RESTAURANTS
kaya pub food like wagyu beef curry rice and yuzu pork jowl, introducing locals to a different side of Japanese cuisine. Now, at Handroll Bar & Tapas, we find more familiar dishes done in new and surprising ways. Executive chef Gen Hashimoto stands behind a simple sushi bar with only 14 seats, similar to many found throughout Tokyo. The menu usually includes a few dishes from the Shokudo location, including the incredible jako salad with radishes, anchovies, bonito flakes and poached egg. But the fresh and cured fish is the standout here, and the absence of soy sauce on the counter is no accident; you won’t need it with these perfectly flavored rolls and handrolls. The best part is that you’ll find new delights depending on the “catch of the day” from the local fish markets and from Japan itself — from box-style Dungeness crab rolls to lemony Hokkaido scallop sashimi to buttery Connecticut-style lobster rolls. And noriwrapped handrolls, of course. — EL
966 State St., New Haven
Ignazio’s
Cuisine: Pizza Brooklyn meets Mystic and the result is delicious Neapolitan pizza with toppings like white clam, pineapple, ham and bacon, or Tex-Mex with cheddar, salsa, jalapeños, black olives, onions, cilantro and avocado, on a honey drizzle crust. If you are not a fan of the thin, airy, woodfired crust, order the Sicilian pizza, a thick but light square crust topped with fresh mozzarella, plum tomato sauce, pecorino, basil, oregano and olive oil.This establishment is an offshoot of a touted New York-style pizza place in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. Here in the Nutmeg State, it is located right on the outskirts of trendy downtown Mystic. In addition to pizza, they serve salads, grinders and small plates or starters like Estelle’s meatballs, stuffed artichokes, chicken wings, garlic bread with cheese, and mushroom caps loaded with breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, pecorino, olives and olive oil. When the weather cooperates, you can grab a table outside where you can watch the steady stream of locals heading in to pick up orders to go. Among the favorites — the shrimp pizza, with crisp whole shrimp, roasted red peppers, bacon and mozzarella. And be sure to nail the pronunciation — it’s In-YATS-zio’s. — AB
42 Williams Ave., Mystic Le Mazet
Cuisine: French Launched in September 2023 in partnership with Litchfieldbased Arethusa Farm Dairy, Le Mazet is a unicorn of sorts. It’s as if that hidden-gem restaurant you discovered on a trip to France and long to experience again has been transported to your own dining-out turf. The open kitchen at Le Mazet continuously serves French comfort food that extends from classics like steak tartare, seared tuna and savory tarts to a selection of Le Croque (grilled cheese sandwiches) before moving on to rotisserie chicken, ratatouille, beef Bourguignon, chicken coq a vin, fish dishes in parchment and more. In classic wine bar fashion, there’s also a menu of tinned fish, because Le Mazet is also a wine bar where the bottles are offered at “domaine pricing,” which means you don’t get gouged on the markup like you do at other restaurants. Like we said, it’s a unicorn that should be on the radar for anyone who loves French food served in a chic wine bar/bistro setting. — DPC
975 Farmington Ave., West Hartford
Love It Vegan
Cuisine: Vegan Finding a great vegan restaurant in Connecticut that doesn’t require a long drive used to be difficult, but the vegetarian and vegan culture has caught on to the point that there are hot spots in lots of places, including Love It Vegan in Torrington, which demands discovery. There’s so much going on here that’s wonderful, and it begins with vegan cuisine that riffs on New England comfort food in creative and delicious ways. The “clam chowder,” for example, is made
with oyster mushroom “clams,” potatoes, onions, rice-paper bacon bits, oat milk, coconut milk and chives. The “tuna melt” is chickpea “tuna” salad and cheddar cheese on toasted wheat bread. These aren’t novelties but rather breakfast and lunch fare made from plants, allowing you to eat healthier without sacrificing flavor. All of it is part of a mission “to create a kinder way to eat, work, and live,” by sourcing ingredients locally and supporting local businesses. Look for the special game nights, like a recent Dungeons and Dragons one, and special events like the Queer Community Craft Fair. — DPC
73 Main St., Torrington
Mi Bella Restaurante
Cuisine:
Branford has extended a warm welcome to Mi Bella Restaurante, which took over the quarters opposite the Green occupied for a couple of decades by beloved French bistro Le Petit Café. Roy and Winnie Ip are a tough act to follow, but Angela and Fernando Chiliquinga, who handle the front and back of the house, respectively, are clearly up to the challenge. The genial couple connected in 2006 while working at Ludal’s in North Haven, Angela becoming a teacher and Fernando helming the kitchen of sibling restaurant Dalton’s in North Branford from 2008 right up until Mi Bella’s soft opening last May.Angela’s interior redesign (implemented by ubertalented Fernando) retained a few elements like the classic pressed tin ceiling, mirrors and chandeliers, but gained 12 seats while adopting a modern bistro look anchored by a long, black, leather banquette. Fernando’s menu is “Italian-Mediterranean,” but his dishes are characterized by an exuberance that recalls the heady days of Roomba in early-2000s New Haven. Specials. like salmon stuffed with crabmeat, spinach and Manchego and topped with crabmeat-and-vegetable couscous, burst with color, flavor and three-dimensionality. Dinner salads are complimentary, as are addictive garlic knots served with a bright, garlicky chimichurri. Desserts, such as salted caramel crème brûlée, are not to be missed. — FC
225 Montowese St., Branford
Italian-Mediterranean
Mykonos Kouzina
Cuisine: Greek
At some restaurants, the vibe
hits as soon as you walk in. At Mykonos Kouzina in Norwalk it can only be the magic islands of Greece. Even if you couldn’t tell from the name, the vibrant color scheme is unmistakable. Blue tables and chairs, blue cushions with white piping, zig-zag accent tiles that mimic the waves of the Aegean, and blue-striped awnings all conjure up images of white stucco houses along an azure sea.You can’t miss with mezedes (the tapas of Greece) like tender meatballs keftedakia bathed in a light tomato sauce and dotted with goat cheese or tender rice-filled packets of stuffed grape leaves in a puddle of brisk lemon sauce. Pass around a bowl of avgolemono soup to sample the lemony classic thickened with egg yolks. Whole branzino lavraki (more than enough for two) is baked with the Aegean trinity of lemon, olive oil and oregano. Tzatziki, spanakopitakia, pastichio and gemista me kima round out the bright menu, an effective antidote for the season’s cold temps. — FW
141 Main St., Norwalk
Ore Hill
Cuisine: New American True gourmets should rejoice about the advent of Ore Hill, which was a long time in coming, with news about its arrival so fractional and fitful along the way, that uncertainty may still linger about its status. Let’s put that to rest. A farm-to-table, tasting menu-focused restaurant offering prix fixe and chef ’s tasting menus that change often, Ore Hill is guided by Tyler Anderson of Millwright’s fame, a perennial James Beard Best Chef Northeast nominee whose star turns include Top Chef, Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. He’s a culinary magician known for creativity and flavors that The New York Times calls “ethereal.” Ore Hill, which also offers tea service on the second Sunday of every month with a custom menu, is the sister restaurant of Swyft tavern next door, known for its wood-fired pizzas, making Kent a mini culinary paradise. There’s one downside that deserves a warning: Securing a table seems to be a challenge, so plan well ahead and maybe give the restaurant a call instead of spending a lot of time clicking on Resy. — DPC
3 Maple St., Kent
Il Pastaficio
Cuisine: Italian Armed with an authentic-first philosophy, owner Frederico Perandin imports all his ingredients from his native Italy and hires chefs who have Michelin star restaurant experience. Il Pastaficio opened on the Post Road in Westport in the fall of 2022 as an Italian market with to-go creations and imported goods, expanding on an original location in Greenwich’s Cos Cob neighborhood. About a year later, the Westport location closed for two weeks and reopened with a redesigned dine-in setup and diverse menu. The result is housemade artisanal pasta and elevated casual Italian food. The linguine al limone with caviar comes with a price tag but is exceptional. Also excellent are the deconstructed eggplant parm bites and fried gnocchi. Perandin also owns his own gelato line, Figo, which is sold in New York City and at his Connecticut restaurants. — JGR
135 Post Road E., Westport
SoNo Wood Fired
Cuisine: Pizza
Former Stanziato’s general manager Besar Kaba had his passion for fermenting dough and firing pies reignited while working at the popular Danbury pizzeria. At the start of 2023, he opened a spot of his own in SoNo. Kaba’s menu at SoNo Wood Fired is a blend of soul-satisfying Italian classics — many an homage to his childhood when he worked at his dad’s pizzerias and at Italian restaurants owned by relatives — but wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza is the star. Each is topped with the best ingredients available, and comes out light with some chew, as it should be, and with that signature leopard-spotted char.Pizza aside, there’s plenty more in terms of handmade pastas, meaty wings that get flashed in the wood oven, meatballs in a deeply flavorful red sauce with house focaccia to soak it up, and Italian seafood classics like shrimp fra diavolo and a hearty bowl of zuppa di pesce. If you choose to sit away from the oven’s heat and opt for a barstool, you’ll warm up quickly there, too, amongst a lofty selection of bourbon, local drafts, craft cocktails and a handful of different spiked espresso drinks. — AD
59 N. Main St., Norwalk
Taco Guy
Cuisine: Mexican
What started as a food truck for owner Adrian Hurtado back in 2020 actually goes back a lot further, first to his upbringing in Mexico, then in Bridgeport at his father’s successful spot, Super Taqueria Las Salsas. Hurtado, however, shied away from food service and instead took to bartending. He worked his way up the ladder, eventually landing at Mecha Noodle Bar and the prominent East Village speakeasy, Please Don’t Tell.He’d eventually go back to his taquero roots when his dad offered him a food truck. He ran with it, creating vibrant tacos on homemade blue-corn tortillas and his own hot sauces. The truck’s success led him to buy the vacant space on Wall Street (formerly Wall Street Tavern and Bar Sugo) to be an extension of the truck, serving not just tacos, but fresh ceviches, smoky, deeply flavored aguachiles, and large-format DIY tacos that come with piping hot tortillas, pickled veggies, spicy sauces and, typically, whole-roasted fish or carnitas as the protein.As for Hurtado? He’s usually up front greeting guests and behind the stick mixing some of Fairfield County’s best cocktails using fresh juices, housemade syrups, and a large selection of Mexican spirits. — AD
102 Wall St., Norwalk
Trigo Wood Fired Pizza
Cuisine: Pizza
Every new restaurant in downtown Willimantic brings it closer to the culinary renaissance locals and visitors alike hope for. Trigo Wood Fired Pizza is the latest to join the revival. Owner and chef Patrick Griffin has enlisted the help of his brother Phil, who owns Apis Verdi Farm in nearby Lebanon and provides the restaurant with fresh produce. Seacoast Mushrooms, Liuzzi Cheese, Kindred Crossings and Mountain Dairy contribute to this locally sourced, farm-to-table bistro disguised as a pizza parlor. The “harvest to hearth” pizza made in an open kitchen is a cross between Neapolitan and New York style, with thin, crispy crust and sweet, intense scamorza cheese. Red pie choices should include the incredible housemade sausage, while the “Nightshade” white pie uses these alkaloid-rich vegetables rather than tomato sauce to achieve an incredible effect. More daring eaters might want to try their honey and spice lemon pizza, a fascinating creation from this pizza newcomer. Adventurous cocktails like Spaghett, Paper Plane and Nothing Gold Can Stay make Trigo a player in the local speakeasy revolution, as well. — EL
744 Main St., Willimantic
Tümü
Cuisine: Mexican Nestled in a storefront on Fairfield’s Post Road, Tümü is part to-go restaurant and part home-decor boutique. With only a few seats for in-restaurant dining, visitors should plan on taking out but also plan on getting plenty of extra. Karla Krassin, a native of Oaxaca, Mexico, has created a menu of traditional Mexican classics that are worthy of the considerable buzz they’ve generated. The offerings include made-to-order items and readyto-heat meals that visitors can purchase for later. During a recent visit, both sides of the menu provided some of the best Mexican food I’ve had in the state. A made-to-order vegetarian taco featured an assortment of sautéed vegetables in a warm corn tortilla that oozed with deliciousness, while a chorizo burrito was equally well executed. The take-home-and-eat-later meals included guacamole and tamales, and both were excellent. Tümü is a place I’ll visit regularly going forward, and where I look forward to trying every menu item. — EO