Filtering by Tag: Lunch,Pizza

Sally’s Apizza Opens in Stamford: A Pictorial First Look

Restaurant Features Sally's Apizza Stamford New Haven New Haven Pizza Pizza Cocktails Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Let’s just get right to it.

The legendary Sally’s Apizza expanding outside of Wooster Street is a pretty big freaking deal.

Yeah, yeah. We know. You like (INSERT YOUR FAVORITE NEW HAVEN PIZZA JOINT HERE) better. Or you’ll have a snarky comment to leave that’s along the lines of “Sally’s New Haven is better!” or “I’m done because they sold out!”

Don’t care.

We don’t even need to dive into the history of Sally’s. Chances are you probably know it already anyway.

But either way you slice it—yeah that’s a pizza pun—you’re intrigued by what the inside looks like and a few tidbits about what’s new at Sally’s first shot at a modern version of their growing ‘za business. And a couple visuals of their famous pies won’t hurt you either!

Sally’s. Stamford. Go crazy!


Atticus Cafe & Market Opens 2nd Location in New Haven: It's All About The Grains

Restaurant Features Bakery Bread Shop Local Artisan Breakfast Lunch New Haven Bread Openings Baker Homepage

Erik Ofgang

Bite into a sourdough loaf from Atticus and you’ll taste the difference immediately.

It's heartier and nuttier with an addictive chew and bolder character than most other breads, even from other artisan sourdough bakeries. The bakery’s pastries also have a wonderful and unique flavor.

The bakery’s not-so-secret ingredient is simple: whole grains.

The new market is Atticus’ second location. It joins the Atticus Bookstore Cafe in downtown New Haven, which has been a bookstore since 1976 and a cafe since 1981. The location has been dabbling in artisan bread and pastries since 2016.


Bistro V Serves Up Casual French Bistro Fare & All the Vibes in Greenwich

Restaurant Greenwich French Lunch Burgers Bar Cocktails Bistro

Jessica Ryan

It’s been a couple of years since I dined at Bistro V on the Ave in Greenwich, and I was thrilled to have been invited for lunch last week.

When Marc and Evelyne Penvenne noticed a for sale sign on the restaurant’s doors they knew that they had to step in and purchase it. The former Versailles was not only a fixture in the Greenwich restaurant scene, but for this couple it had a nostalgic and sentimental meaning. They just couldn’t let the beloved establishment go; the two met there as employees in. The Penvennes had already established themselves as successful restaurateurs. The owners of another perennial favorite, Méli-Mélo, have been feeding guests there, just a couple of blocks away, for over 25 years.

After a slight rebranding, facelift and name shift, Versailles became Bistro V, inspired by their memories of growing up with the classic bistros in France.


The Quartiere Debuts in Downtown Stamford

Interview Features Restaurant Italian Stamford Pasta Pizza Openings Homepage

Andrew Dominick

If you’ve cruised down Bank Street in Downtown Stamford, you may have noticed there’s a new Italian restaurant located in the former Cotto Wine Bar space.

The Quartiere—roughly translated is Italian for neighborhood, area, or district—aims to be a go-to spot for pizza, pasta, and the like, in an elevated, casual setting with affordable prices.

“The Q” is owned by Martin Bates, a 30-year industry vet from the United Kingdom where he ran an umbrella of 400 pubs, bars, and restaurants before taking on the role of president at a well-known sandwich and coffee franchise.

“I worked for a brewery in the U.K. that owned all these pubs; I was all over the country driving 60,000 miles a year, living out of a suitcase, I never saw my kids, and they kept buying all these businesses while I was burning myself out,” Bates says. “I took a sabbatical for a year, traveled, went to Spain. I eventually met the founder of Pret A Manger who offered me a job where I ran a chunk of the businesses. I came to NYC in 2007 to run Pret.”

Post Pret, Bates started his own private restaurant consulting firm, Ellis Rowan, and continued to open restaurant all over.

Three years ago, Bates decided he’d eventually like to open up something of his own. “I was looking for my thing,” he says. “I started looking into neighborhood Italian because I love this style of pizza and pasta. I’m a carb freak. I love it.”


The Boathouse at Saugatuck Has a New Chef & Vibrant New (Waterfront) Menu

Restaurant Outdoor Dining Waterfront Lunch Patio Cocktails American Lobster Roll Burgers Westport

Jessica Ryan

From beaches to boathouses we’ve been thoroughly enjoying our local waterside dining venues. We recently had the opportunity to dine at The Boathouse at Saugatuck. If you haven’t been in quite a while it’s time to come back, and you’ll be in for a pleasant treat. Located upstairs at the Saugatuck Rowing Club, the restaurant has seen a couple of transformations over the past few years. The newly renovated interior boasts a coastal yet elegant setting along the river - the vibe here is upscale yet relaxed. Another noticeable change is the food. The menu has gotten a whole new wardrobe and wears it well.

We sat down to talk with Scott Greene. The Boathouse’s General Manager joined the team just months before the pandemic gripped our local businesses. His vision, creativity and forward thinking has elevated the restaurant to new heights. He’s responsible for the arrival of Chef Jason Milanese and his newly invigorated menu where his inspiration and presentation is reflected in the flavors. Chef brings his experiences from Tarry Lodge as well as Relais Chateaux’s Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod.


Rosina’s Opens in Greenwich with Elevated Old School Italian

Features Interview Restaurant Italian Greenwich Cocktails Pizza Pasta Homepage

Andrew Dominick

There’s a rejuvenated buzz in Byram’s business district at the old digs once housed Mill Street Bar & Table and before it, Lolita Cucina.

The sounds of chatter and laughter, forks clanking and squealing against bowls, and hungry patrons slurping peppery, parm covered cacio e pepe are all coming from Rosina’s, a new Italian restaurant brought to you by a couple of young industry veterans you should recognize.

Rosina’s is the creation of Jared Falco and Coby Blount, who met at Fortina’s Armonk location in 2014. Falco helped run the show in the kitchen, while Blount managed front-of-house operations. “We’ve been trying to do something together for five years,” Falco says. “When we met, we clicked and always had mutual respect for each other. Even if we had it out, we could still be cool.”

The pair had a dream to work together, they just needed it to come together. Separately, they kept honing their crafts in the restaurant industry. After his first stint at Fortina, Falco took up executive chef duties at Washington Prime, Amore, Speedy Romeo, and he’d return to Fortina to express his creativity as a co-culinary director. And there’s a chance you’ve come across Blount at SE Uncorked or East End to name a few.

Their friendship kept them in touch, and they’d occasionally entertain meetings with possible investors.

“They didn’t have what we wanted,” Falco says. They wanted Sophia Loren on the walls eating spaghetti and that’s not us.” Blount chimes in, “Some of them wanted to use other people’s ideas or rip them off completely,” he says. “It didn’t feel like what we wanted to do. Or they wanted to do something corny that we weren’t into.”

What they wanted to do was classic but refined Italian food. And although it took a few years to come up with the concept, it’s the food Falco has been cooking for over a decade. Think along the lines of riffs on traditional pasta dishes, big salads, thin and crispy pizzas, and seasonal vegetable small plates. They also knew they wanted to be a neighborhood spot with affordable prices but with a handful of indulgent offerings if the mood should strike you.


Flavorism: 5 Ghost Kitchens in Stamford Feature Local Chefs Thru Unique Delivery Platform

Features Restaurant Delivery Delivery Service Ghost Kitchen Stamford Pizza Salads Burgers

Jessica Ryan

Long before the term ghost kitchen became part of our vernacular, Jonathan Brennan was busy building his in the heart of Stamford. Today his virtual food hall features six farm to table kitchens under one roof, is bustling and has plans for expansion in the very near future. Each kitchen features a unique menu with a different flavor profile to accommodate a wide range of different tastes and lifestyles with a focus on heath and sustainability. While Flavorism could be touted as a Ghost Kitchen, it’s really so much more. It’s a focus on sustainability, the elimination of excess waste, serving the local communities and hiring local talents.


LobsterCraft Opens in Greenwich With A Serious Lobster Roll Menu

Restaurant Greenwich Openings Lobster Lobster Roll Sandwich Seafood Lunch

Jessica Ryan

Quietly, three months ago, Captain William Michael Harden aka “Captain Mike” opened his second Lobster Craft location in the heart of Greenwich on Greenwich Avenue.

We sat down to chat with him about the Greenwich location, new menu items, new restaurants down the pipeline and the challenges of opening a restaurant during a pandemic.

Like most restaurants, staffing has been an issue and he’s operating with a skeleton crew but he’s very proud of his young workers, their work ethic and dedication. With over a decade of success with the original Fairfield location as well as the Lobster Truck, the recipes have been perfected and feeding the masses is the easy part. (The hard part, for us, was deciding which roll to get! Scroll down and you’ll see what I mean!)


The Bronx Deli - A Little Bit of Arthur Avenue in Oxford CT

Restaurant Oxford Naugatuck Deli Italian Grinders Sandwich Lunch

jeffrey schlesinger

10458…that’s the zip code for Arthur Avenue in The Bronx. Considered by many to be the Mecca of Italian food in the NYC area, people travel for miles to enjoy bakeries, delis and traditional red sauce restaurants. When you are 75 miles away, and looking for an Italian grinder, that drive is formidable.

Fortunately, if you are in the Seymour / Oxford area in The Valley, there is an incredibly delicious alternative, The Bronx Deli – A Taste of Little Italy, on Main Street (also known as route 67). Located in a nondescript strip mall with Dunkin’ and Oxford Pizza Palace (which serves some pretty good cracker-crust pizza), this unassuming deli serves some of the best cold and hot grinders without fighting the traffic on 95 and the Hutch to The Bronx.

According to the website, The Bronx Deli is a family-owned restaurant, with locations in Naugatuck and Oxford.


The Zeneli Brothers Open Zeneli Pizzeria e Cucina Napoletana in New Haven

Features Restaurant Pizza Italian New Haven New Haven Pizza Openings Homepage

Christopher Hodson

If you live in the New Haven area and are looking to book a trip to Naples, Italy, don’t buy that ticket just yet. At the end of Wooster Street on the right hand side, there is a place that will take you there in 90 seconds for a fraction of the price. Zeneli Pizzeria e cucina Napoletana is the new kid on the block of this already famous street known for some of the best pizza not only in Connecticut, but America as well. Wooster Street is home to several pizzerias, none more famous however than Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and Sally’s Apizza. These two legendary powerhouses are what enshrined this street on the pizza map forever. Cue the Zeneli Brothers.


The Galley Waterfront Cafe: Great Sandwiches & Sea Breezes in Norwalk

Restaurant Norwalk Lunch Waterfront Breakfast Egg Sandwich Sandwich Brunch

April Guilbault

Sandwiches with sea breezes, comin’ up….

Ok, not the cran-grapefruit-vodka-lime type of SeaBreeze, the actual sea breezes. I think we can all agree that everything tastes better eaten outside, or better yet, by the water. The warm sun on your face, a slight breath of air coming off the Sound and subtle scents of briny water wafting. You hear the clink-clank of ropes on masts, a boat horn here and there. Hello, seagull, nice to see you and no, I won’t give you a fry. These fries are too good to give to the gulls, that’s why.

Fries and more, The Galley Waterfront Cafe is a place to head this summer. Motor up by boat and grab lunches to go or sit awhile at their outdoor seating and take in views of Norwalk Harbor while you hungrily gobble up bites of their fantastic sandwiches.


Chef Bill Taibe Opens All Day Cafe at The Norwalk Art Space

Restaurant Features Openings Breakfast Lunch Sandwich Eggs Pastries Doughnuts Homepage

Stephanie Webster

It’s always exciting to hear about a new concept opening from one of your favorite CT chefs, but it is even more exciting when that chef partners with a groundbreaking philanthropic organization on a mission to educate young adults and celebrate local artists while creating a free destination for fine art and music in the city of Norwalk.

Chef Bill Taibe and his team (Andrea Dinan, Caitlin McGowan and Kelly Clement) have officially opened the doors to their brand new Art Space Cafe, located inside the breathtakingly beautiful Norwalk Art Space. The Cafe will be open for breakfast and lunch, 9am-4pm, just steps away from Norwalk’s Waypointe and downtown SoNo. The Art Space Cafe is an order-at-the-counter, casual affair, and will likely become a go-to spot for breakfast meetings, grabbing a quick latte, or a lunch hang in the serene sundrenched dining space.


Sally's Apizza Opening in Stamford (via Patch.com)

Restaurant Pizza Openings Stamford Homepage

CTbites Team

As reported by Patch.com

Pizza lovers rejoice. Sally's Apizza of New Haven fame is coming to Stamford this summer.

Known for its authentic, New Haven coal-fired, brick oven pizza since 1938, the business announced in a news release on Tuesday that they are opening the first of its new locations at 66 Summer St. in Stamford in the coming months.

"We've seen people from other states and even other countries make the journey to New Haven for our craveable tomato sauce and addictive charred pies," said Rob Nelson, Sally's Director of Hospitality, in a news release. "Our fans have been hoping for years that we would open up additional locations and we are thrilled to announce to the world that this dream is now a reality."


Frank Pepe Pizzeria's Fresh Tomato Pie Is Back For Summer 2021

Features Pizza

Stephanie Webster

Beginning on Saturday, June 26th, world-famous New Haven, Connecticut-based Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (widely-known as “Pepe’s”), will be serving up their seasonal Fresh Tomato Pie again for a limited time at all Pepe’s restaurants. For the 13th summer in a row, the famous pizza will be offered July through September at each of the restaurant’s locations in New Haven, Fairfield, Danbury, West Hartford and Uncasville (Mohegan Sun), C.T.


The Rockin Chicken in Hartford—So Much More Than Chicken

Restaurant Hartford County Hartford Rotisserie Chicken Peruvian Comfort Food Lunch Chinese Homepage

Frank Cohen

You might hear the name The Rockin Chicken (TRC) and think it’s yet another really good chicken-themed joint, like West Hartford’s Chicken Citizen & Donuts, Wethersfield’s El Pollo Guapo, Newington’s Rooster Co. or the Elm City’s Hot Haven Chicken. But you’ll see it’s actually so much more. Since TRC opened in June, 2016 on Franklin Avenue in Hartford, it has been my go-to for Peruvian food, long one of my favorite cuisines.

TRC is owned by Dr. Miguel A. Colán and his wife, Kate. The genial couple doesn’t just own the business but the building as well. For Miguel, a Hartford chiropractor, it was an almost-weekly family tradition growing up in Lima to visit pollerias a la brasa, popular local restaurants specializing in charcoal rotisserie chicken. TRC grew out of his desire to recreate that dining experience for Hartford-area restaurant-goers.


¡Ay Güey! Cocina Mexicana Opens In Stratford

Restaurant Stratford Mexican Delicious Dives Tacos Lunch Openings

James Gribbon

There's a spot in Stratford most people can't see. An eighth of an acre, give or take, on Rt. 110 between I-95 and the River Road, where nothing seems to exist unless you're looking right at it. Focus your eyes on the spot, and your mind might register the word "Deli" on the storefront, which itself might be different each time you did, because they've been opening and closing in the location for years, flashing in and out of existence with the frequency of the scroll on an electronic billboard. There was nothing wrong with any of them, they just didn't send a signal from enough people's eyes to their brake pedals. A new spot has them taking notice.

¡Ay Güey! Cafe & Cocina Mexicana is a wholly different concept, and has transformed the space as much as the food served within. Everything from every deli before it went out the window. The interior is bright white, with inset drink coolers and a few tables for inside dining, while the sidewalk patio has been joined by a fenced and landscaped outdoor dining area to the side. Snag a Mexican Coca Cola, Mundet, Jarritos, etc. and whatever from the case and take a good luck the menu. Horchata, Topo Chico, and cafe de Olla (coffee dosed up with cinnamon and Piloncillo raw sugar) are also available for the soda-averse.


Don't Miss Grigg Street Pizza's Stacked Sammies

Features Restaurant Greenwich Sandwich Pizza Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Last August, I brought you an article that highlighted Grigg Street Pizza’s origin story with background on owners Matthew Watson and Jon Corbo, and gave you details about the star of Grigg’s show, their picturesque, delicious sourdough pizza.

Towards the end of that article, I teased that sandwiches would soon make an appearance. I immediately knew I’d return to scribble out a sandwich sequel.

And here we are. Grigg Street’s sandwiches have arrived. And they’re spectacular.

But like every good sammie, it’s important to begin with the bread. It’s likely the only thing Grigg Street doesn’t make in-house. Instead, it’s made to their specifications by The Kneaded Bread in Port Chester.

“Jeff Kohn (owner of The Kneaded Bread) made us smaller sourdough baguettes to stick with our sourdough theme,” Watson says. “I messed around with it myself. It came out OK but that’s a whole other job and program. I’d be here another five hours a day just doing that! But it’s nice to support another business by having them make it for us.”

Watson likens the size of each sandwich to a Spanish bocadillo typically eaten in cafés and tapas bars. They’re a little more streamlined, or as Watson puts it, “you don’t have to dislocate your jaw to eat it.”

Don’t worry, though, these are still substantial sammies.


Chef Carlos Perez Debuts New Menu & A Sneak Peek at His Mexican Spot...Coming Soon!

Restaurant Litchfield Mexican American Tacos Openings Lunch Brunch Asian Dessert Homepage

Jessica Ryan

When asked if I wanted to head back to Litchfield to check out Chef Carlos Perez’s new spring menu at The Corner Restaurant and get a sneak peek into his newest Mexican venture (around “the corner”) I replied with a resounding Hell Yeah!

I first met Chef Carlos last July in the courtyard outside of his then new restaurant. It was in the height of the pandemic and I was thrilled to have an excuse to get out of dodge, but I had no idea just what was in store for me. (You can read more about that here.)

Last week, on a cool, rainy May day I hopped into my car for the beautiful hour-long drive along the newly verdant landscape. The drive there was the rainbow leading me to the proverbial pot of gold - The Corner Restaurant.


The Daily Cafe & Eatery Opens In Greenwich from Aux Delices' Debra Ponzek

Restaurant Greenwich Breakfast Lunch To-Go Grab-n-Go Comfort Food Vegetarian Openings

CTbites Team

After opening Aux Delices and making the eatery a household name in Fairfield County, why wouldn’t Debra Ponzek want to open a new cafe to accommodate the busy shoppers, commuters and local Greenwich residents with the perfect place to grab a quick bite?

Located in the heart of Greenwich Avenue, Daily Cafe and Eatery serves the Greenwich community seven days a week with grab-and-go breakfast and lunch items, made with fresh ingredients catered to accommodate the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Ponzek and her team officially opened their doors on May 5 on the Avenue, which was their ideal location.


Tim LaBant’s Parlor Sequel Opens in Darien

Features Restaurant Pizza Darien Cocktails WIne Salads Openings Homepage

Andrew Dominick

After opening his first Neapolitan inspired pizza parlor in Wilton at the tail end of 2018, Tim LaBant has a Parlor part two in Darien’s Corbin District.

That particular section of town, according to LaBant, was primed for his style of pizza because it wasn’t represented anywhere else nearby. “I eyed the Corbin District initially and even thought about waiting a few years,” he says. “I didn’t because I figured someone would beat me to it with a similar concept. We wanted to be here first.”

LaBant and his Parlor squad officially started firing up pies in the Forza Forni Pavesi on April 16.

As far as what you can expect from the Darien location, it’s much of what they do well in Wilton. Think pizza, veggies, wine, cocktails, and beer, at least for now. “We might add to the menu,” hints LaBant. “I know people are still doing lots of takeout. No one wants asparagus in a box.”

But that’s not to say there isn’t anything new going down.

Aside from Parlor’s classic margherita, plain cheese, or a pepperoni pizza, there’s a nod to a New Haven tomato pie and an ode to Roberta’s Bee Sting in the “Soppressata” with red sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, basil, chili flakes, and homemade hot honey.