CT Beer + Food News, Vol. 21: Openings, Updates, Fundraisers, Deals, Beer Dinners + More

This could be you, here. Stick with us and we’ll tell you how to win two tix!

We hope you’ve all been having a great week…well, it’s about to get even better.  Look at all these great events, openings, and beer-related goodness going on in the 203 and the rest of the state!  As always, let us know if we can add anything or feature an event that you love. 

Events

The Norwalk Open Door Shelter’s kitchen was recently renovated and they need your help restocking the kitchen (well, they could always use your help with that).  Donate to them by bringing donations or helping out online.

OmNomCT has entered the Stamford Chili Contest on 11/2 from 11-3 pm at Stamford Museum & Nature Center. Do you think you’ve got the beans to go toe-to-toe with us and other home cooks from the area?  If so, write Joe Gonzalez at stamfordchilicookoff@yahoo.com.  Even if you’re not participating, come down…more info coming soon.

9/18 Check out 850 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza from 7-10 today to help raise money for Bully Breed Rescue.  Also, there will be $5 pints of Black Hog! The Ridgefield restaurant will be donating 15% of all profits to Bully Breed of New Canaan who not only rescue pit bulls, but also help to find them new homes.

Fairfield County Food News, Vol. 7: Wieners, Bees, Horses, Bourbon, and Summer Fun

83 degree days?  We’ve made it, brahh!  So, you best believe that we’re going to share with you some great events for you to enjoy some time outside…even some all summer long.  As always, these are new listings that we haven’t covered on our blog yet…no need to be repetitive, huh?  The full list of events can be found here if you’re interested.

June 6

Oh beehive!  That’s cuz one of the world’s largest observation beehives is coming to Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk, starting at 11 am.  The hive will hold more than 50,000 honeybees and measures 4X5 feet.  Seems like a Common Core question in the making, huh?  The honey will eventually be collected (over 100 lbs. worth) and will then be sold right at Stew Leonard’s.  At the height of the season, there will be 75,000 bees inside!

KC and Anne will be playing the Station Eats Stamford outdoor beer garden starting at 6:30.  Get some burgers, get some brews, and just chill.

June 7

Wienerpalooza 2014 at Bridge St. Wienery has finally arrived!  Come by at 12:30 for the hot dog eat contest and see who the Biggest Wiener Winner is!  In addition to their great burgers and dogs, they’ll also have popcorn, cotton candy, music, t-shirt giveaways, and plenty of games to play.  Happy two years in business, guys!

Beardsley Zoo is hosting their annual Wild Wine, Beer and Food Safari 2014 fundraiser from 6-9 pm right at the zoo.  Tickets are $60 each ($65 at the gate) or if you buy 4 or more, they’ll cost only $55 each.  There’s also an option for VIP tix that are $100 each and get you “Behind the Scenes” access from 4:30-5:30.  In addition to over 100 different wines and 60 different brews, there will be live music, a silent auction, a raffle, and lots of food.  Some of the participating vendors include Black Rock Cafe, Carl Anthony’s Trattoria, Joey C’s Roadhouse BBQ, Liquid Lunch, Johnny Utah’s, Smoke & Bones BBQ, DiGrazia Vineyards, Onyx Moonshine, Berkshire Brewing Co., Captain Lawrence, and more.  Full list and ticket info here.  Also, if you buy any wine or beer at the event, 10% of the sales will go right to Beardsley.

Join Dew Drop Inn in their fight to raise money for Relay for Life, held at 2 pm at 118 Canal Street in Shelton.  As of today, they have raised the most money:  an incredible $15,130 that will be donated to the American Cancer Society.  When you’re done, do drop in to the Dew Drop Inn for some great burgers, wings, and killer craft beer.

Jealous Gatsby? We at da party of da year: The Iron Bar Gala @ Plan B Milford (w00t w00t)

For an entire year, talented mixologists throughout Connecticut have fought hard to make the best cocktails at Plan B Milford’s Iron Bar competitions.  And, through their skills 12 of them have made it to the final stage:  The Iron Bar Gala.  One winner will prevail, win $1,000 in cash and get a trip to Kentucky with the Plan B crew!  

You definitely won’t want to miss this event at Plan B Milford on 3/26/14 at 8 pm.  Seriously, don’t miss it…especially because the final test is bourbon themed using Willett Pot Still.  Tix are just $60 (plus tax and tip) and you get a helluva lot for your dollar, too…an abundance of hors d’oeuvre, 2 drink tickets, samples of all cocktail entries, a chance to vote for the winner, and mingle time with the celebrity judges.

Chowda heats up Star 99.9’s Big Jim and Anna w/ Souper Fridays

Big Jim and Anna (picture taken before they downed 32 different bowls of soup) – pic from Big Jim and Anna’s FB page

As if listening to Star 99.9’s Big Jim and Anna show (5:30-10 am) didn’t wake ya up enough and get you that blast of energy to power through the day, they’ve gone and made it bigger and oh so steamy.  That’s ’cause they’ll be sampling 32 of the hottest bowls of soup here in Connecticut every single Friday.  No, they won’t be trying all of them at the same time, but will try 8 bowls that will be featured at Chowdafest every Souper Friday.  

Here’s the schedule along with the categories and the soups that Jim and Anna will be slurping on:

Win Lidia Bastianich’s newest cookbook, pasta, AND sauce from Fairway Stamford

Want to win a jar of Lidia Bastianich’s sauce, a box of pasta, and her brand new cookbook Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking:  150 Delicious and Simple Recipes Anyone Can Master?  Well, of course you do!  Two lucky winners will win all three of those from Fairway Market in Stamford.  All you need to do is tell us (by commenting here) what your favorite simple, easy to handle Italian dish is your go-to for meal time.  The contest starts now and goes until midnight of Thursday, 12/12.  Then, on Friday, 12/13, we’ll announce the winners on here and contact them by e-mail.  Then the two lucky winners just need to head down to Fairway Market Stamford’s customer service center and pick up their sauce, pasta, and cookbook.  You can pick up your winnings any time after Saturday, 12/14, but the ideal time would be on Saturday, 12/14.

ChowdaQuest 2014: Tons of Restaurants Compete for Coveted Spots at ChowdaFest

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:

Win Lunch and a Drink at the 10/5 PopShop Market in Fairfield!

Do you feel lucky, punk?

Do ya?

Well, if you do then maybe you’ll think about entering a contest that we’re holding with the lovely ladies at PopShop Market.  They are giving away lunch at the food truck or restaurant of your choice AND a cocktail or beer from their Signature Bar Car.

Here’s all you need to do:

Tweet at @omnomct and @PopShopMarket, telling us what restaurant or food truck you’re excited to try.  Just remember to mention both of us so we can count you in the running for the goodies.

The contest starts now (9 am, 10/2/13) and goes until 7 pm on 10/2/13.  PopShop Market will contact the winner by Twitter, so make sure you’re following them to get that very juicy and yummy Direct Message saying that you won.

To check out the lineup of food trucks, restaurants, and shops at this Saturday’s PopShop check out our post from yesterday and the PopShop site.

Dan and Kristien

Explore Stamford + New Haven w/ Urban Scavenger Race and Party Afterwards

Dan’s mom used to create an Easter scavenger hunt each year.  A clue would lead The Del Ferraros to a bounty of treats and the next clue.  By the end of the race, Ren, Danny, and Chad would have plenty of candy for the next few weeks.  And, if Dan got to a clue first, he might have (just might have) skimmed a bit off the top from his siblings’ candy stash.  Hey, they never knew.  ;)

So, chances are that you’ve also taken part in a scavenger hunt in some form or another, too.  Well, kiddos, it’s time for an all growned-up version with the Urban Scavenger Race.  Teams of two to four people race around Stamford and/or New Haven, trying to find the answers to clues and working hard to complete challenges.  To get from place to place, teams must simply run.  No taxis, no bikes, no hovercrafts or floating skateboards, though public busses are allowed.  When you arrive to your destination, you might need to complete a dare or snap a picture of the place, so make sure to bring your fully charged cell phone.  If your team can’t figure out a clue, you’ll need to be resourceful and seek out help from people nearby to see if they understand.  Maybe you could ask Siri, too.  After the race is over there’s always an after party to celebrate a successful race.

Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Wants Your Vote for Best Burger in Westchester + Fairfield Counties

Could Plan B Burger Bar win the brand new Foodies’ Choice Award this year?  Make sure to vote in your favorite!

One of the exciting activities at this year’s Greenwich Wine + Food Festival is the Second Annual Burger Battle.  Celebrity chef judges Graham Elliot and Richard Blais will be judging full, juicy burgers from local restaurants to see which are their favorites.  This entire event will be hosted by Joe Bastianich and the winner will walk away with $500 and the honor of being the best at burgers!  The Burger Battle happens at 4:30 on 10/5 and the winner will be announced at 7 pm on the main stage.

This is pretty awesome, but the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival is making things more exciting for fans with their brand new Foodies’ Choice Award.  All you have to do is head to www.facebook.com/GreenwichFoodWineFestival and vote for your favorite by October 1, 2013.

Here are restaurants that are duking it out, some quite the heavy hitters:

Soupstock 2013 brings soup contest , a food court, music, arts + more to Shelton, Connecticut

We told you about Soupstock last year…a free music, food, and arts festival that is now in its fourth year.  While Soupstock (taking place on June 8 from 10-8 pm at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Shelton) has always been about fun, there’s also a heart to this much anticipated event.  Proceeds from the event (there are lots of chances to give and help support) go to The Mary A Schmecker Turtle Shell Fund (read more here) that benefits art, craft, and music education for children and young adults.  Let’s show you why you’ll need to keep Saturday, June 8 free for you, yourself, your friends, and your fam:

1) There will be great food options for you:

We’re talking Liquid Lunch of Shelton and Milford, BRYAC from Bridgeport (they’ll have a raw bar), DiSorbo’s Bakery of Hamden, Mamoun’s Falafel of New Haven, and Addeo’s Italian Ice of Shelton.  Kristien just might spend the entire festival shooting oysters, though. :P