Guide To Black Owned Restaurants In Connecticut Restaurant Features Best of CT Dining Guide Black Owned Hartford County New Haven Fairfield County Jamaican Soul Food Juice Bar African Cajun Comfort Food Homepage CTbites Team January 30, 2023 To celebrate Black History Month 2023, we have updated our guide to black owned restaurants across the state of Connecticut. If you see a place that is missing, please let us know. Big ups and thanks to Molly Alexander for compiling an excellent start to this list with her Google Map posted to Eat in CT. Get out there and support these restaurants.We did our best to compile a comprehensive list, but if you know of a spot we missed, please contact us here. Read More
Guide To Juice Bars in Connecticut (2023 Edition) Features Restaurant Guide Best of CT Roundup Juice Cleanse Juicing Healthy Eats Health & Wellness Smoothies Acai Bowl Homepage Highlight April Guilbault January 30, 2023 Would the New Year transition be complete without some kind of purging and rearranging (um, no)? After the cookies and cocktails of the holiday season, vibrant fruit and vegetable juices and some super-duper, feel good cleanses might just be the reset that your bod is craving. Just think of it like a Home Edit for your, well, ultimate *home*. Feel free to label and color coordinate all you please. Enjoy our ultimate Guide to Juice Bars in Connecticut. Read More
43 LaSalle Road Tasting Menu Debuts in West Hartford From New Team at Union Kitchen Features Restaurant Tasting Menu Tasting Wine West Hartford Homepage Opening Christopher Hodson January 28, 2023 Fine dining isn’t dead, despite what René Redzepi might say or think, as he gets ready to shutter the doors of what’s been considered one of the best restaurants in the entire world for nearly twenty years. West Hartford has been missing this ‘option’ in dining for a very long time, up until now. Located at 43 Lasalle Road amid restaurant row, are two gentleman working incredibly hard to bring back the ‘tasting menu’ and the full experience that goes along with it, if you choose. You should choose. Head Chef Tim East brings with him a very diverse background in food as he’s worked at several high profile restaurants around the state with some very notable chefs including Todd English and Bobby Flay. He is no stranger to West Hartford either, as he oversaw the much loved Besito in Blueback square that closed over a rental agreement dispute. Most recently however, he took on a leadership role at the storied Cavey’s in Manchester where he developed a love of French cuisine along with many of its techniques. Tim carries all of this experience and knowledge along with his passion, to a restaurant that is focused on its changing the narrative from what it was before he arrived, to what it is capable of under his leadership, a true destination restaurant amongst the West Hartford food scene. Read More
At Home Raclette Primer from Fairfield/Greenwich Cheese Company Features Catering Cheese Dining At Home Play With Your Food Entertaining CTbites Team January 27, 2023 Raclette is a dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland. The raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates. We went to the cheese experts tat Fairfield/Greenwich Cheese Company to learn more about making Raclette at home, and the different varieties of cheese used to make this ultimate comfort food dish, just right for winter.Raclette comes from the French word racler, which means "to scrape." It's a cheese traditionally eaten in the Swiss and French Alps. Cow herders used to take the cheese with them when they moved cows from the valley pastures up into the mountains. In the evenings around the fire, they would place the cheese next to the fire and, when it had melted, scrape it on top of the bread. Today we have easy to use machines to do the melting, but the results are just as delicious.These are our favorite raclettes: Read More
CT Chefs & Restaurant Win Nominations For James Beard Awards 2023 Features James Beard Awards News Stephanie Webster January 25, 2023 James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalist nominees for the 2023 James Beard Awards today in a press release. Nominees will be announced on Wednesday, March 29, and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 5, 2023, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. We are thrilled to report that two Connecticut chefs and Peruvian restaurant, Cora Cora, have been nominated for James Beard Foundation awards, one of the highest honors in the culinary industry.Renee Touponce of Oyster Club and the Port of Call in Mystic as well as Christian Hunter of Community Table in Washington were nominated as semifinalists for the Best Chef Northeast award. Cora Cora, located in West Hartford was nominated as a semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category. Congrats and good luck chefs! Read More
@HudVbites Launches Under CTbites Umbrella, Covering Hudson Valley, NY Features Instagram HudVbites Hudson Valley Kristin L. Wolfe January 25, 2023 The “Bites” family is growing with the new to Instagram @HudVbites. The account will serve as a launchpad for deeper coverage in the Hudson Valley, NY area, and is spearheaded by CTbites writer, Kristin L. Wolfe. @HudVbites will join @MIAbites and @CTBites.After falling in love with the Hudson Valley—writer/professor Kristin L. Wolfe is taking what CTbites has done for the culinary world of CT and applying it to her new hometown. With countless farms, orchards, markets, restaurants, distilleries, breweries, bakeries, and confectioners Wolfe’s goal at @HudVbites is to replicate the bold cheerleading support CTbites has had for its community. From areas like Beacon and New Paltz, to Kingston and Rhinebeck, to Hudson, Woodstock, and so many more, the Hudson Valley has no shortage of historic spots and brand new locations to explore. @HudVbites will bring readers and foodies the inside stories on chefs and their inspirations; details on craft and technique; info on grand openings and collaborations, and much much more. Like, Follow, and Please Stay Tuned. Read More
CT Guide To Outdoor Dining Guide: Igloos, Fireplaces, Greenhouses + for 2023 Features Restaurant Guide Outdoor Dining Best of CT Winter Dining Igloo Homepage Carly Terzigni January 24, 2023 Dining outside in the middle of winter may seem like a wild idea to some, but many Connecticut restaurants and bars are fully embracing the weather with everything from firepits to private igloos to keep you warm and cozy this season. In fact, moving the dining experience outdoors in the winter has been growing in popularity in recent years, with every kind of environment from firepits to heated patios to full-on private igloo villages. Listed below are restaurants across the state that offer some kind of winterized dining experience, proving that you do not have to move everything indoors just because the temperatures have dropped. Who knows, winter may soon become your favorite time of year to eat outdoors! Read More
Maple Sugaring Activities in Connecticut for Winter 2023 (via CTVisit) Features Kid Friendly Local Farm kids activity Maple Sugaring CTbites Team January 23, 2023 This just in from CTVisit.comThe end of January and throughout March is the maple sugar season in Connecticut! Cold nights and warm, sunny days are necessary to provide good sap yields. Local sugar makers and their many loyal customers eagerly await this annual rite of spring. Visit a local sugarhouse or attend a maple sugar festival to see firsthand how maple syrup is produced! Adopt-a-Tree: Maple Syrup ProgramNew Canaan Nature Center, New Canaan; kicks off on February 4 and runs through March.All ages and families are welcome to learn about and participate in the entire syrup-making process.Tap-a-Tree Maple Sugaring ProgramAmbler Farm, Wilton; February 4, program runs through mid-MarchLearn the science and history of maple sugaring by being a hands-on part of the process. You can come out to the Farm to collect sap from your tree. See the sap get boiled down the sugar shack and then get your own bottle of Ambler Farm Dark Maple Syrup to bring home.Read the complete list of activities on CTVisit.comThis just in from CTVisit.com… Read More
Don Memo in Westport Launches Brunch! Interview Features Restaurant Westport Mexican Homepage Brunch Andrew Dominick January 22, 2023 Just under three years ago, our esteemed founder, Stephanie Webster, introduced CTbites readers to Bill Taibe’s Don Memo. Since the summer of 2020 when Don Memo opened, it has not only been a hit with locals and out-of-towners, but Taibe’s interpretation of authentic Mexican cuisine with ingredients that are seasonal and locally sourced has gotten its share of acclaim as a 2021 CRAzies nominee for Best Restaurant (West Region) and a Restauranteur of the Year win for Taibe.This year, there are big plans for two of Taibe’s restaurants, Kawa Ni and Don Memo, as they’re set to expand in Denver. While Kawa Ni will be the first to open in the Mile High City, Taibe hinted that Don Memo will hopefully follow in the latter half of 2023.But the Denver expansion isn’t stopping Taibe’s restaurants from growing in Westport. Kawa Ni—if you haven’t heard—has both a bigger bar and twice the dining room space.As for Don Memo? It’s open an extra day with another day, Tuesday (because yay for Taco Tuesday!), coming soon thereafter when the weather calls for tacos, tostadas, and palomas on the patio.What’s going down on Sundays at Don Memo is…BRUNCH. And it’s not only offered on Sundays, but Fridays and Saturdays as well. Read More
Pistachio Cafe Opens Second Location in New Haven with Syrian Specialties Features Restaurant New Haven Café Breakfast Lunch Brunch Coffee Shop Middle Eastern Dessert Opening Stephanie Webster January 18, 2023 Some of you may be lucky enough to live near the popular Middle Eastern Pistachio Cafe in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven, but diners in downtown New Haven can finally experience the immense pleasure of settling into one of Pistachio’s signature Turkish Coffees or Pistachio Lattes. Last week, Pistachio Cafe opened a 2nd location at 1245 Chapel Street. Syrian artist, architect and owner, Mohamad Hafez, opened the original Pistachio location in 2020 with the goal of “giving guests the experience of hosting them in my domicile without taking them back to Syria.” In fact, the beautifully ornate and sumptuous interior has layer upon layer of detailing and decor straight from his childhood. . Every inch of this cafe is designed with objects of interest, and the stunning surroundings match the character of this Middle Eastern fan favorite. Read More
Places to Celebrate The Lunar New Year 2023 in Connecticut Events Features Chinese New Year Chinese Events Stephanie Webster January 16, 2023 The 2023 Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, January 22nd and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 5th. Chinese New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs: 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. Here are a few spots to celebrate here in CT. Read More
Roadtrip: Augustine’s Salumeria Dazzles with Seasonal, Modern Italian in Mamaroneck Features Road Trip Restaurant Homepage Mamaroneck Westchester New York Hudson Valley Italian Chef Chef Talk Andrew Dominick January 12, 2023 If you listen to Marc Taxiera talk about his style at his newly opened Mamaroneck restaurant, Augustine’s Salumeria, he speaks about it passionately.“It’s born in Italian cooking, but I’m using ingredients from the market, things that turn us on,” he says. “My food was always about taking ingredients that we can get and showcasing them in the best way. Most Italian tends to be heavy on the sauce, fried calamari, chicken parm, but we’re taking the seasons and playing with it, doing it a little differently.” Read More
CT Shopping Guide for Recreational Cannabis-Legal in CT TODAY! Features Cannabis CBD Chocolate CBD Marijuana Guide Medical Marijuana Health & Wellness Highlight Carly Terzigni January 10, 2023 CBD-infused products have risen in popularity in recent years thanks to de-stigmatization, and a new law passed in the state of Connecticut could see yet another spike in public interest. In 2021, Connecticut made it legal for those with prescriptions to purchase cannabis in-state. But as of today, January 10th of this year, the recreational sale of adult-use cannabis will become legal, with nine medical marijuana operators already approved for business. But in addition to those businesses, there are a wide variety of shops around the state that already sell CBD-infused products, such as oils, creams, and edibles. Perhaps you are just as curious as the rest of us to learn more about the benefits of CBD (for starters, it won’t get you high), or maybe you are a seasoned pro and want to find new local businesses to support while shopping for all of your favorite CBD products. Today, we are going to focus on that final category (since, after all, we’re all foodies here). CBD can be used in a wide variety of ways, including as an infused ingredient in gummies, coffee, seltzers, cookies, honey, candies, and more. Check out some of the shops around the state where you can pick up some of these CBD products, as well as a few national brands to be on the lookout for the next time you head to the store. Read More
Chef Damon Sawyer Opens 29 Markle Ct in Downtown Bridgeport Features Interview Restaurant Bridgeport Homepage Damon Sawyer Chef Talk Opening Andrew Dominick January 08, 2023 “Mixing records is very similar to balancing tastes if you can imagine that. The lows of a record are like beets to me. That funk, the color of it. It’s a deep sound. You add shallots, it’s like a string session. That was a major component into my transition to being a chef. I knew what balancing sound was. Same thing as ingredients.”A quote like that one could only come from a former musician, turned chef. Read More
Nibble: Tasty CT Food News & Events for January 2023 Events Features News Events Pop-Up Dinner Stephanie Webster January 06, 2023 Chef Bill Taibe’s popular Mexican spot, Don Memo, is now serving BRUNCH!! Brunch is served Friday, Saturday beginning at noon & Sunday 11:30am-3pm.—Nit Noi has launched a Cooking Class series where you can learn how to make their fantastic dumplings, organic bone broths ++ More info here.— Join SWYFT in Kent on Sunday, January 15th for Tiki Night! 🏝️ Beach-worthy dinner specials, cocktails, and tropical mocktails (hello #dryjanuary ) from 5 to 8 🥥 We're serving up great food, atmosphere, and community all winter long at Swyft.—Lani’s next Vietnamese Pop Up at Grano Arso is celebrating the Lunar New Year. She’ll be featuring special dishes eaten only on Lunar New Year.. happening on 1/16.. doors open at 5pm. Bar seats available just give us a call! Come celebrate with us! Book on Open Table.—On February 1st, 6 PM – 9 PM don’t miss the Igor's Dream Preview & Dessert Pairing Night at Area 2 Experimental Brewing. Read More
Bona Bona Ice Cream in Port Chester Launches Savory Bites Menu + Boozy Milkshake Bar Features Ice Cream Interview Restaurant Ice Cream Milkshakes Bona Bona Ice Cream Bona Bona Port Chester Westchester Greenwich Andrew Dominick January 05, 2023 Those who are newly familiar with Nick Di Bona’s namesake Bona Bona Ice Cream should know he’s not just an ice cream man.It’s no surprise that Di Bona’s small batch Italian interpretation of American ice cream has taken off. Nutella S’mores, Italian Rainbow Cookie, and Key Lime Pie are a few, but throw in Bona Bona’s signature toasted meringue topping, and it’s not only delicious, it’s highly photographable. Read More
Grumpy Dumplings: Small Batch Hand-Folded Fresh Dumplings Delivered! Features Dumplings Thai Pasta Asian Farmers Market Local Chef Vendor Highlight Homepage Stephanie Webster January 04, 2023 A few months ago, a friend whose taste I trust asked me if I had tried Grumpy Dumplings? I said I had seen the account on Instagram, and recognized them from the local farmers’ markets, but had yet to try these so called “grumpy” dumplings. I was however already somewhat obsessed with their Japanese anime style branding, so why not give it a go? A few days later, I was able to procure some of their small batch dumplings ordered through their Instagram account (they since have launched a web site with online ordering), and as a bonus…they even delivered within 20 miles of Norwalk. Dinner was saved. Read More
Haven Hot Chicken Opening in North Haven...With Norwalk Next! Features Fried Chicken Fried Chicken Sandwich Lunch To-Go Sandwich Opening CTbites Team December 30, 2022 Haven Hot Chicken, which brings Nashville Hot Chicken and “Not Chicken” to the area as one of the first fully dedicated Nashville Hot Chicken concepts in New England, today announced that it will be opening its fourth location in North Haven, Connecticut. Located at 146 Washington Avenue, the 1200 square foot location will feature the brand’s signature menu of crispy, crunchy, juicy, spicy, delicious chicken and vegetarian options ranging from Country (not spicy) to Haven (extremely spicy), along with their beloved fries, sides and seasonal limited-time offerings. Having recently celebrated the second anniversary of its first location in New Haven, Haven Hot Chicken opened its Orange location in June 2022, and will be opening soon in Norwalk, CT. Read More
My Favorite Dish: Rosina’s Raviolo al’ Uovo Features Interview Restaurant Pasta egg yolk ravioli Greenwich Byram Rosina's Greenwich Rosina's fresh pasta Homepage Chef Chefs Chef Talk Andrew Dominick December 29, 2022 I’ll be the first to admit that since Rosina’s opened, it has become my toxic trait. And I mean that in the best way possible. I’ve eaten there for dinner, I’ve attended several happy hours and one industry night, and I’ve celebrated a birthday there.Full transparency, Jared Falco, Rosina’s co-owner and executive chef, is a good friend of mine. I’d like to say I go so often to visit him, and that is partially true, but Jared, I’m sorry, it’s for the pasta. Still love you, bro! Read More
CTbites Staff Picks For Top Eats of 2022 (Plus Special Guest Eaters) Features Restaurant Best of CT Top Eats Roundup Awards Homepage CTbites Team December 27, 2022 It’s that time of year, when the CTbites staff temporarily puts down our forks, and contemplates our most memorable annual eats. 2022 saw an explosion of restaurateurs and chefs entering the Connecticut culinary scene, and the CTBites team, alongside some special guest reviewers below, did our best to eat it all. There were some clear standouts, restaurants that you’ll find repeated in the “top eats” lists below, and some more hidden gems you should add to your dining dance card.In 2022 restaurants continued to struggle with both labor and supply shortages, and yet, chefs continued to innovate, creating memorable dishes, and sharing their love for cooking with Connecticut diners. It is critical that in 2023 we continue to support our favorite restaurants, chefs, bartenders, and front of house staff, who work so hard to bring you a unique and tasty experience. Be kind when you dine. And with that in mind, here are CTbites’ TOP EATS 2022. Read More
