CTbites is very pleased to announce the expansion of its food community to Miami with the launch of MIAbites.com. The new site will be under the direction of managing director and editor, Ellen Bowen, who as a partner in CTbites launched the successful CTbites Invites program, offering “curated culinary experiences” exclusively to CTbites readers and subscribers.
MIAbites will follow the CTbites lead and share the best culinary experiences through restaurant profiles, chef Q & A’s, and unique culinary events paired with topnotch writing and photography.
“MIAbites will offer a local community voice to the fast growing Miami food scene,” said Ms. Bowen. “We hope to provide interesting chef profiles, reviews, news, and interviews with respect for the industry and with a balanced point of view and look forward to building it into the go-to resource for all things food in Miami,” she added.
Already love the Westport Farmers' Market? Here's another reason to feel good about shopping local. Market Director, Lori Cochran has announced an outstanding "Guest Chef" Lineup for 2014. Mark your calendars people as the guest chefs will conduct classes and demos from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. every Thursday. I don't know about you, but some of my favorite chefs in Fairfield County are on this list. Don't miss your chance to meet and greet the people who make your mouth water.
The Westport Farmers Market will be held every Thursday from 10-2 at the Imperial Avenue Parking Lot.
Read on for the complete Guest Chef Program Schedule:
We just had a moment with a new food truck that has rolled into Fairfield County, Bounty Food Truck featuring "Gourmet Burgers & More." With two CIA trained chefs manning the grill, this "farm to mobile" kitchen has some serious legs...and some really tasty burgers. We sampled the "Bordelaise Burger" with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, malbec butter and arugula. We asked for pink in the middle, and perfectly pink it was served. The burger was thick and juicy, caramelized onions deeply flavorful, with gruyere blanketing the beef, all softy nestled under a perfect brioche bun. We'd go back.
Other selections today were a "Simple Burger" with lettuce, farm tomato and onion, as well as the " Bounty" with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and "Bounty Spread." Intriguing...
All of their ground beef is 100% grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free and straight from Saugatuck Craft Butchery in Westport. Their produce and eggs are sourced from Holbrook Farm in Bethel as well as Gilbertie's Farm in Easton. The gorgeous brioche bun is made by Wave Hill Breads in Norwalk, CT.
Chef Christian Petroni of Fortina in Armonk took The James Beard House by storm this past Monday night with a menu titled "Exuberant Italian." Few restaurants understand hospitality like Fortina owners, Petroni, Nealon & Krauss and The Beard House event was no exception. They simply brought the "family" to NYC.
Petroni was joined in the kitchen by his own Jodi Bernhard alongside heavy hitters: Bill Taibe- The Whelk/le farm; Merlin Verrier- Primary by Graham Elliot; Dave DiBari- The Cookery/The Parlor; Chris Vergara- Harpers/Meritage/St. George; Rui Correia- Douro; as well as Her Lindstrom & Melissa Iscaro- Cooked & Co. Impressive? Heck yeah.
The full menu is below. Read it with your favorite drool cup.
WIN a FREE Dinner for two @ Match Restaurant in SoNo. Here's how...
It's time for another cocktail throw down! Match has decided to trust the fate of their new summer specialty cocktail to the naming skills of our CTbites readers. If your cocktail name is selected, you will win a FREE DINNER FOR TWO at Match Restaurant (cocktails included) + bragging rights.
Here are the ingredients for the cocktail in need of a name:
1.25oz Don Julio Anejo
1.5oz Cocchi Americano
1oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
.75oz Fresh Lime Juice
.5oz Honey Syrup
Grapefruit Zest
Post your submission below (include email). We welcome input from readers. If you see a name you like...chime in!
We hate to shamelessly promote ourselves, but we would be remiss if we failed to mention our upcoming book signing at Westport Barnes & Noble on May 17th.
Come meet CTbites Founders, Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster @ Barnes & Noble in Westport on Saturday, May 17th @ 1PM.
If you haven't heard the news, check out ourpost on our recently published book featuring over 50 of the best restaurants and chefs in Fairfield County.
BONUS: Chef Jon Vaast from Sugar & Olives will be with us serving up their recipe from the book.
Chef Jeffrey Taibe is having a little culinary fun before he starts his job at his brotherBill Taibe's new Asian joint in Westport this summer. On May 13th, Jeff will be taking his chef tools on the road to host a 4 course restaurant takeover at Ecco rooftop eatery and bar (above La Zingara) in Bethel.
When asked about Ecco, Chef Jeff explained, "Ecco is one of my favorite places around. I'd like to introduce the people of lower Fairfield County to a great beer bar serving really solid food. Plus they have a wood burning oven I will be using in my menu."
On that topic, Jeff says "I will finalize the menu a day or two beforehand once I see what's fresh at Holbrook." He did mention that he will be preparing a wide variety of dishes and the courses will be broken into: Sea, Garden, Land and Dessert. There will be lots of local products: vegetables from Holbrook; shellfish from Norm Bloom & Son and Taibe will be reaching out local farmers for livestock.
For most of us, the biggest decision we face when we’re hungry or need groceries is where to shop. But for many of the 390,000 people in Connecticut who do not have enough food to eat, their decisions involve whether to buy groceries or pay the rent. For others, soup kitchens and shelters provide the only meals they will eat.
You can help raise funds for anti-hunger efforts in Connecticut by participating in Connecticut Food Bank’s 2014 Walk Against Hunger. JOIN THE CTBITES TEAM .
Walks will take place on April 27th in Bridgeport, May 4th in New Haven, May 18th in both Norwich and Waterbury (new location!).
Each spring, the Connecticut Food Bank sponsors a Walk Against Hunger to raise money and consciousness about hunger in our state.
There's a new chef in the kitchen at Sugar & Olives in Norwalk. You may recognize the name from his years cooking over at Dressing Room in Westport. It's Chef Jon Vaast, and Jennifer Balin, owner of Sugar & Olives, explains her new hire as "An Organic collaboration between two like minded people." Johnny and Balin have been strong advocates for the local and sustainable food movement, and simply put, want to create a menu with delicious food sourced from within an arms reach of the shop. Every ingredient at Sugar & Olives is seasonal, and comes from a farm near the restaurant. Balin says "whenever possible, she selects ingredients that are also Organic."
With Chef Vaast at the helm, Sugar & Olives is excited to announce that in addition to their daily weekday service, and one of the best brunches in Fairfield County,they have begun dinner service Thursday through Saturday.
If there is any cuisine that is not represented well in Fairfield County, it is Asian, but all of that is about to change. Bill Taibe, Owner of The Whelk and Le Farm, has informed CTbites that he has signed a lease on the old Bistro 88 space in Bridge Square, Saugatuck, and will be opening his 3rd venue by the beginning of summer. What now you ask? Think Asian.
This new venue will take its culinary and design inspiration from the traditional Izakaya Japanese pubs, which offer a casual dining experience, lots of small tapas-sized snacks, and great drinks. "I've wanted to do Asian since I was at Relish," says Taibe. When asked why Asian, Taibe stated, "In all honesty, it's the food that I gravitate towards most often...and we are always looking to challenge ourselves." "Imagine The Whelk...but Asian."The new venue will be a mix of Japanese and Chinese. "It's our own interpretation of Asian cuisine, but will draw from those regions."
To all our readers who have enjoyed CTbites this past year, pleaseVOTE FOR CTBITES to win BEST LOCAL BLOGGER in the annual Best of Fairfield County Readers Poll. Every vote makes a difference. VOTE HERE.
Here's how to vote: Quickly register and then select the MEDIA & EDUCATION category. You will find CTbites under "Local Blogger" &"Local Twitterer."
The Little Pubyou know from Ridgefield and Wilton is opening its third location down south in Cos Cob, and CTbites received a sneak peek at the interior and plans for this new venture, now under construction. When Little Pub opened its doors in Ridgefield back in 2009 with its cozy feel of an alpine lodge meeting an English pub, it rapidly became the go-to spot for casual family friendly pub fare with a beer list that rivaled any bar around.. Fireplaces and rough wood beams graced the white plastered walls, and in a town filled with higher end chef-driven restaurants, Little Pub sets itself apart with a simple, well executed comfort food menu that appeals to both kids and adults.
When CTbites asked Owner, Doug Grabe, and Operations Manager, Lars Anderson why Cos Cob, , both said “the people asked for it.” Turns out, restaurant owners do read those Comment Cards, and the cards at Little Pub said “we need you in Greenwich,” specifically Cos Cob whose demographics skew heavily towards families.
Mark your calendars. On Wednesday, March 20th, the first day of spring, tickets will go on sale for the 2014 season of Outstanding In The Field.
On September 4th Bill Taibe of The Whelk & le Farm and on September 5th Chef Wirt Cook of the Redding Roadhouse will be hosting dinners @ The Hickories Farm in Ridgefield.
"Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure– literally a restaurant without walls." Their mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it. The other meaning of Outstanding in the Field is outstanding as in the best.
Last year’s first-time event at The Hickories was so wonderful we decided to do two this year. Host farmer Dina Brewster left a big-city teaching/poetry career to become a farmer. Chef Bill Taibe and crew were a pleasure to work with and we’re thrilled to be doing it again -- and again. Plus, this year, there will be a second date with Chef Wirt Cook of the Redding Roadhouse. --Outstanding in the Field
Thursday September 4, 2014 The Hickories, Ridgefield, CT PRICE: $235.00 HOST FARMER: Dina Brewster, The Hickories GUEST CHEF: Bill Taibe, LeFarm & The Whelk, Westport TIME: 3 pm
Get ready to road trip. On May 19th, Chef Christian Petroni and his talented team from Fortina Restaurant in Armonk NY will be hitting up NYC. The prestigious James Beard House in New York City will play host for the evening, featuring a 6 course dinner with paired wines, beers, spirits...who knows? You won't want to miss this.
Plus, we are hearing rumours of a few other exciting guest chefs joining Chef Petroni to lend a helping hand in the kitchen. More on that later.
When attending a dinner at The James Beard House, guests are first invited to walk through the Beard House kitchen to meet the night’s chef and observe the event team at work. They then enjoy a canapé reception, which takes place throughout the ground floor and in our garden (weather permitting). Diners then climb to the second-floor dining room, where they enjoy a five- to six-course tasting menu with wine pairings. The evening concludes with a question-and-answer session with the chef in the dining room.
Tickets will go on sale shortly. We will keep you posted. The price is $130 for James Beard members and $170 per person for non-Beard members. Please contact the James Beard House for reservations. 212-627-2308.
It is with a heavy heart that we report the Dressing Room in Westport has closed its doors. While we work on the full story, here are the words of Michel Nischan via their web site. Paul Newman and Michel Nischan were pioneers in the farm to table movement. Michel will continue his great work at Wholesome Wave, and we hope to see Chef Jon Vaast very soon.
"After eight great years and hundreds of thousands of delicious, local and sustainable farm-direct meals, Dressing Room Restaurant has closed. Founded by internationally renowned chef Michel Nischan and the late actor Paul Newman in 2006, the restaurant was Fairfield County’s first farm-to-table restaurant.
We thank our customers who shared our passion and genuine interest in supporting regional growers and responsible farming methods. As a result of their loyal support, and the resulting successful 8-year run of the restaurant, there are now nearly a dozen farm-to-table restaurants gracing discerning Fairfield County palates while supporting Connecticut agriculture.
Dressing Room Restaurant received numerous awards and accolades in the local and national food press, including one of Condé Nast Traveler’s “Top 95 New Restaurants in the World” (2006) and recognition for “The Best Burger in America” by Steve Raichlen, USA Today (2010). This is a testimony to meals made with the best locally grown, artisanal and organic foods. Yet, it reflects only one of Michel Nischan’s many talents.
We love it when local restaurants step up to support a great local cause. Baró Restaurant in Fairfield is doing just that on February 19th, 2014 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Baró has partnered with Community Plates to donate 50% of ticket sales at their Grand Opening Fund Raising Event to end hunger in the U.S.
What can you expect at this event? Tons of tapas, tacos and more, signature cocktails from the master mixologists at Baró as well as a silent auction. Plus...Baró + Community Plates = a really fun night. Tickets are $40. We hope to see you there.
Scott Beck (Match, The Chelsea) and his partner Kevin McHugh (Spotted Horse, The Chelsea), alongside Chef Jeff Spence (The Chelsea) have announced that their new project, Little Barn at 1050 Post Road in Westport, will open this Thursday, December 5th. They will be open for lunch and dinner, and will accept reservations for lunch only.
Scott Beck was quoted in a recent pre-opening interview as saying,“We’re building a barn, and putting a pub inside," and so they did.
The building, inside and out, features lots of reclaimed red barn siding, 2 spectacular reclaimed roof vents, and a 2 sided stone fireplace in the main dining space. It will cozy up the inside and also warm up the outside when eating or drinking on the outside stone patio. In the summer the bar and dining room have sliding doors that open onto the patio as well which will give it a nice open air feel.
