Archive for January, 2012

New liquor license, Coolattas in Old Greenwich?

Monday, January 30, 2012 by:Magdalene Perez
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With Dunkin Donuts about to land in small-business-minded Old Greenwich, Arcadia Café is looking to expand its offerings. The old-school venue, which has an airy, New England feel complete with high ceilings and an arched entrance, recently applied to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission to switch to a restaurant model, allowing them to serve beer and wine and increase the number of seats.

Which will you welcome? A new watering hole in the OG or the arrival of Coolattas on Sound Beach Avenue? Neither? Both?

Cheesesteaks? In Connecticut? It’s more likely than you think

Thursday, January 19, 2012 by:Brett Mickelson
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ABOVE: Tim Allabashi slings beef at Tim’s Philly Steaks restaurant in Norwalk. Photo by Brian A. Pounds.

Digging into a fat cheesesteak is just as much a rite of passage for anyone visiting Philadelphia as checking out the Liberty Bell.

There are a few sacred truths about Philly cheesesteaks: Picking a side in the Pat’s/Gino’s debate will divide your entire family, Cheez Whiz is the only acceptable cheese-like condiment, and you can only buy a Philly cheesesteak within the Philadelphia city limits.

Don’t believe me? Check the bible. Ezekiel 25:17: “The path of the righteous cheesesteak maker is beset on all sides by the inadequacies of out-of-state imposters.”

I might be paraphrasing a bit, but you get the idea.

Anyway, Tim Allabashi thinks he’s got the formula right and has opened Tim’s Philly Steaks in Norwalk to prove it.

Our own Vinti Singh, herself a Philly native, gives us a direct comparison:

Darien restaurant week starts Feb. 6

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 by:Magdalene Perez
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Above: The Pan-seared scallops in chickpea purée at Café D’Azur, one of the participating restaurants in Darien Restaurant Week.

This just in from the organizers of Darien Restaurant Week:

Darien Restaurant Week will offer consumers great deals, the opportunity to experience some new restaurants, and re-visit a few of their favorites throughout the next installment of Darien Restaurant Week, Monday, February 6 thru Friday, February 10, 2012.

“We have had another year of great progress in our local food scene,” says Darien Chamber of Commerce President / CFO Carol Wilder-Tamme,” Darien has grown into a genuine restaurant destination.”

Beginning Monday, February 6 thru Friday, February 10, participating restaurant will offer a special prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menu during the entire week. Number of courses to be offered is a minimum of 3 (Excludes tax and gratuity)

Mid-range: Lunch $10.12 Dinner $15.12
High-end: Lunch $20.12 Dinner $30.12

Some of the participating restaurants include:
Cesco’s Trattoria
Chuck’s Steakhouse
Matsuri, Ole Mole
Phil’s Grill
Robeks Juice
Rory’s Restaurant
Scena Wine Bar & Restaurant
The Goose
Backstreet Restaurant
Café D’Azur
The Melting Pot
and the newly opened Darien Social
(more to come)

“This is great timing,” says Chef Nick Bilello of Darien Social, “My team is excited to introduce our restaurant and what better way to do so than with a specially designed multi-course menu.”

Details and participating restaurant updates: www.darienchamberonline.com or 203-655-3600.

New delivery service comes to Lower Fairfield County

Friday, January 13, 2012 by:Maggie Gordon
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Want bartaco for dinner without having to deal with the overcrowded bar? There’s a way to do that now.

A new delivery service just opened up in Lower Fairfield County, giving residents the ability to order delivery food from city restaurants that don’t actually offer delivery. According to its website, GoWaiter.com ships out food from more than a dozen Stamford restaurants, including bartaco, Bobby V’s, Mary Ann’s and Tengda. There’s also a variety of options in Westport, Norwalk and other local towns.

Here’s how it works: GoWaiter tacks on a $3.99 delivery fee for online orders and $4.99 for phone orders, so the website is your best bet. Enter your zipcode and your options will pop up. Just place your order like you regularly would through other services and wait an average of 45 to 55 minutes for delivery.

Voila. Tacos on your couch.

Halelujah! Jamón ibérico is here!

Monday, January 9, 2012 by:Magdalene Perez
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Better late than never. Four years after the U.S. Department of Agriculture lifted its ban on the famed jamón ibérico, the most prized of Spanish hams, Greenwich now has its own team of importers.

Greenwich native Josh Merrow and partner Guy Spriggs, featured in a recent profile in Greenwich Citizen, are the brains behind Hamlovers.com, a company that imports Serrano and Iberian hams for $250 to $2,000.

Merrow, who appropriately lives in Barcelona, can’t speak highly enough about Spain’s most iconic of cured meats, including the jamón ibérico, which gets its distinct flavor from black-footed, free range pigs raised on acorns.

“Spanish hams have an indescribable butter taste,” Merrow told the Greenwich Citizen. “You cut the ham in paper thin slices, and savor it like a good caviar. It’s hard to put it on your plate – you want to put it in your mouth.”

A parfait match? Pinkberry + Greenwich

Friday, January 6, 2012 by:Magdalene Perez
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Pinkberry, the high-end purveyor of frozen yogurt, celebrates its grand opening today at 369 Greenwich Ave.

From Greenwich Time reporter Neil Vigdor:

Nothing quite says the winter doldrums like blood orange frozen yogurt.

Pinkberry will christen its newest franchise at 369 Greenwich Ave. starting at 5 p.m. today (Thursday).

The trendy purveyor of fro-yo will be giving out free samples from 5 to 9 p.m. to celebrate its latest venture.

Free fro-yo. Say that 10 times in a row.

Free t-shirts to the first 100 customers in line, too.

In addition to frozen yogurt, the chain makes smoothies and fruit parfaits.