Swanky Franks has been serving dogs, burgers and fries for decades. The search for a decent dog in Fairfield County has been difficult. They serve Boars Head and offer hot dogs, grilled dogs, Swanky red hots, a variety of burgers and sandwiches, and fried seafood. A basic dog is $3.50.

I sat at the counter and ordered a single dog and an iced tea. The server was friendly and pleasant, a throw-back to those seen on sit-com diner servers of the 60’s. I asked her for the men’s room and she giggled a little and told me it was around back “still in this building, but outside.” Granted this is a side of the road dog and burger joint, but it is 2014, not 1955 and that may have been the last time the bathroom was updated. I was not going to touch anything, and I now understood why the server giggled. Disgusting is upside.

When I returned to the counter, the dog was already sitting in front of my iced tea. It almost looked lonely sitting naked in a bun on a paper plate, but since I did not order any toppings, it was what I ordered. It was split down the middle. I added a little mustard and green relish. My first bite was a disappointment. There was very little flavor in the dog. This about as basic a dog as one could imagine.

What was more disturbing was watching the cook. He did not wear gloves and as I watched him prepare other orders he would grab raw bacon, then grab a few slices of cheese and then the rolls, all without washing his hands.

Swanky Franks is what it is and I understand it is a side of the road dog place, but nostalgia did not win my heart and stomach.

Five Guys, Five Guys, why Five Guys?

On the way to enjoy some of the state’s best ice cream we stopped at 5Gs. I am not a big fan of fast food burgers, but since I was heading to Ferris Hill, it was the compromise I agreed to. I could have stayed in the car, but did not, I could have ordered a soda, but did not, I succumbed to my friends and placed an order, a small bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, fried onions and ketchup, plus an order of small fries and a drink.

As I watched them prepare the burger I shuddered on the time it remained on the grill, I watched the patty move through rare…medium-rare, medium…on its march to well-done….why? I reminisced watching a similar process at White Castle 50 years ago…cook ‘em til their gray. The buns were dutifully lined up across from the griddle, toppings applied and when the burger reached well-done, it joined them in the queue. The compiler constructed my burger, wrapped it, added to the bag already laden with a small fries and called my number.

I grabbed a drink, joined my party at a table, opened the bag to an explosion of steam, the fries were definitely hot and freshly prepared, why serve every potato in Idaho in one bag? The burger was tall and my first bite confirmed my previous impressions. This was an OK patty, with the majority of the flavors coming from the toppings. There was some juiciness to the patty but its preparedness to well-done was still, in my opinion, a bad idea. The fries were crispy on the exterior, soft, inside. But why must they give so many fries, again quantity is Five Guys the trump card.

Overall I understand the love-hate relationship people have with 5Gs. For me, I just do not get it.

Each year I develop a list for CTbites for the Best Restaurant Burgers in Fairfield County. The 2014 list added three additions from 2013. The first that requires a specific call out is Mama’s Boy. In addition to fantastic Low-country food and vibe, they are preparing one great burger.

Mama’s Boy (SONO) – The “Mama’s Boy Burger” is the third newcomer to this year’s list. It combines local grass fed beef with house-smoked bacon, fried Vidalia onions and pickles, encased in a brioche bun. (The current burger now includes pimiento cheese). The 5-6 ounce patty was perfectly seasoned and the bacon strips added a significant amount of smokiness and a touch of saltiness. The fried onions (nestled under the burger) were soft and sweet and adding a few of the pickle slices added sour notes. Served with shoestring fries, this is another great item on their menu.

“gingerbitz” is opening its doors in what owner Karen Zuckert calls the store’s “dress rehearsal” and I was invited for a sneak peek and sample several of Karen’s delicious creations.

Described as a bakery and café, gingerbitz is a welcome addition to New Canaan, which has yearned for a local bakery for many years. The longtime dream of New Canaan residents Andrew and Karen Zuckert, gingerbitz represents years of dedication. Karen is well known within Fairfield County for her amazing gingerbread houses that have graced many mantles, as well as featured at numerous holiday festivals. When the opportunity arose to open a bakery in town that would “broader showcase Karen’s talents,” the couple jumped at the opportunity. They painstakingly and meticulously renovated the location, developed relationships with vendors to provide organic products and Andrew embarked on his search for the perfect coffee.

Entering the café, the cases are filled with cakes, pies, tarts and cookies; sitting atop these cases are packaged gingerbread delicacies, all decorated for various occasions. Shelves are filled with house-made chocolate covered pretzel, ginger bits, iced gingerbread cookies occasions and marshmallow treats. In the back is the fully exposed kitchen, with Karen and staff busily preparing the day’s delights, “I never want to hide, I take pride in my kitchen.”

The welcoming aroma of the coffee and the faint buttery fragrance of breakfast beckons you to stay and enjoy the coffee and a pastry, pie or cake at one of several tables. Andrew researched numerous vendors and traveled the world before choosing Stumptown Coffee, out of Portland, Oregon. “They represented one of the most responsible coffee growers, are selective in the bean’s origin and offer several blends.” gingerbitz will initially offer two of these blends, the “Hairbender” and its bolder cousin, “Holler Mountain.” I sampled two cups of the Hairbender and it was also bold in its initial profile and was a perfect partner to Karen’s baked delights.

At lunch, the menu expands to include the soups and sandwiches of Chef Ashley Boucaud. Chef Ashley hails from the Caribbean, graduated from NYU and then followed her culinary passion and graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Providence. The opening selections include cream of mushroom soup, chicken soup, plus a ham and brie or a roasted chicken sandwich. For a healthy drink, gingerbitz will serve freshly squeezed orange juice or ask Andrew for a glass of freshly juiced organic carrots, kale, or other organic vegetables. At lunchtime, gingerbitz will offer these juices as a smoothie or combine with the soft serve ice cream for a more decadent drink.

In my first visit I sampled many of Karen’s creations. Overall these items were delectable and proved that high quality ingredients do not need an overabundance of sugar. Each of the items were mild in flavor and showcased the natural flavors of the ingredients, were not overly sweet and were reminiscent of those made at home.

The Key Lime Pie was sublime. The thin graham cracker crust and key lime filling were topped with a dollop of whipped cream. The filling was smooth, creamy and presented subtle lime flavor, and the thin crust presented balanced and wonderful combination. The Carrot Cake included the traditional carrots, walnuts, and cinnamon, with a touch of nutmeg and topped with a cream cheese frosting. The balance of the cake and the rich frosting was delightful, again mild in flavor. The two-layer Chocolate Cake contained chocolate mousse between the layers and frosted with a chocolate buttercream. Reminiscent of the chocolate cakes of days past, this was an outstanding combination of a mildly chocolate cake, and a creamy chocolate frosting. For the fruit lovers, the Strawberry Crisp was incredible; delivered full strawberry flavor, complemented by the slightly sweet and the cinnamon streusel topping. And don’t forget to take home a few cookies for the kids. The Apricot Thumbprint cookies were buttery and the apricot jam was delicious.

As gingerbitz slowly extends its hours and expands its offerings, I look forward to enjoying some of the best cakes, pies, tarts, and gingerbread creations from Karen Zuckert.

155 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT 06840
203-801-0281

Some colleagues in my office recommended Li’s Brothers, so I decided to give it a try.

With a friend on his way to join me for a quick lunch in the office before a meeting, I ordered fried dumplings, General Tsao Chicken and Moo Shu Chicken. None were available under their Lunch Special menu, so each of these were full sized portions. First, the portions are very large, you can easily share a single order.

From the top:

Dumplings – there are six dumplings to an order. They were lightly crisped on one side. These were not very good. They were under-cooked, very doughy and had very little filling. It was similar to biting into raw dough.

Moo Shu Chicken – A large portion with several pancakes. I decided to first try the chicken without the pancake. One bite was enough to convince me that the Moo SHu Chicken was not to my liking either. There was an incredibly bitter flavor in the chicken, and the overall dish was not very good.

General Tsao Chicken – I did not have high hopes for this dish after tasting the other two. The dish was also a large portion, served atop a large mound of broccoli. It was primarily fried crust covered with an over-sweet sauce. The scant amount of chicken was intermingled with pieces of chicken bones and cartilage. This was the worst of the three dishes.

I was really hoping I would like Li’s, but I would be hard pressed to return.

City Limits Diner in Stamford is a member of the Livanos Restaurant Group that includes one of my favorite NYC restaurants, Molyvos. I was first introduced to high-end Greek food at this restaurant and when City Limits arrived in Stamford, I heard that the food was excellent and the bakery was one of the best.

Looking at the menu there are numerous selections normally found at a diner. Breakfasts include eggs & omelets, pancakes, waffles, house-made granola and a few items that I would love to try including a chorizo and egg quesadilla and a crab cake benedict. Order an item from the bakery and have a great breakfast.

When lunch and dinner hits there are a couple of items that grab my attention including Kobe Beef Hot Dog on a pretzel roll with Jalapeño jack cheese, pickles and Chimichurri, a Turkey Cobb salad, and, from some e-mails I have received, a pretty good burger. A very eclectic group of entrées include a chicken loaf, fish & chips, crab cakes and ravioli. Coming from NJ I miss seeing the open faced roast beef or turkey sandwich, but I could probably get used to the change.

They are currently introducing a few weekly special evenings and my buddies over at www.ctbites.com post them every week on the “Weekly Nibble.” Take a look over there and check it out.

Over the last few weeks, I visited Volta for a quick dessert after meals at FISH and Barrique. The food was great at dinner and we were looking for a sweet ending.

Volta offers three sizes priced at $4.00/5.50/7.00. Compared to other ice cream and gelato stores, this is a little pricey for the size and quality. I ordered a medium each time and chose two flavors per. The banana is sweet and flavorful and the chocolate has a good deep flavor. The Stracciatella delivered a good vanilla flavor but I was not thrilled with the chocolate. The Nutella was my favorite with a great hazelnut flavor.

The texture was good, not as smooth as I would have wanted. Volta is a good gelato store, but second to Gelatissimo in New Canaan.

Let’s see, pick up the kids at 230, soccer practice at 245, pick them up at 445, drop them off at the Y for swim lessons and return at 600. Community service starts at 730 and I have to give them dinner…what to do? Sound familiar. Balancing our kids’ schedules with preparing a healthy dinner is a difficult task.

Plated is a new service in Fairfield County, designed for the family that has limited time to shop but would like to prepare its own meals. It delivers pre-measured ingredients plus the recipe to prep and cook a specific entrée plus side dish. The ordering process is simple, log into the site, www.plated.com and look through the options. There are limited choices, 2 meats, 2 fish and 3 vegetarian. This is the first drawback. In addition I noticed that one or more of the items were already “Sold Out.” Each entrée costs $15 and is designed to feed two adults. I ordered the Salmon with creamed Pan Roasted Salmon with Creamy Pearl Onions and Peas (660 calories) plus an order of Shepard’s Pie (550 calories).

The box was left on my front porch and when I opened it, I was impressed with the packaging. The food was well wrapped and two ice packs kept everything very chilled. The protein was packed separately from the other ingredients. The vegetables were all washed and the seasonings were individually packed. A four-color recipe card was included.

Shepherd’s Pie – The total time from start to finish was probably 45 minutes. The prep work is much more involved than the salmon, but still very straightforward. Boil the three potatoes, add the heavy cream and butter and mash until smooth. In the meantime, peel and dice an onion, the parsnip and the carrot. Then you sauté the meat, add the vegetables, cook, add the broths and reduce. You finish by topping the mixture with the mashed potatoes and place under a broiler to brown.

Result – We really liked this dish. It was full of rich flavors and the parsnips and carrots added a sweetness to the sauce. The seasoning of the beef was delicious and the potatoes added a creamy touch. Likewise, there was plenty of food for two hungry adults.

Salmon – Recipe was very straightforward and can probably be completed in under 20 minutes. The only required prep work was (1) zesting the lemon (b) cutting the lemon in half and (c) de-leafing and finely chopping the fresh spices. Cooking the creamy pearl onions was a snap, place in a pot, add the onions, brown, deglaze with the white wine, add the heavy cream and reduce. The salmon is seasoned with the zest and chopped spices and pan roasted for 7-8 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon and serve with the enclosed ciabatta roll.

Result – We did not like this dish. The seasoning on the fish was excellent and I will use this combination in the future, the recommended 7-8 minute cooking time was much too long. The salmon was vastly overcook. I did not like the onions and peas at all. The flavors were off and not enjoyable. This is not a dish nor a recipe I would recommend. Again, the portions were generous, two six-ounce filets and plenty of onions and peas.

Conclusion:

Positives:

• If your goal is to cook a home cooked meal without looking for a recipe or shopping, this is a good alternative;
• The Shepherd’s Pie was delicious;
• Recipes included photos as well as verbiage to guide the prep and cooking.

Negatives:

• The menu only offers entrées with a side; salads, appetizers, soups or desserts and not offered;
• The entrée selections are, themselves, limited on the site and can quickly sell out;
• Following the recipe exactly may result in less than perfect results;
• Each of the two dishes I ordered contained heavy cream and butter, and both dishes were panned fried;
• We did not like the salmon. The recipe called for pre-heating the oven to 425-degrees to reheat a ciabatta roll, not sure that was necessary;

This is not an eco-friendly solution, there are lots of throw away mini plastic containers.

April 8^th at 11:30…Mark your calendars

It’s getting close to that time of year ago…Ferris Hill Creamery’s 2014 opening is just around the corner. Would you believe that anyone is looking forward to eating frozen confectionery delights while being surrounded by ice, snow and the forecast calling for more wintry precipitation? But I like to think of the sunny days when you wait on line, look at the tons of flavors to choose from, place your order and enjoy the best ice cream in Connecticut.

Ferris holds special memories for me in 2013. The day before my shoulder surgery my wife and I made our final 2013 trip to Ferris Hill for a 3-scooper for me with hot fudge. Then the day after my surgery, a great friend drove to Newtown and filled her ice-filled cooler with close to twenty different 2-scoop delights and brought them to my house. For the next two weeks eating one of these containers was my evening activity and it increased the dexterity of my other arm and forced me to think out of the box on the process for eating. Why would anyone go to such lengths? The ice cream is fantastic.

Included in this little bundles of joy were the following flavors:

Ali-Oop – chocolate ice cream with fudge swirls and brownie bits;

Bada Bing – chocolate almond ice cream with chocolate chunks and Bing cherries;

Campfire – vanilla ice cream with fudge swirls, graham cracker pieces, and mini-marshmallows;

Cherry Vanilla – vanilla ice cream with maraschino cherries;

Cow Trax© – vanilla ice cream with swirls of peanut butter and caramel, with mini-chocolate chips;

Elvis’ Dream – vanilla ice cream with peanut butter, banana pieces and dark chocolate chunks;

Raspberry Swirl Chunk – vanilla ice cream with raspberry swirls and dark chocolate chunks;

Route 302 Chocolate Moo – chocolate ice cream with fudge swirls and lots of dark chocolate chunks.

So with the countdown now under one month, get ready for the trips to Newtown and Ferris Hill for the best ice cream in CT.