The weather is changing quickly this year, which means restaurants and breweries around the state are ready to celebrate all things fall – that means it’s time for Oktoberfest! The annual festival that marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall wouldn’t be complete without stein holding contests, live music, German food, and, yes, plenty of beer to go around.
Throughout September and October (and even into November!) you’ll find many Oktoberfest celebrations taking place around Connecticut. To make things easy, this guide is organized into counties. Simply find your local county and see what businesses are ready to welcome you and your friends with everything you need to have a proper Oktoberfest. Prost!
Celebrate the magic of the Mid-Autumn Festival at Mooooncake Fest -- a vibrant weekend of food, culture, and community coming to CT Hartford Amp on October 11-12, 2025.
Tradition Meets Celebration
One of Asia's most beloved holidays, the Mid-Autumn Festival is all about reunion, gratitude, and the beauty of the full moon. At Mooooncake Fest, you'll experience glowing lanterns, authentic mooncakes, and cultural traditions brought to life.
A Feast for Every Foodie
Savor 90+ Asian food vendors offering street eats, festival favorites, and seasonal specialties, plus 40+ merch stalls with crafts, gifts, and cultural treasures.
Celebrate Shelton is bringing their most popular event Food Trucks on the River back for a very special Fall Edition!! This year's event will featuring an amazing lineup of 25+ food trucks, live music by: Mushroom Cloud, The Inside Out, Ros. Co., Doey Joey, Benny Mikula of The Alpaca Gnomes, Seth Adam & more, local artisans & vendors, mobile bar with New Belgium beer & Love Lou wines, Pop-Up Circus performances, and more!
"Escape to Ore Hill, an intimate, seasonally driven restaurant set in a beautifully restored 18th century farmhouse in idyllic Litchfield County. Executive Chef Ryan Carbone presents a summer tasting menu, featuring the bountiful produce, dairy, and heritage Randall beef from partner Rock Cobble Farm. Prior to returning to his native Connecticut to helm the kitchen at Ore Hill, Chef Ryan was Chef de Cuisine with James Beard Award Winner Debbie Gold in Chicago, then at Jupiter, the second restaurant from the team of the celebrated restaurant King in NYC. Supporting Chef Ryan at Ore Hill and the adjacent casual Tavern Swyft, is Culinary Director and multiple James Beard Award semifinalist® Tyler Anderson, who will be on hand in the kitchen for this exclusive experience.
Reflections of a Summer in Kent at Ore Hill is part of the Friends of James Beard Benefit series; events hosted by generous people, businesses, and organizations outside of JBF that provide critical funding for our programs. Each event supports our mission to champion a standard of Good Food for Good® anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability."
Downtown Hartford will be teeming with live music and an eclectic variety of local cuisine by restaurateurs in the region as the city welcomes back Hartford Taste, presented by The Hartford, Friday and Saturday, June 6-7, on Pratt and Trumbull streets.
The 2025 event will feature more than 35 restaurants, 30 musical acts, live visual art and a brand-new cultural stage experience called The Kitchen Table – Good Food & Good Conversation, where chefs, mixologists and creatives will share live demonstrations, storytelling and interactive dialogue about what food and culture mean in Hartford today.
The Hartford is the presenting sponsor for the third year in a row and will continue to cover all vendor fees, allowing restaurants and food businesses to participate at no cost.
Celebrate Shelton, a private city-wide initiative in its 11th year is thrilled to announce Food Trucks on the River, and several exciting community collaborations.
Food Trucks on the River, an exciting two-day festival will take place on Friday, May 30th, from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM, and Saturday, May 31st, from 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM at Veterans Memorial Park in Downtown Shelton. In case of inclement weather, a rain date is set for Sunday, June 1st.
CTbites & The Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater are excited to announce a NEW DINNER SERIES taking place ON STAGE this Summer. The first event will be held on June 7th at 6PM, with James Beard Nominee CHEF BRIAN LEWIS of The Cottage & OKO alongside CRAZIES “Chef Of The Year” Finalist CHEF DAMON SAWYER of 29 Markle Court. These chefs will be creating a very special dinner for ONLY 150 guests!
The evening will include 4 courses of extraordinary food, live music, cocktails, wine & the unique experience of dining on the same stage on which your favorite band has performed.
All proceeds will benefit FILLING IN THE BLANKS, the Norwalk based organization that fights childhood hunger.
Join Anna and Raven of Star 99.9 & CT Foodshare for the Inaugural Taste of SoNo on May 22nd.
Taste of SoNo will feature a curated lineup of Fairfield County’s best restaurants and drink purveyors. Proceeds from the event benefit Connecticut Foodshare and help fight food insecurity across the state.
Taste of SoNo will include a silent auction, premium cocktails, live demonstrations, and live entertainment.
The event is hosted by Anna and Raven of Star 99.9.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, May 22nd
Time: VIP session begins at 6PM and general admission is at 7PM
Location: The SoNo Collection (Magnificent Room), 100 North Water Street, Norwalk, CT 06854
Are you ready for the most exciting two minutes in sports? The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday, May 3, and TVs will be tuned in at restaurants across the state. Whether you’re looking for a spot to catch the race with friends or you want an all-out extravaganza where you can sport your favorite fascinator, there’s a Derby event in Connecticut for you! Check out the restaurants and businesses below that are hosting special events for the Derby. Keep in mind that the post time is just after 6:50 PM – don’t miss it!
If you’ve followed the evolution of Two Roads Brewing Company, it’s quite something. Since the main brewery opened in 2012, one thing they kept doing is continuing to evolve. Not including a laundry list of beer releases, Two Roads went onto open a second facility next to their Hop Yard six years ago that you now know as Area Two Experimental Brewing. Following Area Two and all their fun, funky small batch drops, and in no particular order, Two Roads got into making canned cocktails, non-alcoholic beer, distilling (we’ll have a few teasers on that), and they even purchased the former PizzaCo across the street and turned it into Two Roads Food Hall & Bar and next door, Two Roads Tee Box, a golf simulator, making it a full-blown “campus.”
When brothers Sam and Javier Reyes took over the reigns of Mezon Tapas Bar from their older brothers Richard and Juan, and flipped the concept over to Mariposa Taqueria in 2020, focusing on tacos and Latin American street food, they had big plans on the horizon. Sam, who’s coming off a 2023 Bartender of the Year win at the Connecticut Restaurant Association’s CRAZIES Awards, took that award and the recognition it brought to launch a series of cocktail competitions to highlight area bartenders so they can show off their full display of skills to local cocktail lovers.
If warm temperatures aren’t in the air, at least love is this time of year! If you want to book your Valentine’s Day dinner reservation, now is the time. Fortunately, many restaurants and businesses across the state are ready to make this Valentine’s Day one to remember. If you prefer to celebrate Valentine’s Day at home this year, there are businesses ready to cater the perfect dinner for two.
Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this February, making it even more convenient to spend the evening out with a special someone. And don’t forget, Valentine’s Day isn’t all about celebrating with your significant other. It’s the perfect holiday to celebrate the love shared between our family and friends, too! On that note, several restaurants around Connecticut are offering Galentine’s Day festivities – gather your closest friend group and paint the town red and pink!
This guide has been organized by county, so you can quickly locate a Valentine’s Day special near you.
The former ON20 Restaurant, known for its soaring views of the Connecticut River and other area landmarks, has been fully renovated and reimagined, with even more stunning panoramic vistas of the capital city. The industrial-chic interior has an expansive bar, an open kitchen with gleaming stainless-steel appliances, private dining spaces and jaw-dropping glimpses of the sky from nearly every vantage point.
ON20, a celebrated white tablecloth establishment for many years, closed during the uncertainty of the pandemic in 2020, but two years ago, Hartford Steam Boiler’s leadership began reaching out to key people to start conversations about reopening the restaurant.
“Yale asked me if I was interested in the space, and I took it as a challenge. A small space, few tables, no pizza – I was able to focus on fine dining.” I’m in New Haven, talking with chef Danilo Mongillo about Strega, his second restaurant of the same name, but with a very different concept.
“You have excellent food here – French, Spanish, American – and I took bringing this level of Italian to downtown, not in competition, but just to bring more good food here. That was the challenge.”
The first time I ate at Strega was the location in Milford (both restaurants are just off the corners of their respective city greens) and I’d returned many times for his creations which were just a little different – the way a sentence is altered when the pen is in a different hand – and made with exceptional ingredients. I ask if the new Strega is based on anything regionally Italian, and he shakes the question off, moving in another direction.
“Fine dining is about the technique. It’s about the balance of the flavors – something sweet, something sour – and the balance with the wine. The balance of the bite.”
Almost a year ago, I covered Crust Issues, brought to you by longtime restaurant guy, John Nealon. I’ve since gotten addicted to several of his pizzeria’s signature grub, namely the outside the box, but creative rectangular, crispy, cheesy, garlic buttery pizzas and the pounded out crunchy coated cutlets—especially the spicy chicken scarp.
It doesn’t help (or maybe it does) that it’s a flat one-mile drive away to get my fix.
Nealon has some cool ideas for the evolution of Crust Issues, one that I’ve consistently bothered and pressured him about (I’ll keep it a secret unless it actually happens), and he’s recently mentioned installing a bar for future cocktail program.
But there’s a weekly tasting he’s been doing every Saturday from 7:30 – 9 p.m. that’s a super casual, fun, tasty, incredibly reasonably priced (it’s $40 per person including beer, wine, soda, or water), and you’ll leave happy, fat, and ready for bed.
Chef Tyler Anderson & Millwright’s have just announced a special series of 4 collaboration dinners with Chef Tyler and his friends. Guest Chefs are Chef Prasad (Indian Kitchen), Chef Billy Grant (Bricco), Chef Renee Touponce (Oyster Club/Port of Call), and Chef David Standridge (Shipwright’s Daughter). All dinners are 5 courses with wine pairings for $150 per person (not including tax and gratuity). These dinners will begin promptly at 6pm.
Anderson says, “Chefs work a lot. Sometimes the only way we get to hang out is doing a dinner together. It's a great way for us to reconnect and to learn from each other. I'm excited to be cooking alongside some of the best in the state and we will have more to come!”
Summer vacation has come to an end, which can only mean one thing…it’s Oktoberfest season! Known for its abundance of excellent beer and German food, you’ll find restaurants, bars, and festivals across the state offering an Oktoberfest celebration in the coming weeks. You can find one-day events or, in some instances, festivities that span multiple weeks.
As the name implies, Oktoberfest originally took place over 16 days in October. These days, the festivities usually begin sooner, with the first festivals starting in September. That means your favorite Connecticut town or restaurant is in the final preparation phases for this year’s Oktoberfest. Organized by county, you’ll be able to find an Oktoberfest celebration near you.
Join Bridgeport Rescue Mission for an unforgettable evening of exquisite cuisine and community spirit at Harvesting Hope, a special event dedicated to fighting hunger in Fairfield County. This year, they are thrilled to feature the culinary creations of renowned chef Michel Nischan, alongside other local celebrity chefs, in a night of delicious food tasting and philanthropy.
DATE September 19, 2024 6:00 PM
CHEF LINEUP
Bill Taibe — Don Memo, The Whelk, Kawa Ni Arturo Franco-Camacho — Camacho Garage, Shell and Bones Tyler Anderson — Millwright Matt Storch — Match Burger Lobster Renee Touponce — Oyster Club, The Port of Call Eamonn Keyes — The Chelsea Roshara Sanders — 29 Markle CT. Damon Sawyer — 29 Markle CT.
Five chefs will cook with wish kids in the kitchens at Aitoro Appliance at Taste of Wishes event to benefit Make-A-Wish® Connecticut
Taste of Wishes, Make-A-Wish Connecticut’s s annual event, celebrates scrumptious dishes and magical wishes. This incredible evening - on Thursday, September 26 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Aitoro Appliance at 401 Westport Avenue in Norwalk - will feature local celebrity chefs cooking alongside Connecticut wish kids to raise funds to make life-changing wishes come true.
An evening of fabulous food and drink, attendees will get a taste of each chef’s specialties and a of sense of the many wishes that Make-A-Wish Connecticut has granted.
Celebrity Chef Lineup
Jes Bengtson is the Executive Chef at Terrain Garden Café in Westport.
Dan Kardos, born and raised in Stratford, is the Chef/Owner of Café Melba.
Anthony Kostelis, Chef of the Whelk restaurant in Westport.
Robin Selden is the Managing Partner & Executive Chef of Marcia Selden Catering and Naked Fig Catering.
Matt Storch, a Chopped winner, is the Chef/Owner of Match in Norwalk and Match Burger Lobster in Westport.
As the holiday season approaches, finding the perfect venue for your corporate holiday party in Norwalk, CT is key to setting the right tone for celebration. From classic restaurants to modern event spaces, Norwalk offers a range of venues designed to accommodate every style of corporate gathering. Join us as we discover seven standout locations known for their charm, amenities, and ability to create memorable experiences for your team.
