A little more than two years ago, Dennis Lake opened his fast casual, but gourmet approach to a taqueria right at the top of Greenwich Avenue. Now he’s taken his homemade blue corn tortilla tacos, Mexican side dishes, and margaritas to Darien’s The Corbin District with a second location of La Taqueria.
But don’t call it a franchise. Maybe don’t even ask him if that’s the plan, even if it does lend extremely well to damn near every city and town. Instead, Lake would likely prefer you call it a well thought out expansion.
f you’ve driven by the stretch of Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk in the past few years by Baci Deli and directly across the street from Utopia, you may have noticed signs of life in the old John’s Diner.
The skinny on John’s Diner dates back to 1927 when Joseph Flynn transported the diner/trailer from Port Chester to Norwalk. But the “John” in John’s Diner didn’t actually happen until 1939 when it was run by John Ferandino, then ultimately his son, Michael, until 1994.
John’s Diner has been closed ever since.
But it’s back! Sort of.
Gone are the ultra-affordable blue plate specials and breakfast platters and in place of the diner fare are tacos, elote, fajitas, burritos, and some fun Mexican fast food in a burger with caramelized onions, grilled pineapple, bacon, Swiss, and grilled jalapeños.
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.”
“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.
Bring on the good food, the gratitude, and the tablecloth you use once a year-Thanksgiving is here! This holiday, thankfully, will be more about in-person celebrating than seeing how many Zoom family chats we can schedule between the appetizer course and the dessert course. Man, doesn’t it feel good to greet a holiday with thoughts of “looking forward to this!” rather than “how the heck are we going to do this?”. To that end, one of your biggest challenges this month will be which of these wonderful establishments to order your food from and you will win no matter who you choose. From turkeys and pies you can bake yourself so they are bubbly warm when you serve them, to vegan and gluten-free options and dine-in options across the state, bellies will be full and happy. You can even send a meal to a loved one or donate one to spread the love. Oh, and make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the list, where you will find places to order fresh turkeys. Eat up, celebrate well. Psst-We’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you that we are grateful for our fabulous readers. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are going to be here before you know it, and if you have been a little caught off guard while you wrap up your summer and get those kiddies off to school, we’ve got your back. And your Brisket. And your Matzoh Ball soup. This delicious listing includes delis and caterers who are serving up scrumptious dinners, plenty of a la carte options, and even staffing for your holiday get-together. Shanah Tovah!
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.
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.
Nick Martschenko is every so closer to his monopoly on New Canaan’s restaurant scene. Even if that’s not the goal, he’s inching towards it with what’s now a downtown dining trifecta.
His latest venture, The Back End, is different. You can’t compare it to his flagship fine dining South End. And it’s not reminiscent of the laid-back but chatty speakeasy-meets-pub atmosphere of SE Uncorked, that stars “snacks + taps” (and cocktails and one damn fine burger).
“I wanted it (The Back End) to have Miami vibes, at least I want it to have that feel,” Martschenko says. “I envision it with the bar windows wide open, a super casual setting with lots of colors, lots of pink. Ruth (Stiefel) helped a lot with the design.”
The Back End is Mexican. Well, sort of. A more accurate description is Mexican inspired with a fine dining twist, and a little fast casual tossed into the mix.
“It’s elevated Mexican food,” Martschenko says. “I’m not gonna say we’re traditional, but we bear the traditional values of what we do. It’s different. I don’t know how to do it any other way.”
It’s holiday time-Passover, which begins March 27 and concludes on Sunday, April 4. Even though Covid restrictions are starting to ease up, there are still plenty of pickup and delivery options for ordering so you can enjoy a beautiful meal in the comfort of your own home. Chag Same’ach!
Here are 18+ Spots For Passover Catering 2021 in Connecticut.
Chris Hickey, Andrey Cortes, Christopher Rasile, Shawn Longyear, and Carlos Baez decided to close their Spread sequel in Greenwich at the end of July, an announcement that came on the heels that they relocated their South Norwalk flagship to the former Harlan Publick space in the Ironworks development, adjacent to their global street food concept, El Segundo.
But with all that comes even more change in the form of El Segundo’s brunch menu.
Brunch was always a thing at El Segundo Norwalk but it’s the New Haven opening that sparked the change according to Hickey.
“The new menu is totally in line with the New Haven opening,” he says. “Brunch was instantly popular in New Haven, so we wanted to bring it to SoNo, too.”
The holidays have arrived. Unlike the usual joy and party atmosphere of a typical year’s end, this one brings with it innumerable emotions. In the midst of this tumultuous year, though, we have seen people coming together, helping each other and their communities as we haven’t seen for quite some time on such a scale. As you can see with just a small glance, the Holiday list before you is a long one-one of our longest—but it serves a dual purpose: to keep you, our fabulous readers, happy, safe, and cozied up with your families and “pods”, but it also serves to help us be aware of the restaurants in our midst who are going above and beyond to simply make it through this year and greet the new one. We hope you will continue to support each other and support the businesses in our state which help to keep our communities thriving. Happy Holidays to you all, to good health, and of course, good eatings.
We bring you 70+ CT Restaurants & Caterers for Holiday 2020 Catering & Dining.
Walking in to meet the legendary “Rosie” of Rosie New Canaan, I had full clarity within 30 seconds as to what has made this uber delicious global comfort food spot so beloved for 16 years. Sure, it’s the 2 pound blueberry muffins that could make a grown man weep, and the love that goes into the 6 hour stewed black beans in Rosie’s hueveos rancheros, but truly it is Rosie Bonura herself that makes this place feel like home (but with far better fare than you’d find in your own kitchen). She herself is the perfect recipe of creative energy, passion, and love for her community. This New Canaan fixture, whom I came to realize, after sitting streetside with her, knows everyone in the town by name, came racing out of the kitchen to greet me (we’d never met in person), virtually hugged me, (cuz’ Covid), and said “I need to get a batch of cookies out of the oven, I’ll be right back.”
Chef Arturo Franco-Camacho is no stranger to pleasuring CT diners. As a matter of fact, on top of numerous accolades, he’s been nominated for Chef of the Year. Along with the team from Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill, Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill, and Nantucket’s Bar Yoshi, Chef Arturo certainly has a following for his food. (That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if his silver mane has its own instagram page). So, we know when he gets in the kitchen, the food will be fresh, high quality, and pretty friggin’ delicious. And yet, his creativity with each new venture still offers elements of surprise. Cue his newest, Camacho Garage in New Haven.
What a full circle moment. I first met our editor Stephanie Webster, affectionately known as Boss Lady, almost two years ago at El Segundo in SONO before I started eating myself silly for ctbites. So, I’d say it’s fitting that I get to bring you the news that the segundo El Segundo is opening in New Haven THIS TUESDAY, August 25th. It makes PERFECT sense that a place that consistently delivers super friggin delish-us Global Street Food, land in a town like New Haven, which is a gorgeous microcosm of what our bruised little world has to offer.
For the four Reyes brothers, the butterfly is a symbol that pays homage to their mother, representing her strength and signifying a rebirth. In the midst of the restaurant industry’s toughest times, Javier Reyes says such a symbol is what we need most. That’s why he and his family have closed the doors of their popular Mezon Tapas Bar & Restaurant, and have opened a new Latin restaurant in Danbury. Fittingly, they’ve named it the Spanish word for butterfly, “mariposa”, that embodies the boldness of their mother.
Bill Taibe is a chef who is constantly creating. This is why, in the midst of a pandemic, as many restaurants closed their doors, Taibe and his executive chef, Anthony Kostelis, were in the kitchen recipe testing and preparing to launch a new Mexican concept in Downtown Westport. The name is Don Memo, and it resides in the space formerly known as Jesup Hall. Why the pivot? Taibe has long had a passion for Mexican cuisine, and has traveled extensively throughout Mexico over the past few years. He says, “Mexican food is intricate, vibrant, humble, and delicious. It’s the definition of local cuisine.” And, in typical Taibe form, he and Kostelis have crafted beautiful creative dishes on the bedrock of authentic Mexican fare.
When it comes to food trucks, Connecticut is on a roll! New outstanding mobile eateries are constantly popping up, offering a variety of cuisines and unique experiences. Here is our guide to Connecticut’s best food trucks- and it’s bigger and better than ever!
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.
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.
Camacho Garage, a new restaurant and bar from co-owners Robert Bolduc and Marc Knight, Executive Chef/co-owner Arturo Franco-Camacho and the team behind the award-winning Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill, Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill and Nantucket’s Bar Yoshi, will be opening at 36 Fountain Street (corner of Fountain Street and Central Avenue) in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. The restaurant, offering a fun and lively atmosphere with an elevated vintage garage theme, will serve Mexican street food, and a bar menu focused on beer, specialty cocktails, Tequila and other Mexican beverages.
