Filtering by Tag: Middle Eastern,Doughnuts

Vault Coffee + Deviant Donut: A Very Sweet Collaboration

Restaurant Breakfast Doughnuts Coffee Mystic Tea And Coffee Dessert

CTbites Team

Collaborations, pop-ups, and food markets are what I live for in terms of seeking out inventive yet timeless cuisine pairings. And one new collaboration that caught my eye with an abundance of drool-worthy Instagram posts—and likely you’ve spotted it too—is the recent marriage between Vault Coffee and Deviant Donuts. Truly, what is better than a perfect pairing of coffee and doughnuts on a lazy weekend morning?


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.


Donut Crazy Opens in Branford TODAY!

Restaurant Doughnuts Branford Openings Dessert Breakfast Lunch Coffee

CTbites Team

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.


Delicious Persian & Iranian Cuisine At Green Leaf Catering Truck

Restaurant Persian Food Truck Southington Middle Eastern Catering Lunch To-Go

Ramin Ganeshram

I first had the saffron ice cream called bastani akbar mashti in 1978 in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. I was in Iran with my mother, the last trip I would make to her native country, mere months before the Revolution that began what has become forty years of acrimony between our two nations.

But on that day, the Bazaar was packed with shoppers seeking out everything from daily staples to luxury goods. Everywhere I looked there was a riot of color, fabric and food. The smells of roasting kebabs filled the air mingling with the scent of tea brewed with cardamom.

The ice cream, delicately yellow and aromatic with saffron and rosewater was punctuated with the occasional crunch of pistachios—a prized Iranian export—and bits of frozen cream. Even though I’ve had versions of it since, none have ever been as good—either too light on the saffron, too sweet, or omitting the frozen cream nuggets.

That all changed when I visited Green Leaf Catering Truck, the mobile restaurant of Dariush Rose and his son Samuel.


Donut Crazy Launches the “Cruffin” Croissant-Muffin Hybrid

Ingredients Features Bakery Dessert Kid Friendly Breakfast Doughnuts New Haven Shelton Westport Bridgeport Homepage

Stephanie Webster

Donut Crazy, a local, family-owned eatery specializing in unique donut flavors (lovingly called Dailies & Crazies), announced a tasty new menu item called the “Cruffin.” The croissant-muffin crossover is the company’s way of celebrating the first sugar-filled year of its New Haven location near Yale University. The “Cruffin” will be available at all Donut Crazy locations for $4.25, starting on Friday November 3, weekends only and while supplies last. 

The “Cruffin” has quickly become the food world’s newest bakery obsession, much like the “Cronut” before it. The buttery, flaky pastry is shaped like a muffin and filled with different flavors. Donut Crazy plans to offer coconut, dulce de leche, chocolate mousse, and pumpkin. More exciting flavors to come!


The Hummus & Pita Co Opening Fast Casual Mediterranean In Danbury

Restaurant Mediterranean Middle Eastern Lunch Danbury Take Out To-Go

Stephanie Webster

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.


Announcing the Donut Crazy Flavor Contest Winners: 500 Entries...4 Winning Flavors Available Today

Restaurant Features Dessert Doughnuts Bakery Homepage

Stephanie Webster

We are pleased to announce the winners of the DONUT CRAZY FLAVOR CONTEST. Doughnut lovers from around CT submitted over 500 contest entries, and because there were so many great flavor combos, Donut Crazy decided to select not just one winner, but FOUR winners! These four limited edition doughnuts are available at all Donut Crazy locations NOW! 

The Winning Donuts are....Bananas Foster, Raspberry Lemonade, Carrot Cake & Peaches n’ Cream.


Layla's Falafel Opening in Westport w/ Delicious Authentic Middle Eastern Fare

Restaurant Middle Eastern Stamford Westport Fairfield Catering Delicious Dives Lunch Homepage

Stephanie Webster

Layla's Falafel, with their delicious and authentic Middle Eastern menu, is opening in Westport in late April. Offering a full menu of authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, Layla’s (named for its owner) serves up well-priced, flavorful and fresh fare. Ideal for takeout, a quick lunch or a pre-movie pit-stop, it’s a solid alternative to your standard takeout repertoire. Previously only found on Black Rock Tpke, their new location will be across from Stop N Shop at 1537 Post Road East in Westport. 


Donut Crazy Opening in Westport Train Station w/ Grab-N-Go From Match & Nom Eez

Restaurant Breakfast Doughnuts Coffee Tea And Coffee Take Out To-Go Vietnamese Westport Dessert

Stephanie Webster

Great news for fans of the outrageous donut bakery, Donut Crazy, and Chef Matt Storch's MatchNom 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. 


Our First Visit To Donut Crazy New Haven: Open on York Street Today!

Restaurant Doughnuts New Haven Breakfast Kid Friendly

Amy Kundrat

If it weren’t for the large neon “Let’s Eat Donuts” sign greeting you as you enter Donut Crazy’s newest location in New Haven, you might think you stumbled into a Yale library. Walls bathed in a Yale blue lacquered paint, a seating area with cozy leather chairs and a couch, and soaring ceilings make the 1450 square foot space seem more spacious and studious than it is. Just beyond this warm welcome is a hub of retail activity and a dining area of small tables, and a well-lit wall of Donut Crazy doughnuts in all their colorful and sugary glory.

“I wanted to give the space a library meets bar feel, not treat it like a typical commercial space, and the blue is a nod to Yale,” explained Donut Crazy owner Jason Wojnarowski.

For those uninitiated into Donut Crazy’s world of over-the-top sugary doughnut confections, this location feels like a giant step forward both in selection and ambiance. All of their baked goods are made in-house in a Donut Crazy Kitchen by an overnight team of bakers. In New Haven, Donut Crazy will offer its typical selection of “Dailies” and “Crazies.”


Donut Crazy Opening in New Haven: Outrageous Donuts, Coffee & Breakfast

Restaurant Brunch Doughnuts New Haven Breakfast Take Out Kid Friendly Dessert

Stephanie Webster

New Haven is about to get their very own Donut Crazy. On Thursday, October 27th, Donut Crazy New Haven will be opening at 290 York Street, with an opening party from 2-5 pm.  

For those unfamiliar with the Donut Crazy menu, readers should take note that while they offer the traditional breakfast dounghnut you've come to expect at a shop bearing this name, the key word here is "Crazy." These outrageously delicious doughtnuts are straight out of your ultimate food fantasy (or mine, anyway). Creative varietals including: French Toast (Glazed donut sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar drizzled with vanilla and maple icing); PB&J, (filled with grape jelly, topped with smooth peanut butter and chopped peanuts); and my favorite September special, Pumpkin Pie with pumpkin pie filling, spiced icing and shortbread crumbled cookie dip. 

And 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.


Redneck Gourmet Donuts: A Sweet Spot in Higganum

Restaurant Doughnuts Higganum Breakfast Kid Friendly Dessert

Hope Simmons

Have you ever had a Boston creme donut, filled and glazed fresh to order, just for you? So the chocolate glaze is still beautifully wet and shiny, like an object of edible art when it’s passed your way?

Or perhaps you’d prefer a cannoli donut, filled to order, then dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a flourish of ricotta cream. This is just the place to get them. And, whoa, the aroma alone will draw you in, straight from the roadside trailer where they’re made fresh each day.

An air horn sounds as a truck rolls by on Route 81 in Higganum on a Tuesday morning. Owner Jeff Blaschke and I wave from the bright orange picnic tables. “That happens a million times a day,” he says with a smile. Open just five weeks, Redneck Gourmet Donuts is putting Higganum, Connecticut on the map. “We have approximately a thousand customers on a Saturday and Sunday, each day. Maybe a little bit more on Sunday.”


Best Doughnuts in CT 2016: Friday June 3 is National Doughnut Day!

Restaurant Bakery Doughnuts Breakfast Dessert

CTbites Team

Happy National Doughnut Day. Yes, it’s a recognized national holiday, and CT has great doughnuts for sweettooths ready to celebrate. Here are places serving delicious ones...if you have a suggestion for a shop we missed, please let us know below. 

Uncle Leo’s, Redding

Tony's Square Donuts, New Haven

Donut Crazy, Shelton, Stratford. Bridgeport (nom-eez)

Speedy Donuts, Norwalk

Whitney Donut & Sandwich Shop, Hamden

Lakeside Diner, Stamford

Beach Donuts, Old Lyme

Darien Doughnut, Darien


Donut Crazy Doughnuts Now Available in Bridgeport's Black Rock Neighborhood

Ingredients Restaurant Bridgeport Doughnuts Breakfast Take Out Kid Friendly Dessert

Jessica Ryan

I recently headed over to Donut Crazy’s newest location in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport with Jessica Grutkowski, owner of the Buzz Truck, who shared that she will be adding this local vendor to her offerings. While I fully admit I have never met a donut I didn’t like, these aren’t your typical donuts; they’re indulgent and decadent, and enormous!

As you step inside you’ll notice how physically different this donut joint is. Most don’t share a space with a Vietnamese restaurant, which in this case is the recently opened Nom Eez. So I asked Jason Wojnarowski, founder of Donut Crazy about this curious new home and this most unusual pairing, because as I saw it, Pho and donuts don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Wojnarowski, a builder by profession, was hired by Matt Storch (owner of Nom Eez) to renovate Match a couple of years ago. What resulted was not only a friendship but the current Pho-Donut partnership.


Donut Crazy to Open in New Canaan via The New Canaanite

Restaurant Bakery Doughnuts New Canaan Breakfast Dessert

CTbites Team

As announced in The New Canaanite, New Canaan’s local news website, Donut Crazy has announced its third location and will open in New Canaan, hopefully by the end of the year.

With two location up the Merritt in Stratford and Shelton, the donut shop that features creatively conceived donut combinations named “Cherry Bomb,” “Cannoli,” “Maple Bacon,” the holiday "Noggin Donut" (Eggnog custard filled, rum flavored frosting, sugar, whipped cream topping, with a pinch of nutmeg) and the “Fat Elvis” (Bavarian cream center topped with peanut butter bacon banana chocolate honey), Donut Crazy will occupy the space that formerly housed the Sweet Shoppe and Merle Norman Cosmetics at 4 South Avenue.  

A gourmet doughnut shop with two locations in upper Fairfield County is preparing to serve its savory treats at the former Sweet Shoppe space on South Avenue, mostly recently Merle Norman Cosmetics.


The Fez in Stamford Re-Opens w/ Expanded Bar, Menu & Music Space

Restaurant Live Music Middle Eastern Stamford Bar

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

New York chic meets laid back cool at The Fez, a Middle Eastern eatery located in Stamford.  The restaurant, located on Summer Street, is unobtrusive from the outside.  The inside, however, is alive!  Wine flows and aromatic Mediterranean cuisine comes out of the kitchen.  Patrons flock to hear live music and conversation echoes throughout the intimate space.

On June 1, 2015, the Fez shut its doors to undergo a renovation.  After a few busy months, they are proud to announce their grand reopening.  Lunch and dinner service has resumed, as well as live music. 

The same team behind the original Fez will see it into its new age.  Greenwich native Eric Monte, who has a self-professed “love of food and wine,” partnered with Jay Patel, who comes from a family of restaurateurs.  Chef Shelby prepares the delicious cuisine.  Originally Monte had hired a French chef, but Chef Shelby and his Indian background wound up being the perfect match for the restaurant.  Fred Laist manages the business aspect.  He has a rich history in corporate catering and Monte calls him “brilliant in food service.”


Best Doughnuts in CT 2015 Edition: Friday June 5 is National Doughnut Day!

Restaurant Bakery Doughnuts Breakfast Best of CT Dessert

CTbites Team

Yes, it’s a recognized national holiday, and CT has great doughnuts for sweettooths ready to celebrate! Here are places serving delicious ones.  Thank you, readers, for your contributions!

Uncle Leo’s, Redding
Speedy Donuts, Norwalk
Whitney Donut & Sandwich Shop, Hamden
Lakeside Diner, Stamford
Beach Donuts, Old Lyme
Darien Doughnut, Darien
Orangeside, New Haven
Lorca, Stamford
Coffee An’ Donuts, Westport
Stew Leonard’s, Norwalk, Danbury, Newington, Yonkers 
SoNo Baking Company, Norwalk
Donut Crazy, Shelton, Stratford
Neil's Donuts, Wallingford
Faddy's Doughnuts & Ice Cream, Windsor


Uncle Leo's Not Just Coffee & Donuts in Redding

Restaurant Doughnuts Redding Breakfast Kid Friendly Dessert

Amy Kundrat

A top secret doughnut recipe, a father and son business, and a dozen or so different types of doughnuts and New York-style bagels mean that mornings in Georgetown just got that much better, thanks to the arrival of Uncle Leo’s “Not Just” Coffee and Doughnuts.

Norwalk residents Leo Spinelli III (age 22) and his father Leo Spinelli, Jr., recently opened Uncle Leo's in the heart of Georgetown, at 19 Main Street, in the former Swirl Ice Cream location. The shop is a second coming for the father and son and the familiar Spinelli surname, who previously owned Spinelli’s Not Just Bagels in Norwalk that closed in 2009.


Kibberia Restaurant Brings Middle Eastern Cuisine to Westport

Restaurant Middle Eastern Westport Lunch

Sarah Green

In September, Westport welcomed KIBBERIA Restaurant and Cafe to the Post Road serving traditional Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. Kibbe, a Levantine dish made of bulgur, minced onions and ground beef, is a staple in many Middle Eastern kitchens, and  KIBBERIA serves KIBBE and an enormous variety of other Middle Eastern dishes, always fresh, always home-made (except for the Pita Bread)  and very tasty! You have to excuse the packaging and get right down to the food… Cafeteria style with paper bowls for soup does not scream “GOURMET” by any means. But the food is the thing...and KIBBERIA does not disappoint.

Westport is KIBBERIA’s second location (the other has been a huge success in Danbury since 2011) owned by Lebanese-born Nick Iskander and co-owner and head chef Carole Iskander. She is cooking for a packed, Westport crowd every day but Sunday. From moms with kids to business people out for a healthy, quick lunch to vegans to carnivores KIBBERIA provides a healthy, hearty, Middle Eastern meal that suits any palate.