Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of March 11-18 Features Events Wine Dinners Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 09, 2018 Two Roads Brewery in Stratford invites you to an “Open Roads Beer Dinner” on Monday March 12 at 6pm. Christie Caters- Farm to Table Catering will provide tasty food and each course will be paired with an 8oz pour of a Two Roads brew. The menu theme is "Around the World.” In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Artisinal Burger Company in Manchester will have an Irish whiskey dinner on March 14. Tickets are $65 per person. Aditi Goswami of Calcutta Kitchens will teach you how to make simple everyday Indian at Wakeman Town Farm on Thursday March 15. Learn to prepare a quick chicken curry, a vegetable curry, and rice pilafs. Don’t forget to BYOB! The class is limited to 16 and costs $65. Max Amore Restaurant in Glastonbury hosts An Italian Wine & Food Pairing Dinner featuring the wines of Di Majo Norante on Tuesday March 13. The evening will begin with a reception followed by a five course meal prepared by Chef David Stickney. It costs $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Read More
It’s a Woman’s World: Connecticut Female Culinary Influencers: Silvia Baldini Features Chef Talk Chef Best of CT Jeanne Muchnick March 08, 2018 The hospitality industry has always been cut-throat, especially for women, and more specifically for those behind the kitchen burners. Now that the gender conversation has exploded via the #MeToo movement, and with 2018 being proclaimed "The Year of the Woman," we at CT Bites choose to celebrate the influential and aspirational women among us. With March 8 marking International Women’s Day, this seemed like the perfect time to announce our new series "It's A Women's World" featuring Connecticut female influencers who’ve blazed their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.Whether farming the land, bringing healthy food to the masses, starting a public relations, gourmet foods or catering business or injecting feminism with food, these groundbreaking broads have set a new definition of women’s work, forging new paths and setting examples for those who follow.This week we’re starting at the top—with Top Chef Silvia Baldini of New Canaan’s Strawberry and Sage, the first female chef in Fairfield County to win “Chopped.” Read More
Danny's Drive-In, Stratford: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, And History Restaurant Burgers Hot Dogs Delicious Dives Comfort Food ice cream Diner Take Out To-Go Stratford Openings Homepage James Gribbon March 07, 2018 Food, like any other aspect of human culture, has its landmarks. Local touchstones, the food you grew up with can be felt from great distances away, even by people who didn't grow up nearby. Ask just about anyone across the world what constitutes American food and chances are "hamburger" will be in their top two answers. The burger's invention at Louis Lunch in New Haven is well known and, regionally, so is Danny's Drive-In in Stratford. This is why a "For Sale" sign on the building has met with such concern - it's only been seen twice before in 83 years. Read More
Local Ingredients: The Araucana Egg, A Wild Blue Wonder Features Ingredients Ingredients Local Farm Specialty Market Luke Shanahan March 06, 2018 Writer Luke Shanahan contemplates the virtues of a truly excellent fresh egg with Lloyd Allen of Double L Market. Consider the egg. Any serious cook knows its singular importance in the kitchen. Many cooks—serious and novice alike—remember the egg as the first thing they ever learned to cook. In the book The Next Course, rock-&-roller chef Marco Pierre White, who at 33 became the youngest cook ever to be awarded three Michelin stars, reveals his country side when he suggests that scrambled (gulls) eggs with celery salt served with mayonnaise—an emulsion of egg yolk, acid and oil—may be a worthy last meal on earth. (Here's a handy list of local CT farms that produce fresh eggs.) Read More
6 Must Eat Sandwiches at Winfield Street Italian Deli in Westport Restaurant Lunch Breakfast Comfort Food Westport Deli Coffee To-Go Take Out Homepage Andrew Dominick March 04, 2018 When Breno Donatti took over the almost century-old Winfield Street Italian Deli back in 2015, one of his goals was to infuse some new school life into the menu while upholding some of the delis traditional recipes and values. What Donatti has excelled at since opening is using his background in fine dining as both an owner and a general manager to improve the business. He uses fresh, local ingredients from nearby farms whenever possible. He and his cooks have tinkered with recipes of deli classics, so you know after your first bite, that you’re not eating a bland, ordinary sandwich. Read More
Culinary Corner Pub Crawl & Fundraiser in West Hartford: ARTISAN, FLORA, INDIA, The Cook and The Bear, and VINTED Features Events Stephanie Webster March 03, 2018 CTbites is excited to be a sponsor for the 2nd Culinary Corner Pub Crawl in West Hartford. Connecticut beer, wine, and cocktail enthusiasts can raise a glass for a good cause on Saturday, March 10th from 12-5pm at the 2nd West Hartford Culinary Corner Pub Crawl hosted by Eat IN Connecticut.The 2nd Culinary Corner Pub Crawl will help to raise funds for local charity, Johnny's Jog, an annual event that raises money for three local non-profit children's organizations. Enjoy FOOD SPECIALS in addition to 1/2 OFF DRINKS from 12-5PM at participating restaurants ARTISAN, FLORA, INDIA, The Cook and The Bear, and VINTED. The crawl will be an OPEN FORMAT event again where Pub Crawl participants can go to any of the 5 participating Culinary Corner restaurant locations in any order. Read More
Clarke Intros, Demos and Classes Bring Wolf Appliances to Life (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team March 02, 2018 For decades, New England homeowners would shop for appliances by walking down a line of different models and make their selections based almost entirely on price and aesthetics. All they knew about the operation or benefits of an oven or cooktop was what they could read in product signage and learn from talking to the salesperson.In the 1990s, Tom Clarke, founder of Clarke Distribution, changed all of that for Connecticut homeowners when he opened a Sub-Zero and Wolf showroom in South Norwalk. This Clarke Showroom not only won national awards for its extraordinary design, but also for offering homeowners the opportunity to cook on these appliances in order to make a much more educated buying decision. In fact, it is not unusual for a homeowner to make a Clarke Showroom appointment to bake her favorite pie or loaf of bread in multiple ovens to decide which model has the features and provides the results she desires. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events For Week Of March 4- 11 Features Events News Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 02, 2018 During the month of March, Artisan Restaurant in Southport will feature “Bon Voyage Menus.” Chef Frederic Kieffer has created four menus highlighting four distinct global cuisines. First up- Italy from March 1-11! The prix fixe menu is $19 for lunch and $45 for dinner.Upgrade your Wednesday night out with Brasitas Stamford's five course dinner paired with Patron Tequila cocktails at their Tequila Tasting Dinner on Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30pm. $70 Per Person Plus Tax & Gratuity. Seating is Limited!. Reservations Contact: Stamford@Brasitas.comMystic Restaurant Week spans from March 5-11. Restaurants like Go Fish, The Engine Room, Go Fish, The Irons, and more are presenting special menus for lunch and/or dinner. The Westport Farmers’ Market, Fleishers Craft Butchery, and Patagonia Provisions will present a screening of the award-winning Sundance documentary LOOK & SEE, a powerful cinematic portrait of Wendell Berry- farmer, activist, and undoubtedly one of America’s most significant living writers. The film will be screened on March 5 at Fairfield Theater Company.On Monday March 5, The Spread in Greenwich will host a Tequila Dinner at 7pm. The evening includes a welcome cocktail and a 5 course meal created by Chef Carlos Baez for $75/ per person. Space is limited, Reservations (203) 900-1887Tuesday March 6 is “Teacher Appreciation Night” at Brewport! Show your teacher ID between 3:30pm and 5:30pm for free pizza. Read More
Plan b Restaurants Brings Back 5 Fan Favorite Dishes from 12 Years of Business Features Events Burgers CTbites Team March 01, 2018 There are just some dishes you never forget. Is there any better nostalgia then food nostalgia? We think not. And Plan b fans certainly seem to agree. Over the last 12 years, Plan b Restaurants has gone through more than a dozen menu changes, but that doesn’t stop guests from demanding their favorites. As a reward for their loyal (and vocal) fans, Plan b Restaurants is bringing back five of their most beloved dishes for a very limited time!From February 26 – March 19, the Beef Wellington Bites (sirloin, puff pastry, mushroom duxelle & blue cheese sauce), Portobello Tots (crispy fried Portobello mushroom tots with roasted tomato vinaigrette & garlic horseradish aioli), the infamous PB&J Burger (beef patty, American cheese, smooth peanut butter & bacon jam), the East Coast Burger (beef patty with roasted tomato, frizzled onions, warm lobster meat & horseradish cream) and the Lobster Pot Pie (New England lobster, sherry- bourbon lobster sauce, fresh veggies, & diced potatoes in a fresh baked pastry crust) will be featuring on a special “Cult Classics” menu Read More
Sally's Apizza Reopens To Scores Of Happy Customers via Hartford Courant Restaurant New Haven Pizza Openings Homepage Leeanne Griffin March 01, 2018 New Haven pizza icon, Sally’s Apizza, reopened this week. Leeanne Griffin of The Hartford Courant reports on the re-opening...In its 80th year, Sally’s Apizza, a New Haven icon since 1938, is heading into a new chapter in its history. The Wooster Street pizzeria reopened Wednesday under new ownership after being closed several weeks for transition.Read the complete article on The Hartford Courant. Read More
Rustica, the Successful Italian Eatery in Chester, Opens a Second Location in Milford Restaurant Milford Italian Comfort Food Lunch Connecticut Magazine February 28, 2018 Connecticut Magazine's Mike Wollschlager reports on a new Italian find in Milford. You don’t have to be Italian to truly appreciate an authentic Italian meal. Conchi and Vicente Contreras, natives of Ecuador and owners of Rustica Ristorante, are proof positive you don’t have to be Italian to prepare one, either. The wife-and-husband, do-it-all duo behind the successful restaurant in Chester opened a second Rustica location last October on Boston Post Road in Milford.“Fresh ingredients bursting with flavor” is a description that can apply to anything on the menu, which is meticulously planned and executed. The selections change with the seasons, but when a dish proves to be a major hit with customers, it will stay.Vicente and Conchi came to the U.S. in the mid-’90s and began working at Paci Restaurant, which at the time was a new eatery at the Southport train station. Paci was their entry into Italian cuisine. It was also their education. “I worked all the positions in the restaurant,” Vicente says.Rustica Ristorante 1573 Boston Post Road, Milford 203-301-4010Read the complete article at Connecticut Magazine. Read More
Meet Culinary Luminaries Ruth Reichl & Sam Kass at The Westport Public Library Features Events Celebrity Chef Stephanie Webster February 27, 2018 The Westport Library is thrilled to announce FLEX: experiences - a five-day series of innovative programs designed to showcase the future flexibility and innovation coming to the new Westport Library. The events kick off Wednesday, March 21 and run through Sunday, March 25. The events begin on Wednesday, March 21 with a celebrity lunch fundraiser hosted by local bestselling author Jane Green and emceed by James Beard Award winner Elissa Altman. The keynote of the lunch will be Sam Kass, former Obama White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition, who served as Executive Director of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. Kass will also host a book signing for his book Eat a Little Better after the luncheon.On Thursday March 22nd, come to the Library for a food lovers’ Q&A with gourmet guru Ruth Reichl. The former editor of Gourmet Magazine and best selling foodie author will be joined by a celebrity panel including local celebrity chef and restauranteur Bill Taibe, master farmer and sustainability expert Annie Farrell of Millstone Farm and the “entertainologist” and celebrity chef Lulu Powers. Read More
Food Trucks & CT Chefs Team Up for "Beer & Bites" Pop-Up Dinners w/ Half Full Brewery and CT Bites Features Events CTbites Invites Stephanie Webster February 27, 2018 Half Full Brewery and CT Bites are excited to bring you a creative and collaborative food and beer-pairing event series. Not to be missed, "Beers & Bites" 2018 pairs limited release beers from Half Full Brewery with totally off-menu food items from some of Fairfield County's best chefs and food truck operators. For each event, the team behind the "bites" (1 brick and mortar chef, 1 food truck chef) will come together to collaborate on that evening's menu and cook and serve from the host Food Truck...two chefs, one totally off-menu food experience. Each menu item will be paired with a limited-release beer from the Half Full Brewery with the Brewers onsite to introduce each pairing. Tickets are $50 and include 4 beers, all food, and a commemorative glass. Event details and FAQ's are below. Read More
Aussie-Influenced Flinders Lane Opens in Downtown Stamford Restaurant Stamford Australian Bar Comfort Food Seafood Lunch Brunch Homepage Andrew Dominick February 25, 2018 If you hear anyone mention Flinders Lane in Stamford, it’s not a street they’re talking about, it’s a restaurant. More specifically, it’s an Australian-influenced restaurant. If you’re as bewildered as I was when I found out this type of cuisine had arrived in Downtown Stamford—and as curious too—keep reading.I sought out more info. The common-sense thing to-do was to check out Flinders Lanes’ website, where “Modern Australian” is described as “We take inspiration from the cuisines of nearby Southeast Asia and subtle influence from the food of British settlers mixed with that of Greek and Italian immigrants.” I still found myself scratching my head, wondering if this was accurate. I have a few Australian friends so I fact checked with them and both said that this sounded right, and one added, “We don’t have much ‘real’ Aussie food. Meat pies and tomato sauce, maybe.” Read More
Shell & Bones Clam Chowder Recipe: Happy National Chowder Day! Recipe Features Recipe Seafood CTbites Team February 25, 2018 In honor of National Chowder Day (yes, that's a thing), we asked Chef Arturo Franco Camacho of Shell & Bones in New Haven CT to share his recipe for their very delicious Clam Chowder. The recipe is delightfully simple but is layered with flavors that create a deeply delicious rich chowder. Read More
CT Bartenders Share their Margarita Recipes for National Margarita Day! Recipe Features Cocktails Holiday Bar Recipe Homepage Stephanie Webster February 22, 2018 Oh yes it is! My favorite day of the year, National Margarita Day, has arrived. Those who know me, know that when I sidle up to the bar, those working on the other side need not even ask for my order. It's always the same...and it's always a Margarita. Truly, it's the perfect cocktail, and just right for every season. Plus, tequila has been proven to actually have health benefits. Lime, tequila's most trusty companion, is bursting with Vitamin C which we all know helps us recover from illness. Anejo tequila, made from 100% agave, is known to help reduce bacteria and relieve sore throats, and agave helps to fight diabetes. There are so many reasons to embrace and celebrate the Margarita. Do it right with these recipes from local bartenders including: El Segundo, Mézon, Geronimo Restaurant & Tequila Bar, Barcelona, Bartaco, Marcia Selden Catering and Festivities. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events for February 25 - March 4 Features Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 21, 2018 Every Monday night, visit Washington Prime in SoNo for a 2 course prime rib dinner special. $39 per person includes a Caesar salad, a 16oz steak, and mashed potatoes.Taproot in Bethel invites you to its first wine dinner of Tuesday February 27. The evening, entitled “An American Heritage Dinner,” consists of five courses paired with complementary wines. It is $85 per person and starts at 6:30. Le Penguin in Westport is hosting a wine dinner on February 28th at 6:30 pm. The wine director from Chateau LaGrange will be on hand to discuss the wines. Cost is $100. RSVP 203. 557.6432.Is there a Ridgefield restaurant that you have looked forward to trying but just haven’t had the chance to yet? Well, now is the time! Ridgefield Restaurant Week is back for the third year and gives you the opportunity to experience amazing dining destinations at a great price. Visit participating restaurants like Bailey’s Backyard, Bareburger, Bernard’s, Little Pub, Southwest Café, Terra Sole Ristorante, and Wooster Hollow Café, from February 26 - March 4 for special price fixe lunch and/or dinner specials.Stamford's annual Winter Restaurant Weeks runs through March 4. 21 different restaurants in Stamford will be offer special menus for both lunch and dinner ranging from $14.18 to $38.18. Read More
On Thursdays, We Eat Prime Rib: Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield Restaurant BBQ Ridgefield American Special Occasion Andrew Dominick February 20, 2018 Up until recently, prime rib had all but vanished from restaurants. It remained on menus at less-than-trendy eateries or it was offered at others as a one-day-per-week special, but it never quite reached levels of steak extinction. If you’ve glanced at dinner menus lately—yes, even at hotspot restaurants—there’s a chance you’ve noticed that this beefy blue-plate special has reemerged! If you’re a prime rib superfan, or if you salivate at the thought of a hearty slice of standing rib roast, Hoodoo Brown BBQ should be on your “Thursday Night Plans” list. Being a BBQ joint, they’re doing what you might imagine they’re doing with prime rib…they’re smoking whole 14 lb. roasts and serving them up until it’s all gone. Read More
Chango Rosa Eclectic & Creative Pan-Latin in Hartford (+ Killer Tacos) Restaurant Latin American Mexican Cocktails Hartford County Hartford Lunch Tacos Homepage Ramin Ganeshram February 18, 2018 There are a lot of good reasons to head to Hartford. I’m particularly love with the collection at the Wadworth Atheneum Museum of Art and its former director’s hoax-house mansion—two of the many things to do in Connecticut’s capital city where you can visit the home of quirky American satirist, Mark Twain.No less unusual but equally inspiring is Chango Rosa a pan-Latin fusion restaurant in downtown Hartford situated within walking distance of State Capital Park across from Union Station.Featuring an eclectic pan-Latin inspired menu and vibrant, fun décor Chango Rosa is less about authentic Latin foods and more about creatively using Latin ingredients and cooking methods as inspiration.“We want our cooks to be cooks and our mixologists to be mixologists. We want them to explore their creativity first,” says David Gilmore, Chango Rosa’s Executive Chef, formerly of Infinity Bistro. “For me that’s about experimenting and finding unique ways to get the best out of the ingredients and flavors.” Read More
Congrats To James Beard Awards Semifinalists: Brian Lewis & Tyler Anderson Features Awards Stephanie Webster February 15, 2018 The James Beard Foundation announced today its list of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for the 28th annual James Beard Foundation Awards. Selected from a list of more than 20,000 online entries, the prestigious group of semifinalists in 21 categories represents a wide range of culinary talent, from exceptional chefs and dining destinations nationally and in ten different regions across the U.S., to the best new restaurants, outstanding bar programs, bakers, and rising star chefs 30 or younger.CT has two semifinalists for Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY State, RI, VT). Congrats to Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT and Tyler Anderson, Millwright’s, Simsbury CT!Winners of the 2018 James Beard Media Awards will be announced on Friday, April 27, 2018. Good luck to out local CT chefs. The honor is well deserved. See this year’s full semifinalist list at jamesbeard.org/awards Read More
