SmokeBox in Hamden first opened to support the smoked meat habit of its sister restaurant Ordinary in New Haven. Its owners, Jason Sobocinski of Ordinary and Caseus, and Mike Farber of Mikro in Hamden, opened their doors to the public for lunch about six months ago. The kitchen's founding mission was simple, support the partners' network of New Haven and Hamden restaurants as a commissary kitchen with barbecue, and open for lunch if there is demand.
And demand there is. Smokebox has become a sought after lunch destination thanks to its smoky slow cooked meat forward lunch box approach to barbecue. Also, there is the fact that this is real barbecue. Getting it right requires a constellation of well-sourced materials and ritual: types of woods, cuts of meat, spices or rubs, wet (sauce) or dry, and above all things, time—all things that Smokebox takes very seriously.
These past few years at the Blues, Views & BBQ Festival I had the pleasure of covering it as a news guy, doing my usual reporter thing, furiously snapping photos, taking notes, chatting with vendors, you get the idea. But every year I asked my friends at the CTbites demo tent if they needed help. “Toss me an apron,” I’d say. Or “Are you sure you don’t need a hand?”
I wanted to help for two reasons. One: Because I know and like them. And two: I’m sure if I helped they would feed me. Year after year the demo tent featured top Fairfield County chefs showcasing their skills and handing out free samples of all types of BBQ and grilled meats. Now do you see why I wanted in?
Alas! My wish was granted when I was asked to help out at this year’s 7th Annual BLues, Views & BBQ Fest and the idea of “Will Work for Food” became a reality.
Listen up food lovers. CTbites has rounded up some of the area's top chefs for two full afternoons of live cooking demonstrations, recipe tasting and general good times.
On Saturday, August 30th & SundayAugust 31st from 11:00-3:30pm come on down to Westport's Blues Views & BBQ Festival to meet:
New Canaan Taste Tours begin Tuesday July 15th with three of Elm Street’s favorite restaurants; elm, Picador, and Chef Luis before finishing the evening at South End. These special will continue for four weeks offering special menus each Tuesday and Wednesday with either a 6:30 or 7:30 start time.
Dinosaur BBQ continues its Wednesday night “Rock n Roasts,” a party on the Dino Patio featuring a whole, smoked hog with a sound track of live rock'n'roll. This week, enjoy music by Jeff Tuohy.
NEW Lunch menus every week @ Match: Every two weeks Matt changes the menu into either one of his favorite restaurants or destinations to eat lunch. From Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield to his old high school job and hang out Tacos or what to an ode to the classic roadside clam/lobster shack. Next week...ASIAN! Every Wed, Thurs & Friday from 11:30 to 2ish @ Match.
Also on Tuesday the 15th, Barcelona Greenwich invites you to a night of “Summer Sangria, Cocktails & Light Bites.”
As the back door opened a crack, a tuxedoed man eyed me and said, “What’s the Password?”… “Bees' Knees” I hesitantly whispered, palms sweaty, and only then I was ushered into the Walrus + Carpenter back room “Speakeasy” for a Throwback ThursdayCTbites Invites event on May 8, 2014, of Prohibition cocktails, silent films and the food and music of the Roaring 20’s.
Owner Joe Farrell and GM Adam Roytman were on hand to greet the 30 attendees of this sold out evening, most who chose to follow the Invites suggestion of dressing for the period…every where I looked were Al Capone look-alikes dressed in pinstripe suits and fedoras…Fancy “molls” in fringe dresses, sequined headbands, multiple strands of pearls and fur boas.
The 4B Festival announced the area’s first of its kind festival of specially curated beer, bourbon, barbecue and bacon is coming to New England. Happy Holidays to me!
4B concepted this indulgent experience in honor of two cornerstones of American heritage – fermented grains and salted meats – and to help drive local businesses and tourism. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships will go to the CT Craft Brewers Guild to help support local businesses.
From microbrews to pork belly, the 4B Festival will bring together national and local purveyors all in one place to offer the most delicious and creative samplings to “4B” aficionados, all highlighted with musical performances, interactive art displays and live competitions among home brewers, BBQ taste tests and a bacon eating contest for the real meat eaters. From food samplings from pit masters, chefs and restaurants to bacon-infused treats to tastings at beer and bourbon stations with a souvenir shot glass.
“After family there are very few important things in life, and we’ve narrowed them down to these four - Beer, Bourbon, Barbecue & Bacon,” said David Salinas
Fire is your friend, and on a cool evening at the end of September, so is smoke. Many a hefty stave of Connecticut oak lent its flavor to platters of pork ribs, sausage and smokey burnt ends of brisket at our latest CTBites Invites event. Blue flame lit hand rolled cigars, courtesy of Connecticut Cigar Company, and the gathered crowd on the rooftop bar at Bobby Q's in Westport was warmed by fire of a different kind, via Willett Distilling.
We try to lovingly craft our dinner pairings for Invites events, and few things blend as seamlessly as fall weather, bourbon, and BBQ. The former can excite and sharpen the senses, while the latter two coddle and insulate - an ideal coalescence of need and satisfaction to contemplate through a wreath of fine tobacco smoke under a starry sky.
“It’s no sin to get sauce on your chin.” - Bishop Tutu
Last weekend I got a chance to make the short trek to Wilson’s Barbecue (1851 Post Rd Fairfield, CT ), to enjoy some incredible Pit BBQ. Wilson’s is owned by Ed Wilson, who has competed in and judged numerous BBQ competitions throughout his life. Ed is an extremely kind man, who goes out of his way to talk to everyone who enters his restaurant. He even happily agreed to sit down and talk to me after my fantastic meal, about what makes his food so good.
He couldn’t be nicer.
When we arrived at Wilson’s we were greeted by Mr. Wilson who said hello and wished us an excellent meal. As I entered the restaurant I noticed the comfy, road-house-esque atmosphere that was filled with memorabilia of his experiences as a chef and owner. When it was time to order, we got a lot!
Listen up food lovers. CTbites has rounded up some of the area's top chefs for two full afternoons of live cooking demonstrations, recipe tasting and general good times. Last year's CTbites Chef Demo Tentwas such a success we've added a second day!
On Saturday, August 31st & SundaySeptember 1st from 11:30-5pm come on down to Westport's Blues Views & BBQ Festival to meet:
Certainly, the food scene in Bridgeport is getting "curiouser and curiouser." And that's a very good thing. No need for a trip down the rabbit hole, however, to experience the marvelous and weirdly wonderful creations at the new Walrus and Carpenter at 2895 Fairfield Ave.The concept (brain child of proprietor Joe Farrell) is this - a slow cook BBQ house that offers haute cuisine sides and a first class beer menu where everything (except for the tequila and the pit master) is made in America.
Usually, American BBQ restaurants offer excellent meats but boring, less than note-worthy accompaniments. Here, the offerings are mostly Texas style -where the meat is slow cooked and fall-off-the-bone tender -and the main courses are paired with elegant slaws, exquisite collards and house made pickle platters. Food is plated, not just put on the plate, and that adds to the special experience. And to elevate your dining further, a fabulous selection of Craft beers by the glass or by the growler. (Some choices include Green Flash Imperial IPA and Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace.) The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Paul DiMaria formerly of Community Table in Washington, CT and the food is first class yet at the same time finger-licking delicious. Simply put - it works.
Come on down to Fairway Market in Stamford to enjoy free BBQ, music and giveaways on Saturday, July 13 atnoon.
In lieu of helmets, hoses, and axes, Fairfield County’s bravest will instead don aprons, barbecue tongs, and basting brushes when they compete in Fairway’s Firefighters Food Face-Off. This grilling “throwdown” will pit firefighters from Cos Cob, Noroton Heights, Westport, and Belltown against one another to prove whose barbecue is best. This will go down on Saturday, July 13 atnoon in the parking lot behind Fairway Market’s Stamford store at 699 Canal Street (RAIN OR SHINE).
The public is welcome to enjoy free samples of the firefighter’s cuisine, as well as music and giveaways. Festivities to Include Customer Appreciation Day With Grilling Contest, Free Food, Music, and Fire Trucks.
Jim Morrison believed the ghosts of American Indians jumped into his head as a child and gave him spiritual direction for the rest of his life. I had a not totally dissimilar experience the night ofDinosaur BBQ's soft opening party after I returned home, wherein I undressed and found the ghosts of several pigs, cows and hickory trees inhabiting my shirt. The sign on the window said "Private Party" and there were people checking names at the door, but the attendance must have been close to 200. Owner John Stage seemed to have prepared for twice that number, thus accounting for the volume of aerosolized meat and wood, which, in their previous and more solid forms, were of course what brought Dinosaur to Stamford, the crowd to it.
“Did you ever in your wildest dreams think that when you cut a 55-gallon drum in half, filled one side with wood and grilled meats at a Harley Davidson Rally in 1983 that you would be standing in your sixth restaurant in Stamford, Connecticut almost thirty years later?” John Stage, the founder of Dinosaur BBQ, slowly shook his head and smiled ever so slightly as he scanned the interior of his new location and uttered a single word that so beautifully summed it up, “Never.” This soft spoken BBQ master was kind enough to give CTbites an exclusive tour of the almost completed Dinosaur BBQ (named after his partner Dino) in Stamford and we were overwhelmed by the space.
Come on down to the 5th annual Blues, Views & BBQ Festival this weekend, September 1st and 2nd.
This event celebrates food, music and family with an exciting line-up of bands, craft beer, barbecue and cooking events, ribs and pie eating contests as well as fun for the whole family. And let's not forget the CTbites Chef Demo Tent on Sept 1st, where 6 top Fairfield County chefs will demo recipes and serve up tasty vittles all day long.
Food vendors include:Bobby Q's Bodacious BBQ, Winnie's Jerk Chicken & Fish-Caribean Cuisine, Blue Lemon Restaurant, Dave & Jerry's Hot Dog Trolley-Beef Hot Dogs, French Fries & Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Bar Q BBQ -Beef Brisket, Smoked Chicken Wings, Melt Mobile -Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Wild Bill's Olde Fashioned Soda, Rolling Cones Ice Cream, Rita's Italian Ice. Aurora's Gypsy Cafe-Desserts, Kettle Corn
I’ve enjoyed food from many different countries over the years but funny enough, never from Peru. So with three friends in tow, I decided to try Fiesta Atlantic, a Peruvian restaurant in Stamford. Having eaten Venezuelan and Mexican, I expected a fusion of both. It turns out Peruvian food is indeed a melting pot of different cultures but surprisingly, the food is notable for its Italian and Chinese influences. In the 18th century, Lima was the financial center of a vast Spanish Viceroyalty. Chinese laborers and Italian settlers washed up on its South Pacific shores bringing their own spices and cooking techniques.
"We're trying to establish Connecticut barbeque," says Bob LeRose, adding wood to the smoker cooking our ribs. I'm peppering Bobby Q himself with questions while trying not to lose my footing on the floor of the kitchen at the new Bar Q and simultaneously avoiding the hustling form of chef Tom Doherty. LeRose's second restaurant, located at 15 Clark Street in Stamford behind Black Bear, is the latest in his slow-smoked outreach program to those of us on the Sound. "This isn't Bobby Q's," he's quick to point out. "This is its alter-ego."
Join Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant’s first barbeque blowout of the season. This Memorial Day, May 28th, have fun in the sun on Barcelona Fairfield's patio or enjoy some cocktails in their newly renovated bar. This fun-filled family event will feature: live music from the Jason Spooner Trio, beer tasting from Berkshire Brewing Company, kids events include face painting and a magic show as well as a lemonade, popsicle and ice-cream stand.
For only $20 a person ($10 for kids) you can enjoy a delicious buffet of the best from their grill and kitchen. From beef, chorizo & cochinita sliders and suckling pig to grilled vegetables and assorted salads, there’s something for everyone.
Mohegan Sun’s first annual BBQ Fest will be held June 1 - 3, 2012 in the Winter Parking Lot in Uncasville, CT. Headlining this event will be plenty of BBQ, cooking demonstrations, live music and host Mike Petit of NESN’s Grillseekers, asemcee for the three day event. Tickets are $30 per day including 8 food tickets and go on-sale Monday, April 16th at 10am through Ticketmaster.com or at Mohegan Sun’s Box Office. Kids 10 and under get in free (does not include food tickets).
The weekend will include loads of BBQ including ribs, pulled pork and classic BBQ chicken from the nation’s best barbeque experts and vendors. Guests will be able to visit the Farmer’s Market featuring Sardilli Produce & Dairy.
Competitive Eating Champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut (famous for his hot dog championship titles) will appear in a rib eating contest on Saturday, June 2 at 4 p.m.
BBQ has achieved cult status in America. Like any fervent belief, splinter factions have arisen. Most people think of the tomato-based variety found in Kansas City and the deep south as "BBQ sauce," but adherents to the Memphis dry-rub sect or acolytes of the vinegar or mustard based churches of North and South Carolina will defend their take on slow smoked spirituality with manic passion. These churches and their branch faiths march under myriad banners, but they can all sit together at the same table and play nice under any tent serving beer. "Harmonious variety" would be an apt descriptor for the latest CTBites Invites event on Jan 12 at Bobby Q's in Westport.
Bobby Q's Barbeque & Grill is the creation of owner Bob LeRose, who partnered with Greg Zanella of Northeast Beverage Corp., one of the area's largest microbrew distributors to enhance four courses of beautifully prepared BBQ dishes and a final chocolate course with expertly paired craft brews.
