I recently sat down with Chef Adam Young, co-owner and head baker at Sift Bake Shop, to discuss his recent win as "Best Baker in America," Sift’s success, future plans, and what you should order during your next visit.
Opened in spring 2016, Sift Bake Shop in downtown Mystic has gained rapid success from a winning combination of Adam Young’s (co-owner/head baker) infectious passion and skill in the kitchen. This French-inspired bakery takes cues from Young’s own travels in France and is a combination of aspects he liked from a variety of different European bakeries. This vision translated into a bright, open space outfitted with dark wood floors, a long display case stocked with everything from sandwiches to dainty entremets and crispy baguettes, and hanging silver lighting shining like spotlights on the baked goods.
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.
Escape to a different era where comfort food is locally sourced, you are served with compassion and a smile on a garden patio, and you can experience a country feel that makes our fast-paced world slow down just a bit. This cute date (BYO), family fun and good vibe spot is something special to CT that you simply shouldn’t miss.
Heibeck’s in Wilton opened in 1931 and has been family run for four generations. Back then, George Heibeck and Katherine Dhly Heibeck stayed up all night to hand churn over 100 of their original ice cream flavors to perfection, and then served the creamy goodness to their loyal customers daily. Though their ice cream is no longer produced on premises, the family prides itself upon the use of local food sources.
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!).
It’s big news in the foodie world when you hear that the Schoolhouse at Cannondale chef and owner Tim LaBant is expanding his culinary footprint and opening up a second restaurant. The award-winning chef is known for melding farm-to-table creativity with fine dining, so you can only imagine what kind of white tablecloth, haute cuisine will spring from LaBant’s imagination.
Pizza.
That’s right, LaBant will be opening up a pizza place, called Parlor, right here in Wilton, in a space at River Park Shopping Center.
Yep, a pizza place in a shopping center. Light years from what you think of when you think Tim LaBant, Schoolhouse Restaurant chef/owner.
LaBant laughs at the image. “There’s a reason for that.”
He wanted to open Parlor in the center of town and for it to have a different vibe–something of a cross between the old school pizza parlors that CT is known for and a lively, great, neighborhood space.
“I think there’s something humble about an old school pizza parlor. Look at like a place like Pepe’s, something that’s just got linoleum everywhere. It’s got an amazing product and they’re packed all the time for a reason, because their product is great, and they care about one thing–pizza and the people that are there,” LaBant says.
This ain’t your average taste of Mexico. We’re talkin’ a two-pound, 12-inch marvel—ay, Chihuahua! Look no further than Margaritas, with local outposts in East Hartford and Mystic. A crispy shell, light as air, is piled with everything under the sun: seasoned chicken, ground beef, pork carnitas, bacon, cheese, lettuce, refried beans—let me catch my breath here—Mexican rice, salsa fresca and queso, topped with hacienda and picante sauces, crema and pickled jalapeños.
The challenge is, can you finish it in one serving? We failed, but enjoyed the Taco Gigante even as leftovers the next day. Want to give it a try? Put yourself on the wall of fame (or is that wall of shame?!). But you’ve got to get there quickly. Taco Gigante rides into the sunset when October ends, amigos.
Margaritas is located at 350 Roberts Street in East Hartford and at 12 Water Street in Mystic.
My heart did a somersault at the first bite of the pain au chocolat.The Pastry Hideaway - Bakery & Cafe had nailed it. This breakfast favorite was remarkably flaky, the exterior bearing that unmistakably delicate crunch. Every bite caused teeny-tiny flaky crumbs to scatter all over my hands and napkin. A lot of butter must have gone into that perfection, but heck, it's worth it. With lovely dark chocolate enveloped in its soft and chewy interior… each bite was pure joy.
The Pastry Hideaway - Bakery & Cafe recently opened their doors in downtown Wilton. At the helm is Culinary Institute of America grad Pamela Graham. Her life has taken her to many places around the world. She moved back to Wilton from Johannesburg with her family a couple of years ago. Before opening Pastry Hideaway she was most recently working at Bouchon bakery in New York.
To celebrate National Lobster day on June 15 — the perfect kickoff to summer — we’ve highlighted our top picks for hot lobster rolls that we’ve tried and tested over the years. The simple yet perfect dish of buttery lobster meat stuffed in a bun is best eaten in its classic presentation — with a side of melted butter, cole slaw and possibly even French fries.
The 2017 edition features all of our past favorites plus new additions from southeastern Connecticut where views of the Long Island Sound enjoyed with your meal add to the summertime ambiance.
Hugging Connecticut’s southeastern shoreline along I-95, southeastern Connecticut is my stomping ground. I’ve dined out so many times in East Lyme, New London, Mystic, Stonington Borough, and other inland locales that there are only a few restaurants I’ve not yet had the chance to taste. But if you’re not a local, these beautiful shoreline towns feature great sightseeing and more importantly, excellent dining experiences.
Poised to celebrate its 10th year with Chef Tim LeBant at the helm, The Schoolhouse at Cannondale has long been on my radar. When a friend recently asked me to dinner I jumped at the chance. Nestled among the charming shops at the Cannondale train station, the one room schoolhouse is as delightful from the exterior as it is inside. A small entryway outfitted with a tiny bar area is separated from the dining area by a small curtained doorway, while many framed accolades set the mood for an excellent meal.
Craft 14 Kitchen + Bar is the sort of place you want to wander into on a winter’s day with its warm, welcoming reclaimed wood interior accompanied by the nostalgic aroma of decades-old wood burning ovens and fireplaces. The restaurant, which opened at the end of last summer, greets a steady stream of diners throughout the day and well into the night, as I was witness to when I went to meet owners Cristina Ramirez and Mario Lopez.
The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, in Wilton, has decided to start a series of late Winter early Spring events at the Schoolhouse that will focus on ingredients, techniques, or themes we are into at the current moment.
Their first event will be on Tuesday, March 24th and will focus on nose to tail cooking. Chef Tim LeBant and his team will be creating four courses utilizing different cuts of pork. They will also have a selection of beers and bourbons to pair with the courses as well (at a separate cost) as well as our regular wine list. You can book a reservation online by clicking here and choosing a time and party size. Reservation are available from 5:30-8:30. The nose-to-tail dinner will be $60/person.
After the holidays it's time to get off to a great start in 2015 at the Schoolhouse at Cannondale Restaurant in Wilton, CT. Based on customer requests, they will again be offering Vegetarian Wednesdays. These meatless dinners will be offered each Wednesday begining JANUARY 7 and extend through MARCH! The 4 course prix fixed menu will be provided at a very reasonable price of $40. excluding tax & gratuity.
Seven is Breno Donatti’s lucky number. His restaurant, “ Bistro 7” is located on Highway 7 in Wilton. “Seven is God's favorite number,” he told us, “And I also got the inspiration for Bistro 7 in the 7th district of Paris in a place called ‘Cafe Central.’”
Well, hopefully we won’t jinx anything by dubbing his re-programed farm–to-fork café in Wilton as “Bistro 7.1.”
With a new chef, sous chef, general manager, and a reimagined food and beverage menu, Donatti has updated his operating system, and from what we tasted at a recent Grand Reopening, the app is not just new, but vastly improved: less complicated and well-priced.
We began with a Roasted Root Veggie Bisque, blended with slow cooked carrots, butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potato, root spices, and garnished with a bacon chip. Breno claims it’s even better than his award winning Butternut Squash Bisque and we don’t disagree.
“Cute Connecticut Day Trips.” Search. Labor Day had left me with an unexpected day off from work, and I’d turned to Google to help decide what to do with the time. The results came in with a definitive winner: Mystic, Connecticut. Between an aquarium, a historical seaport, and seaside shops, the town seemed like the perfect destination.
And perfect it was. In addition to its attractions, Mystic also holds an array of amazing restaurants overflowing with fresh seafood. After a morning at the aquarium, my friend and I chose a place called “Go Fish” for a late lunch. It is located in Old Mistick Village, an area of small shops and boutiques meant to feel like a colonial New England town. We walked into a space adorned with large sea inspired murals painted in vibrant colors- almost Warhol-esque. There was a beautiful large bar accentuated with rows of shiny glassware. Even though it was three in the afternoon, several people were enjoying a meal or a drink at the bar.
Go Fish specializes in fresh seafood; ideal for the person wanting to appreciate the coastal milieu. Specials included an assortment of local raw oysters and jumbo crab legs. Guests can choose from an array of appetizers, sandwiches, soups, and entrees. My favorite feature was that full entrees could be ordered as small plates as well. I decided on a small plate version of their Steamed Littleneck Clams with grilled chorizo
Olde Mistick Village Merchants will host the 3rd Annual International Food Festival this weekend on June 8 and 9, 2013, from 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday, and 11 am to 6 pm on Sunday, rain or shine. This event is free and open to the public.
The festival will present the best of international cuisines from numerous local restaurants and award winning executive chefs. Participating food purveyors will include: Beachside Catering, Harp & Dragon, Hub's Clam Shack, Johny's Peking Tokyo, Mango's Italian Ice, Mystic Diner & Restaurant, Portuguese Fisherman, Pizza Grille, Semolina Pasta Shop, Taste of India, The Pita Spot, Toasted, Zest Fresh Pastry and more.
At times the story behind a restaurant can be as delicious as what’s on their menu. For instance, consider the improbable tale of how Wilton’s Bistro 7 came to be….
Breno Donatti began his restaurant career seven years ago as a dishwasher at Pizza Post in Greenwich. A young kid from Brazil, he had just come to America, spoke no English, and was without home, money, or many friends. Today, he is the popular co-owner and host of Bistro 7, a trendy restaurant in Wilton; his English is impeccable; and he lives in a lovely apartment in Stamford which he shares with his even lovelier wife, one of America’s most esteemed coloratura sopranos. (Her bio is just as amazing, but we’ll get to that shortly.)
After graduating high school, Breno had enrolled at a Nutrition College in South Brazil.. “Although my family was in the car business. I always had this passion for food,” he explains. “At school, I loved dealing with farmers and the business side of the industry. ”
Wilton residents, rejoice! Little Pub's second location is now open at 26 Danbury Road in Wilton. They will offer the same fare, and thanks to a much larger kitchen, will also be offering some new items. Check it out and please let us know what you think!
For the latest on their menu and what's on tap, check out littlepub.com and stay tuned to their Facebook page.
...is something wonderful to be seen. In between daily meals one and two is something very delightful for you. How Dr. Suess-y, eh? Wedged in-the-between is the one and only: Brunch. With a capital B, thank you very much. Brunch is divine. You can roll out of bed late and into a perfectly wonderful, relaxed meal that begs to be savored. It lingers beyond the lunch hour and helps you cruise effortlessly into dinner.
“There is no sincerer love than the love of food” says a quote that I stumbled upon recently. I think that is pretty darned accurate, especially when it comes to this meal. Here, for you, is a collection of some lovely spots to help you turn this noun into a verb...so go forth and brunch!
Did we miss one of your favorite Brunch spots? Let us know...
This article first ran onSunday Diners, a kid's guide to the best diners and breakfast joints in Fairfield County, Connecticut and beyond. Written by 4th Grader Alex (with a bit of help from his dad).
Usually, at this time of the year, many people make resolutions to eat healthier or not eat junk food all of the time. One of the ways that you can do this is by eating more organic foods which are healthier for you. Today, we went to Greenleaf Organic Bakery and Café, in Wilton, where everything is organic, fresh and TASTY!
The first thing I noticed when I walked in were the displays of amazing pastries, croissants, cupcakes, tarts and the BIGGEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever seen. The second thing you notice, is how good it smells! The walls are decorated with photos of food and fruit, and it is a good place for kids and adults too.
I looked at the menu before we left the house and already knew what I wanted — The Fruit Explosion - Fresh organic cream, layered with organic strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, granola, all topped off with chocolate hazelnut spread. It was beyond good and… healthy at the same time. It was also BIG! Do you know what else was BIG? The Organic Hot Chocolate – which is made with real melted organic chocolate and whipped cream – it was GIANT! Bigger than our cereal bowls at home – now that’s BIG!
