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.

Chef Plum Takes Dinner Underground Again with a Saranac Beer + BBQ Dinner – Newtown, CT

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Now that we finally have that warmer weather that we dream of during the colder months in Connecticut, we can look forward to BBQ season.  For some, BBQ season never ends, though.  The tailgate warriors, the backyard chefs who won’t allow a little annoying snow to ruin their plans of cooking up some burgers on the barbie.  But, whether you’re a BBQ expert, a novice, or just a BBQ eater, you’ve probably never had a BBQ meal like the one that Chef Plum of Newtown, CT has planned out for Sunday, May 26 from 7 to 10.  He’s repurposed Butcher’s Best in Newtown as a pop up restaurant in his dining series called Dinner Underground.  Tickets are limited to just 30 people and cost $85.39 (that’s with the service fee) and you can buy them here.  So, you know how we work…this is where we explain why you need to get yourself to this event:

Darien Will Soon Have Balls: Meatball and Co. Opening Soon!

Darien has definitely been shaping up as a culinary destination with the recent additions of Estia’s American and Bodega, as well as the solid Scena Wine Bar & Restaurant.  And, it’s about to become even better sometime near the end of May or the beginning of June when Joe Criscuolo opens up Meatball & Co. at 23 Tokeneke Road.    We’ll get to the food in a sec, but first some background info on Joe.  Joe and Matt own and operate Pizza Post in Greenwich that’s putting out some awesome pies (we had a Clams Casino on Saturday that was killer) and food.  They make their own meatballs and sausage and they are BYOB.  Joe and Matt took over the shop from their father who started Pizza Post  in ’72.  And, now Joe’s giving the reigns over to his brother Matt as he starts his own business which has always been a dream of his.

Okay, that’s enough background…we know, you want the details.

Why Meatballs?

Joe had been thinking of starting his own restaurant for quite a while and always wanted to do something different.  He was particularly inspired after visiting The Meatball Shop in NYC and seeing what they were doing.  ”The area is super-saturated with pizza places, so I wanted my restaurant to be accessible to all and to be different,” Joe told us.  ”I wanted to feature comfort food, and I wanted it to be great.  And, the meatball is such a great vehicle to present with.  You can really do anything with them, from veal piccata, to Asian inspired, to sausage and brocoli rabe, and more.”

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:

Pop by PopShop Market for food, brews, local goods, and more!

You might have heard of pop up restaurants, springing up in empty spots or abandoned places.  Here one week, gone another.  You know…that’s so 2012.  PopShop Market, though, is taking things into 2013 with their pop up market.  For each pop up event they’ll have 50 or more vendors, a mini farmers’ market, they’ll feature a local brewery, and they’ll have a bunch of CT’s best food and food trucks available for your noming needs.  The first PopShop Market is being held on June 1 from 9-3 at the Fairfield Theater Company‘s warehouse and parking lot.  There’s no cost at all and there is live music, too.  Here are the details for the first event:

Two Roads Brewery Has Some Serious (Meat)balls this Weekend

Get your mind out of the gutter, people.  We’re talking about Two Roads Brewery having The Local Meatball shop on hand for their Saturday food truck experience from 3-7 on 5/11, the start of CT Beer Week.    Since TLM launch on 4/20, Mike’s been gaining quite a following of ballers.  There’s no doubt that Mike will be serving up some Serious meatballs, his standard formulation made with Saugatuck Craft Butchery beef and other local ingredients.  Here are descriptions from his site about the meatball choices (there is usually Serious and one other on special):

SERIOUS:  made with the finest ground beef from Craft Butchery, we use only the best local ingredients. Soaked in our traditional sauce, they are like no other. These balls burst with flavor and are our version of the classic.

Future Specials

KICK IN DA:  made with the most tender local pork around and some hot cherry peppers to give them just the right kick. Served in a chunky, spicy sauce, they’re a win-win.

IN THE BUFF:  fresh ground chicken and our own buffalo sauce—these are the perfect combination of heat and flavor.

HONEY’S:  honey BBQ sauce from a local favorite and a tender, juicy pork ball…who needs ribs when you’ve got balls?

JEWELS:  these salty, sweet creations are what we like to call a “breakfast ball.” Made with delicious ground beef, sausage, bacon and chunks of melted cheddar cheese. Topped off with the tastiest local maple syrup on a soft, light and airy snowflake roll. They’re jewels.

Here’s how to do it:

1)  Place your oder.

2) Grab your slider, Average Joe, or Grinder.

3) Head upstairs to Two Roads Brewery  and down those meatballs with some old cold brews.  We highly recommend the saison.

4) Fill up some growlers or growleritos (they are so cute and tiny).

5) Get some more meatballs before you leave.

Two Roads Brewing Co.

1700 Stratford Ave

Stratford, CT 06615

Phone:  (203) 335-2010

Go Down Home at Hash House a Go Go at Mohegan Sun

“Is that a meal or a monument?” Dan’s friend Adam asked on Facebook.

He was referring to a pic of the legendary Sage Fried Chicken and Waffles dish at Hash House a Go Go, newly opened in Mohegan Sun.  This dish is famous because the redonkulously amazing Adam Richman of Man vs. Food tasted and loved its epicness at their Las Vegas spot.  You know if Adam Richman put all other chicken and waffles on notice, it has to be good.  So, we did like any other brave and upstanding American would do…we pigged out and got down and dirty.

Spiked Kiwi Watermelon Lemonade

Our first piece of business was checking out the drink options.  While they don’t have any beers on tap, they do have a decent selection of the classics and some craft beer choices by the can and bottle.  Also, there are some wine choices, but their mixed drinks menu is what really shines.  The two drinks that stood out to us were the beautiful Spiked Kiwi Watermelon Lemonade that Dan ordered and the perfectly balanced Champagne Supernova that Kristien drank.  Dan’s was a great balance of sweet, herby, and tart with just the right amount of liquor.  Kristien’s was also nicely balanced with a mixture of two different champagnes, Riesling, mint, lemonade and sugar cane.

Elevated, True Farm to Table at Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield, CT: Restaurant Review

Some of the veggies that Forrest has pickled for sale

When we talked with Forrest Pasternack (former Executive Chef of Morello Bistro in Greenwich) a few weeks ago, we couldn’t help but get excited about what he and owner Sal Bagliavio had planned for the reopening of Bailey’s Backyard.  A farm-to-table restaurant that would live up to its name, built from the ground, the farm, and garden up.  A restaurant where the chef actually visits local farms and buys food from them.  A full and complete embrace of what farm to table means.  And, after visiting Bailey’s Backyard a few days before opening and being treated to a special preview menu, we know our excitement was well warranted.

The Menu

The menu is pretty easy to handle, fitting on just one (large) page.  In terms of what to order, it’s divided up into a few sections:  snacks, sides, greens, starts, mains, and desserts.  Of special note is that this is a great restaurant if you’re looking for fresh vegetarian options.  You can order whatever you’d like, or have a 3 course meal (starter, main, and dessert) for $27 ($39 with wine pairing) or a 4 course meal (greens, seafood starter, main, and dessert) for $38 ($50 with wine pairing).  In addition, you can even have the special Chef’s Tasting which is a seven course tasting menu for a very reasonable $65 or $95 with wine pairings.  No tasting menu will ever be exactly the same because it’s built daily based on what’s fresh and from the farms.

Real Food. Real Farmers. Westport Farmers’ Market Opening for 8th Season!

Here it is…the day that so many have waited for.  That time of year when you can head out, grab fresh produce picked straight from the farm, find great local products, and help support local farmers and businesses.  Yes, it’s farmers’ market season and you’ll be happy to know that Westport Farmers’ Market is ready to open.  Their first day for the 2013 season will be May 23 from 10 am – 2 pm.  Then, every Thursday thereafter up until November 7 they will have their market.  Here are the farms and products that you can expect to see all year:

• Wave Hill Breads
• The Local Catch
• Two Guys from Woodbridge
• Sanskow’s Beaver Brook Farm
• Skinny Pines pizza truck
• Riverbank
• Rose’s Berry Farm
• SoNo Baking Company
• Fort Hill Farm
• Beltane Farm
• Arogya
• Woodland Farm
• Kaia Cafe
• Silvermine Apiary
• Boxcar Cantina
• Sport Hill Farm
• Ox Hollow Farm
• Huckleberry Artisan Pastries
• Du Soleil Fine Foods
• Raus Coffee Company
• Saugatuck Craft Butchery
• Sport Hill Farm
• Muddy Feet Farmer

Here are some of the farms and products that will be on a rotating schedule: