The Lunch Break Chronicles

ABOVE: The Lobster dinner at Stew’s Grill at Calf Pasture beach.

5/11/2010

STEW’S GRILL AT CALF PASTURE BEACH, NORWALK

I just got an email today from Stew Leonard’s about the start of their summer season at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk. The popular consession stand opens this Saturday serving up burgers, dogs, ice cream and, yes, the $14.99 Lobster dinner.

But more importantly, according to Stew’s, you can have your beach parking fee validated and refunded if you buy a meal at the grill. Not a bad deal, considering it cost me $20 when I went up there to roll bocce a couple of weeks ago…

–CP

In other non-failed-terrorist-related-news, the chef of Greenwich’s Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar will make an appearance tonight on the Food Network show Chopped:

Catch the season  premiere of Food Network’s hit show Chopped on Tuesday, May 4th at 10:00pm (ET/PT) and watch as  our own Christian Petroni, Executive Chef and General Manager of Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant of Greenwich, CT  (www.barcelonawinebar.com) goes head-to-head with his competitors for a chance to win $10,000.

Chef Petroni began his career as a DJ at Trotters Tavern in White Plains, NY under the direction of his friend and mentor Anthony Goncalves. Upon graduation from the New York Restaurant School, Petroni worked the line at Marriot Hotels.  When Goncalves reconceived Trotters, he contacted Petroni to work with him in the kitchen.  Petroni oversaw the kitchen and worked his way from expedition to sous chef.  Petroni then moved on to Peniche Tapas Restaurant in White Plains, NY with his friend Goncalves where he oversaw the kitchen and continued to explore Spanish and Portuguese-inspired tapas utilizing local and organic ingredients.  Now garnering rave reviews for his inspired menu at Barcelona, from critics and consumers alike, Petroni continues to raise the bar of the area’s food scene.

–CP