connecticut

A Weekend in Hartford County, Connecticut

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Over the past couple of years my husband and I have opted for a weekend away to celebrate our birthdays, sans kids, over giving each other gifts. On his most recent birthday, he organized his entire celebratory weekend! Our getaway was for just one night, but we managed to make it a great 24 hours in Hartford County, Connecticut.

Where to Stay:

We stayed for one night at the Truman Gillet House Bed & Breakfast in Granby, CT. This historic home, built circa 1805, has just two guest rooms. I recommend the Connecticut Room Suite, which can sleep up to four. It has its own private bathroom, which includes a large whirlpool tub. One of the perks of staying at a bed and breakfast is the complimentary homemade breakfast that is served. During our stay, we were treated to a fresh fruit salad and homemade blueberry pancakes. The Truman Gillet House was super affordable at just $140/night.

Where to Eat:

We celebrated my husband’s birthday with dinner at Present Company in Tariffville, Connecticut. This restaurant is just a 10 minute drive from the bed and breakfast. Located in a 19th century mill, Present Company serves French-American cuisine. They have an open kitchen concept with a large dining room. The restaurant serves either a 3 course prix fixe $75 dinner menu or a 5 course chef’s tasting menu for $120. Wine pairings are available for an additional cost. Our dinner was delicious. Each dish was so complex with layers of flavor! Portions were large and not only tasted good, but were plated beautifully as well. I highly recommend this restaurant and wish it was closer so we could visit more often!

We enjoyed a late lunch at Gio’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in East Granby, Connecticut before heading home. We shared the eggplant parm with pasta and the eggplant with fresh mozzarella, marinara and roasted peppers specialty sandwich. This pizzeria/restaurant has an extensive menu that includes a variety of specialty pizzas, salads, sandwiches, pasta and entrees.

What to Do:

The primary reason for our visit to Hartford County, Connecticut was to visit the New England Air Museum. My husband is a history lover and one of his hobbies is building model airplanes. He had been wanting to visit the museum for awhile and knew that this was not an attraction that our two teens would enjoy. His birthday weekend was the perfect opportunity for just he and I to visit. The museum is less than 10 miles away from the Truman Gillet House Bed & Breakfast.

Over 55 aircraft are displayed at the New England Air Museum in exhibit hangars and outdoors. When the museum isn’t too crowded, visitors are able to sit in the cockpits of several aircraft! We spent a good 2 1/2 hours wandering the museum. For those with kids, there are flight science demonstrations and a play area.

Unfortunately, we only had 24 hours to spend in Granby and did not get to explore all there is to do in the area. There are parks and hiking trails, antique shops, wineries and farms nearby. There’s enough to do to make an entire weekend visit and we will have to plan another trip to Hartford County, Connecticut soon!

Mike’s Organic Market Now Open In Stamford!

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

(NY Foodie Family was invited to attend a Tasting event at the newly opened Mike’s Organic Market. As always, all opinions are our own.)

After 10 years of delivering organic groceries to the Fairfield, Connecticut and surrounding Westchester area, Mike’s Organic Delivery has opened a market!

Meet Mike Geller. A Greenwich, CT native, he founded Mike’s Organic Delivery in 2009. His mission is to make it easy for people to eat clean and wholesome food by delivering it right to their doorstep. During the ten years of owning his delivery business, he’s fostered partnerships with farmers, fishermen and other artisans and producers. He and his team hand-pick only the best products to offer his customers They are able to continue Mike’s mission but now are able to give customers the ability to shop for themselves.

The market, located in an commercial park in Stamford, is housed in part of a brick building that formerly served as their grocery delivery service headquarters. The warehouse gives the market an industrial vibe.

Part of the decor pays homage to Mike’s time spent bow hunting while he was living in Africa. His experience working and living in the Kalahari Desert helped to inspire the launch of his business.

You will see their slogan “Your Organic is Showing” throughout the space and branded on gear, like this cute tote bag. Mike states the slogan dates back to the origins of Mike’s Organic Delivery and was the slogan for the first t-shirt he made. He thought it was fun, catchy and memorable and it’s just stuck over the years.

Inside the Market, the shelves are stocked with the highest quality, small batch, artisanal products that Mike and his team can find. We found many locally made products in the store like Farmer Orzo and Spinach Rotini from Northern Farmhouse Pasta, handcrafted right in the Catskills. In the freezer section you can find ice cream from Arethusa Farm in Litchfield, CT and the dairy case includes milk from the Bethel Creamery.

And, of course, we can’t forget about the produce! The market only sells organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables from local farms.

The corn, from Saunderskill Farm (where we went strawberry picking this summer!), is so sweet you can eat it uncooked and right off the cob.

We discovered at this event that fresh, seasonal produce doesn’t need much to taste good.

Grilled organic mini bell peppers, gazpacho, and Persian cucumber salad are all easy to make and highlight the freshness of the ingredients. If you need some cooking inspiration, you can find plenty of recipes on the Mike’s Organic website.

The showstopper of the evening was the wagyu beef. The beef was first cooked sous vide earlier in the day and then seared for a few minutes before serving. According to my husband, it was the most buttery, tender rib-eye that he’s tasted.

There’s a cute little play area for little ones to shop and cook their own food while their parents shop. Mike doesn’t want the space to be just be a market. His goal is to make it a learning and wellness center as well by providing classes and programs that encourage healthy living and eating. His plans include pop-up chef dinners, partnering with local restaurants and businesses to provide classes and more.

Some fun, already planned upcoming events include:

  • September 19th, 7-10 PM: Nola @ the warehouse pre-event to the 2019 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival – Mike’s Organic Market is kicking off its fall event season…New Orleans style! Hometown legend Pete Francis (founder of Dispatch) will perform a special concert at the warehouse featuring his brand new song “Belong to the Band,” whose music video was shot in The Big Easy. The event will showcase signature New Orleans cuisine including Oyster Po’ Boy Sandwiches, Warm Beignets (a la Cafe Du Monde) and more prepared by culinary genius Chef Geoff Lazlo and utilizing the finest locally sourced ingredients from Mike’s. A portion of the proceeds will go to clean up efforts in New Orleans.
  • October 6th, 9 AM – 2 PM: Sheep Shearing Day – a fun-filled fest for the whole family where the kids can meet Farmers Pete and Carol from Sepe Farm and watch a live sheep shearing. The event will offer food tastings, crafts for the kids and a Sunday Market loaded with baked goods.
  • October 17th, 7 – 10 PM: Oktoberfest – the ultimate Pig Roast in collaboration with farmer-owned butcher shop The Piggery. Two Roads Brewing Company will provide brew tastings and Chef Lazlo will roast the pig and create farm to table masterpieces.

Be sure to check out the new Mike’s Organic Market in Stamford for all of your organic, locally sourced produce and healthy foods!

The Details:
Mike’s Organic Market
377 Fairfield Avenue, Building 1
Stamford, CT 06902
(203) 832-3000

Hours: Open Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 4 PM

Parking: Plenty of free parking outside the market

Duckpin Bowling {Family Fun}

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I’m sure many families have been bowling before.  But have you tried Duckpin bowling?!  Duckpin bowling is similar to the bowling that most of us are familiar with.  However, there are some differences. First, although there are ten pins, they are smaller and lighter than  those used in 10-pin bowling, making it more difficult to roll a strike.  Second, the balls are smaller in size and do not have finger holes.

Our family recently visited the only local Duckpin bowling alley that we are aware of, Danbury Duckpin Lanes, in Danbury, Connecticut.

This is an old school bowling alley. There are no televisions or streaming LCD screens.  The lanes don’t have automatic scoring or pin clearing.  But there is lots of memorabilia and look at that clock!

When you check-in at the main desk you are assigned a lane and given a scoring paper and pencil.  The time is recorded, as you pay by the amount of time spent bowling, not per game.  Scoring is calculated the same way as regular bowling.  Except in duckpin bowling, you roll three balls per frame. 

 

After each roll you hit the floor pedal to clear the fallen pins.

 

Then once you roll your third ball, you hit the reset button to load the pins for the next player.

There is a bit of a learning curve to Duckpin bowling, mostly in getting comfortable holding and throwing the ball. The smaller balls were a bit hard to hold, especially for the kids.  Although the bowling alley has bumpers available,  we opted not to use them.  They are the kind that have to be put in and everyone has to use them.  My son wasn’t very happy about this, since many of his balls ended up in the gutter.

We spent an hour and twenty minutes bowling two games, with my husband winning both.  Although there is a small snack bar at the lanes, we didn’t eat while we were there, as we had gone out to lunch right before bowling.

Duckpin bowling is a fun variation of ten-pin bowling.  We had a great time at Danbury Duckpin Lanes and plan on visiting again soon!

The Details:
Danbury Duckpin Lanes
7 East Hayestown Road
Danbury, CT 06811
(203) 744-4505

Hours:  Closed Monday & Tuesday
Wednesday & Thursday 3:30 PM – 6 PM
Friday 3:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Saturday 12 PM – 9:30 PM
Sunday 11 AM – 6 PM

Price:  3o minute minimum, price starts at $16 for 30 minutes
Shoes:  $1.50/pair

*Credit cards are accepted.

*The snack bar sells food at a reasonable price:  pizza $2.00, french fries $2.00, hot dog $1.75 plus snacks, beverages, ice cream and more.

 

Sultan’s Turkish Cuisine {Review}

Posted on by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

While traveling from Westchester County, New York to my parent’s house in Rhode Island, we pass Sultan’s Turkish Cuisine as we travel through Waterbury, Connecticut.  Located at 586 Plank Road, the restaurant is visible and located, right off I-84. We’ve driven by this restaurant countless times and finally, on a recent trip back from Rhode Island decided to stop for a late lunch.

The restaurant was empty when we arrived around 1:45 PM on a Monday afternoon. However, as our lunch progressed, the restaurant started to fill up.

The dining area is large with both tables and booths.  The interior walls are hung with decorative artwork, while elaborate drapery hang from the windows.

Turkey is a transcontinental country with parts in both Western Asia and Southeast Europe. The cuisine is influenced by its location, with key ingredients include lamb, beef, rice, fish, eggplant and nuts.  Spices often used include parsley, mint, sumac, cumin, Za’atar and paprika.

My husband and I were slightly familiar with Turkish food, as we recently had a Turkish-themed supper club dinner. However, this was our family’s first time dining at a Turkish restaurant.  To get the most variety and be able to try different dishes, we opted to share a small mixed cold appetizer platter and a small mixed hot appetizer platter.

The small mixed cold appetizer platter ($13.99) included (from top left (11 o’clock) on the plate) Humus, Bababganush, Haydari, Havuc Tarator, Antep Ezpe and Soslu Patlican. I was expecting lavash bread (a puffy bread often served with appetizers) or some other type of pita to put these spreads and dips on but we weren’t given any.  Instead, we used the crusty bread that was placed on our table when we arrived.

Humus – pureed chickpeas with olive oil, tahini, garlic and lemon juice.  We are not new to humus.  Although I usually buy it, rather than make it, it’s usually a staple in our fridge.

Babaganush – pureed roasted eggplant blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.  I love babaganush!

Haydari (Labne) – pressed yogurt mixed with garlic, olive oil, dill and crushed walnuts.

Havuc Tarator (Carrot Dip) – Carrots, mayo, sour cream, olive oil and lemon juice.

Antep Ezpe (Muammara) – A blend of tomatoes, red bell peppers, hot long green peppers, parsley, garlic, walnuts and pepper paste.  This spread was a bit spicy.

Soslu Patlican (Sauced Eggplant) – A mixture of fried eggplant cubes, red and green peppers and garlic topped with the chef’s special tomato sauce. This was one of my favorites of the cold appetizers!

The small mixed hot appetizer platter ($12.99) included (from top 12 o’clock) Calamari, Mucver, Sigara Borek,  Arnavut Cigeri and Falafel.

Calamari – Deep fried calamari served with the chef’s special sauce.

Mucver (Zucchini Pancake) – Combination of zucchini and fresh herbs and spices, served with yogurt sauce.

Sigara Borek – Cigar-shaped, fried crispy pastry filled with feta cheese and fresh parsley.

Arnavut Cigeri – Floured and deep-fried calf’s liver cubes pan seared with garlic and herbs.

Falafel – Deep-fried mixture of chickpeas, parsley, onions, garlic and Middle Eastern spices.

The only other hot appetizers not included on this platter include Izgara Kalamar (grilled calamari), Kizartma Fuve (potato pancakes) and Imam Bayildi (stuffed eggplant).  While I found the variety of the platter to be good, the portions were not conducive to sharing.  Splitting several of the above items between the four of us meant we each literally only got a bite.  A large platter though would have been way too much food for us.

Finally, for the main entree we shared the Mixed Grill Kebab Plate ($23.99).  This included Chicken Shish (cubed chicken), Lamb Shish (cubed lamb), Kofte (Turkish meatballs made of ground lamb), Adana (ground lamb seasoned with red bell peppers) and Doner (Thin slices of seasoned lamb and beef slow-cooked on a large, vertical spit). All kebab entrees are served with a side salad, and both white and bulgur rice.

Although stuffed, we couldn’t leave without trying a dessert!  The dessert menu included Baklava, Kunefe, Revani, Sekerpare, Sutlac and Kazandibi.  We ordered the Kazandibi ($5.95), pictured above, to share among the four of us.  It’s a vanilla-based milky pudding with a caramelized top.  This had a similar texture and taste to creme brulee.

Baklava – A sweet pastry made of layers of filo, filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup.

Kunefe – Shredded filo dought stuffed with cheese then soaked in a sweet sugar-based syrup.

Revani – Baked semolina soaked with the chef’s special syrup.

Sekerpare – Baked soft balls of pastry dipped in a thick, lemony, sugar syrup.

Sutlac (Rice Pudding)  – Sweet vanilla based mixture of milk and rice baked in the oven.

A variety of tea and coffee, including Turkish Coffee and Turkish Tea,  are available and can be ordered by the cup or kettle.

We had a great experience at Sultan’s Turkish Cuisine.  Although I don’t have prior dining experience to compare it to, the food we had was delicious and tasted authentic. The restaurant is family-friendly and offers a variety of dishes including vegetarian.  I liked how there was no issues with the four of us sharing the two appetizers and one entree. Our waiter even complimented on our “eating family-style.”  Since we obviously don’t eat Turkish often, this was a great way for us all to taste a variety of items from the menu.  Saturday evenings the restaurant has belly dancers from 7:30 – 8:00 PM which would be a fun experience for the kids to see!  The restaurant also offers takeout and delivery.

Attached to the restaurant is a small grocery shop selling all kinds of Turkish food products.  We of course couldn’t leave without picking up a few different types of candy to try!

The Details:
Sultan’s Turkish Cuisine
586 Plank Road
Waterbury, CT 06705
www.sultansrestaurantct.com

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday:  10:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Friday & Saturday:  10:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Price:  $$
Appetizers: $4.99 (lentil soup) – $20.99 (large mixed cold appetizer plate)
Kebabs:  $13.99 –  $26.99
Entrees:  $12.99 – $25.99)
Desserts:  $4.95 – $7.95

Recommend for families:  Yes

Overall Recommendation:  Yes