Plan b Restaurants Brings Back 5 Fan Favorite Dishes from 12 Years of Business Features Events Burgers CTbites Team March 01, 2018 There are just some dishes you never forget. Is there any better nostalgia then food nostalgia? We think not. And Plan b fans certainly seem to agree. Over the last 12 years, Plan b Restaurants has gone through more than a dozen menu changes, but that doesn’t stop guests from demanding their favorites. As a reward for their loyal (and vocal) fans, Plan b Restaurants is bringing back five of their most beloved dishes for a very limited time!From February 26 – March 19, the Beef Wellington Bites (sirloin, puff pastry, mushroom duxelle & blue cheese sauce), Portobello Tots (crispy fried Portobello mushroom tots with roasted tomato vinaigrette & garlic horseradish aioli), the infamous PB&J Burger (beef patty, American cheese, smooth peanut butter & bacon jam), the East Coast Burger (beef patty with roasted tomato, frizzled onions, warm lobster meat & horseradish cream) and the Lobster Pot Pie (New England lobster, sherry- bourbon lobster sauce, fresh veggies, & diced potatoes in a fresh baked pastry crust) will be featuring on a special “Cult Classics” menu Read More
Meet Culinary Luminaries Ruth Reichl & Sam Kass at The Westport Public Library Features Events Celebrity Chef Stephanie Webster February 27, 2018 The Westport Library is thrilled to announce FLEX: experiences - a five-day series of innovative programs designed to showcase the future flexibility and innovation coming to the new Westport Library. The events kick off Wednesday, March 21 and run through Sunday, March 25. The events begin on Wednesday, March 21 with a celebrity lunch fundraiser hosted by local bestselling author Jane Green and emceed by James Beard Award winner Elissa Altman. The keynote of the lunch will be Sam Kass, former Obama White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition, who served as Executive Director of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. Kass will also host a book signing for his book Eat a Little Better after the luncheon.On Thursday March 22nd, come to the Library for a food lovers’ Q&A with gourmet guru Ruth Reichl. The former editor of Gourmet Magazine and best selling foodie author will be joined by a celebrity panel including local celebrity chef and restauranteur Bill Taibe, master farmer and sustainability expert Annie Farrell of Millstone Farm and the “entertainologist” and celebrity chef Lulu Powers. Read More
Food Trucks & CT Chefs Team Up for "Beer & Bites" Pop-Up Dinners w/ Half Full Brewery and CT Bites Features Events CTbites Invites Stephanie Webster February 27, 2018 Half Full Brewery and CT Bites are excited to bring you a creative and collaborative food and beer-pairing event series. Not to be missed, "Beers & Bites" 2018 pairs limited release beers from Half Full Brewery with totally off-menu food items from some of Fairfield County's best chefs and food truck operators. For each event, the team behind the "bites" (1 brick and mortar chef, 1 food truck chef) will come together to collaborate on that evening's menu and cook and serve from the host Food Truck...two chefs, one totally off-menu food experience. Each menu item will be paired with a limited-release beer from the Half Full Brewery with the Brewers onsite to introduce each pairing. Tickets are $50 and include 4 beers, all food, and a commemorative glass. Event details and FAQ's are below. Read More
Shell & Bones Clam Chowder Recipe: Happy National Chowder Day! Recipe Features Recipe Seafood CTbites Team February 25, 2018 In honor of National Chowder Day (yes, that's a thing), we asked Chef Arturo Franco Camacho of Shell & Bones in New Haven CT to share his recipe for their very delicious Clam Chowder. The recipe is delightfully simple but is layered with flavors that create a deeply delicious rich chowder. Read More
CT Bartenders Share their Margarita Recipes for National Margarita Day! Recipe Features Cocktails Holiday Bar Recipe Homepage Stephanie Webster February 22, 2018 Oh yes it is! My favorite day of the year, National Margarita Day, has arrived. Those who know me, know that when I sidle up to the bar, those working on the other side need not even ask for my order. It's always the same...and it's always a Margarita. Truly, it's the perfect cocktail, and just right for every season. Plus, tequila has been proven to actually have health benefits. Lime, tequila's most trusty companion, is bursting with Vitamin C which we all know helps us recover from illness. Anejo tequila, made from 100% agave, is known to help reduce bacteria and relieve sore throats, and agave helps to fight diabetes. There are so many reasons to embrace and celebrate the Margarita. Do it right with these recipes from local bartenders including: El Segundo, Mézon, Geronimo Restaurant & Tequila Bar, Barcelona, Bartaco, Marcia Selden Catering and Festivities. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for February 25 - March 4 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 21, 2018 Every Monday night, visit Washington Prime in SoNo for a 2 course prime rib dinner special. $39 per person includes a Caesar salad, a 16oz steak, and mashed potatoes.Taproot in Bethel invites you to its first wine dinner of Tuesday February 27. The evening, entitled “An American Heritage Dinner,” consists of five courses paired with complementary wines. It is $85 per person and starts at 6:30. Le Penguin in Westport is hosting a wine dinner on February 28th at 6:30 pm. The wine director from Chateau LaGrange will be on hand to discuss the wines. Cost is $100. RSVP 203. 557.6432.Is there a Ridgefield restaurant that you have looked forward to trying but just haven’t had the chance to yet? Well, now is the time! Ridgefield Restaurant Week is back for the third year and gives you the opportunity to experience amazing dining destinations at a great price. Visit participating restaurants like Bailey’s Backyard, Bareburger, Bernard’s, Little Pub, Southwest Café, Terra Sole Ristorante, and Wooster Hollow Café, from February 26 - March 4 for special price fixe lunch and/or dinner specials.Stamford's annual Winter Restaurant Weeks runs through March 4. 21 different restaurants in Stamford will be offer special menus for both lunch and dinner ranging from $14.18 to $38.18. Read More
Congrats To James Beard Awards Semifinalists: Brian Lewis & Tyler Anderson Features Awards Stephanie Webster February 15, 2018 The James Beard Foundation announced today its list of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for the 28th annual James Beard Foundation Awards. Selected from a list of more than 20,000 online entries, the prestigious group of semifinalists in 21 categories represents a wide range of culinary talent, from exceptional chefs and dining destinations nationally and in ten different regions across the U.S., to the best new restaurants, outstanding bar programs, bakers, and rising star chefs 30 or younger.CT has two semifinalists for Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT). Congrats to Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT and Tyler Anderson, Millwright’s, Simsbury CT!Winners of the 2018 James Beard Media Awards will be announced on Friday, April 27, 2018. Good luck to out local CT chefs. The honor is well deserved. See this year’s full semifinalist list at jamesbeard.org/awards Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week Of February 18-25 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 15, 2018 South Avenue in New Canaan now offers butchery classes! The first installation is called “Half Pig” and will take place on February 20 at 7pm. Participants will go home with meat and a South Avenue Butcher certificate. It costs $90 per person. “Taste of Stamford” returns Thursday February 22 from 5:30-8:30pm. The Crown Plaza Hotel in Stamford will serve as the backdrop for local chefs, restaurateurs, and distributors in Fairfield County! VIP & General Admission tickets are available online starting at $70. “National Margarita Day” is February 22, and Bartaco West Hartford is celebrating by releasing a new margarita each week in the months of February and March. Plus, remember to visit them on the 22nd for margaritas, tacos, and fun!Washington Prime SoNo invites you to a Duckhorn Wine Dinner on Tuesday February 20 from 7-9:30pm. A 5 course dinner will be paired with wines from this renowned Napa winery. The evening costs $95, plus tax and gratuity. Tickets can be purchased at the restaurant or over the phone at (203) 857-1314.Now you can help Stamford’s Ferguson Library while eating at Judy’s Kitchen + Bar. On Wednesday February 21, from 11am-9pm, 15% of Judy's sales will be donated to The Ferguson Library's Go Fund Me page to raise the money needed to install a new floor. For more information on the project, visit here. Read More
Celebrating The Chinese New Year in CT Features Chinese Holiday Homepage Stephanie Webster February 15, 2018 The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it’s been called since the 20th century, remains the most important social and economic holiday in China. Originally tied to the lunar-solar Chinese calendar, the holiday was a time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. It was also a time to bring family together for feasting. Several CT restaurants will be hosting special celebrations. Ring in The Year of the Dog at these local spots. Chinese New Year officially begins on February 16th, and ends on March 2nd. Read More
Stew Leonard's Unveils New Pastry: The Cannoli Chipwich Features Dessert Bakery CTbites Team February 14, 2018 Big pastry news just in from Stew Leonard's and The Hour. Cannoli fans should head to Stew Leonard's to grab the store's newest concoction on the shelves in Danbury and Norwalk.The Cannoli Chipwich is two freshly baked chocolate chip cookies with creamy cannoli filling piped between them; the edges are rolled in mini-chocolate chips and then the whole thing is dusted with powdered sugar.The chipwich is the brainchild of Jake Tavello, Store Director at Stew's in Danbury and the grandson of store founder Stew Leonard Sr. According to a spokesperson, Tavello and the Danbury bakery team were discussing new ideas for the bakery and decided to pair two of the store's most popular items: chocolate chip cookies and cannolis. Read More
Where Do Local Chefs Eat Out? Chef/ Owner Stephen Lewandowski of Harlan Social, Harlan Publick & Harlan Haus Features Interview Chef Chef Talk Interview Celebrity Chef Jessica Ryan February 13, 2018 We continue our series, "Where Do Local Chefs Eat Out," with Chef/ Owner Stephen Lewandowski, who owns Harlan Social, Harlan Publick, and the recently opened, Harlan Haus in Bridgeport. On the rare day or night you’re off from the restaurant where do you prefer to have dinner (If home what is your meal or food of choice)?Tough question. I have 4 kids and when I do have that night off I like to hang with them and my wife so initially I would say we stay home and I will cook. My kids love chicken marsala so I tend to make this with penne pasta and an arugula salad. Simple but the kids love it. If we go out the kids really enjoy Sakura in Westport because of the hibachi. We have a good time and the staff is so friendly. We have been going there since we moved up here 5 years ago Read More
Giveaway!! WIN FREE Tickets to Whiskey Social on March 24th Features Giveaway Events Stephanie Webster February 12, 2018 GoodWorks Entertainment presents their third tasting event: WHISKEY SOCIAL. WHISKEY SOCIAL will take place on Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 3 PM until 6 PM at The Warehouse at Fairfield Theatre Company (70 Sanford Street in Fairfield, Connecticut). CTbites is GIVING AWAY 2 FREE TICKETS to Whiskey Social. To win, tell us why you NEED to go in the comments section below, and make sure you are a CTbites Newsletter Subscriber! Socialites will be able to relish in the exclusivity of sampling from an internationally curated selection of 150+ types of whisky, rye, scotch, bourbon, aged rum, and mezcal. Ordinary New Haven’s mixologist, Tim Cabral, will be in the room crafting samplers of his distinguished cocktails. With the purchase of a ticket, socialites will be invited to savor an array of delicious local fare including a mac and cheese bar, meat and cheese station and dessert bar by Garelick and Herbs of Southport as well as famed pulled pork sliders by Custom Meats of Fairfield. The tunes of a live band will carry throughout the social while couches provide lounge and whiskey barrels scatter the floor for the perfect festive setting. Read More
Wallingford Teen Competes on Rachel Ray's “Cook Your Way to Culinary School” Competition Features Local Artisan Kids Events CTbites Team February 10, 2018 Four young aspiring chefs are one step closer to making their dreams of attending culinary school a reality after being named finalists in Rachael Ray’s “Cook Your Way to Culinary School” competition. On Tuesday, February 13th, Jules Esposito, an 18-year-old high school senior from Wallingford, CT, will be cooking to win! She has had her sights set on culinary school since the 2nd grade. She started a baking blog in middle school and is part of a culinary program that has allowed her to manage a food truck and cater events. Read More
10th Pacific House Close to Home Dessert Tasting and Youth Concert Feb 23rd Features Events CTbites Team February 08, 2018 The 10th Pacific House Close to Home Dessert Tasting and Youth Concert will be held on Friday, February 23rd from 7-10pm at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. Tickets are now on sale for this spectacular community tradition that offers incredible desserts and live music while raising funds for homeless youth. Talented student musicians from area high schools will join together in a night of music to help their homeless peers.Guests will leave the event having sampled delicious food and desserts from some of the area’s finest restaurants, bakeries and chocolatiers including: A Chef’s Choice, Bad Louie’s Fudge, Chocolate Works Darien, Dimare's Pastry, Filicori Zecchini, Izzi B’s Allergen Free Bakery, Le Rouge, Little Pub, Longford’s Ice Cream, Pasta Vera, The Granola Bar, Tomatillo. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week of February 4-11 Features Events Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 03, 2018 Every Tuesday, The Spread’s SoNo and new Greenwich location offer buck-a-shuck oysters.On Monday February 5, The Westport Library’s Cookbook Club will take place at Wakeman Town Farm. The evening will be led by food lover and blogger Yamini Lal, also known as “Fairfield County Foodie.” Registration is now open for Bishop Orchard’s CSA. They have an assortment of options: mushroom shares, flower shares, egg shares, cheese shares, and more! The “Boozin' In Your Onesie Bar Crawl” is coming to Hartford on Saturday February 10. A ticket includes no cover entry for up to 8 venues, an LED Bracelet indicating when to head to the next venue, a 17oz Elite Color Changing Cup, kick-off party from 12-1:30pm, a 90's party from 1:30-3pm, a “Glow Your Mind Halftime Party” from 3-4:30pm, an after party from 7-9pm, and so much more! Be sure to wear your best onesie- there will be prizes! Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill is hosting An Evening with Justin Baldwin, founder of Justin Winery, on Wednesday, February 7 at 6pm. The four-course menu includes Avocado and Crab Toast, Moroccan Shrimp, Pomegranate Lacquered Duck Breast, and Petite Filet of Beef Rossini. A complementary Justin wine pairing will be served with each course. It cost $150 per person, including tax and gratuity. Read More
Mohegan Sun’s Winefest Redux...Chefs, Celebs, Wine & Good Times Features Festival Events Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 02, 2018 Do you remember seeing Finding Nemo in theaters? Or when Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California? How about when a young rapper named 50 Cent won “best new artist?” It probably feels like a long time ago… and it was! 2003 to be exact. And that’s also how long Mohegan Sun’s Winefest has been around. January 26-29, 2018 marked the FIFTEENTH anniversary of this massive event that brings together celebrity chefs, wine, beer, spirits, food, and local vendors for an entire weekend. I first attended the festival in 2013 and had the opportunity cover the event on behalf of CTBites for the fourth time this year. Read More
Cheesemonger Subscription Box Launches From Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Co. Ingredients Features Cheese Delivery Service Home Delivery Gift Guide Stephanie Webster February 01, 2018 Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company have introduced a subscription cheese box service that curates small batch, artisan and traditional cheeses and delivers them, freshly cut, to the doorsteps of food lovers across the nation.Cheesemonger Box will curate a selection of small batch and traditional American and European cheeses for monthly home delivery, launched this winter as the first cheese subscription service of its kind.Founders Laura Downey and Chris Palumbo, co-founders and owners of Connecticut cheese shops Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company, are launching the service with the goal of “spreading the cheese love across the country” and empowering customers to “become the expert” on artisan cheese. Read More
Blind Rhino & Ken Tuccio Host CT's Biggest Super Bowl Party Features Events CTbites Team January 29, 2018 I arrived to The Blind Rhino in South Norwalk 15 minutes early to meet with Ken Tuccio to discuss the party he and The Blind Rhino are throwing on Super Bowl Sunday. As I walked through the door, much to my surprise, Ken was already sitting at the bar. He was halfway through a pint of beer, looking comfortable in a zip-up hoodie bearing the logo of Bridgeport based brewery Aspetuck Brew Lab.Ken Tuccio, a Norwalk resident, isn’t your typical “local media personality”. While most of the people involved in media on a local level seem as if they were designed in a “news anchor factory”, Tuccio is admittedly rough around the edges. Read More
30+ CT Restaurants, Bars & Caterers for the Super Bowl: 2018 Edition Features Events Comfort Food Sports Bar Bar Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 27, 2018 Sunday February 4 is the Super Bowl and Connecticut restaurants, bars, and caterers are serving up BIG specials for the BIG game. Halftime buffets, open bars, big screen TVs, giveaways, take-out packages… these deals will have you doing your best touchdown dance!The Blind Rhino, Norwalk: 2018 will mark the third year of The Blind Rhino's Sono Bowl! The NO COVER pre-game bash starts at 4pm and lasts until kick-off. It will feature live music from The Extras, giveaways, and other specials.Geronimo, Fairfield: Geronimo's Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill, with locations in New Haven and Fairfield, will offer a take-out package consisting of chips, salsa, guacamole, build-your-own Beef Chile Nachos, Hatch Green Chile Stew, Southwestern Empanadas, and Signature Margarita Mix. Choose from a package for 15 or 8 guests.Bull & Swine, New Haven: Bull & Swine in New Haven will show the Super Bowl on their 80 inch projector screen with surround sound. For $28 per person, you can also enjoy their buffet and open bar. They'll have trivia and prizes, too. Walrus + Carpenter, Bridgeport: Assorted wings, ribs, sliders, and sides are available for pick-up from Walrus + Carpenter. Order by Tuesday January 30 and pick-up after 12pm on Sunday February 4. Send an email to catering@walruscarpenterct.com or call them at (203) 333-2733 to purchase. less Read More
Friday Froth: Hanging Hills Brewing Co. Proves Rock And Roll Means Well Ingredients Features Brewery Beer CT Beer Hartford James Gribbon January 26, 2018
