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Filtering by Tag: Ridgefield

Ridgefield Bagels and Bakes: NEW Destination for Sourdough Bagels in Ridgefield

Restaurant Breakfast Breakfast Sandwich Bagels Bakery Bread Shop Opening Ridgefield Homepage

Hannah Goodman March 14, 2025

I love bagels. I love anything that has to do with bagels, whether it’s simply a toasted plain bagel with some butter or cream cheese (often I choose both – sue me), or a B.E.C. on a sesame bagel, or it’s an everything bagel stacked with the works, like scallion cream cheese, smoked salmon, onions, and capers, I am all in! If you are from the tri-state area, you know the importance of a solid bagel shop, as we take this stuff very seriously, because what the heck would we do without a hearty breakfast sandwich in the morning? As luck would have it, Ridgefield needed a new bagel shop to take the place of what had previously been Steve’s Bagels, and in November of 2023, the same location on Main Street became Ridgefield Bagels and Bakes.

The Benjamin in Ridgefield Changes Philosophy To Be "More Approachable"

Features Interview Restaurant The Benjamin Ridgefield Ridgefield Homepage Interview

Andrew Dominick July 25, 2024

From “a uniquely American, French inspired restaurant and bar” to “a uniquely American, globally inspired restaurant and bar.”

For The Benjamin—which opened just before last summer in the former Bernard’s Restaurant and Sarah’s Wine Bar space—and owners Rob Moss and Dave Studwell of Washington Prime and B.J. Lawless of B.J. Ryan’s, B.J. Ryan’s East, and BanC House, they knew that a year later they’d have to switch up the restaurant’s philosophy. Call it a pivot if you want, but according to Studwell, it wasn’t just one thing that needed changing.

“I’d like to say it was one thing,” he says. “Honestly, we were high on French, but not everyone wants caviar, foie gras, and smoked trout all the time. Ridgefield is a family driven town and we didn’t realize that.”

Hoodoo Brown BBQ Serves a Smoked Cheeseburger On Sundays and It’s Awesome

Features Interview Restaurant Hoodoo Brown BBQ BBQ Burger Burgers Ridgefield

Andrew Dominick December 18, 2023

I can count on one finger how many times I’ve had a smoked cheeseburger in our general area.

The smoked burger is seemingly elusive. My first came in 2019, in Irvington, at a BBQ joint that’s no longer there. I’m not saying it’s impossible to find one, I’m just saying it’s rare—that’s an on-purpose meat pun.

In Connecticut, two spots where you absolutely can find a smoky, beefy, beast of a burger, are Hoodoo Brown BBQ and Hindsight Barbecue that were both recently named in terrific piece on Texas Monthly (link HERE) that you absolutely should read.

Chef Forrest Pasternack Returns to Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield CT

Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Bailey's Backyard Farm To Table Interview Chef Talk Ridgefield

Andrew Dominick August 27, 2023

Ask Forrest Pasternack about being back in Ridgefield and he’ll tell you that “there’s nothing quite like home.”

Already well traveled in this area and in New York as a renowned chef at several acclaimed restaurant, Pasternack may be best known to locals from his five-years when he headed up the kitchen at the O.G. farm-to-table restaurant Bailey’s Backyard from 2013 – 2018.

After a handful of years away, Pasternack is back!

But where’s he been all this time?

Well, a bunch of places and one big one at the same time.

First Look: Washington Prime and BJ Ryan’s Owners Open The Benjamin in Ridgefield

Features Interview Restaurant French American Ridgefield Homepage Openings Interview

Andrew Dominick June 07, 2023

Ridgefield’s West Lane is about to look a whole lot different after the transformation of Bernard’s Restaurant and Sarah’s Wine Bar to The Benjamin, brought to you by a trio of well-known Norwalk restaurateurs in Dave Studwell and Rob Moss of Washington Prime and B.J. Lawless of BJ Ryan’s Restaurant Group.

Brasserie St. Germain Opens In Ridgefield From Sucre Sale Team

Restaurant Opening Ridgefield French Lunch Raw Bar Homepage

Jessica Ryan May 27, 2023

Brasserie St. Germain opened quietly though to much fanfare this past week. Named after St Germain des Pres, the quaint Parisian neighborhood, in the 6th arrondissement. Owners Frank Bonnaudet and Virginie Kharouby are no strangers to the Ridgefield restaurant scene. After nearly 10 years, the owners of the former Sucre Sale decided to shut down the smaller, casual eatery to make way for this newer, slightly more formal concept with its larger menu and more expansive dining areas.

Brasserie St. Germain is an ode to Paris, from the décor – with hand-painted murals in the main dining and bar area that are bright and lively, to the more formal, high end dining area in the back. The restaurant seats between 75-80 people, and judging by what we saw, the space will fill very quickly. Former Sucre Sale diners have been eagerly anticipating this opening. The cozy ambiance suggests a relaxed dining experience, diners will not be rushed.

Bobo's Cafe, of Westchester Fame, Opens in Ridgefield TODAY: Acai Bowls, Coffee Drinks, Killer Sandwiches, Vegan and More!

Restaurant Openings Ridgefield Breakfast Coffee Acai Bowl Lunch Sandwich Smoothies

CTbites Team December 13, 2020

Want some great espresso, specialty iced tea, frozen drinks? How about acai, pitaya, matcha or spirulina bowls alongside killer bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, basmati rice bowls, gluten free, vegan dishes, and mouthwatering desserts? The Westchester favorite, Bobo’s Cafe has crossed the border, and is opening in Connecticut…Ridgefield to be exact. According to their Facebook page, doors open today at 32 Danbury Road.

After completing their domination of Northern Westchester, owner Craig Bernardi said, “We look for communities that allow us the opportunity to really get to know people in town.”

Bailey’s Backyard is Making Wood-Fired Pizza....And It's Delicious

Restaurant Features Ridgefield Pop-Up Pizza Homepage

Andrew Dominick November 25, 2020

After celebrating 21 years of serving the freshest, local, seasonal menu they can come up with, Bailey’s Backyard is switching it up.

Oh, don’t worry, one of Connecticut’s originators in farm-to-table fare will still be doing that.

Sorry for the scare. I had to get your attention somehow, didn’t I?

Bailey’s, however, is doing something new. They’re making pizza.

Past all the outdoor seating that stretches from Bailey Avenue to an outdoor tent by the rear parking lot there’s a custom-made Forza Forni wood-fired oven burning at 800° or higher.

In front of said oven you’ll find pizzaiolo Frank Candullo, who has been in the business for “about 15 years.” Along the way, Candullo has worked in a few parlors, including Victoria’s Wood Fired Pizzeria in Bethel and he has made countless pies in his own backyard for friends and family.

How Candullo ended up slinging pies at Bailey’s is simple. He’s really tight with Bailey’s owner Sal Bagliavio.

“Our kids went to school together and we became good friends,” Bagliavio says. “Frank has been making pizza in his backyard for years and he always has a bunch of us over. We’d joke around back in the day that we should open a pizza place together. In fact, I owned Alphonso’s in Danbury for 2-3 years before I opened Bailey’s.”

Combine the “what ifs” with a pandemic and pizza became a reality. Bagliavio mentioned that after he had to close the restaurant for a few months and geared Bailey’s more towards takeout. Pizza, he said, was the perfect pandemic pivot to offer as a standalone or you can mix and match with Bailey’s dinner menu.

To prepare, Bagliavio and Candullo did some serious dough research. “We spent two days at Forza Forni in Brewster perfecting the recipe,” Bagliavio says. “I think we ate like 75 pizzas!”

The result of what they learned at Forza Forni is a dough made up of all-natural flour, water, salt, and yeast, free of any chemicals or additives. It’s then left to cold ferment for 48 hours.

If you’re thinking wood-fired Neapolitan after Candullo is done spinning it, you’re half right. Bagliavio calls it a hybrid. “It’s like a cross between Neapolitan and New Haven,” he says. “It’s got a char, a thin crust, and a puffy edge. It’s light.”

Hoodoo Brown BBQ Introduces Tex-Mex Tuesdays

Restaurant BBQ Tacos Mexican Ridgefield

Andrew Dominick January 27, 2020

Every now and then Hoodoo Brown BBQ goes off their standard menu for special smoked meat theme days. Occasional Whole Hog Sundays, Prime Rib Thursdays (and French Dip Fridays if there are leftovers), and Taco Tuesdays are just some of the drool-inducing days the Hoodoo Crew has come up with over the years. From Taco Tuesday, though, something else was born…Tex-Mex Tuesday.

“We did Taco Tuesday for three months with one special taco on the menu to get our creativity flowing,” says Hoodoo general manager Chris Sexton. “It felt like an afterthought because people would get one or two tacos, and we’d maybe sell 10-15 the whole night, but we know that we do things better when we do them bigger.”

Bailey’s Backyard Offers NEW Market Table Tasting Menu (Wednesdays Only!)

Restaurant Ridgefield Farm to Table American Lunch Homepage

Jessica Ryan November 28, 2018

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this charming eatery in the heart of Ridgefield, Bailey’s Backyard first opened its doors nearly 20 years ago as a neighborhood coffee shop before transforming itself into a charming American restaurant with a simple concept; offer exceptional seasonal cuisine in a cozy, relaxed atmosphere. It would soon become a neighborhood hot spot, offering locals a new dining experience. Several years ago Bailey’s evolved once again and the restaurant is now a farm-to-table establishment with a mission to create a menu based on the freshest local sources. Today meat and produce are still gathered from nearby farms, both in New York and Connecticut, and Seafood is garnered from Connecticut, Massachusetts and the Chesapeake Bay.

I was recently invited to sample Bailey’s new Market Table Tasting Menu offered every Wednesday night. A new menu is introduced each week, giving diners the opportunity to try something new each time. The menu is Prix Fixe, $40 for four courses or $65 for the four courses and a wine pairing.

On Thursdays, We Eat Prime Rib: Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield

Restaurant BBQ Ridgefield American Special Occasion

Andrew Dominick February 20, 2018

Up until recently, prime rib had all but vanished from restaurants. It remained on menus at less-than-trendy eateries or it was offered at others as a one-day-per-week special, but it never quite reached levels of steak extinction. If you’ve glanced at dinner menus lately—yes, even at hotspot restaurants—there’s a chance you’ve noticed that this beefy blue-plate special has reemerged!

If you’re a prime rib superfan, or if you salivate at the thought of a hearty slice of standing rib roast, Hoodoo Brown BBQ should be on your “Thursday Night Plans” list. Being a BBQ joint, they’re doing what you might imagine they’re doing with prime rib…they’re smoking whole 14 lb. roasts and serving them up until it’s all gone.

"The Impossible Burger" Now Available at all CT Bareburger Locations

Restaurant Features Stamford Ridgefield Lunch Vegan Vegetarian Special Dietary Needs Homepage Burgers

Andrew Dominick November 09, 2017

Elk, beef, duck, bison, lamb and turkey are just some of the proteins used in burgers at Bareburger. The microchain makes sure their burgers are more than just meat-based, and keep vegetarians and vegans in mind with offerings that already include the Farmstead, made from sweet potatoes and wild rice, and the Guadalupe, a black bean and roasted corn burger. Recently, Bareburger has slowly started to roll out another all-natural vegan burger that supposedly tastes close to, or like beef.

Created by Impossible Foods and CEO/founder/scientist Pat Brown, and appropriately named The Impossible Burger, this meatless option is solely made from plants. It’s made up of wheat and potato proteins for a familiar beef burger-like texture, vitamins, amino acids, sugars, and uses konjac (from Japanese yams) and xanthan (made by fermentation) as binders for the patty. It also uses a molecule called heme, which carries oxygen in our blood. Heme is in every living thing, plants included, and makes our blood red. Since red meat contains large amounts of heme, The Impossible Burger uses heme made from fermentation, and gives it a meatier taste than most vegan or veggie burgers on the market. It uses two fats, coconut oil and soybeans to give it that much needed sizzle effect when it hits the grill.

The Porchetta Burger: Bareburger Debuts Its James Beard Winner

Restaurant Comfort Food Stamford Ridgefield Lunch Homepage Burgers

Lou Gorfain July 25, 2017

Now, as an adult, card-carrying carnivore, I’m still leery of burger extenders, be they crumbs, flour, veggies or any other manner of filler. So when asked to review Bareburger’s Porchetta Burger, half ground pork and half wild mushrooms, I approached the assignment with some hesitation. Fifty percent filler? No beef? No red-pink medium rare interior when I cut into the patty? No juices oozing at first bite? Likely no deal.

At the Harbor Point location, I asked the kitchen to cut the Porchetta sandwich in half, so I could check the interior before biting in. To my surprise, the patty looked remarkably like a medium rare beef-burger. Traditionally the pork is wrapped about other savories, but in this version, the pork (wild boar sourced from Fossil Farms in Boonton, New Jersey) is ground in-house, then mixed with chopped wild mushrooms and seasonings (fennel, garlic, and rosemary).

Great BBQ Restaurants In CT: A Summer Wish List

Restaurant BBQ Ridgefield Redding Hartford Windsor Bridgeport Branford Comfort Food Homepage

CTbites Team June 25, 2017

The summertime heat makes me crave a meaty backyard barbecue with crunchy roasted corn on the side and finished off with a sweet slice of juicy watermelon. But where can you get a meal like this if you don’t feel like cooking at home? Mix summertime with the great eats in Connecticut, and you get a barbecue wish list extraordinaire with several spots ranking high on CTbites’ favorites list and others that we really need to try.

The Village Tavern in Ridgefield: New England Fare with an Italian Touch

Restaurant American Italian Ridgefield Lunch Homepage

Jessica Ryan May 21, 2017

The Village Tavern in Ridgefield is just as you expect a New England tavern to be. Exposed brick and dark wood furnishings greet you upon arrival. Handsome forest green paneling and plaid fabrics offer a feeling of comfort and familiarity. On the far wall, local Connecticut artist Sharon Leichsenring dazzles with a larger than life wall mural representing “abbondanza," paying homage to Brunetti's Market, a Ridgefield staple, and the former occupant of the space. The Village Tavern fills a void in the area’s already rich culinary landscape. Their elevated comfort food ranges from simple to sophisticated. Chef Minin will tell you that he creates “American food that has been kissed by an Italian.”

CT Guide to Outdoor Dining (2017): 80+ Restaurants for Summer

Restaurant Outdoor Dining Best of CT Westport Norwalk Stamford New Canaan Darien Fairfield New Haven Milford Ridgefield Homepage

April Guilbault May 16, 2017

“What’s the secret ingredient?”, you ask. Well, it’s…Air.

The winter-that-wasn’t (save for one last see-I-told-you-so storm) is now officially behind us and folks everywhere are throwing open the windows and enjoying the sight of lush green grass and a continual parade of Spring flowers. Out come the patio chairs! Behold the grill! Phew, we have missed you. Let’s all enjoy this week of Connecticut Spring before it leaps to 90 degrees, shall we?

In the event that you have neither of these aforementioned outdoor items, you can hightail it to any one of these delightful establishments to dine alfresco. Doesn’t a little fresh air always put a pep in your step? And, in this case, a little sunshine on your biscuits. Head outdoors to dine and enjoy!

If we missed an outdoor venue that you frequent, please share your find below.

TerraSole, A Small Italian Eatery in The Heart Of Ridgefield

Restaurant Italian Ridgefield Seafood Lunch

Jessica Ryan July 31, 2016

Unless you’re a resident of Ridgefield you might not be familiar with TerraSole, a small Italian eatery in the heart of Ridgefield. But I feel it is my job to extol the virtues of this sleepy little gem that has been part of the town’s landscape since 2007, and is poised to enter its second decade with quiet confidence. I was invited to join a group of writers and editors to visit TerraSole and nearly declined. Am I ever glad I went!

When the weather is nice, diners can now sit outside in the newly completed terrace. The pale blue interior is simple yet charming. It is the food that takes center stage and rightly steals the show. While locals are avid fans, non-locals should take note. This charming yet understated destination is well worth the drive.

Owner Pietro Polini, who hails from Puglia and moved to the states in 1999, infuses the region’s flavors into his dishes.

Battle of the Chefs Culinary Showdown At Founders Hall June 5

Restaurant Ridgefield

Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster May 17, 2016

On Sunday, June 5, from 4-7 pm, three chefs will match sharp knives and quick wits in an exciting culinary showdown to benefit Founders Hall in Ridgefield, CT. Chefs Beck Bolender (One Twenty One, North Salem), Frank Bonnaudet (Sucré Salé, Ridgefield), and Jehan S.de Noüe (formerly Chez Noüe, Ridgefield, now JSN Catering and Albano Appliance, Pound Ridge) will open a basket of surprise ingredients in front of an audience of over 200 and, in just 60 short minutes, compete to create the winning entrée.

A panel of food experts, including John Barricelli of SoNo Baking Company, master chef Ron DeSantis, director of culinary excellence at Yale University, and Brendan Walsh, dean of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, will judge the chefs on their creativity, craftsmanship and culinary results. Amy Kundrat, executive editor of the award-winning regional food blog CTbites will once again referee this showdown.

Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield: Gluttonous Carnivorianism

Restaurant American BBQ Ridgefield Take Out Kid Friendly

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger August 02, 2015

The heck with “Veni, vidi, vici,” my return visit to Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield was more we came, we saw, we ordered and man we tried. And when I say we tried…we tried EVERY meat on the menu and we tried to eat every ounce of meat on numerous trays. If this was a gunfight with Hoodoo Brown in the 1870s we would be full of holes, he won.

Armed with a reservation for the “BBQ Room,” twelve of us ventured to Hoodoo Brown. As our group congregated, I placed the initial appetizer order plus a round of beers, sodas and lemonades. To warm up our appetites, this initial order included two large BBQ Nachos (one with chopped brisket and the other with pulled pork), a dozen Bourbon Teriyaki Wings and a couple of Strawberry and Arugula salads. As we waited, super Pitmaster Nestor Laracuente wandered into the room to offer his humble thanks to all of us for coming and wished us a great meal. He was heading back to Queens for the evening before beginning the return voyage the following morning at 4AM.

Bailey's Backyard in Ridgefield: 2 CTbites Writers Explore Their New Summer Menu

Restaurant Farm to Table Ridgefield

CTbites Team July 12, 2015

When Sal and Forrest invite you to a summer tasting menu, you say yes first and ask questions later. That would be Sal Bagliavio, owner of Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield, and Forrest Pasternack, the restaurant’s executive chef. The two have been the creative force behind the restaurant’s New American menu since its reinvention just two years ago.

The story of Bailey’s actually goes back to 1999 when Sal, a chef himself, renovated the then coffee shop into a beloved Ridgefield restaurant that he ran for over a decade. Eager for a new chapter but happy to remain in Ridgefield, he reimagined it as a New American restaurant driven by seasonal ingredients and local purveyors in 2013. Over the past two years, Bailey’s has solidified its place in the Fairfield County dining scene thanks to the adventurous culinary spirit of Chef Pasternack and the dedication of Bagliavio.