Geronimo Tequila Bar launches Carbonated Margarita Features Cocktails Bar Stephanie Webster July 05, 2017 Those who know me, know that there is nothing i enjoy more than a good margarita. The more tart, the better, and I will order these consistently, and sometimes in the most unlikely venues. There is one venue, however, that always delivers on its promise of a solid tequila based cocktail, and that is Geronimo Tequila Bar. Just in time for National Tequila Day on July 24, Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill has launched its new Carbonated Margarita. Produced and sold in both the New Haven and Fairfield locations, the 10 oz bottle features the signature Geronimo House Margarita, made with Corralejo Tequila, Combier and fresh lime juice, hand bottled and house carbonated with CO2. The brainchild of New Haven General Manager Rich Hildebrandt, these small batch products are only available on Fridays Saturdays and Sundays until the week’s stock runs out. Read More
Taproot Opening in Bethel with Chef Jeffrey Taibe: A True Taste of Connecticut Restaurant Bethel Farm to Table Homepage Opening Amy Kundrat July 04, 2017 Opening this week, Taproot will bring a true taste of Connecticut to the plate punctuated with Southern and global influences in a down-to-earth setting. Nearby farms, producers, and foragers will be the source of ingredients for a hyper-local and evolving menu—an unpretentious chef-driven dining experience soon to be situated in the quaint northern Fairfield County town of Bethel. Why this focus on local? It’s not a trend to chase for Jeff Taibe and Steph Sweeney, Taproot’s partners who live in Bethel and are raising their family there. Read More
MOC Eatery Gastro-Pub on Wheels: Killer Sandwiches, Salads & Fries in Stamford Restaurant Food Truck Comfort Food Lunch Stamford Kid Friendly Homepage Peter Dunay July 02, 2017 MOC Eatery, the brainchild of Chef Drew Alden , is a six option food truck that will create a love affair between you and your favorite sandwich joints. Although they only offer three sandwiches, three salads, and two sides, they are packing crazy flavors that will have you coming back for more.Unlike most two-month-olds, MOC Eatery has a very solid foundation for what they want to serve to their customers. Serving locally sourced ingredients of the highest caliber and taking inspiration from the seasons to guide their menu, no matter what time of the year you go, you are bound to taste something special. Read More
Terrain Garden Cafe Hosts Farmers' Table Dinner w/ The Westport Farmers' Market Restaurant Farmers Market Farm Dinner Westport Events Stephanie Webster June 30, 2017 Terrain Garden Cafe in Westport hosted a vegetarian dinner this week to celebrate the summer bounty of the Westport Farmers' Market. Terrain's Chef Jes Bengsten, alongside Chef Jeff Michaud from The Vetri Group, created a stunning 10 course dinner to honor the Westport Farmers' Market, highlighting fresh, seasonal ingredients from local growers. Cocktails and wine pairings complemented the menu that featured the diversity of plant-based cuisine. Terrain Garden Cafe in Westport hosted a vegetarian dinner this week to celebrate the summer bounty of the Westport Farmers' Market. Terrain's Chef Jes Bengsten, alongside Chef Jeff Michaud from The Vetri Group, created a stunning 10 course dinner highlighting fresh, seasonal ingredients from local growers. Cocktails and wine pairings complemented the menu that featured the diversity of plant-based cuisine. Read More
Harbor Harvest in Norwalk: Locally Sourced Retail Food Market w/ Innovative Technology Restaurant Specialty Market Ingredients Catering Local Farm Norwalk Lunch Peter Dunay June 30, 2017 For Bob Kunkel, the Co-owner of Harbor Harvest in Norwalk, CT, he is a true mariner whose blood is part saltwater and whose first love is the sea. With forty years in the restaurant business and a background in ship builders, Harbor Harvest is a market with a vision like no other. Mr. Kunkel does not settle for anything but fabulous which means all his products are locally sourced and of the highest quality. He makes a point that sustainability and being environmentally conscious is paramount to a healthy community and the world which has to lead to some epic initiatives. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week Of July 2-9 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 29, 2017 The Port in Westport is now serving lunch daily right on the Saugatuck River. Happy Hour is on Monday-Friday 4:30-6 with 1/2 price drinks and Tangled Vine will be performing on the patio July 8th, 9PM. The Third Annual Riverfront Food Truck Festival returns to Hartford July 6-8. Over 25 trucks will be participating, including Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, Poutine Gourmet, and New Haven Pizza Truck. The Downtown Bridgeport Farmers Market kicks off its summer 2017 season on Thursday July 6! Find it at McLevy Green, the corner of State and Bank Streets. Opening day vendors include 203 Coffee and Tea, A Pinch of Salt, Sweet Cupcasions, Elegantly Casual Cuisine, Essentially Handmade, and more. Join them from 10:30am-2pm. Read More
Chilled Beet Soup with Yogurt and Dill Recipe via Tavern On Main Features Recipe healthy Stephanie Webster June 28, 2017 Summer has finally arrived, and with heat and humidity, nothing is more refreshing than a chilled soup. On July 6, Chef David Romero of Tavern on Main in Westport, will be serving up his delicious Chilled Beet Soup with Greek Yogurt and Dill, featuring beets, herbs and yogurt from the Westport Farmer’s Market. Here is the recipe: Read More
A Trip To Mr. Frosty’s Ice Cream Shop in East Norwalk: Dole Whip & More Restaurant ice cream Dessert Kid Friendly Kids Norwalk Homepage Ramin Ganeshram June 27, 2017 “Boy do I have a surprise for you!” my husband said. My daughter, Sophia, and I came down guessing at all the possibilities—a kitten? A box of donuts? Tickets to Hamilton? “Nope,” he said, holding out a small Styrofoam cup. “Even better.” Sophia and I looked at it a moment before realization dawned. “Dole Whip!?” we shrieked, before seizing the cup and gobbling it up between us.For the uninitiated let me explain: Dole Whip is a frozen, airy pineapple confection that is something between a cloud of pure, chilly joy and a tropical party for the taste buds. We first had Dole Whip in Hawaii—the only place besides Disney Land where it is sold—until now. Read More
Video Recap: West Hartford Wine & Food Festival 2017 Features Video Festival West Hartford Katharine Ortiz June 26, 2017 Over 250 wines were poured and 30 restaurants sampled the best of their culinary offerings at the first ever West Hartford Food & Wine Festival on the rolling grounds of the Kingswood Oxford school district. Guests enjoyed live music and plenty of space to roam, mingle, taste and sip over a leisurely summer afternoon. Read More
Great BBQ Restaurants In CT: A Summer Wish List Restaurant BBQ Ridgefield Redding Hartford Windsor Bridgeport Branford Comfort Food Homepage CTbites Team June 25, 2017 The summertime heat makes me crave a meaty backyard barbecue with crunchy roasted corn on the side and finished off with a sweet slice of juicy watermelon. But where can you get a meal like this if you don’t feel like cooking at home? Mix summertime with the great eats in Connecticut, and you get a barbecue wish list extraordinaire with several spots ranking high on CTbites’ favorites list and others that we really need to try. Read More
Announcing the Donut Crazy Flavor Contest Winners: 500 Entries...4 Winning Flavors Available Today Restaurant Features Dessert Doughnuts Bakery Homepage Stephanie Webster June 24, 2017 We are pleased to announce the winners of the DONUT CRAZY FLAVOR CONTEST. Doughnut lovers from around CT submitted over 500 contest entries, and because there were so many great flavor combos, Donut Crazy decided to select not just one winner, but FOUR winners! These four limited edition doughnuts are available at all Donut Crazy locations NOW! The Winning Donuts are....Bananas Foster, Raspberry Lemonade, Carrot Cake & Peaches n’ Cream. Read More
CTbites Happy Hour on the Patio at Jesup Hall for $40: June 28 Features Stephanie Webster June 22, 2017 Join CTbites as we continue celebrating Summer 2017 with Happy Hour in downtown Westport's new, Jesup Hall, on Wednesday, June 28th 5:30-7:30 pm for $40. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE Chef/Owner Bill Taibe's new restaurant is the hot spot in CT, and the just opened patio in front is the venue for the next in our summer series of Happy Hours. Read More
Where Do Local Chefs Eat Out? Michel Nischan of Wholesome Wave Interview Features Chef Homepage Jessica Ryan June 22, 2017 I am honored that Chef Michel Nischan agreed to play along with us for our latest installment of Where do Chefs Eat Out? The chef and co-founder of The Dressing Room - one of the first farm to table restaurants in the state - shifted gears in 2014 to focus on Wholesome Wave, a not for profit he founded that provides healthy food choices to underserved consumers by increasing affordable access to fresh, local, and healthy items. A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to talk with him about this incredible project. What began as a dream in our own backyard is now thriving in 48 states. Read More
Connecticut's Best Diners: 22 Great Greasy Spoons Restaurant Best of CT Comfort Food Delicious Dives Kid Friendly Road Trip Homepage Connecticut Magazine June 21, 2017 Connecticut Magazine recently rounded up the Best Diners in CT. Here's the list...What makes a diner a diner? Is it stainless steel? A counter and stools? A building that’s been manufactured in a different location? Breakfast service 24 hours a day? To some devotees of the classic American diner, it is all of these things, and more. We’ve elected to be a bit more inclusive in our requirements. For us, a diner must offer typical American fare at reasonable prices in a comfortable setting, and perhaps most importantly, serve breakfast during all hours of operation. So get ready to hit the road to check out our picks for the best diners in Connecticut. Whether it’s the stellar food, the glistening metal, the glowing neon or the community feel, all have something to offer. Read More
Sangria Infused Watermelon and Manchego Skewers Recipe via Marcia Selden Marcia Selden Catering June 21, 2017 As we transition from the end of the school year into summer fun, we finally get the chance to unwind and get serious about our summer "cocktails." Marcia Selden's recipe for Sangria Infused Watermelon and Manchego Skewers walks the line between appetizer and alcoholic beverage...which makes it the perfect party snack. Read More
Matt Storch's Bun Thit Nuong Cold Noodle Salad Recipe Recipe Features Recipe Noodles Stephanie Webster June 19, 2017 Chef Matt Storch will be at The Westport Farmers' Market June 22nd serving up this delicious Vietnamese dish, Bun Thit Nuong Cold Noodle Salad. This is an amazing delicious cold refreshing dish for a hot summer day. If you can't make it to the market, you can enjoy this great recipe at home be following the directions below. Read More
South Norwalk is Home to Ellie's Real Good Food Second Television Season Features Chef Talk CTbites Team June 19, 2017 Just when you thought you'd seen every type of celebrity chef show imaginable, along comes Ellie Krieger, New York Times best-selling author and nutritionist, whose public television show Ellie's Real Good Food is less about celebrity and more about real life...and real food.For the second year in a row, Krieger chose the demonstration kitchen at Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen, in South Norwalk as her "home kitchen" for taping the cooking portion of her 13 episodes of Ellie's Real Good Food. We say "cooking portion," because Ellie's Real Good Food does a whole lot more than simply feature her cooking. In every episode she also takes viewers on trips to schools, farmer's markets, innovative farms, vineyards and more, where she is on a mission to share healthy, time-saving strategies for menu planning, food shopping and cooking. Read More
Legendary Walter’s Hot Dogs Coming to Harbor Point, Stamford, in August Restaurant Hot Dogs Stamford Delicious Dives Kid Friendly ice cream Lunch Homepage Andrew Dominick June 18, 2017 Get ready, Stamford, an almost 100-year-old hot dog institution, with a ton of accolades, is opening just in time for your summer sausage eating pleasure. Walter’s Hot Dogs is set to split, grill, and slather up their famed franks in early to mid-August, located in the space by the fountain in Commons Park, previously occupied by Mr. Frosty’s and The Hut. The Harbor Point edition of Walter’s is their second big reveal in just a few months as they announced a White Plains location would be opening sometime this fall. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week of June 16 - June 23 Features Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson June 16, 2017 From now through July 16, plan b restaurants will feature a menu of “BBQ favorites” from Memphis to East Carolina to Texas. Pair the dishes with special local brews from Stony Creek and Old Ox. Barcelona New Haven & The Wine Thief are teaming up for a winemaker dinner on Tuesday June 20. Taste wines from Blanco Nieva and Bodega Ochoa alongside dishes by Celebrity Chef and Barcelona Wine Bar Culinary Director Christopher Lee. Feast on four courses and participate in a Q&A. It costs approximately $70 (inclusive of tax and tip) and begins at 6:30pm. Read More
