Fairfield County Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Connecticut's Gold Coast

by Amy Kundrat, Stephanie Webster (Photographer)

Overview

Fairfield County stakes a claim to some of Connecticut’s most diverse terrain, an enviable proximity to New York City, and a discerning community of food lovers driving the demand for a vibrant dining scene. The Gold Coast boasts some of the country’s toniest neighborhoods, such as Greenwich and Southport, as well as the state’s largest cities, including the historic port city of Norwalk, the corporate-minded Stamford, and the diverse Bridgeport. Fine dining, dense downtown dining districts, and neighborhood bodegas are equally at home along this dense and diverse corridor. Along Fairfield County’s suburban center are such towns as Ridgefield, New Canaan, and Westport, whose historic Main Streets and cultural landmarks draw a family-oriented population. As a result, reclaimed taverns, farmers’ markets, and upscale dining districts scattered with family-friendly options abound. At the landlocked northern fringes, quiet enclaves such as Easton, Wilton, and Newtown have large swaths of protected and undeveloped land, as well as bountiful farmland and a handful of farm-to-table restaurants.

With recipes for the home cook from over fifty of the area’s most celebrated restaurants and showcasing over 200 full-color photos featuring mouth-watering dishes, famous chefs, and lots of local flavor, Fairfield County Chef’s Table is the ultimate gift and keepsake cookbook for both tourists and locals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493008735
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/15/2014
Series:	Chef's Table
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	27 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Amy Kundrat is the executive editor of CTbites, the award-winning website devoted to chronicling great food in Connecticut, especially her home in Fairfield County. A communications specialist with a concentration in new media, Amy’s career leading external communications teams has taken her from world-class art museums, to technology start-ups, and academic institutions. She currently works in New Haven at Yale University, where she indulges in the city’s vibrant food-truck scene. 

 

Stephanie Webster is the editor in chief and founder of CTbites.com. Born and raised in New York City by parents who design restaurants for a living, she developed a passion for finding out-of-the-way gems during weekly trips to the depths of Chinatown and frequent trips abroad. Professionally she began her career as a photo editor in the magazine industry and then migrated to the world of new media consulting and website building during New York’s first dot-com wave. She led strategy, brand development, site architecture, and content development assignments for top consumer brands. A seven-year excursion to Seattle exposed her to a casual yet innovative approach to food that hadn’t yet made it to the East Coast. When she relocated back to Connecticut, she made it her quest to find great food and support a community of eaters that live for their next meal.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xii

109 Cheese & Wine (ridgefield) Wild Mushroom Grilled Cheese 1

Artisan Restaurant (southport) Artisan Pot Roast 4

Bar Sugo (Norwalk) Sugo Meatballs 8

Barcelona Wine Bar (fairfield, south norwalk, stamford, greenwich, new haven, west hartford) Seafood Paella White Negroni 11

Bereket (bridgeport) Sigara Borek 16

Bernard's Restaurant & Sarah's Wine Bar (ridgefield) Crispy Sweetbreads Butternut Squash Haricots Verts Frisée Chanterelle Salad Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette 19

Bobby Q's (westprot) / Bar Q (stamford) Brisket & Beef Burnt Ends Pit Beans 22

Bodega Taco Bar (fairfield, darien) Gamarones "Enhilados" 26

Bonda Restaurant (fairfield): Pan Roasted Arctic Char over Crushed Potatoes, Artichoke Hearts & Arugula with Oven-Roasted Tomato-Almond Pesto & Preserved Lemon

Boxcar Cantina (greenwich): Boxcar Guacamole Boxcar "Super Chief" Margarita Southwest Chopped Salad 34

Burgers, Shakes & Fries (darien, greenwich): BSF Burger with Good Old American Cheese 40

Carole Peck's Good News Cafe (woodbury): The Martha (Avocado, Beet, Pea & Cucumber Salad) 45

Casa Villa, (stamford, bridgeport): Chile Relleno en Nogada Tostada de Tinga de Pollo 48

Catch a Healthy Habit (fairfield) Chocolate Pudding Grateful Green Smoothie 54

Chocopologie (south norwalk): Seared Ahi Tuna and Lime-Chutney Polenta with White Chocolate, Jalapeno & Cilantro Sauce Dark Chocolate Truffles (Madeleine) 57

Community Table (washington): Fallen Leaves Salad with Lemon Verbena-Holy Basil Kombucha, Sorrel & Nasturtium 63

Coromandel (darien, newtown, south norwalk, stamford) Sham Savera Badami Jhinga (Shrimp with Almonds) 66

Dapietro's Restaurant (westport): Ravioli Alla Campagna with Salsa con Burro a Nocciole 70

Dressing Room (westport): Goat Burgers with Bacon & Apple Marmalade 73

Eleven14 Kitchen (greenwich): Roast Peppered Duck Breast with Grilled Pineapple 78

ELM (new canaan): Maple Bacon & Eggs 81

Espresso Neat (darien): Cleverly Dripped Coffee 84

Fat Cat Pie Company (norwalk): FCP Butterscotch Pudding 88

Hanna's (danbury): Basked Kibbe 92

L'escale (greenwich): Bouillabaisse 94

La Zingara (bethel): Quaglie Ripieni con Polenta e Spinaci (Stuffed Quali with Polenta & Spinach) 98

leFarm (westport): Burrata with Sweet & Sour Summer Squash Brined Pork Chops with Corn & Pepper Chow-chow 102

Liana's Trattoria (fairfield): Ginocchi di Liana (Ricotta Gnocchi) 107

Match Restaurant (south norwalk): Tuna Tartare "Cracker" 110

Matsu Sushi (westport): Ruby Angel Salmon Confetti Salad 114

Michele's Pies (norwalk, westpor): Apple Raspberry Crumb Pie 117

Napa & Co. (stamford): Heirloom Tomato Salad, Burrata, Grilled Bread & White Balsamic Vinegar Gelée 121

Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro (norwalk): Lobster Rolls with Saffron Butter 126

Paci (southport): Vitello Milanese (Veal Milanese) Strawberry Shortcake 130

The Schoolhouse at Cannondale (wilton): Roasted Squab with Duck Confit, Sunchoke Puree & Pickled Beech Mushrooms 135

SoNo Baking Company & Cafe (norwalk, westport): Caramel-Apple Tart 139

South End (new caanan): Grilled Octopus with Romesco, Grilled Andouille, Smoked Breadcrumbs & Charred Olives 144

Southwest Cafe (ridgefield): Hatch Chile Stew 149

Stanziato's Wood Fired Pizza (danbury): Diablo Pizza & Cilantro Pesto 152

Strada 18 (south norwalk): Potato-Wrapped Striped Bass Veal Bolognese 158

Sugar & Olives (norwalk): Chocolate Pancakes with Bourbon Whipped Cream 163

Tarry Lodge Enoteca Pizzeria (westport): Pizza Margherita 166

Terrain Garden Café (westport): Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Apple Corn-Bread Waffles 170

Thali (ridgefield, New canaan): Seaside Moilee Boondi Avocado Chat 174

Valencia Luncheria (norwalk): Chocolate-Chile Baby Back Ribs Carlo Arepa 178

The Whelk (westport): Shrimp & Grits with Jalapeño Butter & Tennessee Country Ham Seared Scallops with Farro, Corn, Beans & Bacon 184

Index 188

Abouth the author 192

About the photographer 192

Editorial Reviews

"Being a travel writer, I see plenty of nice places to live. So why do I choose Connecticut? Simple: for the food. This book proves that rationale. Here are delicious recipes from the best restaurants in Fairfield County as well as loving descriptions and evocative photos of them all.. .. The incredible diversity includes not only regular restaurants but also farmers' markets and ice cream parlors, diners and pizza parlors, coffee roasters and food trucks.. .. This is a great book about a great place to eat."––Michael Stern, Roadfood.com and coauthor of the Roadfood books and The Lexicon of Real American Food "As a decades-long observer and critic of the Connecticut restaurant scene, I applaud Amy Kundrat's handsome new book on Fairfield County, center now of so many superb restaurants."––Patricia Brooks, author of Food Lovers' Guide to Connecticut

From the Publisher