Market Place Hospitality group is delighted to announce the grand opening of their newest location, Market Place Kitchen & Bar Newton, this Friday, December 1st. The restaurant will be open to the general public for dinner and is located at: The Village at Lexington Gardens, 32 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT. With sister locations in Avon, Danbury, and Woodbury, Market Place Kitchen & Bar is 100% locally owned and operated and committed to sourcing local ingredients and working with local farmers.
Managing Partner Eli Hawli says: “We are delighted and honored to be a local business supporting local farms. As our Market Place family continues to grow, we will continue to provide the same quality of craft cocktails and chef driven cuisine which we know all of our wonderful customers want and expect from us
The Hummus & Pita Co., known for its homemade, fresh and healthy Mediterranean cuisine, has signed a new franchisee, Rishi Parikh, to open a location in Danbury, Connecticut. The newest store will be located at 15 Federal Road in Brookfield.
The rapidly growing Mediterranean fast-casual concept brings guilt-free, homemade cuisine to the masses in a comfortable and inviting environment. All menu items are made from scratch on the premises and use only the freshest ingredients to create high-quality, flavor-focused eats. The concept stands out with its freshly baked pita and laffa breads, vegetarian dishes and meats cooked in a traditional taboon oven.
Simple is usually best—particularly when it comes to food—an adage that proved itself more than true on my recent visit to Rice & Beans food truck, based out of Danbury.
The concept: Stewed meat or roasted veggies over black beans and rice m topped with fresh herbs, radish, pico de gallo, and guacamole served up in a bright yellow food truck. The eatery is the brainchild of chef/owner Jasson Arias and based on the traditional foods of his Guatemalan heritage.
“I grew up eating rice and beans,” says Arias, whose original career was bartending in Stamford. “I thought it would be the great basis for a quick, filling lunch sold from a food cart.”
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.
Terra Ristorante, a Northern Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Greenwich, is opening its second location in Danbury, CT, the eighth restaurant for the Z Hospitality Group. Over twenty-five years ago, founder and owner, Ramze Zakka, opened Terra in Greenwich, the first of his eight eateries, to fulfill his dream of owning a restaurant that serves simple and delicious food in a more relaxed alternative to the already existing white glove and fast casual restaurants. Terra was a bistro that introduced authentic Northern Italian food where guests would feel like they were transported to Florence for a genuine dining experience. Everything from food and beverages to Italian music has been carefully curated to achieve this goal.
Recently the CTbites team previewed the menu at El Segundo in South Norwalk, the newest restaurant from the talented partners who created The Spread just up the block. The concept: Eat the Street. Intersect some of the world’s tastiest street food at the corner of Washington and North Water in SONO.
What began as a tasting quickly turned into a party ... a coming out party for Carlos Baez, Executive Chef of The Spread, one of the region’s most versatile, yet unheralded, chefs.
The menu flaunts Baez’ extraordinary range -- a gastronomic tour de force featuring over 3 dozen dishes curated from the boulevards and back allies of 27 countries on all seven continents, including barren Antarctica. (More about that selection later)
Even though it’s one of the largest cities in Connecticut, Danbury was once regarded as a restaurant wasteland. The downtown eateries catered to a family demographic who sought a reasonably priced menu that took few culinary chances. Very mid-century. However, in the past few years, a vibrant international food scene has burgeoned on the city’s west side. The cuisines are sophisticated, diverse, and creative, reflective of 21st Century dining.
Many credit Richard Reyes’s Mezón Tapas Bar and Restaurant with transforming Mill Plain Road into destination dining. The year was 2011. Reyes was then a former Wall Street Executive who decided to come home to Connecticut and open a restaurant where people could dine on food prepared in the Latin tradition of his family. From the heart. From the home. Richard was all of 25 … and Mezón posed far more of a risk than even the stock market. At the time, Mill Plain Road was dotted with a string of mostly red-sauce Italian/American restaurants. “Sure, we were taking a chance,” he recently told us, “But we helped break the mold.”
Rich invited CTbites to sample some of the Latin and Caribbean fare that has attracted Mezón’s diverse and discerning clientele from across the region. Though the Paella and the Churrasco are the most popular dishes on the menu, Reyes had other ideas for our feast.
Several years ago CTbites visited Basso Café Restauranton New Canaan Avenue in Norwalk and was very impressed with many of the dishes created by Owner / Chef Renato Donzelli. Since that time Chef Renato has maintained his vision of creating a wine bar to complement the food, and that is now a reality as Basso Café Restaurant is now Basso Café Restaurant Wine Bar.
The interior has been updated with large, vibrant paintings along one wall, smaller modern pieces along the other wall overseeing the 60 seat dining area. The lighting is soft and inviting and acoustical tiles have been installed to reduce the noise level. After the recent receipt of a full liquor license, guests can now benefit from Chef Renato’s pairing of wines to balance the vibrant flavors of his cuisine and the rear of the restaurant now showcases the bar area with a selection of personally selected spirits, including organic vodkas.
Lisamarie Ault was flying high. For twenty years she had served as the personal Chef to Edgar Bronfman, Sr., the billionaire magnate of the Seagram’s empire, preparing the best of everything for a man who demanded world-class excellence. That's exactly what he got from a devoted chef who was trained at CIA and cooked at restaurants from Switzerland to Hawaii. Lisamarie led a rarefied life in her own culinary paradise.
But then she suddenly fell back to earth. In December of 2013, Bronfman abruptly died, and his family no longer had need for a personal cook. Lisamarie was out of a job … and a dear friend. “Mr. B”, as she calls him, had become the father she lost days before she took the position two decades earlier.
“In March of last year, I had no idea what I was going to do next,” she recalls. “Suddenly, out of the blue, I learned that Mr. Bronfman had included me in his will.” On an impulse, Lisamarie decided to buy an old food truck, and take it on the road under the banner of "PARADISE FOODS.”
CT NOFA's Winter Conference is Connecticut's largest food, agriculture and sustainability conference, held Western Connecticut State University's Midtown Campus in Danbury on Saturday, March 7.
The conference will focus on the future of sustainable farming through dozens of workshops, an exhibition space with over over 70 vendors featuring local foods, crafts, books, and sustainability initiatives. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Kristine Nichols, Rodale Institute Chief Scientist who will deliver a speech on the "Regenerative Agriculture for Soil & Climate Health."
In terms of eating, the CTbites team of writers, photographers, and chef friends have managed to sample and savor more than most. 2014 has been a stellar year for restaurant openings as Fairfield County and the surrounding areas continue to draw great culinary talent. Instead of coming up with a top ten list ourselves, we asked the CTbites extended family to share some of their most memorable meals and dining experiences this past year.
Here are our favorite meals and restaurants of 2014.
The Venezuelan-inspired Jojoto Restaurant + Bar is opening in Branford this August. Owner Victor Figueroa and Neil Fuentes, our favorite Singing Chef, have teamed up for a restaurant that is "high-energy, Latin infused with authentic Venezuelan dishes."
Jojoto will open in a 40-seat intimate dining room that was previously occupied by Augie's Restaurant. The menu will feature rustic and traditional recipes that take inspiration from the land as well as the nearby shoreline, and include:
Costillas de Res of sofrito and cabernet braised short ribs with polenta, gremolata and truffle essence; Venezuelan BBQ with beef tenderloin, chicken, pork, choice of chorizo or blood sausage, yuca, guasacaca and crema fresca; Hamburguesa Venezolana piled high with lettuce, tomato, ham, queso, avocado, bacon, crushed potato chips, slaw, ketchup, mustard, garlic sauce, topped with a duck egg and served with truffle fries; Pabellon Criollo with rice, black beans, shredded beef and sweet plantains; and Gallinita Rellena, deboned, crispy skin Cornish hen stuffed with leeks and sweet plantain with an orange, lemon grass and honey reduction. Seasonal paella preparations and market fresh fish dishes change daily.
If you thought arepa's were our of your reach in your own kitchen, think again. This week we are bringing you a recipe from one of the our reader favorite spots—Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk, featured in Fairfield County Chef's Table—featuring one of their most popular dishes, the Carlo Arepa.
The Green Grunion food truck is the brainchild of Paul Mannion, a Bethel native whose three year foray in San Diego served as inspiration for Danbury's San Diego-style burrito business on wheels. A restaurant industry veteran (you may remember his friendly face from behind the bar at Bethel’s La Zingara), Paul launched the business nearly a year ago in Danbury inspired by the burritos he came to know and love during his time in San Diego.
I finally tracked down the Green Grunion after many positive reader recommendations, and a fuzzy memory of Paul telling me his grandiose plans from behind the Zingara bar last year. But first, a quick burrito primer for the uninitiated East Coast-dwellers (read: you, me, and everyone we know, Connecticut).
Look up burrito in the dictionary and you'll likely conjure an image of the tightly-packed Mission style behemoths found in San Francisco's Mission District and interpreted loosely at a Chipotle near you.
May is National Burger Month and it’s that time of year again for CTbites to unveil its “Best Bar Burgers of Fairfield County.” The last twelve months brought us several suggestions to try and I tried many of these additional locations. The 2014 list included some outstanding bars and haunts that served delicious burgers, so good in fact that only one newcomer was as delicious. (See complete list below)
Not only was this an outstanding burger, but it earned my top spot as the Best Bar Burger in Fairfield County.
Bick’s Burgers & Fries – 2014 Best Bar Burger in Fairfield County
Bick's Burgers opened on Friday, March 7 on Ives Street in downtown Danbury. And while I will save the true burger review for our resident expert, Jeff, here is a very early look at what to expect from Fairfield County's newest burger joint from our quick stop on opening day.
The Bick's Burger concept is fairly straightforward–a modern take on burgers, elevated with homemade touches, and delivered with a solid 75/25 burger. The business is a partnership between Chef Michael Bick of SomeThings Fishy Catering, and his entrepreneurial son, Ian Bick.
In a nod to its humble diner roots, Bick's embraces the décor of the 50's drive-in diner. A row of counter seating and stools faces the kitchen's flat top griddle, and a black and white checkered floor and red vinyl booths complete this homage.
There are several homemade touches on the menu. Homemade buns, including brioche, truffle brioche and sesame
There is a synergy that sets Matt Stanczak's Stanziato's Wood Fired Pizza in Danbury apart. The combination of a chef/owner with a sincere devotion to his craft, a respect for simplicity, a loyalty to local ingredients, and last but certainly not least, Matt's fearless and fun leadership, make the sum of Stanziato's greater than its parts.
Local Food Rocks captured the essence of Stanziato's perfectly in this behind-the-scenes video of how they build their fires (Jenga-style), what makes their pies so amazing (slow fermentation, good old Danbury water), and a couple trips to local farms you may recognize.
This talented duo behind the blog and RMedia.TV deserves its own shout-out. Alicia (passionate home cook and blogger) and Renato (the man behind the camera and guitar) Ghio are literally a rocking duo. Check them out.
If you watch one thing this weekend, make it this. And if you go to Stanziato's, don't miss the soppressata and chilies pizza and pair it with a salad.
As food writers, photographers, and chefs, we have the pleasure of eating a lot of really great food. Fairfield County has experienced something of a restaurant explosion over the past year, as new chefs move in and move on, and menus expand. We've endeavored to expand our coverage beyond those borders, seeking to cover more of the state and sharing those experiences that are worth seeking out. Instead of coming up with a top ten list ourselves, we asked the CTbites extended family to share some of their most memorable meals and dining experiences this past year.
When you enter Basso Café you feel transported to a warmer climate with the vibrant colors and art of the Mediterranean. The green walls are adorned with large colorful paintings depicting various culinary delights and the dark wood tables are inviting and offer a calming respite from the hustle and bustle of the day. At the helm of the Basso Café is Owner / Chef Renato Donzelli, who is proud that his dream still thrives after opening at the worst possible time at the beginning of the financial crisis in September 2007. A loyal following and favorable word of mouth allowed him to weather the crisis, and his strong menu has given him continued success.
Born in Venezuela and raised in Naples, Italy, Chef Renato’s cuisine focuses primarily on Mediterranean flavors with a Venezuelan influence.
We recently reported on Valencia Luncheria's highly anticipated expansion plan which has this Fairfield County arepa haven moving down the street to a significantly larger location at 164 Main Street in Norwalk. Regulars wondered if the new place would retain the just stepped off the Venezuelan beachside charm of Valencia 1.0, a tiny spot whose uniquely delicious menu has won over locals as well as Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Loyal patrons need not fear. Owner, Michael Young, recently toured CTbites around the new Valencia Luncheria, and all of the rustic and reclaimed touches, bright colors, and the signature wall of plantains, are still in the house. There are, however, some significant upgrades about which you'll want to know. Here's the rundown on what to look for in the new Valencia Luncheria, currently scheduled to open by the end of May.
