The Lunch Break Chronicles

Polpo restaurant in Greenwich is hosting “martini nights” from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

At $10 a pop for a martini, it’s not your most bargain basement happy hour. But with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment in the longtime Greenwich standby’s piano bar, you could look at it as a relatively affordable night on the town.

Though not a celebrity hotspot on a par with Gabriele’s Italian Steak House or Mediterraneo, two other Greenwich eateries, Polpo has drawn its share of big names, including A-Rod and Kate Hudson, Katherine Heigl, and none other than John Boehner.

If you’ve checked out the martini nights yourself, let us know!

Prefer your lamb local instead of flown in from New Zealand? Looking for some fresher-than-fresh sirlion? Ryan and Katherine Fibiger of Saugatuck Craft Butchery have got your back.

The recently opened Westport establishment likes to do things the old fashioned way, meaning they start with the whole animal and work from there.

Just be careful. This place can inspire newfound levels of carnivore ecstasy.

“I’m taking my meat consumption to the next level,” David Dreyfuss of Westport said. “They have a real passion for what they do here.”

Looks like Darien Social, which opened last week on the Post Road, is shaping up to be a runaway success. By the restaurant’s second day in business, it had 100 reservations for dinner that evening.

Chef Baird Van Beever says he plans seasonal changes to the menu, which currently consists of small plates, pizza and entrees, including Swedish meatballs with foie gravy, shrimp and grits, wood-oven-roasted chicken, wild salmon and filet mignon.

Our folks at Darien News have done the reporting, now go try it and let us know what you think. Is this the hottest new spot to hit Darien? Or are you not believing the hype?

The Ginger Man in Greenwich and CTbites are pairing up to hold a cocktail naming contest. The prize? A free brunch for two, complete with cocktails, of course!

Here’s the recipe, courtesy our friends at CTbites:

“Your Name Here” Cocktail Recipe:

1.5 oz St Germain
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz White Cranberry Juice
2 oz Prosecco

Shake the first 3 ingredients over ice and pour into champagne flute., Top the drink off with Prosecco., Garnish with an orange wedge

Post your submission in the comments at CTbites or submit it directly by Feb. 14.

Good luck!

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?

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.

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.”

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.