Birdman Juke Joint Opening In Bridgeport with Real Soul Food from Top Chef, Chris Scott Restaurant Bridgeport Comfort Food Celebrity Chef Southern Homepage Opening Kristin L. Wolfe January 30, 2019 “It’s about the chicken…” says Chef Chris Scott (Top Chef Season 15), telling his new Connecticut fan base a story at his sold out Pop Up last Thursday night. And he’s about to knock nutmeggers socks off left and right with what he calls Real Soul Food, not the “gentrified” sort we’ve heard about or tasted before. There’s a story attached to the chicken, to the greens and black-eyed peas; there’s a story about the people who originally brought us the food. Real Soul Food is not just the celebrated dishes we’ve come to know and love. Chef wants everyone to understand the heritage behind this cuisine, and really hear about the ones who toiled long and hard for the meals we know as southern soul food. It’s time we learned about the Birdman; and Chef Scott is just the one to deliver the tale. He is passionate, he is immensely knowledgeable, he is experienced, and he just so happens to be one freakin’ amazing Chef. Read More
Bread & Water: Award Winning & Exquisite Casual Fine Dining In Middletown Restaurant Middletown Best of CT Opening Kristin L. Wolfe January 29, 2019
Fryday Every Day? Fryborg Truck Opens Restaurant in Milford Restaurant Comfort Food Milford Food Truck Burgers Hot Dogs Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick January 27, 2019 When food trucks in Connecticut started to become more prevalent, there was one I remembered well. The name “Fryborg” definitely stood out, and the fact that they specialized in hand-cut fries didn’t suck either. I first stumbled upon Fryborg around the time Two Roads Brewing Company opened in Stratford, so that “stumble” was a real one after multiple pints in the brewery’s upstairs tasting room. It was then that Fryborg’s bacon, egg, and cheese fries and their marinara-laden pizza fries perfectly complimented my buzz. If I had to render a guess, I’m not in the minority on similar experiences. Read More
Nibble: Super Tasty, Boozy, and Fun CT Food Events for Week of January 28 to February 3 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 25, 2019 The Doro Restaurant Food Crawl takes place on Monday January 28. Begin the evening at Treva for wine and appetizers before heading to Zohara Mediterranean Kitchen for an incredible family meal. Finish at Àvert Brasserie. Tickets are $75. Taste of Hartford continues through February 3! Participating restaurants throughout the Greater Hartford area will offer special multi-course, price-fixed menus. Now on Tuesday Night, The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood presents “Burgers, Bourbon, & Beer.” Enjoy one of the chef’s burger creations or customize your own. Craft beer selections and brown spirits round out this comforting menu.Bourbon Raw in Norwalk will have a High West Whiskey Dinner on Tuesday January 29. The evening includes a cocktail reception and 4 course dinner with drink pairings. Tickets are $70 per person and the event starts at 6:30pm. Read More
East Rock Brewing Company Opens In New Haven Features New Haven Brewery Beer Dinner CT Beer Opening James Gribbon January 24, 2019 Pull back the hour hand on the clock of geologic time and the land in what was once New Haven begins to fill in. The sandstone rises up, glaciers come and go again in reverse, and the scenery levels off. The view across the water isn't Long Island - the glaciers pulled that land back with them - it's what will become Morocco. Now spin the clock forward again. The continents drift - ice, then not ice again - and the land erodes away until something seems to rise up again: the traprock scarp we know as East Rock. There's a lot of history here, and the newest bit to crop up is East Rock Brewing Company. Read More
30+ Restaurants & Bars in CT for the Super Bowl: 2019 Edition Features Sports Bar Super Bowl Bar Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 23, 2019 On Sunday February 3, the Patriots and Rams and facing off in Super Bowl 53! The game time action is great, but so are the foods that accompany it! Wings, pizza, ribs, subs… which is your MVP?? These Connecticut restaurants and bars have eat-in and take-out specials to keep you satisfied as you cheer on your team.The Blind Rhino, Norwalk: For the 4th year in a row, The Blind Rhino hosts "the biggest super bowl pregame party in CT." This year, The Spread & El Segundo are joining the party and doing a mini pop up inside the Rhino. There will also be live music and entertainment provided by Best Trivia Ever.Bobby V’s, Stamford: Catch the big game at Bobby V's in Stamford. A $45 ticket includes seating with a view of the game from every seat, a buffet, giveaways, and beer specials. VIP Packages available.Bear’s Smokehouse @ The Stack, New Haven: The Stack, featuring Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ in New Haven, will be offering three “Big Game Packages." Read More
It's A Woman's World: Kristin Eddy, Pastry Chef for Millwright's, Porron & Piña, & Cook And The Bear Features Interview Chef Talk Stephanie Webster January 22, 2019 Our 2018 series, “It’s A Woman’s World’ was devoted to Fairfield County female influencers who forged their own paths in culinary fields long dominated by men. In 2019, we continue to celebrate trailblazing women throughout the state of CT. Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, feeding an entrepreneurial spirit or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking ladies have set a new definition of women’s work, creating new paths and setting examples for those who follow. How'd they do it? Read on. This week, we feature Kristin Eddy, Pastry Chef for Tyler Anderson’s Millwright's, Porron & Piña, and The Cook and The Bear. Stay tuned to see who’s next. And feel free to send suggestions for your candidates to steph@ctbites.com. Read More
Milestone Restaurant Opens in Georgetown with Menu That Covers All The Favorites Restaurant Redding Georgetown pizza Comfort Food Homepage Pizza Opening Jessica Ryan January 20, 2019 Milestone Restaurant is redefining the idea of a neighborhood gathering spot offering made from scratch, simply prepared food with bold flavors and classic cocktails that are served up in a stylish yet understated setting. Drawing inspiration from the unique character of the area (the restaurant is on the site of a former lumber yard) owners Peter and Andi Fine aspire to do more than serve great food. The restaurant has been designed to be not only a welcoming gathering spot, but also to showcase fun and unique food events. (Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted!) Read More
"Maritime with a Twist:" Adult Play Time w/ SoNo Restaurants & Breweries @ The Maritime Aquarium (sponsored post) Features Events CTbites Team January 18, 2019 Save the Date for "Maritime with a Twist," an ADULT ONLY party hosted by the Maritime Aquarium on Thursday, February 7th from 6-9pm! The evening will feature the a great lineup of restaurants (view list below) from South Norwalk alongside local brew pubs and distilleries. This upbeat celebration for adults 21+ also allows guests to enjoy the Aquarium's newest attractions including the incredible expanded jellyfish area! Live jazz will be provided by The Damon Grant Project . Purchase tickets here: $40 ($35 for Aquarium members) Read More
Governor’s Inauguration Ball: A Festive Taste of Connecticut Features Events Kristin L. Wolfe January 17, 2019
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for Week of January 20-27 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 16, 2019 The Connecticut Real Ale Festival takes place on Sunday January 27 at Brewport in Bridgeport. All casks are prepared expressly for the Connecticut Real Ale Fest. Tickets are $45 and include entry, a collector’s glass, and two 5 oz. samples and two slices of Brewport’s famous pizza. On January 22, Amis Trattoria will host the distilling pros from local vodka company, Cylinder Vodka, for an interactive cocktail making and tasting class. On January 23, These Guys Brewing Company in Norwich hosts a Beer v. Wine Dinner. Owners Ray and Becka are pitted against one another to come up with the best pairing for each of the four courses to be served. The event lasts from 6-9pm and costs $80 per person. Oak Haven Table & Bar will hold a “2018 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection with Boss Hog & Michter's 20 Year” on January 24. Read More
Newtown's Maple Craft Works With Breweries & Distilleries To Make Award Winning Maple Syrup Ingredients Features Ingredients Local Artisan Local Farm Dessert Connecticut Magazine January 15, 2019 Connecticut Magazine features a great local vendor who skillfully combines maple syrup and local distilleries. When people try Maple Craft Foods’ bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup for the first time and taste the all-natural sweetness of the Vermont syrup layered with subtle smoke and caramel flavors imparted by aging in bourbon barrels, their reactions are often visceral, Dave Ackert says.Watching new fans “ooh” and “ah” their way through this tasting is the best part of the job for Ackert, who owns the Newtown-based company along with his wife Eve, father Paul, and friend Bill Begany, of Begany Design.Bourbon barrel maple is the company’s flagship product, and though it does not contain alcohol, it is the offspring of the burgeoning craft beer and distilling industries in Connecticut. Read More
Chef Billy Grant's Restaurant Bricco in West Hartford Still Tops The Lists Restaurant Italian West Hartford Hartford County Lunch Brunch Homepage Frank Cohen January 13, 2019 Some restaurants transcend time and location, destined to linger in collective memory for decades after their passing. From the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and ’OOs, Basel’s, Robert Henry’s, Roomba and Ibiza, respectively, are still fondly remembered by longtime New Haven residents. Of all the eateries currently operating in the foodie Mecca that is West Hartford, the one destined to linger longest in memory is probably Restaurant Bricco, which chef-owner Billy Grant opened in 1996 at the tender age of 29.Italian Restaurant Bricco is not Grant’s sole contribution to the Greater Hartford culinary landscape, however. Situated just around the corner in WeHa, Grants Restaurant & Bar, which opened in 2000, has tempted diners with a modern bistro ambiance, elevated American comfort food and spectacular dessert making, while Bricco Trattoria, which opened in Glastonbury in 2010 and has been a boon to the communities east of the Connecticut River, follows a blueprint similar to that of Restaurant Bricco. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events For Week of January 13-20 Features News even Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 11, 2019 The Schoolhouse invites you to a Pinot Noir wine dinner on Wednesday, January 16. Taste 5 elegant Pinot Noirs: one sparkling, 2 from leading producers on the West Coast, and 2 gems from France. The evening will be led by Tyler Colman, Ph. D.. who heads the wine program at their sister restaurant, Parlor Pizza. Thursday January 17 marks the Greater Hartford International Pinot Noir Festival in Hartford. Hosted by Max Downtown and sponsored by Gillette Ridge Wine and Spirits of Bloomfield, it takes place from 5:30-7:30pm. It is $45 per person. On January 14, Doro Restaurant Group hosts its first ever food crawl! Enjoy globally-inspired prix fixe menus at Treva, Zohara, and Àvert. It starts at 6:30pm. On January 17, Terrain Cafe will welcome relaxed and stylish cookbook author Colu Henry to celebrate her gorgeous new book, Back Pocket Pasta, over an amazing meal. Read More
Milkcraft Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream, Opening in New Haven in Spring! Restaurant New Haven Dessert ice cream Kid Friendly Opening CTbites Team January 10, 2019 From the made-to-order ice cream billowing with liquid nitrogen clouds and those crazy waffle-like Bubblecones, to the waiting line of people all abuzz and happy customers donning their blue cookie butter ice cream tongues, Milkcraft continues to make its mark on Connecticut’s local and adventurous food enthusiasts. The first Milkcraft opened in Fairfield in the spring of 2016, with a second location popping up in West Hartford one year later, and now a third location marks the brand’s 3-year anniversary with the addition of their soon-to-be-open New Haven locale. Read More
Guide To Healthy Eating in Connecticut 2019 Features healthy Best of CT Juice Bar Paleo Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Vegetarian Vegan Homepage April Guilbault January 09, 2019 80% of New Year’s resolutions don’t make it to February. Yeeks. Sorry. Not to start our 2019 Healthy Eating Guide off on a negative foot or anything. Are you determined, though, that this will be the year that you finally cut the junk, cut the excuses, and buckle down so you don’t have to move that ol’ belt buckle? We thought so and therefore, we’d like to give you a leg up on throwing that 80% statistic to the ground and showing it who is boss. When you surround yourself with the healthy stuff, it makes it easy to enjoy the healthy stuff, so that said, we’ve got a nice long list of inventive, delicious, inspiring spots that are serving up food that will help you cruise into February with your head held high. Read More
At Gaudí Tapas and Wine, Dreams Come True via CT Magazine Restaurant Spanish Tapas Opening Connecticut Magazine January 08, 2019 Connecticut Magazine recently sited Gaudi Tapas and Wine as one of their favorite restaurants for 2018. We thought you should take a look…and taste. Saray Ruiz saw something in the little house-like building off Route 37. The one with the small parking lot and everyday architecture. The one others drove by thousands of times without a second glance.I’m going to open a restaurant there one day, she’d tell her twin sister, Noemi Ruiz, and anyone else who would listen to her dream. “It’s not going to happen,” Noemi would say.At the time, a few years back, the spot was home to a Mexican restaurant. Saray had a feeling that would change and thought the cozy spot could host a restaurant inspired by her childhood in Lleida, a small town in the Catalonia region of Spain, within driving distance of Barcelona. This past fall, when she and her once-skeptical twin opened Gaudí Tapas and Wine, her dream became a reality.And what a dream it is. Read More
Chef Dan Kardos Opens Oar & Oak in Stratford...And It's Damn Good Restaurant American Stratford Lunch Burgers Cocktails Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick January 06, 2019 A few years after opening Liberty Rock Tavern in the Devon section of Milford, Chef Dan Kardos now has his sequel. A stone’s throw from Sikorsky—and 10 minutes from Liberty Rock—is Kardos’ new concept, Oar & Oak. For Stratford residents, there’s that “Oh, yeah…” moment, but if you’re not from around there, the restaurant’s name is a play on words—it’s in Stratford’s Oronoque neighborhood. Much like Liberty Rock, Oar & Oak is very much focused on the area’s locals. “I want it to grow slowly, and become a neighborhood hangout,” Kardos said. “It used to be the original Parker Eatery—a favorite around here—so we freshened it up and gave it a new look.” The woodwork, brick walls, hanging lights, and periwinkle/grey/white tones in the space contribute to Oar & Oak’s casual, come-as-you-are vibe. Read More
Eric Felitto of The Chelsea and The Tasty Yolk Conquers Chopped! Features Events Celebrity Chef Andrew Dominick January 05, 2019 Just before the holiday season, there was a loud roar in Downtown Fairfield, and it had nothing to do with townspeople getting set for a hiatus from work. The cheers and applause was all for local chef Eric Felitto, who crushed the competition on The Food Network’s popular show, Chopped.The at-capacity viewing party for Felitto’s episode was held at The Chelsea, where he has been the executive chef since mid-2013. At the screening, locals made noise for Felitto while watching him on a 100-inch projection screen, and they witnessed him cook to one of his strengths…breakfast. Read More
The 10 Best Places for Dessert in Connecticut via Best Things Connecticut Features Restaurant Best of CT Dessert Bakery Kid Friendly Homepage CTbites Team January 04, 2019 We just had to share this great article from Best Things Connecticut, highlighting the 10 Best Places for Dessert in Connecticut. It’s a solid list. Check it out. If you find yourself craving something sweet or really need to treat yourself after a tiring day, don’t worry as the Nutmeg State has numerous places to grab a decadent treat. Look at the glorious array of colorful baked goods behind the glass counters, place your order, and sink into a cozy spot to enjoy anything from cupcakes to Italian and French pastries to traditional German sweets. With a little cup of coffee or tea to balance out the sweet, you’ll sure be feeling refreshed in no time. Read More
