Filtering by Tag: Guide,Mexican

Don Memo in Westport Launches Brunch!

Interview Features Restaurant Westport brunch Mexican Homepage

Andrew Dominick January 22, 2023

Just under three years ago, our esteemed founder, Stephanie Webster, introduced CTbites readers to Bill Taibe’s Don Memo. Since the summer of 2020 when Don Memo opened, it has not only been a hit with locals and out-of-towners, but Taibe’s interpretation of authentic Mexican cuisine with ingredients that are seasonal and locally sourced has gotten its share of acclaim as a 2021 CRAzies nominee for Best Restaurant (West Region) and a Restauranteur of the Year win for Taibe.

This year, there are big plans for two of Taibe’s restaurants, Kawa Ni and Don Memo, as they’re set to expand in Denver. While Kawa Ni will be the first to open in the Mile High City, Taibe hinted that Don Memo will hopefully follow in the latter half of 2023.

But the Denver expansion isn’t stopping Taibe’s restaurants from growing in Westport. Kawa Ni—if you haven’t heard—has both a bigger bar and twice the dining room space.

As for Don Memo? It’s open an extra day with another day, Tuesday (because yay for Taco Tuesday!), coming soon thereafter when the weather calls for tacos, tostadas, and palomas on the patio.

What’s going down on Sundays at Don Memo is…BRUNCH. And it’s not only offered on Sundays, but Fridays and Saturdays as well.

CT Shopping Guide for Recreational Cannabis-Legal in CT TODAY!

Features Cannabis CBD Chocolate CBD Marijuana Guide Medical Marijuana Health & Wellness Highlight

Carly Terzigni January 10, 2023

CBD-infused products have risen in popularity in recent years thanks to de-stigmatization, and a new law passed in the state of Connecticut could see yet another spike in public interest. In 2021, Connecticut made it legal for those with prescriptions to purchase cannabis in-state. But as of today, January 10th of this year, the recreational sale of adult-use cannabis will become legal, with nine medical marijuana operators already approved for business. But in addition to those businesses, there are a wide variety of shops around the state that already sell CBD-infused products, such as oils, creams, and edibles. Perhaps you are just as curious as the rest of us to learn more about the benefits of CBD (for starters, it won’t get you high), or maybe you are a seasoned pro and want to find new local businesses to support while shopping for all of your favorite CBD products.

Today, we are going to focus on that final category (since, after all, we’re all foodies here). CBD can be used in a wide variety of ways, including as an infused ingredient in gummies, coffee, seltzers, cookies, honey, candies, and more. Check out some of the shops around the state where you can pick up some of these CBD products, as well as a few national brands to be on the lookout for the next time you head to the store.

60+ Restaurants & Caterers for Christmas Eve & Christmas in CT: 2022 Edition

Features Restaurant Christmas Eve Christmas Guide Holiday Guide Caterers Homepage

April Guilbault December 11, 2022

Sparkles and decorations, music and merriment, parties and gift-giving and of course, holiday dining. New traditions to begin or a revisiting of favorites from year’s past. We all have those special dishes or holiday sweets that make us pause as nostalgia fills our hearts. For those reasons and more, it is one of the most wonderful times of the year. We would like for you to be able to create new memories with those you love, so we have compiled a list of Connecticut eateries that are going above and beyond for the holiday season. They are categorized by county-Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Windham-so you don’t have to waste time researching, you can just swan dive into celebrating the season. From our plates to yours, Happy Holidays. May it be delicious!

Mexicue Opens in Westport: Mexican-American ‘Classics Re-Mixed’ (via Westport Journal)

Restaurant Westport Openings Mexican Cocktails Tacos

Gretchen Thomas November 21, 2022

This just in from Gretchen Webster of Westport Journal.

The day after Westport’s newest restaurant, Mexicue, opened at 38 Main St., founder Thomas Kelly said the “contemporary Mexican-American restaurant” was off to a good start.

He and Lynn Wilson, Mexicue’s operating partner, took about a year to plan and open the downtown location, once the site of the Bobby Q’s and Onion Alley restaurants.

The Mexicue in Westport is the seventh owned and operated by Kelly and Wilson. There are three others in New York City, two in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area and one in Stamford.

Tacos and margaritas are featured fare on the Mexicue menu.

“People like a good margarita with tacos,” and a place that is “fun and vibrant with loud music and strong drinks,” Kelly said.

Read the complete article at Westport Journal.

Former Nosh Hound Food Truck Owner Maycie Ralbovsky Joins Broken Symmetry as Executive Chef

Brewery Features Interview Restaurant Brewery Chef Talk Tasting Tasting Menu Tacos Mexican Craft Beer beer Homepage Broken Symmetry Bethel

Andrew Dominick November 18, 2022

Ask any Fairfield County food truck fanatic what their favorite one was over the past handful of years and they’re likely to mention Nosh Hound if they know what they’re talking about.

The stacked sandwiches, the tacos, the burgers, and the bowls, and yes, even the “F” word…FUSION. It all really worked for Nosh Hound. I, for one, sought out Sam and Maycie Ralbovsky’s truck at every Mill River Park event. My final Nosh Hound memory was at Half Full’s Oktoberfest in Downtown Stamford when I obliterated a pork schnitzel sandwich.

100+ CT Restaurants, Caterers & Farms for Thanksgiving 2022

Features Restaurant Holiday Thanksgiving Guide Catering Homepage

April Guilbault November 14, 2022

If you can cut through the increasing daily frenzy, it really is a glorious time of the year, isn’t it? And we should all make the effort to not get swept up in the busyness, because what is at our doorstep is a season of gathering with family and friends, enjoying meals and celebratory occasions together. We’ve come a long way, baby, and it’s time to celebrate everything that we hold dear, rejoice in it, savor it. And us-being-us (CTbites), we are offering suggestions now to help put your happy over the top. Sharing a meal is, indeed, a special thing with the people you love most and we want you to love this part something fierce. Forks up and Happiest Thanksgiving wishes!

40+ Places For Great Holiday Pies in Connecticut (2022 Edition)

Ingredients Features Holiday Thanksgiving Catering Pies Asian Desserts Guide Pie Guide Homepage

Carly Terzigni November 10, 2022

It might be hard to believe with such an unseasonably warm start to November, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner! And that can only mean one thing: it’s pie time. Once again this year, there are dozens of restaurants, markets, farms, and other businesses across the state offering a variety of pies to preorder and have ready to add to your holiday table. Whether you are keeping things simple with a traditional pumpkin or apple pie to compliment your turkey dinner, or you want to mix things up with unique flavors and ingredients, there are desserts on this list for just about every palate. Happy Thanksgiving!

2022 CT Catering Guide: 18 Caterers For Your Next Event

Features Catering Caterers Catering Guide Holiday Entertaining Meal Delivery Guide Homepage Highlight

April Guilbault November 05, 2022

You’re probably still recovering from the seasonal avalanche of candy corn, but the “other” holidays are now peeking around the corner-and it’s always better to be ready for them when they jump out at you. Whether for cozy and familial Thanksgiving gatherings, spirited and sparkly holiday parties, a Let’s-Get-2023-Right New Year’s celebration or any of your special events and holidays next year, these caterers will help you feast and fete with panache. Best part about this listing is that many of these caterers work throughout the entire state of Connecticut and even the tri-state area. Go forth and celebrate! Here are 18 Connecticut Caterers who will make your next event a stress-free delicious success!

NYC's Beloved Rosa Mexicano Announces Opening in West Hartford October 26

Features Restaurant West Hartford Openings Mexican Hartford County

CTbites Team October 24, 2022

Rosa Mexicano announces the official opening on October 26 of its newest location in West Hartford, Connecticut. Located at 51 Isham Road, opposite the Cheesecake Factory, this 6,000 square-foot restaurant in Blue Back Square, an outdoor mixed-use downtown destination, will offer guests an elevated fiesta experience including signature menu items like the famed tableside guacamole preparation, margaritas that were named best in New York City, as well as a creative cocktail program. In addition, the restaurant in West Hartford will feature outdoor dining with an inviting patio.

Guide To 2022 Fall Cooking Classes in Connecticut

Features Cooking Cooking Classes Education Guide

April Guilbault October 12, 2022

You’ve gotten the kids settled in school so, hey, maybe there is some schooling to be had for you too. Maybe you are looking to spice up your girls’ night out or do something beyond-the-water cooler with office mates. Maybe you are wanting to try a new hobby with a partner or honestly, maybe you just need some You Time. Something for yourself that expands your mind, your curiosity and possibly your palate. Take a class. The possibilities are endless and you’ll learn some skills that follow you through your life. What is not to love about that?

2022 Guide to Catering Rosh Hashanah + Yom Kippur

Features Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Jewish Holidays Homepage Catering Guide Catering Guide

April Guilbault September 16, 2022

Holiday time is family time and good food is a central part of these celebrations! With Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 25-27) and Yom Kippur (Oct. 4-5) coming into focus, we have a handy listing of markets, caterers, and restaurants for you so that you may fill your table with traditional and new favorite dishes to mark the occasion. Our wish is that your holidays be happy and, of course, delicious. Shanah Tovah!

Más Tacos Por Favor! La Taqueria Expands to Darien

Features Interview Restaurant Tacos Margaritas Mexican Fast Casual Openings Darien Homepage

Andrew Dominick August 28, 2022

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.

Mex Spot Restaurant Opens in Norwalk at Former John’s Diner Location

Features Interview Restaurant Mexican Homepage Openings Tacos

Andrew Dominick July 10, 2022

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.

20+ Connecticut Local Canned Cocktails, Spritzers, + Hard Seltzers (2022 Guide)

Features Canned Cocktails Hard Seltzer Brewery Distillery Guide Homepage Highlight

April Guilbault July 07, 2022

At the beach, at a picnic, on a boat, maybe a pool floaty shaped like a flamingo, in your backyard, or hell, even just sprawling on your favorite chaise. What do all these places have in common? They are spots where it would be a great opportunity to crack open a can of something refreshing and well, lightly, fabulously spiked or mixed. Yep, cocktails or spiked seltzers in a convenient can! Ready that index finger and pop into fizzy, fabulous libations made with fresh juices and your favorite alcoholic beverages. Take the party outside this season, pop those tops and keep it easy and fun.

40+ Places in Connecticut for Lobster, Clambakes, + Seafood Shacks (2022 Guide)

Features Seasonal Restaurant Seafood seafood boil Lobster Lobster Roll Clambake Homepage Guide Dining Guide Highlight

April Guilbault June 30, 2022

One fish, two fish, red fish…lobster. And seafood in all its forms. Oh yeah, baby! Get the bibs, the frosty beers and get crackin’, shuckin’ and lovin’. Nothing signals the start of summer quite like eating by the water while the sunshine sparkles on the waves. Picture, if you will, your teeth sinking into a lobster roll dripping with drawn butter, or wistfully dragging fresh steamers through (more) butter or popping hot-out-the-fryer clam strips and fritters into your mouth. Whether dining on land or by sea, seafood rules the roost this season. These simple summer pleasures make time stand still for a few blissful moments. Summer is here, and food is easy.

Enjoy our guide to over 40 summertime—or anytime—spots to get buttery lobster, chow down at a clambake, and sit and eat at a seafood shack!

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 April 14, 2022

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 April 05, 2022

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!

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

Features Restaurant Mexican Openings Westport Tacos Breakfast Lunch

CTbites Team March 04, 2022

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.

¡Ay Güey! Cocina Mexicana Opens In Stratford

Restaurant Stratford Mexican Delicious Dives Tacos Lunch Openings

James Gribbon June 08, 2021

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.

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 May 23, 2021

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.