Morello Bistro pouring new summer cocktails (recipes included) – Greenwich, CT

Starting from bottom left, then up, then over, then back down:  White Peach Margarita, Spiced Avema, Fiore Liz, Passionfruit Bellini, Morello Old Fashioned, and Morello Twist.  Photos provided by Morello Bistro, design by us. :)

One of the hotspots along Greeenwich Avenue is the perennial favorite, Morello Bistro.  We went for a great press dinner last year when we got to taste Chef Forrest Pasternack’s excellent food.  Although Forrest has left for Bailey’s Backyard, Kevin Garcia has taken the reins of this very popular spot. Chef Garcia graduated from Johnson & Wales University and has worked at Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Prime Steakhouse, Lucca, Lupa with Mario Batali, Del Posto, ‘Cesca, and Accademia di Vino.  That’s quite a resume, and now he has Morello Bistro to add to that list.

Chef Garcia is focusing Morello Bistro in on the regions of Rome, Tuscany, and Sicily.  And, as we approach summer, Forrest has changed up the menu using local ingredients and Oliver Flosse, Wine Director for MARC US (a restaurant group that owns Morello, A Voce and more), has changed up the cocktails.  We received some photos and recipes for some of the drinks that we’re excited to share with you.  And, we’ll present the recipes to you from bottom left, up, then across, then to the big box on the bottom.  While the recipes look pretty easy to put together, we’d just leave it to the experts at Morello, ya know? :)  Enjoy it inside or at one of their tables outside.  Drink up and enjoy:

Pour at the Shore brewing up at Seaside Tavern Memorial Day weekend

America is all about the indie spirit…especially when it comes to music and beer.  And, it just so happens that Seaside Tavern and Sound Magazine are hosting a wicked good time this coming Sunday (5/26), starting at 1 pm.  Pour at the Shore will surely be one of the great highlights of your Memorial Day Weekend.  Now, you can’t exactly wear white yet, so hold off.  Very soon, but not quite yet…

Barcelona hosts Memorial Day BBQ and pig roasts all summer long

Some of the tapas we sampled at Barcelona in Greenwich for the first Dishcrawl

Memorial Day and BBQs…they are inseparable like peanut butter and jelly, Batman and Robin, Lewis and Clark, Ren & Stimpy, bread and butter, and even pasta and sauce.  Perhaps they go so well together because BBQ’n brings family and friends together outside for good times, good fun, and good eats?  In essence, the grill unites people and connects us through our basic needs of friendship and food.

But, what do you do if you don’t have a grill or just want to go out and celebrate?  Easy…you head over to Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant in Fairfield on 5/27 from 1-9 pm.  For just $20 or $10 for kids (that’s a nice deal, btw) you’ll get a BBQ buffet that consists of sliders, kebabs, ribs, grilled veggies, salads, and their famous suckling pig.  For the beer lover, they’ll also have tastings from one of our favorite local breweries, Captain Lawrence.  They’ll have face painting for the kids (or that cool hipster) from 1:30-4:30, they’ll have outdoor games (cornhole please!), and they will even have a lemonade/popsicle/ice cream stand.  And, what’s a BBQ without live music?  Barcelona will have Rick Reyes & The Pasonfino Social Club playing from 2-6 while you chat, chew, and chill.

Plan B Burger Bar Opening in Fairfield, Bringing Burgers, Brews, + Booze

People went crazy last year when Plan B Burger Bar opened in Stamford Town Center. What? A restaurant with great burgers, a killer beer selection, and an amazing variety of bourbon? Yes, yes, and yes. Well kiddos, ya’ll further out east in Fairfield County won’t have to drive out to Stamford anymore for your Plan B fix. Coming this fall, Fairfield will have its own Plan B Burger Bar at 1262 Boston Post Road, the old post office building. If that’s too far to wait, don’t worry. They opened the Stamford location ahead of schedule and maybe that will happen here?

Keep up to date with Plan B Burger Bar Fairfield on Twitter and their Stamford FB page to see what’s new. You’ll especially want to see what this cryptic message on FB means:

We are opening in Fairfield, CT Fall of 2013!
But, you won’t have to wait that long to have a Plan B Burger in the fair city. Stay tuned to find out what we’re doing in Fairfield for National Burger Day on May 28th.

A seedling of potential at The Beer Garden @ Harbor Point

Dan, Volter, Kristien, and Dennis meet up! Great guys!

The upstairs bar

Tip: sit here to get served. It’s a much more calm experience.

The downstairs bar

Food trucks and brews….ah!

It’s a Friday night, mid 70s outside, and there are just a few little clouds in the sky. Could there have been a better day to hit up the brand new Beer Garden @ Harbor Point? No, probably not. Unfortunately, it seemed that everybody in Fairfield County agreed, but we still managed to find a killer parking spot just right outside of Walgreen’s. There’s also a huge lot nearby that they have devoted to Beer Garden parking, too, if you can’t find any street-side spots.

Before we even entered, we were amazed to see this building that was empty  just a few months ago, turned into a massive party scene. Maddy’s food truck and Lobstercraft were outside, with about 50 devoted followers ready to get their grub on. That is one of the great things about this Beer Garden: although you can’t get food inside (yet), they’ll have food trucks there for you to get your nom on.

Sooo Meaty: Burger Wars Contest at Plan B

Plan B Burger Bar asks, tongue in cheek, “Can you beat our meat?”  Lolz.  But, taking things to a more serious level, we love us some burgers.  Heck, we’re even in the middle of our Burger a Day in the Month of May post.  And there, on May 11 is Plan B.  While they haven’t done anything specific for National Burger Month, they have planned quite the event for National Hamburger Day, May 28.

Derby Day Party at Plan B Burger in Stamford has heart…and bourbon

Gentlemen and gentlewomen, start your, er, horses.  And they’re off…well, off to Derby Day at Plan B Burger Bar in Stamford from 3-7 on May 4.  Yup yup!  You’ll be able to watch the Kentucky Derby at Plan B and get to comment on all the cool horse names such as Charming Kitten, Itsmyluckyday, Fear the Kitten, Frac Daddy, and the number one contender Black Onyx.

But, does anyone really watch the races?  Everybody knows what it’s really about:

Looking spiffy, wearing huge hats that strangely resemble ufos, dressing like a princess (or prince), and drinking lots of bourbon.  And, you’ll be happy to know that at Plan B you’ll be rewarded for your crazy hat and your daper and dressiness with contests.  There’s even going to be a raffle if you can’t find an ugly hat.  But, perhaps one of the sweetest things is that Plan B is giving back to The American Cancer Society.  You’ll be drinking bourbon anyway, so just make sure to order Four Roses straight, on the rocks, or in their mixed drinks such as their Four Roses Mint Julep.

Prost! Landmark Biergarten at Station Eats to open in Stamford

Rendering of the Landmark Biergarten at Station Eats Stamford

Zicke, Zacke, Zicke, Zacke, Hoi, Hoi, Hoi!

Yeah, you’ll be singing lots of songs in German pretty soon.  Odes to the Oktoberfest gods, if you will.  And, you’ll be singing your heart out from the beautiful, newly renovated patio at Station Eats in Stamford.  The patio has been reimagined and redesigned and will forever henceforth be known as the Landmark Biergarten at Station Eats.  We got in touch with one of the owners, Nick Type, and he told us more about the Biergarten, opening half way through May:

Kristien’s classic burger at Station Eats, all loaded and ready to go

“It will offer a line of rotating draft craft beers, wines, sparkling wines and our house made (fresh / no mixes) station margarita (14oz – $6.00). Beer prices will be very reasonable. We will have buxom gals and hunky lads serving out there and the occasional live music act. The biergarten menu will be an extension of our current menu and include items such as bier braised brats, house made bacon sauerkraut on pretzel rolls. Complimentary warm station kettle chips made to order will greet every patron.”

Stamford Restaurants Paired with Acts from Alive @ Five 2013

We had a brilliant moment of realization:  someone needs to pair the bands and singers from Alive @ Five with restaurants in Stamford.  Who would be awesome enough to do that?  Well, since we couldn’t find anyone who’d be game, we decided to create a list of the bands and singers then provide a restaurant that would be perfect to hit up before (or after) the concert.  We’ll also give you an explanation for added entertainment value.  Also, check down below for costs, rules, and regulations for Alive @ Five 2013.

June 20, The Wallflowers paired with Zaza Italian Gastrobar

The Wallflowers, led by singer Jakob Dylan (son of Bob Dylan), gained popularity in the late 90′s.  Their rock riffs paired with deep lyrics and Dylan’s smooth voice (as opposed to his dad’s) make for some awesome songs like “One Headlight” and “6th Avenue Heartache.”  It only makes sense, then, that you’d need to eat at Zaza, a sleek, sexy, and rockstar-ish restaurant nearby the Alive @ Five stage.

June 27, The Mavericks paired with Plan B Burger Bar

It’s tough to really to say what kind of music The Mavericks play.  Sometimes they are country, sometimes they border on ska, sometimes they even push over to rockabilly, and sometimes they even find a way to throw accordions into their songs.  What better pairing, then, with Plan B Burger Bar at the Stamford Town Center?  You’ve got bourbon, you’ve got beer, you’ve got burgers, and you’ve got lots of killer sides that all gel together for that perfect pre-show meal.

Bodega’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta’s So Big, It’s a Weekend!

Some of your taco options at Bodega Taco Bar in Fairfield

This is the Cinco de Mayo party that’s too big for just one day.  This is the Cinco de Mayo party to end all Cinco de Mayo parties.  Yeah, seriously…Bodega Taco Bar in Darien and Fairfield are doing it right this year with lots of omnom-like things going down.  First off, let’s start with the times:  Saturday (5/4) from noon to midnight and Sunday (5/5) from noon to 8.  Okay, let’s get into the yummy deets:

1. Tequila tastings (worm and Pee Wee Herman not included.)
2. Pig roast prepared in a custom La Caja China Roasting Box (Saturday.)
3. Taco Eating Contest (definitely Saturday, maybe Sunday.  When you get there, you’ll sign up.  We’ll update this for you when we get more info.)
4. Mariachi Band on Sunday afternoon
5. “Guacamole Slapping” demonstration (maybe you slap it because it’s soooo good, but is fattening?  Interested to see.)
6. Drink specials (you know you have to celebrate with some margaritas, right?)
7. Live music and dancing (agitarlo como una foto Polaroid.)