The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Restaurant Cooking Classes Wine Tasting Beer Lunch Emma Jane-Doody Stetson January 09, 2014 The Whelk in Westport will start serving LUNCH on January 15th! Lunch will be served Wednesday, Thursdays, and Fridays 12pm-2:30. Saturday January 11 is Step Out at Stepping Stones Museum. The wine and food tasting supports the museum’s educational initiatives. It includes the Melting Pot, Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines, The Brewhouse, and more. 7-9:30pm. $40 and up per person. More info here. Mohegan Sun’s Restaurant Week begins Sunday January 12th and goes through the 17th. Visit the website to see what the casino’s renowned eateries are offering. Sundays are ½ off bottles of select wines at many local restaurants, including The Spread, Bar Sugo, and Bistro Latino. On Tuesday January 14, learn how to braise at Barcelona Fairfield. Join Chef Helton and learn the art of braising and complementing it with a few vegetable side dishes. 4-7pm. $35pp plus tax and gratuity. http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/calendar.htm Also on Tuesday, Caseus Fromagerie in New Haven is offering a class called “Relishing the Rind.” The class will explore categorizing cheese by types of rind. You will get to taste bloomy, ash, wash-rind cheeses ...and more! 6-7:30pm. Approx $37pp. Buy Tix Here. Read More
Valbella: Old School Italian Elegance in Greenwich Restaurant Bakery French Greenwich Italian Dessert Sarah Green January 05, 2014 I never go to Italian restaurants in Connecticut because I was lucky and spoiled enough to have eaten in Italy - a lot - and I always feel disappointed in the American version of Italian cuisine. So when a friend begged me to review VALBELLA in Greenwich, I was reluctant to say the least. The pastry chef, she claimed, was world renowned and his food art simply had to be reviewed. I did some research and decided to acquiesce. For more than 20 years, the stately, Victorian Valbella has been the archetype for excellent but old school Italian cuisine in the Greenwich/Riverside area, and has successful sister locations in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District and Midtown. And I can understand why. It is in no way funky or hip or cool but is extremely elegant and the food, though I am hesitant to admit it, was outstanding. Read More
Loaf of the Week at Scratch Baking Restaurant Bakery Milford Amy Kundrat January 04, 2014 Beginning on January 31, 2014 for 8 weeks, Scratch Baking in Milford will be kicking-off their second annual "Loaf of the Week" club. Participants, known as "the loafers," receive a surprise bread and spread each week, paired with a recipe. Think of it as a winter CSA for your bread box. "It really is alot of fun and honestly it is perfect for winter time when you just want to curl up and fire up that crockpot," said Lesli Flick, Scratch owner and baker. Last year, Scratch's Loaf of the Week baked fresh loaves of brioche paired with a cinnamon raisin butter, ciabatta with pesto, and rosemary focaccia with a lemon curd. The cost to become a Loafer is $65 for 8 weeks of breads and spreads. Read More
Get A Healthy Start to 2014: CT Resources for Juicing, Healthy Eats & More Features Restaurant Juice Bar Juice Cleanse healthy Organic Take Out April Guilbault January 02, 2014 You just did it all this holiday season. And by that, I mean...cookies became a food group. Mixing, stirring and shopping had you working your “muscles” (how to polish something, right?). Real exercise resided in the back seat, crammed in between boxes and bags and wrapping paper. Your sanity was also wedged in there, too, now that you think about it. Thank goodness that a new year is upon us because you weren’t quite sure you could take another week, chaotic and fun as it may have been. And yes, there was much good in the holiday season...but it’s all....tiring. So now, after the decadence and gluttony, let’s reset. Recharge. And for the love of Pete, put down that cookie. Here we offer, as your first gift of the New Year, some great resources, including juice cleanses, yoga joints and healthy eats, to get your body and mind back on track and ready for action in 2014! Read More
Reader's Choice Awards from Connecticut Magazine Restaurant Best of CT Douglas P Clement January 01, 2014 Connecticut Magazine reached out and you responded—now here are the results of their annual restaurant survey, featuring readers’ favorites in 35 dining categories. Bon appétit! best in overall excellence Bernard’s/Sarah’s Wine Bar, Ridgefield The Spread, Norwalk The Cellar Door, Ridgefield best new restaurant The Spread, Norwalk Walrus + Carpenter, Bridgeport Heirloom Food Co.,Danielson Read The Complete Reader's Choice Awards List on Connecticut Magazine Read More
CTbites Staff & Chef Picks for TOP EATS OF 2013 Restaurant Armonk Bridgeport Danbury Fairfield Norwalk Washington Westport New Canaan Best of CT CTbites Team December 25, 2013 As food writers, photographers, and chefs, we have the pleasure of eating a lot of really great food. Fairfield County has experienced something of a restaurant explosion over the past year, as new chefs move in and move on, and menus expand. We've endeavored to expand our coverage beyond those borders, seeking to cover more of the state and sharing those experiences that are worth seeking out. Instead of coming up with a top ten list ourselves, we asked the CTbites extended family to share some of their most memorable meals and dining experiences this past year. Read More
TravelBites: Heading to Miami, Florida? Don't Miss MC Kitchen Restaurant Miami Road Trip TRAVELBites ellen bowen December 22, 2013 By request….CTBites is trying out a new column, TravelBites, for our readers heading out of the great state of CT. These articles will feature popular vacation/business travel destinations for local CT residents, but if you have a suggestion for a TRAVELbites, contact us. Our first article features Chef Dena Marino and MC Kitchen in sunny Miami….one of the fastest growing “foodie” hubs in the US. Hot culinary spots are opening in hotel restaurants like SLS South Beach with Katsuya or The Bazaar by Jose Andres as well as Soho transplant, Lure Fishbar in the Loews. Funky hipster dining options are popping up practically daily in the emerging fashion and art neighborhoods like in the Design District , Midtown and Wynwood…Miami and Miami Beach has something for everyone. MC Kitchen, opened a little over a year ago, is the passionate creation of Chef Dena Marino and her friend, Brandy Coletta Hence, the M and C ). Chef Dena, who actually hails originally from northern New Jersey, moved to Miami a little over three years from her executive chef position at Ajax Tavern in Aspen to head up the kitchen at the now defunct Danny Devito’s restaurant, Devitos. Read More
First Look: The Cask Republic Opens In Stamford Restaurant CT Beer Cocktails Pub Stamford Beer Bar James Gribbon December 20, 2013 Fans of craft beer and elevated pub grub have a home in Stamford at the new Cask Republic on Summer Street. Lines of draft beer stretch down the bar in the dozens, awaiting pairing with menu items created and overseen by executive chef Carl Carrion. The Cask Republic's first, and only other, location is in New Haven, so there shouldn't be too much competition for customers with its second pied-à-terre next to The Fez and across from Buffalo Wild Wings in Stamford. Walk into the new Cask and you'll see a large front room in which a good many tables and chairs are ringed by cushioned booths and myriad framed photographs, with a long black bar dominating the right hand wall. The bar, one of two in The Cask Republic, is clearly meant to be the center of both attention and action in this future hub of Stamford nightlife, and features 51 taps poking their way through sheets of copper. Illuminated liquor bottles flank the taps, with gas lamps and Edison bulbs lighting the entire expanse. Read More
Bareburger Opens In Ridgefield CT w/ Organic, Grass-Fed Burgers Restaurant Ridgefield Comfort Food Kid Friendly Burgers Amy Kundrat December 18, 2013 Connecticut's first Bareburger, the micro chain restaurant known for organic ingredients, grass-fed humanely-raised protein, and sustainable practices, opened this week in Ridgefield. CTbites tagged along on a Friends and Family earlier this week with fellow Ridgefielders and had the chance to meet its trio of partners, Bareburger’s chef, and taste a couple of their burgers (elk and wild boar, to be exact). Read More
"My Signature Dish," Chef Jodi Bernhard of Fortina in Armonk Restaurant Armonk Chef Talk Italian My Signature Dish Lou Gorfain December 17, 2013 "My Signature Dish" is a new CTbites column featuring a rotating cast of chefs, and the dishes that define their cooking style, or simply make them happy to fire up the stove. Jodi Bernhard hardly hesitated when choosing her signature dish at Fortina, Christian Petroni’s "casually hip" Italian restaurant in Armonk. Her eyes gleaming, she said, "It's our Pork Braciole." Braciole, hip? If you grew up Italian, you probably hold memories of Braciole near and dear. This classic rolled, stuffed meat roast, usually serves as centerpiece for those sprawling homemade Italian dinners that lazily linger across Sunday afternoons into evening. Braciole invokes home. And family. Instant Nostalgia. Ok, so how does a chef modernize a memory? Autograph a treasured family photo? “That is the gist of our approach at Fortina,” Jodi explained. “ We try to not stray too far from ‘mom's’ version, but still make it a restaurant dish with our stamp on it. We are true to simplicity and flavor.” The notion of putting “Mom’s dish” on Fortina’s playful, hip menu was Christian’s, one of the restaurant’s owners. (Patroni and and Jodi once cooked together at Barcelona in nearby Greenwich.) Though she and Christian work as collaborators, the task of “restaurantizing” this homey meal was largely up to Bernhard. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Features Restaurant CT Beer Wine Dinners Wine Tasting Beer Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 13, 2013 Thursday December 12 at 7:30, Ancona’s in Ridgefield will host a high end wine tasting. Cost is $30/person. To RSVP please call (203)544-8958 or e-mail monica@anconaswines.com. On Friday December 13 from 7:30-10pm, try out a class at Muse Paintbar, a combination between a painting studio and beer & wine bar in downtown Manchester, CT. 10 beers & 12 wines will help bring out the artist in you… and you’ll go home with a painting. $39pp. View more info here. Every other Friday, Half Full Brewery holds an “Open House.” From 5:30-8:30pm, the taps are open and guests can try their hand at bags, life-size jenga, draw on the chalkboard wall, and hang out. $15pp. Details here. Lidia Bastianich will be spending some time in Stamford on Saturday, 12/14 at Fairway Market. From 1-3 pm you can meet her at the store and she’ll sign your copies of her brand new book, Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking: 150 Delicious and Simple Recipes Anyone Can Master. While there, you’ll be able to try out and buy some of Lidia’s pastas and sauces, too, with demos and tastings. Read More
Locali Pizza Bar + Kitchen Opens in New Canaan Restaurant Italian Pizza New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 08, 2013 Clean…Balanced…Flavorful… Three words to describe the outstanding cuisine that Locali Pizza Bar + Kitchen, the latest addition to New Canaan’s Restaurant Row. This twenty-eight seat restaurant / pizza bar is already making its mark on the culinary landscape of New Canaan. Executive Chef Mogan Anthony and his team are creating vibrant flavors and textural contrasts in many of their dishes, intermingled among other selections that are pleasantly soft and mild. The interior design, with a strong focus on organic materials, creates a cozy and inviting environment with guests choosing between table or bar seating. In full view of the dining and bar area is the beautiful, hand-crafted ceramic encased Stefano Ferrara wood-fired brick oven. Joining Chef Mogan in the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Ruben Liriano and Chef Antonio Legato oversees the wood burning pizza oven. Chef Mogan gained his training at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore and subsequently under Chef Jean Georges Vongericthen in three different locations, plus the Bedford Post and Village Social in Mt. Kisco. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Features Restaurant Cooking Classes Education Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 06, 2013 On Friday December 6, join 109 Cheese and Wine and Jim Morrison from Artisan Wines for some exceptional Italian red wines including Barolo, Brunello, and a few others. The event will take place in Ridgefield, CT and costs $55pp. 7-9pm. http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/507053 Saturday December 7 from 4:30– 6:30pm Amity Wines and the CT Craft Brew Guild will have a beer tasting. It will include Down East Appe Cider, Breckenridge Regal Pilsner, Green Flash Saison, Wachusett Larry IPA, Six Pints Global Warmer, Andechs Dopplebock, and more. Please RSVP to Kim or Tony directly at 203-387-6725 or tony@amitywines.net. Amity Wines Tasting Room: 65 Amity Rd, New Haven, CT 06515. http://www.amitywines.net/events/ Bishops Orchards in Guilford, CT conducts wine tours every Saturday this month at 2:00pm. Tasting and Tour combo for $10pp. http://www.bishopsorchards.com/index.php Monday December 9 at 7pm, Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market, 55 degrees Restaurant, and Vias Imports present a “Piedmont Holiday Wine Dinner” with guest host Michael Petrizzo, Northeast Brand Manager. $89 plus tax and tip. 5 courses with wine pairings. http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/508378 Tuesday December 10, Barcelona New Haven will hold a “Spanish Holiday Dishes” cooking class. Guests can join Chef Frank as he demonstrates how to prepare Barcelona-inspired holiday and New Year’s dishes. 7pm, $25pp. http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/calendar.htm Read More
Luxe Wine Bar to Re-Open Soon in Westport Restaurant Wine Bar CTbites Team December 04, 2013 Luxe Winebar (aka Luxe Modern Wine & Cocktails) at 190 Main Street in Westport will soon re-open on under new ownership. Former owner Robert Reilly has passed the torch to new owner, Dave Morton. The two are working together to make improvements to the menu and interior of the bar, while keeping things the way patrons liked it. “We had a loyal customer base that was disappointed to see LUXE had closed temporarily,” said former owner Robert Reilly. “Dave and I hope they’ll come back and find LUXE better than ever. Morton is working to make the setting warmer and friendlier, plus adding on menu items to complement the existing cheese and charcuterie. “The cheese and charcuterie have been well received,” Dave Morton says. “I want to give people even more options to choose from. New items will include desserts and chocolates from neighboring businesses, plus other wine-friendly noshes like hummus and pita chips, and olives.” Read More
Little Barn Opens Thursday December 5th in Westport Restaurant Westport Beer Bar Comfort Food Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster December 02, 2013 Scott Beck (Match, The Chelsea) and his partner Kevin McHugh (Spotted Horse, The Chelsea), alongside Chef Jeff Spence (The Chelsea) have announced that their new project, Little Barn at 1050 Post Road in Westport, will open this Thursday, December 5th. They will be open for lunch and dinner, and will accept reservations for lunch only. Scott Beck was quoted in a recent pre-opening interview as saying,“We’re building a barn, and putting a pub inside," and so they did. The building, inside and out, features lots of reclaimed red barn siding, 2 spectacular reclaimed roof vents, and a 2 sided stone fireplace in the main dining space. It will cozy up the inside and also warm up the outside when eating or drinking on the outside stone patio. In the summer the bar and dining room have sliding doors that open onto the patio as well which will give it a nice open air feel. Read More
Bar Sugo in Norwalk 2.0: Enter Chef Paul Failla Restaurant Italian Norwalk Comfort Food Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 01, 2013 Slightly more than a year ago, restaurant Bar Sugo opened on Wall Street in Norwalk featuring a variety of owner/Chef Pat Pascarella’s fantastic pizzas, meatballs and delectable pastas. Pascarella recently handed the reins of the day-to-day culinary oversight to Chef Paul Failla, and CTbites re-visited to taste Chef Paul’s cuisine and his creative spin to the menu. Chef Faillia attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park before accepting a position at Burger Bar in South Norwalk. His culinary training continued at Dolce in Norwalk, The Atlantic Grill in Manhattan and The Saltwater Grille in Stamford, where he met Pascarella. He subsequently worked with Chef Dan Kardos at The Whelk and was one of the opening chefs with Chef Kardos at NOLA Oyster Bar. When Pascarella first approached Failla about joining Bar Sugo, he was looking for a successor to continue his vision of “food that Italians eat every day” while allowing the new chef to add his individual flair to the dishes. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Restaurant Beer Dinner Events Wine Shop Wine Tasting Beer Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 29, 2013 Celebrate Black Friday with Val’s of Greenwich! Barhill Gin will be hosting a tasting to get us geared-up for the holiday season. This complimentary event will take place from 3-7pm on Friday November 29. On Monday December 2, Buon Appetito Restaurant will partner with Super Cellar Liquors for a 4 course wine dinner. It begins at 6:30 at the restaurant in Canton, CT. $75 pp. For the menu and reservation information, see https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs126/1102509927877/img/1248.jpg . Get an introduction to homebrewing beer on Tuesday December 3. The free event takes place from 6:30-8:30pm at Yale University’s International Center. Learn more and claim a seat at http://eventful.com/newhaven/events/introduction-homebrewing-beer-/E0-001-063499321-0 On Tuesday December 3, Luca Wine Bar and Visco Wines will partner with Harry’s Wine & Liquor to present a wine dinner called “The 4 Big B’s of Italy.” It will feature four of Italy’s coveted wines: Barbera, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, and Barolo. They will be paired with 4 courses including homemade crepes, ravioli, veal shank, and poached pear for dessert. $98 pp, all inclusive. Please call Luca Wine Bar for reservations: (203) 286-5617. Read More
Friday Froth: The Little Pub Chooses Wisely Ingredients Restaurant Beer Dinner CT Beer Beer James Gribbon November 29, 2013 A quick bit of news to start this week's Froth: it turns out The Little Pub in Branchville has been aging kegs of a select few high gravity beers for the past year, and has started tapping one per Monday night. Issuing forth from the specialty tap on Monday, Nov. 25 will be Dogfish Head Olde School - a 16% ABV barleywine fermented with dates and figs. High alcohol, minimally hopped beers make the best candidates for aging, and tend to relax as they undergo further conditioning over time, so these beers will taste different from when they were first bottled in 2012. The robust duo of Green Flash Double Stout and New England Brewing Imperial Stout Trooper are scheduled for the first two Mondays in December (be absolutely sure to try that second one, on Dec. 9, if you're at all able), followed by Ovila Abbey Quad, Sierra Nevada Narwhal, Dogfish Head 120 Minute, and the second generation of the Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada collaboration ale, Life&Limb. Read More
Little Pub's "The Order of Ancient & Auld Ales" Beer Events Restaurant CT Beer Beer CTbites Team November 26, 2013 The order of ancient and auld ales is called to order. By and large it’s been found that aging hi octane beers made them better because after a few years the alcohol mellows out and the nuances and flavors really begin to shine through. (sorry to get all wine enthusiast on you, just channeling our inner Robert Parker here.) Armed with that knowledge, Little Pub in Ridgefield started stockpiling high octane beers whenever we could get our hands on them. “Dogfish 120? Sure send us 6 logs”, “Sierra Bigfoot? Sure send over 4 of those”, and we kept stashing and stashing like mad squirrels until we ran out of space. Now that they're out of room it’s time to start pouring some of these beasties turned beauties. Little Pub is going to launch a different aged beer every monday* night through the rest of the 2013 and into 2014 as well (like we said, we stashed a lot of stuff away). *fine print: except for Monday Dec 2 which will be moved to Tuesday Dec 3. Read More
Mecha Noodle Bar Brings Asian Noodles & Street Food to Fairfield Restaurant Asian Fairfield Japanese Vietnamese Comfort Food Kid Friendly Nancy Kleeger November 24, 2013 Post opening tweaks are commonplace during the first few months after a restaurant's opening. With Mecha’s minor changes completed, it now firmly fills the belly rumbling void of Southeast Asian Noodles and street food, popularizing Ramen, Pho and South East Asian comfort food. Owner Tony Pham, who also owns Pho Vietnam in Danbury, saw an opportunity in Fairfield, to capture the hearts and hungry stomachs of the Fairfield U student bodies by opening a Ramen noodle bar. This small, but cozy, space is an architecturally clean, eye pleasing mix of Modern Asian décor...with a long community table in the center and block style tables around its perimeter. There is some additional seating circling the "bar" with colorful Asian ceramic stools adding some pop and a touch of elegance to this casual space. Pham is committed to keeping his two restaurants a "family affair," and you may be seated, served, or cooked for, by one of his family members! When I first visited with Tony in September, Ramen noodles were the main attraction on his menu. Several months later, Mecha’s menu is now representative of Japan’s different regional nuances with the current soup bases including Shoyu, Miso and Chicken. Read More
