Filtering by Tag: Pop-Up,Pizza

Coals Brings Grilled Pizza, Burgers, and Wings to Norwalk

Features Restaurant Openings Pizza Norwalk Chicken Wings Burgers beer Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Regulars of the Port Chester location of Coals Pizza got some bad news towards the end of 2020 when they announced December 30 would be their final day after eight years on N Main Street.

But in the case of Coals, when one location shuttered, another opened. In early February, they quietly debuted their third restaurant (their others are in Bronxville and Portland, Maine) in the former Fat Cat Pie Co. space in Norwalk.

According to Billy Etzel—who owns Coals along with Nick Restaino (whose wife, Blanca, steps in when he’s coaching baseball at Sacred Heart University), and Joe Rossi—opening in Norwalk was the plan way back when. “Nick lives in Norwalk and always kept his eyes open for a space and Fat Cat was available (after 16 years),” he says. “Way before we opened Port Chester, this was the first place we looked at before it was Fat Cat. Back then, we would have done what they did with wine and pizza.”

As far as why they left Port Chester, Etzel said it was a myriad of reasons including the redevelopment of the area where Coals PC occupied, plus the pandemic, but more so that it was time to move onto a new chapter.

Coals’ new chapter will only be new to those unfamiliar with what they became known for in the neighboring county, grilled pizza, wings, an award-winning burger, and a credible craft beer list.

“People know us because of the grilled pizza,” Etzel says. “What we do is food that most people consider simple food. We try to do it in the most ultimate way, and we put a lot of effort into that.”

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Pizza Bianca with Mushrooms and Bacon via Westport Farmers' Market

Features Recipe Pizza Recipe

CTbites Team

I have been making this dough for so long, I do not even remember where it came from. It has been my kids’ favorite since they were small, and it still is now that they are all grown up ;-). It is essentially foolproof, and takes no time to whip up. Because I wanted to represent as many vendors from The Westport Farmers’ Market as possible, and make it as close to a one-stop-shop recipe, I added some flour I had on hand from Kneads Bakery, and it worked. So this just goes to show…who says you can’t shop local + seasonal in the Northeast in March?!?

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Yes or No Morgan: Pop Up Immersion Mystery Dinner with Chef Tyler Anderson

Restaurant Features Pop-Up West Hartford Dinner & A Show Dinner Events

Kristin L. Wolfe

Just how many creative things have you accomplished or experienced this year? So you’ve become a wizard of Zoom, turned your living room into Studio 54, or maybe you’ve even become TikTok famous for your golden sourdough while being an accountant in your pajamas.

Good for you.

You have likely NOT, however, headed out your front door to the gorgeous doors of The Goodwin Hotel in Hartford to luxuriate in an evening of mystery over a dinner created by the talented, beloved Connecticut chef Tyler Anderson. Along with TheaterWorks and weHartford, you can now, in a VERY safe, nearly contactless manner, enjoy a 2-3 hour night out. Take a deep dive into clues and mystery in your own room, and marvel in a scrumptious three-course meal. All paying homage to Hartford, Wall Street financier J.P. Morgan, and the late 19th century as it comes back to life today.

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Marcia Selden Catering & Pop-Up Bagels Team Up For Epic Weekend Bagel Brunch

Features Ingredients Pop-Up Bagels Caterers Stamford Westport Breakfast Brunch Homepage

Stephanie Webster

We love it when two of our favorite food brands team up for a pop-up that involves delicious carb-loaded brunch fare. You may have heard me sing some praise for Adam Goldberg and his ridiculously tasty Pop-Up Bagels. Well, he has found a new regular Stamford pop-up location and dedicated cooking team with Marcia Selden Catering. Last weekend, CTbites got the chance to tag along for some bagel making fun. And, don’t worry…if you missed this past week’s pop-up event, mark your calendars for March 6th, and follow @popupbagels for notifications because these bagels sell out QUICKLY!

So, here’s how this bagel making and baking went down.

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Badass Bagels: A Pandemic Pivot Yields Wild Yeast Bagels At Sugar & Olives in Norwalk

Features Restaurant Bagels Pop-Up Breakfast Carbs Take Out Norwalk Homepage

Amy Kundrat

If in times of crisis we tend to go back to our roots, then in times of pandemic I suppose it’s only fitting we reach back to our biblical roots. Sourdough may have been discovered by the ancient Egyptians but it has been perfected by Jennifer Balin of Sugar & Olives in the form of Badass Bagels.

These naturally leavened bagels have a light crunch on the outside, light as air and chewy with a slight tang on the inside. Badass Bagels come in six varieties, including sesame, poppy, smoked sea salt, everything, caraway, and plain, as well as an offering of unique cream cheese flavors including green goddess and pimento scallion—these sourdough bagels may become your new weekend obsession.

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Tony Pizza Napolitano: A Pop-Up Worth Popping By

Restaurant Features Pop-Up Pizza Weston Easton Homepage

Andrew Dominick

How’s this for a hidden gem pizza pop-up?

You follow Tony Pizza Napolitano on Facebook. You wait for a post with a schedule and menu—it usually posts by midday on Monday. Days and times typically read something like, “Silverman’s Farm on Wednesdays, the Norfield Grange in Weston on Thursdays and Fridays, 4 – 7 p.m. for all three days.”

But that’s not written in stone. It’s wise to check the weekly posts to make sure. If pizza strikes your fancy on Silverman’s days, just show up. If you’re a Thursday or Friday pizza person, you have to direct message the Facebook account to work out and confirm a time slot. No advance orders necessary, you can do that when you arrive. Cash is preferred but Venmo is OK, too.

There it is. All laid out for you. Easy-peasy, right?

Good.

But who is this “Tony,” anyway?

The “Tony” in question is Anthony Kesselmark. He has been a Weston resident for a decade and counting, and he previously owned a few restaurants in Dutchess County, a burger joint in Poughkeepsie and a few pizzerias in that area, one of which was Pizza & Stuff in Beacon.

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Marygold’s on Main Opens in Newtown From Chef Neugold of The Foundry Kitchen & Bar

Restaurant Newtown Openings American Pizza Cocktails Seafood Oysters

Kristin L. Wolfe

Walking along Newtown’s Main Street has always felt like stepping back in time. From dark painted Colonials with bright colored doors to a classic, yellow Federal house or the more decorative Queen Anne, you know every home has a story and the spirits of the town’s past are within reach. And, like the best pieces of historical fiction, Marigold’s on Main gives us a sense of two worlds. There’s something so exhilarating about being inside a place that has been revived from the past. Time stands still in the middle of yesterday and today. The space feels at once old and new; and, although there are thoughtful nods to another time on the menu, it is as inventive and fresh as you’d hope a new place would be. Not to mention, with Chef Clark Neugold at the helm, you know as worlds collide, he’ll still invent something that stands on its own.

Run by Chef Neugold and his wife Kate, of Foundry Kitchen & Tavern, and barely a mile down the road in Sandy Hook (see CTbites Feb 2019 for info), they know a thing or two or three about breathing new life into an old space. And, despite the setbacks Covid has undoubtedly thrust upon the industry, Marygold’s is off to a successful start. Alongside Chef Neugold, Derek Kustanbauter as Chef de Cuisine, and Steve Roth as Sous Chef, the team has brought forth a menu Connecticut diners will surely want to try.

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Mediterranean Favorite, Basso Restaurant & Wine Bar, Opens In Westport TODAY

Restaurant Openings Westport Mediterranean Italian Pizza Spanish Venezuelan Comfort Food

Stephanie Webster

Chef Renato Donzelli, owner of Basso Restaurant & Wine Bar, has moved his longtime favorite Norwalk spot to Westport, CT. Basso opens his doors today in the beautiful two story building that once housed Matsu Sushi on Jesup Road. A loyal following, very favorable word of mouth, and a consistently excellent Mediterranean menu made Basso a huge success, and a neighborhood hangout for 13 years, so why Westport? Donzelli has had his eye on this restaurant friendly town for some time, but most importantly, he wanted to expand his dining capacity, and add al fresco dining to the menu. The new location boasts all of the above in addition to a wood fired pizza oven where Donzelli can now incorporate his family’s Neapolitan pizza recipes to his cooking repertoire. After tasting The Stallion Pizza last night at the soft opening, featuring Spanish chorizo, spicy sofrito, mozzarella, and fresh basil, I can say with great certainty, that I too am happy Donzelli found a new home where his dreams can be realized.

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BAR New Haven & Bear's Smokehouse Partner Up for NEW Brisket Pizza, Launching TODAY

Features Restaurant Pizza New Haven New Haven Pizza BBQ News Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

It’s official. It has now been scientifically proven that pizza does in fact bring unbridled joy and happiness upon all who partake. You can thank me for the revelation later. In the meantime get your asses over to BAR for their brand new seasonal pie, which might just knock your jingly socks and ugly Christmas sweater right off.

In what might be the best late-2020-collab since Bieber and Mendes’ “Monster,” BAR and Bears’ Smokehouse BBQ had a baby that you’ve got to try: Brisket Pizza featuring Bear’s BBQ brisket and Kansas City Sauce. White, mozzarella, Cheddar, Brisket, BBQ sauce, jalapeño, red onion and cilantro. Take a minute to read that again and focus on every ingredient. I’m sorry, but it is just down right sexy. Not any one ingredient overpowers the next, but all shine through like a little dance in your mouth. Wash it down with BAR’s own Highland Outlaw and your holiday has been made.

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Bailey’s Backyard is Making Wood-Fired Pizza....And It's Delicious

Restaurant Features Ridgefield Pop-Up Pizza Homepage

Andrew Dominick

After celebrating 21 years of serving the freshest, local, seasonal menu they can come up with, Bailey’s Backyard is switching it up.

Oh, don’t worry, one of Connecticut’s originators in farm-to-table fare will still be doing that.

Sorry for the scare. I had to get your attention somehow, didn’t I?

Bailey’s, however, is doing something new. They’re making pizza.

Past all the outdoor seating that stretches from Bailey Avenue to an outdoor tent by the rear parking lot there’s a custom-made Forza Forni wood-fired oven burning at 800° or higher.

In front of said oven you’ll find pizzaiolo Frank Candullo, who has been in the business for “about 15 years.” Along the way, Candullo has worked in a few parlors, including Victoria’s Wood Fired Pizzeria in Bethel and he has made countless pies in his own backyard for friends and family.

How Candullo ended up slinging pies at Bailey’s is simple. He’s really tight with Bailey’s owner Sal Bagliavio.

“Our kids went to school together and we became good friends,” Bagliavio says. “Frank has been making pizza in his backyard for years and he always has a bunch of us over. We’d joke around back in the day that we should open a pizza place together. In fact, I owned Alphonso’s in Danbury for 2-3 years before I opened Bailey’s.”

Combine the “what ifs” with a pandemic and pizza became a reality. Bagliavio mentioned that after he had to close the restaurant for a few months and geared Bailey’s more towards takeout. Pizza, he said, was the perfect pandemic pivot to offer as a standalone or you can mix and match with Bailey’s dinner menu.

To prepare, Bagliavio and Candullo did some serious dough research. “We spent two days at Forza Forni in Brewster perfecting the recipe,” Bagliavio says. “I think we ate like 75 pizzas!”

The result of what they learned at Forza Forni is a dough made up of all-natural flour, water, salt, and yeast, free of any chemicals or additives. It’s then left to cold ferment for 48 hours.

If you’re thinking wood-fired Neapolitan after Candullo is done spinning it, you’re half right. Bagliavio calls it a hybrid. “It’s like a cross between Neapolitan and New Haven,” he says. “It’s got a char, a thin crust, and a puffy edge. It’s light.”

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Rice & Beans Food Truck Owner Opens Bottega Italian Kitchen + Bar in Bethel

Features Restaurant Italian Pizza Cocktails Bethel Homepage

Andrew Dominick

About a year ago, while having a few beers at Decadent Ales, I was formally introduced to Jasson Arias, the owner of the popular Rice & Beans food truck. It was there that I got in on a conversation between he and Chris Gonzalez of Hapa Food Truck. Arias talked about wanting to take that next step in the food industry and open a physical restaurant.

Fast forward to now. Arias has graduated from food truck to brick-and-mortar with his newest venture, Bottega Wood Fired Kitchen + Bar.

Bottega, though, is a completely different concept than the delicious, photogenic bowls Arias has become known for. Bottega, translated from Italian to English, means shop, and at this “shop” they’re firing up Neapolitan style pizza along with reimagined Italian classics, and they made damn sure the bar program wouldn’t be an afterthought.

How Arias got here from that chat at a brewery all those months ago isn’t that crazy of a story. “It’s not as complicated as it might seem,” he says. “The space was open. It used to be a wood-fired concept as well, but it was more traditional.”

The space he’s talking about used to be the Rizzuto’s Italian Restaurant & Bar in Bethel.

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Nibble: Tasty CT Food News & Events for September 27-October 14

Features Events Events News Pop-Up

Stephanie Webster

On October 1st, Letizia’s Pizza is bringing back their “Gertie’s Pie of Hope",” a Mac & Cheese Pizza, sold throughout October with 100% of proceeds going to @makingstrides203, The American Cancer Society.

Looking for a fun outdoor, possibly boozy activity? Elm City Party Bike tours (@elmcitypartybike) is New England’s first pedaled sightseeing & party bike taking you on bar crawls and history tours in New Haven.

bartaco is now offering delivery of its fan favorites to New Haven. Delivery of taco packs, family packs, margarita mix, and many other popular items such as guacamole and chicken empanadas, will all be available for the first time to New Haven via Uber Eats and Door Dash from 11:30am – 9pm daily.

Vita Pasta Lab & Westport Continuing Education host a series of 5 Online Kids Cooking Classes for grades 6-12, starting Sept 23rd-October 23. . Learn Italian recipes that are hand-made, healthy and delicious + everyone enjoys a great meal afterwards. Sign up here.

RISE DOUGHNUTS pop-up with “pitmaster” Hugh Mangum of Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, has officially moved to The Schoolhouse at Cannondale in Wilton. Get his epic fritters and doughnuts every Sunday at 8AM till they sell out!

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RISE Doughnuts: Pitmaster Hugh Mangum is Making Donuts in Wilton

Features Restaurant Wilton donuts Homepage Hugh Mangum Openings Pop-Up Dessert Breakfast

Andrew Dominick

At quarter to midnight on a Saturday in Wilton, the town is pitch black except for the glimmer of light coming from Tim LaBant’s Parlor. Ovens are off, they’re not making pizza, and the doors are locked. It’s where you’ll find Hugh Mangum, the owner of Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue, former Chopped champion, a Jean-Georges alum, frequent judge on Beat Bobby Flay and Fire Masters, and, well, you get the idea. Mangum is beginning a sleepless overnight shift where he’s doing the opposite of what he’s known for, if making donuts and fritters for a Sunday morning pop-up is the opposite of smoking meat.

Mangum’s late-night workshop is a necessary one. He’s got lots of donut dough to make, bowls of homemade curds, creams, and glazes need to be whipped up, and fritters require a folding of buttery, cinnamony, sugary Granny Smiths.

Later, Mangum will be joined by his wife, Laura, and his sons Lucas and Henry. While Hugh fries and fills hundreds of donuts in the back, Laura is up front submerging fritters in glaze and coating donuts with fruit-infused sugars. Lucas and Henry are also hands on, expediting and fulfilling customers’ orders for half dozens and dozens.

The line at this point isn’t only a few early birds. When 8 a.m. sales begin, there’s a line wrapped around that side of the shopping center that goes all the way to the back with eager donut fans awaiting freshly made donuts and piping hot fritters, just dunked in brown butter vanilla bean glaze.

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Saugatuck Grain & Grape Pop-Up Store Opens in Westport to Pay It Forward

Features WIne Spirits Wine Shop Specialty Market Liquor Shopping Westport Openings Pop-Up

Stephanie Webster

For those of us who shop or live in the Westport area, you could hear a communal groan of sadness when Saugatuck Grain & Grape closed up shop by the train station in 2018. It was audible. Owner, Mimi McLaughlin ran her small boutique wine and spirits shop like a family, and every time you walked in that door, she taught you something, or opened your eyes to something new. Shoppers walked out excited about a new small producer wine label, a local distiller they’d never heard of…or a cocktail, made perfectly. Her passion and knowledge of all things “grain and grape” created a brand that took her love of educating the consumer and made her a leader in her field.

Fast forward to 2020 and…wait for it…Mimi is back. Last week she opened a Saugatuck Grain & Grape pop-up location at 1460 Post Road East. You can still lean on her for that perfect red wine recommendation, but it’s different this time around. McLaughin says ”I am back because I came to a realization during quarantine, that what I really want to do, is support the local community, those who need it most.” She has put her money where her mouth is, as SG&G is giving 15% of ALL SALES to local charitable organizations.

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Pizza for a Good Cause: Letizia’s Pizza Creates Specialty Pies for Two Local Charities

Restaurant Events Pizza Norwalk Letizia's Pizza charity

Andrew Dominick

Letizia’s Pizza is no stranger to helping out local charities. It’s a simple win-win concept; buy a specialty pizza, devour it, and ALL the proceeds from each pie sold are donated to a good cause.

This September, Letizia’s brought back their taco pizza to benefit Filling in the Blanks, a charity that’s geared towards fighting childhood hunger by providing children with meals on the weekends.

Partnering with charities is something Letizia’s owners Dennis Letizia, Dave Cook, and Danny Segers say they’ll always be a part of. “It’s our way to give back,” Segers says. “Our community is so supportive of us whenever we ask, so when we find local charities like Filling in the Blanks and see all the hard work, they put in to end childhood hunger, we’re ecstatic to help.”

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Da Legna Opens Da Legna x Nolo: Restaurant & Brewery

Restaurant New Haven Brewery Beer CT Beer Pizza Openings Lunch Homepage

James Gribbon

If you've ever held one of those “I [pizza] New Haven” shirts in your covetous gaze, here's where to get one. There's your first bit of info in this story. Finding this place isn't difficult, it's right next to the entrance to I-91 on State St. in New Haven. That parts are easy. Finding out about Da Legna x Nolo is a bit more of a story. Thankfully, it involves pizza and drinks, and I'm here to tell you the whole thing.

You may already be familiar with Da Legna's earlier space, located farther down State Street's restaurant row, and separating itself from the scrum of the Elm City's pizza scene by focusing on creative, sourdough based pies inside a setting designed in a recent century. Seating space and parking were issues at the former spot, so when owner Derek Bacon and chef Dan Parillo spotted the old Jet Cleaners space (probably the only laundromat to be designed by a famous architect) open up down the street, they jumped on it.

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Pepe’s Fresh Tomato Pie is Back in Restaurants for the Summer

Restaurant Features Pizza Pepe's Limited Time Delivery Take Out

CTbites Team

Beginning on Wednesday, July 1, world-famous New Haven, Connecticut-based Frank Pepe Pizzeria will be serving up their seasonal Fresh Tomato Pie again for a limited time at all Pepe’s restaurants. For the 12th summer in a row, the famous pizza will be offered July through September at each of the restaurant’s locations in New Haven, Fairfield, Manchester, Danbury, Waterbury, West Hartford and Uncasville (Mohegan Sun).

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Takeout Chronicles: Joe’s Pizza, bartaco, Cafe Silvium, & Twelve Percent Beer Project

Restaurant Take Out To-Go New Canaan Mexican Tacos bartaco beer ct beer homepage Pizza

Andrew Dominick

As some Connecticut restaurants begin the slow process of reopening with outdoor dining, you’ll either rush right out, ease back into it, or wait a bit longer when it comes to reintroducing yourself to your favorite eateries based on your level of comfort. Regardless of where you stand, it’s a safe bet that your dining repertoire will still include takeout.

With that said, and on the heels of James Gribbon’s takeout picks, I’ve got a bunch worth checking out.

At the very beginning of quarantine, one of my first orders came from an oldie. Joe’s Pizza has been open since 1967, almost two decades before I was born. I’ve actually had my entire life to try it, but here I am in 2020, a Joe’s newbie.

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