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Chef Emily Mingrone Launches The Pearl At Fair Haven Oyster Co. Food Truck September 1st

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Stephanie Webster August 29, 2023

This just in. Chef Emily Mingrone of Tavern On State, Provisions on State, and her most recent addition, Fair Haven Oyster Co, is off on another exciting culinary adventure. After winning “CT’s Restaurant Of The Year” in 2022, Mingrone is expanding her New Haven footprint and launching a NEW FOOD TRUCK, this weekend, Friday, September 1st. The truck’s name is “The Pearl At Fair Haven Oyster Co.” and you can find it just next to her restaurant, Fair Haven Oyster Co., in the marina picnic area. The Pearl will be open Fridays-Sundays, noon to 7pm in the season, and depending on demand, Mingrone may keep the party going all year long.

Bank & Bridge Brew Pub in Mystic: You Can Bank on Quenching Thirst and Hunger

Brewery Restaurant Brewery Openings CT Beer Beer Mystic bar food Comfort Food Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe September 29, 2022

Labor Day might be over, but grilling is still very much in the daily DNA over at Bank & Bridge. Their signature “Get’Cha Face Dirty” burgers created by Chef Josh Ulmer who has trained in places like Madison Square Garden and Nolo in New Haven, are worth the mess they make. Seriously, you need a napkin for every bite, but it’s a noble mess if ever there was one! These beefy mounds are no joke.

Bank & Bridge celebrated one year on the map in June and (in my book) have added to the magical scene that has recently made Mystic a culinary darling. Maybe it is something in the water, but this small but mighty seaport just knows food. And, although many may land in the pub for their tremendous line up of brews, nurtured by Head Brewer Jason Riggs, there is hardly a better match (even coming from a self-professed “beer sipper”) than a good juicy burger and brew.

Da Legna Opens Da Legna x Nolo: Restaurant & Brewery

Restaurant New Haven Brewery Beer CT Beer Pizza Openings Lunch Homepage

James Gribbon September 07, 2020

If you've ever held one of those “I [pizza] New Haven” shirts in your covetous gaze, here's where to get one. There's your first bit of info in this story. Finding this place isn't difficult, it's right next to the entrance to I-91 on State St. in New Haven. That parts are easy. Finding out about Da Legna x Nolo is a bit more of a story. Thankfully, it involves pizza and drinks, and I'm here to tell you the whole thing.

You may already be familiar with Da Legna's earlier space, located farther down State Street's restaurant row, and separating itself from the scrum of the Elm City's pizza scene by focusing on creative, sourdough based pies inside a setting designed in a recent century. Seating space and parking were issues at the former spot, so when owner Derek Bacon and chef Dan Parillo spotted the old Jet Cleaners space (probably the only laundromat to be designed by a famous architect) open up down the street, they jumped on it.

Newtown's NewSylum Brewing Co. is a Pandemic Success Story

Restaurant Features CT Beer Beer Beer Garden Newtown Brewery Openings

Connecticut Magazine August 21, 2020

Connecticut Magazine checks out NewSylum Brewery in Newtown. Here’s their review.

It was not the grand opening anyone envisioned.

NewSylum Brewing Co. owners Mark Lennon, David Kingsley and Mark Tambascio had been planning their brewery for several years as a taproom-centered operation. One that took full advantage of their unique location in Newtown within a historic building at what was formerly Fairfield Hills Hospital, a psychiatric facility on a 100-plus-acre campus with more than a dozen buildings.

NewSylum Brewing Co. in Newtown opened during the coronavirus pandemic in a historic building in the former Fairfield Hills Hospital, a psychiatric facility.

Then the coronavirus hit.

The brewery was slated to open the first week in May, but Connecticut was still shut down and the taproom the owners had envisioned as the centerpiece of their business couldn’t be opened. “We had to shift gears from our original plan,” Lennon says.

They hadn’t planned on canning their beer but quickly contracted with a mobile canning company, and began offering curbside pickup.

Growing CT Beer, Part 2: Stewards Of The Land Brewery At DeFrancesco Farm

Features Restaurant CT Beer Brewery Beer

James Gribbon September 27, 2019

The first step in making an unexpected discovery is getting lost. Investigating the strengthening links between farming and brewing in Connecticut has led me down unfamiliar paths, both in terms of knowledge, and the kinds where I am worried about either running out of gas on country roads or stepping in something. The first piece in this series focused on a brewery that's also a farm, and my plan for this next piece was to show a farm growing hops for use in brewing. I picked a day, began at a farm stand, and found a brewery.

This is part two in Growing CTbeer, a look at how the rise of craft beer is affecting agriculture in the Constitution State, and how breweries and farms are working hand in hand to create and restore the growth of Connecticut beer.

Bear's Smokehouse BBQ Opens In-House Brewery in New Haven w/ Black Hog Brewing Co

Restaurant Brewery BBQ New Haven Openings Beer CT Beer Live Music

CTbites Team June 18, 2019

Bear’s Restaurant Group, which includes Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ in Windsor, Hartford, and South Windsor, and Blind Pig Pizza in Hartford, today announced the official opening of its in-house brewery. This past week, in partnership with Black Hog Brewing Co., the on-site brewery debuted its first five beers brewed in-house and will now be offering them for consumption on-site or to-go in 32-ounce crowlers.

Pair these new brews with Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ favorites, smoked in the Kansas-City style that McDonald enjoyed growing up in Kansas City, Missouri. Some of these tasty morsels include: Baby Back Ribs, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Kielbasa, Turkey, Texas Sausage, Brisket and Burnt Ends served as a Sandwich, Entrée or Combo Plate.

Sneak Peek: Two Roads Brewing Opening $15 million "Area Two" Expansion, March 11th

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James Gribbon February 26, 2019

I love taking people to the tasting room at Two Roads for the first time and showing them all the history you can touch in the place. Feel how the wooden floor is worn down here? This is where decades of workers had to walk to get between the machines of the factory. Look and you can see some of the machines they built and used, just off from the giant mash tuns which rise up through the floor behind the glass. The wooden floor they cut out for the tuns got chopped into pucks and laid down as the bar surface we're leaning on now. Cool, right? The building next door, Two Roads' 25,000 square foot, $15 million dollar expansion, Area Two, is brand new - but it already has plenty of stories to tell.

Area Two will open to the public on Monday, March 11. The new facility is a short walk across the hop yard from the mothership brewery, on the same side of the street. The focus of Area Two is the production of wild, sour, and spontaneously fermented beers.

The Social Craft Beer Bar & Kitchen in New London: 50 Hyper-local Craft Beers on Draft

Restaurant New London Beer CT Beer Bar Comfort Food Pub

CTbites Team December 19, 2018

Sick of the same old greasy bar food consumed with flavorless big beer brands while out with colleagues or friends on Friday night? Me too. Skip the ho-hum bar and head directly to The Social, a relatively new spot on Bank Street in New London. Providing a new and much needed hang-out spot, the Social gives diners great food, a family-friendly atmosphere, and an extensive beer list; it definitely knocks it out of the park as a new place to spend Fridays after work or Saturday evenings with family or friends.

Largest Selection of Craft Beers on Draft in Southeast CT

The Social has selected hyper-local, local, regional, and U.S. beers, serving a whopping 50 on draft.

Bear's Smokehouse Opens The Stack In New Haven: BBQ, Brewpub & Music

Restaurant BBQ New Haven Openings Bar Outdoor Dining Kid Friendly Beer Garden CT Beer Lunch Comfort Food American Homepage

James Gribbon November 09, 2018

5 Churches Brewing in New Britain: Craft Beer For Pizzaphiles

Restaurant Brewery New Britain CT Beer Pizza Lunch

James Gribbon October 30, 2018

One of the greatest advantages of living in New England is our access to autumn. Our home in Connecticut means even if we live in urban convenience, the rural hills and river valleys of our state are a nearby drive away. This proximity gives us one of our best traditions: the fall weekend road trip. We can get out, see what nature has in store for us, and find ourselves in places which fall outside the rhythm and routine of our daily lives. Up towards the center of the state, past the historic colonial homes on Worthington Ridge in Berlin and into New Britain - a city many on the coast may not consider a destination - is 5 Churches Brewing, a place you should.

Bethel’s Broken Symmetry Offers San Diego-Inspired Burritos in Brewery Setting

Restaurant Brewery Mexican Bethel Openings Beer CT Beer

Connecticut Magazine June 06, 2018

We are happy to share this exciting burrito news from Connecticut Magazine.

The opening-night crowd filed into the postcard-worthy red building that was once a railroad station but had just officially become Broken Symmetry Gastro Brewery. Eight-hundred pints of beer were poured as people thronged around tables, overflowing into the aisles and then outside onto a patio area.

Many, like me, were intrigued that a new brewery had opened in the Greater Danbury area. But that wasn’t the only reason we left work early and endured long lines and unintentional, mosh pit-like jostling.

We were there for the burritos.

Harlan Haus Beer Hall Opens in Bridgeport January 10

Restaurant Beer Garden Beer CT Beer Bridgeport German Comfort Food Bar Homepage

Jessica Ryan January 06, 2018

Five years ago Chef Stephen Lewandowski launched Harlan Social in the heart of the new and emerging South End area in Stamford. Named after his son Harlan, the modern American gastropub quickly rose into a mainstay for locals. Harlan Publick would open next, in the heart of SoNo. The local favorite offers creative comfort food and a wide offering of beverages. On January 10th, Harlan Haus, the German-inspired Bier and Wurst hall, will open to the public, in the historic People’s Bank Building built in 1917.

A century later the well preserved, 7,000-square-foot space perfectly marries the historic Neoclassical elements with today’s modern influences. Most of the building’s architectural details remain well preserved from the elegant light fixtures above, to the curved teller bank wall that separates the bar area from the rest of the restaurant. Harlan Haus is poised for success with its promise to offer superb, innovative, family-friendly fare in a social setting.

Spigot Beer Opens in Norwalk, Pouring A Unique Beer List

Restaurant Features CT Beer Beer Brewery Specialty Market Norwalk SONO Homepage

Andrew Dominick November 29, 2017

There’s no shortage of good quality craft beer flowing from the taps of multiple bars and restaurants in South Norwalk. On the flipside, Washington Street has seen a few brewpubs bomb. Now there’s a new beer bar on the block, and before you scoff, and say to yourself, “Really? Another one?” let us tell you what’s different about Spigot Beer.

The first thing you’ll notice is it’s in SoNo, but just slightly out of reach of the main drag. Then you must find it. At least four people saw a photo I posted, some who live on the same street, and still had no idea where Spigot is located. It’s across from the post office and Klaff’s, at the very end of the strip of stores that houses Nagoya, right before the Webster Lot entrance near the front of the 50 Washington Street building. You’re welcome.

The Outdoor Beer Garden at Shippan Landing, Stamford, Opens May 18

Restaurant Features Beer Garden CT Beer Beer Outdoor Dining Kid Friendly Stamford

Hey Stamford! April 20, 2017

This in from Hey Stamford!

The Beer Garden in Shippan Landing is just weeks away from opening for the season!

Imian Partners, owners of the 15,000 square foot waterfront oasis plan to roll up their doors on Thursday May 18th and run through mid-October (weather permitting). The hours of operation are Wednesdays & Thursdays from 4:00pm – 11:00pm; Friday: 3:00pm – 12:00am and Saturday & Sundays 2:00pm – 12:00am.

Throughout the Summer you can expect a variety of special events, including: Country Fest, A Food Truck Mash-up, Burger Throwdown, Yoga Fest and more! And, of course they’ll be opening as only they know how… a weekend long celebration to include cold beer, delicious food, amazing sunsets, live music and more!! As more details become available we’ll be certain to share.

Read the complete article on Hey Stamford.

PizzaCo Opens in Stratford: Bruno DiFabio Creates Garage-Fired Pizza

Restaurant Stratford Pizza Lunch CT Beer Kid Friendly Celebrity Chef Homepage

James Gribbon April 02, 2017

The first hot rod movement was sparked by people who realized cast off objects still had plenty of potential. Kids walking to school in post WWII America passed junkyards where derelict Model T Fords, relics even then, baked in the sun. An after school job's income could net you one of those heaps, and with it came your first taste of independence. Dropping in a salvaged flathead V-8 could make that old bucket loud, fast, and dangerous. The sexy combination was like flypaper to teenagers and young veterans, and their creativity launched an American culture.

Newly opened PizzaCo, just across the street from Two Roads Brewing Company, is one such hot rod. Once the site of several thoroughly defunct gas stations, the old place has been cleaned up, given a new paint job, and had its own motor swap. The driving engine is now a Marra Forni oven. They call their pizza "Garage Fired," and PizzaCo's edge was hiring world champion Bruno DiFabio to create it.

Two Roads To Build Second Brewing Facility & Tasting Room

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James Gribbon November 01, 2016

Two Roads Brewing of Stratford has announced their plans to add a 25,000 square foot expansion to their brewery specifically to create sour and barrel-aged beers. Situated on 2.5 acres of newly acquired land adjoining the existing brewery's hop yard and music venue, the brewhouse will have a 120-person capacity tasting room overlooking both the brewing operations, and a wetlands preserve.

Sour beers such as Framboise Noir Black Raspberry Lambic, Urban Funk Wild Ale made with yeast from Superstorm Sandy, and Worker’s Stomp White Wine Barrel-Aged Saison will see increased production, along with Hexotic Tropical Lambic, which won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado this October. Hexotic spends 28 months in oak, and was fermented with "Brett C" (brettanomyces clausenii). Six different types of fruit were added during fermentation, including orange, passion fruit, mangosteen, soursop (aka gaunabana), guava, and mango.

Eastern CT Beer Sampler: A Trip to Beer'd, Outer Light Brewing & Moxie

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James Gribbon August 31, 2016

Last Friday, around the time the afternoon crowd was clicking on last week's column, I was overflowing with the desire to get out of town. A neighbor of mine, a semi-recent immigrant from eastern Europe, was heading home. In the years of our acquaintance I'd only known him to go two places: his day job as a carpenter, and his back yard. His whole idea of Connecticut, his entire concept of the U.S., for all I know, would be worksites, the highway, and a quarter acre of manicured grass. He was utterly unconcerned, but I was tragedy stricken - and determined to get out and do... something.

Just like in a movie script, that's when the phone rang.

"Sorry this is last minute, man," the caps lock Wisconsin accent told me who it was immediately. "But I need a trip to the casino. I got the room paid for, you just bring your liver."

I didn't really have the money to play with, it was Friday rush hour on I-95, and I try to avoid casinos in general.

"Sure. Let me pack." Let's see what happens, I thought. I am a leaf on the wind.

Although the end results were largely indistinguishable, the casino was marginally more entertaining than feeding those same $20 bills to sea gulls. I was neither keen to go back the next day, nor on the prospect of a two hour, day-wasting drive home. It was my turn to provide the inspiration:

"Let's hit a brewery I know."

Brewport Brewing Co. Brings New Haven Pizza To Bridgeport CT

Restaurant Beer Brewery Bridgeport CT Beer Pizza

James Gribbon August 17, 2016

A lot of the time, when you write about food and beer, you realize the compelling truths in a story start with the people. Case in point, Brewport Brewing Co. If you've driven on I-95 through Bridgeport any time in the past several months, you have probably seen eye-searing electronic billboards announce its impending arrival as part of their scroll. The waiting is over, and the entire month of August has been designated a public "sneak preview" of the pizza-centric brewpub. I dropped by unannounced to get a taste of what we have in store. Here's your first look.

Brewport started out as an idea in the mind of its president, Bruce Barrett, of Barrett Outdoor Communications, hence the billboards. (You may also recognize his IWagePeace.org billboards.) The brewpub is located directly off exit 27 on 95N, below one of Barrett's billboards, and roughly at the radiant point in the center of the giant loop made by the exit 27A connector. The easy access, and the huge mural of brewing equipment painted on the building's side, make it hard to miss. Bruce and his brother John purchased the building in 2000, and it continued its life as a distribution center for the Fairfield County News for years before they contacted their longtime friend - and brewery manager at BAR New Haven - Jeff Browning.

Friday Froth: A Trip To Barcade New Haven, Video Games + Beer

Restaurant Beer CT Beer Delicious Dives Bar New Haven

James Gribbon June 17, 2016

Maybe it's just the freshness of a mind before it reaches pickled adulthood, but childhood memories seem more permanent. I can't remember breakfast on most days, but I recall hopping on bikes with a few friends, ditching our mother-mandated helmets, and riding down to Vic's Variety on Paradise Green in Stratford to buy Crybabies and play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on a stand up, four player arcade game.

Nintendo and Sega Genesis had killed video game arcades as dead as iTunes killed record stores until four guys in Williamsburg thought "What if we bring them back, but with beer?" That was 2004, and in the ensuing years the Barcade franchise has spread around New York, to New Jersey, Philly, and now, New Haven. It was once again time to get my Hadouken! on.

Travel time driving to Barcade is variable, in my case 3 hours in traffic. But by the time I arrived I was seriously ready to blow something up. Centipede, Galaga, Punch Out, four player X-Men and Ninja Turtles, Ms. Pac Man... take your pick, they're all still 25-cents to play.

Kent Falls Brewing Begins Bottle Sales At The Farm: A First Look

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James Gribbon June 03, 2016

If, in an alternate world, you'd bought stock in Kent Falls Brewing Co. the first time you read about the small, Connecticut based brewer here on CTBites, you'd be rich by now. The brewery isn't actually public in the financial sense, but it will welcome the public to its farm in Kent, Conn. for the first time on June 11. Kent Falls beer has previously only been available on tap, in bottles at a few shops, and at single farmer's market. All that changes this summer, and anyone up for a drive to the NW corner will be able to buy it bottled at the source, Saturdays from 11a.m.-5p.m., with a focus on special releases like brewery-only IPAs and barrel aged beers. A special bottle release is planned for the grand opening on the 11th.

Kent Falls has seen its popularity skyrocket lately and, as I've said several times before, the beer justifies the acclaim. The announcement of their new retail sales plan ended up being just the push I needed to finally visit their brewery and the working farm in which it's seated. Here is your first look.