When The Port opened its doors in Westport recently, crafting a dining experience for all ages was part of the goal. “I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant, a neighborhood spot where locals can enjoy food that is approachable and comfortable,” said owner Sal Augeri. Connecticut is home to an array of esteemed restaurants, but sometimes it’s hard to find a place where kids will also feel at home amid all the gourmet eateries. Fortunately, there are a number of places where adults and children alike can enjoy a delicious meal out. These restaurants offer kid-friendly dishes, atmospheres, and even specials. Did we miss one of your favorite kid-friendly spots? Let us know below.
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.
To celebrate National Lobster day on June 15 — the perfect kickoff to summer — we’ve highlighted our top picks for hot lobster rolls that we’ve tried and tested over the years. The simple yet perfect dish of buttery lobster meat stuffed in a bun is best eaten in its classic presentation — with a side of melted butter, cole slaw and possibly even French fries.
The 2017 edition features all of our past favorites plus new additions from southeastern Connecticut where views of the Long Island Sound enjoyed with your meal add to the summertime ambiance.
2017 was a good year for burger lovers in Southwest CT. A closing (Fleisher's Craft Kitchen) and a fire (The National) have sadly removed two of 2016’s winning burgers from contention in our 2017 edition of Top Ten Burgers in Southwest CT. Nonetheless, the local burger scene remains vibrant, inventive, and ever evolving. So we happily welcome three new, mouthwatering iterations to our 2017 Top Ten Burgers list.
We sampled over 75 burgers to arrive at this list. Our rankings this year are focused exclusively on the sandwich and its ingredients alone, not the accompanying sides.
“What’s the secret ingredient?”, you ask. Well, it’s…Air.
The winter-that-wasn’t (save for one last see-I-told-you-so storm) is now officially behind us and folks everywhere are throwing open the windows and enjoying the sight of lush green grass and a continual parade of Spring flowers. Out come the patio chairs! Behold the grill! Phew, we have missed you. Let’s all enjoy this week of Connecticut Spring before it leaps to 90 degrees, shall we?
In the event that you have neither of these aforementioned outdoor items, you can hightail it to any one of these delightful establishments to dine alfresco. Doesn’t a little fresh air always put a pep in your step? And, in this case, a little sunshine on your biscuits. Head outdoors to dine and enjoy!
If we missed an outdoor venue that you frequent, please share your find below.
The web site "Best Things Connecticut" published this list of 10 Best Mexican Restaurants in CT. We were pleased to see a few CTbites favorites on this list. Check it out and tell us what you think? What's missing? Anything you would leave off this Top 10 list?
Joy’s Mexican food is impressive, hearty, and flavorful. The menu is packed with traditional favorites like fajitas, enchiladas, and tortas, but the stand out is really their tamales. The tamales are perfectly cooked, savory, and super affordable at under $3 each. Joy’s also serves breakfast, typical American dishes such as sandwiches, burgers, and salad, and more. Do be sure to dine at Joy’s Restaurant.
Sunday May 14 is all about Mom! Connecticut restaurants are helping us celebrate the mothers in our lives with prix fixe menus, special a la carte items, buffets, and more. Here are over 25 great restaurants serving Mother’s Day meals.
Bernard’s, Ridgefield will offer Mother's Day brunch and dinner. Brunch runs from 11:00am-12:30pm and costs $55 for adults and $35 for kids. Dinner runs from 1:30-6:30pm and costs $85 for adults and $45 for kids.Harbor Lights, Norwalk
The Cottage, Westport: Chef Brian Lewis's The Cottage, located at 256 Post Road East in Westport, will be offering a prix-fixe menu from 11am-7pm. $45 per guest; children’s menu available, 11:00am - 7:00pm.
L'Escale, Greenwich will be serving a brunch buffet from 11-4 pm on May 14th. $80 for adults and $25 fFor children under 12. They will also feature outdoor lounges for lingering with family before or after dining.
Our friends over at Spoon University published this super sweet article. In case you missed it, this is a solid Fairfield County dessert roundup. NOTE: Vespa is Westport has since closed, so cross that chocolate layer cake off the list.
People often associate good food with big cities like New York or LA. The truth is good food is everywhere - you just have to know where to look for it. Even Fairfield County which is made up of 24 small Connecticut cities and towns, boasts some incredible food. Here's a list of the most epic desserts in Fairfield County.
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.
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.
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.
We usually post our “Healthy Eats” roundup at the beginning of January, when everyone is recovering from their holiday-induced food stupors. Indulgence ruled the roost for one-too-many weeks, so January brings a time of detox “get it all away from me” vigilance. After thinking about all of this healthy food, though, we realized that healthy eating isn’t just for those first weeks in January; it’s for all twelve months. I mean, man cannot survive on pork belly and butter alone (can he?).
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.
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.
Festive Foodalicious Finds ...and FAAABulous ones, we might add! For friends, family (this alliteration is getting fun isn’t it?), and frenemies alike. We have scouted and compiled a list of great gadgets, unique tableware, fun and memorable experiences, sugary sweets, and superb savories for all of the gift recipients in your life this season. So have fun while shopping! Buy one, buy two, buy with that perfect person in mind and think of the smiles and happiness you are sharing with them. How perfectly fabulous, right?
Here are 20 local CT gift ideas for your favorite food lover.
Holiday season is heeeere, with its feasts and parties, and let’s be honest, you can’t really have too much pie, now can you? Note: with the brief exception of a kooky aunt who, after a post-Thanksgiving bout on the tread mill, did wearily proclaim “Too....Much....Pie!” but that’s another story for another time. So where to go for the best pies with the flakiest crusts, sweetest streusel toppings and the most flavorful fillings? We’ll be happy to tell you. Get those dessert plates ready and, um...you might want to loosen that belt.
Here are 14 places to buy great holiday pies in CT.
Have you heard the “buzz”? Tuesday September 29 is National Coffee Day, and CT is home to some great local coffee spots where you can celebrate. There's a lot of coffee in this state so we've divided our list into Fairfield County & Beyond FC.
Here are 25 places that serve some of CT’s best java. One might even say they’re more than just your average “joe….”
Enough of the Lobster Salad roll vs. Warm Lobster roll debate. After all, when dining on whole steamed lobster, only a land lubber would first chill the meat, lather it in mayo, and sprinkle on some celery. Whole lobster is best devoured warm and buttery. Just like a Connecticut Lobster Roll. Our state lays claim to the warm lobster roll because it was first created at a Milford café named Perry’s sometime in the twenties. Elsewhere in New England, warm lobster rolls are rarely served.
Since 2014 CTbites has celebrated summer with a survey of Connecticut Lobster Rolls available along the shoreline. We stand by our past evaluations since those versions of rolls remain relatively consistent from year to year. After all, the three simple ingredients of a warm lobster roll -- bread, butter, and meat – never change. Such variables as doneness, toppings, and cuts are not an issue.
So for 2016, at the suggestion of readers, chefs, and staff, we add a dozen new restaurants, trucks, and drive-ins to the 2015 portfolio. This list represents the NEW additions.
And CTbites even ventured mid-state, far from the shore, for one of the best lobster rolls in Connecticut. Which is where we begin …
The thermometer reads 90-degrees, the trees are in full bloom, the birds are chirping and the air is filled with the fragrant aroma of backyard grilling. It must be time for my Annual CTbites’ Southwest Connecticut Burger Review, now celebrating its 5th anniversary.
This year I again took a slightly different approach. Over the years I have rated, and continually update, every burger I eat in CT on a scale from 1-10. To achieve the highest score, the bun-to-bun experience needs to be flawless; meat, cheese, toppings, sauce, and bun, all must work in absolute unison. There are currently thirteen incredible burgers that received a perfect “10.” From two east coast interpretations of the west coast double-double, to a food truck creation served on an Ube bun to several with bacon-onion jam, all of these burgers were spectacular. The 2016 list includes six new burgers while four from last year's list did not make the cut. The final rankings from the the Winner to number thirteen take into account not only the burgers but also the fries or chips.
Here is the CTbites' list of the Best “10” Burgers in Southwest Connecticut.
Sunday May 8 is all about Mom! Connecticut restaurants are helping us celebrate the mothers in our lives with prix fixe menus, special a la carte items, buffets, and more. Here are many places serving Mother’s Day meals. Please add more in your comments.
Bernard’s, Ridgefield: Bernard's, which can be found in Ridgefield, will serve Mother's Day brunch from 11am-12:30pm and dinner from 1:30-6pm.
Morello, Greenwich: On Sunday May 8, Morello Italian Bistro will offer Mother's Day brunch and dinner from 11am to 9pm.
Harbor Lights, Norwalk: In Norwalk, Harbor Lights will offer a 3 course prix fixe menu for $59.99 per person. Kids are welcome too. There is a children's menu for $25.99.
Millwrights, Simsbury: Millwright's in Simsbury has created a 3 course prix fixe menu for Mother's Day. Starters include dishes like a Baby Gem Salad and Smoked Salmon Rillette. Then, choose an entree and dessert.
