It's Official: Shake Shack To Open in Danbury CT Features Openings Danbury Burgers Stephanie Webster February 15, 2020 According to ctinsider.com, Danbury Fair executives have confirmed that they are looking to have the popular burger chain set up shop at the Danbury Fair Mall. In fact, Shake Shack will be housed in a brand new building at Danbury Fair.If you’ve been under a rock and are not familiar with the Shake Shack brand, they currently have CT locations in Westport, New Haven, Darien & West Hartford. One of NYC’s most beloved gathering places, Shake Shack is a modern day "roadside" burger stand known for its delicious burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, beer, wine and more.Danbury…Get pumped! Read More
Chef Brian Lewis: It's All In The Details at Japanese Inspired OKO Restaurant Features Video Chef Talk Interview Japanese Westport CTbites Team February 13, 2020 WestchesterBites writer, Sibylla Chipaziwa, sits down with Chef Brian Lewis to discuss the inspiration for his Japanese inspired restaurant, OKO, with a new location in Rye, NY (in addition to CT’s Westport spot). Have a listen.Read our review of OKO here. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events For February 16-23 Events Features News Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 12, 2020 Stamford hosts its Winter Restaurant Weeks from February 17 through March 1. Participating Downtown Stamford restaurants are serving up special lunch & dinner prix fixe menus in several different price options.Celebrate National Margarita Day on February 22nd with $5 Patrón Tequila margaritas at participating Norwalk restaurants and bars during the Norwalk Now Margarita Crawl! Participants include El Segundo, Peaches, Evarito’s, Il Posto, and more.Walrus + Carpenter’s 6th Annual Johnny Cash Birthday Bash returns February 22. Come celebrate Johnny Cash's 88th Birthday and his music over Walrus’s signature BBQ and libations. Hitch & The Giddyup will be the house band for the evening and joined by other special guests.Continuum Distilling is Connecticut’s newest distillery that is dedicated to producing exceptional spirits utilizing patented green practices and ingredients to reuse and repurpose. Attend a grand opening party at its new Waterbury tasting room Read More
Local Spotlight: Mike Geller of Mike's Organic in Stamford Features Ingredients Delivery Service Home Delivery Organic Specialty Market Stamford Westchester Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick February 12, 2020 Hello, CTbites readers! Most of the time we bring you pieces on chefs but we’re trying something new that puts the focus on interesting food and beverage industry folks that ARE NOT chefs but have a tale to tell; think bartenders, independent bakers, farmers, maybe some brewers, or even that waiter everyone seems to know. It’s only fitting to kick it off with Mike Geller, the owner of Mike’s Organic Delivery in Stamford. He’s not a chef, he has a story, and he’s really easy to have a conversation with. He’s one of the reasons why I thought of this series in the first place, so making him number one was a no-brainer. If you’re unfamiliar with Mike’s Organic, it opened in 2009, strictly as a grocery delivery service. Now, celebrating its decade-old birthday, Geller expanded his business and opened his doors to the public with a mini market filled with carefully selected organic goods, fresh produce, and lots of local products. To boot, they host lots of special events and cooking classes with the likes of Geoff Lazlo, Ross Bread, and Nit Noi Provisions. How it all started, though, is quite something. Cue the Q&A! Read More
"Smorgasbord" Original Musical Will Make You Hungry For More Features Theater Events Donna Monaco Olsen February 10, 2020 Running through leap year day, February 29, is a campy, song and dance creation that will get your tummy rumbling. “Smorgasbord!” is an original musical revue written by Bradford Blake – whose previous Theater Barn production, “Wreck the Halls” was a holiday hit. This production, featuring Anya Caravella, Robert Geils, Tracey Marble, and Zachary Theis, has them singing and dancing their way through twenty food scenes. Smorgasbord is a show about foodstuff that will leave you laughing at its references to many different culinary clichés and cultures, including Chinese, Mexican, French, and Italian food, ice cream, kielbasa and more. While recommended for mature audiences due to some culinary innuendo, it is a very enjoyable “lighthearted” evening of all original songs played by a live band on stage. Read More
Friday Froth: Experimental Brewing at 12% Brewing Project in North Haven Features Ingredients Beer CT Beer Brewery North Haven James Gribbon February 07, 2020
Baker of Black Rock: Outrageous Custom Cookies and Confections Features Bakery Dessert Cookies Cakes Custom Cakes Black Rock Homepage Stephanie Webster February 06, 2020 Julia Preis is the Baker of Black Rock. Sure, there may be other bakers in the Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport, but none like Julia. I knew this to be true long before I invited her to my home to demo the technique behind her stunning cookies and cakes. Full disclosure…I had quietly stalked her Instagram account for roughly six months, and you can do the same at @bakerofblackrock. The cookies were tiny edible works of art, seemingly too beautiful to eat, and each displayed a unique personality through accomplished craftsmanship. Her wall of cakes, fruit pies and cupcakes created eye candy that could only make you want to pull up a chair and dig in. But what did they taste like? I had to find out. Read More
It's A Woman's World: Celebrating The Trailblazing Females in CT's Culinary Industry Features Events It's A Woman's World Stephanie Webster February 05, 2020 On March 2nd, CTbites and Terrain will host “It’s A Woman’s World: A Celebration” honoring and celebrating the many inspiring and trailblazing females in Connecticut’s culinary industry. Ladies…It’s about time. From chefs and farmers, to photographers and beekeepers, we're tipping our hats to the females who are molding the CT food industry, and making sh@# happen. The evening will include a panel moderated by on-air personality Marysol Castro, (journalist, PA announcer for the METS, and CTBites podcast host), great food, drinks, awards, and of course, plenty of time to mingle and meet the women in our community as well as the ladies who appear on the list below, our Top 20 Most Influential Woman In CT Culinary Industry. We can’t wait to meet you. Purchase your $25 ticket here and read on because we need YOUR participation in selecting 5 of the women below to win awards for “Most Inspiring & Influential Women in the CT Culinary Scene,” at the event. Read More
Interview with Chef Ben Robinson of Below Deck Talks Cooking, Yachting, and Future Plans Interview Features Interview Celebrity Chef Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 03, 2020 It may be called Below Deck, but Bravo’s nautical reality series is riding high. The original show just wrapped on its seventh season, following the adventures of 49 yachties and hitting the 100 episode mark along the way. Its success has inspired two spin-off shows: Below Deck Mediterranean, which has been on for four seasons, and the brand new addition to the franchise, Below Deck Sailing Yacht.Despite the constantly changing crew, Chef Ben Robinson has become a familiar face. He’s served up delicious food from the galley on 4 seasons on Below Deck and most recently stepped in to save the day on Below Deck Mediterranean. While he achieved fame from reality television, he is a true chef who started cooking at the age of 5. CTBites had the opportunity to sit down with him at the Mohegan Sun Wine & Food Fest to chat about his culinary start, his time on the show, and his exciting plans for the future. Read More
80 + Restaurants for Valentine’s Day in CT: 2020 Features Holiday Special Occasion Valentine's Day Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 03, 2020 Move over Santa! With the holidays in the rearview, cupid is coming to town. Valentine’s Day falls on Friday February 14th and Connecticut Restaurants and Caterers are serving up “sweet” deals to make sure that you and your special someone have an evening to remember. Here are 80+ places where you can go for a romantic night out. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for February 2-9 Events Features News Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 01, 2020 ZINC New Haven’s Annual Champagne and Oyster tasting takes place on Thursday February 6. They are pouring 4 sparkling wines, selected by sommelier Michael Egan, for this special event. The month of February is Voyage Month at L’escale. Every week, travel the world by feasting on a menu inspired by a different country. From February 3-9, they’ll highlight Mexico. The two course lunch is $25.20 and the 3 course dinner is $45.20.Flights and Bites comes to Basso Café in Norwalk on Tuesday nights. Mediterranean small plates will be paired with a flight of wines.Join the Chef Team from Terrain Cafe and Amis Trattoria, Westport for a six week teaching and tasting culinary journey as they share creative, delicious recipes and stylish presentations. Read More
Taco Daddy Hosts Royal Rumble Competition: $5K Prize!! Features Competition Cooking Contest Tacos Events Stephanie Webster January 28, 2020 Want a front seat at the most fun Taco Tuesday competition event in CT? Taco Daddy is giving away $5k to the prize time winner of 3 elimination rounds in their Royal Rumble competition, the first of which is going down on February 11th. Oh, guess what….I’m going to be judging, so bring your A game people. This Taco Tuesday event series will feature some talented chefs (we’ll let you know who later), and home cooks. There are two ways to get involved in this event. 1. Watch & Eat. Tickets are $100 per person, can be purchased here. Guests will be served food and unlimited drinks with their purchase of a ticket!2. Compete! Do you think you have what it takes to be a part of this competition? The Taco Daddy team is looking for foodies, home cooks, and even professional chefs from all walks of life to compete for a grand prize of $5,000! To nominate yourself or someone you know, click here –@TacoDaddyStamford – comment on the post and include why you think the nominee would do well. More info here. Read More
Recap: Good Times at Mohegan Sun Wine & Food Fest 2020 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 28, 2020 Where can you mingle with celebrities, taste delicious wine, sample craft beer, get free swag, feast on tasty food, try your luck at slot machines, and dance to hits from a DJ? This ISN’T a trick question and there IS an answer. And that answer is the Mohegan Sun Wine & Food Fest. On January 25 and 26, I had the pleasure of attending the weekend long festival on behalf of CTBites. 2020 marked the seventeenth year of the Mohegan Sun Wine & Food Fest and seven years since I first attended in 2013. A great deal has changed since its inception. This year commanded a plethora of A-list chefs and had an array of events to supplement Saturday’s Grand Tasting. Read More
"Healthy PlanEat" Creates App for CT Shoppers to Order Ingredients from Local Farmers....Help Them Raise $$ Features Technology Local Farm CT Farms Sustainable healthy CTbites Team January 28, 2020 Healthy PlanEat is a CT food startup that exists to help re-energize the connection between communities and local farms so people can have a healthy and sustainable diet. It's founder, Rosemary Ostfeld, is an environmental scientist who built the Healthy PlanEat website where people can order food from local organic farms to pick up at the farm, farmers market, or pop-up pick-up points. This fall, a pop-up was run at Kidcity Children's Museum in Middletown and was a great success - "I love the fact that I can get local, fresh, and organic food. I am supporting local farmers in my community and the prices are much more reasonable than the grocery store" said customer, Diana C. Read More
World-Class Chef Dan Giusti is Giving School Lunch a Gourmet Overhaul (Starting in New London CT) Features Kids Celebrity Chef Education News Connecticut Magazine January 24, 2020 Dan Giusti was not used to failing in the kitchen. At 29 years old he had been named the head chef at Noma in Copenhagen, making him a de facto high priest of fine dining. As the leader of the kitchen of one of the world’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, he was tasked with executing owner and executive chef René Redzepi’s vision and making sure the culinary dreams of those who had spent years and months planning their visit to Copenhagen to dine at Noma came true. Giusti was good at this. But three years into the job, Giusti walked away to tackle the seemingly never-ending enigma that is school lunch. With Redzepi’s blessing and investment, Giusti founded a new company called Brigaid that sought to put skilled chefs at the helm of cafeteria kitchens in schools across America. The idea was “getting chefs who would never choose to do this work to do this work,” Giusti says. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for January 26 - February 2 Events Features Events News Wine Dinners Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 23, 2020 The 6th Annual Great Mac And Chili Challenge takes place indoors at the new SoNo Collection in Norwalk CT on Sunday January 26th from 11am – 3pm. On Monday January 27, Mezon Tapas Bar & Restaurant invites you to a Wine Dinner featuring JM Fonseca Wines. $85 per person (plus tax and gratuity) includes a 5 course meal and wine pairings. Mondays are Wine Down Mondays at Artisan Restaurant! Get half off wines $100 or less.Square Peg Pizza, The Mystic Cheese Company, and Black Hog Brewing Co. are all teaming up on Monday January 27. The delicious, fun event will take place at Square Peg Pizzeria in Glastonbury. There will be free prize giveaways, pairings, education, and great local CT food and drink. Read More
30+ CT Restaurants & Bars for the Super Bowl: 2020 Edition Features Super Bowl Sports Bar Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 21, 2020 On Sunday February 2nd, the Chiefs and the 49-ers will be facing off in Super Bowl 54! The game time action is great, but so are the foods that accompany it! Wings, pizza, ribs, subs… which is your MVP?? These Connecticut restaurants and bars have eat-in and take-out specials to keep you satisfied as you cheer on your team. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for Week of January 19-26 Events Features Events News Pop-Up Dinner Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 19, 2020 The 6th Annual Great Mac And Chili Challenge takes place indoors at the new SoNo Collection in Norwalk CT on Sunday January 26th from 11am – 3pm.Say Cheese! Fairfield Cheese Company invites you to Cheese 101, where you can get down to the basics over tasty cheeses . It runs from 7-9pm and costs $50 per person. In honor of National Cheese Lover’s Day, Heirloom Restaurant is hosting an Artisanal Cheese Tour January 19-26th, daily 4pm to close. Read More
Taco Daddy Cocktail Naming Contest: WIN FREE DINNER FOR 2 @ Taco Daddy! Features Contest Cocktails Giveaway Stephanie Webster January 19, 2020 Game on! We're back with another cocktail naming contest. WIN FREE DINNER FOR TWO AT the uber-fun taco mecca, TACO DADDY in Stamford. Here's How...Review the ingredients list below.Get creative! Enter YOUR original Cocktail Name in the comments section under this post. If your Cocktail name is selected, it will be featured on their cocktail menu & you will receive a FREE DINNER FOR 2 at Taco Daddy. Read More
Meet Leo Kelly, The 6 Year Old "Shirley Temple King" Features Kids Kid Chefs Interview Homepage Stephanie Webster January 17, 2020 Leo Kelly, a 6 year old first grader in Fairfield CT has dreams of becoming “King,” well, the Shirley Temple King that is. Leo aspires to be the childhood arbiter of all things Shirley Temple (yes, the popular childhood beverage) , and he is making his way around Fairfield County doing just that. You can find him on Instagram at @theshirleytempleking, so heads up local restaurants owners. Time to get your Shirley Temple game on fleek. Read More
