Win two tix to Hoptoberfest Craft Beer + Wing Festival 2015

SO many entrants, thank you all for entering and sharing your passion for wings. Unfortunately, there can be only one winner and that is Diane Soli. Congrats Diane. If you’d still like to go, there are still a bunch of tickets left. Buy them before the ticket prices go up.

Oh yeah, October 10 is just around the corner . . . time for hot wings and beer! And, this is exactly what you’ll get at the 3rd Annual Hoptoberfest at the Rotary Pavilion at the Shelton River Walk. The party starts at 1 and goes until 5. While you’re there, you’ll get taste wings from killer Valley restaurants like The Drew Drop Inn, Tavern 1757, 66 Church, Pies and Pints, Porky’s, Bricks and Barley, House of Bones, Draft House, and Barnone . . . and drink as much as you can with over 80 beers being poured.

Getdown, Chowdown, Throwdown: 2 Pairs of Tix for Blues, Views + BBQ 2015 up for Grabs!

Somehow, inexplicably, it’s almost Labor Day. And, while that does mean it’s the start of school again, it also means something great for Fairfield Countiers: it’s Blues, Views & BBQ time! Yes, the annual festival that has gotten bigger and better each year is back for some more in Westport. Like previous years, there will be plenty of places to get a bite like local restaurants or food trucks, plenty to drink with Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, Tito’s, Beam Suntory, Newman’s Own Wines, plenty to purchase from local vendors like Tom’s Roid Rippin Hot Sauce, 8 interactive chef demos (you get to eat the food, too), the official KCBS BBQ “Cookin’ for a Cause” contest, live music, and new this year is the People’s Choice Wing Contest where the winner is decided by you. It all goes down September 5 from 11-10 and September 6 from 11-9 with entry costing $10 or $15 at the gate. If you’d like entry to see the live music portion, All Access tickets are at various price points including a deal for both days. Please note, kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult.

In depth look at that oozy gooey goodness of the sandwich. Divine.

But, wait, there’s more . . . we’ve got two pairs of All Access tix for ya. One pair for Saturday, the other pair for Sunday. All you need to do in order to enter is comment on this post or Facebook and let us know:

1. My favorite thing about Blues, Views & BBQ is _______________.
2. Which day you’d like to get tickets for.

That’s it, that easy, that simple. The contest starts now and goes until next Sunday, 8/30, until 8 pm. 

Here are more details about BV&B:

Restaurants and Food Trucks

Bobby Q’s Bodacious BBQ, Winnie’s Jerk Chicken & Fish, Blue Lemon, Melt Mobile food truck, Kettle Corn, Dave and Jerry’s Hot Dog Trolley, Rolling Cones, and Rita’s Ice.

Vendors

Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, Tito’s Vodka, Beam Suntory, Newman’s Own Wines, Poland Spring, Stone Street Tye Dye, Velvet Orchid Hoops, R&B Teez, Bobby Q’s, Tom’s Roid Rippin Hot Sauce, Tomspice, Dash N Drizzle, Fruple.

Chef Demos

9/5

12:00 – Match – Chef Matt Storch
1:00 – Walrus + Carpenter – Chef Jon Vaast

2:00 – The Spread – Chef Carlos Baez
3:00 – Fleisher’s Craft Butchery – Emily Mingrone

9/6

12:00 – Bobby Q’s Barbeque and Grill – Tim Doherty
1:00 –  Vespa –  Chef David White
2:00 – HooDoo Brown BBQ – Cody Sperry
3:00 – Da Pietro’s Restaurant – Chef Pietro Scotti

Plenty of Contests!

Rib Eating Contest, Pie Eating Contest, and People’s Choice Wing Contest!

Family Activities

Bull riding (mechanical, not real), bouncy inflatables, face painting, and games.

Live Music! 

9/5

Relative Souls, Billy Iuso and Restless Natives, Honey Island Swamp Band, Dumpstaphunk, Anders Osborne, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Dan Stevens, Randy Brody Drum Circle, Jake Julak and the LowDown, Boogie Boys, Funky Dawgz Band, and Jim Malone and the Piney Hearts.

9/6

School of Rock, Mark Naftalin, Alexis P. Suter, Sugar Blue, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Matt Schofield, and Joe Louis Walker.

Win 2 Tix to Hop Bombs + Farmboys BBQ @ Half Full Rare Beer Night

One of our favorite times of the month is when Half Full Brewery in Stamford puts on its bi-monthly Rare Beer Night. Each event features 4-5 beers that they have never made before by the brewers at Half Full or some of their guests. This Wednesday will be a great one that you won’t want miss, especially if you love IPAs!

It’s the Hop Bombs Rare Beer Night and it starts at 7 pm on 5/20. They’ll be featuring El Dorado IPA, Hull Melon IPA, Polaris IPA, and a surprise beer. Tickets for Hop Bombs cost only $22.09 with tax which is good because the money that you’re gonna save can go towards devouring the awesome BBQ of Farmboys Smokin’ BBQ. How great are these guys? Well, they catered Kristien’s birthday party two years in a row so they’re kind of a big deal. Oh, and if they have their Smoked Mac & Cheese, trust us . . . you need to order it!

Taste of Black Rock 2015 ft. Local Restaurants, Wine + Beer from Harry’s

The Burroughs Community Center in Black Rock is celebrating another year of bringing the community together via workshops, experiences, workshops, and gallery showings with the Taste of Black Rock annual party. This year, the party goes on from 7:30-10 pm on 2/7 right the Burroughs Community Center at 2470 Fairfield Avenue. Tickets cost $35 in advance or are $45 at the door. Your ticket will not only help to support the great work of this vital community center, but will also getcha:

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.  

Paws Uncorked: Food, Wine, Beer, and Whiskey Tasting Par-tay to Benefit Homeless Pets

Pop open some fun and check out Paws Uncorked on 4/27!

Since 1962, PAWS (Pet Animal Welfare Society) has been rescuing and protecting our furry friends here in Connecticut.  Whether it’s rescuing and finding homes for homeless cats or dogs, or rescuing dogs from pounds where they’d be euthanized, PAWS is there to serve and protect.  In addition to all of this, they also host many adoption events, classes, and do even more for animals and the community.  Because PAWS is a non-profit and they do all these great things, of course they need funding and they do have great supporters…but every little bit helps.

Speaking of helping, check out PAWS Uncorked:  A Taste for Rescue on 4/27 from 5-8 pm at the Stamford Marriott!  Tickets are $45 in advance (buy them here) or $55 at the door.  A ticket gets you nomworthy tastings of food and drinks, a chance to shop around at vendors, and a shot at winning some great silent auction items.

Kathie Lee Gifford to Sign Bottles of Gifft Wines at BevMax Stamford and Tri-State Locations

All this wine makes us very happy…

Greenwich resident and Today co-host, Kathie Lee Gifford, will be signing bottles of her wine at BevMax in Stamford this Friday, 3/28, from 4-6:30 pm.  Yes, she’ll be meeting and greeting…and signing bottles of Gifft Wine:  Gifft Chardonnay ($14.99) and Gifft Red Blend ($14.99).

While we don’t get to watch Kathie Lee on Today too often because of our work hours, we still enjoy all the clips and highlights that Joel McHale and the staff of The Soup play.  In most of them, Kathie Lee is drinking with Hoda and getting the party started early in the AM.  Now, that’s a woman we can get down with…

Kathie Lee Gifford Wine Signing

 

March 28th—4-6pm

BevMax
835 East Main Street
Stamford, CT 06902March 29th—1-4pm
A&P Midland Park
135 Lake St. and Goffle Rd.
Midland Park, NJ 070432

March 31st—5-6:30pm
Best Cellars
1175 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10065

April 4th—4-6pm
ShopRite
478 Bloomfield Ave
Caldwell, NJ 07006

April 5th—1-5pm
Spirits Unlimited
2 RT. 37 West Crossroads Center
Toms River, NJ 08753

April 12th—1-3pm
Stew Leonard’s
1 Stew Leonard Drive
Yonkers, NY 10710

 

 

5th Annual Hops + Grapes, Toasts + Tastes to Benefit Leukemia + Lymphoma Society at Chelsea Piers

We hope that you can help us to kick off the weekend on Friday, 4/25/14, from 7:30-10:30 at the 5th Annual Hops & Grapes, Toasts & Tastes at Chelsea Piers in Stamford!  This will be our third year going and our second year as one of the proud media sponsors, along with 95.9 Fox and Star 99.9.  A VIP ticket is $100 and that includes a VIP gift bag, a raffle ticket, and a LLS Wristband, you can also buy a pair of VIP tix for $175.  The other option for attendance is a General Admission ticket that gets you a gift bag and costs $75 or get a pair of tix for $125.  

So, look…there’s a reason why we keep coming back:  there’s always great food, a great variety of drinks, lots of chances to win wicked good auction and raffle items, great people, and most importantly you get to make a big difference and raise some major money for Leukemia and Lymphoma research.  These two branches of blood cancers kill tens of thousands of lives each year, taking a person every 10 minutes.  So you can see how every donation and every dollar helps to fight and gets us closer to extraordinary breakthroughs.  

Now, back to the Hops & Grapes, Toasts & Tastes fundraising event…although the list of restaurants, bakeries, caterers, breweries, and vendors is still growing, here’s the most current list:

Your Passport Through Spain’s Vineyards and Food at Barcelona Greenwich this March

A few years ago, we went on an extended vacation (thanks to a very nasty hurricane back home) to Barcelona, Spain.  We had a great time exploring the art, culture, and especially the food of Barcelona and wine of the Penedès region.  And, even still, we long for Spain and talk of going back to explore even more.  Well, this is going to be a little bit easier to do this March…and you don’t even need to leave Connecticut.

Executive Chef Michael Lucente of Barcelona Greenwich

This is all thanks to Barcelona Greenwich who will be hosting a series of events in March called Passport to Spain.  Each class starts at 7 pm, lasts an hour, and takes you through a different wine region in Spain.  Not only will you learn about (and drink) the wines of Rioja, Galicia, Montsant/Priorat, and Valencia, but you’ll also have some great tapas prepared by Executive Chef Michael Lucente.  Also, as the night goes on you’ll receive some advice and learn how to pair wine with some popular dishes.

Where to get some liquid courage this Valentine’s Day – Fairfield County

Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day can be a nerve-racking holiday.  If you’re single, you either long for meeting the love of your life, or you’re filled with hatred that such a ridiculous holiday even exists.  Who the heck is Hallmark to tell you what to do anyway?  If you’re just dating someone, it’s super awkward. What gift says “I like you” in a sweet, awwww inducing kind of way, and not in a creepy “I want to meet your mom and have your babies kind of way”?  And if you’re in a serious relationship, you might feel bored and uninspired, desperate for some romance to spice it up.

Yep, Valentine’s Day can be tough…unless you loosen up and have a few drinks. Single and want to hit on a hot girl?  Have a couple drinks. Single and want to forget this day even exists?  Have a couple drinks.  Dating and want to tell your date you love them for the first time?  Have a few drinks.  In a serious relationship and want to tell your partner you like handcuffs and furry costumes in the bedroom?  Errr…well…have a lot of drinks.  Either way, we gotcha covered with a sampling of some of our fave places to get your drink on in Fairfield County this Valentine’s Day.*