We all love Eggnog, but we love it even more when it is sourced from local Connecticut farms. Here are 5 spots to check out for locally produced Eggnog for your holiday table.
This Eggnog lands on our gift-giving list every because, well, it’s simply a holiday must-have for a good, ol’ fashioned hap-hap-happiest holiday and this is the best one you’re going to get!
It’s a farm-to-bottle process for this holiday favorite that is produced at a home farm that has been chugging along for nearly two and a half centuries. This is eggnog the way eggnog should be made.
Two people walk into my bar. They both want to make amazing drinks for that holiday dinner. One of them is a bartender that studies the craft on a regular basis. The other person doesn’t know much besides a few drinks they they enjoy and have never made drinks themselves. Does one deserve to have a better time than the other simply because they do this all the time? I say no. We all deserve to have a good time and enjoy our adult beverages or mocktails.
IF YOU HAVE SKILLS WITH CRAFT COCKTAILS: Read the room, and read beyond the room. Holiday gatherings aren’t the time for us to prove why it was smart for us to drop out of college by pulling out the molecular mixology kits or playing with dry ice. The holiday gathering is about a laid back good time, or at least pretending that cooking for 17 hours is a relaxing activity. In any case, the beverage should contain flavors that anyone can understand, pronounce and enjoy without much research .
Use familiar spirits -bourbon and rum are seasonally fun. Vodka is a safe bet. Gin seems adventurous and may get a side eye, but in a sour style fruity cocktail, your guests WILL enjoy it. Sell them on the yummy ingredients.
Just One Thing-One ingredient can make multiple spirits shine and turn your 3-4 bottles into a complete menu.
The long running Miracle Christmas pop-up cocktail bar holiday pop-up is now open at three Connecticut bars you know and love. For those unfamiliar with Miracle Bar, this beloved Christmas themed holiday pop-up cocktail bar launched in 2014 in New York City, will continue spreading holiday cheer this year with over 100 locations around the world.
Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar that serves holiday cocktails in a festive setting. With kitschy holiday décor, professionally-developed cocktails and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to, Miracle is sure to get even the grouchiest grinch in the holiday spirit.
Where can you find Miracle in CT?
Grab your ugly Christmas sweater and head to Riley's by the Seawall in Stratford, who has hosted Miracle in past years and returns in 2023 for some more fun. You can also track down some Miracle joy at first-time hosts, Perfusion in Newtown and The Hop Knot in Portland.
Riley's will be ready for the holiday festivities on Nov. 17. Perfusion, launches their pop-up on Nov. 21, and Hop Knot's debut on Nov. 29.
All three locations are ready for all the boozy holiday cheer you can muster.
In various rankings online, stuffing generally comes in first place on the Top 10 list of Thanksgiving foods. I personally cannot argue with that for one hot second. Desserts such as pumpkin or chocolate pie have hovered around 5th or 6th place, respectively, wistfully lagging behind mac and cheese and mashed potatoes but ahead of the love-it-or-hate it green bean casserole.
In 2018 I headed to Cos Cob to meet Frederico Perandin and his wife Anissa Nouhi at the location of their brand new restaurant, Il Pastificio, adored by all in the Greenwich area.
Born and raised in Padova, Italy, the founder of a successful Italian advertising agency, Federico Perandin moved to Greenwich in 2016 where he immediately fell in love with the town, the scenery and the lively international community.
In 2022 Perandin and Nouhi found a second home for Il Pastificio in Westport. Initially it was to serve as a market of sorts with its take out menu, but that changed when, after closing for a month over the summer for some light construction, a new sit-down eatery was born. The new restaurant is best described as rustic chic. Its elevated casual atmosphere offers guests a comfortable setting dressed in pale yellows and woods in which they can linger comfortably over Frederico’s authentic recipes, steeped in tradition alongside a healthy serving of Prosecco and conversation.
There’s a chill in the air, the leaves are turning, and the sun is setting earlier and earlier each day. That can only mean one thing – Halloween is right around the corner! Restaurants across Connecticut are celebrating the season with an array of special events to take part in. Whether you want to find something for the family or for a fun date night the weekend before, there are plenty of parties to choose from (many of which include costume contests, so be sure to dress up!). And on the night of Halloween (don’t forget it’s on a Tuesday this year), there are even more special events in case you want to take this year off from passing out candy to trick-or-treaters.
It won’t take too long to find a spot in the state to dance the night away this Halloween while you enjoy a bite to eat with a specialty-themed spooky beverage. Check out what the restaurants below are offering, and be sure to check ahead of time if they recommend making a reservation.
Gioia, the new wood-fired Italian dining/cocktail/gelato/rooftop bar on Wooster Street from partners Tim Cabral (Ordinary) and Avi Szapiro (Roìa), is set to open in October, but we’ve already visited the spot to give you a first look.
You’ll see the space, get a glimpse of the enticing menu, and read our exclusive interview with the partners about the concept’s creation in their own words. Read on!
Avi describes how the two met one night in 2011 when he was eating at Caseus: the seed event which would lead to the creation of Gioia.
“I thought nobody knew me or what I was doing, and Tim comes up to me and says ‘I heard you’re opening a restaurant, what’s the concept?’”
That turned out to be Roìa, which opened within two weeks of Tim’s Ordinary (“We literally shared a back door between the restaurants, we’d steal stuff from each other all the time.”), and the two became great friends, to the point they started brainstorming ideas just so they could work together.
“Let’s get a drink”. “Come over for a drink!”. There’s nothing more convivial than sharing a drink together with a person or a whole group of favorite persons. And isn’t the ol’ saying -it’s 5 o’clock somewhere? Well, here’s a historical “reason” to raise your glasses high-Oktoberfest, the beloved, ancient event involving mouthwatering beers, so much (too much? never!) merriment and some fabulous lederhosen. Oktoberfest-ivities run pretty much the entire month of September and into October, so there are plenty of chances to raise that stein. And remember, we all put our lederhosen on one leg at a time. Prost!
Gabagool Wine Bar is the newest incarnation of the former Fairfield favorite, Toto Restaurant, which shut its doors suddenly and unexpectedly about a year and a half ago. I worried that, tragically, this too had succumbed to the pandemic, but alas – and thankfully, such was not the case.
The restaurant that occupied the main level in the red building on Reef Road sat vacant and dark for over a year. This was all due to massive flood caused by a ruptured pipe. With water everywhere, the restaurant’s interior needed to be completely gutted and rebuilt. Thankfully for us restauranteur and owner Antonio Ninivaggi does as only Antonio does… He turned his lemons into limoncello, and thus Gabagool Wine Bar was born.
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.
There’s a lot to celebrate at Rive Bistro in Westport. Owner Eric Sierra is thrilled to be celebrating the restaurant’s 10th Anniversary. In addition to this great achievement, Sierra who is stepping away from the kitchen recently brought Chef Roland Olah on to take the helm. After having won a green card in the lottery, Olah left his homeland of Hungary in 2009, along with his position of Executive Chef at the renown Café Erté, to take a chance and pursue a dream in the states. Knowing that he could always return home, he and his wife along with their then young daughter began anew in New York City under the tutelage of Chef Daniel Boulud. Olah would then move to Connecticut to plant some roots. He served as Executive Chef at Martel in Fairfield as well as the now shuttered and well received Brasserie Bruxelles in SONO.
Summer is upon us, the grills are firing up, and temperatures are climbing. That can only mean one thing – it’s almost time for Father’s Day! With the holiday right around the corner, you might be in the midst of finalizing your weekend plans. If those plans include treating Dad to a nice day out, why not take him to some of the best restaurants Connecticut has to offer? From steakhouses to vineyards, there is a foodie spot in the state for every Dad to enjoy this weekend. Staying in and having Dad come over for some barbecue? A few businesses listed in this guide also offer take-home options that make great gift ideas.
Make sure to book those reservations if you have not done so already. Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there!
Flowers are blooming and temperatures are rising, which can mean only one thing – Mother’s Day is right around the corner! Flowers and hand-written cards aside, Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to treat that special person in your life to a memorable outing. Restaurants around Connecticut are preparing for the big day with special brunch and dinner menus that any mom would enjoy.
Show that special mother, grandmother, aunt, wife, sister, cousin, friend, or any important “mom” figure in your life just how much you appreciate them by treating them to a special meal at any of the restaurants listed below. Just like our other dining guides, this one is organized into county so you can easily look up which local restaurants are offering a specialty Mother’s Day menu.
What is considered by many to be the most exciting two minutes in sports is right around the corner. The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby will once again take place at Churchill Downs, and fans across the country will don sportscoats and larger-than-life hats while sipping on mint juleps with the hopes of winning big. But even for the casual observer, the first Saturday in May is a great opportunity to gather with friends and family to enjoy a bite to eat and a sip of something refreshing.
Restaurants across Connecticut are preparing for Derby Day, May 6th, with exciting lineups featuring menu specials, limited-time cocktails, live entertainment, and more. And yes, many will host contests to see who the best-dressed attendee will be. If you want to watch the big race on the biggest screen you can find, consider one of the restaurants listed below. They are sure to be filled with fellow spectators eager to watch the Run for the Roses.
Spring has sprung and with it arrives beautiful springtime holidays! Passover begins on April 5th and concludes on Sunday, April 13th. Before you start to sweat the details, we’ve compiled a helpful list of delis, markets and restaurants that will check your boxes for sumptuous brisket, steaming bowls of Matzoh Ball soup, tzimmes, kugels, sweet cakes and coconutty macaroons. Eat well, live well, gather well. Chag Same’ach!
Whether you are celebrating a special someone in your life, or you want to get together with your best friends and raise a glass to Galentine’s Day, there are a ton of special menus and dinners taking place across Connecticut over the next several days for Valentine’s Day. That’s right, love is in the air and so are amazing eats and sips in each county around the state. Heart-shaped food and red-dyed cocktails are plentiful this time of year, so why not treat your loved one (or yourself!) to a special meal in celebration of all things love. Many of these restaurants have limited availability, so be sure to book your reservations ahead of time to guarantee a table.
To make navigating this extensive guide as easy as possible, we have divided the restaurants up based on the county in which they are located. Simply scroll to your local county and see what your region has to offer (or, if you want to take a small road trip for Valentine’s Day, see what is happening all around the state!).
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.
I’ll be the first to admit that since Rosina’s opened, it has become my toxic trait. And I mean that in the best way possible. I’ve eaten there for dinner, I’ve attended several happy hours and one industry night, and I’ve celebrated a birthday there.
Full transparency, Jared Falco, Rosina’s co-owner and executive chef, is a good friend of mine. I’d like to say I go so often to visit him, and that is partially true, but Jared, I’m sorry, it’s for the pasta. Still love you, bro!
Ah, the hunt for the perfect gift. Or least a really, really, good one. Where to start? Don’t we go through this every single year (we do) and swear each year our shopping will being in July! Well, if you haven’t begun to purchase or ponder, we’ve got a good-make that great-list right here that will have you on your way to pulling out the almighty Sharpie and cross, cross, crossing things off your list. Is there any more divine feeling? Well, maybe finding that perfect gift! Happy shopping everyone!
Casa Me elevates the local restaurant scene with its exceptional Northern Italian vacation-inspired cuisine.
For months Westporters and passersby wondered what was to become of the slightly rundown restaurant in Sconset Square in the midst of a massive renovation and remodel that seemed to take forever. Rumors began to circulate… a Mexican restaurant was coming to town (another?). A Spanish restaurant was moving in. (That’s across the street.) There was also some speculation that a new concept by restauranteur Mario Fontana, owner of the Bodega restaurants both in Fairfield and Darien was going to open. Fontana was indeed opening a new restaurant, Case Me, but the cuisine would be distinctly vacation-inspired Italian cuisine. This time he would be joined by his wife, the lovely Pina Ferlisi, who would take on the role of Creative Director after leaving a long and successful career as a fashion director for such esteemed brands as Henri Bendel and Alexander McQueen.
