Connecticut Magazine shares a unique find in Mystic. Half sandwich shop, half butcher, these guys know a thing or two about meat. Check it out.
A sandwich is a common thing. Delis and grinder shops can be found throughout our state. But once in a while a new sandwich comes along and causes us to look with fresh eyes at this most classic of foods. Down in Mystic, the brains behind the operations at seafood-focused Oyster Club and burger-centric Engine Room have launched a new venture called Grass & Bone, structured around making the best sandwiches they can, with the freshest, most locally sourced ingredients they can muster.
Farmington, Connecticut; the land of colonial homes and rolling hills, horse farms, schools once attended by former First Ladies and now, home of Dom's Coffee, rated byArchitectural Digest as The Most Beautiful Cafe in Connecticut.
Remember when the word coffeehouse conjured visions of overstuffed, cast-off furniture populated by long-lounging “alternative” coffee-sippers? All that was missing was your local version of Phoebe Buffay crooning about her Smelly Cat. Gone are those days. A new, craft-caffeinated, curated, uplifting day has dawned in the land of this coffeehouse and many others.
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.
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.
Donut Crazy, a local, family-owned eatery specializing in unique donut flavors (lovingly called Dailies and Crazies), today announced the opening of its newest location in Branford. Housed in the newly renovated 972 West Main Street, the take-out restaurant offers the full Donut Crazy menu.
Conveniently located in a bustling part of town, the approximately 500-square-foot store is dine-out only, but incorporates the same fun, funky atmosphere as Donut Crazy’s other popular locations. The comprehensive menu includes 45 varieties of donuts baked daily, avocado toast, breakfast sandwiches, and Dr. Smoothie products, as well as Rise Brewing Co.’s nitro coffee and chocolate milk on draft.
Lorca Coffee Barhas just opened their second location in Cos Cob, CT inside Fleisher's Craft Butcher shop. Coffee + Meat...works for me.
The menu at Lorca Greenwich will be slightly different than that at their Stamford location. They will still be serving up some of the best coffee in CT alongside baked goods and breakfast treats, including their manchego, sage pesto, and egg breakfast sandwich. However, they have leveraged the new relationship with Fleishers's and improved upon their "classic" - bacon, egg and cheese by adding a house-smoked tomato jam and using Fleisher's bacon.
They will also be adding empanadas made with Fleisher's chorizo, cheddar and salsa, and a Spanish tortilla that owner, Leyla Jenkins, has been making since she was a little girl. This is a typical Spanish frittata made with potatoes, onions, and eggs and served with a side salad and some smoked paprika aioli. Breakfast bowls and salads will be found on the menu in the near future.
Lorca Coffee Bar @ Fleisher's Craft Butcher 160 E. Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob
Tyler Moss is rolling into town, quite literally, with a new Thai rolled ice cream and dessert truck that elevates this food trend to the next level. After nearly dying from an allergic reaction to a peanut, Moss, who previously ran the popular Bun Burger Bun allergen friendly food truck, is reaching out to his fan base again and providing a healthier dessert option in the form of outrageously creative frozen desserts, coffee, and hot cocoa. Cocoanuts is the name to look for, and the truck will be parked outside the South Norwalk Ice Rink starting in late October. What’s on the menu? Cocoanuts will be serving up non -dairy, gluten free, vegan desserts to the hungry masses using coconut cream, coconut milk, and other allergen friendly ingredients. The best part...these desserts are so rich and delicious, you would never know they are allergen free.
Fleisher’s Craft Butchery is collaborating with Leyla Dam Jenkins from Lorca cafe, on opening a sunny new location in early November inside the Fleisher’s Greenwich butcher shop at 160 E. Putnam Ave. Cos Cob.
Like the beloved Stamford original, Lorca's new branch will be offering a variety of specialty coffee drinks and Spanish-influenced sweets, like their signature alfajores (shortbread cookies with dulce de leche and coconut).
After nearly five years of bringing the buzz to coffee lovers across Fairfield County, The Buzz Truck LLC. is announcing the sale of its little black school bus to Source Coffeehouse, a beloved locally-owned, neighborhood coffee shop in the heart of Black Rock in Bridgeport, CT. The new Source Coffeebus is dueto hit the road by Labor Day 2017.
“The Buzz Truck was a labor of love and we know that ‘Buzzy’ will be in great hands,” said Jessica Grutkowski, co-owner, The Buzz Truck LLC. “It’s hard to say good bye, but we’re ready for a new adventure. The team at Source has tons of experience and is a natural fit to help take our concept to the next level.”
Ed Freedman, Fairfield County’s passionate organic coffee roaster based in Trumbull, CT, adds “café owner” to his impressive portfolio of work, further establishing himself, and the Shearwater brand as a premium organic coffee roaster. Opening in Fairfield, CT, Shearwater Coffee Bartakes up residence in a 1200 square foot corner location within the Brick Walk business and retail section of downtown.
Named One of the 15 Best New Coffee Roasters in America by the popular digital lifestyle magazine Thrillist.com, and bestowed a 92 rating from CoffeeReview.com for their Organic Homacho Waeno Ethiopian roast, Shearwater introduced its small batch coffee roasts to Fairfield County in September of 2013 and was soon touted by java junkies, major gourmet food markets, and reputable area chefs as one of the leading coffee brands in the state.
This spring downtown Westport will see the opening of M.EAT Organic Beef and Provisions, an old school meat market with new school fundamentals. Founded by Beto Esteves and Rodrigo Echeverrigaray, the business partners saw the need for a boutique organic meat shop.
I sat down with the two in their Southport offices, eager to learn more about this concept. “There is no one in the US market involved with both the importing and the retailing organic meat, explained Beto. Generally, it’s a process that involves many, the importers, distributors and suppliers. So by the time the organic product hits the shelf the prices are astronomical. We have the unique ability to source meat from Uruguay, Australia and New Zealand, directly from the producers. We decided that we wanted to be able to offer these products in the States. The partners decided to take this concept one step further and have a dedicated retail space specifically designed around these organic meats, a unique concept here in the states. The first of these locations is scheduled to open in Westport at the beginning of June.
Hartford Baking Company started small and local, with owner Scott Kluger’s mother baking scratch items for farmers’ markets. As her scones caught on, so did the buzz, and Scott saw an opportunity. Leaving a promising career on Wall Street, he returned to West Hartford and opened their first location on New Park Ave in 2010: offering artisanal bread, sandwiches, pastries, and a really excellent coffee program (more on that in a moment).
The new Hartford Baking Company location, on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Center, has the same menu as New Park (which remains open) with a few exciting additions. Both locations are the perfect destination for fresh cake and seasonal catering orders, but West Hartford has expanded their offerings to include a vegan grain bowl, a gluten free breakfast burrito, and an authentic Cuban Sandwich. Fresh is better: the scratch baking process which occurs every night in their large baking facility in Bloomfield translates into a carb mecca of stunning fresh breads and baked goods.
West Hartford is about to get their very own Donut Crazy. Let the gluttony begin! The latest location in the donut empire will be at 993 A Farmington Ave in West Hartford, right across from Bartaco. Renovation is currently in the works and they expect to open this summer. West Hartford will feel lighter and brighter than the clubby New Haven location, but will share most of the same features.
This follows closely on the heels of their recent opening at the Westport Train Station. I'd say CT is digging their donuts. However, doughnuts aren't all Jason Wojnarowski, Donut Crazy founder, has to offer. They will also be serving ON TAP nitro coffee, cold-brew coffee, iced teas and chocolate milk using Arethusa Farm’s milk and Shearwater's fair trade Coffee. In addition, they will be serving made-to-order breakfast sandwiches, also available on a glazed donut if you dare! For folks who prefer something more savory, they will have bagels & lox and avocado toast. The bakery team also makes muffins and sconces from scratch and will continue to surprise guests with some really special confections.
Custom Meats, a 100% locally-sourced, traditional whole-animal butchery, is slated to open this spring at 1903 Post Road in Fairfield.
This next-door neighbor to Isabelle et Vincent French Bakery plans to serve non-GMO, nitrate-free, fresh meats raised on organic principles.
Sourcing beef, pork, lamb, and poultry from small farms in Connecticut and New York, everything will be cut and prepared in house, including dry-aged beef, sausages, and various prepared foods. Farm-fresh local eggs, raw milk, and seasonal vegetables will also be offered.
This Saturday will be the last day of service at Fleishers Craft Kitchen, the restaurant adjacent to the beloved Saugatuck butcher shop. In 2013, co-founders Ryan Fibiger and Paul Nessel opened the restaurant to further the company's commitment to nose-to-tail eating. Every dish featured cuts of meat from the butcher counter famed for its quality, ethics and transparency. Fibiger, who recently left his position as CEO but continues to advise on long term vision and growth, says, “The restaurant and staff have been integral to teaching people how to prepare Meat Raised Right. But, we've always been a butcher shop first, and we think it's time to get back to our roots and refocus on providing a truly remarkable customer experience.”
Great news for fans of the outrageous donut bakery, Donut Crazy, and Chef Matt Storch's Match & Nom Eez. Donut Crazy will be opening March 16th in the old Steam Coffee spot at the eastbound side of Metro-North’s Westport station in Saugatuck. Donut Crazy, founded by Jason Wojnarowski will offer coffee, tea, espresso, and an assortment of grab n go dishes provided by Match and Nom Eez restaurants. Here's the concept; give the people what they want, coffee in the morning, and quick delicious takeout for hungry commuters when they emerge bleary eyed at the end of the day.
South Avenue Butcher offers an assortment of burgers that are ready to be brought home and prepared in the manner of one’s choosing. Current burger selections include lamb with rosemary and garlic, lamb with shawarma spices, and dry-aged beef. To showcase the patties, South Avenue Butcher is teaming up with local chefs and food personalities. They will put their own culinary twist on the burgers, describing the perfect cooking method, bun, and accompaniments for the meat.
The Granola Bar of Westport and Greenwich will soon be opening its doors in Stamford's Harbor Point District as part of an exciting and large scale expansion plan. The Granola Bar has joined forces with Trilynx, an investment and operating platform whose founders have more than 15 years of experience in hospitality brands such as Disney and Starwood Hotels. This new team will take The Granola Bar's breakfast and lunch hot spot beyond the boundaries of CT, but more immediately, will debut the first ever The Granola Bar TO GO at 700 Canal Street in Stamford in spring 2017 (directly across from Fairway Market).
Darien native and chef Peter Crawford is the culinary braun behind lower Fairfield County's newest destination butchery, The Darien Butcher Shop. The shop focuses on high quality meat and gourmet specialty products, as well as events and catering, not to mention hot pressed sandwiches if you're looking for a new lunch option.
We had a chance to chat with Peter, and wanted to know what this carnivore cooks for himself, his preferred cut of meat, and his most memorable meal.
New Canaan, Connecticut is excited to welcome an old fashioned butcher shop to its already impressive culinary offering. South Avenue Butcher is the creation of businessmen, long-term friends and Darien residents Dermot Flynn, Alan Griffin and James Farrell. The friends grew up in southern Ireland where rural towns would have a butcher shop and locals would go in for special cuts of meat and advice. The concept, which was inspired by a nostalgic chat at the bar, is a direct nod to their farming heritage and reinforces that consumers care about their meat source. They strongly advocate the community and have plans to support local town events.
The proper old-style butcher specializes in home-made sausages and burgers - they will even make some to a specific family recipe. Heading up the operation is Head Butcher, Michiel Hutten who hails from the Netherlands. He worked at Darien Butcher Shop, and has over 30-years of butchery experience. Inside the store he will serve prime cuts and order in specific meats. The meats are sourced from animals that are free to roam and will be organic wherever possible.
