Sizzling Deals @ Stamford Summer Restaurant Weeks 2015

The three bbq sauces at Bar Q B.B.Q.

It’s two straight weeks of wicked good restaurant deals at some of the best places in Stamford. Oh yes, it’s happening again: Stamford Summer Restaurant Weeks. All you need to do is check out one of the 27 restaurants listed below for lunch or dinner from 8/17 until 8/30 and ask for the prix fixe menu and you’ll be all ready and set to nom away.

Here are the deets with links to some SSRW menus:

$10.15 Lunch or $15.15 Dinner

BarBQ (Our review)

Franklin Street Works Cafè (Our preview)

McFadden’s Stamford

Volta Gelateria Creperia (Our review)

$12.15 Lunch or $25.15 Dinner

Goat cheese crepe with a sunny side up egg=Kristien’s heavenly crepe

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ

Capriccio Cafè (Our review)

Castle Bar & Restaurant

Quattro Pazzi

Remo’s Brick Oven Pizza (Our review)

Sam’s American Bistro (Dinner Only)

Tengda Asian Bistro

$20.15 Lunch or $35.15 Dinner

Aria Restaurant

Bar Rosso

Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar

The Capital Grille

Cask Republic (Our review)

Columbus Park Trattoria

Cotto Wine Bar

EOS Greek Cuisine

F•I•S•H•

Gastro Bar

Hudson Grille

Kona Grill

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant

napa & co. (Our review)

Villa Italia

ZAZA Italian Gastrobar (Our review)

The Best of Stamford @ 22nd Annual Taste of Stamford – 2/26/15

Plate of bbq, snacks, and fixins at at BarQ B.B.Q.

Since we started blogging, we always wanted to check out Taste of Stamford but, you know what? It always seemed to be on a day that we just couldn’t go. But, last year we made it a priority . . . and damn, were we happy that we did! There was so much to do, so much to see, so many people to meet, and so much to drink. Oh, and damn right, so much to eat! We guess that the name of this event kind of gives that away, huh? 

Well, this year will only be better as the 22nd Annual Taste of Stamford prepares to make its splash at the Marriott Stamford Hotel & Spa on February 26 from 5:30-8:30. Tickets are $60 if you buy them in advance or $70 at the door. You’ll not only get to taste the best that Stamford has to offer, but you’ll also help support the Chamber of Commerce in all their efforts to help schools and the community. 

Fine Food for a Cause: Benefit Dinner for Stamford YMCA and Children’s Health

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As adults, we can pick and choose what kind of food we’d like to eat. Maybe we eat healthy all week, but decide to treat ourselves once a week. Or, maybe we get a few quick take out meals because we’re just so busy. But, there are plenty of people in the world and even here in Fairfield County who don’t have much of a choice.  Time after time, studies have shown that lower-income families often purchase unhealthy food because it’s cheaper, easier to access, and keeps everybody in the family fed.  Unfortunately, these fatty, processed, and preservative laden foods lead to obesity and major health problems.  And, nowhere is this more seen than with children who are growing, developing, and are incredibly susceptible to obesity.

Lots of people have taken stands on this issue such as Michel Nischan of Wholesome Wave who fought tirelessly to let food stamps work (and work better) at farmers’ markets. Lawmakers, too, are taking steps to kill off trans fats, and make school lunches healthier too.  And, there is also a group of people, restaurants, and organizations that are coming together to help out locally, too. You can be a part of this just by simply attending Fine Food for a Cause at the Palace Theatre in Downtown Stamford on 1/27 starting at 6:30. The night of music, food, awards, a live auction, and celebrity guest appearances all will be in place to help raise money for the Stamford YMCA. With the money raised they will bolster their youth development and healthy living programs and build a youth/teen wing.  The center of this new extension to the YMCA will be a teaching kitchen that will be used to help teach healthy and nutritional cooking techniques and recipes to teenagers and families.

Tickets for Fine Food for a Cause are $150. And there are different levels of sponsorship for individuals and businesses, too, if you’d really like to get more involved.

Now, onto the night itself…

• There will be a four course meal that includes food and desserts from:
  • Barcelona
  • bartaco
  • Bar Q
  • Columbus Park Trattoria
  • David’s Soundview Catering
  • Forever Sweet Bakery
  • napa & co.
  • Quattro Pazzi
  • Sushi Village Caterer
  • Sweet Lisa’s Exquisite Cakes
  • Tabouli Grill
• There will be cocktails, too, so you can schmooze.
• Learn about honorees Madhu Mathur, MD, MPH and Tom Sanseverino.
• As we mentioned, there will be plenty of live music and you’ll have a shot at some amazing items that you can bid on during the live auction.
• The night will be hosted by Stamford resident Chris Hansen of Dateline NBC.

We’ll be there and we hope to see you there, too.  Even if you can’t make it, consider a donation or helping out with a sponsorship.

Fine Food for a Cause

Date: 1/27/14

Time: 6:30 pm

Place: The Palace Theatre

Address: 61 Atlantic Street

                 Stamford, CT

2 for 1 Restaurant Openings: AZUCA and Gastro Bar Coming to Stamford

Linda Gargano (owner of building) and Mario Lopez toast outside of the new split-level restaurants: AZUCA and Gastro Bar

Update:  AZUCA and Gasto Bar will have their grand opening on Wednesday, 6/25 at 5:30.  At that time there will be a ribbon cutting and you can come on in and dine away!  

It’s not often that we get to introduce two new restaurants in Fairfield County at the same time.  That’s because both Gastro Bar and AZUCA will be sharing the same building at 74 West Park Place in Stamford.  But, don’t worry, things won’t be cramped at all with 5,000 square feet of space available.

Let’s start with the owners, Mario Lopez and his wife Cristina Ramirez who also own Bianco Rosso Wine Bar & Restaurant in Wilton.  They’re bringing their urban trendy chic vibe to Stamford with the help of Mario’s brothers Alejandro and Carlos who own the ever-popular 55 Degrees Wine Bar & Restaurant in Fairfield.  Seems to us that it’s a match in culinary heaven, huh?

Stamford Summer Restaurant Weeks Goes Local w/ Farm Fare

Hand it to Stamford Tables and the local restaurant community to change up their popular restaurant weeks.  It’s not that they’re not working, it’s that they want to constantly make them better every single time.  Some of the great additions have been turning the experience into weeks (not just a week), Stamford Hospital’s Kids Fans’ 5-2-1-0 program that gives healthy food options for kids at participating restaurants.  We all try to be one of the first 3,000 restaurant week nom-ers because we know that we get a voucher for a small popcorn from the Avon with any movie ticket purchase.  And this year, from August 19 – September 2, a bunch of the restaurants are going local with their menu, highlighting produce from local farms.  We’re talking about Hubbard Heights Farm, Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Domus, and the Green Up Group!  Restaurants participating in the local farm food program are noted below with an  and those participating in the 5-2-1-0 program (kids 12 and under are $6.95 or $9.95 for a healthy lunch) have an *.

So, please check back as we add more 2013 Stamford Summer Restaurant Weeks menus and why not set up reservations now?  Just do it, trust us, this is a busy time of year and tables go fast.

$10.13 Lunch or $15.13 Dinner

*  Bobby Valentine’s Sports Gallery Cafe (Restaurant Week Menu)

*  Fin II Japanese Restaurant

*  Tiernan’s Bar & Restaurant

$12.13 Lunch or $20.13 Dinner

Bar Q Stamford

*  California Pizza Kitchen

*  Capriccio Cafe

*  Cotto Wine Bar (Restaurant Week Menu)

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant (Restaurant Week Menu)

  Kujaku Japanese Restaurant

Lola’s Mexican Kitchen

*  Lucky’s Classic Burger

*  Quatto Pazzi

*  Remo’s Brick Oven Pizza

*  SBC Downtown Restaurant and Brewery

Tengda Asian Bistro (Restaurant Week Menu)

*  Volta Gelateria Creperia

$20.13 Lunch or $30.13 Dinner

Aria

*  Bar Rosso

Barcelona Wine Bar

Capital Grille (Restaurant Week Menu)

*  Columbus Park Trattoria

Emme of Capri (Restaurant Week Menu)

*  EOS Greek Cuisine (Restaurant Week Menu)

*  Hudson Grille (Restaurant Week Menu)

*  Kona Grill

Mitchell’s Fish Market (Restaurant Week Menu)

Morton’s, The Steakhouse (Dinner Only)

  napa & co. (Restaurant Week Menu)

*  Patrizia’s of Stamford (Dinner Only)

  Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse

ZAZA Italian Gastrobar

Celebrate 1 Year w/ free cocktails, deals, and snacks @ Bar Q in Stamford

More bbq, sides, and fixins at BarQ B.B.Q. in Stamford, Connecticut

The three bbq sauces at Bar Q B.B.Q.

Huckleberry Lemonade and Allagash White at Bar Q B.B.Q. in Stamford, Connecticut

Plate of bbq, snacks, and fixins at at BarQ B.B.Q.

•••

When we talked with Bob LeRose about the opening of Bar Q in Stamford to say we were excited would be an understatement.  Small plates of BBQ with great drink options?  It seemed like a no-brainer!  Now, having been there five times, we can say the food has definitely improved and they’ve worked through their opening kinks.  But, it’s crazy to think that they have been open for a year already!

And, with that year of being open, they’ve changed things up a bit.  First off, they’ve revamped their menu by adding some larger BBQ plates, salads, sandwiches, and other options that will get you excited like the Bar Q Cuban sandwich.  They have also added in good options for family dining such as the Sunday evening $50 family style dinner that gets you 3 fixins’, 5 BBQ items, and 3 sides.  And, you also might have heard about their new concept on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights starting at 10:  Bar Q Saloon.  Cowgirls dance on the bar and serve up some mighty fine drink specials.  They play country music and, at times, they even have a mechanical bull for your to conquer out on their patio.  You’ll need to follow them on FB to see when the bull has arrived.

¡Mangia y Beve Bueno at Dolce Cubano! Waterfront of Stamford, CT

Update: Dolce Cubano is now known as just Dolce and features just Italian food. We haven’t stopped by yet for the new menu yet, so remember that our review is for when it opened.

As we walked up to Dolce Cubano for a late night dinner, we were struck at how beautiful the restaurant looked.  Trees were lit up for Christmas, music was spilling out, and the enthusiasm from people inside couldn’t be contained.  We quickly found a seat and got down to business.

The vibe and heart of Dolce Cubano is an Italian heart with a Cuban soul.  To be honest, we wondered how Dolce Cubano would work with this kind of fusion when we talked with Nick Racanelli Jr. and Sr. months ago (check out our announcement and the before/after post).  Well, after our meal, we definitely understand the meaning.  Here’s the breakdown of a 5 drink and 8 course dinner that we created from the extensive menu.

Let’s start with the food:

First of all, you can make your own meal/snack/feast at Dolce Cubano dish by dish if you’d like.  There’s antipasto, a raw bar, ceviche, salads, sides, tapas, classic dishes, and sandwiches for lunch, too.  There are some great dishes that you might recognize from Zaza Italian Gastrobar, Latino and Cuban classics, and dishes that land right in between Italuban land.  We decided to go with dishes that spoke to the Cuban soul of Dolce Cubano.  Let’s dig in.

Halibut Ceviche with a citrus marinade, onions, and pineapple.  Bright, citrusy, and vibrant.  The halibut, itself, is tender and juicy.  The crunch from the onion and corn layered on top add a nice contrast in texture.  An excellent ceviche.  We’ll have to try the shrimp ceviche next.  They’ll be changing the fish up depending on what’s in season…thanks for alerting us Leslie.

Empanadas with beef and a Cuban red sauce.  The breading was crispy, thin, and didn’t come from a package of frozen junk.  On the inside was well seasoned beef with the added kick of cilantro.  The Cuban red sauce was like a tomato sauce with the consistency of chunky salsa and an added kick of herbs.  It adds a tart, herby, and slighty sweet taste to whatever you dip it in.

Authentic Italian Hits Bank Street with Cotto Wine Bar + Pizzeria – Stamford, CT

We went to one of our favorite places in the world during our honeymoon:  Italy.  It’s where our ancestors are from and it’s the one place where we’ve both always dreamed of visiting.  To be honest, we didn’t know if we were more excited to visit for the food, the sites, or the culture.  Well, turns out we loved every little thing about Italy, but one of our favorite things was our long, expansive, wine-filled meals.  See, over there, you could sit for hours while you eat and drink to your heart’s content.  Believe it or not, sometimes a bottle of water cost more than a nice local wine.  Yeah, our kind of place, how about you?

So, we get nostalgic from time to time when we think of our waiter in Venezia (Venice) who looked a lot like Stephen Colbert and who eagerly invited us back the next day after we had way over-tipped…stupid Americans.  Or, when we think of walking home bloated and full on Chianti, strolling through the streets of Firenze.  That’s Florence to you noobs.  So, yes, we get nostalgic for how great our trip was and how amazing the food was.  You best believe that when we find a great Italian restaurant, we hold onto it for dear life.  See, unfortunately every Italian spot we eat at now has to be measured in our minds against the places that we ate at in Italy.

The Barren Before and Epic After of Dolce Cubano in Stamford, CT

Dolce Cubano is now open!  Check out our review of Dolce Cubano.

Back in April we broke the news about the opening of Dolce Cubano Rum Bar & Restaurant (thanks Nick), an Italian/Cuban fusion restaurant and bar that would soon grace the waterfront of Stamford.  People freaked out in excitement:  killer drinks and dishes, views of the Sound and Long Island, and a wicked hot spot…yeah, doesn’t get better than that!

Well, when we first had the chance to visit with Nick Racanelli in April, the restaurant was stripped to the bone.  It’s hard to imagine what a place will look like with everything ripped apart, but for Nick and co. it wasn’t that tough.  He had the vision, he knew.

Lucky for us, Nick invited us back in to see Dolce Cubano and see the massive changes made.  Starting off, the restaurant was pretty lucky during Sandy.  The water came just six inches away from getting into the restaurant and a boat nearly dislodged and crashed through the windows.  Nick weathered the storm (literally), watching the docks sink under two feet of water and move like waves.  The only casualty, luckily, was the awning for the outside bar, now torn in two.

A welcome addition to bustling Bedford Street. Hudson Grille, Stamford, CT

On July 2, amongst a sea of restaurants on Bedford Street, opened a contemporary American restaurant named Hudson Grille.  We knew that there was a Hudson Grille already in White Plains, so we weren’t sure if they were going to be one of those subpar, chainy kind of restaurants.  When we finally tried it, we were happy to find this wasn’t the case.

Starting off, the dining area is well designed and makes you sort of feel like you’re somewhere else, maybe in Europe even, so much so that we kind of forgot that we were even in Stamford.  The bar is huge too, if you just feel like having some drinks with friends and snacking on some food.

The menu is on the smaller side right now, but will soon be expanding to even include a sunday brunch.  If you want to know what Hudson Grille is all about, think contemporary American with some flavorful Asian influences from Chef Yoichi Saito. Here’s what we had: