Author Archive

Lorca: The best coffee in Stamford?

Thursday, January 3, 2013 by:Chris Preovolos
Comment
Comments
|
|

I have been a Stamford resident for nearly ten years and for the entirety of this time I have pined for a really good coffee and espresso shop.

I have been a Stamford resident for nearly ten years and for the entirety of this time I have pined for a really good coffee and espresso shop.

Now, with the opening of Lorca at 125 Bedford Street, my wait is over.

There are others, Chocopologie recently opened on Main Street in Downtown Stamford, but if the espresso drinks at the other locations are any indication, they are not up to par. (Their hot chocolate and pretty much everything else  is praise-worthy, no doubt)

Lorca offers up a classic Spanish combo: coffee and churros con chococlate. While this decadent breakfast snack is commonplace is Spain, it hasn’t gained a foothold in America. There are but a few churros places in New York City, and definitely nothing else like it around here. (I ate pounds of them on my honeymoon on the Costa del Sol, which is probably why I came back so fat)

Besides the churros, Lorca offers pastries both from Wave Hill Breads in Norwalk and their own kitchen.

Full disclosure: I met the owner of Lorca, Leyla Dam a few years ago when she worked at Espresso NEAT in Darien and consider her a personal friend. However, I would not recommend her new venture as enthusiastically if I didn’t feel that she is now serving absolutely top-notch products.

In fact, try an espresso or a cortado or a cappuccino at Lorca, I personally guarantee that it will be the best coffee you have ever had in the City of Stamford.

Leyla recently sat down with a Stamford Advocate reporter before the store’s opening:

Inspired by sugar-dusted memories of eating churros during her childhood in Spain, Stamford resident Leyla Dam will soon bring the chocolate-dipped treats to the city, with a sturdy cup of coffee on the side. Lorca, Dam’s coffee shop venture, is set to open on Bedford Street in mid-December.

Dam has been “really obsessed” with churros since she was a child, she said, and wants Lorca to represent a blend of Spanish and American cultures. While the pastries are native to Spain and Latin America, the coffee, shipped from Handsome Coffee Roasters in Los Angeles, is pure American. Lorca will offer a menu of other pastries and lunch food provided by the nearby Station Eats.

“When I decided to bring churros to Fairfield County, I went back to Spain to learn how to make them,” Dam said. “There’s a huge culture around churros in Spain. It’s very much like late-night diner food here.”

As a downtown-ish resident, I am particularly pleased that Lorca opens at 7 a.m. when pretty much nothing but Dunkin Donuts is operating. Hopefully this will fill a niche that has long been needed for downtown residents and for those who work in the area, needless to say, I will be a regular.

P.S.: I’m not even kidding, the espresso is really good.

Dinosaur BBQ is here

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 by:Chris Preovolos
Comment
Comments(2)
|
|

Dinosaur BBQ is here.

The cult favorite from Syracuse adds a Stamford restaurant to its locations in upstate New York and Harlem — and it’s about time, anticipation has been high ever since word got out that the barbecue joint was coming to town.

I remained somewhat skeptical after being not super-overwhelmed by a meal I had at the original location earlier this year, however, it was probably just all the hype from a former co-worker (and ‘Cuse grad) that somewhat misinformed my expectations — I was expecting something transcendant and instead what I got was really decent ‘cue…

Here is the deal: Dinosaur BBQ opens officially Wednesday at 845 Canal Street and it really is very good.

Ribs: Just the way I like them, super tender but having just enough bite so they don’t fall off the bone and they are not overly sauced or sweet.

Wings: Crispy, salty, peppery skin, tender inside and a really good barbecue flavor. They aren’t hot, they are fried, they are just good.

Sausage: The house-made sausage appetizer was excellent and I’m definitely going back to try a whole plateful of the real thing.

Sides: I liked the slaw and the pickles enough but I wasn’t paying much attention to non-meat things. I saw a dude walking around with some mac and cheese but couldn’t fight the crowd over to the table where it was being dished out.

Beer: My wife and I both had an ale from Stafmord’s own Half Full Brewery which we enjoyed but I didn’t get a super-close look at the selection.

Brisket: Ok, I’m saving the best for last. The brisket was real, real good. Awesome bark, nice smoke ring, beautiful fat — actually, my only complaint was that the guy slicing the brisket was cutting off the beautifully rendered fat cap and throwing it away so I had to ask for some slices with it intact.

The only thing I didn’t like here was that I was asked by an employee to move my bicycle, which I was locking up to a railing in front of the restaurant. Would I want it in front of my restaurant? The answer is yes.

Check out CTBites’ nice November behind-the-scenes preview.

Plan B Burger Bar’s grand opening

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 by:Chris Preovolos
Comment
Comments(7)
|
|

PLAN B BURGER BAR: STAMFORD TOWN CENTER

Plan B Burger Bar finally held its grand opening opened in Stamford, and I missed it.

But that’s OK, they’ve sent me a few photos from the event and it only makes me want to go even more.

I’ve been to their West Hartford restaurant a couple of times and I think it would be fair to say if the new Stamford location is up to par, we may have a new contender for the best burger joint in Stamford.

What do you think?

Sometimes you take the high road

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 by:Chris Preovolos
Comment
Comments
|
|

Well folks,

Sometimes you take the high road and sometimes you anonymously do this.

But anyway, if you would like to read the dissenting opinion on the Colony/Riko’s/Ridgeway post, check it out.

Personal aspersions aside, they are entitled to their opinion and obviously, they have done their research on the state of pizza in Stamford.

Keep it classy, Stamford.

–CP

The Stamford-bar-pizza challenge

Friday, July 13, 2012 by:Chris Preovolos
Comment
Comments(44)
|
|

STAMFORD — When Rico’s (now Riko’s) opened and claimed to have a Colony-style pie that could top the original, we balked. I vehemently defended Colony as a Stamford institution and the purveyor of the gold-standard of the Stamford bar pizza.

Things have changed.

Riko’s has opened up a second shop in Newfield and Ridgeway Pizza has begun to sell Colony-style pies. I began getting cryptic all-caps emails from the owner of Ridgeway Pizza shortly after Riko’s opened, stating they would be the new kings of the pan pizza in Stamford.

Naturally, a taste test was in order.

At the behest of Brett Mickelson, the executive producer of the Hearst Connecticut Media Group’s interactive team, we lined up seven pies from the three pizzerias and dug in.

The results were not all that surprising, though we only slightly preferred Colony over Riko’s. Ridgeway was a distant last — as sports producer Sean Bowley described it, “basically the cheapest knock off…like Stop & Shop brand cola versus Coke or Pepsi.”

It’s hard to discern the difference between Colony and Riko’s though there are visual cues to the look of the crust. In the end, the main advantage Colony had over Riko’s was the hot oil, which was noticeably hotter and more flavorful in the original. We also thought Riko’s had a little too much sauce.

Given that Riko’s also uses the same sausage and other toppings as Colony, I may be willing to withdraw my passionate appeal for Colony and call it a case of personal (though still passionate) preference — but the Ridgeway pie was just not up to the comparison.

First off, the sauce was too sweet, having a disagreeable tomato-paste quality, the cheese was too sparse and the sausage, being ground was borderline tasteless.

Ultimately, for a takeout pie, proximity to either Colony or Riko’s may be the deciding factor.

Colony, however, certainly wins in the atmosphere and overall experience category.

So there is it, the final word on the great Stamford pan-pizza debate…hopefully we can put this to bed…I’m beginning to tire of the drama.

Bodega Taco Bar is coming to Darien

Wednesday, July 11, 2012 by:Chris Preovolos
Comment
Comments
|
|

ABOVE: Bodega Taco Bar in Fairfield.

When Ole Mole in Darien closed, the town lost it’s only Mexican eatery — and even that was short lived. But the town is poised to see the second location of the popular Bodega Taco Bar land on the Post Road.

Last year, restauranteurs Mario Fontana, Michael Young and Luis Chavez opened the first Bodega in Fairfield to critical success. Soon after Young and Chavez expanded their ever-popular Valencia Luncheria in Norwalk.

But they didn’t stop here: Bodega is coming to 980 Post Road in Darien this fall.

“We think Darien has some similar characteristics as Fairfield, so we were excited. It’s going to be a great place,” said Fontana, who first worked with Young and Chavez with Ocean Drive and Habana in South Norwalk.

“The restaurant in Fairfield is a booming success. Bodega serves modern Mexican and we stray to South and Central America, so it’s a much more varied menu and is much more creative than what a traditional Mexican restaurant would be. It brings the experience to a whole new level,” he added.

David Genovese of Baywater Properties, the building’s owner, felt the fit was right too.

“We’ve been trying to find the right restaurant for that space. We didn’t want to lease to any old restaurant, we wanted something that would compliment the area,” Genovese said after explaining that he had been approached with more than one proposal for an Italian restaurant.

It’s also a win for fans of sidewalk dining, as Bodega will become only the second restaurant — after Scena — to have waited tables on the Post Road in Darien.

“It drastically improves the curb appeal of a restaurant and is something customers really love,” said Fontana.

The space became available with the exit of Café D’Azur and Genovese, who had been talking on-and-off with Fontana for a few years, made the deal with the trio.

“When Mario and Michael and Luis got Bodega going, we thought this would be a nice addition to the town,” said Genovese, adding, ”It’s an exciting change, Bodega in Fairfield has been a very successful restaurant. It’s going to be transformative.”

Say it with me: Galaktoboureko

Monday, May 14, 2012 by:Chris Preovolos
Comment
Comments(2)
|
|

I get pretty excited about pastry, but few things get me as worked up as galaktoboureko — and now I can get it in New Canaan.

Forget baklava, kourambiethes, loukoumades, kataifi and koulorakia, this light, sweet custard encased in layer after layer of buttery phyllo is the pinnacle of Greek dessert.

I make out-of-the-way detours to Astoria anytime I’m in Queens or Brooklyn for galaktoboureko at Artopolis Bakery. I once rented a scooter to ride across the Cycladic island of Naxos for galaktoboureko in Apiranthos. For some reason, however, it has taken me a while to make it up to Kouzina in New Canaan.

Now that I know how good it is, I’ll be going back.

Galaktoboureko is fairly simple to make as long as you are comfortable with phyllo and  the warm custard — made from fine semolina or farina — makes for  the ultimate comfort food. Take that and add layers of phyllo and a sugar syrup and you’re in business.

Kouzina’s version is very good. The custard is light and the layers of phyllo a decadently buttery and flaky. My only crticisim is that I think it could do with a little orange zest in the custard or used to steep in the sugar syrup. But this is a matter of personal preference, a lot of yia-yias don’t make it that way.

In any case, it’s worth checking out.

Heartland Brewery ‘beer hall’ coming to Port Chester

Tuesday, April 24, 2012 by:Chris Preovolos
Comment
Comments
|
|

(Flickr.com/MattHurst)

MTA PRESS RELEASE:

The historic 1890 train station building in the heart of Port Chester’s downtown is about to get a new tenant – a food hall and beer garden by the popular Heartland Brewery.

MTA Metro-North Railroad announced its plans today to lease the 5,630-square-foot station building.

“This restaurant will be a positive addition to the village’s downtown business district and will provide economic vitality to the area around the train station seven days a week from morning to night,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut. “This arrangement is consistent with Metro-North’s ongoing efforts to operate more efficiently and to provide better customer service. It will provide cost savings to Metro-North and improve service to our customers by making the station available to them for shelter, restrooms and coffee service.”

“This project is very exciting for me as I’m both a restaurateur and avid gardener. Designing a restaurant in this historic building and working with a designer and a landscape architect together on the food hall and beer garden is something I have always wanted,” said Jon Bloostein, founder and CEO of Heartland Brewery.

“As a tribute to the locale, the restaurant will be named Port Chester Hall. It will offer a diverse menu and a full bar featuring a special selection of beers locally brewed in New York State. We will preserve the existing mosaic and stone floor and include the oak benches in our furniture plan. The landscaped outdoor area will be approximately 3,600 square feet,” Bloostein added.

“It is exciting that Heartland Brewery has selected Port Chester for their first expansion location outside of New York City,” said Port Chester Mayor Dennis G. Pilla. “Their brand has strong positive recognition and is on target with the young professionals we seek to attract to Port Chester.”

Heartland plans to make $1.2 million worth of long-term infrastructure improvements to the19th century brick building including new natural gas service, commercial-grade air conditioning, upgraded plumbing, electric, and mechanical systems and new lighting consistent with the design of the station.

In addition, plans call for reconstructing a porte-cochere above the main door which was removed but will be recreated using old photos of the station. Heartland will work closely with the State Historic Preservation Office in developing its restoration plans.

“Heartland’s significant capital investment and upgraded utilities will provide long-term benefit to Metro-North,” Permut noted.

In addition, Heartland will assume responsibility for executing, at Metro-North’s expense under its current Capital Program and subject to Metro-North oversight, replacement of the roof, rehabilitation of the chimneys and repointing of the exterior walls.

Last year, Metro-North completed improvement to the station platforms, shelters, ramps and staircases. All 38 windows were repaired and repainted and all 17 wooden doors were replaced in kind.

Heartland’s food and beer hall will seat about 85 people and will be open seven days a week. Although Heartland is primarily a lunch and dinner establishment, they have agreed to operate a coffee concession from 6 a.m. to 11a.m. on weekdays to accommodate Metro-North customers. The ticket office will remain open due to high usage.

Heartland owns and operates seven restaurant/brewpubs in New York City, including one at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and is planning two others in addition to the one in Port Chester.

Bloostein’s business plan calls for a unique employee incentive.

“It pleases me that Port Chester Hall also will be owned and operated by the Heartland ESOP, so every employee, mostly Westchester residents, will participate in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan,” Bloostein said.

The building is eligible for listing on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. Heartland hopes to begin construction in January and open in June 2013.

Heartland responded to a request for proposals by the MTA Real Estate Department and was determined to be the best deal for the railroad. Rent will be $80,000 for the first year of a 20-year net lease with annual increases of 3% a year.

The proposed lease will be recommended Monday to the Metro-North and Finance Committees of the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The MTA Board will vote on it on Wednesday.

Metro-North will create six angled, short-term, metered spaces directly in front of the building in what is now a very wide drive aisle. Under the lease, 10 parking spaces for restaurant employees will be provided in the nearby garage, where Metro-North owns an interest in one floor of the garage. Restaurant customers also can park in empty commuter spaces after typical commuter hours.

Page 1 of 3612345...Last »