Okay 2014, you’ve met your match. That’s right, make way, ‘cuz 2015 is right around the corner. And with the New Year comes great respon . . . er . . . parties! Yup, lots of great parties, lots of great drinks, and a helluva lot of great food. So, we thought we’d help do our part to make sure that you are off to a great start with a comprehensive guide to New Year’s Eve in Fairfield County. We’re covering as much as FC as possible with lots of choices for ya!
We plan to update, so if you know of any good additions to this list, please let us know.
Outstanding in the Field has been trekking across America since 1999…and they’ve even hit up international destinations in 2011 such as Italy, Spain, Denmark, Great Britain, and Ireland. So, what exactly is Outstanding in the Field? It’s literally a moveable feast, but in the form of a Winnebago that travels from farm to farm, location to location, sets up a ginormous table, pulls in some of the area’s best chefs and local food, then puts on an, well, outstanding meal.
2013 is so, well, last year. Let’s do some serious talking about 2014 now. It’s definitely going to be an awesome year, huh? You’ve got your resolutions and you will surely conquer the world, lose some weight, get that promotion, and find that one true love this coming year. Okay, well, let’s be honest with ourselves…we might not do all we hope for, but we can accomplish at least one thing: get a lil bit crazy on New Years Eve! So, being the kind hearted couple that we are, we rounded up a list of places to celebrate NYE then breakfast spots to help fight off that hangover the next day. If you have any places for us to add, please share…
New Year’s Eve Bashes
Bridgeport
Barnum Publick House: dinner served from 5-10 pm, champagne toast at midnight, and DJ Los from 10-2 am.
Bistro B: 4 course menu that’s $65 for the 6:30 seating or $75 for the 9 pm seating.
Hacienda Villa: app, entree, dessert, coffee, and an alcoholic drink for just $30! Score. See the menu here.
Darien
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!
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.
We’ve covered ChowdaFest for the past few years and we’ve been happy to see it grow into one of the most popular events in Connecticut. Really, what’s better? You pay just a small amount of money to go around and taste chowder after chowder, soup after soup, then vote on your favorites. And, at the end of the day, you feel good knowing that you’ve helped Connecticut Food Bank. Now, the next ChowdaFest isn’t until February 2, 2014, but there’s lots going on before then…namely the brand new experience called ChowdaQuest.
Which of these soups from Ginger Man will you like the most?
ChowdaQuest is “The Quest for the Fest” and will put even more power in the hands of hungry chowda-sippers. This all new experience came about due to so many restaurants wanting to be involved, but only having a limited amount of spots in the competition. All you need to do is check out any of the restaurants that we’ve listed below, ask for their soup sampler, then vote for your favorite soup by heading to ChowdaQuest.com. You get one vote per restaurant per valid e-mail address, so make sure you’re voting for your absolute favorite soup from each restaurant. The restaurants with the most votes by Thanksgiving will get spots in ChowdaFest 2014, so make sure that you support your favorite restaurants by voting! While you’re on the voting page, make sure to enter the Sierra Nevada contest. Just explain where your favorite place to drink Sierra Nevada is and you just might win dinner for two at any of the restaurants that are participating in ChowdaQuest 2014.
Here is the massive list of restaurants that are participating in ChowdaQuest 2014. Some of the restaurants are still waiting to confirm with Jim (nothing next to their name), but will be ready to go shortly:
When we talked with Chef Forrest Pasternack as he and owner Sal Bagliavio prepared to reopen Bailey’s Backyard, he told us of one of his dreams. Having grown up in Ridgefield, he missed the Ridgefield Farmers’ Market that had shut down in 2012 and wanted it to reopen. His wishes came true when it sprung up again this year. Now Chef Pasternack is able to visit the market whenever he needs to load up on the local goodies that fuel his menu.
So, given how much he wanted the market to reopen, you could imagine how amazing he felt when he was asked to do two chef demos at the Farmers’ Market this October. Giving demos with him this October is Chef Wirt Cook of Redding Roadhouse and Chef Scot Ostrander of Mama’s Boy Southern Table & Refuge. You’ll be able to see Chef Pasternack demo on 10/9 and 10/30, Chef Cook demo on 10/16, and Chef Ostrander demo on 10/23 from 3-5 pm. The market itself is open from Wednesdays from 2-6 pm, so you’ll definitely want to grab lots of fresh produce and goods from local farms while you’re there.
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!
The brand new Redding Roadhouse has tons of summer fun on the way for you. From a charity event, to movie nights, to cookouts on the patio, to farmhouse dinners, Executive Chef Wirt Cook, his wife Karen Cook, and Ted Stonbely have you covered for things to do. It’s all part of the new image they’re trying to shape for Redding Roadhouse, making this newly owned classic restaurant in Redding a place for locals to haunt and for people (like a couple from Greenwich) across the county state to visit, too. And, with all their combined talent, it’s easy to see why Redding Roadhouse is turning out to be one popular spot.
Starting off Wirk Cook stood by the side of Chef Alex Guarnaschelli in the pits of Kitchen Stadium for her Iron Chef win, Karen Cook used to be the Best Cellars wine and spirits director, and Ted Stonbely (their brother-in-law) was a chef at Boulud’s Bistro Moderne. Describing the food at Redding Roadhouse isn’t easy, but you could say it’s Farm-Meets-Modern-American. You know, we kind of like that.
So, let’s talk about all these great things going on!
1) What’s better than a Sunday summer brunch buffet?
2) BLUSH wine event that will benefit American Cancer Society. It’s going on August 10 from 3-6 pm. Karen will be sharing her favorite summer and rose wines and Chef Cook will be preparing fresh and seasonal snacks. Tickets are $35 per person.
3) Cinema Nights! Starting at 8 pm, you can sit out on the patio, enjoy your food (with some specials mixed in), and sip away on beverages. Here is the list:
4) Saturday Afternoon Cookouts on the Patio! The fun begins at 3 pm and costs only $25 for adults and $12 for kids. Kids can get hot dogs, chicken, side dishes, and dessert instead. Here’s the focus of each cookout:
5) There’s always a ton of live music at Redding Roadhouse every Friday and Saturday (and sometimes Thursday). Check out the schedule here.
6) And, finally, they have monthly farmhouse dinners with local farmers. Ticketst are $65 or $85 if you’d like your multi-course meal paired with wine. After the dinner, the featured farmer will answer any questions that you might have about the food or the farm. The dates are July 31, August 28, September 18, and October 9.
Dan and Kristien Del Ferraro
OmNomCT 
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