CT Food News Vol. 44: Wienerpalooza, Food Trucks, Special Dinners, CT Beer News + Chocolate Chip Cannoli Sandwiches

There’s lots going on in Fairfield County and CT over the next couple of weeks, so stick with us kids and you’ll go far! For more events, check out last week’s CT Food News. And don’t forget that tomorrow is CT Open House Day where hundreds of places around Connecticut open their doors for free or have other great offers. 

6/12-13 Hapa Food Truck will be at The Beer Garden @ Shippan Landing from 4-8:30 on Friday and will be at Pride in the Park at 295 West Avenue in Norwalk from 12-8 this Saturday.

The store front of Bridge Street Wienery in Stamford, Connecticut

6/13 Watch people shove countless wieners into their faces at Bridge Street Wienery in Stamford! The host dog eating contest starts at 12:30 and if you can stomach watching it just fine, you can enjoy popcorn, cotton candy, DJ Shamrock, and maybe even win some Wienery swag. Happy 3 Year Anniversary! 

6/13 North of Havana in New Haven is hosting a Craft Beer, Pig Roast, and Cigar Event! More info here.

6/14 It’s Black Rock Day, people! There will be a 5K race at 9, the Bed Race at 11:30, the Best Small Parade in America at noon, then the festival from 1-6 at Ellsworth Field. Entry is $3 per person $1 for seniors, or no cost for kids under 12. There will be games, pony rides, a petting zoo, and plenty of food from great local restaurants available. 

6/18 Burger & Brew. Okay, do you need to know anything else? Well, we’ll help out anyway: DuVig Brewing is coming to Parallel Post for a build-you-own burger and drink-two-beers kind of day from 5-9 for just $20. That’s a steal of a deal and you’ll also get a chance to win a DuVig gift certificate and a take home gift. Get your reservation by calling up (203) 380-6380.

6/19 The Summer Solstice Food Truck Festival is back and will be held at Hamden Town Center Park from 4:30-9. Check out more than 40 food trucks with no cost to enter or no cost to park, either. Some of the trux that’ll be there are Poutine Gourmet, Blazin BBQ, 3 Chicks Grill, The Whey Station, Sugar, Caseus, Spuds Your Way, Chompers, Nora’s Cupcakes, DiSorbo’s, Lobstercraft, and Mamouns.

6/22 Bar Rosso in Stamford is hosting a four course dinner featuring the wines of Pio Cesare and food from the Piemonte Region of Italy. Dinner starts at 7 and tickets cost $75. For reservations, call them up at (203) 388-8640

6/23 Bistro V on Greenwich Ave. is hosting a Greenwich Marketplace & Wine Dinner with a reception at 6:30 and dinner at 7. Tickets are $110 per person and include special gifts and tastes of speciality items from Fleisher’s Craft Butchery, Greenwich Cheese Company, Glenville Wine & Spirits, and Fjord Fish Market. Call up (203) 661-6634 for more info.

The Granola Bar in Westport has meals to go now, so if you want something good, healthy, and tasty for lunch or dinner, just grab, go, and heat it up. 

So, onto something not as healthy: the Chocolate Chip Cannoli Sandwich at DiMare Pastry in Downtown Stamford. Two warm chocolate chip cookies with a lovely plop of cannoli in between and some chocolate chips thrown around the outside for good measure. Holy hell people. Have this with their Cannoli donut and you’re set, huh? 

Get an early preview of Back 40 Kitchen by checking out to-go meals and sides at Back 40 Mercantile in Old Greenwich. And, be on the lookout for Back 40 Kitchen on Greenwich Ave. to open up soon.

Beer

6/13 Check out the Craft Brew Festival hosted by The Harugari German-American Club from 12-4. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door, or DD is $5. Entry gets you unlimited samples of beer and also a food voucher. If that’s not enough food for ya, you can always purchase more. Some of the breweries that are on hand will be Captain Lawrence, Charter Oak, DuVig, Grey Sail, Half Full, Shebeen, Thimble Island, Thomas Hooker, and Two Roads. 

6/14 Shebeen Brewing in Wolcott is releasing their Pineapple Wheat from 12-5. They’re also saying that they have a few other surprises up their sleeves . . . hmmm. 

6/26 Meet Brian Strumke from Stillwater Artisanal at Two Roads! He’ll be there in the tasting room from 5-9 and will be sampling his wares, too. 

We recently broke the news to CT about the new growler laws, but there’s another law that we should be thankful for. Beer can be sold at farmers’ markets now. They have to be pre-packed and can’t be poured or can’t be drunk there. So, basically, you can buy cans, bottles, and growlers and take them home with you.

As we’ve shared previously, New England Brewing Company has been undergoing some cosmetic surgery. Well, it turns out that it’s more than cosmetic, as they are setting up a separate fill and sample station. In addition, get ready for even more beer as they install even more tanks. 

Because demand for Sip of Sunshine has been so incredible here in CT, Lawson’s Finest Liquids have changed things up a bit. They’ll be releasing cans about every 3 weeks, but they can’t keep track of all of the places where you can find their beer anymore because it’s too much . . . at this point at least. They suggest you call up your local packie. We’d suggest that you just get down there because by the time you call then get there, it’ll be gone anyway.

Back East Brewery is in search of a head brewer. Are you the hop head for the job or do you know someone who’d be perfect?