Cozy up as Chef Plum presents his 1st pop-up of 2016

The ever-awesome Chef Plum has set up his first pop-up of the year . . . and you need to grab your tix STAT. He’s prepared a 5-course menu featuring local ingredients that will literally warm your body and metaphorically warm your heart. His events always sell out and are worth it on so many levels. 1st up, the food’s always on point. 2nd, the drink pairings are awesome, whether it’s beer, wine, or cocktails. And, 3rd, it’s great to get an inside look into how each course was put together by Plum and his crew as he talks about each course.

The 2014 OmNomys: Celebrating the Best in Food in Fairfield County

Well, here we are, already at the end of 2014. Man, how time flies. But fret not friends, because the end of another year means another celebration of the best of the best in Fairfield County. That’s right, it’s time for the 4th Annual OmNomys! By now most of you know how this works, but for those of you new here, this is a list of the best that we’ve experienced in 2014… NOT necessarily the best EVER in Fairfield County. If your favorite spot or food didn’t make it on here, maybe it was on our list back in 2011, 2012, or 2013… and if not, let us know so we can check it out in 2015! 

So, without further ado, here we go:

Best Ambiance: Cask Republic, Stamford

With not one, but two fireplaces, Cask Republic has a warm, rustic, and down-homey kind of vibe going on. It’s hard to think of a chill spot with more class. It’s the perfect place to meet up with friends, have some drinks (from which there are many to choose), and try out some great gastropub grub.

Chef Plum Rescues You from Thanksgiving Disasters

As we mentioned yesterday when we announced the Ultimate Holiday Cookie Contest, Chef Plum of Newtown is back on TV.  This time you can see him on the weekly Allrecipes segment on “The Better Show,” aired on the Hallmark Channel.  “The Better Show” airs at noon during weekdays and Chef Plum is featured on Tuesdays with the Allrecipes crew.

His first segment was a shoot in NYC where he asked people what the heck pieces of kitchen equipment were and what they were used for.  Very entertaining.

Fairfield County Guide to Pizza and Drinks this Thanksgiving Eve (or any day)

Thanksgiving Eve is not only one of the top 5 busiest day of the year for pizza eating, but it’s also in the top spots of busiest nights to go out for drinks. It makes perfect sense, too. People are packing bags, they are cleaning, and they are even preparing for the holiday feast. Who wants to make another meal in addition to Thanksgiving? Answer? No one. And, lots of people come back home from college and far far away. It’s their time to go out, catch up with old friends, and even make the next day with the in-laws a little more tolerable by getting tipsy.

So, in the spirit of helping out our fellow pizza munchers and drink guzzlers, we’ve put together a list of some of our reader’s favorites spots (mentioned in the description) as well as ours.  Please note, we’re only mentioning if they have pick up or delivery for the purpose of this post, though most of these restaurants do have sit down service.  All pizza opinions are relative, so don’t get too crazy, pizza fascists.  And, we didn’t list just bars…they have to have food, too.  Happy Turkey Day!

Hop to it: Todd Ruggere to drink a beer in all 169 CT towns in 2014 for charity

Some people sell chocolates, some people grow mustaches, some people run marathons, and there are even some people who go from door to door to raise money for their favorite charities.  Well, “some people” have never met Todd Ruggere of Grafton, MA.  Last year he traveled to every single town in Massachusetts (351 of them) and had a beer there.  His hope was to meet some great people, have some great beer, but most importantly raise some money for children’s cancer research.  

But, how could he expect the amazing reaction that he would receive from people who were following his journey?  They’d give him suggestions of where to have a drink, would invite him over for a beer, and they’d set up amazing events upon his arrival that would help him to raise about $40,000 by the end of his trip.  But, he’s not stopping there.

Chef Plum of Newtown Competes on Fieri’s New Show, Guy’s Grocery Games

Capture from Guy’s Grocery Games, from Food Network

Chef Plum is no stranger to TV.  Whether it’s his numerous appearances on local TV, competing on the inaugural show of The Taste, a mini Chopped competition on Food Network, or even eHow cooking webisodes over the internet, Chef Plum’s got it covered.  Plus, we haven’t even mentioned the great things he does through his friendship and work with Pro Players Insiders.  Plus, lots of people in CT know Chef Plum through Plum Luv Foods and his pop up dinners.

Chef Plum will be taking on three other chefs in the second episode of Guy’s Grocery Games! Go Plum!

Well, our beloved Plum who is larger than life, will be on TV again soon.  This time around you’ll find him on Guy Fieri’s new show, Guy’s Grocery Games, on Food Network.  The new series premieres on 10/20 at 8 pm on Food Network and on 10/27 you’ll see Chef Plum compete.

A-paw-se 4 the Dogs for Dogs Fundraiser with Super Duper Weenie in Newtown

A major friend of the blog and fellow food lover, Danielle Boccher, has just emBARKed upon a brand new path in her life.  She has started Thank Dog Rescue, a dog rescue organization for all breeds, based out of Newtown.  The goal of Thank Dog Rescue is to find forever homes for dogs who have been in shelters, who are homeless, or who have been abandoned.  Being able to help all these great doggies is no easy feat, so that’s why she’s having their first ever fundraiser on 9/29 from 1 to 5 pm at Butcher’s Best in Newtown.

Here’s Maynard, our rescue.  He’s a mix of Jack Russell and Boston Terrier.

Dog for Dogs will feature the Super Duper Weenie food truck.  Do we really need to say anything else?  No, we don’t, but we’ll give a few more details anyway. :)  So, yes, Super Duper Weenie will be on hand serving up their amazing hot dogs and homemade toppings, their great burgers, and their killer fries.  Entrance to the event is $15 for adults, $10 for kids under 10, or you can buy a Family Pack of 4 for $40.

California Lovin’

Make sure to keep up with Thank Dog Rescue for future events!

Butcher’s Best Country Market

125 South Main Street

Newtown CT 06470

Here’s more about Thank Dog Rescue:

Thank Dog Rescue is a CT charitable organization dedicated to finding loving homes for shelter, homeless and abandoned dogs of all breeds, for the love of dog.

Through a network of foster homes, our dogs are nurtured and loved and given a sense of normalcy in preparation for their permanent homes. They sleep in soft beds, have plenty to eat, feel the comfort of human touch and grass between their paws, play in the yard, nuzzle a foster furbling, but most importantly, gain confidence and cast aside any fears and worries from experiences past.

We also serve as a resource to the community by advocating responsible dog ownership and all that it entails, from proper socialization and training, to the benefits of routine and preventive medical care, especially spaying and neutering to prevent further overpopulation. We provide education and information on available lower cost veterinary options, work with owners on the verge of surrendering their dogs to shelters to figure out a retention plan to avoid unnecessary burdens on municipalities and lessen the pain and suffering of dogs.

We strive to build a community where dogs are valued and treated with the respect and quality of life they deserve. We are the voice of the voiceless.

Celebrate Connecticut Farm to Chef Week 2013 at Farms, Restaurants…and Schools

The premise of Farm to Chef Week (September 15-21) in Connecticut is pretty simple.  Use the freshest, most local ingredients from Connecticut farms at restaurants and different venues throughout the state.  While some of the restaurants that are participating such as ON20 in Hartford, Zinc in New Haven, or Rizzuto’s might not surprise you because they already make good use of local ingredients, there might be some surprises for you on the list.  We’re talking about local schools like Branford, Newtown, Westport, and Wilton as well as colleges such as Fairfield University and University of Connecticut in Storrs.

When you visit any of the restaurants listed below here during Connecticut Farm to Chef Week, you can expect special menus and offerings.  Each participant must offer at least four foods or courses that feature one or more Connecticut Grown items.  And, if a venue allows alcohol, they need to also offer at least one Connecticut wine.  As for the farms listed below, they will be offering specialty items and produce during CT Farm to Chef Week.  Just check here to see what each farm is offering!’

Stand Up 2 Cancer Just by Dining Out!

Mastercard is standing up to cancer again this year with their Stand Up To Cancer campaign.  All you need to do is buy at least a $10 meal at any restaurant with your Mastercard.  With every purchase they will donate a penny to Stand Up To Cancer or 2 cents if you make a PayPal transaction at the restaurant, up to $4,000,000.  While a penny might not seem like a lot, that money will add up very quickly.  Already, since July 12, $1,280,280 has been raised!  The Stand Up To Cancer Mastercard campaign goes until September 28, 2013, so get out there and get eating!  Normally, we’d create a list of our favorite spots for you to check out, but you see that all the time with our posts and our annual OmNomy Awards.  So, we thought we’d ask you all, our fellow OmNomivores:

What’s your favorite spot in Fairfield County?  Let us know down below by commenting or by talking with us on Twitter or Facebook.  We’ll update the list down below.   Let’s all take a stand against cancer!  

OmNomivore Favorite Restaurants in Fairfield County

Chef Plum Creates a Summery Dinner Underground ft. Shiregate Family Farm

Chef Plum Dishes on Dishes Between Courses

Chef Plum has another Dinner Underground up his chef sleeves.  This time around, Plum will focus on grassfed beef from Shire Gate Farms and will use other local ingredients that highlight our love of summer foods.  The Shire Gate Farm dinner is July 14 from 6-9 at Butcher’s Best in Newtown, CT.  Tickets are $80 (buy them here) and are limited to just 30 so you have to imagine they are going to sell out pretty quickly.  We were fortunate enough to be invited to attend his list dinner which was his own take on BBQ paired with beer from Saranac Brewing and we had a blast.

Justin Kern plates the chicken at the last Dinner Underground

You’ll find that Chef Plum and Sous Chef Justin Kern space out each course perfectly.  You’ll have plenty of time to try out each course, chat with your table mates, and just plain chill.  After you course is cleared away, Chef Plum (you’ve seen him on The Taste, Food Network, ehow.com, and OmNomCT) will talk about what you’re about to eat.  We’re talking the inspiration behind the dish, how it was made, what’s unique about it, and possibly his ideas on the big bang theory.

We hope you can make it!

MENU

1^st course

Shire gate farms Beef carpaccio with local bean salad, shaved Parmesan

2^nd course

Grilled oyster with red chili, beefeater gin and cilantro

3^rd course

Brisket spring roll with grilled peach sauce

 4^th course

pork belly mac and cheese (He can’t seem to get enough pork belly, the pork belly tacos at the last dinner were reDONK)

 5th course

Roast Ri striper with smoked avocado salsa

6^th course

Strawberry Shortcake “sushi” (Excited to see what that’s like…)

Shiregate Farms Dinner Underground @ Butcher’s Best

7/14, 6-9 pm, $80

125 South Main Street

Newtown, CT 06470

(203) 364-0013