Filtering by Author: Lou Gorfain

The Best Gelato Shoppes & Store Brands in CT: A Roundup

Ingredients Specialty Market ice cream Best of CT Kid Friendly Dessert

Lou Gorfain September 13, 2013

In September, as fresh flavors fill in the garden, berry patch, and orchard, it seemed a perfect time to hunt for the best Gelato.

“Flavor is what Gelato is all about,” says Guy Chandonnet who buys Fairway’s frozen foods and deserts, “Unlike ice cream,” he told us, “low fat gelato doesn’t coat the taste buds with butterfat. So its full flavors can really burst through.

As we tasted our way though both store-bought and shop-scooped Gelato in Southern Connecticut, we were dazzled with the invention and intensity of flavors.

Because it's slow churned, Gelato is denser and silkier than ice cream, making it a superior platform for flavor. And since Gelato melts more quickly in the mouth, it delivers that flavor quickly and dramatically. That's why most gelato masters delight in imaginative, often unexpected flavor adventures, mixing sweet, savory, salty and tart, and incorporating fruits, vegetables, herbs, cheeses, and even meat flavors into their frozen creations. What’s in season often translates to what’s in Gelato.

Here are some of the spectacular flavors we recently tasted in Southern Connecticut’s supermarkets and gelato shoppes.

A Farm Grows in Stamford: Hubbard Heights Farm

Local Farm Stamford

Lou Gorfain August 13, 2013

Thanks in part to a gruff farmer who answers to the moniker "Uncle Buck," three acres of organic vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers are ripening smack dab in the middle of Stamford's big town hustle and bustle.

Rows upon rows of tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, potatoes, kale, eggplant, lettuce, herbs, pumpkins and squash now prosper on land that was once part of the city's most fashionable district, an estate area known as Hubbard Heights. Over a century ago, this is where the town's doctors built their stately manses to be near the new Stamford Hospital just down the block. Even today, historic Hubbard Heights remains one of the most elegant streets in town.

But let’s go Way Back to the Future, more than two and a half centuries ago. You would be standing in the middle of Hubbard Farms, a vast bucolic acreage farmed by the Hubbard family, newly arrived in Connecticut. Their fields stretch almost to the horizon; the abundant crops leafy, tall and green, free of herbicides, fungicides or growth hormones.

The Best Ice Cream Shoppes in CT: The Full Scoop

Restaurant ice cream Kid Friendly Dessert

Lou Gorfain July 18, 2013

In our recent roundup of supermarket ice cream, we found ourselves invoking adjectives like "Sinful," "Addictive," "Decadent.." etc. ... as if confessing to indulging in craven pleasures by the pint-full.

But then, who gives a lick? Especially when an Ice Cream Shoppe offers even greater temptations than any Stop and Shop. Simply put, the ice cream hand churned on site is usually fresher, creamier, denser, richer and, yes, far more seductive than its commercial cousins. In addition, these family owned shops serve a wider spectrum of original flavors, most sourced locally, than you’ll find on the freezer aisle.

Plus, is there any place in Connecticut more kid friendly than a scoop shop -- especially for the child inside you?

So, for you and your family’s summer pleasures, be they guilty or innocent, CTBites has chosen the best local ice cream emporia.

We bring you The Best Ice Cream Shoppes in CT.

Experts Share Their Secrets to Cooking a Perfect Steak at Home

Ingredients Chef Talk Steakhouse

Lou Gorfain July 03, 2013

That thick, sizzling steak you’re about to devour is amazing: Behold its marbled, mahogany crust framing a pink, juicy interior that slices like warm butter and literally melts in your mouth..

What makes this magnificent steak even more incredible is that you aren’t dining in a great, leathery New York chop house. You cooked this baby at home...

Think it’s impossible to duplicate a Peter Luger Porterhouse in your own kitchen? Read on.

After interviewing local butchers, chefs, and food scientists, we have uncovered some of the secrets, tricks and myths of cooking a perfect steak at home.

The Best Store Bought Ice Creams: A Summer Roundup

Lou Gorfain June 18, 2013

THE BEST STORE BOUGHT ICE CREAMS NOT “HAAGAN-DASZ” OR “BEN AND JERRY’S”

Here’s the scoop on ice cream. It's not sold by weight, but by size. A pint of cheap ice cream is fluffed up 50 percent with air and tastes less deep, creamy, and rich as an equal volume of a better brand, which is pumped with only enough air to make it smooth.

"That's why the first thing I do when picking an ice cream," explains Guy Chandonnet, the Frozen Foods buyer for Fairway Markets, "Is simply lift the container. If it's got heft, that's a good sign I'm going to like what's inside."

Supermarkets carry up to 4 different grades of ice cream: Super-premium, Premium, Standard, and Economy. Aeration increases as you move down the ladder, butterfat concentration intensifies as you climb up, as do weight, price, calories, and sheer flavor.

Until the Sixties, no groceries carried super-premium. It was only sold in specialty shops, home made and hand packed. But then an enterprising ice cream maven in the Bronx commercialized his family's recipe, labeled it Haagan-Dasz, a meaningless but marketable name, and created a heavy, high end ice cream for the mass market. It took off, inviting competitors, like two guys from Vermont who added mix-ins and called the confections "Ben and Jerry's." Even today these two brands still dominate the SP category.

But in recent years, smaller, more artisanal companies have won space on supermarket freezer shelves, by crafting ice creams made with the freshest of sustainable ingredients, sourced locally, designed to deliver inventive flavor fusions, and marketed as tasting as good as what's offered at a gourmet ice cream shop.

CTBites recently sampled some of the new super premiums available locally. We were both surprised and impressed with what we tasted.

The Best Warm Lobster Rolls on the Connecticut Coast

Restaurant Delicious Dives Seafood

Lou Gorfain June 02, 2013

Connecticut's signature food may not be New Haven Pizza or Steamed Hamburger. And it’s certainly not Nutmeg (indeed, not a single nutmeg seed has ever been planted, much less harvested, in the Nutmeg state. But that's a tale for another time).

Actually, Connecticut’s truly indigenous dish may be the Warm Lobster Roll, a state treasure. According to the new edition of John Mariana's authoritative Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, the Connecticut Lobster Roll was likely born in 1927 at Perry's Restaurant in Milford. A customer asked owner Harry Perry to serve his lobster meat off the shell, dressed in butter, and placed in a bun. No need for a cracker, picks, or bib. As the New Haven Register tells it, the new sandwich proved to be so popular that Perry soon mounted a large sign over his restaurant that read "Home of the Lobster Roll."

Today, order a lobster roll in most of New England and you'll probably be served something quite different: a bun filled with chilled lobster salad, the crustacean mixed with mayo, celery, and various condiments. But travel along the Connecticut shoreline and your sandwich will likely be similar to Perry's original: warm lobster meat drizzled in butter and piled high in a grilled bun, either long or round.

With summer starting, CTBites embarked on such a trip - up the state’s entire coastline in search of the best Connecticut Lobster Rolls.

Bistro 7 in Wilton: The Backstory

Restaurant Farm to Table Wilton

Lou Gorfain May 30, 2013

At times the story behind a restaurant can be as delicious as what’s on their menu. For instance, consider the improbable tale of how Wilton’s Bistro 7 came to be….

Breno Donatti began his restaurant career seven years ago as a dishwasher at Pizza Post in Greenwich. A young kid from Brazil, he had just come to America, spoke no English, and was without home, money, or many friends. Today, he is the popular co-owner and host of Bistro 7, a trendy restaurant in Wilton; his English is impeccable; and he lives in a lovely apartment in Stamford which he shares with his even lovelier wife, one of America’s most esteemed coloratura sopranos. (Her bio is just as amazing, but we’ll get to that shortly.)

After graduating high school, Breno had enrolled at a Nutrition College in South Brazil.. “Although my family was in the car business. I always had this passion for food,” he explains. “At school, I loved dealing with farmers and the business side of the industry. ”

Cotto Winebar & Pizzeria in Stamford: Menu & Kitchen Changes

Restaurant Italian Pasta Stamford Wine Bar

Lou Gorfain March 19, 2013

After a brief bout of Musical Toques, Claudio and Silvy Ridolfi -- owners of Cotto’s Winebar and Pizzeria in Stamford -- have convinced veteran Chef Greg Depelteau to come aboard and expand their imaginative menu of small plates and pizza.

Depelteau, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, is in total simpatico with the Ridolfis’ insistence that a dish, especially a small plate, should be driven by primary flavors. “These days a lot of chefs overdo things,” Greg contends and we agree. “Too many flavors confuse the diner.“

Cotto’s simple take on hanger steak, a cut prized for its flavor, makes the case. After marinating the muscular cut overnight in herbed EVOO, Depelteau quickly grills the meat on a blazing hot sheet pan to achieve a hard sear, while maintaining a surprisingly tender, rare interior. A

THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE: Gabriele's Italian Steakhouse, Greenwich.

Interview Restaurant Entertaining Greenwich Italian Steakhouse

Lou Gorfain March 08, 2013

Though CTBites traditionally reviews the food created by gifted chefs in the Back of the House, we thought a story about the talent at the Front might be in order. So who better to feature than Tony Capasso, the celebrated maître d of Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse in Greenwich and unquestionably the biggest personality on the Connecticut restaurant scene? Actually, Copasso may be more MC than Maitre ‘d.

"My mother tells me that when I was five, I was already meeting, greeting and introducing people to each other in my apartment house," he told us. "I've always been a people person. President of my high school. Captain of the football team, I like people, they like me, and that's what this job is all about."

Bistro Latino: Chef Rafael Palomino Comes to Old Greenwich

Restaurant Celebrity Chef Greenwich Spanish Latin American

Lou Gorfain January 20, 2013

Acclaimed chef, author and restaurateur Rafael Palomino recently opened Bistro Latino in the space first occupied by Boxing Cat Café and then Greenwich Tavern in Old Greenwich. The vast dining room has been done over in dark wood flooring which is flanked by racked walls that flaunt an extensive portfolio of international wines.

Palomino won his food-star stripes when he opened Sonora in Manhattan almost two decades ago, introducing Manhattan to Nuevo Latino cuisine, and earning raves from the city’s food critics. Sonora's wild success inspired Rafael to bring his unique cooking style to satellite restaurants in New Haven, Tuckahoe, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Sonora now lives in Port Chester.

Despite its name, Greenwich's Bistro Latino is not really Nuevo Latino since the dishes are more of Spain than Latin and South America. Rafael has created a menu that features European tapas and paella -- which he anoints with flavors from his Columbian and Queens roots. "Spanish bathed in Picante Style," is how the restaurant describes it. As a result, Bistro Latino is really more about invention than tradition.

Seasons Eats: Stamford's Hidden Gem in Plain Sight

Restaurant Deli Delicious Dives Diner Stamford Lunch Kid Friendly

Lou Gorfain December 09, 2012

What to call it?

By all outward appearances, Seasons Eats looks like your typical lunch takeout storefront. Looking through the window, you witness chaotic swarms of downtown types picking up a salad or sandwich to take back to their desks. But peer a little closer and discover a culinary gem that defies categorization.

"We're not a deli. We're not a sandwich shop," says Phil Costas, a New York Times Three Star chef, who with his wife Liz, runs the place. “Maybe we're a cafe. I don’t know. We keep evolving.”

That’s why the Costas have just changed the name from Katie’s Gourmet to Seasons Eats. What started as a gourmet specialty shop 16 years ago, an offshoot of their highly successful American restaurant Kathleen’s, has become a… I don’t know, maybe the best word for it is indeed “Eats.” In this tiny 1300 square foot storefront, Phil and his five elves serve nearly 1400 delightfully inventive breakfasts, lunches and dinners a week.

Quattro Pazzi: Molto Popular... In Stamford & Fairfield CT

Restaurant Fairfield Gluten-Free Italian Pasta Stamford Kid Friendly

Lou Gorfain November 11, 2012

"Good food. Good prices. People will come." That was the recipe for success my Russian Grandfather formulated when he opened his world-famous Indianapolis delicatessen a century ago.

Biagio “Gino” Riccio must have channeled Grandpa. His jam-packed Quattro Pazzi restaurants in Stamford and Fairfield are testimony to what happens when you serve delicious fare at fair prices. People flock … making QP one of the most popular Italian restaurants in Connecticut. (In fact, over 5000 CTBites readers voted Quattro Pazzi as the best Italian in Fairfield Country.)

Stamford's New Boom Town: A Peek @ Harbor Point's Food Future

Restaurant Stamford

Lou Gorfain August 28, 2012

First there was Fairway. The legendary grocery market firmly planted a Food Flag at Harbor Point, back when the former industrial peninsula was just a cluster of earth movers, gutted factories and towering cranes in Stamford's South End.

Today this 3.5 Billion dollar redevelopment project (maybe America's biggest) teems with residences, offices, retail, and yes, its first restaurants like the new Harlan Social that's just opened across from Fairway Market.

"My job over the next couple of years is to transform Harbor Point into a dining hotspot , Jon Sabrowski told CTBites. He's the leasing director of Building and Land Technology, developer of the 100 acre mixed use site. Sabrowski, a restaurant and real estate veteran, agreed to give CTBites an exclusive sneak peek at the Food Future of this amazing, newly minted city within a city.

Plan B Burger Opens in Stamford: Burgers, Bourbon & Beer

Restaurant Stamford Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Burgers

Lou Gorfain August 05, 2012

The B's in “Plan B Burger” are Burgers, Bourbon, and Beer. Add another for “Big”.

The huge Stamford branch of this high concept Connecticut restaurant franchise opened this week in the Town Center, and the spectacular interior of the vast 4500 square foot space immediately announces "This Ain't Five Guys." No peanut shells here. And a far more high end burger.

Reclaimed wood walls. Blown glass lights. High tin celings. Meat hook lamps. A wrap around bar, brimming with beer and booze. Plan B transports an old-fashioned American saloon into the 21st Century. Walk in and you know some two-fisted eatin' and drinkin' could happen here. All that's missing are sarsaparilla and swinging doors.

The eats and drinks.... by the B's.

Harlan Social Opens in Stamford's Harbor Point

Restaurant American Stamford

Lou Gorfain August 03, 2012

Steven Lewandowski knows something about breaking new ground. He worked at Montrachet, Drew Nieporant’s’s transformative French restaurant that ignited a dining renaissance in once grim Lower Manhattan.

"I think we can change the game here, too," Lewandowski told CTBites during a recent preview of his new Harlan Social at Harbor Point, the amazing redevelopment project now bourgeoning on Stamford's South Side.

"When we first checked the area, it was a bit desolate. Like Tribeca when my friend Drew came in there. But when I saw that Fairway was here, I just knew this would be a good home for us, too.

Fade Out. Fade In. One year later.

Harbor Point is booming and Lewandowski is about to find out if his multimillion dollar bet was on the money.. On August 7th, Harlan Social opens its doors, the first high end restaurant in HP. ("Harlan" is his son's first name, "Social" because the restaurant will be a gathering place for the thousands of people who will soon live, work, play ... and, yes, EAT ... in Harbor Point.)

Rodizio Grill in Stamford: Healthy Eats @ a Brazilian Steak House?

Restaurant Brazilian Stamford Lunch Kid Friendly

Lou Gorfain March 27, 2012

As the gauchos paraded by our table brandishing huge spears of juicy, caramelized proteins in a non-stop moveable feast, I had a question:

"Can you eat healthy in an all-you-can-eat Brazilian Steak House?"

It was a concern I imagined many a health or diet conscious CTBites reader might harbor, especially if a friend or significant other was suffering a severe steak jones and insisted on a visit to Stamford's new Rodizio Grill, an authentic Brazilian Churrascaria in the space formerly occupied by Houlihans.

Never a Dull Moment: How the Pros keep their Knives Sharp

Ingredients Chef Talk Education Kitchen Gear

Lou Gorfain March 15, 2012

For this article, CTBites spoke with many of Fairfield County’s top chefs, butchers, and professional knife sharpeners. These pros were very blunt about the knives used in most home kitchens: they are dull. Especial fancy “trophy-ware.”

“A cook with a dull knife,” suggests Fairway’s top butcher Ray Venezia, “is like a sharpshooter with a water pistol.”

Much like a gun slinger out of the Old West, this modern-day Paladin has Knives and Will Travel. He carries his complete cutting arsenal in a sleek case … but all that's inside are just two gleaming Victorinox Forshner rosewood knives -- a 6" boning blade and a 12" cemeter – a steel and whetstone.

Cactus Rose Cantina -- Santa Fe Meets Wilton

Restaurant Wilton Mexican Lunch Kid Friendly

Lou Gorfain January 22, 2012

“What’s a nice Greek girl like you doing running a place like this?” I ask Maria Pertesis, who with her mother Katrina, has just opened Cactus Rose, a vibrant new Southwestern themed cantina in Wilton. “My family has owned a Greek diner in Fairfield for almost 40 years,” she offers. “So my mother and I wanted to try something new and exciting.”

And that’s exactly what these amazing women have wrought. Under their husbandry, the former Mediterranean Grill in the Wilton Center has blossomed into a fun-filled, warm, and welcoming hacienda. Indeed, the restaurant came up almost overnight, as if itself a desert flower.

Hope Pizza in Stamford: Best Greek Pizza in Western CT?

Restaurant Delicious Dives Pizza Stamford Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly

Lou Gorfain December 18, 2011

"Gooey," that's what my late great mother craved in her pizza, and this woman loved food more than any person I've ever known. ("Don't talk to me," she would admonish. "I'm eating."}

Well, Mom would have devoured the pizza at Stamford's Hope Pizza, maybe the best of the thirty some Greek pizzerias hidden throughout Fairfield County. What makes Greek pizza gooey is what distinguishes it from the more heralded Connecticut Italian pizzas. Bearing no New Haven char, Colony heat, Batali chic, much less any passionate defenders or detractors in the food press or blogosphere, Greek Pizza flourishes under the radar, boasting few fancy frills, though, admittedly, more oil.

Volta: Fun Euro Fare on Stamford’s Spring Street

Restaurant Brunch Stamford ice cream Lunch Dessert

Lou Gorfain December 14, 2011

Spring Street, all of a block long, was once anchored by Bennet's Steak House and Andy Robustelli’s World Travel services. Both were venerable downtown institutions, but dowdy matrons against the vibrant young rialto of restaurants and bars around the corner on Bedford Street. In their place Spring Street this year welcomed Mary Schaffer's luxe Italian Bar Russo and Giovanni Gentile's sleek euro-style café, Volta.

Designed by Giovanni himself, Volta’s pop interior complements the hip crowd, who one recent night were dining on such kewl stuff as brie and bacon crepes, grilled vegetable tartines, duck confit salads, and creamy sweet potato vichyssoise. With an Amy Whitehouse track in the background, “My life a wreck you’re making,” a beguiling model delicately sampled a gelato stracciatella while her debonair date sipped Remy XO.