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DOM's Coffee, Cheese, and Now...Creamery: All The Good Stuff in Avon

Restaurant Ingredients Specialty Market Cheese Cheese Shop Coffee Ice Cream Avon

April Guilbault

Nestled in the Connecticuty-quaint town of Avon, an area known for its New England beauty, historic homes, and the well-known Avon Old Farms School, sits the quietly chic and welcoming Dom's Coffee. But wait, there's also Dom's Cheese. And now, Dom's Creamery right next door. Avon may be steeped in history, but it keeps evolving, as does Dom's. 

Dom's Coffee opened its doors in 2015, the brainchild of Lithuanian couple Asta and Andrius  Plankis and sweetly named for their son Dominic. What began as a place for the community to take time to sit and enjoy a great cup of coffee, not just grab-and-go-and-swill-it-in-your-car, has now become a beloved spot in town. With their European flair and attention to detail, Dom's Coffee seamlessly blends the CT aesthetic with the European, feeling all at once new but also comfortable and homey. Light and bright walls, with intentional and un-cluttered decor make his space both interesting and calming. Dom's serves a full range of coffee drinks made with beans from J. Rene Coffee Roasters (West Hartford), with inventive specials to get you in seasonal moods.


Plum Plums Cheese Opening in New Canaan

Features Restaurant Openings New Canaan Cheese Cheese Shop Specialty Market

CTbites Team

Attn: Cheese lovers. This just in from New Canaan Advertiser…

Elixirs for mocktails, a choice of 65 cheeses and coffee sourced from women farmers in Kenya will all be coming to New Canaan next month.

Plum Plums Cheese is moving with its gourmet goodies from its Pound Ridge, N.Y., location to 149 Cherry St. in New Canaan on April 1.

The 7-year-old enterprise, owned by spouses Gayle Martin and Michael Riahi, will be expanding its offerings with butchered meats in addition to the charcuterie, soups and sandwich options. The new location is 1,100 square feet, compared to the 700-square-foot space in New York.

“We know the back story of every item we sell. If cheese, meat, bar of chocolate or jar of jam,” Martin said. “Our primary focus of cheese.”

Read the full article on New Canaan Advertiser.


Gaetano's Moves Arthur Avenue To Connecticut

Restaurant Features Deli Westport Italian Sandwich Lunch Catering Specialty Market Cheese

James Gribbon

Some time several decades ago Milanno Ukehaxhaj left Kosovo at an opportune time on his way to America and making me a sandwich. That is skipping over a lot, but we'll get to the details in later paragraphs, and anyway it was a very good sandwich. This sandwich was not made when I visited the deli earlier this month with his wife and business partner Diana feeding me information as well as chicken parmigiana, it was made during my lunch break at a summer job I held in 2000, which is when I fell in love with Gaetano's.


Dom's Coffee: Get Your Espresso On At The "Most Beautiful Cafe in Connecticut"

Restaurant Coffee Tea And Coffee Cheese Breakfast Brunch Dessert Bakery

April Guilbault

Farmington, Connecticut; the land of colonial homes and rolling hills, horse farms, schools once attended by former First Ladies and now, home of Dom's Coffee, rated by Architectural Digest as The Most Beautiful Cafe in Connecticut.

Remember when the word coffeehouse conjured visions of overstuffed, cast-off furniture populated by long-lounging “alternative” coffee-sippers? All that was missing was your local version of Phoebe Buffay crooning about her Smelly Cat. Gone are those days. A new, craft-caffeinated, curated, uplifting day has dawned in the land of this coffeehouse and many others.


109 Cheese Summer Pop-up Shop in Kent

Restaurant Cheese Kent Litchfield Ridgefield

Amy Kundrat

 

[updated] This summer 109 Cheese will expand to Litchfield County with a pop-up shop on Kent's beautiful Main Street with an expected opening date of June 6, bringing their cheese, charcuterie, sandwiches, Farm Country Soups, and gourmet products to to the former Farm Country Soup location at 14 North Main Street.

We will bring lots of our gourmet goodies, some local artisan favorites and best of all, our sandwiches and grilled cheese, plus we will have indoor and outdoor seating too! We are so excited to be expanding to Kent, an amazing town and destination. - Monica & Todd Brown

109 Cheese and Wine's homebase in "Ridgefield" will be operating as usual throughout the summer.


5th Annual Connecticut Cheese & Wine Festival 2014

Ingredients Restaurant Cheese Festival Wine Tasting

CTbites Team

The 5th annual Connecticut Cheese & Wine Festival, a celebration of local artisan made foods & wines will take place at Hopkins Vineyard, 25 Hopkins Rd in New Preston, on Saturday, October 18, 2014, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This event will feature locally made handcrafted cheeses, boutique wines and specialty foods and crafts from some of the Northeast’s top producers. This varied celebration, with the special wine and food pairings, promises to be the artisan food event of the year.


Fairfield Cheese Company Fall Class Schedule

Restaurant Cheese Cooking Classes Education Wine Tasting

CTbites Team

Fairfield Cheese Company classes are back in session and school has never been this delicious. Whether you are a cheese novice looking for a anintroduction to the basics, or a cheese-aficionado seeking to expand your knowledge on a specific variety, they've got the class for you. 

I jumped at the chance to attend one of these sessions back in October and spent some time with owners Laura and Christopher who lead these entertaining and informative evenings. If you would like some background on Fairfield Cheese Company, check out our review, "Cheese 101."

With wine pairings from Harry's Wine & Liquor, this is the perfect way to break out of that dinner-and-a-movie date night rut. 


109 Cheese & Wine's Perfect Grilled Cheese Recipe c/o Fairfield County Chef's Table

Features Restaurant Cheese Ridgefield Recipe

Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster

In our second week featuring recipes from Fairfield County Chef's Table, we looked no further than Ridgefield to feature 109 Cheese & Wine's excellent grilled cheese sandwich with wild mushrooms. In addition to trying your hand at the recipe below, the shop also makes made-to-order grilled cheese sandwiches in their shop. 109 Cheese & Wine will be hosting a free event with Bernard's Restaurant and Southwest Café at 11 am on May 31 in their upstairs classroom, complete with food from all three restaurants, bubbly and beverages, as well as copies of Fairfield County Chef's Table. Stop by for a snack, and have the chefs and author sign your book!

109 Cheese & Wine
109 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877 | (203) 438-5757 | 109cheeseandwine.com
Owners: Monica and Todd Brown

Wild Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwich


Fairfield Cheese Company Celebrates 5 Years

Restaurant Cheese Fairfield Specialty Market

CTbites Team

Five years ago Laura Downey and Chris Palumbo combined their love for cheese and their entrepreneurial spirit and created Fairfield Cheese Company, a bustling cheese shop located in a food loving Connecticut suburb. To celebrate five years of artisanal and farmstead cheese, charcuterie and fine foods, and their popular cheese school, Fairfield Cheese Company will mark their anniversary with a calendar of special events during the month of May. View the complete list of events below:


Recap: Friends of Boulder Knoll Dinner w/ Caseus Fromagerie & South End Wine

Restaurant Cheese Wine Tasting

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

On Wednesday September 18, 2013, I had the opportunity to attend a farm-to-table dinner presented by the Friends of Boulder Knoll, a group focused on educating the local community about agriculture and sustainability.  I was invited by Tim Crakes of South End Wine and Spirits, a boutique wine store in Cheshire, CT, that would be providing the beverages for the event.  I wasn’t sure what to expect; in fact, that is a part of the state I seldom frequent.  While I take Metro North into New York City on a regular basis, I have never stepped onto it in the opposite direction.  What I found was a gorgeous small town and vibrant farming community.  Both Tim and the Friends of Boulder Knoll provided me with total access to an evening of purity, totally untouched by the pace of the city and daily life.


Jason Sobocinski Hosts Friends of Boulder Knoll Fundraiser

Restaurant Cheese Farm to Table Local Artisan Local Farm

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

Usher in autumn with an elegant farm-to-table dinner featuring beautiful wines, craft brews, and delicious cuisine.  On September 18 at 6pm, the Friends of Boulder Knoll will hold a multi-course meal prepared by Jason Sobocinski, host of The Cooking Channel’s “The Big Cheese.”  The event will also feature wine pairings created by Southend Wine and Spirits of Cheshire, CT.  They will pour “boutique” vino from the Halter Ranch line.  Mikro Brew Bar will offer craft beers andPi Pies Bakery will provide a sweet ending to the evening with artisanal, freshly made baked-goods.

Guests will be entertained with music by On Call, “Connecticut’s premier musical duo.”  They can also participate in a silent auction featuring items from local businesses

The event supports Friends of Boulder Knoll, a Connecticut-based organization dedicated to educating the community about sustainable agriculture and sustainable communities. 


Summer School @ 109 Cheese & Wine in Ridgefield

Ingredients Restaurant Cheese Cooking Classes Education Wine Chat Wine Tasting

CTbites Team

Ridgefield's best source for artisinal cheese and wine, 109 Cheese & Wine has recently expanded its footprint and education offerings. The shop, located at Ridgefield's Marketplace, has posted an impressive and fun line-up of events throughout the summer. Classes include: Red Bee Honey Pairing, Home Brewing and a Bar B Cue,  The Champagne Diet, East Coast Craft Brews and Artisan Cheese & A BBQ Throw Down Wine vs. Beer. See complete listings below. Advance reservations are recommended as class size is limited, call 203-438-5757.


The CTbites and 109 Cheese & Wine Road Trip Giveaway

Restaurant Cheese Giveaway Ridgefield Road Trip

CTbites Team

From the coast of Maine, to the island of Nantucket, to the beaches of Long Island ... who doesn’t love a great summer road trip? As we downshift into the slower and warmer final weeks of summer, CTbites wants to know, what are some of your favorite road trip destinations?

Comment on this post sharing one or more of your favorite summer road trip destinations for a chance to win a picnic basket from 109 Cheese and Wine filled with cheese, wine and charcuterie from the Ridgefield wine shop. 


Sono Baking Co & Caseus at Barnes & Noble May 6th

Restaurant Cheese Cookbooks Events

Christy Colasurdo

If you’re a sucker for hand-baked bread and artisanal cheese and seasonal farm fare (and who isn’t?) you'll want to head over to Barnes & Noble in Westport this Sunday, May 6 at 11 a.m. for a book signing, foodie and children’s event in support of Westport's Wakeman Town Farm.

Jason Sobocinski of New Haven's Caseus restaurant and host of “The Big Cheese” will join SoNo Bakery's John Barricelli, host of "Everyday Baking," to offer tastes and sign copies of their beautiful cookbooks, Caseus Fromagerie Bistro Cookbook and the SoNo Baking Company Cookbook as part of a Bookfair Fundraiser for Wakeman Farm. 

Not only will you get to meet the authors and peruse their new books, but Caseus is bringing its famed Cheese Truck to the event. The Cheese Truck is a mobile kitchen that drives the streets of New Haven selling to-die-for grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, daily sausages, salads and more!


Cheese Tasting w/ Chef & Author Jason Sobocinski

Restaurant Cheese Chef Talk Events Specialty Market

CTbites Team

Love cheese? Want to know more about it? Want to taste some? Chef, TV personality, and cheese cookbook author Jason Sobocinski will talk about cheese, offer samples, and sign copies of his book, Caseus: Fromagerie Bistro Cookbook, on Friday, March 30, from 7-9 pm at a private home in Westport. Proceeds from the event, which costs $35 per person, will support Library programs.

Sobocinski is host of “The Big Cheese” on The Cooking Channel and owner of New Haven’s award-winning bistro and cheese shop Caseus. Wine will be provided by Black Bear Wines & Spirits of Westport. Register online.
For more information, contact Cindy Clark, 203.291.4824,  clark@westportlibrary.org, or westportlibrary.org.


MELT Market & Cafe in Bridgeport: Go ahead and MELT

Ingredients Restaurant Bridgeport Catering Cheese Entertaining Specialty Market Lunch

Sarah Green

Do you feel the need, the need for cheese? Introducing MELT Market and Cafe, the spectacularly gooey love child of former Westport-based Mirabelle Cheese Shop owners Andrea and Damon Itin. MELT, located in the up and coming section of Bridgeport at the corner of Lafayette Circle and Fairfield Ave is sleek and spacious with high tops as well as regular tables for seating and warm inviting color tones. The 2,200 square foot space seats plenty but if tables were pushed aside, this could be a fantastic place for a private function. But enough about things spatial, on to the celestial - this is a cheese lovers' nirvana -

What's for sale ? MELT is the purveyor of European as well as local cheeses


Bernard's & Sarah's Wine Bar Present: Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner

Restaurant Cheese Events Ridgefield Wine Dinners

CTbites Team

Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner will be held on Sunday, January 27 @ 7 PM [UPDATED]. This party is a true celebration of great food and great wine, with musical stylings courtesy of the Kelly Mittleman Trio! The event features Ridgefield's finest with Bernard's Restaurant, Sarah's Wine Bar and Monica from 109 Cheese & Wine. Check out the menu below:

Curds & Brew Class @ 109 Cheese & Wine in Ridgefield

Ingredients Restaurant Cheese Specialty Market

Amy Kundrat

To mark the conclusion of American Cheese Month, 109 Cheese & Wine in Ridgefield is pairing great American brews with great American artisan and farmstead cheeses. Curds & Brew class will be held on Sunday, November 13 at 5:30 p.m. and will be $45 per person. The class and tasting will kick-off with a beer fondue, followed by a pairing of six beers and six cheeses (see list below


Fairfield Cheese Company Classes Are Back in Session

Restaurant Cheese Fairfield Specialty Market

Stephanie Webster

School is back in session, and I don't mean the kind that requires boarding a yellow school bus. I'm talking about an education involving terms like bloomy, soft-ripened, blue-vein, washed-rind, and brined. Fairfield Cheese Company's Fall/Winter cheese class schedule is out with a full offering for any level of cheese appreciation. Check out the full line up below: