Pacific Rim Cooking At Miro Kitchen in Fairfield: Menu & Chef Update Restaurant Chinese Fairfield Hawaiian Japanese Lunch James Gribbon November 27, 2016 Change is at hand at Fairfield's Miro Kitchen after the end of their collaboration with HAPA, but the new menu for this autumn and winter retains Miro's signature flavors. CTbites was recently invited to take a tour of the food style restaurateur Eugene Kabilnitsky and executive chef Howard McCall have dubbed "Pacific Rim," with ingredients influenced by Hawaii, China, Japan, and the Philippines. The eating area is a bright space, with white walls and darker seating on the right, and a full length bar running down the left. The bar has a respectable selection of craft beer on tap, in addition to wines selected specifically to match the flavors of the food. Cocktails likewise blend with the food, using ingredients like nigori in the Saketini, and Thai chili in the Thaigarita and the Tom Yum, which tasted like boozy lemon grass tea shot through with spiky kaffir lime. Read More
Guy Fieri’s Foxwoods Kitchen + Bar at Foxwoods Opens Nov. 25th Restaurant American Celebrity Chef Foxwoods Opening Stephanie Webster November 22, 2016 Foxwoods® Resort Casino, Big Night Entertainment Group (BNEG) and Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri are excited to announce the opening of Guy Fieri’s Foxwoods Kitchen + Bar at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Friday, November 25 at 11:00 a.m. This fall, chef, restaurateur, author and host of Food Network’s top-rated show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, is bringing his love affair with food to BNEG’s impressive roster of award-winning dining and entertainment venues which include GEM Italian Kitchen, Nightclub & Lounge, Red Lantern Boston, Red Lantern Foxwoods, Scorpion Bar Patriot Place, Scorpion Bar Foxwoods, High Rollers Luxury Lanes & Lounge, Shrine, and Empire Asian Restaurant & Lounge. The new restaurant is located on the casino level of the Grand Pequot Tower. Read More
Zapata Mexican Restaurant Opens in South Norwalk (sponsored post) Restaurant CTbites Lunch Events Cocktails Norwalk SONO Bar Mexican Kid Friendly CTbites Team November 22, 2016 Located in the heart of historic South Norwalk, Zapata Mexican Restaurant crafts authentic Mexican cuisine in an area rich in history and vibrant in color, Zapata Mexican Restaurant proudly contributes to this energetic environment. This is our second location, the original is located in Palisades, NY where our family-owned and operated restaurant has thrived for over 20 years. Many of our customers come in and ask why SONO? The answer is simple, SONO lacked an authentic Mexican restaurant with fresh ingredients, amazing margaritas, and smiling faces. Freshness is what we believe in and what we thrive on. We personally choose all our produce, and all of our ingredients. We are in a society where fresh and healthy is key! To ensure the highest quality, we also cook all of our products with olive oil to keep it healthy and always tasting delicious. Read More
Soul Tasty Opens in Stamford: Southern Food from the Soul to the Table Restaurant BBQ Delicious Dives Southern Stamford To-Go Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger November 20, 2016 Fairfield County offers some of the best food in the country, from trucks to fine dining, and when a restaurant serves food from the soul, it is special, it is uplifting, it makes you overjoyed. Every now and then I visit a new place that fits all these categories. Stephanie Webster, my CTbites partner, and I were looking for a new place for a lunch meeting and we chose Soul Tasty...we wanted to see what the buzz was about. It is located on Main Street in Stamford at the end of a dead end that doubles as the entrance to a pedestrian bridge and parking is incredibly difficult, have patience, it is worth it. Soul Tasty is the brain-child and dream of Chef Jean Gabriel, Jr. When you walk in, you can feel the love. The walls are brightly painted, a little graffiti on the rear counter pronouncing FEED YOUR SOUL and a colorful menu above the hot trays holding the products of the chef’s homage to the Southern recipes of his grandmother. Read More
14 Places For Great Holiday Pies in CT 2016 Restaurant Recipe Top 10 Eats Best of CT Dessert April Guilbault November 19, 2016 Holiday season is heeeere, with its feasts and parties, and let’s be honest, you can’t really have too much pie, now can you? Note: with the brief exception of a kooky aunt who, after a post-Thanksgiving bout on the tread mill, did wearily proclaim “Too....Much....Pie!” but that’s another story for another time. So where to go for the best pies with the flakiest crusts, sweetest streusel toppings and the most flavorful fillings? We’ll be happy to tell you. Get those dessert plates ready and, um...you might want to loosen that belt. Here are 14 places to buy great holiday pies in CT. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of Nov 21st - Nov 28th Restaurant News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 18, 2016 This Thanksgiving consider GIVING to a hungry neighbor who can't feed themselves. DONATE to CT Food Bank or Community Plates. After 20 Years The Loft in South Norwalk will announce it’s final Last Call on Saturday night November 26th after a closing party celebration. Fleisher's still has turkeys available to order for your Thanksgiving table! On Tuesday November 22, learn how to put a Spanish twist on traditional Thanksgiving dishes at Barcelona West Hartford. The class runs from 7-9pm and costs $29, plus tax and gratuity. Try Happy Hour at Harlan Social! Monday-Thursday from 4:30-6:30pm, enjoy $5 craft beers and $6 wines by the glass. This offer is at the bar side only. Read More
The Brunch Box Food Truck: Get Your Breakfast & Lunch on In Stamford Restaurant Brunch Food Truck Stamford Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger November 18, 2016 The Brunch Box opened several months ago, delivering numerous breakfast and lunch sandwiches at locations around Stamford, with occasional visits to surrounding areas and private parties. Jimmy Marcella, a Stamford native developed the concept of The Brunch Box after a lifetime of preparation; as far back as he could remember he wanted to own a restaurant. As a teen Jimmy worked at a local Italian deli in Westchester, scrubbing dishes, mopping floors, stocking soda, eventually prepping, making chicken cutlets and chopping parsley by the case. He saved his money for his self-education, Omakase at 16, elegant dining at 18. He subsequently worked at the Hudson Hotel in Manhattan, toured with his manager and eventually returned to Stamford; he was now ready to fulfill his dream. Jimmy decided to start with a food truck, where he could experience that personal one-to-one interaction with each customer. He thought that “Brunch” was the differentiator from the other food trucks in the area and The Brunch Box was born. Read More
“The Super Vegan”-- Two Boots Pizza from NYC brings its Unique Pies to Stamford Restaurant Pizza Stamford Vegetarian Comfort Food Kid Friendly Lou Gorfain November 17, 2016 As a card-carrying carnivore, I entered Two Boots with some misgivings. This quirky, new pizzeria in Stamford’s Harbor Point was celebrating World Vegan Month, prompting manager Roberta Petit to invite CTbites over for a tasting of The Super Vegan, a totally plant-based "pizzaextravaganza.” Nothing on the pie comes from a creature. ‘Za without juicy sausage? Or gooey cheese? C’mon, this is Connecticut. "We’re talking salad on a crust," I mumbled to myself as I sat down with Roberta. My immediate resolution: to earn a positive review, the pizza would have to be "great" in its own right, not a pie that was good – as it were -- for a vegan pizza. No handicaps. No excuses. Nothing less than a party in my mouth. Read More
CT Restaurants Serving Thanksgiving Dinner: 2016 Edition Restaurant Holiday Thanksgiving Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 09, 2016 Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and many of Connecticut’s best restaurants have Thanksgiving specials worth gobbling up! From prix fixe menus to extensive buffets to family style to take-out, there are options for everyone. So don’t cry fowl– make your reservations today! Space is limited and seats fill up quickly. The National, Greenwich: The National in Greenwich will serve up Thanksgiving classics with family style sides and desserts on Thanksgiving Day. It costs $85 per adult and $35 for children under 12. For those looking to go out on Thanksgiving Eve, The National will stay open late with a live DJ and late night snack menu in the bar. Millwright’s, Simsbury: Millwrights in Simsbury will serve a prix fixe Thanksgiving menu from 11:30am-6pm. Adults are $59 while children 11 and under are $29. Rive Bistro, Westport: Their Thanksgiving menu has choices like Mousse de Foie Gras, a Turkey Plate, and Bistro Steak Frites. Find them in Westport. Cafe on the Green, Danbury: They will offer a four course Thanksgiving meal with dishes like Roasted Rack of Lamb and Pan Seared Red Snapper. Madison Beach Hotel, Madison: You are invited to their Thanksgiving Buffet, which includes an omelet station, carving station, hot buffet station, cheese array, dessert assortment, and more. Reservations are required and seatings are available from 11am-3pm. Read More
The Granola Bar: Healthy Eats & Coffee In Greenwich Restaurant Brunch Coffee Greenwich healthy Tea And Coffee Breakfast Lunch April Guilbault November 06, 2016 As more and more souls climb aboard the health(ier) train, the opportunities to eat well while eating out are becoming more frequent and less far between. Thankfully, the days of eating out with kids only to have them relegated to greasy, questionable servings of chicken nuggets, trans-fat laden fries, and white bread-grilled cheese or wondering how to stomach another blah serving of pasta primavera if you are vegetarian are fast departing. Enter, The Granola Bar, aka TGB. Having established a loyal and vibrant following in Westport over the past 3 years, the duo of Julie Mountain and Dana Noorily decided to branch out to Greenwich just four short months ago. Judging from the speed at which the dining area filled up on the day I visited, the enthusiasm is running at full-speed boogie. From making their own granola a few years ago to now running two thriving restaurants, its been a wild ride but not so wild that they have forgotten where the brakes are located; TGB only serves breakfast and lunch, along with copious amounts of snacks. No dinner. That is precisely so that these two women can make it home to their own families for dinner. Hello, balance. It’s nice to see you again. Read More
25 CT Restaurants & Venues for Holiday Parties Restaurant Catering Entertaining Holiday Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 04, 2016 Halloween has come and gone and November is officially here! As you admire your bounties of candy, indulge in all things pumpkin, and embrace fall’s chilly temperatures, don’t forget to consider your holiday parties! Connecticut has a number of restaurants and venues that are sure to make your special occasions memorable. From private dining rooms to ballrooms to event planning teams, these 25 places will help you get your party on! South End, New Canaan: South End in New Canaan has a private dining room that can seat up to 20 guests. La Zingara, Bethel: La Zingara and its upstairs ECCO Rooftop both accommodate private parties. They have done everything from pig roasts to wine dinners. Union League Cafe, New Haven: Union League Cafe in New Haven has a number of event spaces. Whether its corporate of personal, their team is ready to assist you. The Loading Dock, Stamford: Industrial meets chic at The Loading Dock in Stamford. With a number of spaces, it's a great place to plan your next event. Read More
Dinner At Miya's: Sustainable Sushi + More in New Haven Restaurant Asian Japanese Seafood New Haven Sushi ellen bowen November 03, 2016 This is probably as close to “Dinner at The White House” as I will ever get. On this, the week before the ELECTION, I headed up to Miya’s for their New Haven Restaurant Week 2016 White House Champions of Change dinner. Miya’s is a well-known sushi spot a few blocks west of downtown New Haven that has been serving creative and sustainable seafood, foraged ingredients, and plant-based dishes for over 30 years. James Beard nominated innovative chef/owner Bun Lai, has been creating and cooking alongside his mother for much of the 30 years Miya’s has been open. (See Foraging with Chef Bun on CTbites) New Havens Restaurant Week, which runs from 10/30- 11/4 gave Bun the opportunity to offer the menu he and his mother created for President and Mrs. Obama at last months White House Champions of Change Dinner. He was one of only twelve Sustainable Seafood honorees and the only chef awarded this respected award. While this menu is only available for a limited time, many of these dishes are available on Miya's regular menu. Read More
Two Roads To Build Second Brewing Facility & Tasting Room Ingredients Restaurant Beer CT Beer Stratford James Gribbon November 01, 2016 Two Roads Brewing of Stratford has announced their plans to add a 25,000 square foot expansion to their brewery specifically to create sour and barrel-aged beers. Situated on 2.5 acres of newly acquired land adjoining the existing brewery's hop yard and music venue, the brewhouse will have a 120-person capacity tasting room overlooking both the brewing operations, and a wetlands preserve. Sour beers such as Framboise Noir Black Raspberry Lambic, Urban Funk Wild Ale made with yeast from Superstorm Sandy, and Worker’s Stomp White Wine Barrel-Aged Saison will see increased production, along with Hexotic Tropical Lambic, which won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado this October. Hexotic spends 28 months in oak, and was fermented with "Brett C" (brettanomyces clausenii). Six different types of fruit were added during fermentation, including orange, passion fruit, mangosteen, soursop (aka gaunabana), guava, and mango. Read More
The Westport Winter Farmers’ Market Opens Nov. 12th At Gilbertie’s Ingredients Restaurant Farmers Market Specialty Market Westport CTbites Team November 01, 2016 Folks in Fairfield County have no need to put away their farmers’ market bags or head to the grocery store just yet. For while the temperatures might be dipping and leaves dropping, farm-fresh food is still in abundance. The Westport Winter Farmers’ Market will return for its 6th season to Gilbertie’s greenhouses at 7 Sylvan Lane beginning Saturday, November 12th and continuing through March 11th from 10 to 2. Read More
DrewbaQ Food Truck: BBQ Sandwiches "Smokin' the Streets of CT" Restaurant BBQ Food Truck Monroe Comfort Food James Gribbon October 30, 2016 More barbecue is a good thing, and if you're not on board with this basic fact, then you can just get out of my face. It was with this cardinal rule of life firmly in mind that I hit the road in search of a new truck on the Connecticut food scene - a truck selling barbecue and barbecue accoutrements. The fact that this particular Friday found the DrewbaQ food truck at Veracious Brewing Company in Monroe was a purely unrelated coincidence, to be sure. It would be a grave disservice to you, our beloved CTBites readership, if I did not take full advantage of this entirely unforeseen circumstance so, in humble service to your unending curiosity re: all things food and beverage, I had several beers with my BBQ. So that I might report on pairings, you see. Read More
Fortina Hosts Holiday Themed Miracle Pop-Up Bars in Stamford & Armonk Restaurant Pop-Up Dinner Bar Stephanie Webster October 30, 2016 Does anyone remember the epically successful and brilliantly over the top kitschy Miracle Bar pop-up from last holiday season? If you do, you'll be excited to hear that Miracle Bar is coming to Fortina, Thanksgiving eve through New Years 2016. "Miracle Bar will literally vomit Christmas and Hanukah," says Fortina's John Nealon. This holiday pop-up will take over the mezzanine in Fortina Stamford as well as a patio tent in Armonk. Guest mixologists, custom holiday glassware, tons of tinsel, menorahs and cocktails with names like “ The Reindeer’s Revolt,” will created a uniquely fun drinking experience. Pair this with Fortina pizza and you've got yourself a party. Artist, Raffa Dowling, who created last year's aesthetic is back for 2016, and will be in charge of crafting the pop-ups's rather unique design. Also John McNulty, who brought Miracle to CT (originally a NYC concept) is now playing for team Fortina and will be in on the fun. We will bring you more as Fortina gets closer to opening their holiday "Miracles." Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events & Happenings for Week of Oct. 30 - Nov. 6 Restaurant Recipe Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson October 28, 2016 EMBODY Fitness Gourmet is now open at the new Heritage Square complex on Forest Street in New Canaan! Embody offers a fitness inspired menu, a 14-foot community table, and easy plug-in and charging stations for guests. This is Embody's third location in Fairfield County, CT. You can also visit them in Darien and Westport. New Haven Restaurant Week lasts until November 4. Popular restaurants like 116 Crown, Miya’s Sushi, Shell & Bones and Olea are participating. On Thursday November 3, Fjord Fish Market, Greenwich Cheese, and Fleishers, will host the 2nd annual "Monger Mingle.” This year, guests can get in the holiday spirit by sampling holiday-inspired food from all three. It will take place THE HUB (160 E Putnam Avenue) from 7-9. On Sunday, November 6 from 11am-1pm, blogger, photographer, chef, and author Gina Homolka will sign her newest cookbook and #1 New York Times Bestseller, Skinnytaste Fast and Slow: Knockout Quick-Fix and Slow-Cooker Recipes, at Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk. Read More
Our First Visit To Donut Crazy New Haven: Open on York Street Today! Restaurant Doughnuts New Haven Breakfast Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat October 27, 2016 If it weren’t for the large neon “Let’s Eat Donuts” sign greeting you as you enter Donut Crazy’s newest location in New Haven, you might think you stumbled into a Yale library. Walls bathed in a Yale blue lacquered paint, a seating area with cozy leather chairs and a couch, and soaring ceilings make the 1450 square foot space seem more spacious and studious than it is. Just beyond this warm welcome is a hub of retail activity and a dining area of small tables, and a well-lit wall of Donut Crazy doughnuts in all their colorful and sugary glory. “I wanted to give the space a library meets bar feel, not treat it like a typical commercial space, and the blue is a nod to Yale,” explained Donut Crazy owner Jason Wojnarowski. For those uninitiated into Donut Crazy’s world of over-the-top sugary doughnut confections, this location feels like a giant step forward both in selection and ambiance. All of their baked goods are made in-house in a Donut Crazy Kitchen by an overnight team of bakers. In New Haven, Donut Crazy will offer its typical selection of “Dailies” and “Crazies.” Read More
The National & Geoffrey Zakarian’s First Year in Greenwich + New Prix Fixe Lunch Restaurant American Celebrity Chef Greenwich Lunch Lou Gorfain October 27, 2016 With its new, 3 course prix fixe lunch, The National offers a commodity not always found along “The Ave” in Greenwich: a real bargain. CTBites was recently invited to sample the new lunch menu, and we’ll fill you in on that delicious deal in a moment. But first, we wondered how the restaurant has evolved since it opened a year ago. So we asked owner and celebrity chef, Geoffrey Zakarian. "We are never on auto pilot," the restaurateur told us. "And we always listen to the needs and wants of the customers. One change that people are loving is that we put French Fries on the menu. We started with homemade chips, but the fries are a huge hit. Sometimes, it is just those small things that people embrace." Read More
Eggz Food Truck: Farm Fresh Food on Wheels Restaurant Bethel Food Truck Breakfast Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat October 26, 2016 Matt Stanczak, the former owner and mastermind behind Danbury's popular Stanziato’s, has just launched the mobile farm fresh kitchen Eggz. Open for business Monday through Saturday at Holbrook Farm, and beginning in November at the Westport Farmers' Market, Eggz will focus on egg sandwiches and other delicious farm fresh offerings with an emphasis on vegetables. At launch, Eggz has 5 breakfast sandwich on rotation, based on classic offerings with a creative Matt Stanczak twist. The "Crack is Wack" (pictured below) is a combination of soft scrambled eggs, goat cheese, bacon, fig spread, and arugula on toasted brioche. A "Sausage, Egg, and Cheeze" is layers of housemade chicken chorizo, ever easy eggs, Vermont cheddar, and awesome sauce on a toasted brioche. Other playfully named sandwiches such as the "I'll Have What She's Having" and "Bodega Sandwich" feature prosciutto, scrambled or over easy eggs, and layers of Stanzack's fresh homemade ingredients. Read More
