Years of drinking bland and commonplace cups of coffee began to take a toll on Connecticut natives and founders of RISE Brewing Co., Hudson Gaines-Ross, Grant Gyesky, Jarrett McGovern, and Justin Weinstein. In 2014, they decided to take matters in their own hands by hitting the drawing board in their New York City apartments. Bean after bean, one roast and cold-brewing method after another, they finally created a cold brew coffee, making them the founders of RISE Brewing Company. Traversing the concrete jungle with their product, they asked experienced mixologists if it was the real deal. One day, in a Brooklyn café, the espresso machine broke; RISE cold brew came to the rescue, and was a hit amongst the customers. The product became available for purchase in July of 2017.
Welcome to the neighborhood SoNo Baking Company. We’re awfully glad you’re here! (Though my waistline may beg to differ.)
SoNo Baking Company & Café officially opened its doors on Pequot Avenue in Southport today. Behind the glass display cases a beautiful array of cookies, tarts, pastries, cakes, and croissants all neatly arranged all ready to be purchased. Trays filled with delectable treats, fresh out of oven, were stacked and cooling. Brand new coffee and espresso machines glistened along the back wall.
It’s a known fact that Italians love their pasta. It’s also a known fact that they eat it regularly and yet it seems to be something we have become fearful of. As I sit down to write this I remember a popular commercial from my youth. In the North End of Boston, a dark haired Italian woman leans out of her window and beckons her son to come home. “Anthony!” she shouted, and he came running home – but only on Wednesdays, for Wednesday was Prince Spaghetti Day! Today fad diets implore us to eat gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, carb-free, fat-free, etc. Enter Il Pastaficio, handmade pasta, in Cos Cob. Within weeks of opening locals have been rethinking and enjoying this Italian favorite. The reason is simple – as simple as their ingredients.
Il Pastaficio is unique in its offering of pastas made from natural and antique grains that are rich on minerals, salts and vitamins. This pasta, as a result, is lighter, easier to digest and has a lower glycemic level than the glutinous versions we’ve come to know. Their pastas are made from organic legume flours (such as chickpea) rich in protein and completely additive-free. As a result, Pastaficio pastas are easier to digest.
When temperatures plummet, it’s the perfect time to warm up with a piping hot cup of joe! These shops, restaurants, and markets serve up some of Connecticut’s best java, from espresso to cups to iced options. Be sure to check out the pastries and other eats, too!
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 betweenVault Coffee and Deviant Donuts. Truly, what is better than a perfect pairing of coffee and doughnuts on a lazy weekend morning?
Earlier this summer, husband and wife team, Cristina Ramirez and Mario Lopez along with brother Jaime opened Bianco Rosso’s newest location, in Trumbull, to eager diners. Noted Chef David White (most recently of Vespa, Westport) was brought on to oversee all culinary matters and is joined by award-winning Pastry Chef Susanne Berne where the two have joined forces to create a delectable menu. Acclaimed Mixologist Jaime Johel oversees the creative specialty cocktail menu. The energetic restaurant opened to rave reviews. We had the opportunity to visit the new restaurant last week and sample some of Chef White’s culinary prowess.
Just over a year ago, Bar Sugo quietly changed hands. Change, even if it happens slightly under-the-radar, can be either good or bad, but in Bar Sugo’s case, change is reinvigorating. I’m reluctant to say something like, “Bar Sugo is back!” because the reality is, it never left, it’s just kind of different.
In this case, different is good, and this is an appropriate time for Bar Sugo’s reintroduction. Bar Sugo’s newness starts with its new owner, Adam Roytman. Some of you might know Adam as a former partner at Walrus + Carpenter and Rothbard Ale + Larder. At each, he was the opening day head chef, and chances are you saw him occasionally tending bar as well. Dubbing him a jack-of-all-trades restaurant guy is a proper description.
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
Step inside the former Chester Savings Bank and you’ll find a wealth of treasures. Not from the vault—they’ve got designs on that for a private dining area, actually. The richness of what’s fresh, local and unique is coming straight from the heart and kitchen of Chef Joel Gargano. With his wife and partner, Lani, together, they’ve brought his vision to life in twelve short weeks. “It’s all been up here—in my head—for years,” Joel said.
In his younger 20s, when Joel Gargano dreamed of owning a restaurant someday, he kept telling himself, “I’m never gonna open an Italian restaurant. The last thing Connecticut needs is another Italian restaurant.” But luckily, as he learned more about food, he changed his mind. Because Grano Arso is Italian food as it’s meant to be-- true to the chef’s philosophy—and that of Italian food, in general: fresh ingredients, a menu to change with the seasons, not making it fussy. And you can take that to the bank.
He’s been “handling dough” since he was thirteen, when he joined his dad at Castellon Brothers Bakery in Branford. “I would work the night shift with my dad on Saturday nights and wash dishes after school. I learned a lot with my dad.
Dare I say they have some of the best freshly made pasta in the state? Yes! I’ll tell anyone who asks — Paul’s Pasta serves my favorite pasta dishes in Connecticut. This family-owned pasta shop is nearly as old as I am, and I have two decades of experience dining at Paul’s Pasta to share with you in this review.
If the tell-tale sign of a great restaurant is a crowded establishment with smiling customers eating with gusto, then Paul’s Pasta is definitely one of the best in the state. When coming during the height of mealtimes, Paul’s Pasta always has a waiting list, but this shouldn’t dissuade visitors — turnaround times are generally not substantial and the wait is always worth it. Reservations are not accepted.
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.
This week Chef/Restaurateur Vinicio Llanos of the popular Arezzo Ristorante & Wine Bar located alongside the tranquil Saugatuck River in Westport, CT, introduced his newest CT venture, Le Madri, to the town of Bethel. This family owned and operated restaurant, bar, and event venue features rustic Italian cuisine set in an open and contemporary space with panoramic views of a bustling town.
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.”
If you’re in the market for the market of markets, well - A & S Italian Fine Foods could be the market of your dreams. Owner and head chef, Albert Pizzirusso and his wife Patricia opened their latest, Italian, Fine Foods establishment late last summer and have been purveying first class fare ever since. Along with their business partner, Erik Cohen, the Pizzirussos are working their 3rd A & S market, located conveniently on the Westport/Norwalk border, very close to Whole Foods. (The other locations include a storefront in Stamford - run by Cohen and 2 out of 3 Carcomo brothers - and a previously owned A & S deli in Norwalk.) Why shop here? ‘Cuz the food is outstanding - ‘nuff said. But naturally, I’ll say more...
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.
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.
