Chef Carlos Baez of The Spread Vows to Beat Bobby Flay on Food Network

Chef Carlos Baez is the man behind The Spread in SoNo. We think he has what it takes to take home Best in Show, how about you?

If you’ve ever had the chance to meet Chef Carlos Baez (pictured top left) of The Spread, the first kind of words that might spring up at you are kind, smiling, generous, reserved and creative . . . but how about dogged, uber-concentrated, and competitive? Well, we had a chance to see his tougher and rougher side when he recently competed against other chefs in the CT Chefs Challenge event. He was laser-focused on his sous chefs and dish that wowed the judges. Baez has also had lots of other success with food contests like Chowdafest.

A reliable favorite, now with cocktails. Our review of Basso Cafe in Norwalk

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Since we first went to Basso Cafe back in September ’12, we’ve told everyone we meet to check it out. And, every time we’ve asked how it went, we’ve heard great things back. That’s just the kind of place Chef Renato Donzelli runs.

But, we were starting to feel like posers, recommending the place to everyone, even though we haven’t been back since. We know, bad food bloggers! So, when Basso Cafe went from a BYOB only establishment, to a full-on bar, we figured that was the perfect time to get back there and try their creative cocktails with some friends. Oh, and eat, because, you know, it’s always good to eat when downing large quantities of liquor.

Chef David Soto brings Latin food with a unique twist to Norwalk with Aji 10

Executive Chef and owner David Soto and Sous Chef Erick Omar Soto. Photo from Aji 10’s Facebook.

Even though we’re both Italian, if we had to narrow down our favorite cuisine it would undoubtedly be Latin American. Whether it’s ceviche, lomo saltado, rope vieja, mofongo, arepas, tacos, and so on, we just can’t get enough. So you can only imagine how much we’re drooling here as we fantasize about the menu at Aji 10, a brand new Latin restaurant at the border of SoNo and East Norwalk, located at 10 Wall Street.

Photo from Cristiano Dos Santos

Opened just a few weeks ago on January 23, the former sous chef at Paloma and Executive Chef at Baang and Splash, Chef David Soto, has created a killer menu that features Latin American foods and Nikkei, a popular fusion cuisine of Japanese and Peruvian you can’t find anywhere in Fairfield County. Not only that, but Aji 10 also brings the first-ever (that we can think of) Pisco bar to the SoNo dining scene, which features the much-loved spirit in Peru and Chile. So, what’s Chef Soto’s story, what makes him an awesome addition to SoNo, and what are some of the best dishes to order off the menu? Take a look . . .

Mercado: Street Food + Rave Takes a Bite Outta Stamford

When we went to Barcelona a few years ago, we checked out La Boqueria. It was an amazing experience with fresh food, veggies, and fruits that seemingly went on for miles aisle after aisle. And, mixed in around the mercado were restaurants that specialized in foods like pizza, empanadas, coffee, fresh squeezed jugos, seafood, and more. Well, Barcelona is a bit far to travel for that kind of experience, but checking out Mercado on March 1 isn’t so tough.

Holiday Fun: Harbor Point Ice Rink w/ Nearby Restaurant Ideas

Now that we’ve got a few days off from work to celebrate the holidays, you might be thinking: what with h-e-double-hockey-sticks do I do with all this free time? Well, listen up here, we’ve got a great idea: visit The Rink at Harbor Point, located at 200 Commons Park South. You’ll see they have special hours going on from tomorrow until January 2 with pricing at very affordable prices (listed below).

Bodega Taco Bar Resurrects Dia de los Muertos Celebration

Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday that’s celebrated November 1 and 2 of each year, is a time for people to pay their respects and remember loved ones who have died. But, even though there are reflections about those who have been lost, it’s more of a celebration of life and the spirit that they’ve left behind in the world.

Keeping with that theme of celebration and remembrance, Bodega Taco Bar in Darien and Fairfield is bringing back their popular Dia de los Muertos party on November 1. In addition to muetro-fying Bodega up, you’ll also be able to check out food specials and drinks made Roca Patron tequila. (If you’ve never been to Bodega, they do tequila right, with an amazing menu. Maybe order a flight?) There will also be plenty of things to do like kids face painting and tattoo art during lunch or even learning how to create traditional sugar skull decorations used to honor the dead.

Truck or Treat? Have Both at the Meriden Food Truck Fest! An OmNomCT Exclusive.

Sure, on the weekend of October 25 (12-10) & 26 (11-8) you could go to any ‘ole Halloween party and get some candy, chips, and if you’re lucky a cute little cupcake with a gummy worm on top… or you could go to the Westfield Mall in Meriden and hit up the Meriden Food Truck Fest where you can stuff your face with fantastic food from an estimated 40 food trucks. With both trucks AND treats, there’s no excuse not to go… 

 

But OmNom, the best part of Halloween parties is we can dress up in slutty, errr, I mean scary, costumes!

Fret not our friends, the Meriden Food Truck Festival has you covered. They WANT you to come dressed in your best costume and they’ll have a professional photographer booth set up so you can show it off.

The Meat Truck Chomps Down on New Haven and Sets Paws on Fairfield County

Give us one of each, plz. Photo courtesy of The Meat Truck

Chimichurri Steak, photo courtesy of The Meat Truck

Stuff yo face on some great grub! Photo courtesy of The Meat Truck

There are days when we want to go light, there are days when you might mix a little light with something heavier.  Then again, there are days when you break out into a hardcore, primal, carnivorous rage and take down meaty dish after meaty dish.

So, Jose Perez did like any American, food (and fun)-loving person would do:  he decided to open up a food truck:  The Meat Truck to be exact.  Their first launch was on July 4 weekend and they sold out of all their food on that day. If  that’s any indiction of their future success, then we think they’ll do very nicely.  While we haven’t had a chance to try the food yet, we did snag an interview with Jose to let you know more about what you can look forward to when The Meat Truck hits up Fairfield and New Haven Counties.

What gave you the inspiration to start a food truck?

Take a Culinary Tour Through Latin America via Aarón Sánchez’s Paloma in Harbor Point, Stamford

Let’s just put it out there now…we haven’t had the best of luck with celebrity chef restaurants over the past few years, with the exception of Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and Michael Psilakis’s Kefi both in NYC.  More often than not we’ve had disappointing meals like our experience at the recently closed Primary Food & Drink by Graham Elliot and at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in Las Vegas. We’ve found that a celebrity chef putting his or her stamp on a restaurant and menu doesn’t guarantee anything.  So, you’ll have to forgive our skepticism when Aarón Sánchez made plans to open up Paloma in the Harbor Point area of Stamford (where The Beer Garden used to be). Would Chef Sanchez, from Chopped and Cooking Channel’s Heat Seekers (with partner in crime Roger Mooking), be a rare exception?

Well, you better believe we wanted to find out ASAP.  We just so happened to see an ambiguous announcement on Harbor Point’s Facebook page Saturday evening so we made a bee-line for Harbor Point to see if it was really open.  To our delight it was a soft opening and we were lucky enough to get a table.  SCORE!  So, let’s get down to biz-natch…

Kickin’ It (Latin) Root Down at Tierra in Westport: CT Restaurant Review

Here’s Tierra’s version of the margarita…excellent.

Make sure to add the egg…it’s sooo necessary!

Beautifully prepared and contrasted

Make sure to ask what the season ceviche is when you’re ordering.

Abstract art never looked so damn good

When we hear about new restaurants, we get excited. When we hear about new Latin restaurants, like Tierra in Old Town Hall in Westport, we get really excited. Tierra (which opened in mid-June) is a bit hard to find at first, located to the right side of Spruce at 90 Post Road, close by Urban Outfitters, and by the parking lot off of Jesup Road.

Like good ‘ole Americans, we went there with our friend Christine on the Fourth of July (woo hoo South ‘Murica). Looking around, the bar to the left was warm, classic, and comfy with a huge loungy couch behind it. In the back there’s a private room with a nice wine rack wall and a fancy, shimmering chandelier. The main dining room features the same kind of vibe with a few tables and a side area with a view of the open kitchen.

Speaking of the kitchen, a husband and wife team run the kitchen and own it along with Chad Whited (and Laura Luce) who was there that night to help out. We first met CIA grad Chef Sue Torres, who is half Italian and Puerto Rican. She’s had an amazing amount of experience with Nuevo Mexicano fare including working at her own Suenos, Arizona 206, Rocking Horse Cafe, and Hell’s Kitchen.  We met her during our dinner as she went around from table to table to see how everyone was enjoying the food. Next was chef Darren Carbone, who comes from Columbia with an Italian-American upbringing. His impressive resume includes a CIA degree like his wife, and heading the kitchens at Super Linda, Rosa Mexicano, La Verdad, El Vez, and Alma de Cuba.  Ok, ok, you’re probably getting anxious to know about the food, so vamos, vamos.