10 Questions with Fjord Fish Market's Jim Thistle Ingredients Interview Recipe Chef Talk Fish Seafood Specialty Market April Guilbault October 18, 2016 Oh so many fish in da sea! And that’s only the beginning....what kind of fish do you want to prepare? Do you know how to prepare it? Oh, yeah, and where should you go to get this fish, short of heading out into open waters yourself? And wait, and here’s the $100,000 question: is the fish you are buying everything it says it is? Good grief. It’s almost easier dating and looking for *those* fish in the sea. Well, fear not, CTBites sat down recently with one of the Big Fish out there, Jim Thistle of Fjord Fish Market, and he helped guide us through seemingly murky waters... Read More
CTbites Joins Lidia Bastianich Shooting Her TV Series Lidia's Kitchen Interview Emma Jane-Doody Stetson May 17, 2016 It feels like an ordinary morning in South Norwalk. Restaurants are opening their doors and a few pedestrians have started to meander down Main Street. People are easing into their daily routines. There is no fanfare or paparazzi… no indication that culinary legend Lidia Bastianich and her team have quietly taken over Clarke Kitchens to film the latest season of Lidia’s Kitchen! Lidia Bastianich’s extensive career is filled with an array of accomplishments. Her four New York City restaurants, Felidia, Becco, Esca and Del Posto, as well as Lidia’s Pittsburgh and Lidia’s Kansas City, have received widespread acclaim. She also joined forces with her son Joe Bastianich, Mario Batali, and Oscar Farinetti to open Eataly, an Italian food and wine marketplace. In addition to her achievements as a restaurateur, she is an Emmy award-winning public television host, cookbook author, broadcast production company founder, and businesswoman. Bastianich has chosen Norwalk to film 26 episodes for the fourth season of Lidia’s Kitchen. The television series, which is sponsored by Cento and Grana Padano, will air on PBS Public Television Network starting October 8, 2016. Each 30 minute episode revolves around a certain theme or ingredient and presents recipes based on it. Read More
Interview w/ Chef Zac Young, Executive Pastry Chef @ David Burke Restaurants Interview Celebrity Chef Chef Chef Talk Emma Jane-Doody Stetson April 02, 2016 We recently gave you a sneak peek at Savor: A Celebration of Wine, Food, & Spirits, that will unfold in Hartford from April 7-9. The event’s Grand Tasting will give guests the chance to try hundreds of wine, spirits, and beers, indulge in dishes from area restaurants, and watch celebrity chef demonstrations. Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine will headline the event while proceeds go toward the Robert Irvine foundation. A few weeks ago, he spoke with CTBites and told us about the foundation, upcoming Food Network shows, his varied food projects, and what to expect this year. Savor just announced another addition to its celebrity chef line-up: Chef Zac Young. Fun, gregarious, and whimsical, Young currently works as the Executive Pastry Chef for the David Burke Restaurants. I became a fan of his when I watched him compete on Top Chef: Just Desserts. This past holiday season, his Thanksgiving “PieCaken” became a bona fide sensation. Read More
10 Questions w/ The Whelk's Chef Anthony Kostelis Interview Chef Chef Talk CTbites Team March 15, 2016 You eat at their restaurants, you love their food, but what do you know about the chefs who work to bring you culinary pleasure? Here are 10 Questions with The Whelk's Chef Anthony Kostelis. Find out what inspires him, his favorite chef, most memorable meal and more...Get to know your chef. What made you decide to be a chef? I had always been involved in restaurants in some form. My father had his own food distribution company. My first jobs were working a few shifts in the kitchens at one of his customer's restaurants. I moved on to the front of house when I was 18 or so. That landed me at Scoozzi in New Haven for a few years. It was there, that I decided to pursue cooking. I remember looking at my class schedule when I was enrolled at Southern Connecticut State University; I was totally uninspired by my class list. I just happened to have dinner later that day at my favorite restaurant at the time when I realized that food is what I am passionate about. Read More
An Interview with Cookbook Author and Baking Expert Abby Dodge Interview Author Book Cookbooks Amy Kundrat December 16, 2015 Classically trained pastry chef, baking expert, cookbook author, and baking instructor Abby Dodge is a Fairfield, CT native on a mission to “bake the world a better place one recipe at a time.” She is a long-time contributing editor to Fine Cooking magazine, founding its test kitchen. In addition to her contributions in print, Abby is also leads a baking boot camp called “Cakes and Pies” you can enroll in on Craftsy.com, and an avid blogger where she hosts the online community #baketogether.. I had the pleasure of interviewing Abby on the occasion of the release of her tenth and latest cookbook called The Everyday Baker. You won’t want to miss her advice for home cooks on baking during the holiday season (advice I am promising myself to heed this year!), which is transcends baking and is really applicable to all things in life. If you have questions for Abby, she has graciously agreed to answer your baking questions left in the comments section below. Read More
The National Opens in Greenwich: A Conversation with Chef, Restaurateur, & TV Host Geoffrey Zakarian Interview Restaurant Celebrity Chef Greenwich Openings Amy Kundrat November 21, 2015 The National, the newest restaurant from celebrated chef, restaurateur, TV host, author, and philanthropist Geoffrey Zakarian, is now open in the heart of downtown Greenwich, at 376 Greenwich Avenue. We were invited to sit down with the chef just 24 hours after he opened the doors to the public. Sitting in a corner banquette, our candid conversation spanned his 30-year career, including his love for Greenwich, formative culinary influences, and his advice for aspiring chefs. The National feels like an extension of Zakarian himself. They both exude a studied yet casual New York elegance, are utterly charming, and yet quite approachable. A former Greenwich resident, it is no surprise he chose to open the restaurant within this community he knows so well. The modern american bistro feels at home on the Avenue and inside, boasts the welcoming charm of a neighborhood café with a seasonal menu positioned to please. Read More
10 Questions w/ John Barricelli @ Sono Baking Company's 10 Year Anniversary Ingredients Interview Bakery Chef Talk Stephanie Webster August 18, 2015 This summer marks the 10 year anniversary for Sono Baking Company. To celebrate the milestone of this beloved local bakery, we sat down with owner, John Barricelli, to talk about the business of baking and his plans for the future. What made you decide to launch Sono Baking Company? We launched Sono 10 years ago because we found that the need for baked goods and breads were hard to find in this area....everything was being brought up from the city....I always wanted to bake bread in a big oven early in the morning with no days off! Has the business of baking changed in the past 10 year? How? The business has not changed, but competition has grown a little....we still think we are superior to anything out there...we bake fresh everyday....bake locally, distribute locally. Read More
Michel Nischan: Connecticut’s Humanitarian Chef Interview Westport CTbites Team May 12, 2015 As we go to print on this article, chef, CEO and humanitarian Michel Nischan is in Chicago receiving another James Beard Award, as Humanitarian of the Year. This honor has been bestowed on few, including Art Smith, Emeril Lagasse and the late Charlie Trotter. The award signifies Michel’s commitment to making a difference in how and where we buy food, food education, and Wholesome Wave programs that offer affordable access to all consumers, especially the food insecure. As a longtime Westport resident, I have fond memories of The Dressing Room next to the Westport Country Playhouse. The buzz surrounding the restaurant when it opened in 2006 was driven by the friendship and collaboration between the co-owners, Paul Newman and chef Michel Nischan and their shared beliefs about food. Together they contributed to Connecticut’s nascent farm-to-table movement, not only sourcing from local farms and purveyors, but also listing their products as part of the menu. Paul could be found there many evenings with his wife Joanne, and family and “sightings” were always a treat to patrons. Read More
Meet Walrus + Carpenter's Pitmaster, Ben McCrea, The Man Who Makes The Meat Interview Restaurant American BBQ Bridgeport Lunch Sarah Green May 06, 2015 Ben McCrea is a gentle-giant of a man, but don't let his warm, friendly facade fool you. Underneath that kind-hearted shell is a mean, Auss-een, grilling machine. In the WAY back of the lot on Fairfield Ave in Bridgeport that Walrus + Carpenter calls home, is the perch where Ben keeps watch. His job... smoking all types of meat to perfection. But what makes the man that makes the meat?Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Ben gained his skills from watching his grandfather grill on the "barbie," but becoming a grill master wasn't his first passion. Ben came to the States as a boxer and did very well in that 'arena.' However, boxing is a short career and Ben knew something more awaited. What he didn't know was that it would be a smoker with a 500 gallon propane tank, commissioned by Walrus co-owner Joe Farrell (along with Adam Roytman.) Read More
Women's Business Council Hosts Amy Kundrat of CTbites & Sneaky Chef Author Missy Chase Lapin Interview Restaurant Events CTbites Team April 08, 2015 The Women's Business Council of Danbury is hosting their fifth annual Conversations with Extraordinary Women on April 23 at 5 to 8 pm at the Matrix Conference Center in Danbury, including CTbites' Executive Editor Amy Kundrat and best-selling author of Sneaky Chef Foods, Missy Chase Lapine. Read More
Three Interviews with Connecticut James Beard Award Semifinalists Interview Chef Talk Washington Amy Kundrat February 21, 2015 Chefs Tyler Anderson, Bill Taibe, and Joel Viehland were recently recognized by the James Beard Foundation as semifinalists in the 2015 Best Chef: Northeast category. On the occasion of their nomination, we asked each of them to answer a few questions, from the serious (key influences and mentors) to the hypothetical (a CTbites blank check to open a new restaurant). Want to know where Chef Tyler Anderson's next restaurant could be, who Chef Viehland would love to cook for, and who is one of Chef Taibe's biggest influences (hint: he is a chef in one of his kitchens)? Read on for this and more from three of Connecticut's best chefs. Read More
Award-Winning Author & Food Critic Mimi Sheraton in Conversation with Chef Matt Storch Interview Author Westport CTbites Team February 12, 2015 Mimi Sheraton, award-winning author and former restaurant critic for The New York Times, will be at the Westport Public Library on Saturday, February 28 to discuss her new book, 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List. Sheraton's appearance will be a conversation with Matt Storch, chef and owner of Match Restaurant. About Mimi Sheraton Mimi Sheraton is a journalist, restaurant critic, lecturer, IACP and James Beard Award–winning cookbook author, and the woman about whom famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten declared, “Her knowledge knows no bounds, her glossary of flavors is ultimate. Her opinion is like gold.” The former restaurant critic of the New York Times, Read More
Meet The Whelk's New Chef de Cuisine, Anthony Kostelis Interview Restaurant Chef Chef Talk Westport Stephanie Webster November 19, 2014 How does it feel to be hired as the new Chef de Cuisine for one of Fairfield County’s most successful restaurants? Chef Anthony Kostelis, of The Whelk in Westport, would say it is like a dream come true. In fact, ever since Kostelis started working with Bill Taibe in 2010, he knew he didn't want to be anywhere else. Kostelis’ love of food began at the ripe age of 15 when he started work in a Manchester pizza restaurant. Half Greek, half Italian, and the son of a food purveyor for high end ingredients, Anthony seemed fated to head down a culinary path. By age 20, he was working in New Haven as a server and bartender at Ibiza, when he decided to leave college and pursue his real passion, cooking. Working his way through the CIA, he was mentored by Executive Chef Jeff Caputo of Scoozzi, also in New Haven, who took him under his wing and “set me up for success,” says Anthony. Read More
An Interview w/ Adam Richman via CTbites' & Serendipity Blogger Lounge Interview Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Stephanie Webster October 15, 2014 Good times were had at this year's Greenwich Wine + Food Festival as National and local celebrity chefs sat down with Chef Matt Storch and Serendipity Editor, Danielle Manion at the CTbites & Serendipity Blogger Lounge. Here is the first installment, our interview with the formidable Adam Richman, made famous with his hit show "Man V. Food" on The Travel Channel. Adam even has some great local restaurant recommendations! Read More
A Conversation with Tim and Nina Zagat Interview CTbites Team March 27, 2014 Co-Founders Nina and Tim Zagat of the indespensible dining guide, the Zagat Survey, will be visiting the Yale School of Management this Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 11:45 am. The event is open only to the Yale community but luckily for us, they will be broadcasting it live. Zagat has been an essential resource guiding diners on the best places to eat, drink and shop for over three decades using crowd-sourced diner reviews, their own editors, and their well-known 30 point scale. Read More
CTbites Speaks With Lidia Bastianich Ingredients Interview Features Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Cookbooks Italian Lou Gorfain December 12, 2013 Like Oprah or Madonna in pop culture, Lidia is one-name-famous to foodies, a television star (Lidia's Italy -- PBS), renowned restaurateur (Felidia, Eataly, Delposto, Becco), a worldwide brand (Lidia's Sauces and Pasta), bestselling author (Lidia’s Commonsense Guide to Italian Cooking is her latest), mom, grandmother, whew, one name so many roles. So CTBites was delighted that Lidia carved out time from her hectic schedule to chat with us prior to her book signing this Saturday at Stamford's Fairway Market (details below.) Incidentally, Lidia is no stranger to Connecticut. Her son Joe and his family live in Greenwich, she tapes her PBS show in Norwalk, and of course the Bastianich clan is associated with Tarry Lodge in both Westport and Port Chester. We began the conversation, wondering what Lidia the little girl would think if she could peer into a crystal ball and see the famous Lidia of today. “When I was nine years old we had fled from Communist Yugoslavia and my family was in a refugee camp,” she told us, “I think that little girl, her mouth would be open at what I’ve accomplished.” Then Lidia thought about that youngster for a moment and resolutely stated, “But you know, I always had confidence I was going to amount to something And food was so very important to me, because we didn’t have much.” Read More
10 Questions with the "Singing" Chef Neil Fuentes Interview Chef Talk Amy Kundrat December 06, 2013 Chef Entertainer Neil Fuentes (a.k.a. "The Singing Chef") was recently featured on the Food Channel giving audiences a tour of one of his favorite New Haven spots. Rubamba. We sat down with Neil to discuss his favorite ingredients, kitchen nightmares, and go-to dishes. 1. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in one hour, what would you whip up? One of the most effective recipes I like to make when I am in a rush is my Mustard Chicken, It’s fast, with deep flavors and really quick. I grab whatever I have in the freezer, chicken breast, chicken thighs, a whole chicken or whatever. I place the chicken in in a large soup pot! I put water until it’s covered with water. Put on the stove on high and covered. To that I add a 3/4 cup of good old yellow mustard. 1 tbsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. I let the chicken boil covered for 15 minutes. Then I uncover the chicken and keep it on high. The liquid will start reducing creating a super delicious sauce. One the sauce is thick I shut the stove off. At that pout I take the chicken off the pot and place it on a baking sheet with a rack and put it older the broiler in the oven until is nice and brown. I serve this chicken with a simple rice and sweet fried plantains. 2. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Read More
10 Questions with Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Scott Vaccaro Interview Chef Talk Beer Amy Kundrat November 07, 2013 Barcelona Wine Bar in SoNo recently hosted a beer dinner with Captain Lawrence Brewing Company founder and brewmaster Scott Vaccaro. The four course dinner paired a spanish inspired menu designed by Chef Freddy Chimborazo, with four of the brewery's beers (and at $45 per person, this felt like a dine and dash). The meal went from light to heavy, beginning with a first course paired a grilled shrimp with lemon aoili paired with Liquid Gold, a Belgian Style ale, to a fourth course pairing smoked short ribs with a smoked porter. In addition to the four well-matched courses, the highlight of the evening was getting to know Vacarro, Captain Lawrence's amiable founder and brewmaster himself. 1. How did you go from drinking Schaefer to brewing your own beer at the age of 17? I stumbled upon home brewing at a friends house my junior year in high school. I was amazed that you could actually brew beer at home. I was given the green light by my parents and with the help of my friends father I brewed my first batch in November of 1995. 2. You studied brewing at UC Davis, and worked at a few breweries including Sierra Nevada. Are you inspired by a particular style or brewery when brewing your beers? Read More
"How We Eat" Discussion Series Hosts Jane Stern of Roadfood.com October 23rd Interview Education CTbites Team October 18, 2013 Restaurateurs, farmers, and chefs speak about their world of culinary expertise as part of How We Eat, Ridgefield Magazine’s year of discussions with prominent locals in the food industry. Jane Stern, RoadFood author, magazine writer who commands a large following on the topic of road food roadfood.com, will talk about food and dining as cultural anthropology. Putting what we eat into the context of culture, history, and attitudes. This talk will be held on October 23, @ 7 pm Events take place at the Prospector Annex, 454 Main Street, Ridgefield, until the main theater is completed in summer 2014, when they will move to the main theater on Prospect Street. To reserve a free seat, contact Julia Reis. Read More
Blogger Lounge Video Highlights: 15 Chefs & Industry Pros Talk Shop @ The Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Interview Restaurant Celebrity Chef Chef Talk CTbites Team October 09, 2013 Hosting the CTbites Blogger Lounge at the Greenwich Wine+Food Festival has to be one of our fondest and possibly the most fun collaborations we've been a part of in our three years of eating, writing, photographing, interviewing, and convening chefs and restaurateurs for CTbites. There is so much to share, so much to cover, so as a bit of a teaser of that excellent day, here are some video snippets of the great action from Saturday's Blogger Lounge. We will be sharing full interviews, our own coverage, and our fellow blogger coverage over the coming weeks, so stay tuned. Read More
