Filtering by Tag: Mediterranean,beer

Spacecat Brewing Company: Now Pouring in Norwalk

Features Interview Craft Beer beer South Norwalk Norwalk Homepage Openings

Andrew Dominick

With Spacecat Brewing Company opening its taproom, South Norwalk finally has a brewery…

Again.

Not counting the two short-lived macrobreweries Guvnor’s and Iron which were located in the same space on Washington Street, the city hasn’t had a larger, buzzed about brewery since New England Brewing debuted on Commerce Street 1989 with then head brewer Phil Markowski, and they eventually moved to Marshall Street with another head brewer, Rob Leonard at the helm.

NEBCO left SoNo in 2001 for Woodbridge and Norwalk has been without a watering hole like it ever since.

A little less than 20 years later, James Bloom—no relation to the famous Bloom Family oyster operation—had an idea to open a brewery along with his friend and co-worker Jeff Dunn.

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It’s a Woman’s World: Stephanie Geiling of Relic Brewing

Interview Features It's A Woman's World Brewery beer Homepage

Andrew Dominick

One of the promises I made to myself when I started dabbling in this particular column was that I’d do the opposite of only covering female chefs. I wanted to dive deeper into the hospitality industry to highlight those doing meal prep, perhaps a barista at a popular coffee shop, bakers, and in this case, a woman who works in brewing.

When I began my introductory search via Instagram stories, Stephanie Geiling came up as a suggestion more than a few times. Steph, as it turns out, is the operations manager at Relic Brewing Co. in Plainville.

The former psychological researcher at UCONN sort of stumbled into the beer world after she chose to leave the research field. She ended up at Relic after stopping into the tasting room one day and Mark Sigman, Relic’s owner, offered her a job.

“It was my first time ever going to a brewery and I said to myself, I have no idea what I’m doing, this is going to be a joke, but I’m going to do it anyway,” she says. “I helped in the tasting room, and I was still working in research and at a liquor store. I left research for personal reasons, and I started to enjoy the liquor industry. I also felt like this was a more supportive and inclusive environment.”

In addition to her career at Relic, Steph plays guitar and belts it out in a doom metal band based in Plainville called Lightkeeper, and she just started training in martial arts.

There’s more in the Q&A about what she does as Relic’s operations manager and we got into the widely publicized topic of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexism, and the like as it pertains to breweries.

For context, brewer Brienne Allan (@ratmagnet on IG) helped expose the black eye by sharing thousands of anonymous responses she received on Instagram’s “Questions” feature.

Read on and be sure to give Steph a follow @relic_brewing_steph.

What do you do at Relic Brewing?

When I first started, I worked the tasting room. Then I started helping Mark dry hop beer and clean kegs, and I still do that. It’s super fun here and I like the creative aspect. When I made the pineapple gose, that was fun to put together. I came up with the recipe for that one, usually we come up with them together but this particular one is all mine because he doesn’t like those type of beers A lot of times, I drive the truck or load the truck, unload pallets of beer, I run the tasting room, on Saturdays I run the kitchen, cooking, I order from distributors, contact customers. I’m a Jack of all trades.

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314 Beer Garden Opens at Former SoNo Marketplace

Features Restaurant Craft Beer beer Beer Garden ct beer BBQ Norwalk

Andrew Dominick

Some of you may remember the multi-vendor and artist space known as SoNo Marketplace at 314 Wilson Avenue. Don’t worry if you think it passed you by, it was sadly only open for a blink. But if you do recall, the courtyard area of the “market” was always set up for events and an outdoor bar with draft lines. Some years ago, SoNo Marketplace did host a chili cookoff and a pig roast with Half Full Brewery.

In 2021, that patio space has been resurrected as 314 Beer Garden, complete with 13 taps and all the essential biergarten décor with Adirondack chairs, picnic tables, string lights, and a massive fire pit smack dab in the center of it all.

314’s intro beer list on draft and in cans included a strong Connecticut brewery presence. New England Brewing Co.’s signature, hoppy Sea Hag and Supernaut were both available, as was Evenflow, a crushable lager from Hamden’s own No Worries.

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Avellino Family BBQ Launches Food Truck at Third Place by Half Full Brewery

Features Restaurant Food Truck BBQ Sandwich Burgers beer Stamford Openings Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Leland and Sarah Avellino now have their BBQ spin-off.

If you recall, I covered their preorder smoked meat pickup concept earlier in 2021 and asked a question about whether Avellino Family BBQ would grow into a storefront. The answer was sort of a “not yet.”

Forget the brick-and-mortar. Think food truck. And it has a residence at the brand-new and stunningly beautiful Third Place by Half Full Brewery in the South End of Stamford.

Unlike Avellino’s BBQ pickup that includes pounds of smoked brisket, racks of ribs, and half chickens, the truck’s focus is sandwiches, some of them with smoked meat, some of them “smashed,” and others are occasionally grilled and sauced.

Let’s start with one of their signature smoked sammies. It’s a wagyu tri tip—served cold and shaved to the thickness of deli sandwich meat—with crispy shallots, a tangy dollop of BBQ sauce, and horseradish aioli.

Their other truck staple, you ask? A prime brisket blend double smash burger, melted American cheese, and Zap sauce (think Big Mac sauce with some heat) on a Martin’s Potato Roll.

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Arugula Bistro in West Hartford Celebrates 25 Years with A New Look

Restaurant Hartford County West Hartford Mediterranean Middle Eastern Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

Have you strolled down Farmington Avenue lately? West Hartford is BAAAACK! And, Arugula Bistro is now all dressed up and ready to party. The colorful block mural and beautiful lavender plants along the front of the restaurant are just two visual signs that Arugula is awaiting your arrival. Back open this summer after some much needed reno, your spirit and belly will be delighted by the changes. Like many restaurants, some time closed during the pandemic was spent fixing to-do list projects. What went from much needed new flooring to some equipment and furniture overhauls, became the redo Chef Christiane Gehami and Chef Michael Kask had always wanted it to be. The pair have run Arugula together for twenty-five years and they’ve worked hard to evolve; behind them, in long-time starring roles on the team are also Steve Reynolds and Shari Warbelow.

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Capuli Opens in Westport with Casual California-Mediterranean Cuisine

Restaurant Westport Openings Mediterranean Healthy Eats Family Friendly take Seafood Kid Friendly Lunch Outdoor Dining

Jessica Ryan

Nestled in among the shops on the Post Road, at the former Westport Pizza location, you’ll find a gem of a family eatery called Capuli, which made a quiet entrance into Westport at the end of January.

After relocating their young family from California to Westport, Owners Andrea and Chef Armando Brito were searching for just the right location to open a restaurant and were thrilled with the newly available space in their new hometown. Chef Armando brings over 20 years of experience from Bay area restaurants such as Corso, Rivoli, Bistro Liaison and Rick & Ann’s. He was also a private chef for Kappa Beta Theta in Berkley and was awarded a scholarship to cook and learn about the various cuisines in Italy.

We sat down with Andrea who told us that Capuli was created to serve the community. “We want to offer home style meals for our guests who want them but don’t want to have to do the dishes.” Capuli, named for the fruit bearing tree found in Chef’s native country of Ecuador, draws inspiration from coastal California and the Mediterranean. A simple concept, Capuli, doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is, offering a variety of fresh, seasonal ingredients, whole grains and lean protein. Nothing is complicated here.

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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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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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Friday Froth: Stewards Of The Land Farm Brewery in Northford

Features Restaurant beer Brewery Northford Friday Froth ct beer

James Gribbon

One of life's principle joys is an unexpected bulldog. There you are, mind preoccupied and steps ahead of whatever you should be paying attention to in the moment you're actually living, and boom: giant smiley meatball of joy out of nowhere. How could that not improve any day? Last September, in the Before Times, I went to a Connecticut farm to find out about hop growing, and discovered a newborn brewery instead. At the time, Stewards Of The Land in Northford wasn't finished, not quite ready yet for the outside world. So now, just as the eyes of the world are cautiously blinking open again, I returned to sit on the farm brewery's patio and, yes, there was a bulldog.

I'm not just making an allegory here: Guinness (that's the name he came with, give head brewery Alex DeFrancesco more credit for creativity than that), was cooling off on the stone patio, set with chairs outside the New England tavern style brewery, above a field of sprouting row crops - the hillside and lawns swaying here and there with bluish stalks of heirloom rye. I squatted down and scruffled Guinness' huge head behind his ears. He had it right. This is a place to stretch out and relax.

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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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Tyler Anderson Opens Terreno at The Goodwin Hotel in Hartford

Restaurant Openings Mediterranean Italian hartfo Hartford Celebrity Chef Homepage

Catherine Ribeiro

In full disclosure, I have worked with Chef Tyler Anderson. If you have worked in the restaurant industry in Connecticut you probably have too, in one way or another. If you have eaten in Connecticut, the same can still be said: you have worked to get a reservation at his Millwright’s, worked to pick out the perfect slice at his Square Peg and you have worked to get the best seat in the house at Anderson’s High George. But now, Tyler is bringing us all back to his most familiar ground, aptly titled Terreno - his latest venture, boasting Cal-Italian fare, in the space that formerly housed Restaurant Porrón.

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Yalla Organic Hummus and Grill: Middle Eastern, The Way YOU Want It in Fairfield

Restaurant Fairfield healthy Organic Mediterranean Fast Casual Lunch

CTbites Team

Yalla Organic Hummus and Grill has taken Fairfield County by storm. Yalla Organic is a consumer-oriented experience where you get to choose exactly how your lunch and dinner is prepared down to the last detail. This family-run business has quickly become a town staple of Fairfield…  and their hummus is making me question all previous hummus choices I have made.  

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Strega: Fine Italian & Neapolitan-Style Pizza in Branford

Restaurant Branford Italian Lunch Mediterranean

Kristin L. Wolfe

Get your passport, pronto!

The eight of you who read my work know about my passion for all things Italian: the espresso, the wine, the men (hmm, sore subject), the music (1990s Zucchero anyone?), but, when you have good, really good Italian food, it can truly be a spiritual experience.

And that just happened. At Strega in Branford. Owner and pizzaiolo Danilo Mongillo alongside his Chef Marco Giugliano have broken ground, dug their hands in, and come out with gold. Mongillo, from Puglianello in the Benevento region of Italy,  has been in Connecticut since 2014 and says he’s been so thankful for the Branford community for how welcoming they’ve been since the restaurant opened in 2016. 

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Zaragoza Tapas Bar: Excellent Tapas & Award Winning Cocktails in New Milford

Restaurant Milford Tapas Lunch Spanish Mediterranean Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

Zaragoza’s tapas bar opened in New Milford in April 2016. The CTBites crew covered them a few months before their official opening and shared owner Artie Praino’s anticipation of a long-time dream come true after years in the deli business. Now, two and a half years later, they are a much beloved, popular spot for delicious, creative plates and cocktails.

Fully informed by several Zaragoza regulars that I was sure to be delighted, my belly gurgled for a new tapas experience. I’ve had the pleasure of going to Spain a few times, so, admittedly, morsels from those adventures like ceviche, calamari, and chorizo propelled me to the restaurant with little hesitation. I was eager to taste what their twist on the classics would be.

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Bab al Salam Offers Authentic & Excellent Syrian Fare

Restaurant Middle Eastern Mediterranean Lunch Orange Homepage

Frank Cohen

Middle Eastern restaurants, long a welcome presence in Connecticut, lately seem to be multiplying. One of the most intriguing is Bab al Salam, which is located in an Orange plaza owned by the New Haven Islamic Center, which also hosts the Orange Farmers’ Market, a Muslim clothing store, a Middle Eastern market with halal butcher, and meeting spaces for events. 

Bab al Salam opened in the middle of January. Owners Adnan Akil, a restaurant builder, and Suloman Chater, a restaurateur, both of whom have lived in the U.S. for decades, sought to replicate the food one might find in metropolises like Aleppo or Damascus in their homeland. They seem to have found a grateful audience in Orange.

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The Hummus & Pita Co. Opening in CT Featuring The "Hummus Shake"

Restaurant Openings Mediterranean Dessert Smoothies Lunch Brookfield

CTbites Team

This August, The Hummus & Pita Co. will bring its healthy, fast-casual Mediterranean cuisine to Connecticut in a comfortable and inviting environment, at its newest location in Brookfield, Connecticut. This opening marks the first Hummus & Pita Co. restaurant to open outside of New York City.

What we love about The Hummus & Pita Co. is that all menu items are made-from-scratch on the premises, including freshly baked pita and laffa breads, and traditional-style meats cooked in a taboon oven.

But what REALLY sets them apart from your local Mediterranean haunt, are the signature hummus desserts offering such as the Dessert Hummus and the recently launched Hummus Shake. Yep, you heard me.

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The Hummus & Pita Co Opening Fast Casual Mediterranean In Danbury

Restaurant Mediterranean Middle Eastern Lunch Danbury Take Out To-Go

Stephanie Webster

The Hummus & Pita Co., known for its homemade, fresh and healthy Mediterranean cuisine, has signed a new franchisee, Rishi Parikh, to open a location in Danbury, Connecticut. The newest store will be located at 15 Federal Road in Brookfield.  

The rapidly growing Mediterranean fast-casual concept brings guilt-free, homemade cuisine to the masses in a comfortable and inviting environment. All menu items are made from scratch on the premises and use only the freshest ingredients to create high-quality, flavor-focused eats. The concept stands out with its freshly baked pita and laffa breads, vegetarian dishes and meats cooked in a traditional taboon oven.

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Bistro Du Soleil Opens in Westport: A French Mediterranean Gem

Restaurant Mediterranean French Latin American Lunch westport Openings Homepage

Fairfield County Foodie

The Muñoz del Castillo family has done it again and opened a winner in Westport, Bistro Du Soleil. You may recognize the name from their Norwalk location (which sadly closed), their prior catering business, as well as one of our favorite Mexican spots, Rincon in Norwalk. This same family has opened a tiny gem by the Saugatuck train station, serving Mediterranean cuisine with strong classic French undertones. From the escargot and Gambas Al Ajlllo to the Magret Duck Breast and gorgeous Beef Bourgignon, this BYOB venue is not to be missed. Bistro Du Soleil and the Muñoz family truly understand the art of both hospitality and simply delicious food.   

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