directly to "cooked," a simple enough name for a pasta and pizza spot just off Stamford's bull's eye, but neither the place nor the word are as obvious once you look deeper. No mere red sauce joint, the Bank Street trattoria has Roman roots. It's also a wine bar: cotto, you see, can also mean "sauced." The space has been open as COTTO since 2012, but restaurateurs Claudio and Silvy Ridolfi have revamped the staff with chef Rolando Guardado via Z Hospitality group (Mediterraneo, Terra), sommelier Ian Toogood (A Voce, Le Fat Poodle), and mixologist Eric Bufo, formerly of Walrus+Carpenter. CTBites took a look. Here's what we saw. Read More
Geronimo Tequila Bar Receives Tequila "Award T" Certification from Mexican Council Features Ingredients Cocktails CTbites Team March 17, 2017 Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwestern Grill in New Haven and Fairfield, CT recently joined an elite group of approx. 40 restaurants worldwide (Tequila Mockingbird in New Canaan is the only other restaurant in the state the also received the certification) that hold a CRT Award T Certification from the Mexican government’s Tequila Regulatory Council, recognizing their commitment and knowledge of Tequila. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of March 20-27 Features Events Wine Dinners Beer Dinner Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 17, 2017 On Monday March 20, Mikro Beer Bar in Hamden invites you to a Kent Falls Brewing Beer Dinner. Chef Mike Fox will create a four course dinner to complement craft brews. The event is limited to 50 people, so get your tickets soon. Which is better: beer or wine? The question is difficult and divisive… but Fairfield Greenwich Cheese Company will help you decide! Beer and wine will go head-to-head alongside a cheese plate to see which makes for the best pairing. Join them at the Greenwich location on March 21 from 7-9pm and the Fairfield location on March 23 from 7-9pm. It costs $50 per person. On Wednesday March 22, Cask Republic South Norwalk and Allagash Brewing Company are teaming up for a beer dinner. Chef Carl will prepare a five course menu that will be paired with six Allagash beers. It costs $85 per person and advanced reservations are recommended. Read More
Fleisher's Craft Kitchen Closing To Focus on Butchery Restaurant Butcher Westport Stephanie Webster March 16, 2017 This Saturday will be the last day of service at Fleishers Craft Kitchen, the restaurant adjacent to the beloved Saugatuck butcher shop. In 2013, co-founders Ryan Fibiger and Paul Nessel opened the restaurant to further the company's commitment to nose-to-tail eating. Every dish featured cuts of meat from the butcher counter famed for its quality, ethics and transparency. Fibiger, who recently left his position as CEO but continues to advise on long term vision and growth, says, “The restaurant and staff have been integral to teaching people how to prepare Meat Raised Right. But, we've always been a butcher shop first, and we think it's time to get back to our roots and refocus on providing a truly remarkable customer experience.” Read More
Fortina Launches "Underground" Culinary Experiences Features Restaurant Underground Dinner Rye Brook Pop-Up Dinner Catering Stephanie Webster March 16, 2017 I initially held off on sharing my tasting notes for Fortina's epically unique "underground" dinner last week, as it felt like a tease to share an eating adventure that could not be experienced by our readers. Well, all that has changed. The private dinners that began as a way for the Fortina culinary team to stretch their legs, experiment with flavors and dishes, and ultimately serve to inform new menu items, can now be booked by YOU. Here is a little inside scoop on last week's carefully orchestrated 8 person dinner/performance, complete with 10 courses, alcoholic icees, an opera singer, a comedian, escargot served on a VCR, and heck of a lot of fun. Read More
Mixing Food and Feminism, Bloodroot Is 40 and Still Cooking via The NY Times Features Vegetarian Norwalk Special Dietary Needs CTbites Team March 15, 2017 The New York Times celebrates 40 years of food and feminism at one of CT's all time great eateries, Bloodroot. Four decades is a long time for any restaurant or bookstore to endure, and Bloodroot, which is both, is filled with history: vintage photographs, old movie posters and handwritten notes from fans, including the writers Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich.But the feminist enterprise — housed in a converted machine shop by the water, with gnarled pear trees and epazote growing wild out back — is no museum.As Bloodroot celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, new fiction and zines pepper the shelves, and the vegetarian menu is alive and shifting, driven by its owners’ love for food and their joyful experimentation in the kitchen. Read More
Top 20 Chicken Parm Sandwich in CT: Vote For Your Favorite! Restaurant Italian Lunch Comfort Food Best of CT Stephanie Webster March 14, 2017 CTbites was recently asked to join forces with USA Today, The Food Channel, and Sandwich America, to create a list of The Best Chicken Parm Sandwiches in CT. The following article represents the top 20 sandwiches in our fair state, including: Gaetano's, Amore Cucina in Stamford, Aniello's in East Haven, Lucy D's in Stratford, Tutti's in Westport and sixteen more. USA Today Best10 asks readers to vote for YOUR favorite from our list. Go forth and VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE. Read More
Outstanding In The Field Tix On Sale March 20th Featuring Caseus & Millwright's Features Farm to Table Farm Dinner Events Stephanie Webster March 14, 2017 Mark your calendars. On Monday, March 20th, the first day of spring, tickets will go on sale for the 2017 season of Outstanding In The Field. The 2017 CT locations will be held at Waldingfield Farm on September 12th and The Hickories on September 13th. The guest chefs for Waldingfield will be Jason Sobocinski & Alex Lishchynsky of Caseus in New Haven. The Hickories will feature James Beard nominee Tyler Anderson of Millwright's in Simsbury. Additional details on chefs and farms can be found below. Read More
Donut Crazy Opening in Westport Train Station w/ Grab-N-Go From Match & Nom Eez Restaurant Breakfast Doughnuts Coffee Tea And Coffee Take Out To-Go Vietnamese Westport Dessert Stephanie Webster March 13, 2017 Great news for fans of the outrageous donut bakery, Donut Crazy, and Chef Matt Storch's Match & Nom Eez. Donut Crazy will be opening March 16th in the old Steam Coffee spot at the eastbound side of Metro-North’s Westport station in Saugatuck. Donut Crazy, founded by Jason Wojnarowski will offer coffee, tea, espresso, and an assortment of grab n go dishes provided by Match and Nom Eez restaurants. Here's the concept; give the people what they want, coffee in the morning, and quick delicious takeout for hungry commuters when they emerge bleary eyed at the end of the day. Read More
Chutni Biryani & Noodle Bar in Stamford: CT Has A New Indian Culinary Gem Restaurant Stamford Indian Delicious Dives Lunch Homepage Fairfield County Foodie March 12, 2017 I am originally from India so I am always game for some Indian food. Sadly, Connecticut doesn’t have that many Indian restaurants. Of the ones I have tried thus far, I find myself recommending the same 2-3 places to everyone who asks. For a proper sit-down experience, I really enjoy Chef Prasad Chirnomoula’s INDIA restaurant in New Canaan (and now his new location in West Hartford). For a delicious fast-food, grab-and-go experience, Gopinath Nair’s Tikkaway in New Haven is a sure bet. Finally, for an in-between experience that is good for casual eat-in or take-out, I highly recommend Royal Guard in Norwalk.And then, I happened upon Chutni Biryani & Noodle Bar…. totally by accident. It was during a cozy dinner with my honey at Mason-Dixon Smokehouse in Stamford a few months ago… we were seated right by the window overlooking the line of restaurants across the street. What a peculiar concept I thought…. a Biryani AND Noodle Bar…. say what?! Read More
Arrivederci, Vespa. Welcome, The ‘Port via Dan Woog Restaurant Westport Opening CTbites Team March 10, 2017 Wondering what's going in to Vespa's space in Westport? Dan Woog has some answers.In its 2 1/2 years in Westport, Vespa earned the loyalty of many customers.Unfortunately, they came almost entirely on Friday and Saturday nights. Owner Bobby Werhane thought there was a demand for “a New York style, modern rustic restaurant” in that location.There was. But attracting diners on more casual weekdays was tough. Though the 155 seats inside were filled — and in summer, the 60-seat patio was packed — the size of National Hall, plus the difficulty of scheduling employees for both peak and slow times, led to what Werhane admits was “inconsistency.” Read More
A Visit To Little Pub With Singlecut Beersmiths James Gribbon March 10, 2017 "Are you ready, Steve?" The opening line from "Ballroom Blitz" by Tia Carrere... wait, I mean Sweet - lets you know it's about to go down, right now. A few dozen people were gathered in a side room at The Little Pub's Fairfield location for a visit by Astoria's own Singlecut Beersmiths, a brewery which has been making some noise of its own when its elixers landed in Connecticut last year. Are You Ready Steve? was the name of a beer on the pairing menu. Hit it. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of March 13-18 Features News Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 09, 2017 The Artisanal Burger Company in Manchester, CT invites you to a Pre-St. Paddy’s Day party on Monday March 13. The evening features Jameson Irish Whiskey and includes a reception and 3 course dinner. It costs $60 per person and runs from 6:30-9:30pm. Go to the dark side on March 14! In this case, it is actually a good thing… Max Amore Ristorante will explore the “dark side of the cocktail” through a seven course dinner featuring Amari cocktails. The evening begins with a reception at 6:15, followed by the sit-down meal at 6:30. It costs $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Read More
Taco Loco's Party Truck: Turn Your Next Event Into a Party (sponsored post) Restaurant Food Truck Catering Mexican Tacos Gluten-Free Kid Friendly CTbites Team March 09, 2017 Are you ready for food truck season? With summer right around the corner you can bet on seeing the Taco Loco Party Trucks cruising through your town. If you are hosting a party this year the Taco Loco Party Trucks are a must have! Imagine not having to worry about shopping, setting up, cooking, or cleaning. All you have to do is invite your friends and family and we will take care of the rest! Read More
Stew Leonard's Launches Edible Cookie Dough Restaurant Features Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster March 08, 2017 This week Stew Leonard’s in Yonkers rolled out their version of the latest food trend, edible cookie dough. More good news: all five of their locations will roll it out in the next 2 weeks. Edible cookie dough will be available in a cone or a cup at $3.99 for a single scoop and $6.99 for a double scoop. Stew's Edible Cookie Dough will be available at their ice cream counters. Kids...start freaking out! Read More
The 10 Most Highly Rated Restaurants In CT via OnlyInYourState.com Restaurant Best of CT Homepage CTbites Team March 08, 2017 In case you missed this article last week, this is in from OnlyInYourState.com. Connecticut has great dining options all across the state, but some stand out among the rest. To find the most highly rated restaurants around, we turned to Zagat, Connecticut Magazine and Yelp to help us hone in on places that were offering the best overall experience in food, service and location. Get ready for a magical dining experience, because these places are pretty awesome.Check out the list of highly rated restaurants: Read More
Constitution State Staples: Connecticut's Most-Classic Dishes via Food Network Restaurant Best of CT Comfort Food New Haven Norwalk Amy Kundrat March 06, 2017 The Food Network sent CTbites' Amy Kundrat on a mission to select the quintessential dishes throughout the state of CT. Here are her picks for classic CT eats. Though its New York neighbor gets more culinary street cred, Connecticut is a hotbed of local flavors, including a local take on the lobster roll, collegiate-level ice cream and coal-fired, clam-topped pizzas that lure fans from around the world to the Nutmeg State. Read More
