Tacombi, known for its full-flavor tacos, cocktails and ice-cold beers, is excited to announce the opening of its newest location in Westport, Connecticut on August 7th [1680 Post Road, Westport]. With over 17 locations across New York City, Long Island, Miami and the Greater Washington D.C. area, the brand is excited to expand its footprint with its first location in Connecticut, offering the Westport community of families, young professionals and longtime residents to indulge in authentic Mexican food and culture.
This new taqueria is centrally located near the Long Lots & Coleytown neighborhoods, just down the road from exits 18 & 19 off of I-95 and close to local public transit, making this taqueria accessible to all in the area. The colorful 2,966 sq foot free-standing location offers speedy and convenient service, with the option to order at the counter or via QR code tableside. The space offers an indoor-outdoor setting with an expansive outdoor seating area, where guests can dine under canopies, the perfect place to indulge in tacos during the warmer months.
That’s the word Adrian Hurtado uses when he describes the food he serves at his newly opened restaurant in Norwalk that’s an extension of his food truck, Taco Guy.
“I have chicken tinga on the menu because it runs in my family, going back to my great-great grandparents,” he says. “When you’re eating here, you’re getting my culture, my family tradition, and a piece of what’s in my soul.”
But for Hurtado, who grew up in the hospitality industry learning the ropes at the popular Super Taqueria Las Salsas in Bridgeport that’s owned by his father, he chose to not be a taquero as an adult.
Instead, he started making pizzas at Bar Sugo in Norwalk before hopping behind the bar as a bar back.
We are all rolling, rolling, rolling into the summer months-Yay! Between parties, vacations, and just plain ol’ exploring, the warm and sunny months have us on the move. And what better info to have in your back pocket than plans for where to eat-trucks offering food of all kinds, whether you’re stopping mid-trip or renting for your next party! We have broken down this behemoth of a list by categories so you can high-tail it to the foods that interest you: Pizza, Tacos/Mexican, BBQ, Ethnic, Lobster & Seafood, All-American, Plant-Based/Alternative Diet, Ice Cream & Sweets, Cocktails & Beer and Coffee & Tea. Happy summer, everyone, roll on!
If you don’t know about Chef Jin yet, you owe it to your taste buds to step into one of his now numerous restaurants across Connecticut. Perhaps you are familiar with Tomo 68 in Naugatuck or Natural Kitchen in Milford – and most recently, Ramen & Bao in Oxford. Those are all thanks to Chef Jin, and now you can check out Ji Bei Chuan in Orange, which has its official grand opening on May 9th.
Ji Bei Chuan is a widely popular dining establishment in China, with over 400 locations overseas. Here in the United States, there are only 40, with this Orange location the first in the state. As you step inside, your eyes are immediately drawn to its noodle bar: a beautiful dark-stained natural wood countertop where guests can dive head-first into one of the many noodle or soup dishes on the menu.
With the recent news that Bruxelles Brasserie closed as of April 9 and will be taken over by Jeff Taibe and reopen as Taproot, French cuisine in South Norwalk has all but evaporated.
But before the French-Belgian Bruxelles made this announcement, and at the beginning of 2023, Appetit Bistro, a more classic French restaurant, decided to switch things up, too.
For Appetit’s owners, Edwin Montoya and chef Ismael Carias, whose Port Chester location is still going strong at eight years and counting, their concept simply didn’t catch on in SoNo despite seeing an initial boom of customers.
What better way to kick off May than with a Cinco de Mayo FIESTA! Fruity, frosty or frozen Margaritas in a rainbow of flavors, tacos of every shape and size, gobs of perfectly creamy guacamole and…tequila. May 5th just happens to be a Friday this year, so let ‘er rip and party until the piñata hits the ground!
Sluuuuuurp. Siiiip! Sip! Just a few of the sounds you might hear when consuming a steaming hot bathtub-sized bowl of delicious, noodlicious ramen. Whether you’ve got a simpler bowl of noodles and broth on the brain or one brimming with a myriad of toppers, not much is more satisfying than slurping to your heart’s content. To take the chill off these end-of-winter days, we’ve got the consummate listing for your next craving. Dive on in, the slurping is good!
Here are 25 Spots for great ramen in Connecticut.
If we missed a Ramen spot you love, please contact us.
Less than a year ago, we introduced readers to Stamford branch of The Taco Project, a fast casual Mexican restaurant whose roots began in Tarrytown in 2014.
Since April of 2022, The Taco Project and its brand grew even more outside of its existing Westchester locations (Tarrytown, Yonkers, Pleasantville, Bronxville) and its High Ridge Road spot in Stamford, as they’ve set their sights on the Florida market and opened up shop in Coral Springs.
Edwin Mondragon, who co-owns the popular Mexican – Venezuelan mashup Mil Sabores in Bridgeport, credits his mother’s mole as his first taste of the food service industry. He recalls memories of packing mom’s mole in plastic pint containers, filling up his backpack, and selling it, as a family, to customers and stores who sought out the homemade Mexican sauce.
A couple of months ago, right before the holidays, I wandered into the newly opened Tümüin Fairfield in the Harry’s Corner shopping plaza.
Tümü, the Mexican word for butterfly, embodies the beauty and passion of Karla Krassin, a Weston-ite who was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. The chef and caterer now has a storefront that is part home décor boutique and part takeout restaurant (although there are two tables if you chose to eat in). Through her food and stunning items made by Mexican artisans, she brings the flavors and colors of her homeland to us and in so doing she honors the true recipes and techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation.
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.
A few months ago, a friend whose taste I trust asked me if I had tried Grumpy Dumplings? I said I had seen the account on Instagram, and recognized them from the local farmers’ markets, but had yet to try these so called “grumpy” dumplings. I was however already somewhat obsessed with their Japanese anime style branding, so why not give it a go? A few days later, I was able to procure some of their small batch dumplings ordered through their Instagram account (they since have launched a web site with online ordering), and as a bonus…they even delivered within 20 miles of Norwalk. Dinner was saved.
When you enter Ramen & Bao, the latest culinary addition to Oxford’s Quarry Walk, there is no question that you are in for a memorable experience. Right away, you are greeted by the tranquil sounds of water trickling from a fountain as you turn the corner, signaling that it is time to kick back, relax, and enjoy some delicious ramen, dumplings, steamed baos, or whatever may strike your fancy.
Chef Jin is no stranger to opening up successful restaurants in Connecticut, as Ramen & Bao is a sister restaurant to Natural Kitchen in Milford and Tomo 68 in Naugatuck. So we knew we were in for a treat when we sat down at a carefully presented place setting, complete with ornate soup spoons, bowls, and chopsticks. Needless to say, we were ready to dive in.
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.
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.
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.
Chef Alan Lee, owner of Uncle Seven in SoNo, is no stranger to the Connecticut food scene. He and his family have owned the highly successful Ching’s Table in New Canaan for over thirty years. So what was next for Chef Lee? A new venture, a modern twist on traditional Chinese cuisine in the SoNo Collection Mall. This new spot is called Uncle Seven, and you’ll be happy we told you so.
Uncle Seven was an immediate hit when it first opened its doors in early 2020, with Chef Lee recalling that the restaurant was “very busy for the first few months” before March of 2020 arrived. The restaurant has just reopened post pandemic, and we think it should be on your list of dining spots to check out this holiday season. Why, you ask? In addition to a truly delicious authentic Chinese menu, we’ve got two words for you: PEKING DUCK.
When your editor says “it’s one of the best Japanese spots I’ve ever been to,” you quickly look at your calendar and figure out how to get there. Folks: You too, have to get there.
Most of us can’t claim to be experts in Japanese cuisine and yet those of us who spend our days dreaming about food, know good food; we know passion when we see it, and we know when a chef’s world revolves around creating with the best ingredients and when those ingredients are treated with the utmost respect. Not only was our time at Hachiroku unforgettable with every sense turned up a notch, but before we exited the building, we were dreaming of our next visit.
The group behind Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake bar, which opened in May, are no newcomers to the food business. Owners Yuta Kamori and his wife Sanae, along with partners Gen Hashimoto and Hiroyuki Fuji Yuta started several years ago with Brooklyn Ramen, then branched out to a successful bento box business and Japanese sushi stores tied to the Maruichi grocery establishment throughout CT and Boston. According to our server extraordinaire, Tim Bang, “their bento business really blossomed during the pandemic which gave them the opportunity to open Hachiroku with Chef Yutaka here in New Haven.”
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.
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.
