CTbites Staff Picks For Top Eats of 2024 (+Special Guest Eaters) Features Restaurant Best CT Restaurant Best of CT Top Eats Highlight Homepage CTbites Team December 29, 2024 It’s that time of year, when the CTbites staff temporarily puts down our forks, and contemplates our most memorable annual eats. 2024 saw an explosion of restaurateurs and chefs entering the Connecticut culinary scene, and the CTBites team, alongside some special guest reviewers below, did our best to eat it all. There were some clear standouts, restaurants that you’ll find repeated in the “top eats” lists below, and some hidden gems you should add to your dining dance card. Here are CTbites’ TOP EATS for 2024. Read More
The Tasty Yolk Opens 3rd Location in Branford: Ultimate Breakfast & Lunch Sandwiches Restaurant Opening Breakfast Sandwich Breakfast Lunch Branford Sandwiches Stephanie Webster December 21, 2024 The uber popular Tasty Yolk has opened their third third location in Branford this week at 539 Main Street. For those not yet familiar with The Tasty Yolk experience, Chef Felitto (Food Network Chopped Champion), his wife Allison McHale, and partner, Michael Bertanza, have created the gold standard for to-go breakfast and lunch comfort food, primarily sandwiches and wraps (and then there is that loaded potato and the buttermilk pancakes with citrus mascarpone and crumbled bacon…drool). These are not just ANY Bacon, Egg & Cheese sammies. Read More
The Foundry Opens in Hartford January 16 with Sweeping Views & Exciting Chef Team Features Restaurant Opening Hartford Fine Dining Date Night Bar Menu Tasting Menu Leeanne Griffin December 20, 2024 Hartford’s best restaurant view returns next month, as The Foundry opens on the 20th floor of the Hartford Steam Boiler building January 16. The former ON20 Restaurant, known for its soaring views of the Connecticut River and other area landmarks, has been fully renovated and reimagined, with even more stunning panoramic vistas of the capital city. The industrial-chic interior has an expansive bar, an open kitchen with gleaming stainless-steel appliances, private dining spaces and jaw-dropping glimpses of the sky from nearly every vantage point.ON20, a celebrated white tablecloth establishment for many years, closed during the uncertainty of the pandemic in 2020, but two years ago, Hartford Steam Boiler’s leadership began reaching out to key people to start conversations about reopening the restaurant. Read More
Luna Wood Fired Pizza - Close to Pizza Perfection in Naugatuck Restaurant Naugatuck Pizza Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 18, 2024
Blossom Cafe, with Asian-Fusion Brunch Items, Opens in Simsbury Restaurant Brunch Simsbury Asian Food Japanese Coffee Shop Matcha Breakfast Sandwiches Homepage Leeanne Griffin December 17, 2024 Chances are you’ve seen Japanese souffle pancakes on Instagram or TikTok – tall, thick and fluffy confections that jiggle at the slightest movement, topped with maple syrup, powdered sugar and berries. These have been hard to find in Connecticut, but they’re on the menu at a Simsbury Asian-fusion cafe that opened earlier this year.Blossom Cafe owners Amanda Liu and Albert Zhang traveled through Asia last summer and fell in love with the cafe cultures in the countries they visited, coming back home to Connecticut inspired by what they’d seen. Read More
NYC's Renown Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque Opening in Norwalk Restaurant Norwalk open BBQ Comfort Food South Norwalk CTbites Team December 15, 2024 Breaking BBQ news from Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque. We’ll bring you more on this exciting opening very soon!Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque (Mighty Quinn’s), the acclaimed NYC-born restaurant known for its all-natural slow-cooked meats, announced today the grand opening of its new location at The Waypointe in Norwalk (11 Merwin Street). The opening will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Greater Norwalk Chamber and Mayor Harry Rilling on December 18 at 3 p.m., ahead of the grand opening on December 20. As part of the opening celebration, Mighty Quinn’s will donate 10% of all grand opening sales to Norwalk based charity Filling in the Blanks, which works to fight childhood hunger. For those unfamiliar with Mighty Quinn’s, it was the first authentic barbeque experience in a fast-casual setting after co-founder, Pitmaster, and CT resident, Hugh Mangum smoked brisket and pulled pork out of a mobile smoker hitched to his pickup truck in Williamsburg (Brooklyn). The brand’s process begins with the best, all-natural meats and poultry, seasoned with perfect spice blends and then smoked with wood for many hours until the perfect harmony of smoke, flavor and time emerges. Read More
Strega Opens In New Haven With Tasting Menu & Outstanding Wine List Restaurant New Haven Opening Italian Fine Dining Tasting Menu Wine Dinners Wine Bar James Gribbon December 08, 2024 “Yale asked me if I was interested in the space, and I took it as a challenge. A small space, few tables, no pizza – I was able to focus on fine dining.” I’m in New Haven, talking with chef Danilo Mongillo about Strega, his second restaurant of the same name, but with a very different concept. “You have excellent food here – French, Spanish, American – and I took bringing this level of Italian to downtown, not in competition, but just to bring more good food here. That was the challenge.”The first time I ate at Strega was the location in Milford (both restaurants are just off the corners of their respective city greens) and I’d returned many times for his creations which were just a little different – the way a sentence is altered when the pen is in a different hand – and made with exceptional ingredients. I ask if the new Strega is based on anything regionally Italian, and he shakes the question off, moving in another direction.“Fine dining is about the technique. It’s about the balance of the flavors – something sweet, something sour – and the balance with the wine. The balance of the bite.” Read More
New Menu Drop at Fire by Forge in Hartford: Mission Forward Dining Restaurant Hartford County Hartford Cocktails Breakfast Dining With Purpose Amy S. White December 06, 2024 Fire by Forge is a Pan-American inspired restaurant that opened in spring of 2023 and has been receiving accolades ever since. Flavors, ingredients, cooking techniques, and even the wines and spirits are drawn from across the Americas, with a strong lean toward what is local, sustainable, and fresh. Forge City Works serves the community but also provides hands-on job training in customer service, hospitality, and culinary arts for people who have barriers to employment. Read More
The Bridge at Saugatuck Opens in Westport With Chef Lewandowski Restaurant Westport Opening American Celebrity Chef Waterfront Outdoor Dining Jessica Ryan November 30, 2024 Inside the newly renovated historic building The Main Bar is the restaurant’s focal point where a horseshoe-shaped bar takes center stage with its saffron-colored backdrop juxtaposed by dark navy walls which boast subtle architectural details that pay homage to the nearby Saugatuck Bridge. During the daytime the tall widows and high ceilings allow the light to flood in. The same room at night embraces a much moodier scene. The space gives off both coastal and industrial vibes which is also carried through the upstairs to the dining room which offers fine dining without formality. The restaurant sets the stage; at its center is the food created and executed by Chef Stephen Lewandowski whose culinary style is best described as modern, elevated American. His layers of flavor and use of sometimes esoteric and unusual ingredients are the result of his over two decades of experience. Read More
The Playhouse New Canaan Opens The Pub From Elm's Chef Luke Venner Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant pub bar Cocktails Movie Food New Canaan Homepage Burgers Andrew Dominick November 21, 2024 Twizzlers, Peanut M&Ms, butter drenched popcorn, a bucket sized Coke. Come on! We’re all guilty of indulgences when we go to see the latest blockbuster movie. I’m a Reese’s guy (or addict rather) myself. But moviegoers in and around New Canaan have an upgrade when it comes to theater fare. And no, we’re not talking about a certain chain that likely just heats up something from a package. The Playhouse in New Canaan, along with movie houses in South Orange, New Jersey and Cañon City, Colorado, with another in Bradley Beach, NJ on the way, are part of a renovation project by movie producer Luke Parker Bowles, the CEO of Cinema Lab Theaters. Read More
Hidden Gem: Charcoal Chef in Woodbury - A Throwback to Simpler Times Restaurant Woodbury Comfort Food Hot Dogs Diner Sandwiches Delicious Dives Burgers Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger November 20, 2024 One of my favorite shows growing up was The Twilight Zone. Most episodes included Rod Serling’s famous, “Imagine, if you will…” and his describing a “fifth dimension” between reality and imagination. I sometimes think of those days, a simpler time when life moved more slowly, where information was absorbed from the three-dimensional surroundings versus the two-dimensional computer screen, where families viewed eating out as a bonus, not as a plan B because everyone was too tired to cook and when every meal was not measured by its TikTok and Instagram potential. Sometimes a restaurant is a place to bring family, outside the Internet measurements, outside the stars, likes and looks, and just serve simple fare at reasonable prices. Read More
Crush Wine Bar Opens in West Hartford Center From Union Kitchen Team Restaurant West Hartford Hartford County Opening Wine Bar Wine Dinners Wine & Spirits Tapas Homepage Leeanne Griffin November 19, 2024 The team behind West Hartford’s newest wine bar wants its guests to know that it’s far more than just wine – though its list is more than 400 bottles strong. Crush Wine Bar, which opened in the town center on Oct. 30, offers a full menu of thoughtful small plates alongside its extensive wine selection. Operations manager and beverage director Vish Badami said he thinks the food has been a bit of a surprise for guests in the first few weeks.“People (expect) it's going to be cheese and charcuterie, and that's kind of the impression they have,” he said. “And then I think a lot of people are very pleasantly surprised with the quality of food, the thought process behind the food, the options, the freshness of the dishes.”Crush Wine Bar is a sister restaurant to Union Kitchen, its LaSalle Road neighbor, which has evolved in recent years from a casual comfort-food spot to a more upscale experience with tasting menus. Both are owned by Bean Restaurant Group, which also owns and operates several other eateries in western Massachusetts, including The Student Prince in Springfield, the White Hut burger spots in Holyoke and West Springfield and the German-themed Wurst Haus in Northampton. Read More
Lazy Sister Chinese Opens in South Norwalk Restaurant Opening Norwalk South Norwalk SONO Chinese Asian Homepage Jessica Ryan November 14, 2024 Lazy Sister opens in SoNo. The newest restaurant owned by New Yorker Maxwell Weiss (by way of Greenwich, CT) opened quietly a couple of weeks ago in the space that was formerly Enchanted Szechuan. It was kismet - Weiss had learned that the owners were looking to sell, retire and move back to China and he was looking to open a Chinese restaurant in the area. “I’m totally obsessed with Chinese food and have been for about three years now,” he told me. Lazy Sister has its own take on the cuisine, offering a mix of Shanghainese, Cantonese, Szechuan and traditional American Chinese. But let’s backtrack a bit. Read More
Ted's Steamed Burgers - 60+ Years and Going Strong in Meriden CT Restaurant Burgers Meriden Old School Comfort Food Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger November 13, 2024 Iconic…, best of…, like none other…, you gotta go to. When it comes to the superlatives, Ted’s Restaurant in Meriden has received more than its fair share for its steamed hamburger. Yup, the burgers are steamed. After close to 1,000 Connecticut burger notches on my belt, I almost feel like apologizing for not previously trying this historical Connecticut landmark. The steamed cheeseburger, also referred to as a "steamer" or "cheeseburg,” is believed to have been invented at a restaurant called "Jack's Lunch" in Middletown, Connecticut, in the 1930s. Others dispute this claim, stating that the steamed burger’s origin is none other than Ted’s Restaurant in Meriden. Regardless of its origin, Ted’s has received too many awards to mention, and on a warm, summer afternoon, I decided to visit. Read More
Colt Taylor Opens The Essex Brasserie in Branford Interview Features Restaurant Openings Branford French The Essex Colt Taylor Homepage Andrew Dominick November 08, 2024 From a cantina to a brasserie. From Mexican to French-ish. But for Colt Taylor, the idea of his space on Branford’s N Main Street is for it to stay as a neighborhood spot. With that said, Taylor’s Los Charros Cantina is out as of August 31 and he immediately got to work on bringing a version of his acclaimed Old Saybrook restaurant, The Essex, a bit further south. At The Essex Brasserie, Taylor’s idea is a super casual, come as you are spot, that’s not only allowed him and his staff to streamline their thought process every day by not doing two very different menus and styles of food, it’s also to give his customers something they’ve been asking for. Read More
Fun, Affordable, Delicious: Crust Issues in Norwalk Debuts Saturday Tastings Restaurant Pizza Norwalk Tasting Tasting Menu Andrew Dominick November 05, 2024 Almost a year ago, I covered Crust Issues, brought to you by longtime restaurant guy, John Nealon. I’ve since gotten addicted to several of his pizzeria’s signature grub, namely the outside the box, but creative rectangular, crispy, cheesy, garlic buttery pizzas and the pounded out crunchy coated cutlets—especially the spicy chicken scarp. It doesn’t help (or maybe it does) that it’s a flat one-mile drive away to get my fix. Nealon has some cool ideas for the evolution of Crust Issues, one that I’ve consistently bothered and pressured him about (I’ll keep it a secret unless it actually happens), and he’s recently mentioned installing a bar for future cocktail program. But there’s a weekly tasting he’s been doing every Saturday from 7:30 – 9 p.m. that’s a super casual, fun, tasty, incredibly reasonably priced (it’s $40 per person including beer, wine, soda, or water), and you’ll leave happy, fat, and ready for bed. Read More
The Loop by Hachiroku Opens Wine Bar with Ungrafted Selections Restaurant Wine Bar Wine Dinners CT Wine Japanese Market Japanese Izakaya New Haven open Homepage Stephanie Webster October 30, 2024 The uber-talented team that brought us Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar, Hachiroku Handroll Bar, and most recently The Loop by Hachiroku, (Japanese marketplace), has done it again. The Wine Bar at The Loop opened a few weeks ago, and it is already drawing wine enthusiasts from all over the state of CT, seeking both their unique wine portfolio and outstanding Izakaya Japanese cuisine. The Wine Bar at The Loop is a collaboration between Hachiroku’s Yuta Kamori and Ungrafted Selections’ Jason Black and Adam Bitker, purveyors of conscientiously farmed, handcrafted wines from small, independent growers. The partnership is magical with each brand delivering a “best in class” offering backed with deep knowledge and a desire for excellence, but with none of the fussiness that sometimes happens in the wine world. The Wine Bar is laid back, smart, sublime with that slight edginess we’ve come to expect from Hachiroku. It’s a vibe and we are here for it. Read More
Provisions After Dark: NEW Dining Concept From Chef Matt Storch Features Restaurant Opening Westport Butchery Seafood Homepage Stephanie Webster October 27, 2024 If you live in the Westport area, you will likely be familiar with Chef Matt Storch’s high end market, Saugatuck Provisions, offering customers a curated selection of the very best ingredients from the land, sea and grocery. The store features nose-to-tail butchery, the best seafood around, and cool gourmet seasonings, sauces and take-home sides enabling guests to create beautiful restaurant quality meals at home. But for those of us who don’t like to cook, Storch has something exciting launching Oct 29th. It’s a new way to experience Saugatuck Provisions, and it’s called Provisions After Dark. Read More
Stone Row Kitchen + Bar: Don't Miss This CRAzies Awards Winner Features Ingredients Interview Restaurant Willimantic Windham Interview Cocktails Homepage Andrew Dominick October 27, 2024 Anyone in this state that follows the Connecticut Restaurant Association’s CRAzies Awards might have noticed a perennial nominee out of Windham County, specifically in the borough of Willimantic, not far from the campus of Eastern State Connecticut University, by the name of Stone Row Kitchen + Bar. Read More
2024 Chicken Wings Guide: 90+ Connecticut Bars + Restaurants for the Best Wings Features Restaurant Chicken Wings Guide Chicken Wings Best Wings wings Homepage Hannah Goodman October 11, 2024 Phew, we can all breathe a sigh of relief as football season is finally back and in full swing and with that comes anxiety, heart palpitations, and, oh yeah, WINGS! Connecticut might be a small state but man oh man, do our local restaurants know how to represent when it comes to great barbeque and deliciously elevated pub food. Listen, not everyone is a sports fan (which maybe you should reevaluate), but you don’t have to be a fan to enjoy all the chicken wing options that CT has to offer. Read More
