60+ CT Restaurants & Caterers for Mother's Day Meals: 2020 Edition Features Restaurant Holiday Mother's Day Catering Take Out To-Go Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson May 03, 2020 Mother’s Day is Sunday May 10th, and extra challenging times call for extra special celebrations. Connecticut restaurants will help you treat Mom to a wonderful day with pick-up and delivery brunches, lunches, dinners, chocolates, desserts… and even spa treatment and flower add-ons!Check out our list of 50+ CT Restaurants and Caterers for Mother’s Day 2020. Read More
18+ Places for Cinco de Mayo: Virtual Parties, Margaritas, Takeout, and More! Features Cinco de Mayo Holiday Mexican Tacos Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson May 01, 2020 We may be stuck inside, but Connecticut restaurants and caterers are helping us travel south of the border with their Cinco de Mayo packages! Some places like Bartaco and Wakeman Town Farm are bringing the fiesta into your home with virtual events while others are offering delicious cuisine and all the fixings to make your own margaritas! Are you ready to party? If the answer is “si!” check out our guide below. Read More
Chef Eric Felitto of Tasty Yolk Competes on Food Network's Chopped Champion May 5th Features Celebrity Chef Chef Food Network Homepage Stephanie Webster April 27, 2020 Chef Eric Felitto of Tasty Yolk has some big news to share. May 5th is his 35th birthday, (also Cinco de Mayo), Tasty Yolk’s 4 year anniversary, AND….wait for it…he will be competing for the world to see on Food Network’s Chopped Champion. Big day eh?His episode of Chopped Champion will air at 9pm on May 5th. When asked about the experience Felitto said “it was definitely intense. The whole episode was based off of the showmanship a fight night, so there was a lot of filming and trash talking before we even cooked anything.” “They didn’t come to the restaurant to shoot like they did when I competed in 2018. Instead they had us shoot selfies on our phones…and then filmed it as if we were literally showing up to a fight.” “It was a great experience, and I was pumped when they called me back for the Champion round.”Felitto couldn’t share any details, for obvious reasons, but he did share one of the “secret” ingredients…ESCARGOT!! Oh boy…Have fun with that.Chef Felitto says he will probably run a special at the store front location on May 5th to coordinate with the airing. Stay tuned for more details and tune in on The Food Network. Read More
Guide To CSA's in CT: Support Your Local Farmer, Sign Up Now! Features CT Farms Farm Fresh Farm to Table CSA Ingredients Best of CT Stephanie Webster April 25, 2020 Need a CSA Share? Here's Connecticut Food and Farm Magazine's Field Guide to Connecticut Community Supported Agriculture: https://bit.ly/2VWuS7GThese farms have CSA shares still available (organized by county), click through for additional details on each. Sales are very brisk this year, please act quickly! Read More
Ben To Table: Food Subscription Launches To Promote Small-Batch Producers of Gourmet Pantry Items Features Ingredients Delivery Service Home Delivery Ingredients Gourmet Ingredients CTbites Team April 24, 2020 So, we all like to support our local vendors, especially at times like these, but occasionally you need something a little “extra” or specialized, that you may not find at your local shop. Enter food-lover, cook, and long-time advocate Ben Simon, a New Haven native who is bringing high-quality, small-producer pantry staples and non-perishables to front doors across the United States with his new subscription box company, Ben to Table.Ben to Table is a New Haven-based monthly subscription box inspired by Simon’s years of working on environmental and human rights campaigns across the globe, with a focus on preserving and promoting sustainable agriculture. Read More
Barcelona Wine Bar Launches Wine Education Series in Partnership with Wine.com Features WIne Wine Chat Wine Tasting This Week In Wine Education CTbites Team April 24, 2020 Barcelona Wine Bar is launching a new, complimentary wine education series in partnership with Wine.com to bring a taste of Spain home. The best news…after the class, you can buy the wines on Wine.com.The first class, Iconic Red Wines of Spain will be released on April 28th, and will focus on Rioja, Bierzo, Ribera Del Duero, and Priorat wines. While there are specific wines that are available in a bundle on Wine.com for $89.99, Barcelona restaurants have an expansive range of wines from these regions and participants can call BWB to pick-up wine from one or all of these regions to taste along with the experts. The series was created for any Bierzo, Priorat, Rioja, or Ribera del Duero red wine to pair perfectly for the course. Read More
Chefs At Home: Ultimate Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Recipe from Chef Anthony Rinaldi Features Recipe Recipe Recipe Video Dessert Cooking cookie Kid Friendly kids activity Homepage CTbites Team April 22, 2020 Episode #2 of our new Chefs At Home series is here…and It’s a good one. Chef Anthony Rinaldi, formerly Exec Chef at Kawa Ni in Westport, currently the Chef for Greenwich Country Day School, has been having some fun in his kitchen with this recipe for the Ultimate Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie. This guy knows his way around a kitchen. Those kids at Greenwich Country Day are darn lucky….Enjoy! Read More
Connecticut Brewers Release All Together IPA For Coronavirus Relief Fundraiser Features CT Beer Beer Fundraiser Brewery James Gribbon April 19, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic's outsize effect on the restaurant, bar, and brewing industries has been apparent and catastrophic, but hope greets us in the knowledge that even as we all stay at home, we're finding new ways to stand together in support of the people who need us. The American craft brewing industry's will to work with one another is famous, and All Together - a collaboration spearheaded by Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn - is a way consumers and brewers alike can join up to support service industry, breweries, and healthcare workers. Fifteen Connecticut breweries have already joined up to produce an All Together beer.The owners of Other Half share the message, recipes, and label designs on the All Together website: Read More
Food For The Front Lines: Please Support Our Local CT Restaurants & Healthcare Workers Features Fundraiser Stephanie Webster April 18, 2020 CTbites is proud to be a part of Food For The Front Lines, a grassroots effort to support both our local Connecticut restaurant industry and the tireless work of our healthcare workers. What we do is simple. Our struggling local CT restaurants prepare food deliveries for hospitals and EMS workers. If you care about our struggling CT restaurants, Food For The Front Lines is a great way to keep money flowing into their businesses. We have put over 80K back into the restaurant community and fed over 10,000 meals to date.PLEASE DONATE: gf.me/u/xrafi4 Read More
Chefs At Home Recipes: Pantry Pasta from Chef Arturo Franco-Camacho Recipe Features Video Recipe Recipe Video Pasta Chef Talk Homepage CTbites Team April 18, 2020 In our NEW “Chefs At Home” Cooking Series, we asked local CT chefs to help our readers find cooking inspiration in every day pantry items. Executive Chef Arturo Franco-Camacho of Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill (Fairfield and New Haven) and Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill (New Haven) has a wonderful recipe for Pantry Pasta to kick off this series. Enjoy! Read More
Chef Richard Blais Talks Top Chef, Fitness, and (Maybe!) Opening a Restaurant in Connecticut Features Interview Interview Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Mohegan Sun Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 17, 2020 It’s crazy to think that Top Chef is in its SEVENTEENTH season! In that time, it’s amassed 59 Emmy nominations and welcomed chefs from all across the country, including Connecticut’s own Tyler Anderson. This year, the show is bringing back something near and dear to fans’ hearts: the All Star Season! CTBites got to sit down with Top Chef All Star’s first champion, Richard Blais, at the Mohegan Sun WineFest. Since claiming the title, he’s gone onto host his own podcast, make an array of TV appearances, participate in Chef demos across the country, and judge the very show that he competed on. Here’s what he had to say about life beyond cooking, his fitness routine, how to stay active on the road, Top Chef, and so much more. Read More
Sibling Rivalry on Beat Bobby Flay: Matt Storch & Lisa Storch Battle It Out Features Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay Food Network Chef TV CTbites Team April 15, 2020 Chef Matt Storch of Match and Match Burger Lobster & his older sister Lisa Storch, of Catch a Healthy Habit, Café battle it out on BEAT BOBBY FLAY, Sunday, April 26, 10pm on the Food Network. Read More
Guide To Connecticut's Dairy Farmers: Shop Locallly! Features Ingredients Local Farm Local Artisan Farm Fresh Dairy Farm Farm Stand CT Farms Homepage CTbites Team April 14, 2020 Connecticut dairy farmers selling directly to consumers are not caught up in the milk-dumping situation because they do bottling and distribution themselves. Here is Connecticut Food & Farm’s list of Connecticut dairies who sell milk and dairy like half & half, butter, and yogurt direct to you at their stands or via delivery NOW. This provides you reliable sourcing of the freshest product and the best profitability for the farm.We have not included ice cream although some make it, we have focused on the basics here. You can click through to their websites to see the other products they have available at their locations. Read More
History Happy Hour Weekly Video Series: CT Bartenders Demo Vintage Cocktails Features Recipe Video Cocktails Bar Spirits Education Stephanie Webster April 12, 2020
10 + CT Restaurants & Wholesalers Now Selling Groceries To The Public Features Grocery Store Specialty Market Ingredients Shopping Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 10, 2020 Trips to the grocery store are becoming increasingly difficult. In addition to the risks associated with heading out into the crowd, shelves are picked over and ingredients are low. In order to make premium foods more accessible, some Connecticut restaurants and food wholesalers are making their meats, produce, and other staples available to the public as groceries. We have compiled this guide to let you know which restaurants have grocery programs and which wholesalers are now offering their goods to the public. Read More
Hibiscus Flower Tacos with Pineapple Salsa from Alma de Mexico Features Recipe Recipe Mexican CTbites Team April 09, 2020 In Mexico, it is very common to find water deliciously flavored with Hibiscus flowers. Commonly known as Jamaica, these flowers have a delicious, intensely herbal and fruity taste, and infuse the water with na deep, vivid red color. Originally from Africa or India, Hibiscus flower arrived in Mexico during the colonial years and have been a staple of Mexican cooking ever since. It is well know that these flowers contain helpful diuretic and digestive properties, as well as very high levels of Vitamin C.The hibiscus is used here to make some delicious and vegan Tacos de Jamaica. It is accompanied by a pineapple salsa that brings out the flavor of the hibiscus flowers. It is colorful, fresh, nutritious and very tasty. You can also top with avocados slices or guacamole, and cilantro leaves. You can use accompany these with Hibiscus Iced tea with lime juice and sugar. Read More
35+ DIY Take-Out Meals, Desserts & Cocktail Kits From CT Restaurants Features Ingredients Take Out Delivery Service Entertaining Catering Cocktails Pizza Dessert Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 05, 2020 After weeks of being cooped up at home, you may be looking at ways to pass the time and explore your creative side. Fortunately, Connecticut restaurants, bakeries, and caterers are here to the rescue with fabulous DIY options to bring their delicacies into your kitchen. Sweet tooths and kiddos can partake in all kinds of cupcake and baking kits while the 21 and over crowd can get all of the ingredients to make their own restaurant worthy cocktails. There are also pizza kits, pasta kits, and more. Check out our full guide here! Read More
30+ Connecticut Restaurants & Caterers for Easter Dinner To-Go Features Catering Holiday Easter Special Occasion Entertaining Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 02, 2020 We may have to stay indoors, but the Easter bunny is ready to hop on over! Easter arrives on Sunday April 12, and Connecticut restaurants are making sure that you can still enjoy the holiday to its fullest with delectable to-go meals. From a la carte to family-style to catering to heat and serve, there are options to meet every need. Check out this list of 20+ places and let us know if you hear of any other places with tasty Easter meals Read More
15+ CT Restaurants & Caterers for Passover Meal Delivery and Take Out Features Passover Holiday Catering Caterers Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 31, 2020 This year, Passover begins on April 8 and continues through Thursday April 16. Although Connecticut restaurants are still closed for their dine-in operations, restaurants and caterers across the state are still offering tasty to-go and delivery options for Passover meals. Read More
Westport Farmers’ Market Launches Pilot Farmers' Market Program Ingredients Features Farm Fresh Farmers Market Specialty Market Stephanie Webster March 27, 2020 The Westport Farmers’ Market understands the value of the local food community, and the importance of access to healthy fresh food…food that has traveled a lesser distance and handled only by the purveyor and buyer. We know this local food community is important to our economy as it keeps the money spent by you and then the vendor here supporting our neighbors.Market Director Lori Cochran says “We, also, know we will find our way back to our gathering place on Imperial Ave and eventually back to Gilbertie's next winter BUT for now, it is in our blood to get you local food. To do so, we are launching a pilot farmers' market program under the strictest guidelines for shopping and collection of your purchases. The well being of you, ourselves and our vendors is the utmost priority.” Read More
