Filtering by Author: Lou Gorfain

MIKU Sushi Opens in Greenwich-World Class Seafood at the Top of the Ave

Restaurant Sushi Openings Greenwich Lunch Seafood Homepage Japanese

Lou Gorfain July 07, 2019

K Dong is beaming. Not because his newly minted MIKU Sushi Restaurant in Greenwich has just opened to strong word-of-mouth and packed houses. Nope, his delighted smile is the result of a diner’s one-word reaction to the Tuna Tartare:

“Ethereal.”

That diner is me and I am quite impressed… as well as surprised. In most restaurants, TT has become a boring culinary meme — over sauced, over spiced, and overworked. K Dong’s version is totally understated. Garnished with micro greens, the crimson slices crown a mound of vividly green avocado, which sits on a gossamer of Yuzu and a whisper of wasabi. Rather than overwhelming the delicate flesh, like so many tartares, the sauce and spice enhance the pristine flavor of the Bluefin. Yep, this dish is, indeed, “Ethereal.”

NEW & NOTABLE: Chef Duane Shand Takes Over At Cafe 47 @Perfect Provenance in Greenwich

Restaurant Greenwich Lunch American far Burgers Dessert Homepage

Lou Gorfain October 14, 2018

Cafe 47, an intimate dining space inside Perfect Provenance in Greenwich, reflects the luxury retail and exhibition space that surrounds it: tasteful, diverse, and capricious. The restaurant’s new chef, Duane Shand, fits right in to the unpredictability of the place.

He radiates a rainbow of ethnicities -- West Indian, African, and Asian—a callaloo kid from Trinidad who unexpectedly, delightfully, now presides over a chic restaurant in one of America’s most patrician enclaves.

Shand landed in Greenwich via a serpentine culinary route: from training at Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando to restaurants around the world, such as the Royal Mail Hotel in Australia, Asador Etxebarr in Spain and Bad Saint in DC. But what ultimately brought him to Greenwich was…

L'Escale Restaurant in Greenwich: Under The Radar and Better Than Ever

Restaurant Greenwich Seafood brunch Lunch American French Homepage

Lou Gorfain September 23, 2018

Connecticut claims its share of Celebrity Chefs. These culinary artists routinely win Food Network Competitions, earn James Beard commendations, and enjoy (or endure) their roles as restaurant Rock Stars.

Though less lionized, Chef Frederic Kieffer is every bit their equal. He created the exquisite l’Escale in Greenwich, followed by Artisan in Southport, then again in West Hartford. All are considered gems … and like Kieffer himself, understated.

“The Super Vegan”-- Two Boots Pizza from NYC brings its Unique Pies to Stamford

Restaurant Pizza Stamford Vegetarian Comfort Food Kid Friendly

Lou Gorfain November 17, 2016

As a card-carrying carnivore, I entered Two Boots with some misgivings. This quirky, new pizzeria in Stamford’s Harbor Point was celebrating World Vegan Month, prompting manager Roberta Petit to invite CTbites over for a tasting of The Super Vegan, a totally plant-based "pizzaextravaganza.” Nothing on the pie comes from a creature.

‘Za without juicy sausage? Or gooey cheese? C’mon, this is Connecticut.

"We’re talking salad on a crust," I mumbled to myself as I sat down with Roberta. My immediate resolution: to earn a positive review, the pizza would have to be "great" in its own right, not a pie that was good – as it were -- for a vegan pizza.

No handicaps. No excuses. Nothing less than a party in my mouth.

The National & Geoffrey Zakarian’s First Year in Greenwich + New Prix Fixe Lunch

Restaurant American Celebrity Chef Greenwich Lunch

Lou Gorfain October 27, 2016

With its new, 3 course prix fixe lunch, The National offers a commodity not always found along “The Ave” in Greenwich: a real bargain.

CTBites was recently invited to sample the new lunch menu, and we’ll fill you in on that delicious deal in a moment. But first, we wondered how the restaurant has evolved since it opened a year ago. So we asked owner and celebrity chef, Geoffrey Zakarian.

"We are never on auto pilot," the restaurateur told us. "And we always listen to the needs and wants of the customers. One change that people are loving is that we put French Fries on the menu. We started with homemade chips, but the fries are a huge hit. Sometimes, it is just those small things that people embrace."

The Corner Restaurant in Milford: A Delicious Breakfast Adventure

Restaurant American Delicious Dives Milford Breakfast Lunch Latin American

Lou Gorfain October 16, 2016

Photo courtesy of CTWeekender.comAs the name implies, The Corner began as a small mom and pop breakfast place -- just around the corner in Milford. Back then, nineteen years ago to be exact, Michelle and Amer Lebel mostly catered to the neighborhood, rarely filling their homey 50 seat café.

The eggs, potatoes and toast were damn good. But the star of the show arrived with the Stuffed French Toast: split French bread, filled with fresh, sugared fruit and berries, bathed in an egg batter laced with orange zest, nutmeg and cinnamon, then deep fried to a golden brown and served under a puddle of nutty maple syrup. The luscious confection scored an immediate hit, eventually inspiring a morning menu as adventuresome, imaginative, and playful as any in Connecticut, if not the country.

Today, Michelle and Amer’s creative breakfasts have been featured on network television and celebrated in all manner of social media.

First Taste: El Segundo Opens in Sono Starring The Spread's Carlos Baez

Restaurant American Cocktails Norwalk SONO Venezuelan Mexican Indian Latin American

Lou Gorfain September 02, 2016

Recently the CTbites team previewed the menu at El Segundo in South Norwalk, the newest restaurant from the talented partners who created The Spread just up the block. The concept: Eat the Street. Intersect some of the world’s tastiest street food at the corner of Washington and North Water in SONO.

What began as a tasting quickly turned into a party ... a coming out party for Carlos Baez, Executive Chef of The Spread, one of the region’s most versatile, yet unheralded, chefs.

The menu flaunts Baez’ extraordinary range -- a gastronomic tour de force featuring over 3 dozen dishes curated from the boulevards and back allies of 27 countries on all seven continents, including barren Antarctica. (More about that selection later)

A Taste of Boothbay Lobster Company In Stamford's Harbor Point

Restaurant Lobster Seafood Stamford Lunch

Lou Gorfain August 09, 2016

As we first reported last year, Boothbay Lobster Company wanted to bring the “wicked fresh" Maine seafood shack experience down the coast to Harbor Point in Stamford. Fade out. Fade in. The evocative new restaurant has just opened. At a recent tasting for the media, CTBites had a chance to discover what has been gained and lost in translation.

For starters, we were curious about the Down East take on Connecticut’s indigenous warm, buttered lobster roll. Before crafting their version, co-owners David Galin and Willie Craig examined and tasted our local renditions. They sampled bread, garnishes, butter portions, even weighed the meat in every roll. At Fairway Market, Galin unexpectedly found a commercial potato bun (Martin’s) that enjoyed great taste and structure. However, it was side loaded, not top cut, like most Connecticut lobster rolls. “I know it’s not totally traditional,” Galin explained, “but a potato roll seemed perfect. In Maine, we love our spuds.”

Bill Taibe To Open New Restaurant in Downtown Westport: Tavern Fare in Old Spruce Spot

Restaurant Bill Taibe Openings Westport

Lou Gorfain July 31, 2016

Bill Taibe is passionate about Westport. Its vibe. Its verve. And its role as a culinary capital. Few would dispute that he is partially responsible for that vibrancy. Opening the landmark Le Farm in 2009, Chef Taibe rocked and rolled the town’s culture with a menu that was as loud, lush and as unpredictable as his playlist.

The Whelk followed in 2012 -- featuring creative spins on local mollusks and other creatures of the deep. Three years later, he imported Japanese gastropub cuisine to Saugatuck with the stylish Kawa Ni, a twist on Far Eastern dining and drinking.

This trio of radically different hot spots inspired other new Westport restaurants, bakeries, butcheries, fisheries, and specialty shops, as well as a re-invented Farmers Market. The city became a magical destination for dining and shopping.

Then last year, Taibe shocked the local food community with the impromptu, seemingly impulsive, and very enigmatic announcement that he was closing his celebrated Le Farm. “It was time,” he told us. No other reasons were offered. Nary a notion of what was next. Bill wasn't being coy. He simply didn't know.

Bill now knows much more. And he’s ready to share some of his ideas with CTBites’ readers.

Best Warm Lobster Rolls in Connecticut: 2016 Updated Edition

Restaurant Lobster Seafood Best of CT

Lou Gorfain July 24, 2016

Enough of the Lobster Salad roll vs. Warm Lobster roll debate. After all, when dining on whole steamed lobster, only a land lubber would first chill the meat, lather it in mayo, and sprinkle on some celery. Whole lobster is best devoured warm and buttery. Just like a Connecticut Lobster Roll. Our state lays claim to the warm lobster roll because it was first created at a Milford café named Perry’s sometime in the twenties. Elsewhere in New England, warm lobster rolls are rarely served.

Since 2014 CTbites has celebrated summer with a survey of Connecticut Lobster Rolls available along the shoreline. We stand by our past evaluations since those versions of rolls remain relatively consistent from year to year. After all, the three simple ingredients of a warm lobster roll -- bread, butter, and meat – never change. Such variables as doneness, toppings, and cuts are not an issue.

So for 2016, at the suggestion of readers, chefs, and staff, we add a dozen new restaurants, trucks, and drive-ins to the 2015 portfolio. This list represents the NEW additions.

And CTbites even ventured mid-state, far from the shore, for one of the best lobster rolls in Connecticut. Which is where we begin …

Sneak Peek at Boothbay Lobster Company in Stamford, Something Wicked Fresh This Way Comes

Restaurant Lobster Seafood Stamford Lunch

Lou Gorfain July 20, 2016

Every start-up dream begins with two words: what if?

Once upon a time, David Galin and his buddy George Craig fantasized opening their own unique restaurant. But they were young and fate was very fickle. So each forged a highly successful non-culinary career -- in academics (David) and finance (George). A generation later, the two pals found themselves fishing up in Maine; and on a sudden whim, once-upon-a-time magically became now.

What if they brought the seaside Maine Lobster Shack experience -- and all its Wharf to Table freshness -- to Fairfield County?

Voila: The Boothbay Lobster Company, a unique concept restaurant at Harbor Point in Stamford, which opens for real next week. Galin and Willie Craig (George’s son, a partner in Boothbay, and himself fresh out of college) offered CTBites an exclusive sneak peek at a dream come true.

“’Wicked Fresh’ is our pledge,” Willie told us. Pulled fresh from clean, cold Maine waters, the seafood will be rushed by BLC’s refrigerated vehicle down the coast to Stamford. “We don’t believe in tanking our lobster,” David added, explaining that holding crustaceans in tanks causes the meat to deteriorate, affecting its fresh texture and taste. “This is why we source from day boats rather than commercial vessels,” he said. That way he can guarantee that his lobsters haven’t been stressed for a time in the ship’s hold.

Mezón Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Danbury – From the Heart, From the Home

Restaurant Caribbean Danbury Tapas Latin American

Lou Gorfain July 17, 2016

Even though it’s one of the largest cities in Connecticut, Danbury was once regarded as a restaurant wasteland. The downtown eateries catered to a family demographic who sought a reasonably priced menu that took few culinary chances. Very mid-century. However, in the past few years, a vibrant international food scene has burgeoned on the city’s west side. The cuisines are sophisticated, diverse, and creative, reflective of 21^st Century dining.

Many credit Richard Reyes’s Mezón Tapas Bar and Restaurant with transforming Mill Plain Road into destination dining. The year was 2011. Reyes was then a former Wall Street Executive who decided to come home to Connecticut and open a restaurant where people could dine on food prepared in the Latin tradition of his family. From the heart. From the home. Richard was all of 25 … and Mezón posed far more of a risk than even the stock market. At the time, Mill Plain Road was dotted with a string of mostly red-sauce Italian/American restaurants. “Sure, we were taking a chance,” he recently told us, “But we helped break the mold.”

Rich invited CTbites to sample some of the Latin and Caribbean fare that has attracted Mezón’s diverse and discerning clientele from across the region. Though the Paella and the Churrasco are the most popular dishes on the menu, Reyes had other ideas for our feast.

CHRISMUKKAH IN JULY -- FORTINA-STYLE

Lou Gorfain July 11, 2016

The Dog Days of Summer. Time to dream of sugar plums, dine on turkey and knishes, sip a hot toddy or two and maybe steal a kiss under the mistletoe. And it all happens at a one-of-a-kind summer party called “Chrismukkah in July,” a Merry Mish Mash that will make the real December holidays happier for a special group of local teens.

The zany fundraiser, replete with crazy delicious eats and whimsical winter drinks, takes place July 20^that Fortina Stamford. (For entry to a bash that only the Fortina boys could concoct, click the ticket link at the end of this article.)

The party is being thrown by the Junior Board of Domus, a non-profit organization that serves struggling youth in the region. At their charter schools in Stamford and New Haven, Domus creates programs that allow vulnerable kids to forge a pathway to health, opportunity, and satisfying lives.

This year, Domus seniors achieved a 100% high school graduation rate. (Click http://domuskids.org/ to learn more of their amazing success stories.)

Domus has always enjoyed a productive partnership with the food community. In the past, their Trafigura Work and Learn program has sold garden and greenhouse produce at local farmers markets and to restaurants like The Whelk in Westport and Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford as well as David’s Catering.

Guide To The Best Dive Bars In Southwest Connecticut c. 2016

Restaurant Delicious Dives Bar

Lou Gorfain July 03, 2016

Dive Bars aren’t necessarily dives.

Take Casey’s Tavern in Stamford. Secluded on a dead end side street just off downtown, its windows are veiled, its entrance shadowy. What’s behind the curtains?

Well, step inside and be amazed. The crowd is convivial, the decor beguiling, and the joint jumping. A song blasts on the juke, but it’s buried under the laughter and yak. Behind a highly polished hardwood bar, mirrors and bottles glisten. Out the back door, a sun-splashed patio beckons. And on each table – there’s an extensive menu to ponder.

So is Casey’s a dive?

“No, no,” Seamus Costigan tells us. ”We don’t attract trouble.” He should know. Costigan is not only the guy behind the stick, but the affable owner of this Irish pub. It is said once Seamus meets you, he never forgets your name or your drink.

These days the term “Dive Bar” doesn’t imply bikers, broken bottles and bloody bathrooms. Rather, a true Dive serves as a neighborhood gathering place, where regulars can dive in*, grab a quick (or long) one at an affordable price, shoot pool or darts, argue sports and politics, or just b,s. about life and love. No one comes in to be lonely … or leaves broke.

When you belly up to the bar, there’s no need to order. The ‘keep is already pouring.

Seamus nods and grins. “I guess we’re a dive bar, then. I know exactly what time my regulars come in, their drink, and what they eat.”

In a modern Dive, the food is as much a draw as the liquor and the laughter. So forget about microwaved burgers and dogs, stale chips, or soggy Slices. The new breed Dive caters to customers who aren’t just thirsty, but hungry for a tasty meal without breaking the bank.

Gourmet dining? At times. Complexity, not really. But solid eats, definitely. In fact, some dishes are farm fresh and healthy.

Herewith, we curate the best eats we found at some selected SW Connecticut Dives …

Judy's Bar + Kitchen Opens in Stamford with Low Country BBQ

Restaurant BBQ Stamford Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly

Lou Gorfain May 18, 2016

Judith Roll, creator of the popular Tabouli Mediterranean Grill in Stamford, felt that the dining neighborhood north of Bullshead was underserved. “The area needed something a little hip,” she told CTBites recently. “So I thought, take a chance, and try Barbecue.”

As if by wizardry, wisps of sweet hickory smoke were soon wafting over High Ridge Road, not far from the Merritt, as Judy’s Bar + Kitchen opened its doors to a diverse (and hungry) local crowd.

Even though she bills her dinner dishes as “Low Country,” Judith made no pilgrimage to Memphis and Carolina to study the nuances of time, temperature, cuts and woods. Rather she stayed in the neighborhood and developed her menu out of a culinary sensibility honed at CIA and the kitchens of gifted chefs like Wolfgang Puck.

“Simple and fresh are my style,” she says. “Good meat, cooked low and slow, what more do you need to know?”

Sexy Cocktails Debut @ NoMa Social Lounge in New Rochelle

Restaurant Cocktails New Rochelle Bar

Lou Gorfain November 20, 2015

For decades, the locally owned Radisson in New Rochelle has been a beloved pillar of the lower Westchester community. But sadly, the matriarch was getting a bit long in the tooth. So the family transformed her vibe from venerable to vogue, a Manhattan style Boutique Hotel.

As one of the designers of that refurb, Colby Brock, the Food and Beverage manager, named the new restaurant and lounge NoMa Social (NoMa stands for “North of Manhattan” and bears no alliance with the renowned Noma in Copenhagen). Colby brought in highly regarded Executive Chef Bill Rosenberg, (f.i.sh., Barcelona) to upgrade the kitchen, and she recently hired 32 year old Mike DeFalco as the Bar and Nightlife Manager. A major mission: inject some hip to a ho-hum bar menu.

NoMa’s splashy lounge – replete with zebra stripes and a funky, deep house/electro trance playlist -- has become a hot spot for a young, party and pick-up crowd. To add to the jump, DeFalco has set about creating a cavalcade of sexy craft cocktails.

Cooking Behind The Bar: New Culinary Cocktails Welcome Winter @ Harlan Social in Stamford

Lou Gorfain October 27, 2015

“Lately, when I come in to the bar,” Chris Messina admits, “I put on an apron.” That’s because Harlan Social’s General Manager and Sommelier has been playing with all manner of culinary ingredients to raise the bar on his winter cocktail menu.

Whether Messina is rendering a slab of bacon for a bourbon infusion …. or reducing a cider that imbues the room with the crisp aroma of Mom's Apple Pie … he brings the artisanal crafts he mastered in the kitchens of Jean George and Tribeca Grill to the bar at Harlan Social in Harbor Point.

Consider, for example, his "Beets by Harlan," a crimson confection of rum, bourbon, ginger beer and – wait for it-- beet juice. So what’s a workaday winter root veggie doing in a sexy nightime cocktail?

Breaking News: Fortina in Stamford Opening This Week

Restaurant Italian Openings Pizza Stamford Lunch

Lou Gorfain October 20, 2015

Grazie a Dio. The long wait (and drive to Westchester) is over. Fortina is ready to rock in Stamford’s Harbor Point. Luigi Bianco Pizza, welcome to Connecticut!

Expecting to begin serving any day (as soon as they get their Certificate of Occupancy), partners John Nealon, Christian Petroni, and Rob Krauss invited CTBites to stop by for a sneak peek before the official opening.

Actually that debut won’t be so formal. Nothing soft. No Friends and Family. Not even a ribbon cutting. Just a sigh of relief. “When we open the doors, we’re open,” Nealon told us.

That’s because everything is set, the menu (almost identical to Armonk), the staff (many from Rye Brook and Armonk), the kitchen (the same wood fired ovens from Naples and charcoal grill from Spain) the playlist (specialized for Stamford’s millennials and empty nesters), and yes, hundreds of those familiar San Marzano cans just waiting to boost their pizza trays with a luscious Luigi Bianco. The whimsy is waiting.

Mill Street Bar & Table Opens in Greenwich: Celebrating The American Bounty

Restaurant Byram Farm to Table Greenwich Local Farm

Lou Gorfain October 11, 2015

The dream began in a sandbox…..where five year old Geoff Lazlo planted his first garden.

Since then, he has tended, harvested, and cooked with the likes of Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, Michael Anthony at Gramercy Tavern, Dan Barber at Stone Barns, and Bill Taibe at The Whelk.

“What a pedigree!” we said to Lazlo, now the Managing Partner and Executive Chef of the newly opened Mill Street Table and Bar in Greenwich. “Your takeaway?”

"That a seasonal cook has to react like a top athlete," he told us. “Fresh ingredients are in constant motion. Early asparagus is very different than late asparagus, so you're always adjusting to a fast, ever changing game."

Geoff's garden isn't Madison Square, but his own herb and vegetable plots at Greenwich Community Gardens, and, of course, Back 40 Farm. That’s the family acreage in Washington Depot run by his partners at Mill Street, Bill and Leslie King, who head up the organic-centric Back 40 Group.

What Lazlo doesn't pick from there, he sources locally: whether it be oysters farmed off the Greenwich shore, milk, cream and butter churned at Arethusa Dairy Farm in Litchfield, even Byram River Rum, distilled down the road in Post Chester. Mill Street represents the fulfilment of Geoff’s dream to establish his own place, an “American Restaurant,” celebrating family, community and local bounty.

Back 40 Kitchen in Greenwich: Honey I Shrank The Squash - A Back 40 Farm To Table Fable

Lou Gorfain October 04, 2015

"Farm to Table," suggests Chef Dan Barber, “is a much abused descriptor."

You bet. Some restaurants invoke the phrase as more a loose slogan than a strict practice.

Not so with Back 40 Kitchen in Greenwich. Its passionate owners, Lesley and Bill King, grow sustainable food for the restaurant (and a burgeoning food empire) on their own family farm near Washington Depot, Connecticut.

Dan Barber would have no beef with their F2T claim. In fact, the organically managed restaurant and farm enjoy strong ties with Stone Barns Food and Educational center in the Hudson Valley, home to Barber’s acclaimed Blue Hills restaurant. Bill sits on the Center’s board and many of the Kings’ farmworkers interned there.

“The collaboration between Stone Barns and Blue Hill,” King told us, “represents a best in class partnership between farmers and restaurants.”

To understand the deeper meaning of Farm to Table, we decided to follow the story of how a seed at the Back 40 Farm became a serving at the Back 40 Kitchen.