Chef Bill Taibe and Massimo Tullio Announce Next Chapter in Their Culinary Journeys Features Chef Talk News CTbites Team January 28, 2025 This just in from Chef Bill Taibe and Massimo Tullio, the team behind Kawa Ni, The Whelk & Don Memo.After 12 incredible years of partnership, Bill Taibe and Massimo Tullio are announcing a new chapter in their professional lives as they transition to pursue independent goals. The duo, known for their exceptional contributions to the culinary landscape, will part ways amicably and continue their legacies with individual ventures.Effective immediately, Bill Taibe will take over the ownership and operations of Kawa Ni Westport and Kawa Ni Denver. At the same time, Massimo Tullio will assume ownership of The Whelk and Don Memo, both located in Westport, CT. Read More
Halal Buns Opens in New Britain: CT's 1st Halal Smashburger, Fried Chicken & Shakes Restaurant Halal New Britain Smash Burgers Fried Chicken Sandwich Dessert Opening Burgers Homepage Leeanne Griffin January 28, 2025 Fayyaz Bhinde and his wife, Rida Niazi, used to travel from their home in Meriden to New York City whenever they wanted a halal smash burger. When they first got married, they’d head to the city two hours each way, for dinner and dessert. After they became parents, they realized traveling with a toddler would be much more difficult.When their daughter was a year old, they tried to make the trip to New York for dinner and got stuck in a snowstorm on the way back, enduring bumper-to-bumper traffic from Greenwich to New Haven while their child was “crying her lungs out,” Bhinde said. At that point, they decided “never again” to the lengthy travel, and began thinking about opening their own restaurant closer to home. Read More
Momosan Pop-Up: Meet Iron Chef Morimoto at Foxwoods February 1st Features Foxwoods Opening Pop-Up Japanese CTbites Team January 22, 2025 Foxwoods Resort Casino will be hosting a pop up on February 1st with Iron Chef Morimoto ahead of his ramen restaurant, Momosan’s, official opening this spring.This event is open to the public and guests will have the opportunity to meet Chef Morimoto and try some of his signature tonkotsu ramen between 12-2pm and 4-6pm at the Grand Pequot Tower Rotunda.DETAILS What: Meet and Greet & Food Sampling with Iron Chef MorimotoWhen: Saturday, February 1, 2024, 12:00-2:00pm & 4:00-6:00pm at the Grand Pequot Tower RotundaWhere: Foxwoods Grand Pequot Tower Rotunda, 350 TROLLEY LINE BOULEVARD, MASHANTUCKET Read More
2 CT Chefs & 1 Restaurant Win Nominations For Prestigious James Beard Awards 2025 Features James Beard Awards Stephanie Webster January 22, 2025 James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalist nominees for the 2025 James Beard Awards today in a press release. Finalists in these categories will be announced on April 2. The overall winners will be announced at the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony, which will be held on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.We are thrilled to report that two Connecticut chefs have been nominated for “Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT).” The James Beard Foundation award is one of the highest honors in the culinary industry. Congratulations to Michelle Greenfield of Allium Eatery in Westport & Brian Lewis of The Cottage, also in Westport.Stay tuned as these semifinalists go to the next round on April 2nd. Read More
The Laurel Opens in West Hartford: A Global Menu From Former Millwright’s Chef Ashley Flagg Restaurant Opening West Hartford Global Cuisine Homepage Leeanne Griffin January 21, 2025 The Guinness signs and pug-themed decor have disappeared, and the menu no longer features fish and chips, Irish nachos and shepherd’s pie. The new era of The Corner Pug’s space begins Jan. 23, as chef Ashley Flagg officially opens her first restaurant, The Laurel, in West Hartford.In July, The Corner Pug’s owner Ted Vetter announced he would close his Irish pub on New Britain Avenue after more than 20 years in business, citing his age and rising costs as reasons for the decision. Soon after, Flagg announced she would be taking over the landmark space in West Hartford’s Elmwood neighborhood, with plans for globally-inspired shareable plates.Flagg, who most recently served as the executive chef at Millwright’s in Simsbury, co-owns The Laurel with her wife, Rebekah, who is also the general manager. The couple lives in Bloomfield and initially wanted to open their first restaurant there, Flagg said, but they weren’t able to find the right space to fit their needs. When they next toured The Corner Pug, they knew they could make their vision work there. Read More
Bar Max Opens At Hartford’s Goodwin Hotel Restaurant Hartford Opening Cocktail Lounge Bar Menu Bar Hotel Leeanne Griffin January 21, 2025 It’s been a year since Max Hospitality officially took over the bar at Hartford’s Goodwin Hotel, but after a two-month renovation period in the fall, Bar Max now boasts a fresh look with a brand-new menu. The Hartford-based restaurant group, with multiple eateries throughout Hartford County and western Massachusetts, expanded its territory in the capital city by partnering with the Goodwin Hotel in early 2024. Restaurateur Tyler Anderson, who had previously operated Terreno Restaurant and Bar Piña in the space, closed his concepts there as he moved on to new projects, including a culinary director role at Ore Hill & Swyft in Kent. It was a natural fit, as the boutique hotel is right next door to its flagship Max Downtown, said Steven Abrams, Max Hospitality’s vice president, who is a partner in Max Downtown and the group’s other city restaurant, Max’s Trumbull Kitchen. But the owners decided not to launch another restaurant out of the Terreno space. Read More
Josie & Tony's Italian Deli & Supper Club Launches Lunch in Norwalk Restaurant Lunch Norwalk South Norwalk Italian Deli Italian Jessica Ryan January 20, 2025 Last week I had the opportunity to check out Josie & Tony's newly launched lunch menu. The restaurant which opened just over a year ago for dinner, offered a lunchtime deli service featuring hot and cold Arthur Avenue-style sandwiches made on local Wave Hill bread, homemade mozzarella, fresh pastas, cured meats, assorted desserts and beverages. The lunch menu features all of the previously available sandwiches and most of the dinner menu dishes at an approachable price point. There’s a special je ne sais quoi about Josie & Tony’s, named after owner Joshua Mesnik’s grandparents, with its old school vibe that offers a touch of formality without any pretention. The white table clothes, the framed Hershfield artwork, the black and white photos and whimsical Hershfield-like cartoons of friends, family and patrons grace the elegant walls that perfectly fit the “dinner club” aesthetic. This isn’t just a restaurant, but a beautifully executed dining experience. Read More
14 Spots For Vietnamese Banh Mi In CT & A Little Banh Mi History Restaurant Features Banh Mi Sandwich Guide Sandwiches Vietnamese Asian Food Lunch Homepage James Gribbon January 16, 2025 One morning this summer I woke up to see a note I’d scrawled, apparently in my sleep: “The banh mi is the entire world in one sandwich.” As far as dream-thoughts go, this was in the top 1% of my most coherent, although it’s not, strictly speaking, true. The “entire world” encompasses places like Paraguay and Iceland, and I’ve thankfully yet to see anyone dare put the fermented shark Icelanders call harkarl on any sandwich. The bánh mì is a global sandwich, then, with the flavors and history of Europe, Asia, and America in every bite.Below you’ll find 14 of our favorite spots for BANH MI in Connecticut. (If we missed your favorite spot for Banh Mi, please let us know.)The story of the bánh mì has roots in the longstanding colony of French Indochina, including present day Vietnam. Wherever any culture goes, their food follows, blending with local flavors and traditions to become part of the overall human mosaic. Pot-au-feu (steaming pot), a soup or stew made from meats and vegetables in a bone marrow broth, is a staple in every corner of France. Locals adapted this bone broth pot using available ingredients – lemongrass, Thai basil, beef tendons, and more – and feu became phở. Read More
Chef Jeff Taibe Opens Bar Bushido Izakaya & Temaki Bar in Norwalk Restaurant Norwalk South Norwalk Opening Japanese Izakaya Sushi Sushi Bar CT Chef Homepage Sam Schwab January 14, 2025 After months of not-so-patiently waiting, the day is almost here. Tomorrow, Jeff Taibe and Steph Sweeney, co-owners of Taproot, are officially opening the doors to their new restaurant Bar Bushido, a traditional Japanese izakaya. While the restaurant is new, the idea isn’t; Taibe actually has been working on the concept for Bar Bushido for over five years. The name originates from Taproot’s former pop-up series, called “Bushido,” that took place prior to COVID. Taibe introduced the one-Sunday-per-month experience as a way to fuel his passion for Japanese cooking, something he missed dearly from his days at Kawa Ni in Westport. Bar Bushido has been years in the making, but it wasn’t until the 51 Wall Street space opened up, that it became a reality. Read More
Viral Smoothie Alert: Green & Tonic X Fitness Icon Anna Kaiser (sponsored post) Features Healthy Eats Health & Wellness Smoothies CTbites Team January 13, 2025 This just in from Green & Tonic…Green & Tonic has announced a collaboration with fitness icon and celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser. The founder of Anna Kaiser Studios who’s known for her revolutionary dance-inspired fitness method, Anna is deepening her Fairfield County roots with the launch of the Anna Kaiser Blue Moves Smoothie—available beginning January 15 at all Green & Tonic locations.The first 100 customers to purchase the smoothie will get a free week of access to Space With Anna Kaiser, a new app featuring workouts, guided stretches, podcast episodes, and healthy recipes. Green & Tonic will also launch a giveaway where one lucky winner will get a year of access to the Space With Anna Kaiser app and a month of G&T workout meal boxes. Follow G&T on Instagram for updates and more at @greenandtonic Read More
Guide to Juice Bars and Juice Cleanses in Connecticut (2025 Edition) Features Restaurant Juice Bar Juice Cleanse Healthy Eats healthy Special Dietary Needs Highlight Homepage Carly Terzigni January 11, 2025 With the start of a new year, many want to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routines, like eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. One way to do so in an ultra-convenient method is by sipping on a cup of delicious fresh-press juice. Rather than go through the hassle of juicing fruits and vegetables yourself, many businesses across Connecticut offer juices that can be prepared and enjoyed in a matter of minutes! Many of these businesses also offer cleanses– multi-day dietary programs aimed at detoxing and reducing inflammation through juice products.If you’re looking for a juice bar, natural food market, or cafe that offers fresh-pressed juice products, this is the guide for you. This guide is broken up by county so you can quickly locate a business near you that sells an array of juices. Read More
Ways To Help Los Angeles: Food Delivery to Firefighters, Donations and More Features Philanphropy Giving CTbites Team January 11, 2025 In the wake of the devastating tragedy that continues to unfold in Los Angeles, so many of us are looking for ways to help those affected by the wildfires that have torn through the city. We encourage CT residents to review the list of resources below and donate where you can. Large organizations like World Central Kitchen are on the ground serving meals to impacted communities, and smaller initiatives like the Santa Monica based restaurant, Le Great Outdoors is allowing people to purchase meals at $20 a meal that are being delivered daily. View their interview with Anderson Cooper here. Please help if you can. Read More
Rye Bird Opens in Fairfield with Southern American Comfort Food Features Interview Restaurant American Southern Cocktails Interview Fairfield Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick January 09, 2025 Since April of 2024, a new restaurant by the name of Rye Bird, located in the longtime former home of Isla in Fairfield, teased a tasty, affordable, neighborhood restaurant concept. Operated by Post Road Hospitality, Rye Bird officially cracked open its doors on October 19 after hosting some patio preview parties prior to its grand opening. Rye Bird’s founder and president Frank Klein hopes it’ll catch on as the “next neighborhood joint” for a bunch of reasons. Read More
NYC's Cult Fave Beauty & Essex to Open at Mohegan Sun February 7 Restaurant Opening Mohegan Sun Casino Speakeasy CTbites Team January 08, 2025 This just in from Mohegan Sun Casino…Mohegan Sun has announced that it will open Beauty & Essex in collaboration with Tao Group Hospitality on Friday, February 7, 2025. This restaurant concept, co-created by Chef Chris Santos, will soon offer Mohegan Sun guests a high-caliber dining experience within the property’s Casino of the Sky, next to novelle. The 11,000-square-foot restaurant will feature Tao Group’s signature global cuisine, including popular dishes such as the Grilled Cheese, Smoked Bacon & Tomato Soup Dumplings, Tuna Poke Wonton Tacos, Classic Beef Wellington, Grilled Double Cut Lamb Chops as well as exclusive menu options crafted specifically for Mohegan Sun.Known for its eclectic menu, speakeasy vibe and sophisticated ambiance, Beauty & Essex has an innovative design that starts in the restaurant’s entrance with a well-curated modern day pawn shop, featuring a collection of vintage jewelry, custom musical instruments, one-of-a-kind art and more, curated by Gold Girl, Lauren Kaminsky. Everything in the shop is available for purchase and each item tells a story, inviting guests to discover luxury in the most unexpected places. Read More
Hemma Kitchen: Locally Sourced Organic Meal Delivery in Fairfield County Features Meals To Go Meal Delivery Fairfield County Caterer Stephanie Webster January 08, 2025 Some days, you just don’t want to cook at home, but you want to serve yourself or your family a healthy delicious meal. Sure, you can order in from a local restaurant, but those dishes seldom come with an ingredients list, and more often than not, are a long way from locally or organically sourced. Enter Hemma Kitchen, a Fairfield County based meal planning solution to the never ending conundrum…what do I serve for dinner tonight?In Swedish, the word "hemma" embodies the concept of home. In today's fast-paced world, the significance of eating at home and having healthy meals cannot be overstated and directly impacts our quality of life. Eating at home provides an opportunity to take control of our nutrition, allowing us to prioritize wholesome ingredients. Hemma Kitchen allows you to enjoy healthy home cooked meals every day of the week. At the helm of Hemma Kitchen is a chef with whom you may already be familiar, Chef Molly Healey. Healey was the owner of the much beloved Manna Toast in Westport before launching Hemma.Hemma Kitchen offers an a la carte menu, easily browsable online, that changes weekly. Menu items are based on the seasons as well as what Healey can procure at local farmers’ markets and specialty stores carrying organic ingredients. For Healey, finding the very best organic ingredients, sourced as locally as possible, is critical to her mission. 100% of her meat is from Matt Storch’s Saugatuck Provisions. Her organic salmon is from Maine. Everything you find on the Hemma menu is also free from: refined sugar, seed oils, preservatives, gums and fillers Read More
First Look: Mighty Quinn's BBQ Opens at The Waypointe in Norwalk Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant BBQ Norwalk Mighty Quinn's BBQ Interview Homepage Opening Andrew Dominick January 07, 2025 Most Connecticut residents who were unfamiliar with Hugh Mangum before he and his family started making donuts in Wilton four years ago, may be oblivious to a few tidbits. Mangum, you see, isn’t only a French Culinary Institute graduate who worked under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, but he’s the founder of the popular Mighty Quinn’s BBQ. Now that his family’s donut shop, Rise Doughnuts, has gone from a pop up to its own physical location, paired with the fact that the Mangums reside in Wilton, the time to open another Mighty Quinn’s in nearby Norwalk in the former Bobby Q’s and the short lived Lechon Smokehouse space at The Waypointe. Read More
Ore Hill Offers Elevated Micro Seasonal Dining in Kent Restaurant Kent Litchfield County Fine Dining Opening WIne Farm To Table New American Erik Ofgang January 01, 2025 Somewhere between the main course and dessert round during a recent tasting at Ore Hill the palette cleansers arrive in the form of a sorbet. The secret ingredient in the dish is habanada peppers a selectively bred variant of the better-known habanero peppers that Executive Chef Ryan Carbone explains retain the flavors of a habanero without the spice. So you get all these green vegetal notes and it feels like it’s about to get spicy but the heat never comes, Carbone says. The sensation, which Carbone describes perfectly, is one of a kind and exactly the kind of flavor that makes dining at Ore Hill such a treat. The ultra-select, ultra-high-end fine dining experience offers a multicourse immersion in local ingredients and chef-driven cuisine and the kind of big-city tasting menu rarely found in Connecticut. This is accompanied by high-end cocktails and a natural wine-driven wine list that doesn’t shy away from bringing some intriguing and intentional funk. Read More
Casadoro Opens in Newington: Family Friendly Italian from The Doro Team Restaurant Opening Newington Italian Pizza Lunch Leeanne Griffin December 31, 2024 The DORO Restaurant Group has covered French brasserie fare, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern and upscale northern Italian cuisine with its three West Hartford Center restaurants. For its newest concept, the group has planted a flag in a new town, with a southern Italian red-sauce menu friendly to families.Casadoro, from the owners of Treva, Àvert Brasserie and Zohara, soft-opened at 2929 Berlin Turnpike in Newington Wednesday night. The group also owns and operates the DORO Marketplace cafe locations in Wethersfield, West Hartford and Windsor Locks and Artisanal Burger Company in Manchester.The new spot features casual Italian dishes, including pizzas, housemade pastas and its own takes on classics like chicken parmesan, lasagna and veal Milanese. Scott Miller, DORO’s chief operating officer and partner alongside CEO Dorjan Puka, said Casadoro’s cuisine is “a crowd-pleaser menu.” Read More
Restaurateur Jody Pennette Opens Live Music Venue Meets "French Dive Bar" Music & Industry in Norwalk Features Interview Restaurant Cocktails Bar Live Music French Norwalk Music Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick December 29, 2024 Veteran restaurateur Jody Pennette is no stranger to opening restaurants and bars all over the world, but his latest, Music & Industry in South Norwalk is different from the rest. This one, you see, is his, and his alone. “This is the 505th one I’ve opened, and it’s the only one I own,” he says. “I’m like a songwriter versus being a singer—I’m creating things for other people to perform. I size them up to see what I can do for them and try to deliver something that’s going to be a market worthy story.” Read More
CTbites Staff Picks For Top Eats of 2024 (+Special Guest Eaters) Features Restaurant Best CT Restaurant Best of CT Top Eats Highlight Homepage CTbites Team December 29, 2024 It’s that time of year, when the CTbites staff temporarily puts down our forks, and contemplates our most memorable annual eats. 2024 saw an explosion of restaurateurs and chefs entering the Connecticut culinary scene, and the CTBites team, alongside some special guest reviewers below, did our best to eat it all. There were some clear standouts, restaurants that you’ll find repeated in the “top eats” lists below, and some hidden gems you should add to your dining dance card. Here are CTbites’ TOP EATS for 2024. Read More
