Bethel is where in Connecticut? Fairfield County? Yes and yes.
The Bethel Chamber of Commerce is hosting their first-ever Discover Bethel Restaurant week from February 27 through March 4 with participating restaurants offering prix-fixe specials for breakfast, lunch, dinner and take-out. Menus and participating eateries can be found on the Bethel Chamber of Commerce website.
This tiny town sandwiched between Redding, Newtown and Danbury boasts a few great places we've written about such as The Sycamore and Pizzeria Lauretano, as well as a few others firmly on our to-do list.
So if you find your passport and make your way up to Bethel (for the record, I'm allowed to make this joke because this is my 'hood) my recommendations are: pizzas at Pizzeria Lauretano; La Zingara for one of the best Northern Italian meals in Fairfield County; soups at Wah Lah Soups, especially the Chicken pot pie; and my go-to train snack is always a scone and a cup of Redding Roasters coffee at Daily Fare.
And although it's not officially on the list of participating restaurants, you'd be remiss if you didn't stop by The Sycamore on your way home for their thin French-style burgers and a root beer float. You'll need to sustenance to return home after your long journey, after all.
Many things have changed over the last fifty years, but don't bother mentioning that to the Sycamore. The diner and carhop in Bethel, CT has been serving the same burgers, root beer floats and fries since 1948. While our dining habits have ebbed and flowed from those early carhop days, from TV dinners, chinese take-out and sushi rolls to today's preoccupation with farm-to-table dining, the Sycamore has been steadfast in their devotion to the diner.
Being greeted with a cup of locally roasted coffee and the promise of a healthy prepared meal each day may be the only foolproof way to overcome the indignity that is a Metro North train commute. Located inside the Bethel train station, Daily Fare offers a nourishing and caffeinated segue into the freneticism of a work day and the welcome flexibility of a healthy prepared take-home meal for lunch or dinner.
This coffee shop-meets-gourmet-to-go is not just for commuters. For many of us faced with the daily demands and dwindling hours of busy schedules, Daily Fare affords us hungry and time-crunched souls the luxury of well balanced meals instead of shopping, cooking and preparing a meal. For many of us who like to cook, it can be a much-needed respite. For others who can't cook or don't want to, it's like having your own personal chef without having to foot the bill.
Over the last century pizza has emerged as one of Americas' favorite foods if its ubiquity (thousands of pizza parlor chains operate in the U.S.) and increasing reverence (the growth of the artisanal pizza parlor) are any indication. As inexpensive luxuries find their elevated place in our uncertain economic climate, pizza is poised (and deserves) its place as a culinary rock star. This moment is especially sweet for foodies who eschew chain restaurants and irreverent meals in favor of seeking out more authentic and artisanal experiences. The latter can be characterized by a deference to the hand-made, a regard for craft, and an appreciation of traditional methods and tools.
So what is the difference between pizza and pizza? Pizza is a fast-food with forgettable crust, flavorless cheese and an emphasis on speed. Pizza on the other hand, is the type of food that can transport you to Naples in a bite, and by the time you've finished your slice you might swear you're on another continent surrounded by your extended Italian family and hundreds of years of tradition. Dedication to craft, tradition and an awareness that something that is being practiced and not merely produced, is pizza.
One restaurant that successfully achieves this artisanal approach is Pizza Lauretano in Bethel, CT.
Bethel is where in Connecticut? Fairfield County? Yes and yes.
