Around the world and back again, and again, and again @ El Segundo (Review)

All the noms!

We’re just going to say it outright . . . we can’t frickin’ get enough of El Segundo. And yeah, we were admittedly late in the game getting there. It was always on the top of our (long) list of places to hit, but when we don’t go out to eat nearly as much anymore, it became a little overwhelming. BUT, once we got there, oh man, we had to go back again STAT. And again after that. Aaaand again with friends. Aaaaand then again with family. Yep. That’s how much we love it. I mean, what’s not to love when each time you can try different ridiculously delish street food from another part of the world? Or, you know, you could try like a ton of them each time you go . . . because that’s how we roll.  

So why are we so in love with this spot? Well, first of all, it’s the second restaurant from the same guys who brought us The Spread in Norwalk, so you know it’s going to be good. And while we love The Spread for a nice night out, what we love about El Segundo is their brilliant approach to bringing street food from across the world right into one place, divided on the menu into Americas, Europe, and Asia. The best part about this is if you just want to hop in for a quick lunch or pre-movie snack, you can order up one or two. Or, if you want to have a more proper meal, order a few of each. Or, want to have fun and chill for a while with friends? Then order a bunch to share. It’s really the perfect restaurant for any and all occasions, and any and all tastes! Add to that a killer, chill, yet lively and fun vibe, awesome outdoor seating in nice weather, and excellent service, and you really can’t go wrong.

Bareburger: Great Apps + Drinks, But How ‘Bout the Burgers?

For the longest time, people wondered if Bareburger Stamford would actually happen as that sad and lonely spot at 21 Harbor Point remained barren while Fortina and other spots nearby opened up and flourished. Well, glimmers of hope arrived as winter neared, and since opening up a few weeks back it has been jam-packed.

When we went to try it out this past Saturday (at around 6:45 pm) we were more than ready to eat and drink our sorrows away after witnessing our beloved Rangers lose in overtime at MSG. The space is pretty small with some seats at the bar, a few high-tops, and a handful of tables, but luckily we only had a 1/2 hour wait for a party of 6, which isn’t too bad.

So good, it’s a sin. South End Uncorked (Review)

A typical night at South End Uncorked with a full house . . .

Forgive us readers, for we have sinned. It has been far too long since our last visit to South End Uncorked over the summer when we tried their cocktails and we must confess, we were complete idiots to wait this long. Why? Because (spoiler alert) it’s amazing! Not that we had any doubt since we’ve experienced the magic of Chef (and owner) Nick Martschenko and Director of Operations and mixologist extraordinaire Michelle Mauro at their other New Canaan restaurant, South End. 

A peek inside the vault at Cask Republic SoNo (Review)

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The news came as a shock to many people when Ginger Man SoNo  announced it was closing its doors. But quickly after the shock came relief when the owner, Christian Burns, shared the reason why: they wanted to refresh the darker and more compartmentalized Ginger Man into something brighter and more open. And with that change they wanted to bring a fresh, new menu, and a name change to go along with it. The new name was one we were all familiar with: Cask Republic, which is the same Cask many have come to know and love in Stamford and New Haven.

Win Tix to SoNo Bowl + Gift Certificate @ Blind Rhino w/ Cash, Prizes + Open Bar

Update: The Blind Rhino is also giving a $50 gift certificate to the winner of the pair of tix!

UPDATE: Brad V. is the winner of the two tix and the $50 gift card! We’ll be contacting him soon with details on how to get his prize. :)

Tickets are now on sale for SoNo Bowl, going down at 4 pm until kickoff on 2/7 at The Blind Rhino in Norwalk. $15 gets you into the party with an open bar until kickoff, plus Ken Tuccio of the Welcome to Connecticut Podcast will be hosting the night. There will be lots of games and chances to not only win prizes, but to also take home some cold hard cash.

Pig Out: Plan B Milford’s Bacon Week Drink + Food Menu w/ Cholesterol Heavy Pics

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10/19-25.

You don’t know it yet, but those are all the nights that you’ll be going out to Plan B in Milford for their highly-anticipated return of their Bacon Week. Yeah, it’s when they take bacon and put it to good use: namely in your food, drinks, and even dessert. But, it’s just just like one lame dish with some bacon mixed in. Oh no. It’s so much more grandiose, it’s so much more important that that. They really go all out in their bacon use, especially this year with a dish that we’re ready to eat the hell out of already: Bacon Banana Split. Oh. Dear. God. Shut up and take our money. Seriously.

Lugano Wine Bar + Salumeria brings upscale, delish, and affordable Italian to Old Greenwich

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You know (and maybe even love) Molto, ZAZA, Dolce, and some time in the next two weeks, you’re going to know and get intimate with Lugano Wine Bar + Salumeria of Greenwich. This impressive restaurant portfolio belongs to Nick Racanneli Jr. and Senior (and partners), and they know how to do it right. Go into any of these hotspots at night, and you’ll notice the same thing: they’re packed, probably because of the cozy, yet stylish decor, the good prices, the solid drinks, and the dependable Italian food. So logic will tell us that Lugano, located at 1392 E. Putnam Ave. almost on the Greenwich / Stamford border (where Bistro Latino was), will be a huge success. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peak and are pretty psyched about the things that make Lugano similar to the rest of their restaurants, but also, the things that make it unique. Let us break it down into sections for you.

The Menu

Like ZaZa, you can expect an excellent variety of Italian tapas, even some of the tried and true items like their Roasted Truffle Sprouts, Creamy Polenta, and their Crostini. Some other tapas that got us all hungry include Italian Cheese Gravy Fries with bolegnese and creamy burrata, Baby Lamb Chops, Spicy Wings, Panzanella, and Smoked Salmon Carpaccio. In addition, you can go balls to the wall with a meatball tasting for $3.50 for a small order or $10 for a large. Order up the Beef (tomato, basil, grated parm), Turkey (sesame soy jus, scallions, spicy aioli), or House Blend (beef, pork, lamb, tomato, basil, ricotta). Or even get a sampler for $10 so you don’t have to decide.

Scotch Bar, Craft Beer, Roast Pig + Grilled Goodness @ Barcelona Fairfield’s A Guy’s Night Out

I love Scotch. Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly.

Yeah, that about sums it up . . . and sums up why you’ll need to get some tix for A Guy’s Night Out at Barcelona Fairfield for you, your buds, or even your kind ol’ pa. What is this Guy’s Night Out that you speak of, OmNomCT? What a great question:

The Beer Garden @ Shippan Landing Opening Food Truck Schedule and Memorial Day Party Info

You’ve all been good boys and girls (well, most of you), so we’ve got some great news to share with you: today marks the seasonal opening of The Beer Garden at Shippan Landing. If you remember, The Beer Garden opened two years ago where Paloma is now and changed venues last year to its current spot at 290 Harbor Drive. When we visited last year, things were more chill, more open, and felt like a little getaway.

Well, they’re back and back with a vengeance: they’ll be open Wednesday-Thursday from 4-11 and Friday-Saturday from 3-12. You can also expect to see more craft and local brews on tap and in cans including Half Full, Broad Brook, and Captain Lawrence. They will also have plenty of games like cornhole, a hugeass Jenga set, a new favorite called Kan Jam, and even beer pong.  They have lots of events, specials, and deals that are planned this summer, so make sure that you keep up with us and with them on FB and on their Instagram page.

Now, although they are still finalizing their food truck schedule for the entire summer, we’ve got the deets on Thursday-Sunday’s trucks and the Memorial Day Party on Sunday:

Why Kawa Ni Is the (Sake) Bomb – Westport, CT

When you’re asked where you want to go out to dinner for your birthday, how do you pick? Do you go for that fancy schmancy place you’ve been waiting for a special occasion to go to, or your favorite spot you know is going to be amazing, or the hot new restaurant you’ve been dying to try? It’s a tough call…I mean, you only get that choice once a year.

Well, when Danny’s birthday came around he didn’t even need to think twice (or once really) as he blurted out Kawa Ni within seconds of asking. See, years ago (before the blog) we spent his birthday at Chef Bill Taibe’s restaurant, LeFarm, and had an astounding meal that featured bacon in every dish. Danny knew going with Bill again along with his brother Jeff would be a sure bet at their new Izakaya pub with Pan-Asian influences. And (spoiler alert) it SOOOOO was!

Kawa Ni is located in a somewhat unsuspecting spot, tucked away in the corner of Bridge Square in Westport. It’s small but lively when you walk in, with the bar at the back left and a decent amount of seats throughout for such a cozy spot. The decor is tasteful…not that stereotypically tacky and kitchsy Japanese decor you might expect, but it definitely says modern Japanese food is served here. One random but awesome thing about the restaurant itself to mention in the blog post? Yeah, the bathrooms have the mega-toilet 3,000 or something like that with seat warmers, a bidet, dryer and more buttons that we were too scared to press. As we got comfy in our seats, we occasionally heard the bang of the gong and Bartender and Beverage Director, Jeff Marron, enthusiastically shout out something in Japanese. But more on that in a minute…