Mother’s Day is Sunday May 10th, and extra challenging times call for extra special celebrations. Connecticut restaurants will help you treat Mom to a wonderful day with pick-up and delivery brunches, lunches, dinners, chocolates, desserts… and even spa treatment and flower add-ons!
Check out our list of 50+ CT Restaurants and Caterers for Mother’s Day 2020.
"Piri piri" just means "pepper" in the related languages of sub-Saharan Africa, and you may have had piri piri sauce from a bottle, or used the specific variety under its English name, Bird's Eye Peppers, but the Portuguese found it in Mozambique. The flavor-cultural export found its way into the culinary world of Portugal and took hold the way curries have permeated the U.K. The Vilarinho family of restaurateurs from Porto Cancais outside Lisbon saw an opportunity here, and opened their first Chicken Piri Piri in America about ten years ago. Their newest location is a little storefront by Paradise Green in Stratford. CTBites recently stopped by for lunch, and here's what we found at Chicken Piri Piri Portuguese BBQ.
With successful locations in Old Saybrook, Mystic and Noank,Mystic Market traveled down the coast to Fairfield County and recently opened its doors in Westport on Charles Street, not too far from the train station. The spacious interior features reclaimed lumber, steel and white subway tile which give it an airy, modern urban vibe. The eatery specializes in gourmet, ready to go pre-prepared meals all which are made in-house. For those preferring not to eat on the road, a generously sized café space offers a welcoming environment to for friends to meet up for a cup of coffee and a delicious, warm, freshly baked sweet treat.
Shake Shack released their brand new Chick’n Bites nationwide on March 1st, and so far they’ve proven to be an incredibly popular menu item. But don’t call them nuggets! Customers refer to them as chicken nuggets, which implies that the meat is grotesquely blended and not 100% chicken. Shake Shack purposefully diverged from this label and meat process to brand their bites as a cleaner, more pure option.
I was very interested in the testing process of the Chick’n Bites. I spoke with Mike Maver, the General Manager of the Westport location, who gave me some insight into the Shake Shack lab located on the lower west side of Manhattan. The Shake Shack culinary team brainstorms recipes for the Chick’n Bites and guest chefs come in to give their two cents. The team sells different versions to consumers and then receives feedback. After a long drumroll, the Chick’n Bites are finally here.
If you follow Fortina Pizza or chef/owner Christian Petroni on Instagram, chances are you thought about hitting that “skip a shipment” in your Blue Apron settings for something a little more local and a lot more restaurant quality.
Petroni’s wood-fired restaurants known for their Neapolitan pizza, pasta dishes, and tasty Bronx Italian grub just got in the meal kit game in the middle of February when they launched Fortina At Home.
The breakfast/sandwich/grill/grocery place had been around since 1926. It served nearby residents, Staples and Bedford students, and plenty of landscapers and workers nearby or passing through. But it was a non-conforming use, in a residential area. Now it was shut. These things don’t usually end well. Fortunately, this one does.
Chef’s Table is moving in. Rich Herzfeld will pick up right where John Hooper left off.
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.
Lately, I’ve heard a lot about Blackie’s Hot Dog Stand, a roadside dive that’s been open for 90 years and counting. Blackie’s came up in casual conversation twice; the founder of this site, Stephanie Webster, heard about it from a friend, then a friend of mine mentioned it. Shortly thereafter, Visit Connecticut posted a list of “8 Classic Summer Drive-Ins” with Blackie’s being one of the featured haunts. Well, now I had to check it out. That’s no coincidence, that’s a sign!
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.
Chef Brian Lewis’ latest restaurant offering Japanese inspired cuisine in the historic Vigilant Hose Company Firehouse at 6 Wilton Road in Westport, Connecticut, is launching weekday lunch service and to-go options on Wednesday, November 7.
Lunch will be available Wednesday – Friday from 11:30am-2:30pm and will feature a daily lunch-specific menu for this new service. Options will include Hand Rolls, Bento Boxes, Nigiri Sushi meals featuring 5x pieces of Nigiri Sushi, Sashimi meals featuring Chirashi Sushi, Sashimi Moriawase or Spicy Tuna Sashimi OKO poke, as well as favorites from the dinner menu.
The delicacy of Hawaiian fast casual poké has finally made its way to Connecticut at the new Pokémoto, now open in New Haven, Hamden, Fairfield, & Norwalk. The fresh, sushi-grade fish, in addition to tofu and chicken options, is offered in an assortment of ways with a multitude of toppings and marinades from which to choose.
I recently visited Pokémoto’s Fairfield location to try the savory bowls and enjoyed the revamped space showcasing colorful fish, fruit, and vegetables aplenty. The offerings were laid out both simply and beautifully, allowing guests to either select from Signature Bowls or create their perfect mix of flavors in a customized entrée. Poké can be enjoyed in three formats: A poké bowl over rice, a wrap nestled in a sheet of roasted Nori, or over a salad.
Chef Matt Storch is at it again, this time with a concept that waxes nostalgic to his humble beginnings in the kitchen of the much loved Tex-Mex joint, "Tacos Or What?" in Westport. Tacos Or What was the local spot where Storch learned to love the business of food, and now, Match Taco is his latest venture going into the Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport.
Storch plans to get back to his roots (yes, his grandma actually owned a restaurant in Mexico City) and get his hands into some serious tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas...all the Tex-Mex food you could want. Additionally Match Taco will be filling those weekend morning comfort food cravings with a full menu of breakfast sandwiches. Intrigued? Read on...
One of the best parts about being on the road in the summer in Connecticut is stopping at a drive-in for a quick but tasty meal. The state has many such spots, but here are 8 of the most tried and true.
Sea Swirl, Mystic: It's easy to spot Sea Swirl as the former Carvel location, but the focus now is on fried seafood, especially clams, scallops, and oysters.
The Sycamore, Bethel: Known for its steak burgers and homemade root beer, as well as its carhops and 1950's ambiance. Be sure to check out their web site for cruise nights and and other special events.
Harry's Place, Colchester: Looking for a real juicy burger? Harry's shapes its patties into a ball, puts them on a grill, and then gradually flattens them with a spatula. The results have brought customers back every summer for decades.
I can admit when I have a problem. Connecticut has several great food trucks, and I social media stalk a bunch of them. The addiction is obviously the food, then there’s this game of being able to track down the truck or trucks in question. Will I be free? Where will the truck be? What time? And for how long will they be there?
One that I played cat and mouse with recently was The Colombian Hot Dog, a mobile trailer that specializes in Colombian fast food. They were put on my radar by a local photographer friend who spent some time shooting The Colombian Hot Dog crew in action one summer night. He suggested I check them out, but it took a while since the truck is only parked in Norwalk one night per week.
Author Michael Lee-Murphy from Connecticut Magazine shares a great Vietnamese find in Hartford, Banh Meee.
Dung “G” Tran says, “Three years ago, I didn’t know how to cook.” Really? His menu at the new Banh Meee Vietnamese restaurant on Capitol Avenue in Hartford sure doesn’t taste like it.
Tran says he taught himself how to cook by watching YouTube tutorials and adding his own modern spin on traditional Vietnamese cooking. After operating for a few months as a food truck, Tran moved into the space made available by GoldBurgers’ closing of its Hartford location late last year.
Born to Vietnamese parents in San Bernardino, California, Tran says his parents sent him and his siblings to New England as youngsters to, as he puts it, avoid the gang violence of the area. Tran worked in insurance in Windsor for several years before launching himself into the food business.
Barbacoa Smokehouse is one of the most recent restaurants to grace the Fairfield food scene. The smokehouse marries modern technology with a rustic and relaxed setting. Kiosks replace waiters, though Ambassadors are on hand to help and answer any questions you may have.
So how does a restaurant with no menu yet tons of options work? The idea is that each customer can create something unique. Certain to appeal to Millennials and Gen Z-ers, this digital-age friendly way of ordering your food is incredibly easy to use. If you can get cash from an ATM, you can order your meal! The touch screen computer guides you through the process quickly and seamlessly in four easy steps.
After seven years in business, it feels like it's about time to celebrate one of the old school CT food trucks, Weenie Lynn's. Weenie's is a family-owned & operated hot dog and specialty sandwich truck that has been serving the local food scene since spring of 2011. The truck is based in Danbury CT, but they are more than happy to bring their delicious dogs (and five kids) all over the tri state area...and they do. Weenie's serve two sizes of 100% All-Beef Hot Dogs (over 20 toppings & condiments), as well as Bratwurst, Kielbasa, and fresh-cut (never frozen) french fries, They also feature an ever growing menu of delicious sandwiches, many of them riffs off the classic grilled cheese.
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.
Recently, we told you about over 50 food trucks traveling the streets of Fairfield County. Mobile eats are taking over the state though, with trucks and carts serving New Haven, Hartford, and beyond! Here are over 80 trucks serving everything from Mexican to Vietnamese to BBQ!
Skyscraper Sandwiches, Glastonbury: Skyscraper Sandwich Truck serves massive sandwiches stacked high like skyscrapers! It's no wonder they earned top honors from the CTNOW Best of Hartford Readers Poll in 2018.
Mamoun’s Falafel Cart, New Haven:Mamoun's Falafel got its start in Greenwich Village in New York City. Now, its cart serves Middletown and the surrounding areas. Find their latest stops on their facebook page.
Mercado, Glastonbury: A Span-ish inspired truck featuring local ingredients and full service catering, Mercado is owned by Roy and Heather, a husband a wife team, who set out to make their hobby a reality.
Ricky D’s Rib Shack, New Haven: Ribs! Pulled pork! Brisket! Ricky D's will bring their smoker and BBQ on the road and roll up to your next event.
Tacos Los Michoacanos, New Haven: Tacos Los Michoacanos is a fleet of Food Trucks that are based out of New Haven offering Mexican fare.
Thai Taste, New Haven: Thai Taste Food Truck opened in January 2018! Find them on York Street in New Haven.
Pork Friends and Company, Meriden: Pork Friends and Company is Latin fusion at its tastiest! Their background is Spanish, but they draw influence from around the globe.
Cado’s Egg Truck, Trumbull: Cados egg truck serves up a unique spin on breakfast in Trumbull.
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, the nation’s largest and fastest growing New York pizza concept, has signed a multi-unit franchise deal to bring its larger than life slices and whole pies to the greater Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut areas. Franchisee Matthew Rusconi is looking to open the first location by year’s end and is actively scouting real estate opportunities in Hartford County, New Haven, Middletown, and Cromwell.
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, founded in 2008 by cousins and best friends Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, specializes in serving authentic New York slices in a fast casual setting, but without the conveyor belt oven. The concept’s massive slices and whole pies, which have been named the ‘Best Pizza’ by The NY Post and one of the ‘Top 5 Slices in the Boroughs’ by CBS New York, range from the traditionally-topped to the more eccentric.
