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Yeah, so, we referenced WuTang lyrics, we couldn’t help ourselves, it was too easy. But seriously, WUJI in Greenwich was full of surprises that truly did make it “nuthin to f@$k with.”

The first surprise is we went there on a Tuesday night and the dining room was packed. Random? Or was it because the food is really that good? We were about to find out . . .

Second surprise: At a Chinese restaurant it’s rare to get a free starter (like bread) to snack on at the table while you peruse the menu, but imagine our delight when out came some crispy and flaky fried noodles with your choice of duck sauce, mustard, or soy dipping sauces. Yum!

The next surprise was just how nice the interior was. It felt very fancy, trendy, and upbeat yet true to that classic, more chill Chinese vibe. It was an interesting juxtaposition we weren’t expecting, but we totally dug it.

So, back to the food. Yeah, we ordered a lot, and as if that weren’t enough (because we were invited in to try things out) they brought even more than we ordered. Yeah, it’s rough as hell to be a food blogger.

Alright, so drinks bring us to our next surprise. See, our expectations for drinks at most Chinese restaurants aren’t super high. We expect something good, but maybe not well-executed, super creative cocktails, ya know? Well, WUJI was an exception.

Broken Heart cocktail at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Blood Orange Mojito cocktail at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Mai Tai cocktail at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Cucumber Lemongrass Martini cocktail at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Broken Heart: Patron Roca Silver, Patron Citronge, St. Germain, crushed grapes, raspberries, pink peppercorns, and rose water. Floral notes and aromas hit you up front along with a perfect balance of sweetness. A well-rounded drink perfect for before digging into your meal.

Blood Orange Mojito: the blood orange packs a citrusy and tangy punch, while the mojito side adds a minty nose and undertone. Fresh, fun, and just the right amount of sweetness and a nice complement to a spicy dish.

Mai Tai: fruity, but nicely balanced. Good floral tones, too. There’s this comforting black cherry finish that makes you want to drink more.

Cucumber Lemongrass Martini: more liquor forward than the other ones, but not overwhelming. Very refreshing with just the right amount of cucumber to add a hint of flavor. Perfect to go with most of the food on the menu.

Overall, the drinks had great balance, strong flavors, and were all creative and fun.

Ok, onto food, starting with the Dim Sum.

Chinese Heritage Spare Ribs at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Soup Dumplings at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Chilled Peanut Sesame Noodles at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Spicy Beef Bao at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Pork Dumplings at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Crab Rangoon at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Chinios Chicken Salad at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Chilled Peanut Sesame Noodles: Rich and creamy, with nice chunks of peanuts on top. The sesame adds a warm and toasty flavor, but be ready because this is a heavier dish and will fill you up. This needs to be shared with multiple people for sure!

Spicy Beef Bao: Wow! Delicate and fluffy buns held flavorful cuts of beef. The wasabi mayo sauce added a nice little kick. These were killer.

Pork Dumplings: The perfect Berkshire-porkiness nestled inside a dough wrapper that was all browned up and ready for nomming. Excellent dim sum.

Fresh Crab Rangoon: Smooth, creamy, and rich, there was the right ratio of filling to dough on the outside. Not greasy, either, like many other rangoons we’ve had in the past.

Chinese Heritage Spare Ribs: Nicely cooked with a delicious sauce, but they didn’t go overboard with it . . . like when there’s more sauce than there is meat. True to the style, with just a few gentle tugs, the meat falls right off the bone. Good stuff.

Soup Dumplings: These are specially made for WUJI by a woman in NYC. As we write this review, soup dumplings have become super popular, but when we ate there they were just becoming trendy. Here’s how ya do it up, son—first you put the dumpling VERY CAREFULLY on the soup spoon. Then, just as carefully, bite down on a bit of the side of the dumpling. The soup will spill out into the spoon. Slurp it up then take down the filling left inside. It was tricky to do it perfectly, so we suggest you keep going back for more to practice, hehe.

Chinios Chicken Salad: If you feel like going with a slightly lighter option, check out this salad that’s made with Napa Cabbage. We dug the extra crunchiness from the wonton chips and the right portions of greens to chicken. Plus, a warm and toasty sesame taste  going through boosts up the flavor. Have we ever said that Dan has a sesame oil addiction? That said, we wouldn’t have ordered this if it hadn’t been sent to us. It’s very simple and there are so many better options on the menu.

Ok, if you can believe it, we actually had entrees on top of all that.

Peking Duck at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Lobster Fried Rice at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Spicy Eggplant at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Classic Peking Duck: Order half or whole, but definitely order it here at WUJI. Can you believe this was our first Peking Duck meal experience? Crazy. You can think of these like building your own Chinese tacos: get one of the pancakes, add some duck, add some crispy crispy skin for a crunch, throw in some scallions and cukes, then top it all with the plum sauce. We just thought this was an amazing preparation of duck with such crispy skin. The wings were a bit drier than the breasts, but were still very good.

Rice. Yep, we ate more. Because, lobster fried rice. BOOM!

Lobster Fried Rice: Some of the rice had just a little crunchiness from the Wok, which brought a nice texture. The lobster was cooked damn perfect . . . never an easy task. We’d definitely order this if you’re looking to try one of their rice dishes.

Vegetables

Spicy Eggplant: We were told this was an item that we had to order from our waiter, Walt, so we obliged. Normally we’re not eggplant people, but we’re glad we tried this dish. The eggplant came out lightly battered in crispy strips. The spice level was definitely up there, thanks to the chili garlic sauce. A very nice vegetarian option.

So, onto our last surprise: Dessert.

Deconstructed Banana Split at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Fruit Platter at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Blueberry and Peach Oat Tart at WUJI in Greenwich, CT

Honestly, dessert was the last thing on our minds at WUJI. One, because we were so damn full, but also because we just don’t ever expect good desserts at a Chinese restaurant. Boy, were we wrong.

Banana Split: The banana came out warm and soft like butter, contrasting nicely with the flaky and crispy phyllo dough inside of this deconstructed version of a classic. We also dug the ice cream, all silky and chocolately. There was also a nice sweetness to the caramel sauce that tied everything together.

Fruit Platter: If you feel like you’ve eaten a bit too much and want a healthier end to your meal, you could stick with this. Fresh slices of orange, applies, and cantaloupe served with a side of rich, silky, and buttery hazelnut sauce. Simple but yum.

Local Farm Blueberry Peach and Oat Tart: A local farm gathered the fruit then baked it up for WUJI. The dough was buttery and flaky, adding a nice contrast to the big blueberry burst of flavor. The peach in the tart works more to sweeten things up a bit. Excellent!!!

Wrap Up

We’ve been to so many Chinese restaurants in the area, but they all seem to come up short. Some lack flavor, some lack high quality ingredients, and most lack creativity. So, after our meal at WUJI, we were pleasantly surprised. A Chinese restaurant with a farm-to-wok outlook, a creative cocktail program, and big, bold flavors in their dishes? Yes, yes. But, it’s not all about the food there. Service was outstanding too, especially with our server, Walt. He offered his suggestions throughout the night, had a great sense of humor, and was always making sure that our drinks were full.

It’s definitely a place that we’d come back to . . . and we think you should give them a shot, too, if you’re looking for a more refined culinary take on Chinese.

Disclaimer: We were invited by WUJI to try their food and the meal was comped; however, our thoughts, views, and recommendations remain ours and ours alone.

WUJI

Noms: 4

Cost: $$-$$$

Address: 68 E Putnam Ave. (the Whole Foods parking lot)

                   Greenwich, CT

Phone: [phone]

Saturday + Sunday: 12 pm-10 pm

Monday-Friday: 12-3 for lunch, 5-10 for dinner

Also located in Rye and Scarsdale. 

WUJI Food Ain’t Nuthin to F@$k With – Review, Greenwich Yeah, so, we referenced WuTang lyrics, we couldn't help ourselves, it was too easy. But seriously, …

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UberEATS noms its way into Stamford with delivery (discount code inside)

UberEATS noms its way into Stamford with delivery (discount code inside)

UberEATS Stamford is now live . . . and your life may never be the same. Pic from UberEATS.

You rely on Uber to get you from Point A to Point B . . . plus when you’re drunk and have lost control of all muscular function in your body. And, starting today, you’ll rely on Uber in a new way: UberEATS. Here’s how it works:

Download the app (Android or Apple) or use their site.

Pick the restaurant…

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Heat up your grill for this soft shell crab recipe from Marcia Selden Catering

Heat up your grill for this soft shell crab recipe from Marcia Selden Catering

Grill up some of these bad boys for your next BBQ! Pic courtesy of Robin Selden.

  Get em’ while they’re hot…and in season! We’re entering prime grilling season here, people, so it’s nice to add something new to your arsenal of go-to dishes. So, might we suggest taking things in a new direction with soft shell crabs, cooked up real nice on your grill? It’s really the perfect summer dish, but…

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We don’t know who invented this Taco Tuesday crap, but we think pretty much EVERY day is a perfect day for tacos. Like, say, a few Saturdays ago when we finally hit up Rincon Taqueria in Norwalk after seeing, oh, we don’t know, pretty much ALL of our friends rave about it on Facebook and Instagram. See, we’re kind of taco fanatics, so it seemed a little ridiculous we hadn’t gotten to this authentic Mexican spot sooner.

The long and the short of it is, it totally lives up to the hype we’ve been seeing. Here’s why . . .

First up, let’s talk about the restaurant itself. It’s easy to pass it by, since it’s in a mini strip mall across from Wendy’s in the Kohl’s shopping center. When you’re driving by, just look for the wave logo and there you’ll have it. As you enter, you get the kind of feeling like you’re at a super casual neighborhood cafe or deli, but packed with Mexican goodness. You get the sense that people go in and out for take out and that they probably know all their customers because they’re regulars.

You might think, by the looks of it, that they don’t serve alcohol, but they do. Oh, they do, featuring a small selection of Mexican beers, wine and, of course, margaritas!

Holy Guacamole!

Their menu is small, which we actually loved, mainly because that meant between us and our friends Renato and Alicia from lockfoodrocks.com, we could try the entire menu, FTW! As we decided if we could pull that off, they brought us some chips and salsa with our meal. The salsa was spicy, had a sweet vinegary kick, and a nice garlic bite. The only real disappointment of the night, though, is the chips were bagged brand quality, not freshly house-made, which is always a big bummer when going to an authentic Mexican spot. That said, things turned around quickly when we got our other food.

Our first tastes were a series of tacos, namely the Pescado, Carne, and Pork. To pack all those ingredients in, they use two taco shells which help in holding it all in. 

The fish taco was lightly battered and crispy on the outside, while still being delicate and juicy on the inside. One of the best fish tacos around. The carne wasn’t as flavorful, though, and needed more salt and spice to it. The star was the pork which was flavorful with tender meat and a bright and vibrant tomatillo sauce. Bringing it all together was a punch from the cotija. 

As we were taking down the tacos, the guac came to the table. They serve it up with scallions, onions, and cilantro on top. The guac itself was creamy and silky, and was definitely freshly made. It could have benefited from more lime and salt that could bring out more complexity, though. 

  Perfectly crispy crust going on with this beef empanada!

We also ordered the beef empanada. There was a gentle spice coming through and the beef was rich. The thing that we found interesting was that they had little bits of olives in the filling. This added a nice small tinge of wild saltiness to the dish.

Chilaquiles . . . and chill.

Oh, and then the chilaquiles came to the table. Does it get better than ribbons of tortilla with lots of cheese, cilantro, and avocado on top? No, it doesn’t . . . well, actually, it does . . . that’s the next dish we’ll talk about. But, in terms of chilaquilles, this has been the best version that we’ve ever tasted. The tortilla strips were thick and crispy and held up very well to the sauce. The chorizo that it’s served with is smoky and spicy. The sauce was great, too, bringing it all together with a nice spicy undertone. It is definitely a filling dish and could be an entire meal if you chose . . . or just use it as an app if you’re us.

  Hot tamales! Almost too beautiful to eat. ALMOST!

Tamales: These guys are in the steamer for 5 hours. Yeah, 5 hours. The corn stuffing is the thing of dreams with just a tad bit of sweetness to it. The chunks of corn inside added texture, too. Add in some juicy and delicate chicken and you’ve got some of the most amazing tamales that you’ll ever unwrap.

Salt on the rim . . . and on the rocks.

We were washing all of these dishes down with some margaritas, of course. The cocktails were lime forward, not too sour, but were a bit too sweet for Dan’s taste . . . Kristien didn’t think so, though.

Major huevos here at Rincón Taqueria!

Around this time, we were told that if we liked the chilaquiles, that we’d love the huevos rancheros even more. Well, we couldn’t let that one slip by us, so we put in an order. The green sauce on top was fresh, fun, and vibrant, and the rice was that perfect al dente you’d hope for. We liked the taste of the rice because there was a tiny whisper of saffron coming through it all. Then, wrapping it all together was that same chorizo that we loved from the chilaquiles and plenty of cheese. This was a fantastic way to end our meal.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we were couldn’t stop gettin’ our Mexican on at Rincon (seriously, we wanted to go back the next day). It felt authentic, everything (other than the chips) was fresh, flavorful, and well prepared and the prices are great (because paying fancy restaurant prices for tacos just seems sacrilege). We’d go there any day for any of the things we ate, but we dream most about their dishes beyond tacos, so be sure to branch out of your taco comfort zone when you go there . . . which should be like, tonight depending on when you’re reading this.

Rincon Taqueria

Noms: 3.75

Cost: $$

Address: 493 Connecticut Avenue

Norwalk, CT

Phone: [phone]

Gettin’ our authentic Mexican on at Rincón Taqueria We don't know who invented this Taco Tuesday crap, but we think pretty much EVERY day is a perfect day for tacos.

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Have you ever gone to another country, sat down at a nice restaurant, then realize you have no idea what the hell is on the menu because it’s not in English? And at this point you’re all excited because this is what you wanted, a legit cultural experience (no English menus with pictures for you, no way), but at the same time you’re terrified you might order the fried beetles or something like that? Yeah, that’s how we felt when we sat down to eat with our friends Kirk and Nicole at Teff, an Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant that recently opened in Stamford.

Sure, we’ve tried a lot of different foods in our day, but we had never had Ethiopian before, so we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. What we did know from a little pre-research is that instead of utensils, you rip off bits of special injera (crepe-like, spongy, and gluten-free made from the teff grain) and use them to scoop up your food. Aside from that, we really knew nothing, and that kind of excited us.

Immediately, we were put at ease by our waiter who took us through the menu and answered all of our questions. Speaking of the menu, it’s very interesting and so unlike any other type of restaurant. There are just two injera-based appetizers on the menu, the rest are portions of meat, veggies, stews, and sautees that come in platters on top of the injera. Most of the dishes are cooking for hours before you even get there at a pre-determined spice level, but if you order a “Tibs” dish, which are made to order, you get the option of mild, medium, or spicy (which actually isn’t too spicy at all). And, even with less options than we’re used to at other restaurants, there is sure to be something that appeals to you, even if you’re gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, or vegan.

Dan went with the Siga Altecha and the Dorho Wat for his meat entrees, and the Shiro, Dinich, and Ful as his three sides for ordering the meat tasting. What are those, you might ask? Read on Omnomivores, read on . . .

Siga Altecha: tender pieces of beef simmered in a mild sauce of Ethiopian curry powder, clarified spiced butter seasoned with garlic, rosemary, ginger and jalapenos (mild)

The steak was amazingly fragrant and had a nice undertone of butter and spices. There was a mild heat going on here, too, which made the meat even better. Some of the pieces were a bit closer to well-done rather than rare (most other cultures cook their meat more than us bloody steak loving Americans), but overall a great choice.

Dorho Wat: tender pieces of chicken leg and thigh slow-simmered in a spicy sauce seasoned with spices and herbs.

This is where it was at! Man, that chicken just fell right off the bone with a simple tug of the fork. And, in terms of flavor, awesome. It was rich, decadent, and had a nice spice level to it.

Shiro: pureed split peas cooked with red onions and garlic (mild.)

So silky smooth. Great by itself with some injera, or it was also nice to add with some of the steak or chicken. Cross pollination all the way.

Dinich: potatoes and cabbage simmered in a spicy sauce seasoned with spices and herbs (medium.)

Probably Dan’s least favorite. It was good, but needed some more flavor and salt. Still, it was good to mix it up with the other dishes.

Ful: fava beans slow-simmered with garlic and cumin topped with a colorful medley of red onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos, tossed with olive oil.

This was a great choice and had a burst of flavors like tangy, spicy, starchy, and acidic.

Kristien ordered the Bey’geh Tibs (spicy) and picked the Ingudai Tibs (medium) and Kik Aletcha as her two vegan sides.

Bey’geh Tibs: cubed lamb marinated and sauteed with berbere, clarified spiced butter, onions, garlic, jalapeños, fresh tomato, herbs and spiced 

The lamb was nice and tender as it should be and the sauce was well-balanced with acidity from the tomato, a kick from the jalapeño, and a richness from the butter. And it had just the right amount of spices to give the dish a unique and distinct taste, without overpowering. Very delicious.

Ingudai Tibs: portobello mushrooms marinated and sautéed with red onions, garlic, jalapeño pepper, fresh tomato, herbs and spices 

This was a great complement to the lamb, bringing a nice earthiness that was, again, rounded out with the tomatoes and jalapeños. Here, too, the spices were perfectly done.

Kik Aletcha: yellow split peas simmered in a mild and flavorful onion and herb sauce

This ended up serving as a great sort of condiment (like the consistency of hummus) to bring the two other parts of this dish together. With every piece of injeri, Kristien would grab a bit of this mild, rich, and creamy dish and then add the meat and veggies on top. It worked REALLY well.

Final Thoughts

Eating at Teff was a fun, interactive, and nomworthy experience that we definitely recommend. The food was excellent, the service was fantastic, prices were affordable ($120 for four people!) and the free BYOB experience can’t be beat. But, you best bring in all your bottles soon if that’s your style because they’ll soon have craft cocktails, world wines, and African beer starting on 3/30. Even still, BYOB will continue, but there will be a corkage fee of $25. All in, we are super excited to go back to try more dishes. You should most definitely dig on in, too!

Teff

Noms: 4.25

Cost: $$-$$$

Hours:  5-10, Wednesday-Sunday

Delivery and pick-up available

Address: 113 West Main Street

                  Stamford, CT 06902

Phone: [phone]

Teff Stamford: A Hands-on Review of Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine Have you ever gone to another country, sat down at a nice restaurant, then realize you have no idea what the hell is on the menu because it's not in English?

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Figure 8

Crispy pork belly on a burger? Sign us up!

Westport and Fairfield Restaurant Weeks are here (and just around the corner), so best stick with us, kids, as we show ya some deals on meals. Don’t miss out on these special chances to try out a new restaurant or go back to your favorite on the cheap. ;)

10/4-10/18

Westport Restaurant Weeks

27 different restaurants throughout Westport will be providing prix fixe meals for ya. Meals are anywhere from $15-$25 for lunch, $25-$35 for dinner, and will even feature brunch starting at $15. In addition, you can also get some deals on cocktails at Luxe Wine & Cocktail Bar, NEAT, and satisfy your ravenous sweet tooth at the killer good Le Rouge chocolates. 

Here’s the list of participating restaurants:

323 Main, Acqua Ristorante, Arezzo, Artisan at The Delamar, Blue Lemon, Cobb’s Mill Inn, DaPietro’s Restaurant, Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill, Little Barn, Matsu Sushi, Paci, Pane E Bene, Pink Sumo Café, Positano’s, Post 154, Rive Bistro, Rizzuto’s, Sakura Restaurant, Spotted Horse Tavern, Tarantino, Tarry Lodge, Tavern On Main, Terrain Garden Café, The Boathouse at Saugatuck, The Gray Goose, Tutti’s Restaurant, Via Sforza, Wafu, Luxe Wine & Cocktail Bar, NEAT, and Le Rouge. 

10/11-17 Fairfield Restaurant Week

In addition to getting some hot deals on prix fixe dining ($10-$35), there are lots of other chances to save . . . and even wing big! Plus, there are many events going on around Fairfield this week to help bring out that party atmosphere like the Blue Oyster Cult at The Warehouse at FTC, Othello at the Quick Center, a meet and greet with the Naptime Chef at Fairfield University Bookstore, and more. As you’re tearing up the town, don’t forget to get your Fairfield Restaurant Week Passport stamped because there’s some major swag attached to it. Namely the chance at a night’s stay and dinner for two at Artisan Southport, dinner for four at Gray Goose, $200 in tix to FTC, $100 in Chamber bucks, and lots of fun experiences to take part in like learning to blow glass.

Here’s the list of restaurants participating:

55 Wine Bar, Archie Moore’s, Artisan ($20 Lunch/$35 Dinner), Bangalore (Lunch buffet $9.95 M-F/$13.95 Sat-Sun), Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant, Bella Sera ($35 Dinner), b.good ($12.99), Bodega ($15 Lunch/$30 Dinner), Bonda ($35 Dinner), Brick + Wood ($15 Lunch/$30 Dinner), Café Madeline ($30 Dinner), Centro Ristorante, The Chelsea ($15 Lunch/$30 Dinner), Colony Grill ($10 Lunch/$25 Dinner), Coromandel, Craft 260 ($15 Lunch/$25 Dinner), Crave ($15 Lunch/$25 Dinner),  Fin ($10 Lunch/$20 Dinner), Flipside Burgers & Bar ($10 Lunch/$18 Dinner), Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill ($15 Lunch/$30 Dinner), The Gray Goose ($15 Lunch/$30 Dinner), Hana Tokyo ($10 Lunch/$20 Dinner), Joe’s American Bar & Grill ($20 Lunch/$35 Dinner), The Little Goose ($20 Lunch/$35 Dinner), Local Kitchen and Beer Bar, Martel Bistro ($25 Lunch/$35 Dinner), Mecha Noodle Bar, Michael Gennaro’s Steakhouse (25% off dinner, excluding drinks), Old Post Tavern, Paci Restaurant ($35 Dinner), Plan B, Quattro Pazzi Café ($15 Lunch/$30 Dinner), Rio Bravo, Southport Brewing Company, Sweet Basil Restaurant, Taberna Tapas, Tazza Osteria & Bar ($10 Lunch/$30 Dinner), Tomato & Basil, Tuscany Ristorante ($35 Dinner), and Wafu Asian Bistro ($20 Lunch/$35 Dinner and a $50 voucher towards a future meal).

Eat Local (and Cheap) @ Fairfield + Westport Restaurant Weeks (2015) Westport and Fairfield Restaurant Weeks are here (and just around the corner), so best stick with us, kids, as we show ya some deals on meals.

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The store front of Bridge Street Wienery in Stamford, Connecticut

This week’s gonna be a humongo news post because we’ll be away next week in Cape Cod and Portland, checking out the food and drinking scene, checking out lighthouses by bike, and just chilling. So, we’ve gone ahead and stuffed all the great stuff going on and news here in the 203 and beyond into this here post. As always, thanks for reading!

8/21 Pimpinella will be tearing down the rooftop beer garden at Bobby Q’s in Westport starting at 9 pm. Come for some bbq and brews and soak up the summer air.

8/22 A five-course “Nose to Tail” farm dinner from Chef William Carbone of Dish Restaurant will take place right at the Killam & Bassette Farmstead. The meal is $100 dollars with all of the proceeds going to the Judy Lynch Memorial Scholarship Fund which goes to a Glastonbury senior based on community service and work ethic. 

Ah, that’s a beautiful beer garden. Photo from Bobby Q’s FB page.

8/22 Bruculino Restaurant in SoNo (former owner of Pasta Nostra) is hosting their ribbon cutting, starting at 4:30. Mayor Rilling be on hand to cut the ribbon, there will be snacks, and also a cash bar. Bruculino is located at 20 North Main Street. 

8/22 Shore 2 the Pour beach run is this weekend and you can recharge at the finish line (2 Roads) with The Meat Truck, providing all your carnivorous needs.

8/23 If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, head out to Captain Lawrence Brewery in Elmsford for the Mother Shucker event that they are holding with The Cookery Restaurant! The oyster and food madness goes down from 1-4 with tickets costing $65. SO. WORTH. IT. 

8/28 The Darien library is hosting an Adult Day Camp from 7-9 that involves beer, nerf guns, and capture the flag. No cost at all to attend. 

8/29 Have some dinner, see a movie and help fund pediatric cancer research. It’s taking place at Mount Saint John, 135 Kirkland Street, in Deep River. For $20 per car, you’ll get entrance to see Mrs. Doubtfire (a classic) at 7:30 and some popcorn. You can, of course, come earlier, starting at 5:30 to nom away on Lunch Box 23, Baked and Loaded, and Sugar Cupcake food trucks! Hopefully you can make it to this great way to spend a summer night. 

8/29 Come over to Hopkins Vineyard from 6-8 for a wine tasting that benefits New Milford Animal Welfare. Entrance is just $30 for the tastings. 

9/1-5 The St. Leo Fair is back in Stamford, peoples. For more info check it here.

9/4-7 Check out Stew Leonard’s as Kent Rollins makes a visit with his 1876 Studebaker chuck wagon. In addition, he’ll be grilling up tasty bites of sirloin steak and will also be signing copies of his new cookbook, A Taste of Cowboy. He’ll be at the Norwalk store on 9/4 from 11-6, at Newington on 9/5 from 11-5, at Danbury on 9/6 from 11-5, and Yonkers on 9/7 from 10-4. Cowboy hats optional. 

Don’t forget that if it’s your birthday, you need to stop by Forever Sweet Bakery to claim your free cupcake. No strings attached! 

Bridge Street Wienery has a special this week that you need to devour: the Porkwich. It’s BBQ pulled pork with their homemade coleslaw, cheddar, and honey mustard. Oh baby. 

Carnitas gordita from Casa Villa in Stamford

MSN says that the Mexican Food Capital of Connecticut is Norwalk with 1.5 Mexican restaurants for ever 10,000 people. As a prime example of Mexican food, they recommend Los Molcajetes (which we do too). Then, a little bit down 95 in Port Chester you could check out Port Chester, NY’s Mexican food capital. While you’re there, check out one of our faves there: Salsa Picante, also recommended by MSN. 

According to MyRecordJournal.com, Southington is getting their own distillery. The new owner will focus on “high end” whiskey and bourbon. Oh yeah. 

The Fez has reopened. Now get your ass down there.

Greer has left Mama’s Boy Southern Table & Refuge in SoNo. But, don’t worry: she’ll share what she’s working on and also don’t worry because Mama’s Boy has new owners and will still be there for ya, sweetie. We wish Greer all our best on her new endevaors. 

Beer

8/21 Half Full‘s Open House goes from 6-9 and features all you can drink brews for just $15. In addition to their usual suspects, you can also try their IPA that has been aged on oak and Citra dry hopped and a Coffee Porter. There’s no food truck this week, so be sure to bring your own food or have it delivered. 

8/21 Steve’s Top Dog will be at Firefly Hollow in Bristol so you can make a full night of beer and bites. 

8/22 DuVig in Branford is releasing their IPA! If you get there early, you can buy one of 50 special edition IPA glasses, too! 

MarketWatch put out a list of 10 Cities that Love Craft Beer the Most and, wouldn’t you know it, the Hartford/New Haven area made the list at #10. The article says that 25.5% of all beer sold is actually craft beer. We think we can make that higher, don’t you? The big dog to beat is Portland, Oregon with 43.5% of all beer sold being craft.

Outer Light Brewing and Mystery Brewing have a collabo beer in the works! Boom! 

Relic Brewing has bottled up their Huntress DIPA and is selling it at their brewery. In a few weeks, be on the lookout at your local packie. 

Top Shelf Brewery is releasing two new beers on Friday: 1) Ambiguous DIPA and 2) Around the Clock 5.2 Session IPA (reworked). 64 oz limit on the Amiguous if you get growlers.

Two Roads Brewery continues its expansion and will soon be available in New Jersey. This is great news because it helps to spread the good gospel of CT beer even further. 

CT Food News: Food Trucks, Tastings, Fairs, Cowboys, Openings + CT Beer – 8/21/15 This week's gonna be a humongo news post because we'll be away next week in Cape Cod and Portland, checking out the food and drinking scene, checking out lighthouses by bike, and just chilling.

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No one can deny that eating healthy and choosing a careful diet has become more and more important as food companies increasingly look for dangerous short-cuts and time and cost savings in their food sourcing and production. Modern day pre-packaged, preservative-laden, genetically modified foods have freaked us out all so much, it’s no wonder diets like the Paleo Diet have taken off. Until now, though, Paleo dieters have either needed to rely on themselves to cook meals at home, or ask for meal modifications at restaurants, which isn’t always a great experience. Well, a new restaurant that’s about to open in the Riverside neighborhood of Greenwich is about to change all that.

The aptly named Il Paleo will feature a completely Paleo menu, a groundbreaking move for the restaurant scene in Fairfield County. “Right now,” says co-owner Hans Pumph, “we’ll have a few high tops near the juice bar, a few banquettes, and 5 tables. We’re going for a high-end, but super relaxed feeling as many of our customers not only work hard, but also workout hard too. We want our restaurant to feel like home, without all the hassle of having to cook (and clean) yourself.”

The menu looks promising, with plenty of great paleo classics like baked chicken breast served with a side of broccoli, liver and onions, steamed salmon steak, hard boiled eggs, bone broth that’s upcycled from the meats they use, avocado halves, and plenty of tubers and veggies. “We are really catering to the hardcore Paleologist here with our menu. We cook it simple, keep the ingredients pure, but make sure it’s packed with flavor–just because it’s Paleo, doesn’t mean it has to be bland,” explains the other owner, Franz Hughup. He went on to share with us that dishes will range from $6 for sides and up to $23 for the meatier courses.

No doubt that Il Paleo is hitting all the right price points when you consider the quality of the ingredients (all organic, local when possible), but even still they’ve worked in an additional way to help save diners some of their hard-earned money. Pumph and his cousin, Franz Hughup go on to explain that they’ll be opening up a Cross Fit space right next door. With a membership at Pumph-Hughup Cross Fit, you’ll be entitled to a 10% discount on all dining whether takeout, eat-in, or delivery . . . yes, they plan to deliver, folks.

Although this is great news in helping you to save some serious bucks, both owners at Il Paleo have more in store for you. If you’re up for the challenge, a trainer (and trained nutritionist) will take you next door to the restaurant and ensure you’re eating the proper diet. Conversely, at the Cross Fit gym Pumph-Hughup he/she will create workout challenges for you which might include jumpstacks, kettle bells, throwing logs, tossing tires, Thrusters, Jerks, handstand push ups, or just a bunch of reps of sit-ups. The more reps that you’re able to handle, the bigger the discount, up to an additional 10%. “But,” shares Hanz, “if you can’t finish the basic reps set up by your coach, you’ll be banned from setting up challenges for an entire month.”

This light-hearted approach only helps to show the importance of keeping people fit, active, and constantly thinking about what they’re eating. But, if it’s a drink you desire, then you’ll want to saddle up to the bar at Il Paleo. They’ll be serving up shots of bone broth, a decadent variety of 20 different coconut waters from across the world, liquified avocado, and herbal tea on the rocks. Sorry folks, no alcohol here. That would be very un-Paleo and Cross Fit of them, now wouldn’t it?

While we’re not into either Paleo or Cross Fit, we are into being healthy so we’re definitely excited to try the restaurant. As we noted in the title, we’re talking a Greenwich opening, more specifically the Riverside neighborhood. Right now the plan is to open up by May 15 at 522 East Putnam Avenue. The first 100 diners will receive free passes to Pumph-Hughup for an entire year and anybody who comes by for a meal (they plan to open for breakfast during the summer) in the first month of opening will receive free passes for a month.

So, are you ready to get fit fast, eat right, and—most importantly—are you ready to visit Pumph-Hughup?   

April Fools Ideas No one can deny that eating healthy and choosing a careful diet has become more and more important as food companies increasingly look for dangerous short-cuts and time and cost savings in their food sourcing and production.