One of our favorite places in all of Connecticut Stamford Museum & Nature Center. And, this coming Spring on the Farm Festival Weekend it’s about to become our more most favoritest place! All the action is going down on 5/18 and 5/19 from 11 am to 3 pm. Yes, their annual party is getting bigger and badder than ever with the addition of seven, count ‘um seven, food trucks. On Saturday you can get the Caribbean flavors of Maddy’s Food Truck, good ol’ fashioned American fare with Cowabunga, hot pies from Victoria’s Wood Fired Pizza Catering, got your hands on some meatballs from The Local Meatball, and cold and creamy goodness from Skip’s Ice Cream Co. Then, come back for more on Sunday where you can try the awesome fries and sandwiches of Fryborg, the awesomely organic and oven-to-table pizzas of Skinny Pines, and get more of that ice cream from Skip’s Ice Cream Co.
Aw, we have the same hair color!
But, this weekend isn’t just about food. Okay, it’s a big portion of it, but there’s other reasons why you’ll love coming by:
1) Check out the baby goats. It’s all about the baby goats…but there are lots of other animals to ooh and ahh over.
A local artisan ice cream maker, Tea•riffic! Ice Cream, recently took home some major awards at the 2013 CT Specialty Food Association‘s Product Awards Competition. They took home first place for their Chunky London Mist and Masala Chai flavors, took second for their Ginger Matcha, and placed third with London Mist. The judges (food writers, chefs, and local media personalities) evaluated food based on taste, flavor, texture, aroma, appearance, and color. So, to get recognized for all of these qualities was great, but it’s also more impressive when you consider that there were over 30 different products in various categories in the competition.
But, these aren’t the only awards that Norwalk based Tea•riffic! have won. They were also named Best New Product in the “Edibles Category” at the 2012 World Tea Expo East in Philly. Trying to understand why they have been recognized for great ice cream isn’t very difficult, though. It all began with Mario Leite (co-owner with his wife) wanting to put out ice cream using his two favorite teas: Thai Iced Tea and Earl Grey. From the start of production in October 2012, he saw the importance of using local ingredients whenever possible (Connecticut doesn’t exactly have too many exotic spices and teas that grow here). In addition, he believes that the more simple the ingredients, the better. No need for preservatives or other added junk. Keep it real, keep it pure, keep it yummy.
Dan’s jotting down some notes, I’m taking the pics
Om nom nom nom hot dog nom nom nom
Winter is only one season, but why does it seem so long? Perhaps this year we can blame it on Punxsutawney Phil who promised an early end to winter, but lied? Yeah, never trust a rodent, that’s what momma always said.
But, look, we’re beyond it all now! The weather has turned, we’re at the start of spring, and we can actually feel the sun’s warmth. By now, you’ve probably already lit up the BBQ and cooked up a storm. And, you’ve probably been thinking about eating out(side) at a restaurant to enjoy the great weather. So, we decided to put together a nice list of restaurants in the area that we like that have either al fresco (outdoor) dining or open air dining. Perhaps you have an amazing restaurant to add that we missed? Let us know! Taco Bell doesn’t count, though. ;)
Sup dudes? When you’re done shredding some waves you’ll wanna check out Fairfield County’s newest food truck, Cowabunga Food Truck Grill and Soft Serve. Their motto? ”Surf’s up, so chow down!” Chow down on what you ask? We’re talking lots of goodies from the grill and lots of soft serve ice cream. The truck is the brainchild of Benjamin Boger who actually started with his own ice cream truck and business in Miami, Ben’s Ice Cream Truck. Now, you could imagine how popular ice cream is down there. Especially when you party in the city where the heat is on, all night on the beach till the break of dawn (points if you get the reference). One day he hit up the Food Truck Roundup and he was blown away by how awesome food truck food could be. He joked that these aren’t the kind of food carts that he was used to seeing in New York City.
Inspiration hit and he knew that he wanted to create a food truck that would show off his love of ice cream, but would also pump out some great food. He found a gnarly 1993 step van from a bread distributor, packed up all his things, then headed back north to his homestate…Connecticut. And now, we have Cowabunga!
Here’s an easy way to give back to those brave men and women who give their time and put their lives in danger daily…just eat out. Yup, just eat at some great restaurants in Greenwich on April 4 and you’ll be taking part in Patrol Dine Out. Just pick any of the restaurants below and you’ll be helping the Cos Cob Fire Police Patrol! Here’s a bit about this great organization from their site:
“The Cos Cob Fire Police Patrol is a volunteer company which operates under the structure of the Greenwich Fire Department in the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut. The company conducts traffic operations, scene control, salvage, lighting, and other support functions for the fire department at calls for service. The Patrol is under the command of its own Chief.”
There are also some restaurants that aren’t participating, but are sponsors and should be thanked: Beach House Cafe, Meli Melo, Morello Italian Bistro, Pasta Vera, Sundown Saloon, and Villa Nuova.
In addition, there are some awesome event sponsors and they are: Fairway Market, Pepe Auto Group, Greenwich Pharmacy, Rand Insurance, The First Bank of Greenwich, Putnam Shell & Food Mart, Greenwich Bank & Trust, Neal and Karen Neilinger, David and Kerrin Theis, The Joker
Our obsession with Restaurant.com (not Restaurants.com) started years ago when we’d shell out $5 and get a $50 pass to restaurants. The amount of money we saved was awesome and we continue to check this site when we want to save some major dinero. We use it for local restaurants and especially when we’re on vacation and want to find a quick, inexpensive meal.
Chef’s Special Roll, Crispy Melt Goat Cheese Roll, and Crunchy Wasabi Tuna Roll at Bambou in Greenwich
It works pretty easily: enter the city and state where you want a certificate then select the restaurant. The most common option that you’ll see is pay $10 for a $25 certificate, but sometimes there will be bigger incentives like $20 for $50, $30 for $75, or even $40 for $100. Before you purchase your certificate, just make sure that there aren’t any terms of the agreement that won’t work for you such as, “Only includes lunch,” or “No dinner on Saturday.” Also, pay close attention to the fine print because some have an order minimum or some include a tip into the amount of the bill automatically.
Dan has fond memories of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. When he was a kid, his parents took the family to the factory in Vermont where they tasted Cherry Garcia and Cookie Dough then had some sundaes at the attached shop. Even though it looked amazing, Dan skipped The Vermonster: 20 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, banana, cookies, brownies, and lots of toppings. But, taking down a regular sized sundae wasn’t difficult at all.
That was years ago (won’t mention how many, though) and now Ben & Jerry’s has become a worldwide phenomena. And, it’s pretty clear why when you can’t help yourself when it comes to flavors like Liz Lemon, Cannoli, Americone Dream, Chubby Hubby, Coffee Heath Bar Crunch and our favorite of all time…Chunky Monkey. Just as a reminder and to thank everybody on their birthday this year, Ben & Jerry’s is offering up a free cone at their stores all across the country and world. Last year, alone, they gave away over 1,000,000 cones!
So, you’ll want to keep April 9, 2013 open! What? You already have plans? Cancel them! Here are some of the flavors you can expect in the scoop shops:
Americone Dream, Bonnaroo Buzz, Butter Pecan, Candy Bar Pie, Cherry Garcia, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Nougat Crunch, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Chocolate Therapy, Chunky Monkey, Coconut Seven Layer Bar, Coffee, Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz!, Late Night Snack, Milk & Cookies, and Mint Chocolate Chunk.
And here are the nearby scoop shops in the NY/CT area:
Happy New Year, everybody! We hope that 2012 was filled with lots of great times for you, but we also hope that 2013 is filled with even more awesomeness. Maybe you made some resolutions, too? Well, if two of your resolutions were to save money at restaurants and to check out some awesome food events, you can make your dreams come true before February even begins! If these weren’t your resolutions, it’s still only January 1st and you can add just two.
Mohegan Sun Restaurant Week
Going down from January 6-11 with special deals, food, and offers. Here are some great reasons to check out the restaurants at Mohegan Sun:
1) Check out Hash House A Go Go, Mohegan Sun’s newest restaurant that touts “Twisted Farm Food.” They’ll be featuring their HH Sage Fried Chicken & Waffles, “two sage-fried chicken breasts atop a bacon waffle tower with hot maple reduction and fried leeks.”
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville - (Wasting away again with) Margaritaville Stuffed Shrimp with Lemon Butter Sauce with four Crabmeat-stuffed Shrimp, Portabella Parmesan Cream Rice and Green Beans for $27.95
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts - FREE small soda or drip coffee with purchase of a dozen doughnuts
3) Momma needs a new pair of shoes and that’s hard work. You need to get some energy in that body to help you make that right “hit” or “stay” decision. Don’t you want to hear lots of “Winner Winner Chicken Dinners”?
For full details on specials and menus, click here.
Last year we brought you the1st Annual OmNomys: awards that celebrated the Best in Food in Fairfield County. Well, we couldn’t just let another year go by without giving out a new set of awards, could we? No, we can’t. That’s why we’re writing this post. But first, a quick refresher course on the OmNomys:
• We only select restaurants that we’ve been to in 2012, so it’s important to remember that the restaurants here are not necessarily the best EVER, but the best we had in 2012.
• If you don’t like this list, that’s cool…whatevs. It’s just our favorites of 2012. You’re welcome to create your own or comment below and let your love of local restaurants show.
Sleek and sexy red leather (likeZaza) can be found throughout Dolce Cubano, one of Stamford’s newest hot spots. Combine that with a chill bar (inside and outside) and waterside dining and you’ve got the perfect spot to hit up. Don’t forget the fireplace, either.
We don’t typically eat much Asian and have cut back on our sushi intake for 2012. That being said, we’ve had some decent sushi, but a recent meal at Bambou was quite impressive. The sushi rolls were very creative, especially a roll that featured goat cheese, mango, and salmon wrapped in a crispy spring roll. Also, the steamed veggie dumplings were some of the best that we’ve had with nice chunks of fresh vegetables wrapped up in a thin layer of rice paper. And, the desserts (which isn’t typical for an Asian restaurant) were fantastic.
We love the concept behind Bar Q, owned by Bob LeRose of Bobby Q’s in Westport: tapas style bbq. Well, along with a bbq menu to sample in small doses, you can get some great sides and fixins’ to go with your meat. Some of our favorites are the chicken and waffles, fried green tomatoes, fiesta cornbread, hush puppies, baked jalapeno poppers, and mac & cheese. Although we were torn about our first visit, each visit thereafter seems to get better.
Although Dinosaur Bar-b-que is a newcomer to Connecticut, they’ve been pumping out awesome bbq for years at their other locations. The pulled pork is tender and juicy, the brisket is smoky with that perfect pink smoke ring, and the ribs are juicy and delicate, coming off the bone with a slight tug. And their chicken wings, well… see that section below.
With more than 50 beers on tap, The Ginger Man in the heart of SoNo is a great place to hit up. When you’re there, check out their creative specials, different each night and be sure to also try their monthly beer dinners.
Even if you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’ve heard all about Hurricane Sandy. Some may call it Frankenstorm, but we call it for what it is…a major annoyance and crimpin’ of our style. Well, we’re looking out for you, so we decided to do our part and get you ready for the storm. We’ve created top-ten lists of things to do during Hurricane Sandy and what to eat.
Top 10 Things to Do During Hurricane Sandy
10) Have a blind smell contest of all the Yankee Candles that you have burning. The winner to identify the most scents gets to take the candle of their choice.
9) Make shadow puppets, specifically dogs that go nom nom nom as their mouths move.
8) Take bets on when power will go out in your neighborhood.
7) Turn on the news and do a shot or take a drink every time a newscaster says, “Stay with us for more up to date information on Hurricane Sandy.”
6) Play a drinking game where you drink whenever you want because there’s nothing else to do.
Dan and Kristien Del Ferraro
