A little more than a year ago, we gave you an inside look at the first of the Sally’s Apizza expansion in Downtown Stamford.
Well, we’re back with a sequel that comes on the heels of the opening of Sally’s brand new Fairfield location at 665 Commerce Drive.
Sometimes when it comes to food, simple is smart. Doing one thing and doing it well defines the menu at Gai-Ja Chicken Rice in Fairfield CT. Owner, Putthabut Rungsri, said he opened Gai-Ja Chicken Rice because he realized that no one in Connecticut was serving the type of Thai street food he grew up with in his birthplace of Thailand. His Thai style chicken rice, or,“ Khao Man Gai “ (ข้าวมันไก่), for which the restaurant is named, is quite simply, the ultimate comfort food. The dish consists of poached, grilled or fried chicken, resting on top of steamed jasmine rice, cooked in chicken broth and seasoned with ginger, garlic, and chicken oil. The dish is served with a ginger soybean sauce and clear chicken broth on the side. It’s a little slice of street food heaven, and priced at $12 Gai-Ja has become a fixture in our weekly dinner rotation.
The iconic New Haven pizza spot, Sally’s Apizza is getting ready to open the doors at their NEW LOCATION IN FAIRFIELD next month!!!! This will be their third location in Connecticut, the 2nd of which opened last year in Stamford.
The restaurant will be located in the Trademark building at 665 Commerce Drive, in the space formerly occupied by Barbacoa Smoke House
Originating in Nanjing China, The Whale Tea has over 300 stores around the world due to their success and popularity. In only a couple of years, the store expanded to a variety of locations including Australia, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, London, and the United States. May Lin, in an interview, explained that she brought the franchise to the US and has already opened nearly 15 shops. In Connecticut alone, 10 locations are up and running.
Lin explained that her and countless customers' favorite drink is the Brown Sugar Boba. Although the drink originated in the United States, and not in China, its look and flavor are bold enough to turn heads. The boba is cooked with the brown sugar in the shop, so when you receive your drink it’s hot. The boba, Lin explains, is “soft and tasty,” similar to the original boba from Taiwan. Fortunately, the store, if you aren't a brown sugar enthusiast, has countless additional options to choose from. Whale Crystal is the most popular special, but every drink has a unique and creative aesthetic that makes your drink delicious (and perfect for an Instagram post).
In July of 2021, Khaled H. Khaled opened Nutcracker Egyptian Bakery & Candy Shop in Fairfield with his wife and three children. The Egyptian bakery quickly found an ample following, says Khaled. “All different sorts of people come in. Some people for the candy, some for the baklava, and [many still] for other things.”
The family-run shop’s offerings consist of a variety of Middle-Eastern baked goods, as well as a selection of treats from Egypt’s most beloved brands. Khaled learned how to bake early while working at his family’s confectionery in Cairo. After moving to Fairfield in 2012, he continued to hone his craft while experimenting with possible improvements. Accordingly, Nutcracker offers many different delicacies with an enormous variety of flavors.
“80% of adults with disabilities are unemployed,” cites Sam Burkhardt, manager of The Prospector Theater. “It’s really difficult for many of them to find work.” “And COVID only exacerbated that,” adds manager James Mase, “with 1 in 5 workers with disabilities being laid off, compared to 1 in 7 in the general public.” Thankfully, the Ridgefield movie theater offers a haven for developmentally and intellectually disabled adults seeking work, with a mission to provide “competitive and integrative employment” for adults with special needs.
But that’s not all….wait till you try their homemade gourmet popcorn!
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?
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.
There’s a new fried chicken restaurant in town and it’s not like any other.
Last summer Lovebird opened its first Connecticut eatery at 2385 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield on the heels of four successful Pennsylvania restaurants (Blue Bell, Bryn Mawr, Doylestown and Newtown.)
Stephanie Wilson Paulson, a long- time friend of founder John Ordway, decided to bring the restaurant to Connecticut and thought Fairfield to be an ideal location.
Lovebird is unique in that it is a celiac-friendly, gluten-free* restaurant that describes itself as a high quality chicken restaurant changing the way fried chicken is done, and redefining the way people are eating fried chicken. Free of GMO's, antibiotics, and unpronounceable ingredients, Lovebird uses only Gerber’s Amish Farm cage-free chicken for their made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and quinoa bowls, with vegetarian and vegan options. Diners shouldn’t overlook their sides, crispy Brussels, fried pickles and mac and cheese, all – of course – gluten-free!
Craving something sweet but not in the mood for the full indulgence of ice cream? Do you want something that tastes just as good without as much guilt? Have no fear, Dave’s Gourmet Paletas has just opened in downtown Fairfield serving up 20 flavors of homemade paletas…made fresh daily. These pops are far cry fro from the average popsicle as paletas are made entirely from whole ingredients, delicious things…like fresh fruit and nut butters. Dave’s Paletas also feature gluten free, dairy free and vegan options with a menu ranging from classic flavors like strawberry and banana to more unique ones like matcha and mango chamoy. Paletas are a traditional Mexican frozen treat and owner and CEO Dave Rock says,
“We wanted to offer standard flavors, traditional ones that everybody likes, but we also wanted to sprinkle in some of the more uniquely Mexican options like a mango chamoy.”
It’s not easy to find Romanian cuisine in the Nutmeg state. Aline and Christian Caldarariu, owners of the recently opened, Cafe Transilvania, say their new takeout spot is the only Romanian restaurant in Connecticut. The couple, both with backgrounds in hospitality and the culinary world, had intended to open a sit down restaurant pre-Covid, but the world changed, and so did their plans. Their new spot, located at 246 Post Road, in Fairfield CT, has opened to an enthusiastic response from both the large Romanian community in Fairfield County (who knew?), as well as local diners, who are excited to sample a cuisine that has previously eluded food lovers the Connecticut area.
Allow me to preface this article with a warning. Once you’ve experienced master chocolatier Benoit Racquet’s Belgian chocolates, there really is no turning back. These confections, made with Callebaut Fairtrade’s finest chocolate and a whole lot of food-science based love, are highly craveworthy and bordering on sensual. Benoit and his wife Sylvie, have been in the business of chocolate for over five years, but last week marked a special milestone for this team…the grand opening of their first retail shop, BE Chocolat, located at 75 Hillside Rd in Fairfield CT.
Want some great espresso, specialty iced tea, frozen drinks? How about acai, pitaya, matcha or spirulina bowls alongside killer bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, basmati rice bowls, gluten free, vegan dishes, and mouthwatering desserts? The Westchester favorite, Bobo’s Cafe has crossed the border, and is opening in Connecticut…Ridgefield to be exact. According to their Facebook page, doors open today at 32 Danbury Road.
After completing their domination of Northern Westchester, owner Craig Bernardi said, “We look for communities that allow us the opportunity to really get to know people in town.”
After celebrating 21 years of serving the freshest, local, seasonal menu they can come up with, Bailey’s Backyard is switching it up.
Oh, don’t worry, one of Connecticut’s originators in farm-to-table fare will still be doing that.
Sorry for the scare. I had to get your attention somehow, didn’t I?
Bailey’s, however, is doing something new. They’re making pizza.
Past all the outdoor seating that stretches from Bailey Avenue to an outdoor tent by the rear parking lot there’s a custom-made Forza Forni wood-fired oven burning at 800° or higher.
In front of said oven you’ll find pizzaiolo Frank Candullo, who has been in the business for “about 15 years.” Along the way, Candullo has worked in a few parlors, including Victoria’s Wood Fired Pizzeria in Bethel and he has made countless pies in his own backyard for friends and family.
How Candullo ended up slinging pies at Bailey’s is simple. He’s really tight with Bailey’s owner Sal Bagliavio.
“Our kids went to school together and we became good friends,” Bagliavio says. “Frank has been making pizza in his backyard for years and he always has a bunch of us over. We’d joke around back in the day that we should open a pizza place together. In fact, I owned Alphonso’s in Danbury for 2-3 years before I opened Bailey’s.”
Combine the “what ifs” with a pandemic and pizza became a reality. Bagliavio mentioned that after he had to close the restaurant for a few months and geared Bailey’s more towards takeout. Pizza, he said, was the perfect pandemic pivot to offer as a standalone or you can mix and match with Bailey’s dinner menu.
To prepare, Bagliavio and Candullo did some serious dough research. “We spent two days at Forza Forni in Brewster perfecting the recipe,” Bagliavio says. “I think we ate like 75 pizzas!”
The result of what they learned at Forza Forni is a dough made up of all-natural flour, water, salt, and yeast, free of any chemicals or additives. It’s then left to cold ferment for 48 hours.
If you’re thinking wood-fired Neapolitan after Candullo is done spinning it, you’re half right. Bagliavio calls it a hybrid. “It’s like a cross between Neapolitan and New Haven,” he says. “It’s got a char, a thin crust, and a puffy edge. It’s light.”
Breaking Pizza News! It’s not often that the legendary Connecticut-based Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana debuts a new pizza, so when this classic New Haven-style, coal-fired pizzeria does, it’s a really big deal. Pepe’s has recently started serving its latest master piece, the Meatball and Ricotta pizza crafted with 100% all natural meatballs, ricotta cheese, crushed Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, grated pecorino Romano and drizzled with olive oil.
Every now and then Hoodoo Brown BBQ goes off their standard menu for special smoked meat theme days. Occasional Whole Hog Sundays, Prime Rib Thursdays (and French Dip Fridays if there are leftovers), and Taco Tuesdays are just some of the drool-inducing days the Hoodoo Crew has come up with over the years. From Taco Tuesday, though, something else was born…Tex-Mex Tuesday.
“We did Taco Tuesday for three months with one special taco on the menu to get our creativity flowing,” says Hoodoo general manager Chris Sexton. “It felt like an afterthought because people would get one or two tacos, and we’d maybe sell 10-15 the whole night, but we know that we do things better when we do them bigger.”
I have two words for you: Sushi Cake.
And two more words for you: Sushi Donut.
Hold on, two more: Sushi Burrito.
Wait! Three more words! (so many words).
Knowledge. Sustainability. Heritage.
How on earth do all of these, plus a fresh Nordic wind, connect?
They intersect on the Post Road in Fairfield at the Nordic Fish market.
When Catch A Healthy Habit opened its doors 10 years ago, this raw, vegan, gluten-free cafe was one of the first of its kind in CT, and certainly the first in Fairfield County. Owners Lisa Storch (yes, she is related to Matt Storch) and Glen Colello did a wonderful job creating an extensive healthy and delicious menu of items you can’t believe taste so darn good given everything that’s NOT included in the ingredients list. Storch, is a CIA trained chef and has always made everything from scratch, including their almond milk, cashew cheese, and coconut whipped cream (which is divine). They have also managed to source the single best gluten-free bread I’ve found in the fine state of CT. And now they’re 10 years old! To celebrate they will giving all their loyal guests 10% off everything in the store (including their juice cleanses) on Nov 30th, Small Business Day.
