Food & Wine writer, David Landsel, has spent 2 years traveling the United States, studying the American coffee culture. His list of nearly 100 of the most essential cafes, coffee shops, and espresso bars in the United States, includes one very special spot in the Nutmeg state, Story and Soil, located in Hartford CT. Congrats on making the cut, and check out the full article in Food & Wine.
Let’s be real. Dining out is always a treat. You don’t have to clean up afterwards, and if you’re like me, the menu at almost ANY restaurant is going to surpass what’s going on in my own kitchen. However, if you’re a diner who appreciates experiencing the mind of chef who is executing dishes that are inspired by the season, an “aha” moment, or a desire to experiment, a Chef’s Tasting is the way to take dining to the next level.
It was with this in mind, that I attended Chef Carlos Baez’ monthly Chef’s Table Tasting Dinner, held on the last Thursday of every month at The Spread’s Greenwich location.
Downtown Stamford just received a jolt of caffeination with the grand opening of Winfield Street Coffee at The Ferguson Library.
This third branch of Winfield Street—Westport and Croton-on-Hudson are the other two—will serve up the goods that the brand has become known for under owner Breno Donatti, starting with expertly made lattes, cortados, espressos, cappuccinos, and high-quality drip using Counter Culture Coffee.
Other fanciness comes in the form of turmeric, charcoal, or matcha lattes, house-made strawberry oat or chocolate almonds “mylks,” healthy smoothies, or you can treat yourself to a cup of hot cocoa T.M.F. style with a heaping scoop of toasted marshmallow fluff on top.
Award-winning Chef and local business-owner Mike Pietrafeso is proud to announce the opening of his second Roost Kitchen + Coffee at Stamford Urby on Friday, Oct 25TH, located at 1 Greyrock Place (corner of Greyrock Pl. and Tresser Blvd.)
Roost Stamford will offer their signature scratch-made items, featuring locally sourced ingredients, in a seasonal menu and paired with locally roasted artisan coffee from Kestrel Coffee Roasters. Chef Pietrafeso and his team will offer an all-day experience for guests with made-to-order breakfast and lunch items, including toasts, oats and smoothies, and coming soon an evening offering with small plates, wine and beer. Guests can dine in at this location with 100 seats and plenty of space for local residents and professionals, or take items to-go with convenient parking on-site.
Have you heard the “buzz”? Sunday, September 29 is National Coffee Day, and CT is home to some great local coffee spots where you can celebrate. There's a lot of coffee in this state so we've divided our list into Fairfield County & Beyond Fairfield County. Did we miss one of your favorite spots? Please add it to the list in the comments sections or email us.
Here are 32 places that serve some of CT’s best java. One might even say they’re more than just your average “joe….”
Executive Chef of the Terrain Cafe brand, Jes Bengston, has just been appointed as the regional head chef for Westport’s Amis Trattoria, in addition to continuing her role at Terrain Café. She will oversee both restaurants (under the Urban Outfitters umbrella) in the CT region. To celebrate, she rolling out an exciting new Guest Chef Dinner Series: Friends + Neighbors.
Every Wednesday from Sept 25 through November 13 a new chef will bring their culinary POV by creating a menu of specials that fuses their style with the Italian flair of Amis. Diners can expect some creative dishes that push the boundaries of what can typically be found at Amis + an opportunity to rub elbows with both Jes and her chef friends. Check out the schedule below. This is gonna be fun people…
Hartford Baking Company announces a new location in Glastonbury! It's expansion time! Hartford Baking Company is delighted to announce that they will be adding a third retail location in January of 2020. The new cafe will be located at 400 Hebron Ave. in Glastonbury, CT, and will have the same vibe, menu, and bread selection of the two current West Hartford locations.
Downtown Cos Cob will be a lot sweeter with the much-anticipated grand opening of Chocoylatte Gourmet on Monday, July 8. The desserts & coffee shoppe, located at 121 E. Putnam Avenue will open its doors to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 11am.
Chocoylatte Gourmet will offer an array of handmade freshly baked desserts, cookies, pastries and assorted fine chocolates made with the finest ingredients available in the market. Every treat will be prepared from scratch, every day and handcrafted on-site. For those with dietary sensitivities, the desserts & coffee shoppe will also offer gluten-free and lactose-free goodies, and promises to maintain the same high-quality ingredients baked with thoughtfulness and care. Guests will also enjoy recipes containing less sugar, no trans fats, non-GMO ingredients, no preservatives, no chemicals, no artificial preservatives, no artificial sweeteners, and no artificial flavors.
Watching the chefs of the hit TV show “Chopped” scramble to cook up their finest creations while the clock ticks away is truly entertaining. But watching such a competition in real life takes the cake. While the Westport Farmers’ Market didn’t bring the cast, crew, and chefs of “Chopped” to downtown Westport, they did emulate the cook-off with their very own version: “The Chef at the Market Competition.” Here’s a recap of the first “Chef At The Market” throw down, but there are many more to come. Check out the schedule below.
Ed Freedman, Fairfield County’s passionate organic coffee roaster, and owner of the successful Shearwater Coffee Bar in the Brick Walk area of Fairfield, has announced the opening of a new location in Westport, on The Post Road. 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.
Winfield Street Coffee will open at The Ferguson Library this summer. The coffee shop, which will offer Counter Culture Coffee, Battenkill Milk and Hudson Valley Harvest produce along with other local products, will also serve fresh baked goods, their renown breakfast and lunch sandwiches, as well as salads. It will open in the former Starbucks space once renovations are complete, probably in mid-August.
Owner Breno Donatti also operates the Winfield Street Italian Deli in Westport and another Winfield Street Coffee at the Croton-Harmon train station in Croton-on-Hudson New York. He lives in Stamford with his family.
Bulk shopping isn’t exactly a new concept – we’ve been filling the trunks of our cars and SUVs with oversized products from those mammoth box stores for years. But bulk shopping that’s zero waste is something we don’t often see. BD Provisions, in Newtown, takes this familiar concept and gives it a breath of fresh air with a new, environmentally friendly spin.
Less is more, especially here. Less waste means more product which means greater savings and more fun, but you really need to head over to experience it yourself.
At BD Provisions you’ll find 270 carefully curated products sold by the pound in massive sustainable containers. Products range from dehydrated and powdered superfoods. You won’t want to pass by the creative, flavored rice, quinoa and soup blends that will enhance any weeknight dinner. Of course there are plenty of healthy snack options from the most beautifully colored wasabi coated soybeans, beautiful and delicious dried, crunchy beets, spicy chick peas, a wide selection of nuts both raw and flavored. Gorgeous beans and pastas. Beautiful aromatic spices, a generous selection of the most beautiful tea blends.
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.
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!
Fairfield County is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Which is why, with 2018 being proclaimed the Year of the Woman, we felt compelled to honor the pioneers among us.
Our series, “It’s A Woman’s World’ is devoted to Fairfield County female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.
How'd they do it? Read on. This week, we feature Kaline Capps, Executive Chef, Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant in Norwalk. Stay tuned to see who’s next. And feel free to send suggestions for your candidates to steph@ctbites.com.
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?
Fairfield County is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Which is why, with 2018 being proclaimed the Year of the Woman, we felt compelled to honor the pioneers among us.
Our series, “It’s A Woman’s World’ is devoted to Fairfield County female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.
How'd they do it? Read on. This week, we feature Jes Bengsten, Chef at Terrain Garden Café. Stay tuned to see who’s next. And feel free to send suggestions for your candidates to steph@ctbites.com.
One of our favorite chefs and a passionate supporter of the local CT food community, Jes Bengston, of Terrain Garden Café, will be cooking The James Beard House on August 6th. Nestled in the beachside town of Westport, Terrain is a luxury garden center that celebrates nature and all its bounty—including on the menu of its charming cafe. Join Jes Bengston, as she returns to the Beard House with her plant-based, homegrown harvest for a summer exploration of the best from southern Connecticut’s land and sea, paired with superb Napa-style wines from local Jonathan Edwards Winery. Ticket info here.
After 18 years of 80 hour weeks in the kitchen, Chef Geoff Lazlo needed a break. It’s what kids call “a gap year,” a sabbatical before taking on the next challenge in their lives. For Lazlo that time off would offer a chance to relax with his family, reassess his options, and realize his dreams.
Let’s start there, with the first of his fantasies.
Though he had worked with the likes of Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, Michael Anthony at Gramercy Tavern, Dan Barber at Stone Barns, and Bill Taibe at The Whelk, as well as running his own award-winning restaurant, the acclaimed Mill Street Bar and Table in Greenwich, Lazlo had always dreamed of cooking an elaborate feast at the James Beard House in New York City.
