Executive Chef Eren Polat and his wife Nigjar invite you to their newest restaurant, Sofra Turkish Grill a cozy neighborhood restaurantin Waterbury, Connecticut. The restaurant, which opened in late July 2023, has been drawing healthy crowds from Cheshire to Fairfield. No stranger to the restaurant world, Chef has over 25 years of experience in prominent restaurants in Turkey and Greece before opening his own Eren’s Grill in Fairfield. He opened Sofra to be closer to home and his family.
Chef hails from Adana, Turkey’s fourth largest city, located in the south where the Seyhan River meets the Mediterranean. One of the oldest cities in the world, it’s a major agricultural area and known for its distinctive cuisine, specifically the “Adana Kebabi,” a unique dish comprised of hand-minced meat prepared with a special knife called a Satir that closely resembles a machete. Authenticity is paramount as Chef remains true to his roots using the skills and techniques so prevalent in his country. So determined is he to do this, that many ingredients are imported directly from Turkey, some from Adana specifically.
The elusiveness of certain limited foods only makes me want THAT particular thing even more. That’s exactly how I felt trying to track down Anthony Kesselmark’s square pizzas, aka, the grandma pie.
You follow Tony Pizza Napolitano on Facebook. You wait for a post with a schedule and menu—it usually posts by midday on Monday. Days and times typically read something like, “Silverman’s Farm on Wednesdays, the Norfield Grange in Weston on Thursdays and Fridays, 4 – 7 p.m. for all three days.”
But that’s not written in stone. It’s wise to check the weekly posts to make sure. If pizza strikes your fancy on Silverman’s days, just show up. If you’re a Thursday or Friday pizza person, you have to direct message the Facebook account to work out and confirm a time slot. No advance orders necessary, you can do that when you arrive. Cash is preferred but Venmo is OK, too.
There it is. All laid out for you. Easy-peasy, right?
Good.
But who is this “Tony,” anyway?
The “Tony” in question is Anthony Kesselmark. He has been a Weston resident for a decade and counting, and he previously owned a few restaurants in Dutchess County, a burger joint in Poughkeepsie and a few pizzerias in that area, one of which was Pizza & Stuff in Beacon.
Red Bee Apiary will be toasting to this year’s honey harvest with their final Talk, Tour and Tasting of the beekeeping season on Sunday, September 8th, 1-3PM. Jeff Marron of Saugatuck Grain & Grape joins the festivities year with special honey-inspired cocktails and liqueurs for the tasting menu. Marina Marchese will lead a private tour of her Red Bee apiary and gardens and demonstrate the honey harvest process. Guests will then be seated at farmhouse tables in the apiary for a tasting flight of seven single-origin honeys and perfect pairings using locally-sourced cheeses and breads and fresh herbs from Red Bee’s garden.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into Eren’s Grill was the neatness and precision of the refrigerator case. Platters of perfectly aligned kebabs await the grill. Bowls of bright-red-hued eggplant-tomato salad and pale, fluffy humus. Glistening rows of dark-green stuffed grape leaves. Then Eren, a young man wearing chef’s white’s embellished with the Turkish flag, stepped out from the open kitchen and proudly started telling me about his fresh and homemade food.
Fairfield’s new and only Turkish restaurant is a small joint in a strip mall. With just a few tables, it does a lot of take-out and catering. Whether eat-in or take-out, it’s a welcome addition to the Tunxis Hill section of Fairfield, a neighborhood that could use more good food. And the food here is good: fresh and full of flavor. Ottoman cuisine has a long and noble history, and Eren – who was head chef of the Athens’ Tike, an international group of Turkish restaurants in places like London, Cyprus and Kiev -- for 8 years -- is proud to put his signature on it. “I want to play a little,” he says.
It's a fine time to eat out in Westport & Weston as Westport & Weston Restaurant Week returns September 30th through October 5th. Prix fixed menus include 3 courses for either lunch or dinner. In addition, the Westport Arts Center is sponsoring a “Dinner Doodle” Contest, encouraging diners to doodle on napkins provided by the restaurants. They will be entered into the doodle contest and featured at the Dinner Doodle Party on October 17th!
Westport & Weston Restaurant Week returns for 2012, offering consumers great deals and the opportunity to experience some new restaurants, as well as re-visit some of their favorites. Sunday, March 25 thru Friday March 30, 2012, participating restaurants will offer a special prix fixe lunch and dinner menu throughout the entire week.
On May 29th, Beekeeper and Honey Sommelier, Marina Marchese of Red Bee Apiary will be leading a "Honey Tasting" at her apiary in Weston. Guests will learn how honeybees make this liquid gold we call honey, how location and nectar source determines a honeys color and flavor and how honey is harvested and extracted from the hive.
Red Bee honey tastings are formal, white linen events where guest are treated to a tour of Red Bee Apiary, a honeybee talk then gather at farmhouse style tables to taste and evaluate artisanal honeys. Participants will be encouraged to engage their curiosity through discussions while learning about the many types and styles of unique nectar sources. Each menu is a carefully orchestrated "Tasting Flight" of seven single-origin local honeys
Last spring we told you about Bereket, an tiny authentic Turkish eatery tucked behind a gas station in Bridgeport. This fortuitous find primarily offered takeout, but if you were lucky enough to get one of the 3 small tables, you were served food worthy of an Ottoman emperor. While we loved hiding out behind the Citgo station, we were pleased to hear that owner Selahattin Cinar had moved his very reasonably priced menu and talented cooks to a much larger space in Blackrock (the old Helados Vazquez). With an upgraded interior worthy of the excellent fare, Selahattin can now focus on the customer experience...and a more gracious host you've never seen. Warm up your car for a quick departure to Bridgeport.
It's been 24 hours since I left Bereket, a tiny hole in the wall Turkish restaurant located behind a Citgo station on Bridgeport's Main Street. As I write this I wonder, is it too soon to go back?
Bereket has been dubbed by people in the know as Fairfield County's best kept secret, and I finally understand what all the fuss is about. Mind you, this place is not fussy. Hidden beside of the gas station's mini mart, Bereket's small dining space has only 3 tables and boxes of Turkish beverages and pantry staples lining the walls. But what this single room Turkish delight lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in the quality, freshness, and flavor of the food.
Owner Selahattin Cinar has been in business for 6 years, and chats with customers while holding court in the kitchen preparing a steady stream of take-out orders. He greeted us warmly as we walked in, and we were relieved to find that he spoke enough English to answer questions and help us navigate their extensive menu. When we asked what was good, we were led to a display case filled with cold mezes (appetizers) and kebabs awaiting the heat, and simply told,it's all good. And it was.
Twice a year, I schlep into New York for “Restaurant Week” to experience some of the city’s finest eateries for a fraction of regular prices, like my unforgettable, three-course feast at Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, voted a “Top 5 Newcomer by Zagat” at January’s NYC Restaurant Week.
When I learned that Restaurant Week is finally making its way up to Westport, home to over 35 eateries, I began lining up my dining partners—and you should, too.
The First Annual Westport-Weston Restaurant Week will take place from February 28-March 6, and we at CTbites plan to make the most of it. As of this printing, some 20 Westport restaurants, with a range of cuisines and price points, have signed on. The list represents a cross-section of local venues, both casual and high-end, from the down-and-dirty Black Duck and the down-home Bobby Q’s to the organic dynamo, The Dressing Room, to the perennially popular Tarantino’s and DaPietro’s, to newcomers including Manolo and Rizzuto’s.
“Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to try out a restaurant that may be out of your budget
