Nestled in a quiet corner of a shopping plaza located right off of the hustle and bustle of Fairfield’s Black Rock Turnpike is Vespino Pizza + Restaurant. Located in the space that was formerly Stefano’s, Vespino fills a void in the area’s restaurant scene. Best described as elevated casual in a stylishly modern setting, Vespino is an ideal choice for a quick neighborhood lunch, casual dinner with friends and family, or an after work cocktail. Vespino has already established a loyal clientele and has earned praises for their pizza, pasta, appetizers and main dishes. Sister restaurant to longtime local favorite Quattro Pazzi Café, Organika and the newer kid on the block, Pizza Lyfe in Westport, we came in with high expectations, eager to try a few dishes ourselves.
A few months ago I had the privilege of visiting Arethusa Dairy Farm to attend a special cheese tasting event which coincided with Connecticut’s Agriculture Week. The event was a celebration for their Europa cheese, an aged Gouda, that had just been awarded “Best in Show” in the US Championship Cheese Contest.
Hartford County's premier restaurant group and Farmington Valley's century-old farm and vineyard partnered for the 15th year of Max Chef to Farm. The culinary acumen is Max Level (through the roof) with the added benefit of having beverages curated MH by Sommelier and Beverage Director Brian Mitchell.
The owners of Rosedale Farms and Vineyards have been providing apples that are redder, corn that's sweeter and berries that make the juiciest cocktails to CT restaurants for decades, and Max Hospitality has always been obsessed with fresh, local and organic. To culinary Hunter Morton, these are more than buzzwords-they're a way of life. Max Chef to Farm grew out of a desire to take the "farm to table" movement one step further and bring the culinary talent right to the source of their best ingredients.
I attest that great farm produce is available all over the state- but how often with a vineyard attached? Max gives a nod to Rosedale Farms winemaker Morgan Wilson's selections and Brian Mitchell, Max's beverage director, sommelier and a decorated wine and spirits professional and President of the New England Wine Academy
We are all rolling, rolling, rolling into the summer months-Yay! Between parties, vacations, and just plain ol’ exploring, the warm and sunny months have us on the move. And what better info to have in your back pocket than plans for where to eat-trucks offering food of all kinds, whether you’re stopping mid-trip or renting for your next party! We have broken down this behemoth of a list by categories so you can high-tail it to the foods that interest you: Pizza, Tacos/Mexican, BBQ, Ethnic, Lobster & Seafood, All-American, Plant-Based/Alternative Diet, Ice Cream & Sweets, Cocktails & Beer and Coffee & Tea. Happy summer, everyone, roll on!
Chef Jonathan Rapp and the Farm Dinner team has announced the 2023 season for Dinners at the Farm! Join them and their friend Digga Schacht at his beautiful Hunts Brook Farm in Quaker Hill, CT for four magical dinners, July 27, 28, 29 & 30. Each night will feature a unique and delicious five-course menu showcasing the talents of cook and farmer paired with great wines, local beers, and homegrown music. A sensory extravaganza you won't want to miss. Oh, and, did we tell you it's four nights only? Get your tickets before they're gobbled up and get ready to celebrate the glorious summer season in all its finest.
This news has NOT been confirmed by Emmy Squared, but we are watching the job boards and it looks like Emmy Squared is looking for staff for a NEW WESTPORT CT location!
The iconic and much loved Emmy Squared is coming to Connecticut! Their first location opened in Williamsburg Brooklyn in 2016, co-founded by Emily Hyland and executive chef Matthew Hyland, They are known for their signature Detroit-style pizza, marked by its square shape, crispy bottom, fluffy dough, cheesy "frico" crust, and signature sauce stripes.
Their famed double-stack burger, the Le Big Matt (served on a pretzel bun), was named ‘#1 Best Burger in Nashville’ by The Tennessean and Nashville Lifestyles, voted one of ‘The Best New Burgers In NYC’ by Gothamist, and listed as one of the ‘20 Best Burgers in NYC’ by The Infatuation. The menu also highlights a selection of approachable salads and sandwiches served on pretzel buns.
Gaining critical claim and an ever-growing cult following, we have expanded the Emmy Squared brand with eight locations across New York City, Nashville, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Louisville and plans to expand nationally.
And if you if you check out the job boards….they are coming to Westport! More details coming soon.
For those of you who have been craving a good New York style pizza that you can really sink your teeth into, let us introduce you to Pizza Lyfe, a slice of heaven in the heart of New Haven style pizza country.
Pizza Lyfe prides itself on using only the best and freshest of ingredients. Their specially made mozzarella comes from the Bronx, a location so secret they wouldn’t even share it with us ‘off the record.’ The dough is made from a special unbleached, high-protein flour that is fermented for two days before becoming a delicious pizza crust.
The menu is diverse with traditional cheese and pepperoni pizza pies (that are also available by the slice and very reasonably priced) as well as their specialty pies which are best described as a Neopolitan/New York, hybrid.
Traditional cheese slices and pies can be augmented with toppings such as sausage, meatball, onion, red peppers, bacon, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, and olives to name a few. Their specialty pizzas include Salad Pizza, Margarita Pizza, White Pizza, Spicy Pizza Lyfe, Veggie Pizza, Truffled Mushroom, Pineapple and Ham, Buffalo Chicken, Burrata, Meatlovers and Artichoke. There are also two weekly specials on rotation.
Thin crust. Roman style. Pan pizza. Bar pies. Artisan. Grilled. Foldable New York slices.
Norwalk has all of that. And you can insert your own quip about there being “too much Italian” if you want.
What Norwalk has been missing in its dining history is a true wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria.
Check that. “Had been missing.”
Newly opened on N Main Street is SoNo Wood Fired, where owner and pizzaiolo Besnar Kaba ferments, forms, stretches, and tops each pie, then slides each one using a long peel into his 800° Forza Forni Pavesi.
Kaba is meticulous about it, though. He will only cook three or so doughs at a time, turning them feverishly for 90 seconds to two minutes, to achieve that perfect leopard spotted char that’s indicative of a proper Neapolitan pie.
Whether you are rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs, or Rihanna, nothing can bring the whole family around the television like the Super Bowl. And whether you are into wings, nachos, pizza, or all of the above (like us), there is no shortage of great food options to munch on while watching the game (or the commercials).
The end of January and throughout March is the maple sugar season in Connecticut! Cold nights and warm, sunny days are necessary to provide good sap yields. Local sugar makers and their many loyal customers eagerly await this annual rite of spring. Visit a local sugarhouse or attend a maple sugar festival to see firsthand how maple syrup is produced!
Learn the science and history of maple sugaring by being a hands-on part of the process. You can come out to the Farm to collect sap from your tree. See the sap get boiled down the sugar shack and then get your own bottle of Ambler Farm Dark Maple Syrup to bring home.
This just in from Westport Journal’s Thane Grauel.
The aroma of garlic once again hovers over Post Road East at the Sherwood Island Connector.
Pizza Lyfe, 833 Post Road East — proofing for months with ‘coming soon’ and ‘now hiring’ signs — has finally opened its doors. It’s the successor to Ignazio’s The Pizza, and before that, Bertucci’s, and, way the heck back when, the Clam Box.
Pizza Lyfe makes New York-style pies, and also offers a compact but uncommon menu of calzones, sandwiches, appetizers, salads and other healthy offerings.
On several occasions, chef Tim LaBant has suggested we check out Dante’s Pizza in New Canaan.
“Have you been to Dante’s?”
“Have you been to Dante’s yet?”
“You gotta try Dante’s. I’d be curious to see what you think.”
Before he mentioned it to me a year ago, I hadn’t even heard of Dante’s. I live pretty close to New Canaan, and what’s worse is I frequently visit my favorites there, namely the South Ends, Elm, Locali, and I’ve eaten an obscene amount of Joe’s Pizza.
The iconic New Haven pizza spot, Sally’s Apizza is getting ready to open the doors at their NEW LOCATION IN FAIRFIELD next month!!!! This will be their third location in Connecticut, the 2nd of which opened last year in Stamford.
The restaurant will be located in the Trademark building at 665 Commerce Drive, in the space formerly occupied by Barbacoa Smoke House
At this time of year, when Connecticut’s leaves start to change colors, eventually rivaling those of a Turkish carpet, there are few pleasures keener than to drive along the back roads of our state to an apple orchard. To choose local fruit, often varieties that are otherwise hard to find, for oneself is a seasonal occasion worth seeking out, worth savoring, worth creating a special picnic for (think rustic breads, local cheeses, and local hard cider if the orchard allows it). If you’re lucky, all of this is set off by sweetly chilly temperatures and a sky of platinum blue---in which case, congratulations. You have officially reached peak autumn.
Our guide to some of Connecticut’s best pick-your-own-apple experiences is here. Readers are encouraged to add their own. Note that this past spring, in the short period during which apple trees are pollinated, weather conditions were very unfavorable; a lighter-than-usual crop has resulted, so bring your flexibility along. As with all such outings, a little thinking ahead goes a long way. Be sure to call ahead for availability, wear sturdy shoes, and choose a good time for your visit. Weekdays are better for a quiet group or one that can’t deal with crowds; weekends will thrill the extroverts.
On the heels of a slick renovation at their Rye, NY location, The Granola Bar founders, Julie Mountain and Dana Noorily are at it again. This time, however, their focus is in Westport. No, not at their flagship of TGB, but in the Compo Beach area at Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
Old Mill, though, is a very different venture for this dynamic duo. But before Mountain and Noorily could put their magic touch on this neighborhood gem, a lot had to happen.
First, the building that was built in 1919—which had been many iterations of Old Mill and a few Elvira’s in an over 100 year span—needed to be saved after the owners up to last year, Betsy and Hal Kravitz, moved out of Westport, putting a longtime neighborhood favorite at risk of being purchased and demolished for what likely would have been another beach area home.
It’s Nantucket meets the Mediterranean. Arden’s, Rowayton’s newest eatery, is a community cafe offering up simple seasonal fare that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
Inside the beachy décor is minimalist with hints of flea-market vintage finds. You’ll find antiquated oyster tins, vases filled with vibrant fresh flowers, beechwood furniture, a curated marketplace with specialty gourmet food items, locally fabricated linens alongside local honey, assorted spices, hot chili oil in beautiful glass jars, ceramics and other wonderful finds. Wonderful, whimsical floppy rattan shades resembling oversized straw hats hang from light fixtures overhead. Arden’s welcomes you in immediately with a warm embrace that doesn’t want to let you go.
Stay a while and linger over a simple menu of salads, sandwiches and toasts. While the concept is simple the recipes are elevated using ingredients from several local purveyors including Wilton’s Millstone Farm and Darien-based Flour Water Salt Bread, Nit Noi Provisions and Ilse coffee. Ingredients matter at this health-forward café. At the helm of the kitchen is Moises Aguilar formerly with Southend Backend. Here he is tasked with delivering the ultimate flavor profile from the simplest of ingredients which he has clearly mastered.
As summer rolls around, Connecticut’s food lovers look to take advantage of the seasonal ambience and garden produce in order to experience unforgettable meals. And nothing epitomizes the combination of beautiful sights and fresh food more than field-to-table dinners. This summer, a handful of Connecticut’s most beloved farms are offering outstanding on-site prix fixe meals made with locally-sourced ingredients. So that you don’t miss out on these special experiences, we’ve rounded up the best that Connecticut has to offer.
So much has changed since we last covered Swyft’s modern tavern concept located on Kent’s main drag.
Like most restaurants, Swyft had to deal with pandemic restrictions. But unlike most restaurants, they had to get up off the mat three more times. Lauded chef and partner Joel Viehland parted ways with Swyft around the time COVID shutdowns hit Connecticut.
Mere weeks after Viehland’s exit, Swyft’s owner, philanthropist Anne Bass, sadly passed away on April 1, 2020, after a battle with ovarian cancer.
And if that wasn’t enough, dynamo pastry chef Anthony D’Amelio went off to pursue other goals sometime last year.
We know, that’s a lot to take in.
According to Allison Mitchell—who’s essentially Swyft’s Swiss Army Knife as she handles social media, does photography, coordinates events, waits tables, bartends, and somehow fits in marketing duties—Swyft went through a “huge overhaul.”
When you hear that a legendary hometown restaurant is ending its run after almost 40 years, a flood of memories tend to hit you. Suddenly, I was a kid again, sitting on a barstool next to my father. He’d chug away at a Heineken while I sipped on bubbly cola straight from the soda gun. Thin-ish, crispy crust bar pizzas—likely extra cheese, pepperoni, or both—were involved, too.
Even as an adult, I’d occasionally grab a couple pies from Partner’s Cafe & Pizzeria to-go. Every time I drove by, I’d think about pizza, soda, my dad, and feeling pretty damn cool sitting at the bar.
Thankfully, for me, and I’m sure for a hell of a lot of Norwalkers, Partner’s gets to live on thanks to B.J. Lawless and Keith Torpey, under a new name, but with intentions to preserve the bar’s neighborhood “where everybody knows your name” charm.
“If this is good, people might throw bricks through the window. It would be a badge of honor.”
The “this” that Brian Lance is referring to is the twice weekly pizza pop-up that goes down on Thursday and Friday at Atticus Market in New Haven’s East Rock neighborhood.
Lance—who serves as Atticus’ bakery manager—knows that taking on pizza in New Haven could be viewed as crazy, but he, along with chef Matthew Wick and their staff have created something that’s both current and pays tribute to the city’s pizza style.
They also know if they were going to tackle pizza, they needed a stellar dough recipe.
