Fairfield County is full of trailblazing women, particularly in the culinary world. Which is why, with 2018 being proclaimed the Year of the Woman, we felt compelled to honor the pioneers among us.
Our series, “It’s A Woman’s World’ is devoted to Fairfield County female influencers who’ve forged their own paths, often in food-related fields long dominated by men.
How'd they do it? Read on. This week, our focus turns to Debra Ponzek, Chef/Owner of Aux Delices Foods. Have a suggestion on someone you’d like to see featured? Email steph@ctbites.com.
Mecha Noodle Bar & Mézon owners, Tony Pham and Richard Reyes, are excited to announce the launch of their new food truck, Eat Justice. The truck will open its window to the public on Friday, June 15th, at Holbrook Farm in Bethel. The Eat Justice food truck rolls into the CT food scene with some pre-existing street cred, and we're not just talking about our beloved noodle slurping shop founders. Beneath the new pink origami pig exterior resides the bones of the EGGZ food truck, purchased from Matt Stanziato. Lucky us, the truck will continue to feature EGGZ' killer breakfast sandwiches, but Pham and Reyes will expand the menu to include "Daily Inspirations" ranging from Banh Mi to a classic Cubano. Bonus... you don't need to hunt down the Eat Justice truck. It will reside at Holbrook Farm every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 8am-1pm, like clockwork. This is a great reason to head to Bethel.
Recently, we told you about over 50 food trucks traveling the streets of Fairfield County. Mobile eats are taking over the state though, with trucks and carts serving New Haven, Hartford, and beyond! Here are over 80 trucks serving everything from Mexican to Vietnamese to BBQ!
Skyscraper Sandwiches, Glastonbury: Skyscraper Sandwich Truck serves massive sandwiches stacked high like skyscrapers! It's no wonder they earned top honors from the CTNOW Best of Hartford Readers Poll in 2018.
Mamoun’s Falafel Cart, New Haven:Mamoun's Falafel got its start in Greenwich Village in New York City. Now, its cart serves Middletown and the surrounding areas. Find their latest stops on their facebook page.
Mercado, Glastonbury: A Span-ish inspired truck featuring local ingredients and full service catering, Mercado is owned by Roy and Heather, a husband a wife team, who set out to make their hobby a reality.
Ricky D’s Rib Shack, New Haven: Ribs! Pulled pork! Brisket! Ricky D's will bring their smoker and BBQ on the road and roll up to your next event.
Tacos Los Michoacanos, New Haven: Tacos Los Michoacanos is a fleet of Food Trucks that are based out of New Haven offering Mexican fare.
Thai Taste, New Haven: Thai Taste Food Truck opened in January 2018! Find them on York Street in New Haven.
Pork Friends and Company, Meriden: Pork Friends and Company is Latin fusion at its tastiest! Their background is Spanish, but they draw influence from around the globe.
Cado’s Egg Truck, Trumbull: Cados egg truck serves up a unique spin on breakfast in Trumbull.
They say life is a highway… and it’s a good thing too because more food trucks are hitting the streets than ever before! Connecticut is home to a bevy of mobile eats serving everything from crepes to tacos to meatballs to grilled cheese. Here are over 50 food trucks based in the Fairfield County area.Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we cover even more in New Haven, Hartford, and Beyond!
Is your favorite Fairfield County food truck not on our list? Let us know.
Milkraft Milktruck, Fairfield: Milkcraft has a Milktruck! They are available for private events and have had as many as 500 customers waiting in line when the truck hits the road.
MamaKitchen, Stamford: MamaKitchen just opened in Stamford on Richmond hill in front of Jackie Robinson Field. It serves up authentic Dominican fare and is the first Chimi truck in the area.
Seaside Sliders, Norwalk: Seaside Sliders by Mr. Frosty's is exactly what the name implies- hand-crafted sliders!
Daniels Food Truck, Stamford: Daniel's Food Truck in Stamford is Guatemalan American fare on-the-go. They have everything from breakfast to burgers to "shukos" to tacos.
Jefes Tacos n Grill, Stamford: Jefe's Tacos n Grill makes authentic Mexican food with fresh ingredients and seasoned spicy marinated meats cooked on a flat top grill. They also salads and burgers.
I visited Liberty Rock Tavern in Milford shortly after they opened, and I distinctly remember Dan Kardos’ description of his menu, “I’m making food that people like to eat, food that I like to eat,” he said.
That “food” is best described as elevated pub grub, which could be surprising to those who followed Kardos’ stints at Napa & Co., Le Farm, and various Barcelona locations. His fine dining background ultimately results in better bar food. It’s the kind of food made for cheat day, where you’ll have to roll up your sleeves, and sit as pulled up to the bar or table as you can get. It’s successful stuff.
For more than three decades, and under the leadership of Roe Chlala and Bill Kaliff,Festivities has been an integral part of the community, catering milestone celebrations from birthdays and weddings, to corporate events and galas. This award-winning catering and event design company has launched their newest venture through their foundation. Located on the Festivities Campus, “Pass on the Love” is a retail store offering a curated collection of gently used, quality, design, décor and tabletop items that have been donated and are available for purchase for your next event or for your personal use. “Buy it in love, pass it on in love” is the store motto. Proceeds from all sales are to be donated to agencies that provide services supporting safe and healthy homes. The first two recipient agencies are The Center for Family Justice and the Domestic Violence Program at the Greenwich YWCA.
It’s not warm enough to totally be outdoors and you’ve got a wicked case of cabin fever after this roller coaster of a winter. What’s a food loving, experience-hungry, knowledge-loving person to do? Take a class! Specifically, a *food* class!From breads to butchery, cheeses to fondant, we’ve assembled a class list that will have you hungry to learn, so to speak. Using the skills offered in these classes, you (and your friends, if a group activity if something you are looking for) can learn a wide variety of culinary skills that will allow you to have fun in the moment but then take that fun back to your own kitchen and share it. Learn to cook for a crowd, perfect skills you’ve been thinking you need a smidge of help with, or just do something different for an evening. Break out of that bread box! Strike a new (knife) pose! Any way you slice it (see what I did there?), you are going to have a grand time…learning! Who knew?
Nestled at the farther end of a strip mall in Norwalk, right off of Rt. 7, is the newly opened eatery, The Dilly Duck Shop. Honestly, I feel it necessary to begin with the most obvious…what’s up with the name? “Dilly” is British slang for something notable or excellent, Duck is an homage to our fair state of Connecticut and the charm that flourishes here (ducks are also proud and colorful) and shop denotes “workshop”, as in a place of craft. So there you have it. The Dilly Duck Shop. It is not a store for winged fowl nor do they carve decoys. They sell food. Really good food.
The Holidays are here...time to entertain. A well-stocked bar cart is an essential ingredient in any successful holiday gathering. Here's some tips from Festivities Catering to ensure that your holiday entertaining is festive, fun and filled with style.
Holiday Cocktail Cart Tips:
1. Create a "signature" drink that can be made in batches. Have some pre-made in pitchers that can easily be poured into glasses as guests arrive. We suggest a Poinsettia Spritz Cocktail.
Poinsettia Spritz Cocktail Recipe: 3/4 cup vodka, 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice, 2 ounces St. Germain, 3/4 cup prosecco, cranberries & rosemary for garnish. Serves 6.
Four years. That’s the time Tyler Anderson devoted to perfecting his signature dish, Tapioca Custard. A lush confection of clams, bacon, onion, potato and fennel, the delicacy perfectly defines the wizardry of this celebrated chef … a magical spin on homespun.
The small portion is intentionally introductory, a riff on a classic New England starter. As if by sorcery, the custard conjures “all the flavors of clam chowder.”
Anderson conceived the dish as a tribute to the meal – and the moment -- that super-charged his culinary life. “I went to the French Laundry in 1997 when Tomas Keller was in the kitchen,” he recalls. “Up to then I had been cooking mainly to meet women and go drinking with my buddies.”
He began the feast with Keller’s classic, Oysters and Pearls, a sabayon of pearl tapioca with beau soleil oysters and white sturgeon caviar.
“I took the first bite,” he remembers. “And at that exact second understood that cooking could be more than just cooking.” He pauses and grins. “It made me smile. I was happy. I now had a passion to make people happy.”
At exactly 12pm on Thursday November 23, Santa Claus concluded the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and officially ushered in the holiday season! For those looking to throw the ultimate holiday bash, popular Connecticut restaurants and venues can provide fantastic backdrops for the festivities. These places have party spaces and packages that are perfect for your soirees!
Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Wilton: The Schoolhouse in Wilton can help you throw a holiday cocktail party starting at $45 per person. Offerings include Crab Stuffed Mushrooms, Mini Baked Brie, Beef Tenderloin Canape, and more.
Brasitas, Norwalk: Brasitas in Norwalk and Stamford both have private rooms.
Two Roads, Stratford: Two Roads Brewery in Stratford has a private events room that holds 75 seated or 160 standing. You can also schedule private tours for groups larger than 10 and smaller than 20.
Heirloom, New Haven: At Heirloom in New Haven, use their private dining room or The Study at Yale, their penthouse space.
Roger Sherman Inn, New Canaan: The Roger Sherman in has a number of rooms of all different sizes for your private holiday party: The Blue Room (14), the Terrace Room (80), the Hunt Room (30), the Ivy Room (30), the Garden Room (70), the WineRoom (36), and the Porch (70). Reception style can accommodate between 20-200 guests.less
I first had the saffron ice cream called bastani akbar mashti in 1978 in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. I was in Iran with my mother, the last trip I would make to her native country, mere months before the Revolution that began what has become forty years of acrimony between our two nations.
But on that day, the Bazaar was packed with shoppers seeking out everything from daily staples to luxury goods. Everywhere I looked there was a riot of color, fabric and food. The smells of roasting kebabs filled the air mingling with the scent of tea brewed with cardamom.
The ice cream, delicately yellow and aromatic with saffron and rosewater was punctuated with the occasional crunch of pistachios—a prized Iranian export—and bits of frozen cream. Even though I’ve had versions of it since, none have ever been as good—either too light on the saffron, too sweet, or omitting the frozen cream nuggets.
That all changed when I visited Green Leaf Catering Truck, the mobile restaurant of Dariush Rose and his son Samuel.
There’s something in the air at The Cook and The Bear. And we’re pretty sure it’s the scent of deliciously smoked brisket. Or maybe pastrami, or barbecue chicken. Whatever it is, we’re loving it.
The Cook and The Bear is brought to you by two well-known local chefs: Tyler Anderson and Jamie McDonald. A two-time nominee of the Best Chef Northeast James Beard Award and contestant in the upcoming season of Top Chef, Anderson is known to please palates at Simsbury's popular fine dining restaurant Millwright's, offering farm-fresh New England fare in a rustic setting. Jamie McDonald's Kansas City-style barbecue has led him to conquer the local food scene as well, with his fast-casual Bear's Smokehouse (located in Windsor and Hartford), his wood-fired pizzeria Blind Pig Pizza Co. in Hartford, and the recently opened Chango Rosa, serving Latin cuisine in the former Hot Tomatoes space at Union Station.
Located in West Hartford’s popular Blue Back Square, The Cook and The Bear instantly pulls you in with its rustic chic charm (and you know, that smoky aroma). Walk into this cozy spot, and you’ll know what we mean. With its exposed ceiling and garage door-turned-window, it has a cool industrial feel that’s new and trendy. But it still holds that classic cozy vibe thanks to striped wood tables, sink-in-your-seat booths, a fire wood lined wall, and checkered napkins. Because no barbecue spot is complete without checked napkins.
I have a real appreciation for chefs who can bridge the gap between food that tastes good and food that is just plain fun. Knot Norms bills itself as a "fast casual New England seafood eatery," and has recently opened in East Norwalk next to Mr. Frosty's at East Norwalk at 10 First Avenue. The menu reads like a classic New England summer playlist, with greatest hits including: Lobsters Rolls, a Fried Chicken Roll, Roasted Oysters and a Crab Salad Roll...just to name a few. This casual spot may have a "just strolled off the beach" feel to it, but don't be fooled, Knot Norms is far from your average seafood shack.
Steamed clams, sweet mussels swimming in flavorful broth, freshly harvested sugar corn, creamy red potatoes, maybe a tangy fruit pie to top it all off and certainly lots and lots of warm, creamery butter. Add to all of these delights, the perfect setting, some decorations and maybe some help along the way serving it up and what do you have? The perfect summer gathering and we at CTBites certainly love those. That said, we have compiled this list of restaurants, shacks, and caterers for all of your seaworthy hankerings. Grab some friends, break out the bibs and the crackers, and drawwwww that butter, baby! Get ready to enjoy summer, New England style~
I had it all planned. My good friend, Jane Green, called and asked me and our team at Festivities to design and prepare a family style “Farm Dinner” celebrating the launch of her new book “The Sunshine Sisters.” As the name indicates, the book’s heroines are three sisters…one of them “Lizzie,” a chef.
For Bob Kunkel, the Co-owner of Harbor Harvest in Norwalk, CT, he is a true mariner whose blood is part saltwater and whose first love is the sea. With forty years in the restaurant business and a background in ship builders, Harbor Harvest is a market with a vision like no other. Mr. Kunkel does not settle for anything but fabulous which means all his products are locally sourced and of the highest quality. He makes a point that sustainability and being environmentally conscious is paramount to a healthy community and the world which has to lead to some epic initiatives.
We don't have to be behind the wheel for food trucks to drive us crazy! Mobile eateries continue to take the state by storm, offering curbside versions of favorite restaurant dishes and original creations from talented chefs who would rather take their cuisine on the road. We told you about food trucks worth the visit in Fairfield County. Now, CTBites presents our annual list of outstanding food trucks (and carts!) in New Haven, Hartford and beyond.
This recipe for Mini Crab Cakes comes just in time for Memorial Day entertaining. Thank you Marcia Selden Catering! We don't know about you, but we like a crab cakes loaded with fresh crab meat and not a lot of extra filler. This one fits the bill. Enjoy these are your next party...or just dinner for two.
For me, it's hard not to be attracted to the scent of frying empanadas and Puerto Rican music which is why I found myself gravitating towards Pito Sofrito today. Pito Sofrito is a mobile food truck located in Stamford. CT and usually hangs around Atlantic and Bell street near the Veterans Park during lunch hours. They are serving up fresh, authentic Puerto Rican cuisine to the masses and we just can't get enough. The proprietors of the truck are two Puerto Rican natives who grew up cooking in the kitchen with their grandmother and mother which after all is where all great recipes, memories, and traditions are born. They came over in 2003 and made the intrepid plunge into the food truck industry just six months ago and have experienced great success.
