Food for All 2016 ft. Fairfield County’s Newest Restaurants w/ Cocktail Bar

You’ll not only help to fund the food rescue revolution, but you’ll also leave full and probably a bit tipsy.

May the 4th be with you . . . especially if you’re heading to Food for All, the annual fundraiser event for Community Plates. The night begins at 6:30 and goes until 9 at Abigail Kirsch at The Loading Dock in Stamford. Tickets are $100 or $75 if you buy a group of 6 or more together at once. That money will not only help to fuel the food rescue revolution that Community Plates is helping to bring, but also gets you noms of the newest restaurants to open in Fairfield County as well as a cocktail bar manned by three great Harbor Point restaurants.

Noms: 1st Greenwich Restaurant Week w/ Deals, Specials, Parties + More

The first ever Greenwich Restaurant Week is ready to launch November 13-19, but in typical Greenwich fashion it’s way more than deals on meals. Yup, there is a launch party, an invite-only party at Char, savings at local shops, and even a chance to #tagit and then #snagit! Well, let’s dive into the details:

🍴 There is already a site and a built-in GRW mobile app that you can use on the go to get reservations, menus, call up restaurants, place an order, and check out what’s going on daily. 

You Vote: Connecticut Magazine Looking for Top CT Eats in 2015 Edition

It’s that time of year again when Connecticut Magazine puts out a call for votes to determine the best food in the state. Thanks to awesome people like you, Fairfield County swept the contest last year racking up votes as the most awarded county in 1st, 2nd, and even 3rd place. Yeah, you and the 203 are awesome like that!

This year it looks like some spots outside the 203 are getting some well-deserved attention, which is great to see! Sometimes with contests like these people tend to vote for a restaurant that is really well known, but not necessarily the best, so we’d love to see the underdogs, holes in the wall, and secret hot spots across the state make the cut!

Bistro 7 in Wilton Grand Reopening Party w/ New Chefs + Menu

Bistro 7 in Wilton competed for the first time and took home a nice new helmet this year…

Bistro 7 in Wilton invites you to their Grand Re-Opening celebration dinner on October 9 with seatings at 5:30, 7, and 8:30. Meals are $39 per person, include a cocktail from the new beverage menu created by Front of House Manager Cristian Caldarariu, and also include tastes of what’s new at Bistro 7.  

So, why exactly are they re-opening and celebrating? Well, there’s a few things going on:

1) Chef Tony Kalmanidis is leaving to start up some awesome food trucks. It’s always nice to give props where props are due.

2) Chef Marcelino Martinez is becoming the new Chef de Cuisine. He’s no stranger to Bistro 7, though, having already been a pastry chef and sous chef there.  

3) Chef Harrison Schaefer will start as the new sous chef.

4) They are revamping the menu for the season, for what’s locally available, and to jive with both new chefs. 

5) Bistro 7 continues its support of local produce and products by working with Debra Sloane of Sloane Farm and Donna Simmons of Pound Ridge Organics among others.  

Ticket Giveaway for Greenwich Wine + Food Festival 2014!

What, you’ve been slacking on getting your tickets to the Greenwich Wine & Food Festival?  Well, for once being lazy might work to your advantage because we’re giving away TWO General Admission tickets for Saturday’s events on 9/27 ($270 value).  All you need to do is check out our linked Facebook post and tag the person who you want to take with you.  That’s it…that easy, that simple.  The contest starts now and goes until 9/19/14 at 5 pm.  At that time we’ll mention the winner with a comment and have you get in touch with us…so keep your eyes out.

Now, here are all the things that you’ll get if you win tix:

• Gourmet tastings from the GW&F Culinary Village that include a massive amount of Fairfield and Westchester County’s best restaurants
• Wine, beer, cocktail, and spirits tastings throughout the day (plus meet Kathie Lee Gifford and try her Gifft Wines)
• Drink Expert Stage that includes Gretchen Thomas, Marc Strooband, Joe Campanale, and Matthew Habdas.
• Book Signings and Meet & Greets with John Stage, Adam Richman, Aarón Sánchez, Jean Georges, Anne Burrell, and Geoffrey Zakarian
• Cooking demos with Anne Burrell, Jean-Georges, Adam Richman, Aarón Sánchez, Geoffrey Zakarian, and more.
• The Burger Battle, to see which of 6 local restaurants has the best burger.
• The Top Bartender Showdown
• BBQ Pit Master’s Tent
• Alabama AND The Bacon Brothers playing live
• A food truck corner from 6-10
• And, as an add-on of $85, check out Tequila & Tostadas with Aaron Sanchez.

There is also an exclusive Oysters & Wine event held at L’escale for $125 and the amazing Friday Night Gala that is full of award-winning local chefs, guest appearances, auctions, drinks, and more for $325.

For more details and information, please check out our original post dated August 5.  Good luck everybody!

Biggest Food Contest in CT, ChowdaFest, Hits Norwalk + Benefits Community Plates

And the Winners Are…

That’s right…what started as a local chowder competition to help raise much needed money for local food banks has grown immensely.  So immensely, in fact, that organizer (and Chief Chowderhead) Jim Keenan had to put some serious thought into expansion.  Would he keep Chowdafest at the same level…or take it to the next level?  If you’ve met Jim before you know he’s never content with keeping things at the same level; he always wants to kick it up a few hundred notches.  And that’s exactly what he’s doing this year with Chowdafest 2014 (Part II) on Sunday, October 12 from 12-4 pm at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk!  An obvious added benefit will be a more spread out festival to help combat the large crowds that people faced last Souper Bowl Sunday.

So, if you’re new to this, here’s the deal:

In-depth w/ Kory Wollins of BSF: Burgers, Making Mooz, Life, and the Heart of a Perfectionist.

Chances are, this is the man you see every day when you come into BSF Greenwich…

A family of four walked through the door, haggard disappearing into happy, and Kory Wollins was already on them like white on rice.  “Hey, how’s it going?  Is this your first time here?” he asked as they looked a bit overwhelmed as they tried to figure out their orders.  It turns out they were there from Texas and visiting family in Norwalk for a wake, so they stopped at Burgers, Shakes & Fries, hearing about their reputation.  We know they like it big in Texas, so Kory broke down the menu for them.  They got their order in and Kory (owner of BSF Greenwich and co-owner of the Darien spot) kept talking to them about Texas, Connecticut, and just life in general.  When they got their burgers, the buttered-toast hamburgers didn’t last too long, quickly being devoured by the hungry Texans.

This was just 10 minutes of one day (while even more people came in to order during this time), of one week, of one year at BSF, but to that family, Kory made a difference.  On that day, Kory met with Dan and they talked about burgers, the restaurant biz, blogs, his quest to conquer making Fior di Latte mozzarella, and waxing philosophical about life.  During previous conversations they talked a lot about how blog culture tends to bury the good restaurants that have been around in a while in favor of the newest and hottest spots.  There was one comment that stood out from our most recent conversation that we want to start with:  “In the end the most important question to ask is, ‘Did you walk out with a smile when you left?'”  We always smile when we leave, especially when we have the smell of burgers and fries wafting from our bag as we speed our grub home.  So, let’s dig in and grill Kory for a bit…hey, he’s not the only one who can grill.

Get you some: Taste of Port Chester and Wilton Are Back for more in 2014

We love tasting events where you get to taste some of the best spots in an area.  They tend to be inexpensive, they have lots of variety, and it’s basically like a Costco tasting spree on steroids.  ‘Nuff said, right?  So, get ready for two great events coming up:  Taste of Port Chester on 6/8 and Taste of Wilton on 6/9.  Check out the deets with us and get yo’self down (or up) there for all the nomworthy food.

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Taste of Port Chester

6/8, from 12-3 pm

Registration starts at 11:30 at the Marina on Abendroth Ave.

Tickets are $25 (drinks extra; you’ll get a map for easy food tourism)

Taste of Port Chester is a walking tour (though there are busses available) through CT’s neighboring village.  Once you have your wristband, you can just visit any of the places below (there will be balloons outside) and get samples of their goodies.  We were downtown when this was going on last year and it was a very popular event, so you won’t want to miss this one.  Added bonuses:  your ticket purchase helps to support Port Chester Public Schools and you can walk off all of the calories that you ingest (wishful thinking).

Here are all the spots that you can check out:

• A&S Deli:  Italian

• Acuario:  Peruvian

• Aqui es Santa Fe:  Colombian

• Arrosto:  Italian

• Bubbles & Berries:  Juice Bar and Desserts

• Cafe Mirage:  Eclectic, Modern American

• Carvel Ice Cream

• Coals:  Pizza, craft beer, killer sprouts, and wings

• Copacabana Steakhouse:  Brazilian steakhouse

• Cousin Frankie’s USA Grill:  American

• Euro Asian Bistro:  Asian, sushi

• Frankie & Louie’s:  Italian, pizza

• Garcia’s:  Nightclub, bar

• Il Sogno:  Italian

• J.J. Cassone’s:  Bakery

• John’s of Arthur Ave:  Italian

• Kiosko:  Mexican

• Longford’s Own Made:  Ice Cream

• Los Chuzos de Juancho:  Colombian

• Mary Ann’s:  Mexican

• McShane’s:  Irish Pub (new)

• Neri’s Bakery

• Nessa:  Italian

• Paleteria Fernandez:  Ice cream, frozen treats

• Panera Bread:  Cafe, American

• Port Chester Hall & Beer Garden (new)

• Salsa Picante:  Mexican

• Sichuan Pavilion:  Chinese

• Sonora:  Nuevo Latino

• Spadaro’s:  Italian

• Tarry Market:  Gourmet market

• Varmax:  Wine, liquor

• Zeppoleme:  Zeppoles, panini, coffee

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7th Annual Taste of Wilton

June 9 from 5:30-8:30

$30 per person at Wilton Chamber of Commerce, Fairfield County Bank, Bankwell, or Wilton Family Y

$35 at the door

Cheaper than an entrée at most restaurants here in CT, admission to Taste of Wilton is a great deal…especially because food and drinks are included.  This year, you’ll want to check out this event all over again so you can try out some of the new restaurants that have opened up and to nom away on your favorites.

Here are all the participants (getting full already):

• Ancona’s Wines & Liquors

• Bianco Rosso Wine Bar Restaurant

• Bistro 7

• Black Cat Grille

• Cactus Rose Restaurant & Tequila Bar

• Fleur de Lis Academy
• Georgetown Package Store

• Little Pub Wilton

• Luca Ristorante Italiano

• Marly’s of Wilton

• Pinocchio Pizza

• Portofino Restaurant & Bar

• Stop & Shop
• Sweet Pierre’s
• Sweet Sabrina’s Cake Shop
• The Painted Cookie

• Toozy Patza Pizza

• Village Market
• Vintage Fine Wines (visit their store during the Taste)

• Wilton Pizza

Nomworthy Bites of CT Food News, Vol. 6: Contests, Food Trucks, Markets, Dinners, Goats, + More…

Chefs Pasternack, Storch, and Taibe are preparing to do battle! Photo from Karen Rayda

Om nom nom nom hot dog nom nom nom

Thou desireth roll of lobster? Quench thy famishment.

Hey, good news…it’s almost Friday!  So, what better way to celebrate than planning out the next couple of weeks with some great events and checking out some great things that are going on in Connecticut?  This week, we’ve broken down things into a few categories:  Events, Dinners, Farmers’ Markets, Contests, and CT Food and Drink News.  Make sure to check out our Nomworthy Events page for things that we’ve already mentioned, too.

Events

5/29 Mr. Frosty’s in Norwalk (6 1st Street) will be hosting a fundraiser for the BMHS Post Graduation Party tonight.  Come by for some great ice cream and check out special guests:  Lobstercraft!  Yup, they’ll be on hand for all your seafood needs.

5/30  Want to learn how to start your own goat dairy?  Duh, we’d love that!  Well, stop on by Squash Hollow Farm in New Milford at 5:30 to check out the Dairy Goats 101 class!  Tickets are $49.99 and you can order them online.

A brunch to make even Portlandians jealous @ Olio in Stamford, CT

Man, we wanna come back STAT!  Huevos Rancheros, Olio (Veggie) Frittata, Chorizo Frittata, Steak & Eggs, and Sweet Potato Hash

One of the coolest things for us as bloggers is watching a restaurant grow from a mere idea to a fully working dynamo. We definitely had that kind of feeling when we came back to Olio, remembering when we first sat down with co-owners Moira Hyland and Chef Steve Costanzo.  And, we remembered seeking shelter at Olio during Sandy when we had lost all power. But, it was time for some new experiences…namely brunch, the best meal ever!

Before we even picked out what we were eating, we got uppers (coffee) and downers (mimosas) to start things off right. Then, after much deliberation, we finally decided on our dishes: an order of the amazing Ricotta Doughnuts, Steak & Eggs, Huevos Rancheros, and an order of the sweet potato hash. We brought Kristien’s parents to let them try out one of favorite places and they both got frittatas that they loved and devoured every bite of: one veggie, one with chorizo.

Thanks Mike and Ann!

As we waited for our food, a super nice couple (Mike and Ann) sat down next to us who we had talked with at Casa Villa a few months back. They were inspired to go after seeing that we had asked our Facebook fans where we should take the ‘rents for brunch. Then, our donuts arrived, so we had to get down to business. They were still as light and fluffy as we remember…and still sooooo freaking amazing.

Kristien devoured her steak & eggs, served with home fry gratin (scalloped potatoes,) grilled strip, and a cilantro parsley chimichurri sauce. The eggs were cooked perfectly: runny yolk that oozed out in a rich yellow. The steak itself was cooked closer to medium rather than medium-rare, but was still excellent. And, the chimichurri sauce took the whole dish to another level with its herbaceous kick. Oh, and that home fry gratin…imagine scalloped potatoes, cooked to a delicate tenderness, placed in a thick cheddar-y sauce.  Seriously nomworthy.

Dan’s Huevos Rancheros was a great brunch item, featuring those nicely cooked eggs, the scalloped potatoes, a Guajillo Chili sauce, and grilled chorizo sausage that was split in half. The eggs (perfectly over easy) and sauce (bright and fresh) were placed atop a blue corn tortilla that added a nice texture to the dish. The chorizo was great, offering a nice bite and a undertone of spice that lingered. If this dish had just a little more salt it could have been super stellar, but still great nonetheless.

The Sweet Potato Hash is something our friend Kelley told us to get, and when we tried it we understood why. There was this amazing contrast going on between sweet and savory, soft and crispy due to the small bits of sweet potato and crispy pork belly.  A must have.

Having eaten here many times over the past couple of years, we can definitely put Olio up there with some of our favorite places to go in the area.  Service is always cheerful, happy, and helpful and the food is inspired, creative, and has heart in it.  It’s really nice to see that they are serving a brunch that is getting people coming in to fill up the place.  Mimosas are just $5, so you can load up without feeling guilty, too…and the rest of the brunch menu has a variety of options like House Cured Salmon, Cinnamon Brioche French Toast, Lobster Eggs Benedict, and Egg in a Hole.  Also, they just started serving lunch again, so you know where to go when you’re in the area…

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Olio

Noms: 4

Cost: $$$

Address:  934 Hope Street

Stamford, CT 06905

Phone:  (203) 817-0303

Fax:  (203) 817-0305