Soupstock 2013 brings soup contest , a food court, music, arts + more to Shelton, Connecticut

We told you about Soupstock last year…a free music, food, and arts festival that is now in its fourth year.  While Soupstock (taking place on June 8 from 10-8 pm at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Shelton) has always been about fun, there’s also a heart to this much anticipated event.  Proceeds from the event (there are lots of chances to give and help support) go to The Mary A Schmecker Turtle Shell Fund (read more here) that benefits art, craft, and music education for children and young adults.  Let’s show you why you’ll need to keep Saturday, June 8 free for you, yourself, your friends, and your fam:

1) There will be great food options for you:

We’re talking Liquid Lunch of Shelton and Milford, BRYAC from Bridgeport (they’ll have a raw bar), DiSorbo’s Bakery of Hamden, Mamoun’s Falafel of New Haven, and Addeo’s Italian Ice of Shelton.  Kristien just might spend the entire festival shooting oysters, though. :P

Haitian Food’s the Focus of Eat for Equity Stamford’s June Event, Benefiting Haiti Marycare

One of the best things to come to Stamford recently was Eat for Equity, an organization run by awesome people that brings the community together over great food to make a difference.  And, as you may remember from our previous posts, they create dinner experiences every other month and, wouldn’t ya know it, the next event is just around the corner.  On Saturday, June 15 from 7-10 pm, you’ll be helping Haiti Marycare while having some authentic and killer Haitian food.  If you’re not familiar with this charity, they are a non-profit that, according to Eat for Equity, “Operates a primary healthcare clinic and two schools in partnership with Haitian organizations, as well as initiating community projects ranging from clean water, agricultural programs to micro-loans. Their mission is to work with local partners to improve lives through child and family health programs, education and community development.”

Here is just some of the food for you to enjoy:  fried plantains, rice and beans, and chicken stew.

Please check out the event page and RSVP before June 8 so they have an accurate headcount of people who will be there.  When you arrive, you don’t need to worry about giving in a ticket…they’ll have your name on a list.  While the Eat for Equity events are always free, they do suggest a donation of $15-$20 per person.  There will be some drinks there, but you should certainly feel free to bring some brews or wine to share.  Hey, the more the merrier!  Because there will be alcohol, only people 21 or older are allowed to attend.

Haiti Marycare June 2013 Dinner for Eat for Equity Stamford

June 15, 7-10 PM

Suggested $15-20 donation

97 Wedgemere Road

Stamford, CT 06905

Get your tickets by checking out the Eventbrite site.

 

Meet Your Neighbor: A Taste of Port Chester w/ 34 Restaurants!

Awesome grilled wings at Coals

When we lived in Rye Brook, we’d often travel into Port Chester and check out some great restaurants like Q, Sonora, or try the countless restaurants that were serving up ceviche.  Now that we’re in Greenwich, we’re even closer to Port Chester, so we travel in quite often and have discovered one of our favorite places:  Coals.  Well, we’re excited to share the third annual A Taste of Port Chester, 2013.  This event is taking over nearly the entire downtown area of Port Chester on June 2 from noon to 3:30 pm with registration beginning at 11:30 am.

Step Out for Stepping Stones with Wine, Brews, and Bites

Update:  unfortunately, Step Out has been postponed.  We’ll give you more info when we get a new date.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk is a fun place to be, especially if you’re a kid…or a kid at heart.  They have an amazing amount of exhibits for children all the way from birth to 7 and up, they provide educational classes, they are always up to something new like Dinosaur Revolution, they have tons of events, and they are a favorite stop for schools.  Fun like this isn’t easy to provide, so that’s why Stepping Stones is holding their 8th Annual Step Out Wine & Food Tasting fundraiser.  This vital (and tasty) event is being held in partnership with our friends over at the Young Professionals Network of the Business Council of Fairfield County.  Here are all the details for you:

Sunset Dinner w/ Drinks and Bites in the Garden at Ambler Farm in Wilton

 

Around this time last year we headed up to Ambler Farm in Wilton to take part in Bull N’ Brew.  The farm was beautiful and the night was just perfect, set off by good wine, beer, and food from Super Duper Weenie.  And, just about a year later Ambler Farm is holding another event…a much anticipated annual event.

We are talking about their Annual Sunset Dinner, this year called An Evening in the Garden at Ambler Farm.  The dinner will be held on June 15th from 6-10 pm and will take place inside their new educational gardens.  Program Manager Kevin Meehan not only developed these gardens, but has also tended them carefully—he did get some help from students, though.  :)  Tickets, which are soon to go fast, go on sale 5/15.  Tickets are $95 for members or $110 for non-members.  There will be lots of cocktails, little bites of goodness, and a whole buncha live music from local musicians.  After the little “garden hour,” guests will be treated to a full four course dinner from Bistro du Soleil as the sun sets.  And, in true farm dinner fashion, Bistro du Soleil will be using a good deal of Ambler Farm’s organic produce for the meal!  The lovely people at Ambler Farm were kind enough to share the menu with us, so we’ll share it with you:

To do: CT vineyard and brewery bus tour with tastings from Slow Food Shoreline

How do you like your food?  Slow with a heaping of healthy local goodness?  That’s basically the mantra of Slow Food Shoreline, a chapter of the larger Slow Food USA organization.  According to the SFS site:

“Slow Food Shoreline’s mission is to promote cooking and nutritional education, with a focus on using local ingredients, to improve the health of the region. Our focus is on teaching scratch cooking using whole ingredients, with an additional focus on fresh, local, and seasonal products. We believe that teaching core cooking skills and encouraging a love of food and cooking, is the best way for participants to sustain what they’ve learned and change eating habits long term, as well as become better informed consumers. Through cooking demonstrations, tastings, cooking classes, and other food education opportunities, we’ll provide the community with the confidence, knowledge, and motivation to build healthy and delicious food habits.”

We definitely are on board with this and think a focus on “slow” cooking from scratch and on local ingredients elevate not only the taste of the food, but also is pretty zen and meditative.  If you can’t find yourself and your center by baking a batch of brownies or preparing a roast, you’re doing it wrong!

Taste of the Nation New Haven 2013 Vows No Kid Hungry

No Kid Hungry.  That’s the rallying call of Share Our Strength, an organization put together to wipe out childhood hunger.  And, with about 105,000 (13%) of children under 18 in Connecticut being food insecure, you can see how important this organization is.  One of their major fundraisers across the country is called Taste of the Nation that feature local food, chefs, and drinks.  And, we just so happen to be lucky enough to have a Taste of the Nation taking place at The Omni Hotel at Yale in New Haven on 5/22 from 6-9 for regular ticket holders ($85) or 5-9 for VIP ticket holders ($150).  The money will not only benefit Share Our Strength, but it will also benefit Christian Community Action, Connecticut Food Bank, End Hunger Connecticut, and the local chapter of No Kid Hungry Connecticut.  So, not only will you be helping to end childhood hunger, but you’ll also have some great music, treats, and drinks.  Here are the details:

• Honorary Chef Chair Chef Jacques Pepin will be on hand.
• The Elizabeth Dellinger/Tony Dioguardi Duo will be entertaining all our guests in the Grand Ballroom.
• VIP Tickets holders can listen to an Evening Of Song with Tanya Leonard with Derek Monahan on guitar.
• Restaurants will be delighting…
  • 116 Crown
  • Barcelona
  • Bella Bella Gourmet
  • Box 63 American Bar & Grill
  • Bridgewater Chocolate
  • Briq Restaurant
  • Brownson Country Club
  • Caseus Fromagerie Bistro
  • Cask Republic
  • Chocopologie
  • Claire’s Cornercopia
  • Cooking Matters
  • Fig Cooking School
  • Gelato Giuliana
  • Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill
  • Heirloom @ The Study
  • Ibiza
  • Ibizia Tapas Wine Bar
  • John Davenport’s
  • La Cuisine Cafe, Market & Catering
  • MIKRO Beer Bar
  • Oaxaca Kitchen
  • Parallel Post at the Trumbull Marriott
  • Savvy Tea
  • Shake Shack New Haven
  • SONO Baking Company
  • Thali & Thali Too
  • The Farmer’s Cow
  • Wheelers Market-Café & Restaurant
  • Willoughby’s
  • Winvian (VIP only)

Greenwich Library Book Sale Weekend Party, Food Truck Takeover + More

After we had moved into our new place in Greenwich in December, one of the first things we did was head over to The Greenwich Library on West Putnam Avenue.  We got our library cards and explored.  We saw thousands upon thousands of new books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, computers, help desks, an art gallery, and even an art loan program.  Plus, we loved just gathering up our CDs and books on Ireland and checking ourselves out…nice and simple.  Having all of these great features, hosting awesome events and programs, and keeping up the library isn’t easy at all, so The Greenwich Library is hosting a Book Sale Weekend from May 17-19.  Books (and more) will be on sale including audiobooks, biographies, children’s books, DVDs, cookbooks, fiction, romance novels, young adult literature, and more.  Here are the Book Sale Weekend details:

May 17, 5-8 pm:

Special Book Sale Preview Party for $100.  That gets you early access to the books that are on sale and let’s you in on a fun party with food from Burke Catering, Barcelona, and Whole Foods Market Greenwich.  And, yes, there will be drinks…espresso NEAT will be pouring coffee and espresso, there will be wine and liquors from Horseneck Wines & Liquors, and there will be plenty of drinking of the library’s signature “Book-tini” cocktail.  Guests will also get a chance to meet with antique book appraiser Ken Gloss who is a frequent appraiser on Antiques Road Show.  Ken will appraise up to five books and documents for free as part of your entrance fee, plus you’ll be able to hear Ken talk about “Is There Value in Your Old and Rare Books?” in the Cole Auditorium.  Tickets can be purchased by going here https://greenwichlibrary.ejoinme.org/booksalepreviewparty or contacting Sarah Falvo at (203) 622-7957.

May 18, 9 am to 4 pm:

Food trucks take over SM+NC for Spring on the Farm Festival Weekend

You NEED this!

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.

Station Eats Gives Back w/ Their Dog of the Month

Cinco de Mayo doesn’t have to end, especially not at Station Eats.  Starting today until the middle of June, they’ll be featuring their Taco Dog as the Dog of the Month.  Pick your dog (grass fed beef, chicken, or veggie), then they’ll add on tomato salsa, lettuce, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and wrap it up in a warm flour tortilla.  If that’s not spicy enough for ya, just remember that the good guys at Station Eats will be donating 10% of their profits for Taco Dogs to two great causes:  Camp Promise East (giving summer camp experiences to people with muscular dystrophy and ALSTDI (fighting to find a cure for Lou Gehrig’s Disease).  You can get the Taco Dog at either the New Canaan or Stamford locations, btw.

If you’d like a burger and shake to complement that doggie, then check out these specials starting today:  The Steak House Burger and their Coconut Shake.  The Steak House Burger (we’d had it before, it’s excellent) has cheese, Station Steak Sauce, shaved onions, and tomato.  So, make sure to come by a few times and get your Taco Dog!  Also, why not invite your friends, have family reunions at Station Eats, have your next birthday party, too!  A Taco Dog for everybody!