Reasons to Go Loco for Locali Pizza Bar + Kitchen, Coming to New Canaan

Update:  Locali will be open for business staring at 5 pm on 11/29.

Take one Chopped competitor who is Executive Chef at Village Social Kitchen + Bar in Mt. Kisco, NY, add in a brand new New Canaan restaurant, throw in a handcrafted Neapolitan wood-burning pizza oven, and sprinkle in dashes of Mediterranean dishes and you’ve got the recipe for success.  We are referring to Locali, located at 32 Forest Street (where Kouzina used to be), which will be opening up soon.

Let’s look a little closer at Locali Pizza Bar + Kitchen and why it promises to be a great new addition to the local restaurant scene:

Mediterraneo opens a second location in Norwalk @ Hotel Zero Degrees

Terra of Greenwich.

Sole of New Canaan.

Acqua of Westport.

Aurora of Rye, NY.

And Mediterraneo of Greenwich AND Norwalk.

Bellinis and margaritas at Mediterraneo

Now, let’s play a guessing game.  What do you think these all have in common?  They all serve Italian?  Well, kind of.  They all feature seafood?  Well, kind of.  They all have been created by Ramze Zakka of Z Hospitality Group?  Good answer, good answer team.  You guys and gals are on top of things!

Goat cheese tartlets

It’s pretty cool to say that we’ve been to every single one of those restaurants, but now we have another one to try starting on Monday, 4/29, for dinner.  On that day at the brand new Hotel Zero Degrees in Norwalk, the second Mediterraneo in Connecticut will be open.  From there, according to a recent press release on Stamfordplus, they’ll be easing into things with dinner only until May 7 and having Sunday brunch starting on May 12.  At that brunch you can enjoy a celebratory Bellini or Mimosa.

Unsuspecting Location + Unique Menu Offer Pleasant Surprise! Basso Cafe – Norwalk, CT

Disappointed by our meal the prior weekend at Sails in Rowayton, we felt like we needed redemption but were afraid to branch off somewhere new if it wasn’t going to be a sure bet.  Being the devoted food bloggers we are, we went for it and had a hunch after some research that Basso Cafe would be that sure bet we were looking for.  For one, we had a strong recommendation from a Twitter friend.  Two, when we checked out the menu, it looked awesome.  And lastly, when we checked out their Zagat score we found a crazy amazing 28/30.  That’s pretty impressive! Even if the restaurant itself is in the most unsuspecting location ever:  New Canaan Avenue in the Silvermine neighborhood of Norwalk.

After we made our online reservations, we got a call from Basso reminding us that they were BYOB and to come prepared.  We thought that was very nice of them to do! Starting off, Chef Renato Donzelli created the Basso Cafe menu based off his life experience, so it’s what he knows best.  He was born in Venezuela and was raised in Italy which lead him to create a menu that has some Latino flare and Mediterranean flavor.  A win-win in our book!

We decided to go with lots of apps and share an entree so we could get lots of tastes.  That’s how we roll, ya know?

Café D’Azur Celebrates One Year in Darien with Killer $25 Dinner Deal

The vegetarian platter at Café D’Azur...not to be missed.

One of our favorite places in Stamford used to be Myrna’s.  We say used to be because they closed down, moved shop to Darien, and opened up under a new name with a new concept.  Café D’Azur is the name, crepes, Mediterranean, and Lebanese is their game.  We’ve been sitting on a post about Café D’Azur for a while now, but we just found out about something too cool not to share.  Expect a review and write up pretty soon.

Here’s the news: to celebrate a year in business, Café D’Azur is offering a $25 cash only dinner menu from April 21-28.  Make sure that you mention that you read about this from OmNomCT and you’ll get a free glass of wine.  Really, we’re serious.  Do it.  They won’t look at you funny, they will give you a glass of wine.  Our strategy going in will be to order four different dishes so Danny and I get a good variety.  When we ate here, we were very happy about the food.  The falafel was the best we ever had, the hummus was fresh, and full of flavor.  The service was great and we even get a tip:  mix some hummus with tahini to get a dip of heaven.  So, behold…the menu:

Starter Choices

Soup du Jour

French Onion Soup

Mediterranean Salad:  romaine, diced tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, and sumac in lemon vinaigrette

Provençal Salad:  beet, fennel, corn, gorgonzola cheese with balsamic vinaigrette

House-made Hummus:  plain or with garlic – chickpea dip with sesame tahini sauce and fresh lemon

Escargot à la Bourguignonne:  baked in butter aioli and fresh parsley

Entrée Choices

Scallops St. Jacques:  pan-seared over cauliflower purée, in a carrot juice reduction and basil

Fresh Sole Fillet:  pan-seared à la Française over sautéed spinach

Paella:  simmered seafood, chorizo and chicken with rice in a saffron threads-flavored broth

Brochettes d’ Agneau:  charcoal-grilled lamb kebab-style with vegetables over rice

Brochettes de Poulet:  charcoal-grilled chicken kebab-style with vegetables over rice

Vegetarian Crêpe:  grilled mushrooms, tomato, pepper, zucchini, corn, olives, scallions and greens

Experience the divine trinity: Amazing food, wine & music – The Fez, Stamford

We’ve walked by The Fez several times since they opened this past summer uttering the words, “We have to try that place someday.” But it always seemed that when we had the chance, we’d say, “Hmm, not sure I’m in the mood for Moroccan food.” Now we know, that was a BIG mistake.  With their large and eclectic menu of snacks, small plates, and entrees inspired by a variety of flavors across the Mediterranean, there is something absolutely fabulous for whatever mood you’re in.

So no point in writing this huge blog post to work my way up to our final verdict. Let’s just get it out there now. The Fez is officially our favorite restaurant in Stamford to date with 4.5 noms. Yep, it’s that awesome. Here are the many reasons why:

Upon entering we were immediately struck by the amazing smell of  Mediterranean spices. One quick look to the left revealed the specials of the day on a little chalkboard. Walnut and currant glazed lamb chops with mushroom gnocchi caught my eye. Wow, I’d never seen such a unique combination.  A glance over the left revealed a small bar, intimate little tables, colorful Moroccan decor, and a small stage area for their vast array of nightly entertainment. We knew right away we were in for a great experience.

I know I’ve said this before, but we had an incredibly hard time choosing what to order, to the point where we were asking each other if we were hungry enough to eat six different dishes! We expressed our indecision to our first waitress, to which she offered up the owner and resident wine expert, Eric, to help us choose the perfect dishes and the perfect accompanying wine.  Meeting Eric was a very nice experience–pleasant, passionate, and smart. He informed us that the wine list isn’t up-to-date because they can’t keep up with his thirst for discovering and purchasing new wines, especially from Lebanon and South Africa. Love it! We let him take the reins on recommending a bottle based on our taste. He popped open a California blend that I didn’t love. His response? “No problem, I want you to love the wine, and if you don’t we’ll keep trying options until you do.” The next bottle was ‘the one.’ A medium-bodied blend from Lebanon, the 2007 Reserve du Couvent by Chateau Ksara had forward fruit flavors and a slight spiciness. The perfect pairing to what we were about to enjoy.

Danny and I started off by sharing two phenomenal dishes from the “snacks” section of the menu. The caramelized cauliflower with brown butter sauce, golden raisins, and pine nuts was a delicate and flavorful fusion of French and Moroccan flavors.  I typically don’t like cauliflower, but this was perfecto! Then, we thoroughly enjoyed the Pizzet Aroub, where Italy meets the Middle East– a unique combination of soft and perfectly sweet braised onions, sumac, olive oil, and pine nuts. On to the main dishes. I HAD to order the special I mentioned earlier–walnut and currant glazed lamb chops with mushroom gnocchi. Words cannot explain how intensely delicious this dish was. Perfectly cooked lamb (just under medium), slightly sweet and oh-so savory currant sauce, glazed walnuts, and hand-made gnocchi from the Bronx with an earthy mushroom sauce was one of the most fantastic flavor combinations my taste buds have enjoyed in a long time.  Danny ordered the grilled seven spice sirloin with tomato jam and fingerling potatoes. The sirloin was also fantastically seasoned and perfectly cooked at medium-rare, and the flavorful, but not overpowering, tomato jam was the perfect complement.  We then ended with Moroccan coffee, spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom and the Briwats for dessert, which is basically an Israeli baklava but not as teeth-hurtingly sweet. It was quite delicious!

After sharing our enjoyment with our very friendly and knowledgable second waiter, Thami (who happens to actually be from Morocco), he informed us that before they even opened they had a French chef from a 4-star hotel in Dubai and a Moroccan chef working together to craft and test this perfect menu… and perfect it was.

And, to finish off this divine trinity was the entertainment. We we were lucky enough to be there on a Friday night, which is belly dancing night (as is Thursday). Around 9:00 the beautiful Moroccan music suddenly became louder, then a roar from the diners as the beautiful and smiling Adina danced her way around the tables. I was impressed by her skill level.  And she didn’t just dance up there on the stage for the world to adore her. She also came out to the tables and had a great time dancing with a few willing diners. In fact, when she saw me dancing in my seat a little (I can’t help myself), she came over and wisked me up on stage to dance with her. Of course, after eating all that food, I thought I was going to die, but it was a blast.

By the time we left we discovered that we’d been there for 2.5 hours! The time just flew by, and despite the line of people hoping to get in, they never once rushed us to leave.

Reservations are not just recommended, they are pretty much required on the weekend if you don’t want a long wait.  And be sure to check them out on the weekdays too since there’s entertainment every night, including jazz bands, turntables, and singer/songwriter night (last week they had one of Paul Simon’s guitarists playing).

So no more “not in the mood for Moroccan” excuses, The Fez is a MUST-DO for everyone!

Noms:  4.5

Cost:  $$$

 

 

The Fez

Address:  227 Summer Street

Stamford, CT 06901
Phone:  (203) 975-0479

Site:  http://thefez1.com