Filtering by Tag: Vegan,Pizza

John & Morgan Nealon To Open New Restaurant, Crust Issues, in Norwalk CT

Restaurant Opening Norwalk Pizza Comfort Food Cocktails Italian Lunch Kid Friendly Homepage

Stephanie Webster

Restaurateur husband and wife super-team, John & Morgan Nealon, are back at it again! Enquiring minds wondered what was next for this duo, and now the wait is over. John & Morgan have just signed the lease on the old Davinci’s Pizza in Norwalk at 60 Connecticut Avenue. Get ready for CRUST ISSUES, a casual neighborhood joint, opening in early Fall. As the name might suggest, there will be pizza, but as per usual with these two, it won’t fit into a classic pizza-style. More on that if you keep reading… and wait till you hear what else is on the menu.  

Crust Issues is housed in the bones of an old school pizza spot, with tiled floors and big pizza ovens in the open kitchen, and the Nealon will be leaning in to this relaxed vibe. Guests will order at the counter, grab one of the 40 seats, and enjoy a cocktail (John’s got some fun new tricks up his sleeve in the cocktails department…obvi), and you’ll likely get a Nealon bringing some tasty elevated comfort food to your table. 

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Vespino Pizza + Restaurant Opens in Fairfield

Restaurant Italian Opening Pasta Pizza Lunch Prix Fixe Kid Friendly Fairfield Homepage

Jessica Ryan

Nestled in a quiet corner of a shopping plaza located right off of the hustle and bustle of Fairfield’s Black Rock Turnpike is Vespino Pizza + Restaurant. Located in the space that was formerly Stefano’s, Vespino fills a void in the area’s restaurant scene. Best described as elevated casual in a stylishly modern setting, Vespino is an ideal choice for a quick neighborhood lunch, casual dinner with friends and family, or an after work cocktail. Vespino has already established a loyal clientele and has earned praises for their pizza, pasta, appetizers and main dishes. Sister restaurant to longtime local favorite Quattro Pazzi Café, Organika and the newer kid on the block, Pizza Lyfe in Westport, we came in with high expectations, eager to try a few dishes ourselves.

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Heirloom Food Co: Organic + Vegan, Gluten-Free Cafe & Serious Biz Desserts

Restaurant Special Dietary Needs Vegan Gluten-Free Danielson cafe Lunch Breakfast Organic

April Guilbault

I could start with the usual hellos and some intros, but why beat around the bush-let’s dive right in and start with a sandwich you will want to get to know: The Heirloom Reuben. It’s a Reuben of a different color, though; two slices of fresh sourdough bread stuffed full of marinated cabbage, carrots, sautéed onions, sauerkraut, special “Heirloom” sauce, and raw Cheddar or vegan cheese. It’s a two-handed wonder that only the truly skilled can maneuver. It’s also a meat-LESS Reuben. This and many more vegan delights hold court on the most beloved list (aka menu) at the Heirloom Food Co., a healthy eatery in Danielson, one of the towns in the chock-full-of-surprises Quiet Corner of Connecticut. As I mentioned, you are going to want to get to know this place. And this sandwich.

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Connecticut Food Trucks Guide: 150 + CT Mobile Caterers (2023 Edition)

Features Restaurant Guide Food Truck Best of CT Highlight Food Truck Guide Caterer Catering Guide Caterers Pizza BBQ Mexican Ice Cream Homepage

April Guilbault

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! 

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Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford: All Vegan. All Delicious.

Restaurant Vegan Vegetarian Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Bakery Lunch Guilford

April Guilbault

Tender meatballs nestled in bubbling, vibrant San Marzano tomato sauce. Hearty breads that cradle cutlets generously smeared with homemade pesto. Crispy-on-the-outside Mac and Cheese balls and tender Crabcakes with a dollop of Horseradish Dill sauce. Lasagna that is layers deep, stuffed full of gooey cheese and smothered in more of that delightful tomato sauce. 

And it’s all vegan. 

Without getting too Hallmark-y, it is all based in love, as well. 

Tracy Alexander, with her two daughters Brittany and Taylor form the triumvirate of Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford, Connecticut. Mama Tracy creates the recipes and menus, while daughters Brittany and Taylor run the locations and handle the marketing. 

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Brooklyn's Iconic Emmy Squared Pizza Coming to Westport?? We Think Yes

Features Restaurant Pizza Burgers Openings Westport Homepage

Stephanie Webster

This news has NOT been confirmed by Emmy Squared, but we are watching the job boards and it looks like Emmy Squared is looking for staff for a NEW WESTPORT CT location!

The iconic and much loved Emmy Squared is coming to Connecticut! Their first location opened in Williamsburg Brooklyn in 2016, co-founded by Emily Hyland and executive chef Matthew Hyland, They are known for their signature Detroit-style pizza, marked by its square shape, crispy bottom, fluffy dough, cheesy "frico" crust, and signature sauce stripes.

Their famed double-stack burger, the Le Big Matt (served on a pretzel bun), was named ‘#1 Best Burger in Nashville’ by The Tennessean and Nashville Lifestyles, voted one of ‘The Best New Burgers In NYC’ by Gothamist, and listed as one of the ‘20 Best Burgers in NYC’ by The Infatuation. The menu also highlights a selection of approachable salads and sandwiches served on pretzel buns.

Gaining critical claim and an ever-growing cult following, we have expanded the Emmy Squared brand with eight locations across New York City, Nashville, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Louisville and plans to expand nationally.

And if you if you check out the job boards….they are coming to Westport! More details coming soon.

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Pizza Lyfe, New York Style Pizza Opens in Westport

Restaurant Pizza Westport Openings Lunch Kid Friendly Italian Salads

Jessica Ryan

For those of you who have been craving a good New York style pizza that you can really sink your teeth into, let us introduce you to Pizza Lyfe, a slice of heaven in the heart of New Haven style pizza country. 

Pizza Lyfe prides itself on using only the best and freshest of ingredients. Their specially made mozzarella comes from the Bronx, a location so secret they wouldn’t even share it with us ‘off the record.’ The dough is made from a special unbleached, high-protein flour that is fermented for two days before becoming a delicious pizza crust. 

The menu is diverse with traditional cheese and pepperoni pizza pies (that are also available by the slice and very reasonably priced) as well as their specialty pies which are best described as a Neopolitan/New York, hybrid.

Traditional cheese slices and pies can be augmented with toppings such as sausage, meatball, onion, red peppers, bacon, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, and olives to name a few. Their specialty pizzas include Salad Pizza, Margarita Pizza, White Pizza, Spicy Pizza Lyfe, Veggie Pizza, Truffled Mushroom, Pineapple and Ham, Buffalo Chicken, Burrata, Meatlovers and Artichoke. There are also two weekly specials on rotation. 

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Chef Driven 'DIG' To Open In Stamford with Mindfully Sourced Veg Forward Menu (via The Patch)

Features Restaurant Openings Vegetarian Vegan Special Dietary Needs Stamford Lunch healthy Homepage

Richard Kaufman via The Patch

The old Bull's Head Diner which closed in 2021 has been transformed into a new, unique eatery that has something for everyone. DIG, a chef-centric restaurant based in New York City, will open up at 43 High Ridge Road the week of April 17.

DIG has locations in Boston and Cambridge, Mass., Bridgewater Township, N.J., New York City, Philadelphia, Pa., Rye Brook, N.Y., and soon-to-be in Washington, D.C.

The Stamford location will be the restaurant's first stand-alone location.

DIG's seasonal menu is scratch-cooked and features fresh salads and market plates curated by their in-house chefs. The menu is rotated regularly, highlighting the freshest vegetables of the season.

Patrons can expect various salad and grain bowls. Current offerings include the beet & goat cheese bowl: farm greens, roasted red beets with clementines, preserved orange vinaigrette, with crumbled goat cheese, super-seed crunch with balsamic dressing on the side;

Or the kale caesar bowl: cashew kale caesar, farm greens with mint, tomatoes and cucumbers, and avocado, with cashew caesar dressing and toasted breadcrumbs on the side — among many other options.

You can also build our own bowl, add an a la carte side like roasted sweet potatoes or the Jasper Hill mac and cheese: Jasper Hill three-cheese blend, Ithaca milk, whole-wheat pasta with crispy panko breadcrumbs.

Read the complete article on The Patch.

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SoNo Wood Fired Opens in South Norwalk: Neapolitan Pizza + Italian Soul Food

Features Interview Restaurant Norwalk South Norwalk Pizza Neapolitan pizza Homepage Italian Openings

Andrew Dominick

Thin crust. Roman style. Pan pizza. Bar pies. Artisan. Grilled. Foldable New York slices.

Norwalk has all of that. And you can insert your own quip about there being “too much Italian” if you want.

What Norwalk has been missing in its dining history is a true wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria.

Check that. “Had been missing.”

Newly opened on N Main Street is SoNo Wood Fired, where owner and pizzaiolo Besnar Kaba ferments, forms, stretches, and tops each pie, then slides each one using a long peel into his 800° Forza Forni Pavesi.

Kaba is meticulous about it, though. He will only cook three or so doughs at a time, turning them feverishly for 90 seconds to two minutes, to achieve that perfect leopard spotted char that’s indicative of a proper Neapolitan pie.

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Divine Treasures: Vegan & Gluten-Free European-Style Chocolates in Manchester CT

Restaurant Features Dessert Chocolate Valentine's Day Ice Cream Vegan Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs

April Guilbault

Happily, eating plant-based is becoming easier and more accessible by the day. However, finding decadent desserts and sweets that fit this category have historically been a bit more of a challenge, given that milk, butter, and gelatin is usually involved when making things of the sweeter persuasion. Another challenge: finding gift-worthy artisan treats that are visual treats to the palate as well the eyes. You know, the type of special giant heart box of chocolates that Linus toted around waiting to give to Miss Othmar. At the end of the day, no one wants to be left out, including sweet and chocolate-indulging plant-eaters.

Well, these sweets do exist, Virginia, and they are located in Manchester so your plant-loving special someones can partake in all the sweet flavors and beautiful treats as the omnivores. Every sweet produced at Divine Treasures chocolate shop, which has been going strong since 2007, is vegan and gluten-free. In addition, Divine Treasures confections are made with health and enjoyment in mind. These European-style chocolates are crafted with high-quality ingredients but also, and here’s the amazing part, without refined sugar and corn syrup. Diane Wagemann, owner and chocolatier, studied the art of chocolate making in Belgium and Switzerland and then decided to adapt her grandmother’s family recipes to suit the goal of healthier eating. Instead of adding an abundance of sugars, Wagemann wants the inherent taste of the cacao to be the shining star. She sources the chocolate from small family-owned Fair-Trade certified businesses, so you can be sure that no fillers have been added to the chocolate, which sometimes can compromise the vegan integrity. 

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Beastie Burger: CT Entrepreneur Creates Delicious Plant Based Burgers

Ingredients Features Vegan Vegetarian Plant Based Ingredients Burgers Healthy Eats Health & Wellness

April Guilbault

This is the story of a plant-based burger patty that began with a wedding invitation. 

Our heroine, Lisa, receives her son’s wedding invitation in the mail one day. Joy! But, oh, on that day, she is feeling that she doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, walking down that aisle as the Mother-of-the-Groom, with everyone staring at her. So, to help counter her depression and anxiety, she soon finds a local fitness trainer. In walks trainer Joseph and Lisa’s life begins to change. Even more changes are to come down the road, including, oddly, a little incident with a meat grinder on Rt.8 on dark and stormy night.

As Lisa Nicholas begins her transformation and changes the way she thinks about nutrition and exercise, Joseph suggests upping her daily intake of protein to build those lean muscles. Problem is, Lisa had tried the vegan lifestyle years before and was hitting a wall with food being interesting and, also, getting enough protein.

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40+ Sports Bars, Restaurants, BBQ joints, Pizzerias, Caterers, and More For Super Bowl LVII Orders

Restaurant Seasonal Super Bowl Chicken Wings Pizza Catering BBQ Sports Bar

Carly Terzigni

Whether you are rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs, or Rihanna, nothing can bring the whole family around the television like the Super Bowl. And whether you are into wings, nachos, pizza, or all of the above (like us), there is no shortage of great food options to munch on while watching the game (or the commercials).

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Pizza Lyfe Opens in Westport with New York-Style Pies, Calzones + (via Westport Journal)

Restaurant Openings Pizza Westport Homepage

Westport Journal

This just in from Westport Journal’s Thane Grauel.

The aroma of garlic once again hovers over Post Road East at the Sherwood Island Connector.

Pizza Lyfe, 833 Post Road East — proofing for months with ‘coming soon’ and ‘now hiring’ signs — has finally opened its doors. It’s the successor to Ignazio’s The Pizza, and before that, Bertucci’s, and, way the heck back when, the Clam Box.

Pizza Lyfe makes New York-style pies, and also offers a compact but uncommon menu of calzones, sandwiches, appetizers, salads and other healthy offerings.

Read the complete article on Westport Journal.

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Dante's Pizza in New Canaan: Finally Entering the Inferno

Features Interview Restaurant Pizza New Canaan Dante's Pizza

Andrew Dominick

On several occasions, chef Tim LaBant has suggested we check out Dante’s Pizza in New Canaan.

“Have you been to Dante’s?”

“Have you been to Dante’s yet?”

“You gotta try Dante’s. I’d be curious to see what you think.”

Before he mentioned it to me a year ago, I hadn’t even heard of Dante’s. I live pretty close to New Canaan, and what’s worse is I frequently visit my favorites there, namely the South Ends, Elm, Locali, and I’ve eaten an obscene amount of Joe’s Pizza.

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Sally's Apizza Opening in Fairfield October 2022!

Features Pizza New Haven Pizza Openings Fairfield

Stephanie Webster

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

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Old Mill Grocery & Deli: Rescued and Reopened in Westport

Features Interview Restaurant Westport Deli Sandwich Sandwiches Pizza Beach Eats Openings Old Mill Grocery The Granola Bar Homepage

Andrew Dominick

On the heels of a slick renovation at their Rye, NY location, The Granola Bar founders, Julie Mountain and Dana Noorily are at it again. This time, however, their focus is in Westport. No, not at their flagship of TGB, but in the Compo Beach area at Old Mill Grocery & Deli.

Old Mill, though, is a very different venture for this dynamic duo. But before Mountain and Noorily could put their magic touch on this neighborhood gem, a lot had to happen.

First, the building that was built in 1919—which had been many iterations of Old Mill and a few Elvira’s in an over 100 year span—needed to be saved after the owners up to last year, Betsy and Hal Kravitz, moved out of Westport, putting a longtime neighborhood favorite at risk of being purchased and demolished for what likely would have been another beach area home.

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Swyft Revisited: Tavern Fare, Fine Dining, and What's Up with Ore Hill

Features Interview Restaurant Swyft Kent Swyft Kent Pizza burgers Homepage Fine Dining Ore Hill

Andrew Dominick

So much has changed since we last covered Swyft’s modern tavern concept located on Kent’s main drag.

Like most restaurants, Swyft had to deal with pandemic restrictions. But unlike most restaurants, they had to get up off the mat three more times. Lauded chef and partner Joel Viehland parted ways with Swyft around the time COVID shutdowns hit Connecticut.

Mere weeks after Viehland’s exit, Swyft’s owner, philanthropist Anne Bass, sadly passed away on April 1, 2020, after a battle with ovarian cancer.

And if that wasn’t enough, dynamo pastry chef Anthony D’Amelio went off to pursue other goals sometime last year.

We know, that’s a lot to take in.

According to Allison Mitchell—who’s essentially Swyft’s Swiss Army Knife as she handles social media, does photography, coordinates events, waits tables, bartends, and somehow fits in marketing duties—Swyft went through a “huge overhaul.”

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Local Vegan Chef, Christian Tracey, Launches Plant-Based Video Recipe Series

Features Recipe Video Recipe Vegan Plant Based

CTbites Team

Christian (Chrissy) Tracey is a local Vegan Content Contributor, Video Host at Bon Appétit Magazine, and Head Chef at Chrissy’s. She lives in New Fairfield CT.

As a Vegan chef, Chef Christian Tracey knows a thing or two about the beauty of plants. She has recently launched a video series called “Plant Curious”, a plant-based series showcasing the food and cultures she loves. Tracey will be exploring cooking, baking, foraging, and a bit of her Jamaican culture. She strives to inspire her viewers to get excited about adding plants to their lifestyle---whether that be through diet and meal planning, or simply getting outside.

In this video, she features Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica. The dish, Ackee & Saltfish, is an ode to her childhood and her Jamaican heritage. It's a traditional meal consumed on a regular basis in many Jamaican households, and is savory and vegetable forward.

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B.J. Ryan’s East Takes Over Norwalk's Legendary Partner’s Cafe & Pizzeria

Features Interview Restaurant Norwalk Homepage Bar Pizza Pub Openings

Andrew Dominick

When you hear that a legendary hometown restaurant is ending its run after almost 40 years, a flood of memories tend to hit you. Suddenly, I was a kid again, sitting on a barstool next to my father. He’d chug away at a Heineken while I sipped on bubbly cola straight from the soda gun. Thin-ish, crispy crust bar pizzas—likely extra cheese, pepperoni, or both—were involved, too.

Even as an adult, I’d occasionally grab a couple pies from Partner’s Cafe & Pizzeria to-go. Every time I drove by, I’d think about pizza, soda, my dad, and feeling pretty damn cool sitting at the bar.

Thankfully, for me, and I’m sure for a hell of a lot of Norwalkers, Partner’s gets to live on thanks to B.J. Lawless and Keith Torpey, under a new name, but with intentions to preserve the bar’s neighborhood “where everybody knows your name” charm.

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