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Food Network’s ‘Chopped’ Is Calling Out Connecticut Chefs, Butchers, Bakers and Adult Beverage Makers

Features

Stephanie Webster April 15, 2017

If you’re a Connecticut chef, butcher, teacher, baker, student, mixologist, grill master, grandparent, etc., the TV Show Chopped on the Food Network is looking for you. Their casting website says they’re:

Seeking dynamic, outgoing, experienced chefs, Men and Women, any ethnicity and cooking specialty are encouraged to apply.

Even if you’re not a pro, head to the Specials page on the site, and find out about the shows they’re cookin’ up with everyday people, featuring contestants from all walks of life.

Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of April 17- 23

Features News Events Homepage

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 14, 2017

Mohegan Sun’s Sun WhiskeyFest takes place on Friday April 21 at 8pm. General admission tickets are $85 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

April is National Grilled Cheese Month and Fairfield Greenwich Cheese Company will hold a “Grilled Cheese: Beyond Kraft Singles” class this week. It will take place at the Fairfield location on Tuesday April 18 and the Greenwich location on Thursday April 20.

Millwrights hosts a Stone Brewing and Maine Beer Company collaboration dinner on Tuesday April 18 at 7pm. The evening will feature Main Lunch, Main Peeper, Stone Tangerine Express, and Stone Xocoveza Charred with paired dishes. It costs $65 per person.

Where Do Local Chefs Eat Out: Christian Petroni of Fortina Pizza

Features Chef Talk Chef

Jessica Ryan April 11, 2017

I've always wondered where the chefs from our favorite local restaurants eat when they finally get some time away from their busy schedules. Do they prefer to go home and relax? Or do they like to go out? If the latter, what are some of their favorite places, locally and beyond? This column will be on ongoing feature. Past chefs featured have been: Chris Gonzalez of Hapa Food Truck, Cody Brown of Hoodoo BBQ & Matt Storch of Match & Nom Eez. This week, we speak with Christian Petroni of Fortina Pizza.

Aperol Flip Recipe via Olives and Oil in New Haven

Features Recipe Cocktails Recipe Recipe Video New Haven Bar

Katharine Ortiz April 06, 2017

What is “electric Italian?” It is defined by well executed small plates, wood fired pizzas, and perfectly rendered cocktails, all to be found at Olives and Oil in New Haven. The menu is overseen and curated daily by Executive Chef and recent ’40 under 40’ winner John Brennan, who cooks traditional Italian cuisine in a funky retro location. Superb visuals, food, and of course cocktails await you. Olives and Oil was gracious enough to invite me in to sample a few of their cocktails recently.

We enjoyed a perfect Aperol Flip (recipe and tutorial below) as well as a classic Negroni Sbagliato - with a house pressed ice cube for JUST that finishing touch. Bartenders don’t ALWAYS give up their cocktails secrets, so enjoy making this at home or try it the next time you’re in New Haven.

Easter Cooking: Wild Alaskan Halibut A La Cataplana Recipe c/o Chef Renato Donzelli of Basso Cafe

Recipe Features Recipe Seafood Chef Talk Holiday healthy

Stephanie Webster April 06, 2017

Cataplana is a Portuguese seafood dish originating in the southern region of Portugal in Algarve, and it is about as traditional a Portuguese dish as you can get. It uses a copper cooking device also called a Cataplana which unique to the Algarve region. If you don’t have this vessel you simply can use a pan with a lid.

This dish we are going to make is a variation using a fresh fish like Halibut, littleneck clams, and Spanish chorizo. Cataplana is perfect for making this dish because it efficiently contains the flavor and heat of the contents in the dish to provide a uniquely flavored and scented dish, simply without any fuss.

Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of April 9 - 16

Features Events News Homepage

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 05, 2017

On Tuesday April 11, Kitchen ZINC in New Haven will host a fundraiser to benefit the Connecticut chapter of the ACLU. Admission includes tastes of KZ Artisan Pizza, with beverages purchased upon consumption. 25% of sales will be donated.

Millwrights and Bottle Stop Wine & Spirit Superstore are teaming up for a tapas style wine and food pairing on April 12, 2017. Stay at the restaurant for dinner afterward and get 10% off your bill. It runs from 6-7:30pm and costs $40 per person. Call (860) 651-5500 to reserve.

Fresh Salt in Old Saybrook has debuted a new spring menu. Under Chef d’ Cuisine Gese Rodriguez, they are using fresh seasonal ingredients to offer an assortment of new salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, mains, and more. Try the new dishes for lunch or dinner. Reservations are recommended, and may be made by calling 860-395-2000.

Paczki at Eddy's Bake Shop in Ansonia: A Serious Pastry

Features Ingredients Bakery Ansonia Polish Dessert

Connecticut Magazine March 31, 2017

Of the many immigrant groups that have shaped the state of Connecticut throughout the decades and centuries, the Polish have been among the most prominent. (And not just in New Britain!) On Main Street in Ansonia, across the street from the Europol Deli (where you can take home a full Polish dinner) is Eddy’s Bake Shop, where one can find one of the state’s most popular versions of the Polish delicacy, paczki (pronounced PUNCH-key). Resembling a doughnut, the paczki is traditionally stuffed with a filling, such as a jam or custard. So beloved in Ansonia and the Naugatuck Valley is Eddy’s paczki, that every February the bakery hosts a paczki-eating contest, in which contestants have five minutes to eat as many as possible.

Custom Meats, 100% Locally Sourced, Butcher Opening in Fairfield

Ingredients Features Butcher Fairfield Specialty Market Ingredients Homepage

Anna Bendiksen March 30, 2017

Custom Meats, a 100% locally-sourced, traditional whole-animal butchery, is slated to open this spring at 1903 Post Road in Fairfield.

This next-door neighbor to Isabelle et Vincent French Bakery plans to serve non-GMO, nitrate-free, fresh meats raised on organic principles.

Sourcing beef, pork, lamb, and poultry from small farms in Connecticut and New York, everything will be cut and prepared in house, including dry-aged beef, sausages, and various prepared foods. Farm-fresh local eggs, raw milk, and seasonal vegetables will also be offered.

Nibble: CT Food Events for April 2-9

Features Events Wine Dinners Beer Dinner Homepage

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 29, 2017

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford hosts A Taste of History 2017 on Monday April 3 at 5pm. The evening begins with a premier reception at 5pm and culminates with a food tasting, a cocktail tasting, music, a tour, and art inspired activities.

Fermented beverages are prevalent, but what about fermented foods? Learn about them and their health benefits at the Barrel Room in North Canton, CT on Monday April 3. The class will cover foods like water kefir, milk kefir and kimchi.

Connecticut Hops For Hope returns for its second benefit, Beers For Brittany, on Sunday, April 23rd. The event will be held at the brand new Counter Weight Brewing in Hamden, and 100% of ticket sales, in person donations, and on site raffle ticket sales will benefit Brittany Vellucci, a young woman fighting through brain cancer. Tickets go on sale tonight at 7p.m. RIGHT HERE.

Fennel-Pear Salad with Grapes + Pecans via Marcia Selden

Features Recipe Recipe healthy

Marcia Selden Catering March 29, 2017

We couldn’t be happier that spring is here! Savor the season with this light and yummy Fennel-Pear Salad. It's packed with flavor and just takes a few minutes to prepare.

Lock City Brewing to Open Stamford Tap Room & Brewery via Hey Stamford!

Features Beer Beer Garden CT Beer sta Stamford Homepage

Hey Stamford! March 28, 2017

If you’ve attended any craft beer festival in or around Connecticut over the last several years, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered Lock City Brewing Company. Coming late Spring, you won’t have to attend your favorite beer fest to sample their brews. Lock City Brewing Company is putting the finishing touches on a brand new homebase, right here in Stamford.

Head brewer, Michael Bushnell, and co-founder Patrick Casicolo, (sales and marketing) plan to open their flagship location in the Glenbrook/Springdale section of Stamford. I had a chance to meet with Michael Bushnell recently, where he walked me through the space and talked about their plans.

Read the complete article on Hey Stamford!

Where Do Local CT Chefs Eat Out? Chef Jon Vaast of Rothbard's

Features Chef Talk Chef

Jessica Ryan March 28, 2017

Welcome to our 4th installment of "Where Do CT Chefs Eat Out?" Do they prefer to go home and relax? Or do they like to go out? If the latter, what are some of their favorite places, locally and beyond? Do they might have any secret hole in the wall places and would they be willing to share these with us? Thus far, we have uncovered the eating habits of Matt Storch, Cody of Hoodoo Brown BBQ & Chris Gonzales of Hapa Food Truck.

This week, we speak with Chef Jon Vaast of Rothbard's.

Nibble: CT Food Events For March 27-April 2

Features News Events Dinner Events CT Beer

James Gribbon March 25, 2017

Washington Prime’s Georgetown location has announced a Tuesday night dinner special. The prime rib roast 2-course dinner includes your choice of salad, a 16 oz. prime rib, and a side of mashed potatoes.

On Wednesday March 29, AMG Catering will offer a “Spring Chicken Class.” Learn to prepare healthy and exciting chicken dishes using seasonal spring ingredients. It costs $90 per person and goes from 7-9pm.

New Haven’s Shell & Bones Oyster Bar has an all new brunch cocktail menu. Four new cocktails will be offered alongside their “Breakfast Bloody Mary.” There will also be three non-alcoholic drinks. Join them for brunch Friday-Sunday after 11am.

Stew Leonard’s Limited Edition Chocolate Bunny Milk

Features Ingredients Dessert Kids Kid Friendly Holiday Homepage

Stephanie Webster March 22, 2017

A half-gallon glass jug of Stew’s Chocolate Bunny Milk will be available for $5.99 starting in early April at all five Stew Leonard’s locations. Stew Leonard’s signature farm fresh milk is mixed with creamy milk chocolate to create a sweet, irresistible chocolate milk that tastes just like a classic chocolate Easter bunny. Stew Leonard’s milk is delivered fresh to our stores from award-winning dairy farms in upstate NY and is free from artificial growth hormones (rBST) and antibiotics. The milk will only be available for a limited time.

Check for the Stew Leonard's location near you here.

Guinness™ & Two Roads Brewing To Collaborate on 2 Small Batch Beers

Features Ingredients Beer CT Beer Brewery

Stephanie Webster March 21, 2017

Guinness & Co., based in Norwalk CT, and Two Roads Brewing Company, based in Stratford CT, today announce two small batch beers brewed in collaboration and to be released in May of 2017.

The first collaboration will be brewed at the Open Gate Brewery, St James’s Gate in Dublin, Ireland, and will be served to visitors of the Open Gate Brewery taproom. The second beer will be brewed shortly afterwards at Two Roads Brewing Co.’s brewery in Connecticut and will be served to visitors at the brewery.

2017 Guide to Latin American Markets in Connecticut

Features Ingredients Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Ingredients Latin American

Anna Bendiksen March 21, 2017

The diverse cuisines that the cultures of Latin America gave the world are well represented in Connecticut. Markets in our state serve more than 540,000 Hispanic residents---and foodies of other ethnic origins who pass over Ortega taco kits for more enlightened fare. Whether you’re making corn tortillas from scratch, seeking beautifully ripe fruit at a great price, looking to pick up a luscious pastry, or preparing your grandmother’s mole, these stores are well worth the trip. Here’s your guide to Connecticut’s best Latin American markets.

Tix On Sale For "Food For All" Fundraiser: Strolling Tasting Event To Benefit Food Rescue US

Features EVENT Fundraiser

Stephanie Webster March 20, 2017

Whether you're a foodie or into food rescue, Food For All, the hottest strolling culinary event in Fairfield County, is the place to be on April 26th. Help Food Rescue US end local hunger while enjoying tasting plates and specialty cocktails from the region's top restaurants. Trust us - you don't want to miss this buzz-worthy, drool-inducing, "take a picture of this food!" night to benefit Food Rescue US. With every $1 donated = 20 rescued meals, as a guest at Food For All you know you're making a significant difference to hungry families!

Restaurant sneak peek: Fortina, Fleishers Craft Kitchen, INDIA, Mecha Noodle Bar, Room 112. Visit event page for a full lineup of restaurants and details.

Geronimo Tequila Bar Receives Tequila "Award T" Certification from Mexican Council

Features Ingredients Cocktails

CTbites Team March 17, 2017

Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwestern Grill in New Haven and Fairfield, CT recently joined an elite group of approx. 40 restaurants worldwide (Tequila Mockingbird in New Canaan is the only other restaurant in the state the also received the certification) that hold a CRT Award T Certification from the Mexican government’s Tequila Regulatory Council, recognizing their commitment and knowledge of Tequila.

Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of March 20-27

Features Events Wine Dinners Beer Dinner

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 17, 2017

On Monday March 20, Mikro Beer Bar in Hamden invites you to a Kent Falls Brewing Beer Dinner. Chef Mike Fox will create a four course dinner to complement craft brews. The event is limited to 50 people, so get your tickets soon.

Which is better: beer or wine? The question is difficult and divisive… but Fairfield Greenwich Cheese Company will help you decide! Beer and wine will go head-to-head alongside a cheese plate to see which makes for the best pairing. Join them at the Greenwich location on March 21 from 7-9pm and the Fairfield location on March 23 from 7-9pm. It costs $50 per person.

On Wednesday March 22, Cask Republic South Norwalk and Allagash Brewing Company are teaming up for a beer dinner. Chef Carl will prepare a five course menu that will be paired with six Allagash beers. It costs $85 per person and advanced reservations are recommended.

Fortina Launches "Underground" Culinary Experiences

Features Restaurant Underground Dinner Rye Brook Pop-Up Dinner Catering

Stephanie Webster March 16, 2017

I initially held off on sharing my tasting notes for Fortina's epically unique "underground" dinner last week, as it felt like a tease to share an eating adventure that could not be experienced by our readers. Well, all that has changed. The private dinners that began as a way for the Fortina culinary team to stretch their legs, experiment with flavors and dishes, and ultimately serve to inform new menu items, can now be booked by YOU. Here is a little inside scoop on last week's carefully orchestrated 8 person dinner/performance, complete with 10 courses, alcoholic icees, an opera singer, a comedian, escargot served on a VCR, and heck of a lot of fun.