Showing posts with label ct dining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ct dining. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Farm to Table Dining at Trumbull’s Parallel Post

The Parallel Post located in the Trumbull Marriott Hotel is one of Connecticut’s newest dining hotspots. 

 Best of all, the menu is reasonably priced.  The food is farm to table fresh prepared by chef Dean James Max, a James Beard-nominated chef who is widely respected as one of the foremost seafood provocateurs in America.  Max is also a cookbook author; in his book, “A Life By the Sea: The Atlantic Ocean (2006) he notes, “My love of food is fed from fond memories of smells and tastes of my childhood.”  Considering all these achievements, it is not a surprise that he “wows” diners with his creative farm to table offerings.



Originally, from Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, Max spent his summers living on a farm. This experience, along with his family’s culinary traditions, helped him to understand the seasonality of food.  His journey as a chef has taken Max to many states; he has created many successful menus and has been recognized as “Best Chef” many times.  One of his most prestigious accolades is from the highly regarded James Beard Foundation, which has recognized Max as a “Great Regional Chef of America.”

Max’s farm to table outlook is not part of a trendy movement rather it is his philosophical approach to food and his diligence to his profession as a chef.  To that end, Chef Max uses many area purveyors such as Norm Bloom and Sons in Norwalk for oysters and lobsters, Ox Hollow Farm in Roxbury for beef, Beltane Farms in Lebanon for Cheese, Gilberties and Sherwood Farms in Westport for fresh herbs.  The menu changes with the seasons so there is always something new to try.



Before dinner, or after work, cocktails can be enjoyed at the swank new bar area that offers all manner of drinks in a convivial and comfortable setting.  Signature drinks include a “healthy” gin tonic upgrade that contains quinine, cucumber and juniper, a refreshing Appleton rum continental with fruits and honey and an evocative Belgian style drink with beer, Orangecello, lemon juice and St. Germain.



When dining at Parallel Post, don’t miss the Katama Bay Oysters that are plump and succulent; they are served with a tarragon mignonette cocktail sauce; another winner in the oyster family are fire roasted with preserved lemon butter and smoked bacon.  A perennial favorite are the hand cut sea salt french fries, they have just the right amount of crunch and are served with a spicy ketchup and old bay vinegar.



Tomatoes are in season so now is the time to try the burrata cheese, heirloom tomato salad that is elegantly mixed with hot soppresata, arugula, piquillo paint, peach oil and grilled bread.  Another refreshing salad is a combination of baby greens, cucumbers, blistered tomatoes and aged farm cheese mixed with delicious hazelnut vinaigrette.



As for entrees try the grilled mahi that is cooked to perfection and served with yukon puree, grilled broccolini, fried okra, and buttery corn with verbena jus.   On the lighter side, pineapple glazed shrimp with sticky rice and grilled vegetables are just enough to satisfy.  The grass-fed beef double burger, voted VT’s Best Burger is from OxHollow Farm in Roxbury and is served on a fresh sesame brioche roll with Vermont cheddar and Benton’s bacon.  This burger is delectable and pairs well with the hand cut fries.  The desert menu offers a medley of goodies from espresso flan to a luscious white chocolate lavender cheesecake with strawberry sauce.




The menu is seasonally inspired and always evolving.  For current menu offerings visit http://parallelpostrestaurant.com.  The Parallel Post is located in the Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull CT. Call 203-380-6380 for reservations.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

A Taste of Litchfield Hills Aug. 25 - 27


From comfort food to gourmet dishes and live entertainment to an outdoor shopping bazaar, the 27th annual Taste of The Litchfield Hills will offer a menu of fine fare and fun at a new location.
New England's oldest food and wine festival will be held Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 25-26, 2012, at its new location, Harwinton Fairgrounds, 150 Locust Road, Harwinton, Conn.

Since 1985, the festival has annually attracted thousands of guests for a sampling of the region's food and wine, plus upscale shopping and live entertainment.

This year's menu will feature such dishes as BBQ pulled pork, braised short ribs, chicken and black bean chili, fresh prosciutto Panini, lamb shawama pita wrap, lobster hush puppies, lobster mac and cheese, grilled pizza, New England clam chowder, seared sea scallops, sesame chicken and many other items. Sweet offerings will include apple cider cinnamon donuts, banana & toffee pie, fruit smoothies, old fashioned kettle corn, white chocolate apricot squares and many other delicious desserts. The 2012 Menu is available for download at www.LitchfieldFestivals.com.



Foodies will enjoy "grazing-sized" portions of house specialties prepared by chefs from regional restaurants, bistros and other purveyors of fine food with prices ranging from $4.00 to $8.00 per item. Table seating will be available in the festival's Culinary Tent and outdoor picnic pavilions.

Plus, guests are invited to picnic on the grounds with their own lawn chairs and blankets.
Participating culinary vendors will include @ The Corner (Litchfield), Backstage Restaurant (Torrington), Faddy's Donuts & Ice Cream (Bloomfield), The Green Room Café (Winsted), Indochine Pavilion (New Haven), Infinity Bistro (Norfolk), Jake's Wayback Burgers (Torrington), Kelly's Kitchen (Winsted), KJ' Grilled Pizza (Torrington), La Cupola Ristorante & Inn (Litchfield) and Noujaim's Specialty Foods (Torrington).

An assortment of imported Italian wines from Don Tomasi Winery will be available for purchase by the glass. Samuel Adams Boston Lager beer, plus a variety of soft drinks also will be available for purchase.

Live entertainment will include country singer-songwriter Courtney Drummey (Saturday, 12-3 p.m.), jazz recording artists The Christine Spero Group (Saturday, 4-7 p.m.) and blues artists The Andy James Band (Sunday, 1-4 p.m.).



Guests will also enjoy an upscale shopping experience in the festivals outdoor bazaar featuring such unique gift items as artisan-crafted jewelry, gourmet food products, kitchenware and other products and services.

Hours for A Taste of the Litchfield Hills will be 12 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, and 12 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Ticket prices are Adult (age 12-64): $10 On-Site or $8 Advance Purchase; Senior (age 65+): $8

On-Site or $6 Advance Purchase; and Child (Under 12): Free admission. Advance tickets and more information are available at www.LitchfieldFestivals.com. Admission does not include food and beverage, which are purchased separately.

Harwinton Fairgrounds is located off Route 4 on Locust Road in Harwinton, Conn., just a few minutes from the intersection of Routes 8 & 118 and is an easy day-trip from Albany, The Berkshires, Hartford, The Hudson Valley, Metro New York, New Haven and Springfield.

With its antique shops, art galleries, covered bridges and quaint villages, the Litchfield Hills is an ideal vacation destination for the three-day holiday weekend. Lodging options include dozens of bed and breakfasts, country inns, resorts, hotels and motels. Tourism information is available from the Western Conn. Convention & Visitors Bureau at 860-567-4506 or www.LitchfieldHills.com.

About A Taste of The Litchfield Hills

Since 1985, A Taste of The Litchfield Hills has annually attracted thousands of guests for a sampling of the region's food and locally-produced wine, plus live entertainment and upscale shopping. More Info: www.LitchfieldFestivals.com