The Stand Juice Company, whose mantra is, Life, Fueled by Plants, is about to open its third location in Westport, CT.
Carissa and Mike Hvizdo, are the life force behind Fairfield County’s feel-good The Stand Juice Company. The Stand has been serving up plant based juices, snacks, sandwiches and baked goods since 2005. The business has flourished over the last 10 years and the duo’s standing within the local sustainable food community is palpable among industry jocks, farmers, and loyal consumers.
The excitement surrounding The Stand Juice Company’s newest location at 1200 Post Road East in Westport only further celebrates the enjoyment and healthful benefits people have been experiencing since Carissa and Mike first made their mark in the organic juice world in 2005 with their original location on Wall Street in Norwalk.
2015 marked the 12th year of Mohegan Sun’s popular WineFest. The format continued as it has in years past, with a Friday night bourbon tasting, Grand Tastings on Saturday and Sunday, an Elite Cru tasting, and a Celebrity Chef Dine Around on Saturday night. The event also featured many celebrity chefs beloved from previous years like William Kovel, Todd English, Michele Ragussis, Govind Armstrong, Manouschka Guerrier, and Betty Fraser. Yet, 2015 managed to stand apart with new additions and changing trends.
This year, I attended the Sunday Grand Tasting rather than staying the span of the weekend. Sunday is slightly less attended, but still provides ample opportunity to see creative chef demonstrations and sample the offerings.
Fairfield has worked its way up the food chain, offering all sorts of great dining opportunities for those with even the most discerning palates. With all the new restaurant openings, there was one thing that was lacking in the town’s culinary offerings; a really good health-food based option. Until now - enter Freshii.
Sandwiched in between The Fairfield University Bookstore and Chef’s Table is Freshii, recently opened by owner Jonathan Blob who also owns the Westport location. Although word had not yet really gotten out, the restaurant was bustling the two times I went in, first to check it out, then when I returned to chat with Blob.
The store, long and narrow, airy and bright, evokes a fresh, healthy attitude. Bright green, leaf-colored chairs are neatly lined up against the long counter space on one wall just below a large mirror reflecting the words...EAT. ENERGIZE. from the opposing wall. The light woods and grass-like covered wall lend themselves perfectly to an eatery of this type. A large menu board lists many and varied options. There are choices for breakfast, smoothies, juices, salads, wraps, bowls, soups and burritos.
After six weeks of overdoing the bubbly and those cheesy hors d’oeuvres (sooo good), ‘tis time to turn that calendar page and welcome all things cleaner and leaner. 2015 is here, with new delights to entice us and healthy flavors and dishes to keep our immune systems fueled, our skin glowing, and our bellies from bulging. This year, as you treat your body well, will cauliflower be the new kale? Will that little green nut, the pistachio, reign supreme with its antioxidants, vitamins and protein? There are so many ways to treat our bodies well and, luckily, we have found a great offering of area resources that will satisfy our tastebuds and help keep our bodies healthy. Happy New Year!
Here are 18 Places to Eat Healthy in Connecticut for 2015: Juice Bars, Restaurants, Organic Markets, Food Trucks & More!
It’s been an intense year of traveling (I visited Spain five times!), tasting, and learning. And with our various locations in other Eastern US cities, I’ve been given the chance to taste limited wines that are exclusively available in their respective states, which, if anything, has reminded me that understanding wine is a giant task for those who don’t work in this field. After spending so many years devoted to tasting and learning about wines, I can still be surprised, impressed, and sometimes completely blown away. There are always new (to me) grapes varieties, regions, farming and vinifying techniques, and I’m sure next year won’t disappoint me with a chance to discover something else unknown and worth it. Since I am closing up my 2014 tasting journals and looking forward to a new year of “explore-a-tasting,” I am sharing the 10 most striking wines I tasted for the first time in 2014.
It seems as though everyone loves a good Riesling for springtime and summer sipping. Last year, New York City was just one of the regions to participate in a “Summer of Rieslings” with a number of selections on the High Line and in restaurants. Germany is revered for its remarkable versions of the varietal.
However, a lesser-celebrated varietal promises to satisfy all of your desires as the warmer weather approaches. Gruner Veltliner, a national grape of Austria, shares Riesling characteristics, but has lighter, crisper, and fresher tones than its counterpart. On Friday March 28, Fairfield County hosted Christof Hopler, a respected winemaker and owner of Hopler vineyards in Austria. He presented a selection of his delicious wines to an eager room of wine enthusiasts at South End Restaurant in New Canaan.
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!
Michael Keenan spent about half of our time together describing his wines. He spent the other half apologizing for his colorful language.
“Once in San Diego I participated in an elegant dinner- 10 wines with 10 courses. I found out later there was a secret contest to see how many times I would drop the f bomb during it,” he admitted with a look of mischief in his eye.
When our giggles subsided, someone asked, “So how many times were there?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “At least 18.”
If a stereotypical winemaker is arty and even a touch pretentious, Keenan proved anything but. His spirited attitude and knack for lively storytelling won me over immediately. The story of his wines begins when his father, Robert Keenan, purchased 180 acres of abandoned land in 1974. The property on Spring Mountain in Napa used to be a well-established vineyard called the Conradi Winery. Unfortunately, it fell into disrepair during prohibition. Robert saw hope in it though and hired a contractor to begin the ambitious task of breathing new life into the land.
Did you know that October 25 was actually Champagne Day? So we don’t get the day off and the postal service still delivers, but it is, in fact, a holiday celebrated worldwide.
In honor of the occasion, Ruth Frantz of Henri’s Reserve hosted a champagne tasting at Southport Galleries in Southport, CT. She invited an assortment of clients, friends, foodies, wine enthusiasts, writers, and bloggers to try some of the beautiful champagnes she carries.
Henri’s Reserve is an interesting concept. While many of us are used to going to stores to pick up a bottle of wine, all of Ruth’s sales are done online. She represents small, family owned champagnes. Many of her offerings are relatively unknown; she advocates them because she believes in them.
Interestingly enough, Frantzgot her start dealing with larger champagne houses. One of her first restaurant jobs was with Eleven Madison Park.
How much can change in a year! Last year, I attended the Greenwich Wine & Food Festival as a CTBites contest winner. I was just a typical reader who had entered the website’s Facebook contest in the hopes of getting a ticket to the coveted annual event.
Now, just a year later, I was standing under the CTBites tent, which was prominently stationed right at the entrance to the festival. After attending Greenwich Wine & Food last fall, I went on to write for the website and ultimately become their wine correspondent. And at that moment I was preparing to interview some food and wine heavyweights including Gretchen Thomas of Barcelona and Laurie Forster, “The Wine Coach.”
2013 marks the third year for the Greenwich Wine & Food Festival. Serendipity sponsors the event and a portion of the proceeds go toward Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
I love the color pink. Just over a month ago, I bounded into the Kuwaiti restaurant with the tips of my hair dyed a vibrant hue of “funky flamingo,” the result of a renegade mission with a friend earlier that morning. Yet when it comes to wine, I frequently find myself forsaking my favorite color. I tend to prefer a rich red to a rose- even in the summer months.
Recently, though, roses that satisfy my taste for reds have garnered attention. Shelves are slowly filling with roses made from robust, red varietals. They manage to incorporate the robust notes while keeping the light nature of the rose. They prove perfect for summer cuisine. People can still enjoy a cold drink and the more delicate body will not overwhelm poultry or fish straight off the grill. At the same time, the subtle smoke and black fruit from the red grapes can hold up to spicy dishes, red meats, or even a burger.
One of the most exciting bottles in this genre goes by the name of “Nigl.” It heralds from Austria and is comprised of 100% Zweigelt, a red grape indigenous to the country.
Ridgefield's best source for artisinal cheese and wine, 109 Cheese & Wine has recently expanded its footprint and education offerings. The shop, located at Ridgefield's Marketplace, has posted an impressive and fun line-up of events throughout the summer. Classes include: Red Bee Honey Pairing, Home Brewing and a Bar B Cue, The Champagne Diet, East Coast Craft Brews and Artisan Cheese & A BBQ Throw Down Wine vs. Beer. See complete listings below. Advance reservations are recommended as class size is limited, call 203-438-5757.
There are moments in the career of a wine sales rep that will forever last in ones' memory. One of those moments happened this past Friday night when I had the privilege of dining and tasting through some of the most remarkable and enigmatic wines of the world – Chateau Musar. To my delight, I had the rare opportunity to dine next to Serge Hochar, wine maker of Musar in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, at L'Escale in Greenwich, CT. The event was sponsored by Nicholas Roberts Fine Wine in Darien, CT by Peter Troilo.
Serge came to speak with his son, Marc Hochar. In the lineup, we had six wines; three red and three white wines; all individually spellbinding and curious. But before I even start to tap into the amazing-ness that is Ch. Musar, I want to talk about Serge.
Serge Hochar, in of himself, is an enigma. But he's the kind of puzzle that you can't stop playing with, like a rubix Cube or those metal trick toys that are so simple, yet hard to find the right notch. Serge has been an engineer, a doctor, a lawyer and in his lifetime and the only thing that has held his attention so long is wine. Talk about a man that has found his calling in life! His wines are right in line with his own personality.
It seems that Wednesdays are officially becoming synonymous with wine! In addition to our “Winesday” column, you can now enjoy an array of vino-based festivities at Mohegan Sun’s latest weekly event, “Wine Wednesdays.” The evenings embrace the acclaimed restaurants and lounges already present within the casino, but present them with an emphasis on wine. Four course pairing dinners unfold every Wednesday at both Bobby Flay’s Bar American and Todd English’s Tuscany. Casino guests can also relax with a glass of champagne and smooth jazz rifts at the Vista Lounge starting at 8pm. The first Wednesday of every month, though, has a special offering: “Tasting and Tapas” at Todd English’s Tuscany. I had the pleasure of experiencing the affair (which has an impressively alliterate title, I might add) earlier this month.
Tasting and Tapas unfolded on the beautiful “patio” in the front of Tuscany. Tuscany has an indoor restaurant with the kitchen, bar, and tables, as well as a front portion looking out on the casino. Mohegan adopted the motif of a night sky, so guests sitting in that area feel the illusion of eating dinner under twinkling stars on a summer’s evening.
“Are you here for the wine dinner?” asked a smiling gentleman as I entered Elm Restaurant in New Canaan, shaking snow flurries from my coat. Before I knew it, he was whisking us away behind the bar, past a few tables, and into a smaller dining room tucked away in the back. The area felt cozy and intimate. Four glossy walls framed the small space and a table set for eight sat in the center. Nearby stood a countertop, where a few more guests could perch while looking into the bustling kitchen.
“We want people to feel like they are at our homes,” explained Chef Brian Lewis. “It’s like the feeling of having close friends over for dinner.”
There’s a lot to wine about at the Mohegan Sun Wine Fest. I watched in horror as my printer spewed out 16 pages of wines that would be featured over the course of the weekend. The annual event is an exercise in diversity; exhibitors bring everything from the commercial to the exclusive, the traditional to the innovative. There are wines with long-lasting legacies and bottles that haven’t even hit shelves yet.
Fortunately, I carefully siphoned through all of the offerings to bring you a report of the very best the event had to offer. Armed with my 16 page list, I diligently worked my way through the tables, asked questions, and sampled the wines. (Don’t worry, there was a significant amount of spitting involved!)
It’s difficult to compare wines, especially with such an extensive range available. How can one compare an expensive Napa Valley Cab to a fruity white made for casual drinking? To solve the predicament, I broke my explorations down into categories.
In this first installation, I feature Robust Reds, Wonderful Whites, and Wines to Watch. In Robust Reds and Wonderful Whites, my aim is to focus on quality. Some of these wines might come off as a bit of a monetary splurge, but they drink beautifully. Wines to Watch also hinges on quality.
Flat screen TV: check. Afternoon game on: check. Matching jerseys: check. Champagne. Check?
If football conjures up images of greasy chicken wings, beer, and people shouting at the television, champagne is equated with glitz, elegance, and a touch of pretension. It seems impossible that the two would ever exist in harmony. Recently, Peter Troilo of Nicholas Roberts Fine Wine in Darien, CT proved otherwise. He and wine distributor Peter Slywka held a grower champagne tasting against a backdrop of Sunday afternoon football.
“Most people think they have to drink champagne for a special occasion. People should drink it all the time!” Troilo proclaimed. Slywka nodded. Then both turned their attention to the TV and let out a whoop as their team complete a play.
Don’t let the laid back demeanor fool you; these guys know their stuff. Just this year, the Wall Street Journal wrote an article on the boutique wine store, praising it for its carefully stocked shelves. Troilo’s knowledge has earned him widespread respect in the industry. Recently he joined forces withNew York Times wine critic Eric Asimovto select wines for an event celebrating the launch of the commentator’s book at the Darien Library.
Wednesdays are my favorite day of the week! I know that I have the New York Times Dining Section and a new episode of Top Chef to look forward to. Now there’s one more reason to love them: our new weekly column, Winesday! This is your pass to all things wine from amazing bottles to local retailers to restaurant vino offerings.
For the first article, I thought that I would cover a slightly atypical topic: the glasses in which we drink wine. There are many articles about wine itself, but the vehicles in which we consume it is a less explored frontier.
I first encountered Bottega del Vino stemware at the Mohegan Sun Wine Fest and alluded to it in my article on the event. Since then, I had the opportunity to try it for myself. Some of you wanted further information, and now I can render my verdict!
As I strolled into the SunWineFest before the doors opened to the public, the ballroom appeared almost peaceful. Exhibitors casually erected their stands and freely moved about the space. Within an hour, that all changed. People stood packed shoulder to shoulder and attempted to elbow their way through the throng for tastes of wine. The crowd surged with energy, and my heart raced with excitement.
For some, the Mohegan SunWineFest is one giant party: an excuse to get buzzed with friends, blow off steam, and sample as many wines as physically possible. For others, the event is a valuable opportunity to find exceptional bottles.
“Come on in. I just finished putting the wine away about an hour ago,” says John Noakes as I enter Off The Vine Wine & Spirits, a wine shop in Norwalk. “I had about 100 cases just sitting in my basement.”
Off the Vine is a work in progress; a paint brush lies in the corner waiting for use and the shelves have a few empty spaces awaiting bottles. Still, Noakes is well on his way toward reopening the store in its new location. The shop, previously situated on the corner of Spring Hill Avenue, is moving across town to Winfield Street. The space has its own legacy. It once housed the original location of Fountainhead Wines before it became a part of Fat Cat City on Wall Street.
Off the Vine is a relatively small operation. Noakes owns and works in the store full-time and has two people who assist him part-time. The new location is physically petite as well, even more so than the previous shop. Don’t let the size fool you though. The shop offers an enviable collection of boutique wines.
“Having a small store poses its challenges, but it makes it so that your taste has to be spot on,” explains Noakes. He strives to offer only the best products to his customers and tries to find unique, small production wine.
The Stand Juice Company, whose mantra is, Life, Fueled by Plants, is about to open its third location in Westport, CT. 
