Filtering by Tag: Openings,Cooking Classes

Kawa Ni Japanese Izakaya in Westport Expands to Double Its Size

Restaurant Features Westport Homepage Japanese Cocktails bar Bar Menu Openings

Stephanie Webster

If you appreciate good food, and you live in the state of Connecticut, you’ve likely spent some time at Chef Bill Taibe’s Japanese izakaya spot in Westport, Kawa Ni. This small cozy culinary gem, bathed in warm woods, vintage Japanese posters and that perfect restaurant buzz, has hosted many a night for sake bombs (gong ringing included), tofu pockets, chicken karaage, Szechuan pork dumplings and a bowl of spicy miso ramen just for good measure.

As a frequent Kawa Ni diner, the only downside of being a guest at this popular Japanese style pub is scoring a reservation. Sure, they welcome walk-ins, and their very friendly staff always does their best to find a way to seat you a seat at the bar, or up on the rooftop patio if the season is right. However, historically, if you had an urgent last minute crazing for their pork rib confit, landing a table without some advanced planning, wasn’t the easiest task.

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Wildacre Rotisserie to Debut in Greenwich (via Hey Stamford!)

Restaurant Openings Chicken To-Go Take Out Lunch Cos Cob Greenwich Mediterranean Gluten-Free

Hey Stamford!

Wildacre Rotisserie, a new fast casual rotisserie restaurant, will make its debut in Greenwich, CT in Spring 2022. Led by former Starbucks and sweetgreen culinary leader and Fairfield County resident Ben Pote, the restaurant will bring a fresh take on traditional rotisserie to Cos Cob. The concept of the eatery, both in cuisine and design, is inspired by California with a thoughtfully curated menu that offers something for everyone.

Rotisserie chicken and slow-roasted cauliflower are at the heart of the menu, complemented by entree-style salads, plant-forward sides, and sauces that are made in-house daily, with thoughtful pops of flavor throughout. The chicken, for example, is rubbed with bay leaf, oregano, and fennel pollen, giving it an herbaceous, savory flavor, while the whole-roasted cauliflower is sprinkled with za’atar, a Middle-Eastern herb blend. Wildacre’s salads are hearty enough for lunch and dinner, or to eat alongside a whole roasted chicken or cauliflower. Guests can order a la carte or select a bundled meal, which offers the choice of either a rotisserie chicken or slow-roasted cauliflower main plus two sides and two sauces. Side dishes range from french fries to roasted brussels sprouts, and the majority of the menu is gluten-free. The California influence shows up throughout the menu, which features ingredients like fennel pollen, meyer lemon, and avocado, and flavors inspired by Mediterranean, Central American, and Asian cuisines.

Read the complete article on Hey Stamford!

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The Taco Project Opens in Stamford with Vibrant Mexican Fast Casual Fare

Restaurant The Taco Project Tacos Mexican Fast Casual Cocktails Stamford Openings To-Go Lunch Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Tarrytown, Yonkers, Bronxville, Pleasantville, and now Stamford.

Since opening in 2014 in Tarrytown, The Taco Project’s popularity kept growing in Westchester, and now they’ve brought their brand of Mexican-inspired fast casualness across the state border to the busy High Ridge Shopping Center.

Co-owner Carmelo Milio—who’s one of The Taco Project’s head honchos with partners Sebastian Aliberti and Nicholas Mesce—mentioned that opening their fifth location in Stamford was a natural progression for their brand.

“Being that we’re all Westchester residents (Sebastian is in Pleasantville, I’m in Armonk, and Nick’s in Dobbs Ferry), we come to Stamford to hang out often,” he says. “We’ve always thought about opening here, but we didn’t necessarily want it to be Downtown, so we can cater to our fans in Pound Ridge and Bedford as well. We like to be in these type of neighborhoods where it’s a little more laid back, more families, but still keep a fun ambiance while getting your food to you quickly, like within 15 minutes or so.”

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Guide to Kids Cooking Classes & Camps in Connecticut (2022 Edition)

Features Cooking Cooking Classes Kids kids activity Kids Cooking Classes Guide Education Highlight

April Guilbault

Feels like we were all just stuck home together and dreaming of getting OUT and low and behold, now we can! Let’s start with getting those kiddos some cool stuff to do once school lets out. Let’s hear it for cooking camps! To learn (in a fun way) about food, where it comes from, what the heck we can do with it, and yummm, how it tastes-what could be better? Follow it with some parent-kid trips to your local farms or farmers’ markets, and lookie there, you’ve just filled the calendar a bit for the summer months. Here’s to brilliant and tasty new discoveries!

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The Port of Call Cocktail Lounge Opens in Mystic with Globally Inspired Menu

Restaurant Openings Mystic Cocktails Bar Bar Menu Global Cuisine Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

How does Mystic do it? In such a small area, there’s a steady stream of creativity and passion, delectable food, and now, with The Port of Call, there’s a reason it has become my home away from home.

Dripping with history, the new two-in-one stop, is a complete experience. With a friendly Welcome from manager Nancy Hankins, your eyes, mind, and belly (not necessarily in that order), will be lit up and spun into a whir of pleasure when learning about the location’s past, the collaborations forged, not to mention the top notch drink and food offerings. Notice, I said drink then food….

The “Million Miles” Bar is front and center as you walk through the stately, yet otherwise, unassuming exterior. That’s because the drinks, or shall I say beverage program, is the first star on stage. Although we often enter a restaurant hungry, we are being not-so gently, happily hypnotized first by the drinks that will then be paired by knock-out plates honoring global ports. We’ve been conditioned to think about the food before deciding what drink to pair with it; The Port of Call is asking us to think in reverse: “Wet” your palates first, sailors. Helmed by Jade Ayala (who also rocks the booze next door at Oyster Club) and Sebastian Guerrero (of NYC’s Dante and Mother of Pearl), your drink will come with a “generous pour,” as my feller put it, and a side tale about the area’s notorious seafaring past.

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Nit Noi Opens in Cos Cob with Unique Broth Bar Concept & Divine Dumplings

Features Restaurant Openings Asian Bone Broth Dumplings Greenwich Healthy Eats

CTbites Team

Nit Noi has just opened in Greenwich’s Cos Cob? The Greenwich Free Press has the full scoop.

This month a new retail food establishment, Nit Noi, opened at 3 Strickland Road in Cos Cob with a unique proposition: a broth-based menu with a Thai twist, plus a variety of hand-folded dumplings.

North and Jillian Shutsharawan, a husband and wife team who opened their first Nit Noi location in Norwalk in 2017, explained that Nit Noi means ‘a little bit,’ in Thai.

North and Jillian Shutsharawan at the Nit Noi location in Cos Cob. March 4, 2022 Photo: Leslie Yager

While many people think of broth as a building block for recipes, broth has become a new food category in itself, and Shutsharawans said their slow simmered broths are unlike anything store bought. They are both nourishing and filling.

The idea for a broth type business emerged during a trip North and Jillian took to Colorado.

“All the restaurants were chowder or chili,” North said. “Lots of meat and potatoes.”

“By that point brodo had become a big thing in the city,” Jillian said, adding that Chef Marco Canora had successfully established the concept at his East Village restaurant, Hearth, where he opened up a takeout window just for hot cups of broth.

“Our broth is different,” Jillian added. “Ours is Thai style, so we use different herbs and different types of bones. The production is completely different.”

“My mom has a great noodle soup recipe,” said North, who was born in Bangkok. His family moved to New York when he was six.They later moved to Norwalk, where he met Jillian in high school.

Read the complete article here.

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Guide to Cooking Classes for Adults in Connecticut (2022 Edition)

Features Cooking Cooking Classes Education Best of CT Homepage

April Guilbault

Spring is in the air and everything is growing like a mother! Hey, that can include you too-how about learning a new skill, discover a new culture through its food, and explore new flavors and spectacular taste sensations this season. Wooo! Get out there with your besties, co-workers or just fly solo; cooking and learning is for everyone and anyone. Whether it’s laughing together, creating, or just the discovery of some new tricks and tips, this will be time well-spent. Ah, those are good words. Go for it.

Get cooking with our 2022 CT Guide To Cooking Classes for Adults.

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B.J. Ryan’s East Takes Over Norwalk's Legendary Partner’s Cafe & Pizzeria

Features Interview Restaurant Norwalk Homepage Bar Pizza Pub Openings

Andrew Dominick

When you hear that a legendary hometown restaurant is ending its run after almost 40 years, a flood of memories tend to hit you. Suddenly, I was a kid again, sitting on a barstool next to my father. He’d chug away at a Heineken while I sipped on bubbly cola straight from the soda gun. Thin-ish, crispy crust bar pizzas—likely extra cheese, pepperoni, or both—were involved, too.

Even as an adult, I’d occasionally grab a couple pies from Partner’s Cafe & Pizzeria to-go. Every time I drove by, I’d think about pizza, soda, my dad, and feeling pretty damn cool sitting at the bar.

Thankfully, for me, and I’m sure for a hell of a lot of Norwalkers, Partner’s gets to live on thanks to B.J. Lawless and Keith Torpey, under a new name, but with intentions to preserve the bar’s neighborhood “where everybody knows your name” charm.

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Tacombi, NYC's Beloved Mexican Taqueria Sets Sights on Westport

Features Restaurant Mexican Openings Westport Tacos Breakfast Lunch

CTbites Team

This just in from The Westport Journal….

“The old filling station, at 1680 Post Road East in Westport, built circa 1955, and most recently home to AJ’s Farmstand, might soon be Tacombi’s latest outpost, minus the vintage VW with an air-cooled engine.”

This beloved NYC taco, burrito and quesadilla mecca has just been approved by planning & zoning, to move into Westport. Their tag line is “Connecting you to Mexico,” and the menu is the real deal.

Tacombi’s website says…

“We purchased a 1963 ‘combi’ bus in Mexico City, wheeled it slowly (very slowly) through the Yucatan peninsula and parked it comfortably in the once-sleepy, now wide awake, beach town of Playa del Carmen. The engine was scrapped, transmission sold, seats swapped for cooking equipment, and the roof was reeled back to produce a taco serving stand with warmth, charm and character.”

The chain opened its first brick-and-mortar location in New York City in 2010, where the bus is displayed inside. Since then they have expanded throughout NYC, and have locations in Long Island, Miami, and Virginia.

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Haven Hot Chicken Opening 2nd Location in Orange CT

Restaurant Openings Orange Fried Chicken Sandwich Fried Chicken Sandwich Not Chicken Vegetarian Comfort Food To-Go Fast Casual

Stephanie Webster

Haven Hot Chicken, which brings Nashville Hot Chicken and “Not Chicken” to the area as one of the first fully dedicated Nashville Hot Chicken concepts in New England, has announced its opening of a second location in Orange, Connecticut. Located at 550 Boston Post Road, the 1400 square foot location will feature the brand’s signature menu of crispy, crunchy, juicy, spicy, delicious chicken and vegetarian options ranging from Country (not spicy) to Haven (extremely spicy), along with their famous fries and seasonal limited-time offerings.(Read our review of their New Haven location here.)

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Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events & News For March 3-15

Features Events News Events Cooking Classes

Stephanie Webster

Parlor Pizza is hosting FAMILY NIGHT again on MARCH 8TH. Every month, they will be hosting a night at Parlor Wilton where adults can relax with a meal while children get to make their own pies!—-Celebrate the maple sugaring season at Stamford Museum & Nature Center March 6 & 13.—-Join Gabriel’s Italian Steakhouse in Westport for a 4-course Whiskey Dinner——On FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022 AT 5 PM – 8 PM, Franny’s Farmacy in Westport hosts FREE WINE + CBD fundraiser with wine tasting from the experts at ONEHOPE Winery.—-Area TWO at Two Roads Brewery , turns THREE! Come on down March 12th for our BIG THREE Anniversary Luau! ++

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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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Ruby & Bella’s Opens in SaksWorks on Greenwich Avenue

Restaurant American WIne Cocktails Openings Greenwich Burgers Ladies Who Lunch Homepage

Andrew Dominick

You may not be able to purchase a Polo shirt or a pair of khakis at 265 Greenwich Avenue any longer, but you can set up shop and work remotely there, or you can host a meeting, attend an event, take a yoga or HIIT class, and have a sit-down dinner all under one roof.

What was Ralph Lauren is now SaksWorks, a membership-based work meets life concept. With its flagship in Saks Fifth Avenue and a second in Brookfield Place, SaksWorks Greenwich is part of the company’s expansion that will soon follow with locations in Manhasset and Eastchester in the vacant Lord & Taylor.

We’ll let you decide if this concept or if membership is for you. If it is, and if it isn’t, you can still visit the Greenwich location membershipless (totally aware that isn’t a word) for a cup of coffee, lunch, or dinner.

What’s common in all SaksWorks is an anchor restaurant of some sort. In the case of Greenwich, that restaurant is Ruby & Bella’s, named after owner Richard Baker’s dogs.

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Rebel Daughter Cookies Hosts 30+ Women-Owned Businesses Pop-Up Market

Features Events Marketplace Pop Up Market Openings

Stephanie Webster

Leave it up to Anne Grossman, owner of Rebel Daughter Cookies, and general badass, to celebrate both the opening of new retail spot at 21 Isaac Street in Norwalk, and International Women’s Day with a pop-up featuring 30+ women owned businesses.

On Tuesday, March 8th, 12:30-4pm, 20+ specialty food vendors (see list below) and 12+ clothing/artists vendors will be selling great products and providing samples for guests to enjoy. Check out the list below and come out to support small local female owned businesses!

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Uncle Matt's Bakery & Café: Breakfast, Lunch, Artisan Bread & Pastries in Sandy Hook

Restaurant Bakery American French Café Breakfast Breakfast Sandwich Lunch Bread Shop Baker BEC Openings

Stephanie Webster

If you live in Connecticut, you may recognize Matthew Kirshner. He is the pastry chef, bread baker, and owner of the popular Sandy Hook newcomer, Uncle Matt’s Bakery and Café, but he has spent time baking in our fair state for over 20 years. Kirshner has graced the kitchens of The Roger Sherman Inn, Wave Hill Breads, Bantam Bread Company, and even the Russian Tea Room in NYC. (Side note: Wave Hill and Bantam were just awarded “Best Bread in CT” by Food & Wine). But in June of 2021, after years of being covered in flour in other people’s kitchens, Matt decided it was time to get dirty in his own. Thus, one of Sandy Hook’s most beloved spots, Uncle Matt’s Bakery, was born, serving breakfast, lunch, as well as a wide array of outrageously good pastries, and artisan bread.

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Tavern On State Owners Opening Fair Haven Oyster Bar in New Haven

Features Restaurant Openings Oyster Bar Seafood American Bar Cocktails Waterfront Outdoor Dining

Stephanie Webster

Emily Mingrone (recent winner for "Chef of the Year" at CT Restaurant Association’s Crazies Awards, and her partner, Shane McGowan, are expanding their presence in the New Haven area with a new spot opening this April, Fair Haven Oyster Co. Co-owners of Tavern on State, as well as the nose-to-tail butchery, Provisions on State, in the East Rock neighborhood, they are poised for a trifecta with this new seafood focused oyster bar on the waterfront of the Fair Haven Marina, a beautiful old water town dating from the late 1700’s.

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Menya Gumi: Ramen, Donburi, and Epic Sandos in New Haven

Restaurant Openings New Haven Japanese Ramen Noodles Sandwich Lunch Comfort Food Homepage

Brian Lance

I lived in Japan for four years in the early 2000s. I spent much time eating my way around Tokyo and the Kanto sprawl. Surely much has changed in those 20 years since I left. Still, I long for the food I left behind. Not the flashy foods of trendy restaurants I visited (and loved). I miss the fried chicken skewers from 7-11, Circle K egg salad sandos, and the noodles of all the quick-bite ramen shops without chairs, for none of which I remember names. Yoshinoya, Pot & Pot, and sushi go-rounds that didn’t serve elaborate rolls. I miss all the places in the cavernous Shinjuku Station underground with their window displays of plastic katsu curry and oyaku-don.

Yeah. It’s the love the Japanese food culture places into even it’s fast(ish) food that I’ve sought since coming back to the states. Occasionally, some of my old friends who were there with me will send pics of some gem they found in a strip mall. I do the same. But of the handful of places that I found, none takes me back there like Menya Gumi.

Angel Cheng opened Menya Gumi in March 2020, right as the pandemic hit the U.S. Menya survived to deliver an upgraded touch to the food of my past. Cheng works somewhere between Japanese tradition and American food crazes.

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Fryborg Bringing Hand-Cut Fries to Trumbull (via The Trumbull Times)

Features Openings Trumbull French Fries Comfort Food Kid Friendly

CTbites Team

This article appeared in the Trumbull Times on January 5th. Read the complete article here.

Jonathan Gibbons is being cautiously optimistic.

He hopes that the latest outpost of his restaurant Fryborg will open at 10 Broadway Road in Trumbull some time in May. But he’s well aware that might not be possible.

“Right now, with all of the delays and issues with the supply chain, it’s affecting everybody,” Gibbons said. “I know it will take a while.”

Despite the potential hiccups, he’s excited about bringing the restaurant — perhaps best known for its hand-cut fries with a choice of more than 15 dipping sauces and an array of toppings — to Trumbull this year.

The drive-thru window that had been used by the pharmacy will be used to pick up food. However, Gibbons said, it wouldn’t be a traditional drive-thru, where customers would order food from a kiosk, pay and pick it up. Customers would order and pay ahead of time and pick up the food at the window when ready.

The restaurant would also offer sit-down dining.

Fryborg began as a food truck in August of 2012. In 2018, Gibbons opened a restaurant in Milford. When he saw the space in Trumbull was available, he said it appeared to be a great opportunity to expand his brand.

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