Filtering by Tag: Cocktails,Cooking Classes

Park City Music Hall Launches Sunday Brunch...and It's Delicious

Restaurant Brunch Bridgeport Black Rock Live Music Comfort Food Egg Sandwich Cocktails Bar Family Friendly Homepage

Stephanie Webster

Park City Music Hall opened in 2020 in the Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport, after an extensive and beautifully executed renovation of what was once The Acoustic. The new team, the Torres family, also own neighborhood favorite, HarborView Market, situated just around the corner from the venue, where guests are often treated to live music, while enjoying a great casual seasonal breakfast and lunch menu. And let’s not forget their iconic chocolate chip cookies that always make the “best of” lists. The bottom line is, after 30 years in the business, the Torres folks know a thing or two about cooking and hospitality.

When they were offered the opportunity to reinvent and expand the beloved local music hangout, The Acoustic, they jumped in with what seemed like every hand in Black Rock. They created a spot that both increased the audience size and draw for the venue, but also amped up the experience with a new premium craft cocktail program and elevated bar menu, served Thursday through Sunday. Not only has Park City Music Hall become a spot to hear great local and national bands, but they are meeting the needs of hungry bar-goers, families, and food lovers, who come for dinner and their new…wait for it…BRUNCH!


40+ CT Spots To Celebrate Negroni Week September 12-18

Features Events Negroni Cocktails Events Homepage

April Guilbault

Negroni: one part gin, one part Vermouth Rosso, one part Campari, garnished with an orange peel. Possibly first mixed up in Florence, Italy around 1919. Supposedly, Count Camillo Negroni asked the bartender of the evening to spruce up his favorite Americano with a splash of gin. Had an orange lying around and ka-pow, a classic poured into being! Well, from September 12-18th, Negroni Week heralds 7 days highlighting this classic cocktail, all the while raising money for important causes. This year, monies raised at these establishments will support Slow Food, a movement that seeks to change the world through food and beverages. Their goal? To help create a world where “everyone can enjoy food and beverage that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet”. Raise those glasses and enjoy this classic along with some new spins…


Nomade Opens in Westport

Restaurant Westport Openings Global Cuisine American Cocktails Homepage

Jessica Ryan

With hints from St. Tropez, Ibiza, Cancun and Morocco, it’s hard to pinpoint any one particular region of influence. The vibe here is stunning, almost exotic, upscale yet casual, offering a diners an experience that is very much meant to be shared.

I recently spoke with Patrick Jean, Nomade’s co-owner and General Manager – also former owner of the much loved St. Tropez in Fairfield, the now shuttered Pearl at Longshore and Forza, as well as Rive Bistro and Hudson Malone – knew exactly how he wanted to transform the former Tavern on Main space which although cozy, felt dark and cavernous. His vision was to create a place where people would feel as though they were visiting someplace extraordinary and welcoming.

While the menu options seem to lean in favor of fish and seafood, there are plenty of animal protein options. I had the privilege of visiting the restaurant twice, once for lunch and once for dinner, thus enabling me to try a variety of dishes. The menu, globally inspired, boasts flavors from the Pacific Rim, Mediterranean basin and areas in between.

With all that I tried I found the following to be worth writing home about.


SoNo 1420’s BLAZE Bartender Competition: Bartenders & Guests Wanted!

Features Events Bartender Competition Mixology Cocktails South Norwalk Distillery Homepage

CTbites Team

On September 19th Bartenders from across the state of Connecticut are invited to show off their creativity, craft and passion by participating in SoNo 1420’s BLAZE BARTENDER COMPETITION.

“We are looking for our next Great BLAZE WHISKY cocktail and would love to see you showcase your skills with our Cinnamon Flavored Whisky that has won Double Gold and Best in Class Finalist 2022 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.”

BARTENDERS: Register here at BLAZEWHISKY.COM/COMPETITON by 9/12 to receive a complimentary 200 ml flask of Blaze along with other BLAZE Swag.

GUESTS: Swing by any of the locations below and cheer your favorite bartender on, and sample some great new cocktails.

The competition will take place on September 19th from 6-9 pm at the following locations:

Regional Competitions

Date: September 19, 2022

Time: 6-9 pm

Local Competitions Happening Near You At…

Oar+ Oak, Stratford

O’Neills Irish Pub, Norwalk

Stony Creek Brewery, Branford

Tomato Joe’s, Rocky Hill


Barcelona Wine Bar Launches Happy Hour Menu...And We Are Down

Features Restaurant Barcelona Wine Bar Norwalk Homepage Wine Cocktails Happy Hour Snacks Spanish Tapas

Andrew Dominick

We here at CTbites don’t normally focus on chain restaurants, both national and micro, but if there’s one that gets a pass it’s Barcelona Wine Bar. After all, Barcelona originated in South Norwalk way back in 1996 before expanding to other cities in Connecticut, then ultimately to Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Georgia, and a handful of other states.

My home base Barcelona is in Norwalk at the Waypointe. I know, I know, we all have our favorite location down in Fairfield County—or beyond if you’re in the New Haven or West Hartford area—mine happens to be Norwalk because it’s not only a newish one, but also because it’s a two mile drive away.

One day when I had a serious craving for chicken pimientos, I clicked on Barcelona’s menu and noticed a “Happy Hour” tab. Hey, listen, I love a good happy hour, so you’ve got my attention.


Isla & Co. Opens in Fairfield CT with Australian Inspired Fare

Restaurant Openings Fairfield Australian Outdoor Dining Cocktails

Jessica Ryan

I had the opportunity to attend a media dinner at the newly opened Isla, a restaurant featuring Australian fare. I wasn’t sure what Australian cuisine was but I was excited to check out this new eatery located in the heartbeat of downtown Fairfield right next to the community theater.

The restaurant itself is small, but when the weather is good it can take advantage of the wonderful courtyard area outside and more than double its seating capabilities. The restaurant’s design is minimalistic with dark green subway tiles lining the lower half of the crisp white walls dotted with hanging greenery and navy banquettes with café tables offer up seating. The back of the restaurant opens up to show diners the “behind the scenes” where they can watch bartenders crafting up delicious cocktails and, beyond, the chef in the kitchen preparing delectable fare. Let’s move on to that, shall we?


Brian Lewis Opens Second Location of The Cottage in Greenwich

Features Interview Restaurant Greenwich Homepage Brian Lewis Openings American Fine Dining Cocktails

Andrew Dominick

Brian Lewis officially has two pair. It’s generally a foldable poker hand, but when it comes to his successful restaurants OKO and The Cottage, that’s a very good thing for the rest of us.

The opening of a second location of The Cottage gives Lewis his fourth. OKO times two in Westport and Rye, plus his flagship of The Cottage in Westport.

But an exact facsimile of Westport it is not.

First off, it looks different. Grayish tan wooden tables and chairs, hues of power blue, wooden beams, and beachy décor are reminiscent of relaxed Cape Cod vibes. It’s also bigger. The dining room, the bar, the kitchen are all more spacious than Westport.


J.B. Percival: Craft Cocktails in Fairfield

Features Interview bar Cocktails Fairfield Pub Cocktail Lounge Mixology classic cocktails Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Punch “J.B. Percival” into Google Maps and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying an expertly mixed drink in Fairfield County’s only straight up cocktail lounge. All that’s left is actually finding the entrance.

Your GPS will tell you “you’ve arrived,” and you’ll likely be close, whether you’re parked at Fairfield Metro or parallel on Unquowa Street. There’s still a bit of legwork left. Head down Donnelly Walk, spot a handful of outdoor seats, and you’ll ultimately see their logo and “Permittee Amy O’Shea” decaled on the glass door.

If you’re just now hearing about J.B. Percival, it might be because O’Shea and her husband, Billy, opened their doors at the start of 2020. Nine weeks after they began mixing drinks and pouring pints, they were shut down for on-premise everything like every bar and restaurant was. Like most, they pivoted to a takeout model selling to-go cocktails, cocktail kits, wine, eggs, honey, masks, hand sanitizer, and even vegetables. As restrictions eased, J.B. Percival started slinging drinks for outdoor patio consumption, and then, finally, it was back to welcoming customers back indoors.


Cugine's Italian Opening in Stamford From Restaurateurs John & Morgan Nealon

Restaurant Features Stamford Openings Italian Cocktails Pasta Fine Dining Homepage

Stephanie Webster

Stamford restaurateurs John and Morgan Nealon today announced the opening of Cugine’s Italian in Stamford’s Harbor Point community at 121 Towne Street. The restaurant, expected to open later this Spring, will feature alluring, well-plated Italian cuisine, coupled with refined cocktails and a robust wine list.

“Our goal with Cugine’s is to offer not only Harbor Point, but Fairfield County as a whole, an entirely new Italian dining experience,” said John Nealon. “This sophisticated restaurant will invite our guests to take a step back in time and dine in the era of Frank Sinatra, with dark interiors and furniture, beautiful soft mood lighting, a period playlist and classic Italian cuisine.”


Bar 140: Belgian Frites, Burgers, Bibimbap Wings + Booze in Shelton

Features Restaurant Bar beer Craft Beer Cocktails Chicken Wings French Fries Shelton Belgian Frites Best Wings Burgers Homepage

Andrew Dominick

It wasn’t that long ago that I found myself in Shelton covering all things pierogi at The Rogi Shoppe when I randomly received a few DMs on two different Instagram accounts saying I should stop by Bar 140.

The finder’s fee goes to Gina, who sang the praises of Bar 140’s bar food, particularly their Belgian style frites. That got my attention fast! But then that continued with a few other messages trickled in that it’d be my type of bar; casual, kinda hipster, solid cocktails, and a fine beer list.

I asked around and got much of the same. Even Mateus from The Rogi Shoppe said their fries were stellar.

After I set up an interview with Joe Ballaro, who owns Bar 140 with his wife, Tiffany, I told a few friends I was going up there. It got pumped up even more by my friend Katy, who said, “This is my spot! I used to be a regular when I worked a few block away. It’s a good little spot. Good beer list and food. The owners are really cool.”

Sold! Plus, I’ll never pass up the chance at eating carefully made, hand cut fries by the bucket full, with different dipping sauces to plunge them into.


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.


Roadrunner Kitchen + Bar: Santa Fe Inspired Street Food in Black Rock

Features Interview Restaurant Black Rock Bridgeport Tacos Cocktails Family Friendly Homepage

Andrew Dominick

There’s only one way to begin an article about a restaurant that bears the name RoadRunner, and that’s with very Looney Tunes-like MEEP, MEEP!

Now that we’ve gotten the silliness out of the way—for now—it’s time to dish on this Bridgeport newcomer.

RoadRunner Kitchen + Bar comes to the Black Rock neighborhood from the New Canaan Restaurant Group whose restaurants include Gates in New Canaan and Bruxelles Brasserie in South Norwalk.

RoadRunner, though, is the polar opposite of its sister restaurants in terms of its high energy, casual vibe that suits families as well as adults who simply want to kick it at the bar and crush a few tacos.

But make no mistake, just because you read “tacos” doesn’t mean this is a Mexican joint. It’s New Mexican inspired. No, not like New American, but with Mexican food. We’re talking Santa Fe street eats and easy drinking cocktails with some fun shots thrown into the mix.


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.”


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!


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.


Cora Cora Authentic Peruvian Puts CT in National Spotlight with James Beard Nominations

Restaurant Features West Hartford Hartford Peruvian Lunch Cocktails Homepage

Christopher Hodson

Currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, Cora Cora Peruvian Restaurant and the Ludena family that own it, are finally getting the recognition they deserve. All of their hard work and dedication to serving traditional, authentic Peruvian food handed down through family recipes has helped not only them, but Connecticut also, gain recognition on the national food scene with not one, but two nominations by the James Beard Foundation. First for Outstanding Restaurant, and second for Best Chef: Northeast.


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.


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! ++


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.


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.