Chef Brian Lewis, of The Cottage, has an exciting announcement...
From the moment that we opened our doors and started cooking at The Cottage, I knew that we had really stumbled onto both a truly special town and adventurous clientele in Westport, one that really connected with my cooking and supported my full creative expression.
So as we turn the corner in completing our second year of cooking our most heartfelt local American Cuisine at The Cottage, with simply the best culinary and service team that I have ever had the privilege of working with, I am delighted to announce that we are now set to expand our other culinary passion – with a modern Japanese Izakaya meets Omakase restaurant in a treasured Westport landmark, The Vigilant Hose Company Firehouse, right across the river on Wilton Road.
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.
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.
Born in Spain, Chef Manuel Romero of Olea in New Haven, was raised in a family that loved cooking traditional and tasty food. When he was a child, his family moved to the United States, and he developed a passion for cooking by watching, helping, and learning alongside his mother. He moved up the culinary ladder, and in 2014, Chef Romero opened Olea restaurant offering guests his innovative interpretation of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine. His menu is masterful and his dishes are stunning. We spoke with Chef Romero about his hobbies, worst kitchen nightmare, and his guilty pleasures.
The day started with snow flurries in Denver, pre-dawn, long week, long flight, two hours from Kennedy to CT. When my wife asked where we should eat, the temptation for a culinary transport to the Caribbean was too much to resist. After a quick drive to SONO, we were seated at one of my favorite restaurants, Harlan Publick, where Chef Kamal Rose is still creating magical combinations, balancing the spiciness of the Islands, with a delicate focus on subtleness.
There are those who say pigs don’t fly…. They’ve never had Killer B’s Bacon Flight where thick cut strips of bacon arrive attached to a clothing wire, juices dripping, only to come flying immediately off. I really intended to have just one bite…
Killer B recently opened in South Norwalk, and stands for Beer, Bourbon, Bacon and Burgers – and with that I will tell you that this bacon, offered in such flavors as bourbon, butterscotch, fire, honey and orange, was indeed “killer.” Take a bite and you soon realize this ain’t no grocery store bacon.
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? This column will be on ongoing feature. Past chefs featured have been: Chris Gonzalez of Hapa Food Truck, Cody Brown of Hoodoo BBQ & Matt Storch of Match & Nom Eez. This week, we speak with Christian Petroni of Fortina Pizza.
Cataplana is a Portuguese seafood dish originating in the southern region of Portugal in Algarve, and it is about as traditional a Portuguese dish as you can get. It uses a copper cooking device also called a Cataplana which unique to the Algarve region. If you don’t have this vessel you simply can use a pan with a lid.
This dish we are going to make is a variation using a fresh fish like Halibut, littleneck clams, and Spanish chorizo. Cataplana is perfect for making this dish because it efficiently contains the flavor and heat of the contents in the dish to provide a uniquely flavored and scented dish, simply without any fuss.
Welcome to our 4th 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? Thus far, we have uncovered the eating habits of Matt Storch, Cody of Hoodoo Brown BBQ & Chris Gonzales of Hapa Food Truck.
This week, we speak with Chef Jon Vaast of Rothbard's.
You know that Bedford Square Building and Firehouse at 59 Post Road East in Westport that’s been under construction for a while? Well, it’s finally coming to fruition. On March 31, two occupants will crack the doors and open to the public, Anthropologie, and the place we’re here to talk about, Amis Trattoria. Why are we excited about this? Amis is owned by The Vetri Family, with Chef Marc Vetri at the helm, a chef who is widely regarded by his peers as one of the best Italian cooks in the U.S. If the whole women’s clothing and home décor concept and a restaurant opening in the same space seems confusing, well, there’s a story here.
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!
Welcome to our 3rd 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 Matt Storch of Match and Nom Eez.
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.
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.
Ch’i Public House opened in late November in the space formerly occupied by Ocean Drive and Red Lulu on Washington Street in SoNo. The forces behind the new Asian-inspired restaurant are Rob Moss, Marco Siguenza and Dave Studwell, owners of neighboring Washington Prime. Overseeing the kitchen is Executive Chef Mark Taruna, whose long career spans attending the French Culinary Institute and working as the Sous Chef for Nobu Matsushisa at Nobu. He subsequently joined The Food Network and ran the Iron Chef kitchen where he worked with Morimoto, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay. He brings a new level of creativity to many classic recipes with bold flavors and textures, from the simplest dumpling to the most complex sauces.
Room 112 is shaking up the pulse of the lively SoNo restaurant scene. A modern-day speakeasy with a rock’n’roll edge, and eclectic, modish décor recently opened its doors at 112 Washington Street. Owner Isaac Patrick Camoro’s vision was clear the minute he walked into the then empty space.
Room 112 conjures up images of an urban garage meets underground lounge. Eclectic and unconventional this new bar is a truly unique experience; the antidote to the typical Fairfield County bar scene. The main level, framed in exposed brick, offers the perfect canvas for local artists to showcase their talent, thus lending themselves perfectly to the bar’s eclectic furnishings and lighting. Downstairs, a “man-cave” style game room includes a pool table, dartboards, shuffleboard, a jukebox, several HD TVs and a sleek bar.
Hi, my name is Maizy. I'm 13 years old, love food, and have celiac disease. When I heard about BunBurgerBun, a food truck that specializes in gluten free burgers and fries, I had to go try it out.
Arriving at the truck in Stamford, I was instantly impressed by the menu because it had all the favorites. I ordered three things while I was there: The sweet and salties, The Jammer burger, and the chicken tenders with a side of fries.
My absolute favorite thing that I ate was the Jammer: A burger on a gluten free peasant bun with house-made pickles and a bacon relish. I love pickles and those on the BunBurgerBun truck are fantastic. They are made with mustard seeds, onions and have this great classic pickle taste, but with a hint of a spicy undertone. When I took my first bite of the burger, the first flavor was vinegar. This came from the pickles, as well as the amazing bacon relish.
Located in the heart of historic South Norwalk,Zapata Mexican Restaurant crafts authentic Mexican cuisine in an area rich in history and vibrant in color, Zapata Mexican Restaurant proudly contributes to this energetic environment. This is our second location, the original is located in Palisades, NY where our family-owned and operated restaurant has thrived for over 20 years. Many of our customers come in and ask why SONO? The answer is simple, SONO lacked an authentic Mexican restaurant with fresh ingredients, amazing margaritas, and smiling faces. Freshness is what we believe in and what we thrive on. We personally choose all our produce, and all of our ingredients. We are in a society where fresh and healthy is key! To ensure the highest quality, we also cook all of our products with olive oil to keep it healthy and always tasting delicious.
Last Thanksgiving, the PieCaken took the world by storm! A sweet tooth’s twist on the “turducken,” the all-in-one dessert includes Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Apple Upside Down Cake layered together with cinnamon buttercream. Kelly Ripa loved it so much that she featured it several times on her show. CNN and The New York Times quickly followed suit. This year, the PieCaken is upping the ante with nationwide shipping! https://www.foodydirect.com/restaurants/the-piecaken-shop/dishes
CTBites had the opportunity to sit down with the mastermind behind the PieCaken, Chef Zac Young. Creative and outgoing, it’s fitting that he came up with such a whimsical idea. Young appeared on Top Chef Just Desserts, was named a “Top Ten Pastry Chef in America,” and currently serves as Pastry Director of Craveable Hospitality Group. Here are excerpts from our conversation.
