Yes, we know it’s American Craft Beer Week. Everybody’s been advertising it, everybody’s been talking about it, everybody’s been hyping it up, but how about we show some local love, too? Share the fact that it’s CT Beer Week (5/12-5/18), share your favorite Nutmeg brews, drink some, support local business, local crafters, local brewers. Do it right, son! ;)
Marina Marchese, she’s the bee’s knees (from press release)
Red Bee Honey is hosting a Holiday Boutique on 12/21 and 12/22 from 11-4 pm on both days at the Red Bee Cottage in Weston. While this is a perfect time for the gift procrastinator (you know who you are), it’s also a great time to get some stocking stuffers or just stock up on some great local goods.
Yes, you can expect Red Bee Honey there (with a free tasting too!), but there are tons more to purchase, too. There will be handmade soaps, beeswax candles, lip balms, skin care products, and you can even put together your own gift boxes. And, for the sweetest gift of all, you could buy Marina’s books (Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper and The Honey Connoisseur) and she’ll even sign them.
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.
Restaurant weeks are about exploring new places, trying new restaurants, and saving mucho dinero. Lucky for us, there are always restaurant weeks here in Connecticut. In October, alone, there are 6 special weeks. So, let’s look at all the restaurants that are taking part in the Westport + Weston, Greater Valley, Milford, Fairfield, West Haven, and the statewide Connecticut restaurant week.
323 Main Restaurant & Bar ($15/30), Acqua Ristorante ($15/30), Arezzo Ristorante ($15/30), Artisan ($15/30), Blue Lemon ($15/30), Cru Restaurant & Lounge ($15/30), DaPietro’s ($15/30), Matsu Sushi ($15/30), The Mumbai Times ($10/$20), Pink Sumo Cafe ($15/30), Positano’s Trattoria ($15/30), Post 154 ($30), The Red Hen at the Westport Inn ($15/$20), Rive Bistro ($15/30), Rizzuto’s ($15/30), Sakura Japanese Restaurant ($15/30), Spotted Horse Tavern ($15/30), Tabouli Grill ($15/30), Tarantino’s ($15/30), Tavern on Main ($15/30), Tarry Lodge ($15/30), Tengda Asian Bistro ($30), Terrain Garden Cafe ($15/30)
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!’ Continue reading
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!
“Tart words make no friends; a spoonful or honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar.” Ben Franklin
“When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees.” Joseph Joubert
“`Well,’ said Pooh, `what I like best –‘ and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.” A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.” Henry David Thoreau
“We lived for honey. We swallowed a spoonful in the morning to wake us up and one at night to put us to sleep. We took it with every meal to calm the mind, give us stamina, and prevent fatal disease. We swabbed ourselves in it to disinfect cuts or heal chapped lips. It went in our baths, our skin cream, our raspberry tea and biscuits. Nothing was safe from honey…honey was the ambrosia of the gods and the shampoo of the goddesses.” Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees
Marina Marchese, she’s the bee’s knees
Who knew that there were so many things to say about honey and how deep and philosophical honey could be? We dig what Winnie the Pooh was saying about the anticipation of eating the honey being one of the sweetest things ever, but…hey, we know he’s never had some Red Bee Artisanal Honey. That’s craft, high-quality honey that’s produced in Weston, Connecticut by C. Marina Marchese. She’s not only the person who created Red Bee Artisanal Honey, she’s also a beekeeper, and has authored two very successful books. Her first book is Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper and her newest book is called The Honey Connoisseur, written with Kim Flottum who is editor of Bee Culture Magazine. In this brand new book, Marina and Kim discuss the origins, flavors, pairings, and uses of more than 30 different varieties of honey. Yeah, so, there’s more than one type of honey…definitely more than that golden plastic bear filled with honey you find at the stores. You’ll learn how to taste and pick out the perfect honey to match with your foods, plus you’ll learn about all the factors that go into the production of honey, basically called terroir. You’ll also find some recipes inside to put your newfound honey knowledge to the test.
One of the first things we do when we’re looking for a restaurant to hit up is check to see if it’s on OpenTable. In just a few clicks you can see lots of restaurants in your area that are taking reservations. From there, you can click on a restaurant, enter in your party size and time, then you’re on your way to booking your table. You could even play restaurant roulette and enter a party size, date, and time and see which restaurants in the area have tables nearby.
Dino Poutine is killer, unique to Dinosaur Stamford
Recently, we used OpenTable to get ourselves some nice seats at Bar Sugo in Norwalk and Dinosaur Bar-b-que in Stamford. Plus, we can’t tell you how easy this site makes vacation planning. And, wouldn’t you know it, Dan’s Prius has OpenTable built into it?
When you show up for the reservation, make sure you give your name and they check you in before you find your seat. At most restaurants you’ll earn 100 points for each time you show up and dine out. There are even some restaurants on the site that will earn you 1,000 points for honoring your reservation. When you reach 2,000 points you’ll be sent a $20 gift certificate usable at any OpenTable restaurant.
Here are just some of the OpenTable restaurants that you could hit up in just Connecticut:
Just some of the reality show clients from Twin Talents
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There’s another new TV show for a major network (we can’t say which) that is casting here in the Greater Stamford/Connecticut are and it’s called “Party Masters.” While this might not be the final name of the show, the spirit of the show fits in well with the name. They are looking for families that love to throw parties. The winning family will be pitted against another winning family to see who can throw the most awesome party in the world! To beef it up and add some incentive, they are giving each family $50,000 so they can really throw a party to remember. You might be a great family to enter if:
1) You throw parties that somehow end up on YouTube and become viral hits.
2) You throw wild surprise parties that last all night or for days.
3) You go hog wild at your backyard bbqs and they become legen…wait for it…dary.
4) Your theme nights are so intricate and involved that people forget that they aren’t in the Roaring 20’s or that they really aren’t mobsters.
Dan and Kristien Del Ferraro
OmNomCT 
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