30+ Spots For Ice Cream in CT: Farms, Stands, and Shops

Restaurant ice cream Dessert Best of CT Kid Friendly Gelato Homepage

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

Connecticut loves its ice cream!  One afternoon, I posted a casual query to a food lovers Facebook group: “Hello, everyone! I’m working a round-up of all the best places to enjoy ice cream across Connecticut during these hot summer days. What are your favorite spots?”  Within a matter of hours, the post racked up 154 comments along with countless likes, follows, shares, and reactions.  Ice cream enthusiasts were eager to share their favorite spots all across the state, from hidden gems to beloved staples.  Here are 30+ places for spectacular scoops in CT. 

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Norm Bloom & Sons' Grilled Oysters Recipe via Chef Matt Storch

Seafood Recipe

CTbites Team

After eating these Grilled Oysters at the recent Fork It Over fundraiser for The Westport Farmers' Market, we decided this recipe had to be shared. Norm Bloom and Sons is based in Norwalk and they provide locally and sustainably farmed oysters for many of the restaurants in the CT area and beyond. This recipe, inspired by Norm Bloom & Sons' Oysters was created by Matt Storch of Match Restaurant, and is one you'll go back to time and time again. It's a classic that complements the natural brininess of the oysters perfectly, and everything is just better when it's grilled. 

Norm Bloom & Sons' Grilled Oysters

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Conspiracy: Killer Cocktails & Small Plate Magic in Middletown CT

Restaurant Bar Cocktails Middletown Spirits Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

The niche at Conspiracy has been very warmly received and has opened up such a great new opportunity for Middletown visitors. Chef Sassi mentioned, “The small plates is something that’s been a passion of mine for several years, so,  to have a place entirely devoted to small plates breaks the mold of the conventional way of eating out. What’s better than experiencing several different dishes and flavors and journeys for the cost of a single regular entree?”

I agree. It’s super smart, very creative, and  gaaa damn delicious.

“Being a craft cocktail bar in Middletown is a hustle,” mentioned owners Mark and Jen Sabo. “We’re not a big city, the town isn’t (yet) a place people 100 percent think of as a destination, so we have to grind and push the boundaries of creativity and innovate and change constantly...our guests respond to variety and innovation, so we are constantly looking to deliver that.”

If it was even possible to manage more tasty bites, my guest and I tried the S'mores,  to finish a journey of exquisite flavors. Like the PB&J, this treat paid homage to its childlike original and yet, had a cooler, dressed up vibe. Toasted graham cracker crumble, marshmallow creme anglaise, spiced chocolate, and brûlée marshmallow all painted on a plate, that was part art, part throwback summer memory.

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SoNo Seaport Seafood Reopens: Iconic Waterside Seafood is BACK!

Restaurant South Norwalk SONO Norwalk Seafood Comfort Food Kid Friendly Waterfront Patio Outdoor Dining Openings Homepage

Andrew Dominick

After a two-and-a-half-month hiatus, SoNo Seaport Seafood is open once again, serving up the ocean’s bounty with a few exciting changes. 

In mid-April, the 35-year-old South Norwalk mainstay announced they would shut down shop while the restaurant, outdoor bar, and patio all underwent renovations. To oversee it all, SoNo Seaport’s owners, the Bloom Family, brought in a legit Fairfield County chef to consult on the project. 

That’s where Matt Storch enters the fray. But make no mistake, the chef/owner of Match and Match Burger Lobster wasn’t merely brought in to make decisions on what furniture to buy and what color paint should go on the walls. One of Storch’s focal points at SoNo Seaport was to give an outdated menu a much-needed refresh. 

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Nibble: Yummy CT Food Events For August 4-11

Features News Events

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

This summer, check out Tequila Tuesdays at Evarito’s in Norwalk.  Get $6 Evarito’s El Jimador margaritas, half price carafes, and other half price tequilas at the bar all night long, and enjoy their gorgeous roof top!

To celebrate Litchfield’s 300 year anniversary, Arethusa Farm and the Lichfield Historical Society invite you to the Tapping Reeve Meadow to meet some of Arethusa’s award-winning cows. On August 11, learn about the history of the farm, sample ice cream and cheese, and play games.  $5 per person or $20 per family. 

The Stamford Museum & Nature Center hosts a Berry Bonanza on Sunday August 11.  Harvest berries from the garde, learn how to identify wild raspberries versus invasive wineberries, and create no-bake raspberry sauce to take home. 

On August 7, Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill will be donating 10% of all food sales to New Haven Reads.

Healing meets Happy Hour at the Roger Sherman Inn on August 7. Try out acupuncture while enjoying drinks and bites.

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The Perfect Provenance’s Café 47 Hosts Exceptional Monthly Dinner Tasting

Restaurant Greenwich Pop-Up Dinner

Andrew Dominick

Exclusivity when dining out has a way of making us feel special. The smaller, the better. It’s like being part of a special club. It’s cool knowing that at that very moment, in a space half the size of a normal living room, that you and 20 people are the only ones that get to take part in an intimate dinner. 

Most often the problem is that “exclusive” equates to “EXPENSIVE.” 

That brings us to Greenwich! Wait, before you think this is going to be some $150 per person affair, you’re so very wrong. 

What if I told you that there’s a great four-course tasting menu offered on the first Friday and Saturday of every month for $65? 

If eating out is your thing, I bet you’d be intrigued. What am I saying? It’s Fairfield County, of course eating out is your thing. 

Would it be crazier if I mentioned that it goes down at a luxury lifestyle boutique store? And that it’s BYOB? Bet you didn’t see those swerves coming. 

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Guide To CT Lobster and Clambake Caterers For Your Next Party

Restaurant Lobster Lobster Bake Seafood Catering Entertaining Best of CT Homepage

April Guilbault

Crack ‘em, steam ‘em, grill ‘em, looooove ‘em. Lobster, lobster, oh sweet lovely lobster, you make our hearts swoon. Summer is here, the living is easy and to make it even easier, why not throw a good ol’ New England Lobster Bake catered to your venue of choice? You’ll feel like you are oceanside (minus the Great Whites trolling the shores) no matter where you decide to hold your bash. Draw that buttah and color yourself happy! We’ve compiled a whole boatful of vendors that will cater to every whim you might have in order to create a memorable and gloriously fun time. We may even need a bigger boat, the list is so long (ok, who got the reference?). Two big claws up to great companies that are attentive to their customers’ needs and desires and strive to make every Lobster and Clambake a delicious event. Having just used up all the lobster-talk I have up my sleeve, please read on and enjoy…

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Guide To Our Favorite CT Summer Farm Stands

Ingredients Features Best of CT Farmers Market Farm Stand CT Farms Local Farm Farm to Table

Maddie Phelps

With the glorious warmth that summer brings to Connecticut comes a plethora of delicious fruits, vegetables, and other produce that are sure to highlight any and every meal of the season. If you’re looking to get a taste of the incredible produce CT offers when the temperature is at its hottest, you’ll surely want to make a trip to some local farm stands. As late July is upon us, however, the number of summer days left are ticking away at a startling speed. But fear not; your life just got a little bit easier. Some of the best summer farm stands in the state are listed below, ranging from the eastern most points of Connecticut to down in Fairfield County. All you have to do is find one that catches your eye and take the drive.

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Nibble: CT Food Events for Week of July 28- August 4th

Features News Events

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

On Tuesday July 30 at 7pm, join Mecha Noodle Bar Wine Dinner and Dominio De Punctum for a wine dinner.

Artisan Southport hosts a Culinary Fight Club Connecticut: Seafood Showdown on July 30. Culinary Fight Club is looking for the most creative use of Seafood, whether it's Salmon or Oysters, paired with local fresh ingredients plated up with the perfect bite. Come witness the competition. A $35 Tickets Includes 1 Sam Adams Beer Sample, a snack from Artisan, a wine tasting, and more. Plus, vote on your favorite.

Rockledge Grille in West Hartford and Dom’s Cheese Shop in Avon are excited to host their first ever Sunset Wine & Cheese Tasting on the patio. Join them on Monday, July 29 for wines paired with artisanal cheeses… and the BEST view in West Hartford. 7-8:30pm, $40 per guest. Call 860-206-2182 to reserve.

Mondays at the Gray Goose Café in Darien are for martinis! Join them starting at 5pm for 1/2 off All Well and Call Martinis.

The Madison Beach Hotel’s Summer Retro Cocktail Party will feature all your favorite drinks from the 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s! On Tuesday July 30, enjoy old-school passed hors d’ouevres and listen to the soft and mellow sounds of Ric Cunningham at this delightful Fund Raiser for the Madison Ambulance Association. Tickets are $49 per person with a cash bar.

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High George Rooftop Bar Opens At The Blake Hotel in New Haven from Chef Tyler Anderson

Restaurant Openings New Haven Cocktails Bar RoofTop Patio American Celebrity Chef Homepage

James Gribbon

"I've just always wanted to be a part of it," Chef Tyler Anderson tells me as we talk about New Haven and he hands me an everything bagel spiced cracker topped with a mound of bluefish tartare. "The culinary scene is so impressive here, and you have the city culture, the music. I had to do it some day." The "it" is where we're standing, six or so stories above a corner in the southwest of downtown, on the roof of the new Blake Hotel. High George (named for the intersecting streets) is Anderson's kitchen pied-à-terre in the Elm City - open air views open now.

Chef Anderson is a familiar face at his restaurants: Millwright's, The Cook & The Bear, and Porron&Piña, and to a national audience thanks to appearances on Top Chef and Beat Bobby Flay. He is also well known to the James Beard Foundation, who have nominated him as Best Chef Northeast every year since 2013. His idea for the menu at High George is to present small plate versions of New England summer food - clams, fish, coal-fired skewers - inexpensively, adding culinary interest through twists on flavors and presentation. Fried whole belly clams? Absolutely, and served wrapped in soft bao, the easier to knock back in a few bites while holding a cocktail in the other hand. Anderson and A.J. Aurrichio have brought on Tim Cabral as the third partner, using his experience at Ordinary to create cocktails in keeping with the light menu because this is, after all, a rooftop bar.

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Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events For Week of July 21-28

Features Events News

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

Taste of Hartford runs through July 28.  Participating restaurants throughout the Greater Hartford area will offer special multi-course, price-fixed menus. 

For the first time in 25 years, Union League Cafe in New Haven has an outdoor space!  La Terrasse has room for 36 patrons at bistro tables and on lounge furniture.  It opens at 11:30am Monday through Friday and at 5pm on Saturday.

No donuts for you! Coffee An in Westport is on a summer hiatus and will reopen on Monday August 5.

ARTISAN Restaurant, Tavern and Garden is embracing the summer season on its patio by uncorking its private label Rosé Wine at its annual Garden Parties in West Hartford on the last Thursday of each month from June through September.  Guests are encouraged to experience the spectacular outdoor setting while enjoying Artisan Rosé wine, craft cocktails, light bites and music by a well-known DJ in the picturesque Artisan garden. Tickets are $25 per person. The next one takes place on Thursday July 25. 

On Thursday July 25, Oyster Club Mystic and Stone Acres Farm present Thursday Night Bites - Marrakech Market.  Join them on the farm for themed bites & beverages featuring Moroccan cuisine with Chef Jules from Engine Room. 

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NEW PODCAST! Talkin' Balls With The Meatball Shop's CEO & Executive Chef

Features Podcast Italian Westport

Stephanie Webster

Who doesn’t love meatballs??! This week on The CTbites Hot Dish Podcast , we chat with The guys from The Meatball Shop, CEO, Adam Rosenbam, and Executive Chef, Daniel Sharp. The Meatball Shop opened its doors in Westport just weeks ago, their 7th location, and it’s been ball frenzy ever since. What’s on the podcast menu? We discuss what makes a good meatball, the importance of sustainability, and the exciting new menu additions that are only available for all of you lucky CT residents. Listen here.

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Chef DiBari Opens Eugene’s Diner in Port Chester...Hot Damn, This Aint No Average Diner

Restaurant Diner American Comfort Food Homepage

Kristin L. Wolfe

Connecticuters! Time to cross the border….No walls to be found over there in Port Chester, New York where you’ll find a truly stellar diner serving up some out-of-this-world, groovy meals. When you walk in, especially if you are my age (eh hem 40 something something), you’ll be transported back to the days of wall-to-wall paneling and all the rust and brown your heart desires. With rugs on walls, aquariums, and I-swear-that’s-my-grandma's wallpaper, somehow the 70s just look better in the noughty oughts. 

When you shake yourself from the timewarp, you’ll sidle up to the counter--truly the best seat in the house-but it will not be your everyday diner affair. It is, as the brand describes itself,“diner-inspired.” So what that really means is, yes, you can get breakfast all day and yes, there are regulars at the counter, and yes, they even have spinning cake cases, and lots of clinking silverware, but the similarities end there. This is a diner where a truly experienced Chef and creative team come to play, be inspired, and frankly, knock your socks off. So, you want pancakes? They’ll present you with pancakes in a plump piled stack like you’ve never seen, and should you be feeling a bit bougie, you can get them with a side of foie gras. No joke. You want French Toast? Just try and bite into these pillows of deliciousness without gasping. Something besides lego-my-eggo waffles? Sure, have them with some Marrow AND butter. Toast and eggs? Well, of course, but I’ll take mine with caviar, thank you very much. That’s how they do it over the border at Eugene’s Diner.

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And the Dirtiest Napkin Goes To...Winners For The Hartford Rib Off

Features BBQ Festival

Kristin L. Wolfe

We are a little late in reporting the results of the Hartford Rib Off, but better late than never. It’s no secret that barbecue was really “invented” as permission to get dirty whilst eating. And the moistest, messiest, smokiest bbq around is usually what keeps us enthusiasts dreaming at night. Well, it’s time to find out what happened at the 10th Annual Hartford Rib Off last month and therefore, add to our list of bbq-tastic visits for the rest of the summer.

It was Father’s Day weekend and over 2,000 folks came out for serious sun and chow. And, if a gorgeous summer day, great food, the spirit of competition isn’t enough, support for local charities was the cherry on top of a successful weekend event.

Barbecue, unlimited drinks, raising money oh my. Hall’s Market of West Hartford supplied 4,000 pounds of meat for the two-day event. Attendees enjoyed samples from 20 different breweries, craft cocktails from Tito’s, barbeque from over 30 Pit teams, food trucks and live music from Hartford’s own Professors of Sweet Sweet Music. 

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Nibble: Tasty CT Food Events for July 15th – 21st

Features News Events

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson

On July 18, Chef Frederic Kieffer of Artisan Restaurants and L’escale comes to Wakeman Town Farm for an Intimate Chef’s Dinner. Dine on four courses of seasonal, local fare served in Tim's Kitchen. Guests are welcome to stroll the Farm's organic gardens and visit our animals before sitting down. The menu will be inspired by the best of what's available that week from the farm’s farmer/fisherman friends. Tickets are limited and the event is BYOB, so feel free to bring wine, beer or your favorite libations. Glassware and openers provided. 

Chop Shop Cooking Classes continue on Wednesday July 17 with Summer Party Bites. The menu includes heirloom tomato bruschetta w/feta pesto, lobster quesadillas w/black bean mango salsa, cucumber cups w/feta, roasted peppers and olives, buffalo shrimp w/herb ranch dressing, and BBQ chicken wontons w/bleu cheese dip. 

Terrain Café invites you to a Farmers' Market Dinner on July 18. Meet them on their patio for an al fresco dinner in collaboration with the Westport Farmers' Market. This three-course, plant-based meal will highlight fresh ingredients from local partners and purveyors to be enjoyed with a view of their newly expanded blooming nursery. Reservations are required. $75 per person. Cost includes three-course dinner, a welcome cocktail, and passed appetizers. 

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Summer Strawberry Gelato with Waffle Cones Recipe from Sugar and Olives

Features Recipe Dessert

CTbites Team

It’s summer, and that means the local CT Farmers’ Markets are bursting with color and flavor. Lucious strawberries are readily available at the Westport Farmers Market (or at a market near you), but they go fast so be sure to grab your pint. If you make it home without eating all of your berries in the car, try this great recipe for Strawberry Gelato from Jennifer Balin, owner of Sugar & Olives.

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Yalla Organic Hummus and Grill: Middle Eastern, The Way YOU Want It in Fairfield

Restaurant Fairfield healthy Organic Mediterranean Fast Casual Lunch

CTbites Team

Yalla Organic Hummus and Grill has taken Fairfield County by storm. Yalla Organic is a consumer-oriented experience where you get to choose exactly how your lunch and dinner is prepared down to the last detail. This family-run business has quickly become a town staple of Fairfield…  and their hummus is making me question all previous hummus choices I have made.  

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The Dilly Duck Shop in Norwalk: Checking In 18 Months Later + New Menu Additions

Restaurant Norwalk Lunch Sandwich Breakfast Homepage

Andrew Dominick

Eighteen months ago, a small eatery with an odd name opened in a strip mall on the Norwalk-Wilton line. It was then that our own April Guilbault clued readers in on what The Dilly Duck Shop was all about. 

Fast forward to present day. Word about The Dilly Duck Shop is getting out, and it’s all been positive for chef Russ Zappala and his mother, Phyllis, who runs the front of the house. “We’ve somehow maintained solid online ratings across the board, five stars,” Russ said. “We haven’t been able to fully commit to advertising, so we rely on that, and word of mouth. It spreads slowly, but we’ve noticed growth every month.” 

That word of mouth is what brought me to Dilly Duck in the first place. Locals talk about it, as do Fairfield County chefs. Zappala’s philosophy that’s worked so far is to grow organically with the community and create a menu that the people here yearn for. 

Dilly Duck is a darling amongst its regulars for a reason.

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