Coffee for Good is now open in downtown Greenwich, and it’s not your ordinary high-end coffee shop. Sure, you can grab yourself a perfectly pulled shot of espresso or a latte c/o their well trained baristas and the fine roasters at PATH Coffee in PortChester. But Coffee For Good provides much more than a daily caffeine fix for our community.
Coffee For Good was spearheaded by Greenwich resident, Deb Rogan, in partnership with Abilis, as a self-sustaining, nonprofit organization, to serve as a training platform and employer for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The coffee shop, which provides espresso based beverages, smoothies, local baked goods, as well as sandwiches and salads, gives their trainees the opportunity to succeed and be a part of the local workforce.
Quietly, three months ago, Captain William Michael Harden aka “Captain Mike” opened his second Lobster Craft location in the heart of Greenwich on Greenwich Avenue.
We sat down to chat with him about the Greenwich location, new menu items, new restaurants down the pipeline and the challenges of opening a restaurant during a pandemic.
Like most restaurants, staffing has been an issue and he’s operating with a skeleton crew but he’s very proud of his young workers, their work ethic and dedication. With over a decade of success with the original Fairfield location as well as the Lobster Truck, the recipes have been perfected and feeding the masses is the easy part. (The hard part, for us, was deciding which roll to get! Scroll down and you’ll see what I mean!)
10458…that’s the zip code for Arthur Avenue in The Bronx. Considered by many to be the Mecca of Italian food in the NYC area, people travel for miles to enjoy bakeries, delis and traditional red sauce restaurants. When you are 75 miles away, and looking for an Italian grinder, that drive is formidable.
Fortunately, if you are in the Seymour / Oxford area in The Valley, there is an incredibly delicious alternative, The Bronx Deli – A Taste of Little Italy, on Main Street (also known as route 67). Located in a nondescript strip mall with Dunkin’ and Oxford Pizza Palace (which serves some pretty good cracker-crust pizza), this unassuming deli serves some of the best cold and hot grinders without fighting the traffic on 95 and the Hutch to The Bronx.
According to the website, The Bronx Deli is a family-owned restaurant, with locations in Naugatuck and Oxford.
Ok, not the cran-grapefruit-vodka-lime type of SeaBreeze, the actual sea breezes. I think we can all agree that everything tastes better eaten outside, or better yet, by the water. The warm sun on your face, a slight breath of air coming off the Sound and subtle scents of briny water wafting. You hear the clink-clank of ropes on masts, a boat horn here and there. Hello, seagull, nice to see you and no, I won’t give you a fry. These fries are too good to give to the gulls, that’s why.
Fries and more, The Galley Waterfront Cafe is a place to head this summer. Motor up by boat and grab lunches to go or sit awhile at their outdoor seating and take in views of Norwalk Harbor while you hungrily gobble up bites of their fantastic sandwiches.
Picture this: you're at the beach tanning when all of a sudden you hear that dreaded sound of your stomach rumbling. But you aren’t in the mood for the classic hot dog or chicken tenders that are usually served at a beach. You want something a little more gourmet, like a lobster roll or a farm-fresh salad. Have no fear! Hook’d on the Sound can provide you just that and is located only a few feet away from your towel.
It’s always exciting to hear about a new concept opening from one of your favorite CT chefs, but it is even more exciting when that chef partners with a groundbreaking philanthropic organization on a mission to educate young adults and celebrate local artists while creating a free destination for fine art and music in the city of Norwalk.
Chef Bill Taibe and his team (Andrea Dinan, Caitlin McGowan and Kelly Clement) have officially opened the doors to their brand new Art Space Cafe,located inside the breathtakingly beautiful Norwalk Art Space. The Cafe will be open for breakfast and lunch, 9am-4pm, just steps away from Norwalk’s Waypointe and downtown SoNo. The Art Space Cafe is an order-at-the-counter, casual affair, and will likely become a go-to spot for breakfast meetings, grabbing a quick latte, or a lunch hang in the serene sundrenched dining space.
Last August, I brought you an article that highlighted Grigg Street Pizza’s origin story with background on owners Matthew Watson and Jon Corbo, and gave you details about the star of Grigg’s show, their picturesque, delicious sourdough pizza.
Towards the end of that article, I teased that sandwiches would soon make an appearance. I immediately knew I’d return to scribble out a sandwich sequel.
And here we are. Grigg Street’s sandwiches have arrived. And they’re spectacular.
But like every good sammie, it’s important to begin with the bread. It’s likely the only thing Grigg Street doesn’t make in-house. Instead, it’s made to their specifications by The Kneaded Bread in Port Chester.
“Jeff Kohn (owner of The Kneaded Bread) made us smaller sourdough baguettes to stick with our sourdough theme,” Watson says. “I messed around with it myself. It came out OK but that’s a whole other job and program. I’d be here another five hours a day just doing that! But it’s nice to support another business by having them make it for us.”
Watson likens the size of each sandwich to a Spanish bocadillo typically eaten in cafés and tapas bars. They’re a little more streamlined, or as Watson puts it, “you don’t have to dislocate your jaw to eat it.”
Don’t worry, though, these are still substantial sammies.
Want some great espresso, specialty iced tea, frozen drinks? How about acai, pitaya, matcha or spirulina bowls alongside killer bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, basmati rice bowls, gluten free, vegan dishes, and mouthwatering desserts? The Westchester favorite, Bobo’s Cafe has crossed the border, and is opening in Connecticut…Ridgefield to be exact. According to their Facebook page, doors open today at 32 Danbury Road.
After completing their domination of Northern Westchester, owner Craig Bernardi said, “We look for communities that allow us the opportunity to really get to know people in town.”
Restaurateurs all over the CT are pivoting in response to the new pandemic reality facing both restaurant owners and diners, and while we all wish we could go back to 2019, smart entrepreneurs continue to reinvent themselves in unique and interesting ways. The team behind Taco Daddy and The Lila Rose, John Nealon and Morgan Machette are doing just that. With diminished dine in capacity, this duo, with the help of partner, Juan J Henao have expanded the reach of their new dinner spot, The Lila Rose, into an all day breakfast and lunch affair with their new, ‘Es Ok Cafe’.
Located in Stamford’s Harbor Point area, The Lila Rose was already closed during the day, except for brunch on Saturday and Sundays, so it was the perfect spot to house the cafe that this group had dreamed of creating pre-Covid. “Machette, Henao (JJ), and his brother, Juan Camillo Henao, have always been passionate about coffee and tea, so putting the concept together has been really fun. I also just like saying Sexy Lattes and Slutty Paninis,” says co-owner Nealon.
Amongst the bright and airy courtyard of the Waypointe Apartments resides Haruki Ramen & Izakaya.
Owners, Lily Nimonjiya and Ben Chan, first opened Haruki’s doors in February 2020. They wanted to bring a new side of the Japanese culture to Fairfield. Most importantly, they wanted to showcase what you’d normally find in an izakaya in Japan. “I want to highlight that there is more to the Japanese cuisine than sushi and ramen,” says Nimonjiya.
So, what is an izakaya? In Japanese, it directly translates to, “stay sake shop.” It is a casual drinking establishment with small bites. A more colloquial comparison for an izakaya would be a pub or a tapas bar. Alongside their izakaya offerings, there are also options for ramen and rice dishes. And of course, craft cocktails and an extensive list of sake—47 kinds to be exact.
A team of local industry vets have partnered together to bring “Haven Hot Chicken” to downtown New Haven after months of sold out popups, social media giveaways and curbside pickup popups. The takeout and delivery focused restaurant, which features cult classic Nashville Hot Chicken (and vegetarian Not Chicken) in a variety of heat levels, is slated to open at 21 Whitney Avenue this Fall.
The Spread you know and love from Main Street in South Norwalk has some new digs and a whole new summer look. Spread owners Andrey Cortes, Chris Hickey, Chris Rasile, Shawn Longyear and Chef Carlos Baez have taken their much heralded menu and rustic industrial vibe, and moved down the street, next door to their sister spot, El Segundo. The new spot resides in the old Harlan Public location within the IronWorks complex, and it comes with one of the most beautiful outdoor dining spaces in Fairfield County. Loyal diners and regulars….don’t worry. The menu will feature all of the usual favorites such as their Brick Chicken and Ricotta Gnocchi but Chef Baez has a few surprises up his chef’s coat.
You loved the taste of seaside classics at Joey’s by the Shore and fan-favorite dishes featured at Elvira’s. Now, as of May 3, you can enjoy these two iconic spots all at once, as they combine to form “Joey’s by the Shore featuring Elvira Mae’s Coffee Bar.”
How did Westport get so lucky as to have these beloved beach eateries merge into one delicious location? When Joey’s by the Shore faced closure last year, owner Joey Romeo and Betsy Kravitz of Elvira Mae’s discussed the potential of revamping this locally adored destination. From there, things took off. Today, under this 50/50 partnership, they serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and feature an ice cream window and a full coffee bar.
Popeye’s introduced its new chicken sandwich late last summer. After a week of rave reviews, long lines and poultry passion, Chick-fil-A took to Twitter, without mentioning Popeye’s by name, to remind the public which chicken sandwich they fell in love with first. Popeye’s taunted back in the afternoon, “... y’all good?” The beef over chicken was on.
Normally one to avoid chains, I was compelled to get to Popeye’s. I had to try this life-changing sandwich. I pulled up to the drive-thru with hangry anticipation only to hear, “We’re sold out.” Gut punch. I simply drove off. Nothing could satiate me in this dark moment over white meat.
Eventually I returned to eating, but the craving for a great chicken sandwich never left. It became my mission. Chains be damned, I have to find the best fried chicken sandwich in Connecticut. -Mike Wollschlager
Bruxelles Brasserierecently opened its doors on Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Barcelona Wine Bar. The setting is hip - a SoHo vibe in SoNo – the flavors are somewhat more traditional. Chef Roland Olah describes his cuisine as simple, though I beg to differ. While there is a familiarity with every dish, nearly everything we tried also had an element of surprise. At Bruxelles Brasseries, you might find that the expected meets the unexpected.
Downtown Stamford just received a jolt of caffeination with the grand opening of Winfield Street Coffee at The Ferguson Library.
This third branch of Winfield Street—Westport and Croton-on-Hudson are the other two—will serve up the goods that the brand has become known for under owner Breno Donatti, starting with expertly made lattes, cortados, espressos, cappuccinos, and high-quality drip using Counter Culture Coffee.
Other fanciness comes in the form of turmeric, charcoal, or matcha lattes, house-made strawberry oat or chocolate almonds “mylks,” healthy smoothies, or you can treat yourself to a cup of hot cocoa T.M.F. style with a heaping scoop of toasted marshmallow fluff on top.
The Hour has just confirmed the rumors regarding Sally’s Apizza opening in South Norwalk’s new SoNo Collection.
The billboard has long been on the opposite side of Interstate 84 from Danbury Fair, steering drivers a few exits beyond the mall to the western-most Connecticut outpost for the legendary Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, a New Haven institution since 1925.
About 20 miles south, another New Haven pizza icon will be firing up the ovens in Fairfield County — and you’ll be able to pop in from the mall concourse while shopping.
Sally’s Apizza chose The SoNo Collection mall for the first entree in what new owner Lineage Hospitality sees as an expansion nationally. The mall will open Friday with a handful of stores, and others to follow as the holiday shopping season gears up.
My arm had to be twisted to join a panel for judging Lobster Bites at last weekend’s (September 22) first SAVOR LOBSTER event at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. I would be walking around a gorgeous museum filled with things that take me back to the ooos and ahhs of childhood; drinking creative tasty libations; having some of the most delicious bites of Lobster EVA; and judging said bites with slick fellow writer and official realfooddude Andrew Dominick, and the endlessly talented Chef Matt Storch of Match (duh), which just rocked out for its 20th anniversary. You can see how this would be a struggle for a newly single gal on a Sunday afternoon.
The Great Fried Chicken Sandwich War of 2019 came to Lower Fairfield County last week, following the viral Twitter skirmish that began when Popeye’s introduced it’s new chicken sandwich, an attempt to go after the Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich market that has been dominated by Chick-fil-A for many a year. This has been a fascinating study in viral marketing as it has been one of the first cases where corporations have been able to use Twitter effectively to go after one another. By the end of the news cycle even Hot Pockets claimed to be a part of this Battle Royal.
If nothing else was learned, it’s that consumers like snark. As one commentator said, it became the fried chicken sandwich version of Real Housewives, and it seemed to drive everyone’s’ proverbial ratings through the roof as Popeye’s sold out nationally and others sold out in some locations.
I primarily wanted to try the national chains that are available locally (no local friend chicken sandwiches, for the sake of the review). And it had to be a fried (as opposed to grilled) chicken sandwich. The contenders: Popeye’s, Shake Shack, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s, & McDonald's.
