It's A Woman's World: Pastry Chef Jessica Spivey of Oyster Club + The Port of Call Interview Restaurant It's A Woman's World Baker Pastry Chef pastry Mystic Interview Andrew Dominick December 14, 2023 Oyster Club in Mystic, its alter ego concept, Treehouse, and their sister cocktail and bites bar, The Port of Call, aren’t only popular in Connecticut, but they’ve received some serious national coverage, including a 2023 James Beard nomination for chef Renee Touponce.Part of the restaurant group’s stellar squad is pastry chef Jessica Spivey, who just received a nod of her own as she was nominated for Best Pastry Chef by the Connecticut Restaurant Association for its annual CRAzies Awards. Read More
Sandra's Next Generation: Southern Cuisine With a Whole Lotta Heart in New Haven Features Interview New Haven Restaurant Soul Food Southern Food New Haven Interview Homepage Andrew Dominick November 30, 2023 If not for her belief of setting “unrealistic goals,” Sandra Pittman’s namesake restaurant, Sandra’s Next Generation, may not have ever been born in the first place.Now in over 34 years with no signs of slowing down as evidenced by our Thanksgiving week visit where we witnessed the crew rapidly filling catering orders and making so much cornbread stuffing and baking hundreds of homemade pies it would blow your mind.And even with an already booming takeout business (the restaurant is mostly takeout, but there’s a patio when the weather is nicer), Pittman’s still finds time to put the SOUL in soul food by consistently giving back to the New Haven community and all its charitable causes.Wait. Did I say 34 years? To tell the origin story of Sandra’s, we have to take it even further back to New Haven’s Edgewood neighborhood where Pittman, whose name back then was Harris, started cooking in the first place. Read More
It’s a Woman’s World: Olivia Olsen of ATC South Street Features Interview It's A Woman's World Homepage Interview Bartender Litchfield Andrew Dominick November 15, 2023 As a judge for each of the first two years of SoNo1420’s Blaze Whiskey Competition—that’s four rounds total, by the way—one of the best drinks I tasted came from a bartender I hadn’t heard of before, but from a place I’ve not only been to, but wrote about in the past.Olivia Olsen is the head bartender behind the stick at ATC South Street, Carlos Perez’s hip taqueria in Litchfield. Read More
First Look: Jacob’s Pickles Opens at The SoNo Collection Features Interview Restaurant Jacob's Pickles Homepage Southern Food Cocktails Craft Beer Southern Openings Norwalk Andrew Dominick November 05, 2023 For several months, as in, almost all of 2023, a lot of Fairfield County restaurant buzz centered around Jacob Hadjigeorgis and his pickles. Read More
Strega in Milford Expands Menu w/ New Haven Location Coming Soon Features Interview Restaurant Italian Milford New Haven Danilo Mongillo pizza Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick October 30, 2023 Danilo Mongillo may have opened his witchy named restaurant, Strega, back in 2016, but believe this, he’s just getting started. Read More
Craven Dawgs & Ting Reemerges in Norwalk w/ Jamaican Inspired Hot Dogs + Burgers Features Interview Jamaican Hot Dogs Burgers Food Truck Norwalk Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick October 25, 2023 Swing by the Norwalk Town Green on any given day, and you’ll see at least one food truck parked out there. If you meandered over there this summer, you may have noticed a silver trailer that’s about as big as your smallest clothes closet. It’s also where you’ll find Darlene and John Banks slinging Jamaican…hot dogs and burgers?! Read More
Massimo Italian Corner Opens in Norwalk With Gourmet Italian Specialties Features Interview Restaurant Deli Italian Norwalk Homepage Interview Openings Andrew Dominick October 17, 2023 Like Batman running to help the Gotham City Police Department when he sees the Bat-Signal in the night sky, CTbites was summoned in a similar fashion. Only we spotted our Bat-Signal across the street from Aitoro Appliance in Norwalk, in the form of a neon sign that read: “Massimo.” I hadn’t been that far up Westport Avenue in a while, so I turned to Steph and said, “Hey, hey. What’s this place? Heard of it?”“Ohhh! Yeah! Fritz Knipschildt told me about it! He loves it!” was her reply. Read More
Winfield Street Coffee in Stamford Launches “Tudo” w/ Brazilian Pressed Sandwiches + Smash Burgers Features Interview Restaurant Burgers Tudo Brazilian Winfield Street Coffee Stamford takeout Homepage Interview Andrew Dominick October 13, 2023 If you hear the word “tudo” being whispered around Fairfield County, don’t try to decipher what it means without your iPhone’s translate app and “Portuguese (Brazil)” selected.Don’t actually open your app. I’ll do you the favor.“Tudo” translated to English means “all” or “everything.”We’re talking loaded and pressed sandwiches. Two types of smash burgers, a hot dog, a fried chicken sandwich, plus a few sides and a couple of unique (at least to this area) desserts. Read More
Chef Prasad in New Canaan's Chef Collab Events: How It Started + Where It's Going Events Interview Restaurant New Canaan Indian Interview Chef Prasad Collab Pop-Up Andrew Dominick October 10, 2023 Between courses at one of his collaboration special events, Prasad Chirnomula spoke to his full dining room about creating a bond with his fellow Connecticut chefs.“We’ve been doing this for almost a year now, bringing chefs together,” he says. “The whole point of doing this, is we, as chefs, work our asses off. We’re always back in the kitchen on Saturday nights, Sunday nights, holidays, and everything else. I’ve done my share of work, so I said to myself that I’m gonna enjoy what I did for so many years of my life. I want to create a legacy and a bond with people I recognize and know of. Even if I don’t know someone, I’ll pick up the phone, call them, and say, ‘Hey, buddy! How are you doing? Do you wanna cook together?’ This is the hardest industry to work in and food brings people together.” Read More
My Favorite Dish: Grigg Street Pizza’s Dry Aged Cheesesteak Interview Ingredients Restaurant Favorite Dish cheesesteaks cheesesteak Pizza Greenwich Andrew Dominick October 03, 2023 Dave Portnoy’s 8.2 score of Grigg Street’s popular sour dough pizza was ehhh…good. Could’ve been higher even by a smidge in my opinion, but anything in the “8s” is a fine rating.What Dave wasn’t wrong about, though, was scoring Grigg’s cheesesteak a full point higher at a 9.2, and despite being on a major pizza eating and scoring tour, he kept going back for another bite, saying, “This is great. You weren’t fuckin’ around.”Portnoy dove in with his mouth. I’m about to dive into this haute “Philly” by giving you the culinary facts behind it.To get the skinny on this appropriately greasy, pungently cheesy, slightly spicy, and beefy sandwich, I caught up with my homie, Grigg Street Pizza co-owner and chef, Matthew Watson. Read More
Broken Symmetry Introduces New Chef, New Menu, and Teases Expansion Brewery Interview Restaurant Brewery Broken Symmetry Bethel Interview Beer chef Andrew Dominick September 13, 2023 It wasn’t all that long ago that we covered Bethel’s own Broken Symmetry Gastro Brewery and some of the changes that were happening at the time. Read More
29 Markle Ct Introduces Chef In Residency Series—First with Chef Roshara Sanders Events Interview Restaurant Damon Sawyer Bridgeport Roshara Sanders Black Owned Chefs Interview Andrew Dominick September 06, 2023 After he gave the closed-to-the-public dining room a warm welcome on a summer Saturday in August, Damon Sawyer told diners that they were about to experience something rare.“To my knowledge, this has never been done in Bridgeport before.” Read More
Chef Forrest Pasternack Returns to Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield CT Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Bailey's Backyard Farm To Table Interview Chef Talk Ridgefield Andrew Dominick August 27, 2023 Ask Forrest Pasternack about being back in Ridgefield and he’ll tell you that “there’s nothing quite like home.”Already well traveled in this area and in New York as a renowned chef at several acclaimed restaurant, Pasternack may be best known to locals from his five-years when he headed up the kitchen at the O.G. farm-to-table restaurant Bailey’s Backyard from 2013 – 2018.After a handful of years away, Pasternack is back!But where’s he been all this time?Well, a bunch of places and one big one at the same time. Read More
It's a Woman's World: Executive Pastry Chef Melissa Knauer of The Benjamin Interview It's A Woman's World Interview Pastry Chef pastry Dessert Andrew Dominick August 23, 2023 Earlier this summer, I was in attendance for one of the friends & family previews of The Benjamin, a new French – American restaurant in Ridgefield that took over the historic property that was once home to Bernard’s and Sarah’s Wine Bar. Read More
Latin American BBQ Joint Lechon Smokehouse Opens In Former Bobby Q’s Spot in Norwalk Features Interview Restaurant Latin American BBQ Openings Norwalk Homepage Andrew Dominick August 08, 2023 There’s a new resident at The Waypointe and they’re likely the only ones allowed to smoke indoors.But this “new neighbor” doesn’t occupy an apartment, they took over the Merwin Street space that was created for Bobby Q’s Cue & Co. that was vacant since 2021 after owner Bob LeRose sadly passed away. Read More
Los Charros Cantina: Must Eat Mexican In Branford From Chef Colt Taylor Features Interview Restaurant Colt Taylor Los Charros Cantina Branford Mexican Homepage Interview Tacos Burger Andrew Dominick July 28, 2023 Ask any fine dining enthusiast in our state and there’s a strong chance The Essex, owned by chef Colt Taylor, get a glowing recommendation.While writing this, it’s important to mention I’ve personally never been to The Essex. I simply know its reputation and I’ve heard the raves from my nerdiest food friends. I’ll get up to Old Saybrook soon, but before I check off The Essex, I wanted to meet Taylor at his other concept, Los Charros Cantina, where the menu marriage is a co-existence of authentic Mexican cuisine and L.A. style Mexican. Read More
Restaurant L’Ostal Debuts New Bar-Only L’apero Menu Features Interview Restaurant Darien Happy Hour Cocktails Burger French Homepage Andrew Dominick July 21, 2023 Evolution is part of the progression of any restaurant, even one as damn good as Restaurant L’Ostal in Darien.Should you need a crash course in L’Ostal’s Provençal cuisine and on chef-owner and 2022 CRAZies “Chef of the Year” nominee, Jared Sippel, we covered all of that HERE a little more than a few years ago. Read More
Taco Guy Food Truck Opens Restaurant in Norwalk Features Interview Ingredients Restaurant tacos Norwalk Openings Interview Homepage Mexican Andrew Dominick July 20, 2023 Soul.That’s the word Adrian Hurtado uses when he describes the food he serves at his newly opened restaurant in Norwalk that’s an extension of his food truck, Taco Guy.“I have chicken tinga on the menu because it runs in my family, going back to my great-great grandparents,” he says. “When you’re eating here, you’re getting my culture, my family tradition, and a piece of what’s in my soul.”But for Hurtado, who grew up in the hospitality industry learning the ropes at the popular Super Taqueria Las Salsas in Bridgeport that’s owned by his father, he chose to not be a taquero as an adult.Instead, he started making pizzas at Bar Sugo in Norwalk before hopping behind the bar as a bar back. Read More
Greer Fredericks Returns to Norwalk with Greer Southern Table Features Interview Restaurant Homepage Norwalk Southern Food Openings Restaurants Interview Andrew Dominick July 18, 2023 You’ve just sat down at the newly opened Greer Southern Table in Norwalk. You either order a refreshing, fruity, ice cold cocktail, or you’re like me and despite it being 90 degrees, you still order an old fashioned. You scan the menu. You probably ponder over a few tasty dishes to share with your dining companions. Read More
Fryborg Food Truck Opens Restaurant in Trumbull Features Interview Restaurant Trumbull Homepage Openings French Fries Burgers Hot Dogs Sandwiches Interview Andrew Dominick July 13, 2023 “A lot of the food we serve is inspired by being a kid,” says Fryborg owner Jonathan Gibbons. “In Milford, an older guy in his 80s comes in regularly and he remarked that my food is like when he was a kid. That made me feel really good. The food, the video game table, the bubble hockey, it’s all about nostalgia.”For many, me included, “nostalgia” is the right work to describe Fryborg. Read More
