Filtering by Tag: Pasta,Sushi

Arezzo Owner Opens Le Madri in Bethel CT

Restaurant Italian Openings Bethel Pizza Pasta

CTbites Team

This week Chef/Restaurateur Vinicio Llanos of the popular Arezzo Ristorante & Wine Bar located alongside the tranquil Saugatuck River in Westport, CT, introduced his newest CT venture, Le Madri, to the town of Bethel. This family owned and operated restaurant, bar, and event venue features rustic Italian cuisine set in an open and contemporary space with panoramic views of a bustling town.


Reasons to Love A & S Italian Fine Foods Market

Restaurant Specialty Market Take Out To-Go Norwalk Stamford Westport Lunch Prepared Food Pasta Homepage

Sarah Green

If you’re in the market for the market of markets, well - A & S Italian Fine Foods could be the market of your dreams. Owner and head chef, Albert Pizzirusso and his wife Patricia opened their latest, Italian,  Fine Foods establishment late last summer and have been purveying first class fare ever since. Along with their business partner, Erik Cohen, the Pizzirussos are working their 3rd A & S market, located conveniently on the Westport/Norwalk border, very close to Whole Foods. (The other locations include a storefront in Stamford - run by Cohen and 2 out of 3 Carcomo brothers -  and a previously owned A & S deli in Norwalk.) Why shop here? ‘Cuz the food is outstanding - ‘nuff said. But naturally, I’ll say more...


Takumi Sushi, Ramen & Lounge in Branford

Restaurant Japanese Branford Lunch Home Delivery Take Out Noodles Sushi

Hope Simmons

I heard it through the grapevine their ramen was simply divine, so off I went to check it out. Then, I sampled their sushi, and an ongoing dilemma emerged—what to eat today? Must I choose? Ideally, you’ll want to go with someone who loves both, so you can share and have the best of everything, all in one artfully presented meal. You’ll find it all under one roof at Takumi Sushi, Ramen & Lounge on Route 1 in Branford.

Shoreline locals talked up Hanami for years, so if you remember that spot, it’s now Takumi. And it’s fabulous. I’ve been making the trip to the shore just about every week to get my fix since December. A simple, contemporary space where you can take a break from the hustle and bustle and focus on dining deliciously.


A Roman Refresh At Stamford's COTTO

Restaurant Stamford Italian Pizza Pasta Cocktails Lunch

James Gribbon

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.


Ki Asian Bistro & Sushi in Danbury's TNT Lover Sushi Roll via CT Magazine

Restaurant Danbury Sushi

CTbites Team

CT Magazine waxed poetic about this dish from Ki Asian Bistro & Sushi in Danbury. We hear this isn't the only item on this menu that is worth the trip. Here's what writer Erik Ofgang had to say...

 Get ready for an explosion of flavor. The TNT Lover roll is made with chopped bluefin toro (the fatty belly meat of tuna), caviar, tempura flakes, scallion and asparagus topped with raw tuna and served with truffle soy sauce. The result is a sushi roll that can redefine your perception of what a sushi roll can be. At least that’s what it did for me. The raw tuna provides a burst of fresh-as-the-sea notes, cut and enhanced by the crunch of the tempura flakes and the rich truffle soy sauce, creating a taste simultaneously sushi and non-sushi.

The bistro was opened in 2012 by Chef Benny Chow, a veteran of Nobu restaurant in New York, who trained under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. I discovered the restaurant earlier this year and have been hooked ever since. 

Read the full article on CT Magazine. 


Dinner At Miya's: Sustainable Sushi + More in New Haven

Restaurant Asian Japanese Seafood New Haven Sushi

ellen bowen

This is probably as close to “Dinner at The White House” as I will ever get.  On this, the week before the ELECTION, I headed up to Miya’s for their New Haven Restaurant Week 2016 White House Champions of Change dinner. 

Miya’s is a well-known sushi spot a few blocks west of downtown New Haven that has been serving creative and sustainable seafood, foraged ingredients, and plant-based dishes for over 30 years.  James Beard nominated innovative chef/owner Bun Lai, has been creating and cooking alongside his mother for much of the 30 years Miya’s has been open. (See Foraging with Chef Bun on CTbites)

New Havens Restaurant Week, which runs from 10/30- 11/4 gave Bun the opportunity to offer the menu he and his mother created for President and Mrs. Obama at last months White House Champions of Change Dinner. He was one of only twelve Sustainable Seafood honorees and the only chef awarded this respected award. While this menu is only available for a limited time, many of these dishes are available on Miya's regular menu. 


Foraging with Chef Bun Lai of Miya’s Sushi in New Haven

Restaurant Chef Chef Talk Seafood New Haven Sushi

ellen bowen

To Forage:  The word forage means to use wander or search for food or provisions. 

So when I was invited to James Beard nominated and passionate foraging chef, Bun Lai’s farm in upstate Connecticut for lunch, I half expected we would forage for much of our meal.  

When I saw on Instagram that Bun and his friend, Greg Grinberg from Actual Food had been diving the prior day for clams for lunch, I knew I was in for a treat. 

Chef Bun Lai is a passionate advocate for sustainable farming and eating and sources much of the food he serves at his New Haven sushi restaurant, Miya’s, from his own gardens, from the wooded forest around his 10 acre farm in Woodbridge, CT and from Long Island Sound.   His popular restaurant has been a New Haven destination for over 35 years, originally opened by his mother, who is still involved today. 

To visit with Bun is a lesson in locally sourced produce, with no pesticides or flavor or color enhancements.  He and Greg described foraging as, “the most natural way of eating… the “gathering” part of the hunter/gatherer”. 


DiFiore Ravioli Shop: Three Generations of Italian Cooking, In Hartford & Rocky Hill

Ingredients Hartford Italian Pasta Rocky Hill Specialty Market

Hope Simmons

Most people look forward to taking it easy and traveling in their 60s. But at age 62, Andy and Louise DiFiore had a different retirement plan in mind. They opened DiFiore Ravioli Shop on Franklin Avenue, in Hartford’s Little Italy back in 1982.

Their son Don explains, “My parents were always the home gourmet types. Back in those days, they weren’t called foodies, but they had a lifelong love of food. My dad had been an executive in the office machine world almost his whole life in sales and marketing. And he was probably looking at this more as being a retirement thing for income. Just like a little boutique store. But they stayed with it. My dad would be in the store until he was in his late 80s. And my mom stayed in the store till she was 90. She’s 95 now.”

Then, about five years ago, Don’s father was in a nursing home and his mother was getting too old to run the store any longer. They were going to close it. Then Don’s eldest sister came back home from Chicago to help. “She threw the option at me—do you want to do something with it? Geez, I don’t know.”


Cafe Dolce in Norwalk: Exceptional European Desserts, Coffee & Lunch

Restaurant Bakery Coffee Pasta Tea And Coffee Lunch Take Out Dessert

April Guilbault

Some cups of coffee begin in Africa. Others in South America. This cup of coffee began, so to speak, in...Hungary. Norbert Dudas and Zoltan Bona, two friends who were hospitality and culinary students back in the day, eventually made their way to the United States. They pinpointed Fairfield County in particular, looking for a place to set up shop and show people what they could do. The result is the convivial, welcoming Cafe Dolce in Norwalk with its decidedly European atmosphere. 

Said one regular customer on my recent trip there “It’s the best kept secret...but not for long, I’m sure!”. At that, she threw her hands in the air, cradled and shook her head as she embarked on her snacking quandary (oh, the peril!)...which treat to enjoy?

This cafe, with its steaming cup and rolling pin logo (a nod to their coffee and baked goods, of course), has “hand-crafted” written all over it.


Stuffed Ricotta and Spinach Agnolotti Recipe via Basso Cafe

Recipe Chef Talk Pasta Recipe Comfort Food

CTbites Team

Let's be real people. When the cold weather rolls in, it's time to dig into some serious comfort food. For us, this generally means braised meat and carbs, preferably pasta. Chef Renato Donzelli of Basso Cafe in Norwalk makes beautiful housemade pasta for his guests, and now you can make it in your own house. Enjoy his recipe for Stuffed Ricotta and Spinach Agnolotti.


5-Course Pasta Tasting at Bar Sugo: Decadent & Delicious

Restaurant Dinner Events Pasta

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger

Several years ago I sampled Chef Pat Pascarella’s Pasta Bolognese and it was one of the best Bolognese I had ever tasted. Since that time, Pascarella opened Bar Sugo on Wall Street in Norwalk and I have enjoyed many of Chef Pat’s creations. He recently introduced his full-table Pasta Tasting menu and invited CTbites to sample the five courses…from a straightforward tomato and basil to a complex lobster, morel and truffle. The incredible Bolognese that Chef Pat served me several years ago was a prelude to the fantastic five courses that I enjoyed with wine pairings from Sommelier Megan Pacarella.

Anaya Sushi: All-You-Can-Eat Sushi & Late Night Ramen in New Haven

Restaurant Japanese New Haven Sushi

CTbites Team

Photo: Kathy D.

Three-month-old Anaya Sushi, the Japanese restaurant located on Chapel Street in New Haven, recently introduced a $21 all-you-can-eat menu option. Pictured above is the Yale-themed "Handsome Dan" roll.

Yale Daily News reported the restaurant will also extend its hours and menu with a "late night ramen house" option:

Seeing the restaurant’s popularity, Kaoroptham said she also plans to open a late night ramen house in Anaya’s space when the sushi restaurant closes for the night. The proposed ramen restaurant would be open from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, according to the owner. 

Read the full story on Yale Daily News.


Soosh Sushi Opens on Summer Street in Stamford (And It's Kosher!)

Restaurant Japanese Kosher Stamford Sushi

Jessica Ryan

The best places, I believe, are the more unassuming places. The little treasures that are off the beaten path, hidden away where you least expect. The best food is the food that is what it is – unpretentious, fresh and bursting with flavor. And that’s the best way to describe this new unassuming little Japanese restaurant in Stamford, Soosh. 

It was a social media friend of mine, Pierre-Christian D. Frye, owner of PCDF Architecture in Greenwich, who first told me about Soosh. Perhaps he was a bit biased as he was hired as the restaurant’s architect. He explained how he turned what was basically an old storage space into a stylish Japanese eatery.

“For the new Soosh restaurant I worked closely with the owner to bring the vision to life of a truly modern, timeless dining experience. I accentuated the compact space with unique lighting and a rich mix of textures, tiles, wood and metal.


Brick + Wood: New Neapolitan Pizzeria & Wine Bar Opens in Fairfield

Restaurant Fairfield Italian Pasta Pizza Wine Bar Take Out

Christy Colasurdo

You know how you “just know” when a new restaurant is going to be good? That’s the feeling you get in the first ten minutes at Brick + Wood, a new restaurant and wine bar in Fairfield’s Brick Walk Plaza on the site of the former Ponte Vecchio restaurant. When you make a great find like this, it’s a double-edged sword: You want to share it with friends, but at the same time keep it your secret a little longer. We decided to share. You’re welcome.

On a recent lunch visit, as we perused the distressed-wood and worn-brick decor, an amuse bouche appeared out of nowhere—two crispy crostini topped with fluffy homemade ricotta, sautéed broccoli rabe and imported prosciutto—as if to say, “Let’s get this party started.”


Hana Tokyo Opens in Fairfield CT @ The Brick Walk

Restaurant Asian Fairfield Japanese kids activity Sushi Kid Friendly

Jessica Ryan

Hana Tokyo opened in Fairfield’s Brick Walk Plaza just a few weeks ago, and locals seem to be embracing the new restaurant with open arms. Owner Alan Wu recently relocated from Alexandria, Virginia to be closer to his family. Born and raised in China, he came to the US in his mid-20s and landed in New York City where he immersed himself in the world of gourmet sushi, learning everything possible about the trade. In 2002 he opened the original Hana Tokyo and after 13 successful years as the busiest Japanese restaurant in town, Wu and his restaurant now come to us. Wu prides himself on using only the freshest available ingredients, making everything in-house, and offering unparalleled service.

The new restaurant (which many will recognize as the former Tomba) has a contemporary, earthy feel. As one enters the restaurant, a large mural of a Japanese woman in a kimono, painted by renowned local artist, Suzanne Bellehumeur, greets you as you enter the facility and a small sushi bar constructed from reclaimed wood is to the right. Contemporary and traditional Japanese décor are combined to give the space a look that is modern yet traditional. The main dining area has 8 hibachi tables, a sushi bar, a lounge, plus 20 outside seats.


Heirloom Hosts Gluten Free Dinner with Del Posto's Executive Chef Mark Ladner

Restaurant Gluten-Free Pasta New Haven

CTbites Team

Heirloom in New Haven will be hosting a gluten free dinner with guest Chef Mark Ladner of Del Posto NYC and Iron Chef fame on Monday, October 13 at 7:30 pm. Seats are $125 per person, which includes food, wine, tax & gratuity. The evening has limited availability with only 34 seats, credit card reservtions are required. Please call 203-503-3919.  

Earlier in the day at 4 pm, Chef Ladner will be joining Pasta Flyer in New Haven for a talk at St. Anthony's Hall.


Food + Architecture: A Conversation with Sushi Chef Keizo Seki and Architect Kulapat Yantrasast at New Canaan's Glass House

Restaurant Sushi

Amy Kundrat

Photo: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

The Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan is hosting Feast of Clarity: Food + Architecture on Sunday, September 14 from 3 to 5:30 pm. Architect Kulapat Yantrasast and chef Keizo Seki will collaborate with the National Trust Historic Site for an intimate kitchen table conversation on creativity and a tasting of specially prepared sushi. Tickets are $100 per person.

This program is part of a part of an ongoing series of conversations at the Glass House called Glass House Presents. These programs sustain the site’s historic role as a meeting place for artists, architects, and other creative minds. Prior to each event, visitors can explore the Glass House campus and view current exhibitions, including Fujiko Nakaya: Veil.  

About the Participants

 


Fjord Fish Market Serving Sushi At Greenwich, New Canaan & Now Westport Locations

Features Restaurant Cos Cob Japanese Seafood Specialty Market Westport New Canaan Sushi

CTbites Team

Fjord Fish Market has some big news for sushi lovers. Fjord Fish Market started selling sushi at their Cos Cob and New Canaan locations a few months ago, and the Westport sushi program will launch in August. You'll never have to wonder about the freshness or quality of the fish you're eating at Fjord because first and foremost Fjord is one of Fairfield County's finest fish markets. Trust us...it's good. 

“The Fjord name has always been synonymous with the highest quality seafood, says Owner Jim Thistle. Adding Sushi to our product mix is a natural extension of the brand”.

Sushi at Fjord is hand rolled daily, under the guidance of a Manhattan-trained Sushi Master who has over a decade of experience.  Some of the most popular items include the volcano roll—a California roll topped  with baked lobster salad and spicy sauce-- and the Fjord tower, a scrumptious roll filled with Tuna, Avocado, Crabmeat, Lobster Salad and a blend of sauces.

You can be sure the fish in our sushi is of the same premium quality as all the Seafood that they sell at Fjord, where they carefully source and select only the top of the catch. All of Fjord's seafood is also free of antibiotics and colorings.


PastaPresta Opens at the SoNo Marketplace

Restaurant Farmers Market Italian Norwalk Pasta Comfort Food

Amy Kundrat

The SoNo Marketplace—with its hive of local food purveyors, artisans,  weekly farmers’ market, and plans for a summer beer garden—may be best argument to never set foot inside a supermarket again. I was recently lured back to the Marketplace by the opening of PastaPresta, a new fresh pasta vendor anchoring the entrance of the market’s vast 50,000 square-feet.

One evening of fresh pasta and market nibbles, and a closer look at the people behind the market later, I was reminded why this culinary hub deserves a regular visit and why, despite its recent vilification, gluten is good (maybe great).


Cotto Winebar & Pizzeria in Stamford: Menu & Kitchen Changes

Restaurant Italian Pasta Stamford Wine Bar

Lou Gorfain

After a brief bout of Musical Toques, Claudio and Silvy Ridolfi --  owners of Cotto’s Winebar and Pizzeria in Stamford -- have convinced veteran Chef Greg Depelteau to come aboard and expand their imaginative menu of small plates and pizza.

Depelteau, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, is in total simpatico with the Ridolfis’ insistence that a dish, especially a small plate, should be driven by primary flavors.  “These days a lot of chefs overdo things,” Greg contends and we agree.  “Too many flavors confuse the diner.“

Cotto’s simple take on hanger steak, a cut prized for its flavor, makes the case.  After marinating the muscular cut overnight in herbed EVOO, Depelteau quickly grills the meat on a blazing hot sheet pan to achieve a hard sear, while maintaining a surprisingly tender, rare interior. A