Filtering by Tag: Comfort Food,Juice Bar

No Leftovers Jamaican Cuisine Now Open at Former Swanky Franks Location

Restaurant Norwalk Jamaican Delicious Dives To-Go Take Out Kid Friendly Comfort Food Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Throw me into the mix of longtime Norwalkers who were shocked and saddened when the iconic Swanky Franks abruptly closed less than a year ago. What’s done is done. I’ve come to grips with the notion that I’ll be forever sour that I can’t order a ripper with chili and a pile of fresh cut fries heavily drizzled with ketchup. I grew up eating there so I’m entitled to hold onto that nostalgia. That doesn’t mean I won’t support what’s there now. 

About six months after Swanky’s called it quits, a banner appeared on the front of the building. It advertised a new roadside joint called No Leftovers featuring Jamaican food. When No Leftovers opened at the start of 2018, I noticed the parking lot was usually full, or close to it, multiple times throughout the day. That’s a good sign. And seeing how I really like jerk chicken, I knew had to check it out. 

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Danny's Drive-In, Stratford: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, And History

Restaurant Burgers Hot Dogs Delicious Dives Comfort Food ice cream Diner Take Out To-Go Stratford Openings Homepage

James Gribbon

Food, like any other aspect of human culture, has its landmarks. Local touchstones, the food you grew up with can be felt from great distances away, even by people who didn't grow up nearby. Ask just about anyone across the world what constitutes American food and chances are "hamburger" will be in their top two answers. The burger's invention at Louis Lunch in New Haven is well known and, regionally, so is Danny's Drive-In in Stratford. This is why a "For Sale" sign on the building has met with such concern - it's only been seen twice before in 83 years. 

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6 Must Eat Sandwiches at Winfield Street Italian Deli in Westport

Restaurant Lunch Breakfast Comfort Food Westport Deli Coffee To-Go Take Out Homepage

Andrew Dominick

When Breno Donatti took over the almost century-old Winfield Street Italian Deli back in 2015, one of his goals was to infuse some new school life into the menu while upholding some of the delis traditional recipes and values. What Donatti has excelled at since opening is using his background in fine dining as both an owner and a general manager to improve the business. He uses fresh, local ingredients from nearby farms whenever possible. He and his cooks have tinkered with recipes of deli classics, so you know after your first bite, that you’re not eating a bland, ordinary sandwich.

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Rustica, the Successful Italian Eatery in Chester, Opens a Second Location in Milford

Restaurant Milford Italian Comfort Food Lunch

Connecticut Magazine

Connecticut Magazine's Mike Wollschlager reports on a new Italian find in Milford. 

You don’t have to be Italian to truly appreciate an authentic Italian meal. Conchi and Vicente Contreras, natives of Ecuador and owners of Rustica Ristorante, are proof positive you don’t have to be Italian to prepare one, either. The wife-and-husband, do-it-all duo behind the successful restaurant in Chester opened a second Rustica location last October on Boston Post Road in Milford.

“Fresh ingredients bursting with flavor” is a description that can apply to anything on the menu, which is meticulously planned and executed. The selections change with the seasons, but when a dish proves to be a major hit with customers, it will stay.

Vicente and Conchi came to the U.S. in the mid-’90s and began working at Paci Restaurant, which at the time was a new eatery at the Southport train station. Paci was their entry into Italian cuisine. It was also their education. “I worked all the positions in the restaurant,” Vicente says.

Rustica Ristorante 1573 Boston Post Road, Milford 203-301-4010

Read the complete article at Connecticut Magazine. 

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Aussie-Influenced Flinders Lane Opens in Downtown Stamford

Restaurant Stamford Australian Bar Comfort Food Seafood Lunch Brunch Homepage

Andrew Dominick

If you hear anyone mention Flinders Lane in Stamford, it’s not a street they’re talking about, it’s a restaurant. More specifically, it’s an Australian-influenced restaurant. If you’re as bewildered as I was when I found out this type of cuisine had arrived in Downtown Stamford—and as curious too—keep reading.

I sought out more info. The common-sense thing to-do was to check out Flinders Lanes’ website, where “Modern Australian” is described as “We take inspiration from the cuisines of nearby Southeast Asia and subtle influence from the food of British settlers mixed with that of Greek and Italian immigrants.” I still found myself scratching my head, wondering if this was accurate. I have a few Australian friends so I fact checked with them and both said that this sounded right, and one added, “We don’t have much ‘real’ Aussie food. Meat pies and tomato sauce, maybe.”

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Caffé Social Brings Great Breakfast to South Norwalk

Restaurant Breakfast Brunch Lunch Comfort Food American Coffee Dessert Kid Friendly Norwalk SONO Homepage

Andrew Dominick

A short while back, fellow CTbites writer James Gribbon sent me a text. He asked, “Where’s a good place to get breakfast in SoNo?” I replied with, “There aren’t many. SoNo Baking Company and SoNo Harbor Café. That’s probably it.”

Unless it’s a weekend and restaurants are serving brunch, breakfast in South Norwalk is scarce. I’m not talking wheat grass juice or a pastry at one of the Latin places on South Main Street, when I say “BREAKFAST” I mean eggs, pancakes, and bacon. I want a sit-down place where I can get wired on quality coffee and clean up maple syrup drizzles with that last chunk of sausage.

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30+ CT Restaurants, Bars & Caterers for the Super Bowl: 2018 Edition

Features Events Comfort Food Sports Bar Bar

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

Sunday February 4 is the Super Bowl and Connecticut restaurants, bars, and caterers are serving up BIG specials for the BIG game.  Halftime buffets, open bars, big screen TVs, giveaways, take-out packages… these deals will have you doing your best touchdown dance!

  1. The Blind Rhino, Norwalk: 2018 will mark the third year of The Blind Rhino's Sono Bowl! The NO COVER pre-game bash starts at 4pm and lasts until kick-off. It will feature live music from The Extras, giveaways, and other specials.
  2. Geronimo, Fairfield: Geronimo's Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill, with locations in New Haven and Fairfield, will offer a take-out package consisting of chips, salsa, guacamole, build-your-own Beef Chile Nachos, Hatch Green Chile Stew, Southwestern Empanadas, and Signature Margarita Mix. Choose from a package for 15 or 8 guests.
  3. Bull & Swine, New Haven: Bull & Swine in New Haven will show the Super Bowl on their 80 inch projector screen with surround sound. For $28 per person, you can also enjoy their buffet and open bar. They'll have trivia and prizes, too. 
  4. Walrus + Carpenter, Bridgeport: Assorted wings, ribs, sliders, and sides are available for pick-up from Walrus + Carpenter. Order by Tuesday January 30 and pick-up after 12pm on Sunday February 4. Send an email to catering@walruscarpenterct.com or call them at (203) 333-2733 to purchase. less
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Lebanese Market & Cuisine in Bethel: A One-of-a-Kind Find

Restaurant Bethel Middle Eastern Lunch Comfort Food Delicious Dives

Connecticut Magazine

Connecticut Magazine shares a unique Middle Eastern find in Bethel, Lebanese Market & Cuisine. 

Restaurants have so overused the word “fresh” when describing their ingredients that it has been stripped of most of its meaning. But when chef Hassan Bou Hodiv of Lebanese Cuisine in Bethel says he only uses “fresh” ingredients, he means it. Like, really means it.

The shelf life on the restaurant’s tabbouleh: 30 minutes.

“After a half-hour, it’s not good for a customer,” he says.

This is hard to believe, but take a bite of this tabbouleh filled with bright green parsley and mint, accented by finely chopped onions and tomato coated in olive oil and lemon juice, taste the way the flavor of each ingredient pops, crisp and clean, and your doubts will evaporate.

The tabbouleh is the best I’ve had and the other Middle Eastern cuisine offered at the restaurant — including addictive falafel sandwiches and shawarma — is as good as, and arguably better than, any you can get in New York City. Though it has little online presence, an unassuming location on Stony Hill Road in Bethel, and a name that lacks flair, Lebanese Cuisine is an elite restaurant.

It was opened five years ago by Sam Baddour. A few years ago, Baddour brought Hodiv onboard as chef and partner and says he told him, “It’s your restaurant. Do whatever you want.”

Hodiv transformed the spot, drawing on the culinary traditions taught to him as a child in Lebanon. “My grandmother, always she cooked. I helped her,” he says. He moved to the U.S. in 2004, and prior to his work at Lebanese Cuisine he ran Falafel House in West Haven.

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The Engine Room In Mystic: Food and Atmosphere Worth The Drive

Restaurant Mystic Comfort Food Hot Dogs Lunch Brunch Road Trip American Bar Cocktails Homepage Burgers

CTbites Team

One of my favorite new-ish restaurants to pop up in the culinary hot spot of Mystic, Connecticut is the hip Engine Room. This outstanding restaurant highlights fresh, unique food served in a welcoming, very Instagrammable atmosphere. Let’s talk through their scrumptious menu while settling into their comfortable seats and remarking on their friendly staff.

Whether you think brunch is overrated or not, you should find your way to the Engine Room for a leisurely Sunday brunch with friends. Set inside an open wood and brick interior, with metal chairs and shiny black leather booth seating, you’ll feel comfortable enough to linger over your meal, and unlike many crowded establishments, you won’t feel rushed by the staff. 

Back to the menu, which has something for traditional sweet breakfast lovers and those who aren’t really into breakfast foods (oh, the horror!).  

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Guide To Healthy Eats in CT: 2018 Edition

Restaurant healthy Juice Cleanse Juice Bar Organic Vegan Vegetarian Specialty Market Special Dietary Needs Best of CT Homepage

April Guilbault

We are only a few short weeks into this brand-spanking new year, and TVs are blaring with eating program ads, magazine covers are screaming about how to “Lose 10 lbs. in a week!” and gyms are overflowing with people running for their lives on treadmills (Run, Forrest, Run!). Naturally, the CTBites answer to the holiday indulgences? EAT! Ok, ok…eat…HEALTHILY! Our fair state is brimming with amazing grocers, restaurants, and speciality stores that can help you get back on track after a season of going full-tilt boogie with the eating and drinking. The best part is that everything is so delicious and interesting. Branch out this year and try some new flavors and foods…goji berries, Matcha, Cauliflower pizza crust (wha!), Jackfruit! Dive in and explore. Here are some venues that will help you do just that. One more note: We fully realize that due to the sheer amount of noteworthy establishments, we are not able to list them all here. Please refer to our past Healthy Eats roundups for more listings and also, please chime in with places that you know and love. The more the merrier! 

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The Dilly Duck Shop: New England Craft Eatery Opens in Norwalk

Restaurant Breakfast Lunch American Local Artisan Norwalk Comfort Food Catering Homepage

April Guilbault

Nestled at the farther end of a strip mall in Norwalk, right off of Rt. 7, is the newly opened eatery, The Dilly Duck Shop. Honestly, I feel it necessary to begin with the most obvious…what’s up with the name? “Dilly” is British slang for something notable or excellent, Duck is an homage to our fair state of Connecticut and the charm that flourishes here (ducks are also proud and colorful) and shop denotes “workshop”, as in a place of craft. So there you have it. The Dilly Duck Shop. It is not a store for winged fowl nor do they carve decoys. They sell food. Really good food. 

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Harlan Haus Beer Hall Opens in Bridgeport January 10 

Restaurant Beer Garden Beer CT Beer Bridgeport German Comfort Food Bar Homepage

Jessica Ryan

Five years ago Chef Stephen Lewandowski launched Harlan Social in the heart of the new and emerging South End area in Stamford. Named after his son Harlan, the modern American gastropub quickly rose into a mainstay for locals. Harlan Publick would open next, in the heart of SoNo. The local favorite offers creative comfort food and a wide offering of beverages. On January 10th, Harlan Haus, the German-inspired Bier and Wurst hall, will open to the public, in the historic People’s Bank Building built in 1917.    

A century later the well preserved, 7,000-square-foot space perfectly marries the historic Neoclassical elements with today’s modern influences. Most of the building’s architectural details remain well preserved from the elegant light fixtures above, to the curved teller bank wall that separates the bar area from the rest of the restaurant. Harlan Haus is poised for success with its promise to offer superb, innovative, family-friendly fare in a social setting. 

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Fujiya Ramen in Middletown: Tokyo-style ramen with New York vibe

Restaurant Japanese Asian Ramen Middletown Openings Comfort Food

Middletown Press

Looking for great ramen? Middletown Press has the scoop on the new Fujiya Ramen...straight from Tokyo. 

Fujiya Ramen opened in August at 425 Main St. and already, the restaurant has become somewhat of a hangout for Wesleyan University students, according to Andy Liu, owner.

Whenever there’s an event at the school, students come out to the restaurant to socialize, eat and take advantage of the wifi, he said. The vibe of the eatery, especially when the students are congregating, reminds him of similar establishments in New York City.

“I go to New York a lot because in New York (ramen is) very popular,” Liu said. “Young people like it because ramen is really fast and pretty healthy food.”

Liu, who has been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years and also owns Sakura Garden in Windsor and Royal Buffet in Manchester, was impressed the first time he visited a ramen restaurant. “I said this is a really good idea — really modern,” he said.

He talked to a friend in Tokyo who has Fujiya Ramen restaurants in Tokyo, New Jersey and Albany, New York, and suggested they join forces. Liu found a head chef who was originally from Japan and his friend sent a crew from Japan, including additional chefs and servers, he said.

“That’s why our ramen (dishes) are different because we have people from over there,” Liu said. “It’s almost the identical ramen as in Tokyo.”

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Chefs Hit the Right Notes at Reverie Kitchen in Branford via New Haven Register

Restaurant Branford Lunch Breakfast American Comfort Food

CTbites Team

This just in from The New Haven Register.

When Paul Staley, the celebrated chef and owner of Branford’s Reverie Kitchen, was growing up in Madison, he had a paper route. One Thanksgiving, he folded a menu for rolls and pies into each New Haven Register. Soon, his customers were asking if he could make them the same for Christmas.

“I used the money I earned to pay for cooking classes with Jacques Pepin,” said the genial 53-year-old, who went on to hone his skills at the Culinary Institute of America, then worked as a sous chef in all-world restaurant Nikolai’s Roof in Atlanta, where the five-course prix fixe dinner once had a one-year waitlist.

“The food was elevated,” Staley said with palpable enthusiasm on a recent afternoon at Reverie Kitchen, the Branford Hill bistro with the sublime cuisine and the improbable location alongside a cleaners, one story below a nail salon, and amid a throng of fast-food joints.

“We used everything with the best ingredients. We were constantly pushing the envelope,” said the Madison resident, who was also a pastry chef at Robert Henry’s (now Union League Cafe) in New Haven and once cooked for Pope John Paul II.

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Swyft Opens in Kent From Award Winning Chef Joel Viehland w/ Adventurous Comfort Food

Features Kent Pizza American Openings Comfort Food

Amy Kundrat

Swyft, historic Kent’s new restaurant featuring wood-fired pizza, is now open offering creative small plates, pastas, rustic entrees, and a large selection of craft beers and natural wines. 

Swyft is the brainchild of chef-owner Joel Viehland, formerly of the award-winning Community Table in Litchfield County. The historic 18th-century building is divided to house both a modern tavern and a fine dining restaurant. Swyft, a 40-seat tavern and bar, will offer seasonal comfort fare, with ingredients largely coming from nearby Rock Cobble Farm. Through a separate entrance is Ore Hill, where eventually Viehland will serve a tasting menu that draws upon his experience cooking at Noma, Gramercy Tavern, and other renowned restaurants.

At Swyft, the focus is on adventurous comfort food. Small plates include baby back pork ribs with guanciale-spiked XO sauce, a salad of lightly charred brassicas with crispy grains and pomegranate, and pickled wild mussels on saffron aioli toast, while entrees range from wood-fired chicken for two to rabbit milanese with cardoon gribiche or a burger with old-school tallow fries. Swyft will offer a selection of seasonal pizzas, wood-fired in a Pavesi oven from Naples, Italy. In addition to classics like margherita, Viehland will offer a kale and potato pie, with both the greens and the milk for the housemade ricotta coming from Rock Cobble Farm just minutes away.

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The Cook and The Bear in West Hartford: A Barbecue (and Bourbon) Lover’s Dream

Restaurant BBQ Bar West Hartford Lunch Catering Comfort Food Kid Friendly Homepage

CTbites Team

There’s something in the air at The Cook and The Bear. And we’re pretty sure it’s the scent of deliciously smoked brisket. Or maybe pastrami, or barbecue chicken. Whatever it is, we’re loving it.

The Cook and The Bear is brought to you by two well-known local chefs: Tyler Anderson and Jamie McDonald. A two-time nominee of the Best Chef Northeast James Beard Award and contestant in the upcoming season of Top Chef, Anderson is known to please palates at Simsbury's popular fine dining restaurant Millwright's, offering farm-fresh New England fare in a rustic setting. Jamie McDonald's Kansas City-style barbecue has led him to conquer the local food scene as well, with his fast-casual Bear's Smokehouse (located in Windsor and Hartford), his wood-fired pizzeria Blind Pig Pizza Co. in Hartford, and the recently opened Chango Rosa, serving Latin cuisine in the former Hot Tomatoes space at Union Station.

Located in West Hartford’s popular Blue Back Square, The Cook and The Bear instantly pulls you in with its rustic chic charm (and you know, that smoky aroma). Walk into this cozy spot, and you’ll know what we mean. With its exposed ceiling and garage door-turned-window, it has a cool industrial feel that’s new and trendy. But it still holds that classic cozy vibe thanks to striped wood tables, sink-in-your-seat booths, a fire wood lined wall, and checkered napkins. Because no barbecue spot is complete without checked napkins.

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Shake Shack Launches Chili-Themed Menu For Limited Time Only!

Features Comfort Food Kid Friendly Hot Dogs Burgers

Stephanie Webster

Shake Shack CT and Shake Shacks around the nation have some exciting news: At the end of this month, chili is coming to Shake Shack. They will debut a chili-themed menu available via the Shack App exclusive starting Monday, October 30th and available for in-Shack ordering on Thursday, November 2nd.

They will be serving up the Chili Cheeseburger, Chili Cheese Dog and Chili Cheese Fries for a limited time. INSIDER TIP: Though you won’t see it listed on the menu, ask your Shack for a side of chili to score a cup. The chili menu includes: 

Chili Cheeseburger: Cheeseburger topped with smoked and slow braised beef chili with ancho and chile de arbol peppers

Chili Cheese Dog: Vienna beef hot dog topped with smoked and slow braised beef chili with ancho and chile de arbol peppers

Chili Cheese Fries: Crinkle cut fries topped with smoked and slow braised beef chili with ancho and chile de arbol peppers

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Walter's Hot Dogs Opens Today in Stamford's Harbor Point

Restaurant Stamford Hot Dogs Comfort Food Kid Friendly To-Go Take Out Lunch Delicious Dives

Andrew Dominick

Walter's Hot Dogs opens today in Stamford at 200 Commons Park South at Harbor Point. This 100-year-old hot dog institution is serious business and has ton of accolades. At the Stamford location, customers can expect all the good stuff that’s made Walter’s a popular destination for locals and tourists alike; curly fries, fried potato puffs, homemade hand-scooped ice cream and Italian ice, and funnel cake fries dusted with powdered sugar. Additionally, you’ll be able to enjoy a Walter’s item that was previously only available on their food trucks, the Puffy Dog, a hot dog (or double it, if you dare) served with fried and smashed potato puffs in the bun. 

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Bobby Q’s Cue & Co. Opens at Norwalk's Waypointe

Restaurant BBQ Norwalk Lunch Comfort Food Kid Friendly Bar Homepage

ellen bowen

In 2004, Bob LeRose, a CT native whose wife, Kelley has Kansas City roots, decided that Connecticut was ready for the smoky, saucy, ribs, pulled pork and burnt ends he was missing from his father-in-law’s hometown, and opened Bobby Q’s Bodacious BBQ just off Main Street in Westport.  Bobby Q’s quickly became known as a local watering hole for families, couples and friends, all seeking award-winning BBQ, creative house drinks and the best live music in Fairfield County.

But in March of 2016, sadly Bobby Q’s closed but Bob LeRose teased us with news of a planned new spot to enjoy his BBQ recipes and creative cocktails. And SOMETHING new.

The wait is over, as last month, Bobby Q’s Cue & Co. opened in the spanking new Waypointe complex on Merwin Street and a block over from the new Barcelona and Colony Pizza. 

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