The Beer Garden @ Shippan Landing to Open for 2016 Memorial Day Weekend

The unofficial start to summer is just two weeks away . . . and it’s going down at The Beer Garden @ Shippan Landing! Here are the opening dates and times so you can plan your weekend drinking and eating:

5/26-27 open at 3 pm

5/28-29 open at 2 pm

When you get down there by the water (they are located at 290 Harbor Dr. in Stamford), have some drink and beer specials, relax, play some cornhole or beer pong, nom away at the nice selection of food trucks (yes, Hapa will return), and just chill all damn day. 

When we get more details, we’ll let you know, but that should be all you really need right now. ;) 

Here are the details:

Thursday- HAPA Food Truck and Dough Girls

Friday- HAPA, Melt and Dough Girls

Saturday- HAPA, Firehouse Grill

Sunday- HAPA 

Regular hours will be:

Wednesday 4pm-11pm 

Thursday 4pm-11pm

Friday 3pm-close

Saturday 2pm-close

Sunday 2pm-9pm

Cheers: THC Beer Garden (Largest in CT) Opens in Derby

The main room at THC beer garden in Derby. Pic from THC’s FB page.

Beer gardens have seen a surge in popularity in Connecticut over the past few years. But, no matter which beer garden, there always seemed to be something that was just off: one was too small, one didn’t serve good enough beer, one wasn’t open all year round, one didn’t (insert your gripe here). Well, that’s about to end with the opening of T.H.C. in Derby at 77 Sodom Lane. 

Hopping Good: Two Roads Opens Hopyard Area of Brewery; Music Series Starts Sunday

Part of the new Hopyard at Two Roads. The Shed Bar is to the right and the stage is by the wall of hops. Photo from Two Roads Brewing.

Two Roads Brewing Co. in Stratford has been a huge success since their opening. Not only have they been able to build up their own brand and brews, but they’ve helped other breweries like Stillwater and Lawson’s Finest Liquids expand their market reach by brewing in their massive brewhouse. And, they’ve not only grown in terms of popularity and market reach, but the brewery itself has been upgraded massively in so many ways. Their brewing capacity has grown immensely, they opened a very successful outdoor beer garden with their Airstream at the base serving up brews, and even opened up a beer garden at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport.

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:

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…

Aaron Sanchez’s Paloma to open soon w/ pop up bar and food this weekend – Stamford, CT

Yes, this dove brings the olive branch of peace, but can he also bring us a cocktail? We’re thirsty as hell…

Update:  Paloma is now open and here’s our review!

There have been lots and lots of rumors going around, you know?  Did Aarón Sánchez‘s (Chopped, Heat Seekers, and owner/chef of Mestizo) deal to take over The Beer Garden at Harbor Point with his brand new restaurant Paloma fall through?  Well, we got some confirmation from Hey Stamford! today that this isn’t the case.  PJ Kennedy reported earlier this morning that not only will Paloma be opening up mid-June, you’ll also get some first tastes of the menu along with some nice drinks right outside where The Beer Garden used to be starting this week.

PJ stated that the following schedule starts this week (and might continue until the opening) at 15 Harbor Point Road:

Beer Garden @ Harbor Point Has Final Shindig; Where to Get Beer in Stamford

The Beer Garden @ Harbor Point is having its going away party on Friday, 12/20, starting at 8 pm.  There will be live music and, yes, food trucks (when we get confirmation, we’ll let you know which ones).  Oh, did we mention there will be beer too?

But, it’s not a final farewell, Imian Hospitality continues to look for that perfect new spot.  We wish them lots of luck.  

Don’t despair, though…here are some places in Stamford with lots of taps that don’t serve crap beer:

Prost! A Toast to The Farm Terrace Beer Garden @ SoNo Marketplace!

This past Saturday, 8/24, we stopped by SoNo Marketplace for two reasons.  1)  We wanted to help support the great and sweet doggies like Mama who are up for adoption from Bully Breed Rescue of New Canaan.  2)  We wanted to check out the brand new Farm Terrace Beer Garden right outside the SoNo Marketplace.  Well, we accomplished both tasks thanks to buying a $5 ticket (usually $7 for a draft) from Bully Breed Rescue that got us a beer at the bar.

Now, talking about the bar and the beer garden, we were really amazed at how great it looks.  To be honest, we weren’t sure what it would look like because the outside of the SoNo Marketplace was pretty stark and ordinary when we visited last year.  But, the entryway right by the parking lot has been transformed into a beer oasis.  And, that’s pretty smart of them because in order to get in or to get back to your car you’ll pass by The Farm Terrace Beer Garden!

A Whole Lotta Barks + Beers @ SoNo Marketplace’s New Farm Terrace Beer Garden

Norwalk’s about to get a brand new beer garden courtesy of SoNo Marketplace.  While they have beer at Up the Creek in the center of their space, the Farm Terrace Beer Garden will be a totally different experience.  You’ll be able to pick up food from any of the great spots inside or the food trucks nearby then bring it to your garden table and have some nice cold local and craft brews like Half Full.  It’s slated to open on 8/17 and will have its first official event on August 24:  Barks & Beer.  This is a benefit for Bully Breed Rescue, an awesome organization based in New Canaan that rescues pitbulls, takes care of them, and helps the doggies to find their forever homes.  All you need to do is stop by on the 24th from 1-6 and check out The Farm Terrace Beer Garden and give a $5 donation.  When you give that donation, you’ll get a ticket that entitles you to any draft beer on tap!  And, if you’d like to take home a new friend, be ready because there were be some cute and happy doggies there ready to be adopted!  For a sneak peek, see all the great doggies they have.  

While you’re there, you might get some food shopping done with fresh produce from The Farm Stand, check out the restaurants and food shops inside, and/or check out all the awesome booths.

Here are some of the places you’ll need to check out:

• Chocopologie
• Festivities Catering
• Momo Sushi
• Norm Bloom and Son
• Pasta Presta
• Tilden Seafood + Prime Meat Market
• Wings + Things

SoNo Marketplace Hours

Friday-Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm

Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm

Farmstand Hours

Friday-Sunday, 10 am to 3 pm

The Farm Terrace Beer Garden Hours

Friday-Saturday, noon to 10 pm

Sunday, noon to 6 pm

Bully Breed Rescue Fundraiser

August 24 from 1-6 pm

SoNo Marketplace

314 Wilson Avenue

Norwalk, CT

A seedling of potential at The Beer Garden @ Harbor Point

It’s a Friday night, mid 70s outside, and there are just a few little clouds in the sky. Could there have been a better day to hit up the brand new Beer Garden @ Harbor Point? No, probably not. Unfortunately, it seemed that everybody in Fairfield County agreed, but we still managed to find a killer parking spot just right outside of Walgreen’s. There’s also a huge lot nearby that they have devoted to Beer Garden parking, too, if you can’t find any street-side spots.

Before we even entered, we were amazed to see this building that was empty  just a few months ago, turned into a massive party scene. Maddy’s food truck and Lobstercraft were outside, with about 50 devoted followers ready to get their grub on. That is one of the great things about this Beer Garden: although you can’t get food inside (yet), they’ll have food trucks there for you to get your nom on.