It’s A Woman’s World: Silvia MacLean of Silvia’s Kitchen in Norwalk Interview It's A Woman's World Baker Bakery Interview Norwalk Andrew Dominick February 04, 2025 In the middle of 2024 at my dear friend, Anne Grossman’s Rebel Daughter Day, I just about stopped in my tracks when I saw what was on one of the vendor’s tables. Boxes of beautiful, chocolatey brigedeiros, alfajores, and an array of different hand rolled truffles and baked goods that weren’t just from Latin American countries, but a mixture of confections we’re familiar with in the states, too. Silvia’s Kitchen, created by Silvia MacLean, is the face behind the brand, and she bakes out of Rebel Daughter Cookies’ commercial space where you can preorder for pickup or delivery, plus you can find her sweets at various stores and farmers markets in the general area. Read More
It’s A Woman’s World: Justine Bassani – Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist, Author, Artist, + Bartender Interview It's A Woman's World Nutrition Writer Author Personal Trainer Bartender Andrew Dominick October 17, 2024 Mama’s Boy. Peaches. Gates. Probably a few others I’ve omitted. And currently, Tequila Mockingbird in New Canaan. Yeah. There’s a chance you’ve sat at one of Justine Bassani’s bars somewhere in Fairfield County. An acclaimed bartender that’s won competitions and has had her fair share of limelight in magazine articles, Justine is pretty open about her own struggles with alcohol—she’s been sober for a while now—and although she’s still in the bartending game, she’s been pretty busy outside of the industry. Read More
It’s a Woman’s World: Amanda Eng of Kash & Liv Coffee Creations Ingredients Interview Coffee Coffee Shop It's A Woman's World Interview Newtown Sandy Hook Andrew Dominick May 17, 2024 From corporate America to…coffee?!That’s exactly what Amanda Eng did. And now she’s making waves with her craft coffee concoctions that have included creative, original flavored lattes, cold brews with fruity sweet cream cold foams, and decadent cups of hot cocoa.Amanda, and her coffee biz that’s named after her twins, Kash and Liv, is seemingly everywhere in the Newtown with pop ups at PTA meetings, to Newsylum Brewery, and others. Now with a home base inside of Uncle Matt’s Bakery and Café in nearby Sandy Hook, you’ll at least always know where to find her for your caffeine fix.I recently caught up with Amanda to get Kash & Liv Coffee Creations’ origin story, to talk coffee and coffee inspiration, and what’s in her very near future.Grab a cup (of her coffee if you have access) and check out our Q&A! Read More
2024 Directory: Meet the Women of Connecticut's Culinary Industry Features Best of CT It's A Woman's World Directory Resource Women Owned Business Homepage Highlight CTbites Team March 09, 2024 In honor of Women’s History Month and in conjunction with our “It’s A Woman’s World” column, we present to you, a Directory highlighting the many talented women in CT’s culinary industry. This Directory for CT’s Chefs, Female Owned Businesses, Restaurants, Products, Farmers, PR Agencies & Instagrammers + is a work in progress. We will continually update the directory, and we hope you will contact us if you are a female in the culinary industry who would like to be included.How often do you stop to think or inquire about *who* owns the restaurant you frequent, or who invented a product you love or who grew the food on your own table? It’s time to take a closer look, especially when, as you can see from this fabulously inspiring and lengthy list, woman are doing amazing things in Connecticut. We are inventing, writing, catering, managing, brainstorming, reviewing…and this is all just within the food industry in this state. We are getting it done, done well, and done in our own creative and vibrant way. New paths are being discovered, new ideas are being birthed. Inquire. Look. Support. Encourage. There’s no limit to what is coming next. Read More
It's a Woman's World: Andrea Clark of Little Gem Bakery Interview It's A Woman's World Interview Bakery Baker Baked Goods Andrew Dominick March 05, 2024 Towards the end of the 2023 edition of summer, Emily Mingrone’s restaurant, Tavern On State, posted a strikingly beautiful ube tart set in a vanilla cookie crust, topped with a dollop of whipped yogurt and grapefruit segments, stating that “it’s the most addictive item on our dessert menu.”The creator of the purple pie slice that received a lot of Instagram attention in terms of likes and comments is Andrea Clark of Little Gem CT. Read More
It’s A Woman’s World: Chef & CIA Instructor Roshara Sanders Features Interview It's A Woman's World chef Chef Talk Andrew Dominick January 09, 2024 One of the definitions of the word “force” is as follows: a person or thing regarded as exerting power or influence.It’s fitting to say that Roshara Sanders is just that, a force. And at just 34 years old, the Bridgeport native has quite resume. Read More
It's A Woman's World: Pastry Chef Jessica Spivey of Oyster Club + The Port of Call Interview Restaurant It's A Woman's World Baker Pastry Chef pastry Mystic Interview Andrew Dominick December 14, 2023 Oyster Club in Mystic, its alter ego concept, Treehouse, and their sister cocktail and bites bar, The Port of Call, aren’t only popular in Connecticut, but they’ve received some serious national coverage, including a 2023 James Beard nomination for chef Renee Touponce.Part of the restaurant group’s stellar squad is pastry chef Jessica Spivey, who just received a nod of her own as she was nominated for Best Pastry Chef by the Connecticut Restaurant Association for its annual CRAzies Awards. Read More
It’s a Woman’s World: Olivia Olsen of ATC South Street Features Interview It's A Woman's World Homepage Interview Bartender Litchfield Andrew Dominick November 15, 2023 As a judge for each of the first two years of SoNo1420’s Blaze Whiskey Competition—that’s four rounds total, by the way—one of the best drinks I tasted came from a bartender I hadn’t heard of before, but from a place I’ve not only been to, but wrote about in the past.Olivia Olsen is the head bartender behind the stick at ATC South Street, Carlos Perez’s hip taqueria in Litchfield. Read More
It's a Woman's World: Executive Pastry Chef Melissa Knauer of The Benjamin Interview It's A Woman's World Interview Pastry Chef pastry Dessert Andrew Dominick August 23, 2023 Earlier this summer, I was in attendance for one of the friends & family previews of The Benjamin, a new French – American restaurant in Ridgefield that took over the historic property that was once home to Bernard’s and Sarah’s Wine Bar. Read More
It’s a Woman’s World: Em Sauter of Pints and Panels Interview Pints and Panels Em Sauter It's A Woman's World beer Craft Beer Women Owned Business Andrew Dominick July 02, 2023 A handful or more years ago, I attended an exclusive media event at Two Roads Brewing Co. in Stratford led by brewmaster and owner Phil Markowski. Invited on this lavish tour, tasting, and beer dinner experience were about 10 of the who’s who of beer writers. At this point in my food and drink writing career, I certainly wasn’t classified as beer media, so my invite was as a plus-one. Read More
It's a Woman's World: Caitlin McGowan of The Art Space Café Features Interview Interview It's A Woman's World Norwalk The Norwalk Art Space Chef Talk Chef Homepage Andrew Dominick May 24, 2022 If you’ve walked through the doors at The Norwalk Art Space, chances are you’ve had a bite or a caffeinated pick-me-up at the Art Space Cafe.Under the direction of chef/restaurateur Bill Taibe, the food at the cafe is nothing short of spectacular. The sandwiches aren’t only stacked and satisfying, they’re photogenic, too. And the fresh baked biscuits and other random weekly specials are made with love and care. To boot, there’s plenty more in terms of eggy options, salads, soups, and stunning coffee creations.But executing all of the goodness you’ve had (or will have) at The Art Space Cafe is head chef Caitlin McGowan. For McGowan, food holds a special place in her heart as it’s deeply rooted in old school traditions and closely related to the bond she has with her family.I don’t want to give away too much, as I’d prefer you read the answers to a few of the subjects we talked about, including her upbringing, culture, her culinary journey up to this point, and homemade jam. Read More
It’s A Woman's World: Business Superstar, Gina Luari of Place 2 Be Interview Features It's A Woman's World Q & A Kristin L. Wolfe March 22, 2022 Gina Luari is a force to be reckoned with. Young, driven, and armed with a clear vision and talented staff, at just 30 years old, she has created an experience in Place 2 Be that should be on everyone’s To Do list. It is loud, vibrant, and flashy, and the food gives bigger is better a run for its money. Cue Chef Xavier Santiago, also a force in CT’s restaurant scene; he has recently taken over as Executive Chef of the wildly popular, rapidly growing phenomenon.With wall to wall bottles of Veuve Clicquot and plates of sweet and savory treats like mini-mountains, Place 2 Be oozes pleasure party. When Boss Lady (Stephanie Webster) and I completed our experience, we were most certainly in a delicious daze from the massive treats, drinks, and sensory overload. Read More
It’s a Woman’s World: Stephanie Geiling of Relic Brewing Interview Features It's A Woman's World Brewery beer Homepage Andrew Dominick November 18, 2021 One of the promises I made to myself when I started dabbling in this particular column was that I’d do the opposite of only covering female chefs. I wanted to dive deeper into the hospitality industry to highlight those doing meal prep, perhaps a barista at a popular coffee shop, bakers, and in this case, a woman who works in brewing.When I began my introductory search via Instagram stories, Stephanie Geiling came up as a suggestion more than a few times. Steph, as it turns out, is the operations manager at Relic Brewing Co. in Plainville.The former psychological researcher at UCONN sort of stumbled into the beer world after she chose to leave the research field. She ended up at Relic after stopping into the tasting room one day and Mark Sigman, Relic’s owner, offered her a job.“It was my first time ever going to a brewery and I said to myself, I have no idea what I’m doing, this is going to be a joke, but I’m going to do it anyway,” she says. “I helped in the tasting room, and I was still working in research and at a liquor store. I left research for personal reasons, and I started to enjoy the liquor industry. I also felt like this was a more supportive and inclusive environment.”In addition to her career at Relic, Steph plays guitar and belts it out in a doom metal band based in Plainville called Lightkeeper, and she just started training in martial arts.There’s more in the Q&A about what she does as Relic’s operations manager and we got into the widely publicized topic of sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexism, and the like as it pertains to breweries.For context, brewer Brienne Allan (@ratmagnet on IG) helped expose the black eye by sharing thousands of anonymous responses she received on Instagram’s “Questions” feature.Read on and be sure to give Steph a follow @relic_brewing_steph.What do you do at Relic Brewing?When I first started, I worked the tasting room. Then I started helping Mark dry hop beer and clean kegs, and I still do that. It’s super fun here and I like the creative aspect. When I made the pineapple gose, that was fun to put together. I came up with the recipe for that one, usually we come up with them together but this particular one is all mine because he doesn’t like those type of beers A lot of times, I drive the truck or load the truck, unload pallets of beer, I run the tasting room, on Saturdays I run the kitchen, cooking, I order from distributors, contact customers. I’m a Jack of all trades. Read More
It’s A Woman's World: Chef Beca Tuinei of Nala’s Kitchen Features It's A Woman's World Interview Chef Talk Q & A Kristin L. Wolfe August 26, 2021 I got to meet Chef Beca Tuinei last year after trying her wonderful creations for Nala’s Kitchen. Being apprehensive to try dishes from organizations promoted as “healthy food services,” fearing a massive pile of black containers filled with dry, bland chicken and broccoli, I was truly surprised and impressed. For those diving into more measured, health conscious, and ingredient-focussed food service, Nala’s Kitchen will blow you away with flavor. Believe me, I’m still a fan of meals like chicken and broccoli, but you can have these high-protein, low calorie, diet-forward products AND STILL HAVE FLAVOR! Chef Beca will amp it up with a creative use of spices and sauces without piling on the extra calories. It is a fine line to walk but she does it so well. Not only does she do it well, but her talent has landed her a position with the WNBA, now responsible for feeding the hungry athletes of the Connecticut Sun! Read More
It's A Woman's World: Chef Renee Touponce of Oyster Club, Mystic Features It's A Woman's World Mystic Chef Talk Interview Homepage Kristin L. Wolfe July 21, 2021 onnecticut is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Our ongoing column, “It’s A Woman’s World” is devoted to CT female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, feeding an entrepreneurial spirit, or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking ladies have set a new definition of women’s work, creating new paths, and setting examples for those who followIt’s impossible to leave Mystic without falling in love. From the adorable hotels and shops, to the views along the water, the drawbridge, and THE FOOD, you will undoubtedly leave it with a scrapbook (even a virtual one) of memories. And, for such a small town, Mystic is brimming with incredible places to eat. One of the best is at Oyster Club with Chef Renee Touponce at the helm. I’ve had numerous dishes by her over the last year, and it's just never enough. Every plate is full of flavor, yet light. For me, they conjure summer sea breezes with a dash of cozy home dinner. Read More
It’s A Woman’s World: Sara Oberhammer of Soulber Health + Healing Features Interview It's A Woman's World Interview Vegan Gluten-Free Healthy Eats Andrew Dominick May 04, 2021 Connecticut is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Our ongoing column, “It’s A Woman’s World” is devoted to CT female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, feeding an entrepreneurial spirit, or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking ladies have set a new definition of women’s work, creating new paths, and setting examples for those who follow.Sara Oberhammer is someone I’ve personally wanted to feature for a while. Many of you might know her as a bartender at various restaurants around Fairfield County—and if you’ve had several of those mango margaritas with the spicy, salty rim at either location of The Blind Rhino, that was Sara’s award-winning creation.While you still might catch her mixing cocktails at your favorite haunt, Sara has paved her own path in wellness, offering health coaching, personal training, and meal prepping colorful, nutritious bowls that are vegan, gluten-free, and even the dressings are homemade. Read More
It's A Woman's World: Chef Fran Medina of Rio Salado in Mystic Features It's A Woman's World Interview Chef Talk Stephanie Webster February 02, 2021 Connecticut is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Our ongoing column, “It’s A Woman’s World’ is devoted to CT female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, feeding an entrepreneurial spirit or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking ladies have set a new definition of women’s work, creating new paths and setting examples for those who follow.How'd they do it? Read on. This week, we speak with Chef Fran Medina of Rio Salado Mexican Restaurant in Mystic. Stay tuned to see who’s next. And feel free to send suggestions for your candidates to steph@ctbites.com. Read More
It's A Woman's World: Chef Ashley Flagg of Millwright's Restaurant Features It's A Woman's World Chef Talk Chef Interview CTbites Team September 24, 2020 Connecticut is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Our ongoing column, “It’s A Woman’s World’ is devoted to CT female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, feeding an entrepreneurial spirit or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking ladies have set a new definition of women’s work, creating new paths and setting examples for those who follow.How'd they do it? Read on. This week, we feature Chef Ashley Griggs of Millwright’s Restaurant in Simsbury. Stay tuned to see who’s next. And feel free to send suggestions for your candidates to steph@ctbites.com. Read More
Hot Dish Podcast: "It's A Woman's World" Morning After Convo Features Podcast It's A Woman's World Interview Stephanie Webster March 25, 2020 Since we all have a little more “down time”, we thought it might be nice to have a listen to a short conversation recapping the “It’s A Woman’s World” event that feels like it occurred a life time ago. This “Morning After” podcast features Chef Jes Bengston (Culinary Director for Amis & Terrain), myself, Stephanie Webster (Editor for CTbites) and our host with the most, Marysol Castro. If you couldn’t score tickets to the March 2nd event, have a Listen here. If you were in the room, maybe we have things to say about you. Enjoy! Read More
It's A Woman's World: Celebrating The Trailblazing Females in CT's Culinary Industry Features Events It's A Woman's World Stephanie Webster February 05, 2020 On March 2nd, CTbites and Terrain will host “It’s A Woman’s World: A Celebration” honoring and celebrating the many inspiring and trailblazing females in Connecticut’s culinary industry. Ladies…It’s about time. From chefs and farmers, to photographers and beekeepers, we're tipping our hats to the females who are molding the CT food industry, and making sh@# happen. The evening will include a panel moderated by on-air personality Marysol Castro, (journalist, PA announcer for the METS, and CTBites podcast host), great food, drinks, awards, and of course, plenty of time to mingle and meet the women in our community as well as the ladies who appear on the list below, our Top 20 Most Influential Woman In CT Culinary Industry. We can’t wait to meet you. Purchase your $25 ticket here and read on because we need YOUR participation in selecting 5 of the women below to win awards for “Most Inspiring & Influential Women in the CT Culinary Scene,” at the event. Read More
