The First Annual OmNomys: Celebrating 2011’s Best Food in Lower Fairfield County!

First Annual 2011 OmNomys

It seems like yesterday we had our very first post way back on October 31, 2010.  Just a little over one year later, here we are going into 2012, five pounds heavier (wait, did I say that out loud?) and with an impressive list of lower Fairfield culinary experiences to show for it.  So, what better way to celebrate all that yumminess than to create OmNomCT’s First Annual OmNomy awards?!  Yup, we’re honoring the best in show in a ton of food categories from all over lower Fairfield County.

Now, if you don’t like our list, remember, these are only our favorites of the places we ate at in the last year in lower Fairfield County. There are still a TON of places we haven’t eaten at yet – we’re only human man, and trying to stay in the same darn pant sizes this year! So, feel free to tell us about any categories and/or restaurants that you want us to try for next year and we’ll be all over it! And thank you everyone for your support this year! It’s been a ton of fun!

Best Asian:  Fin II, Stamford

Killer sushi dishes.  We fell in love with the Stamford locale.  Sit at the bar and ask the chef to make a unique roll for you.  Fairfield spot  is great, too.

Best Beer Selection: The Ginger Man, Norwalk

56 beers on tap here, rotating in and out with 80-100 bottles=beertopia.  Great food makes this spot even better.  Also, keep an eye out for fun beer dinners.

Best Brunch:  Meli Melo, Greenwich

Brunch is about good, healthy, and not-too-heavy food with lots of options for fresh juices.  At Meli Melo they have a monster list of hand juiced creations as well as pages worth of crepes.

Best Burger:  Beach Burger, Norwalk 

The Bynum Burger (pulled pork, chipotle, and BBQ sauce) and Bacon Burger are our absolute favorites here.  The fries are good and the milkshakes will take you one step closer to paradise.

Best BYOB:  Nicholas Roberts, Norwalk

Chef Robert Trolio is dishing out great food at Nicholas Roberts in Norwalk.  They keep their food as local as possible and have a great deal on BYOB.  If you buy from his brother Peter’s shop, Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines in Darien, there’s no corkage fee.  Just remember, cash only.

Best Coffee:  espresso NEAT, Darien

espresso NEAT does it right with a great selection of coffee and tea.  The espresso is bold, full of flavor, and not acidic.  Plus, lots of fun salads and even snacks from local companies.

Best Decor:  Red Lulu, SoNo

The bar area here is swanky with leather studded columns and oozes allure.  The dining area is just as sexy with excellent food to boot.

Best Delivery:  Nick’s Pizza, Stamford

Speedy, kind, giving lots of their yummilicious bread with their awesome Italian staples like meatballs, sausage, pizza, and cavatelli.

Best Gelato:  Volta, Stamford

Giovanni Gentile is also the one responsible for Capriccio, right down the block.  Volta specializes in redonkulous gelato that is handmade, fresh, and transports you to gelato shops in Europe.  Don’t stop there, though, because they have a ton of crepes, sandwiches, fresh juices, and drinks.

Best Mixed Drinks:  Riviera Maya, Stamford

Riviera Maya has a HUGE bar with lots of room to eat, too.  Some of our favorite drinks can be found here, especially their creative margaritas:  chipotle, negra modelo, and jalapeno are just three.

Best Ethnic:  The Fez, Stamford 

Never a bad meal here, The Fez has a fun mixture of Moroccan/French/Mediterranean influence in their food.  Lots of great entertainment going on, too.

Best Entertainment:  Coalhouse Pizza, Stamford

Gerard Robertson, co-owner, is the man and knows what makes a great restaurant.  Let’s go through the list of why Coalhouse Pizza is the place to be:  beer dinners, brewery flight nights, the beer garden, home brewers night, specials for beer club members, live music, trivia night, football night, classic rock and jazz concerts on the tvs, and more…oh so more…

Best Ice Cream:  Gofer Ice Cream, Stamford, Greenwich, Norwalk and more

Seriously great flavors…my favorite is coconut chocolate chip.  Also, they have soft serve, shakes, and a crazy amount of toppings for your sundae.

Best Indian: Thali, Westport, New Canaan and more

Although the Thali in Westport is now vegetarian, it’s still an amazing institution of Indian food.  There is also Thali in New Canaan to check out if you so desire the flesh.

Best Italian: Columbus Park Trattoria and Madonia, Stamford

We couldn’t decide which was better because they both are the epitome of Italian food.  Beautiful, fresh food, served with lots of love…and a whole lotta wine.

Best Latino Spot: Valencia, Norwalk

Too many people know about Valencia, but we’ve got to spread the wealth.  Over 30 different kinds of arepas, killer breakfasts, and superb Venezuelan food.

Best Locavore: LeFarm, Westport

Where else in Fairfield County can you have pork for every part of your meal?  Yeah.  Fresh food from local sources put together with love and real finesse means a mindblowing eating experience.

Best Mediterranean: EOS, Stamford

Some of the best Greek food that we’ve had.  Think classic Greek meets creative cuisine and you’ve got a hint of what to expect.  The lemon potatoes, grilled octopus, dolmades, and three dip combination make up our favorite dishes here.

Best Omnomivore:  Joey Kuntz

Joey is a regular reader of OmNomCT and comments on posts almost as much as we do.  We appreciate all his insights and his inside scoop into things. Thanks Joey!

Best Outdoor: Capriccio Cafe, Stamford

Giovanna and co. OWN Bedford Street in Downtown Stamford during the nicer months.  You can sit out in front of their restaurant, people watch, drink some nice wine, chomp on some pizza, and all for not too much cash.

Best Pizza: Colony Grill, Stamford

Pizza fascists argue over this one all the time…who makes the best pizza in CT?  For many, the easy answer is Colony Grill.  The menu’s simple when you walk in:  just ingredients to put on your pie with some drinks to have.  They put the hot in hot oil, baby.

Best Service: Bacchus, SoNo

Aside from serving excellent Italian food in the heart of SoNo, Bacchus also boasts some of the best service that we’ve ever experienced…but without the crazy cost.  Our server was knowledgable, took care of us, and was pleasant.  The same can be said of Arnie D’Angelo, the owner, who went from table to table to make sure everybody was having the best experience possible.

Best Small Plates:  Zaza Gastrobar, Stamford

Zaza has a cool, hip Italian vibe going on, but the real star of the show here takes up nearly half of the menu:  small plates.  Think of it as Italian tapas.  Unforgettable dishes will tempt you such as butternut squash gnocchi, lobster polenta, osso bucco, and even more with a changing seasonal menu.

Best Wine List: Napa & Co, Stamford

Chef Arik Bensimon cooks amazing, high quality food here at this Stamford Downtown treasure.  Co-owner Mary Schaffer and sommelier takes those dishes and pairs them up with killer wines.  Check over their wines on their iPad menu!

Best Wings:  Monster B’s, Stamford

Vinny’s Backyard Grill was holding the title for this coveted award until Danny, Paul, and I stopped in to Monster B’s a couple of weeks ago.  The Hero Sauce is a must try and the insanely crazy can always try to get onto the Hall of Flame.

There you have it folks; hope you enjoyed! Here’s to another wonderful year of good eating!