Win 2 More Tix to Chocolate, Wine + Food Lovers Evening 2015

We have two more tickets to the Chocolate, Wine & Food Lovers Evening on 2/5 up for grabs. It’s all going down right the The Marriott Hotel & Spa in Stamford from 6-9 with plenty of food, drinks, sweets, and boutique items that you can stock up on to give to your Valentine. In addition, there will be some silent auction items that you can bid on. All profits from the night go directly to Shelter for the Homeless, helping to provide housing and assistance to the homeless to bring them to self-sufficency.

Chocolate, Wine & Food Lovers Evening 2015 Sweet Deets + Ticket Giveaway

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and, you know what that means: yup, time for the annual Chocolate, Wine, & Food Lovers Evening! This year it’s going down on 2/5 from 6-9 at The Marriott Hotel & Spa in Stamford. This event has been held as a way to not only help people find the best drinks, food, and desserts in Fairfield County, but to also give attendees a chance to pick up some great gifts at the Valentine Boutique or via silent auctions. But, the real heart of the event is the cause: 100% of the proceeds go directly to Shelter for the Homeless, a Stamford-based organizaton that serves Lower Fairfield County by “[P]roviding temporary housing to homeless men, striving to obtain permanent supportive housing and services for men and women tailored  to meet their relevant needs, and empowering people to help themselves achieve their greatest level of self-sufficiency.”

Last year was so much fun, we talked with so many great people, ate so much great food and tried out so many new restaurants, drinks, chocolates, and cupcakes that it was well worth it. Tickets are just $60 and can be bought here, by calling (203) 406-0017, or online/at the door for $70 after 2/4.  

Free Chipotle burrito on 1/26, but there’s a catch . . .

We know people go crazy over the word free, so we figure that we’d letcha know about a deal going down at all Chipotles here in the US of A and our friendly neighbors up north. Check them out on Monday, 1/26, and order their tofu Sofritas and keep that receipt. All you need to do from there is bring that receipt back into any Chipotle from 1/27 until 2/28/15 and you’ll get a free burrito, bowl, salad, or even tacos.

Chipotle describes their Sofritas as, “Organic tofu from Hodo Soy that we shred and then braise with chipotle chilis, roasted poblanos, and a blend of aromatic spices. The result is a delicious, spicy tofu that will give vegans and carnivores something they both will love.”

Hey, don’t knock it ’till ya tried it. 

The Life and Wines of Mike Grgich: Tastings, Show, and Judgment in Paris Tie-in @ Stew Leonard’s Wines – Norwalk, CT

Awesome event for the oenophile!

On May 24, 1976 a group of 11 judges sat down for a blind tasting of red and white wines in Paris, looking to see if French or American wines were better.  The first battle was six California Chardonnay against four French Burgundies, followed by six California Cabernet Sauvignon against four French Bordeaux.  Nine of the judges were French, one was British, and one was American.  The assumption all along (and that of organizer Steven Spurrier) was that French wine would be superior and of higher quality than the California wines that were in the competition.  Each judge scored wines out of 20…and the results sent shockwaves around the wine world and changed the way that we look at wine.  Yes, not only did California’s Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars take home the prize for best red, Chateau Montelena from California also took first with their white.  This is what people now refer to as The Judgment of Paris.

Marcia Selden Ultimate Holiday Cookie Contest Party, Finalists + Recipes

 

When we announced the Marcia Selden Ultimate Holiday Cookie contest and party we didn’t realize how many amazing entries that we’d get! 16 amazing recipes were submitted and we wish that we could have had all of them compete, but we had to narrow down things to just six recipes for the judges at the Ultimate Holiday Cookie Party on 12/15.  So, we thought about flavor profiles, texture, and creativity and both of us created separate top 6 lists.  Oddly enough, we both had the same 5 cookies and decided on the last one together.  Here they are, with the People’s Choice winner mixed in, in no particular order:

• Browned Butter Cookies by Evan Cassidy
• Buckeyes by Lisa Eppley (recipe below) 
• Chocolate Chestnut Cranberry Mocha Supremes by Ruth Kalla Ungerer (recipe below) 
• Double Chocolate Raspberry Filled Cookies by Melanie Lowe (recipe below)
• Kourambiethes by Joey Kuntz (recipe below)
• Orange Cranberry Pistachio Cookies by Kim Butz (recipe below) 
• Peppermint Patties by Katie Garfield

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.

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

Classic Cars, Hot Rods, Burgers, and Root Beer @ Sycamore Drive-In’s Summer Cruise Nights

Chevelles, Camaros, and Mustangs, oh hell yeah. Those are just some of the awesome cars you’ll see at the Sycamore Drive-In during Summer Cruise Nights. Tons of amazing classic, hot rods, and vintage cars, many super customized, out on display for you to gawk at. This goes down every Saturday night from May through September, 6-9 pm.

There is no charge at all, but when you’re there you need to do a couple of things.

Burgers, Fries, Shakes, Ice Cream…and Free Movies in the Park?

Movies in the Park at Harbor Point by Mr. Frosty’s

Heyyyyyyy youuuuu guyyyyyyssssss!

Babbbyyyyyy Ruutttthhhh?

Sloth love Chunk.

First you gotta do the Truffle Shuffle!

Ah, we could repeat almost every line from The Goonies…we’ve seen it that many times.  And, this summer, we can repeat the same lines again and bask in the triumph as The Goonies (never say die) find their way to One-Eyed Willy’s treasure on the ship.  Or, there’s also The Sandlot, Rudy (Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!), and Hotel for Dogs…all of these movies will be shown at dusk in Commons Park in the Harbor Point area of Stamford.  If you’ve been to Mr. Frosty’s, then you know exactly where Commons Park is.  If you haven’t, you can just park on Washington Blvd. and make your way over towards Infinity (The Beer Garden is the opposite direction).

10,000 Acts of Kindness, 10,000 Free Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Update:  Cheeseboy gave away nearly 40,000 free sandwiches and honored nearly 17,500 random acts of kindness throughout the Northeast during National Grilled Cheese Month.  They were only planning on giving away 1,000!  

We all probably remember where we were when the attacks of 9/11 happened, where we were when the shootings at Newtown happened, and where we were when we heard the news about the bombings at the Boston Marathon during Patriot’s Day.  While we never forget these moments and we won’t ever forget the people hurt and the friends we lost because of these senseless tragedies, we need to move ahead.  Like the runners, we need to keep racing towards the end, chugging ahead, helping those who fall down along the way.

In that kind of spirit of friendship, devotion, and helpfulness, Cheeseboy (based in Boston) is rewarding people who have done good.  They will be giving away free grilled cheese sandwiches to 10,000 individuals who demonstrate acts of kindness.  This is their way of helping those who give and sacrifice themselves for others.  Just stop by any of their locations (listed below) on Sunday, April 28 from 1-6 pm and get your free grilled cheese sandwich.

Again, we can’t help but think of some of the images of the Boston Marathon.  After the explosion, you’d expect people to run away, but people in uniform and everyday citizens came running in.  They searched for people and put their lives in danger to help out.  It’s important that in times like this that we see the good in each other and see how kindness can help get us through.

Take care everybody.

Dan and Kristien