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Max Fish celebrates an evening of local wines and shellfish Monday, paired with select wines from Colchester's Priam Vineyards.

Noank, Blue Point and Briar Patch oysters will be served with Priam's Barrel Select Chardonnay, Riesling, Dry Gewurztraminer and Late Harvest Riesling. The shellfish pairings also include a lobster parfait. (Oysters are subject to change based on availability.)

Seatings are at 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Cost is $35 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Call 860-652-3474 for reservations.  Max Fish is at 110 Glastonbury Blvd, Glastonbury. maxfishct.com.

(Photo credit: Bill Daley / MCT)

Judging by the crowds at Sun WineFest 2011 Saturday, people were raring to kick some snow-induced cabin fever. Within minutes of the Grand Tasting's noon start, the Mohegan Sun Convention Center ballroom was packed with gourmands and wine aficionados ready to indulge.

Representatives poured hundreds of fine wines from France, Italy, Napa Valley and South America, and chefs from Connecticut restaurants cooked up dishes ranging from fun comfort foods to more intricate, creative tastes.

See more pictures of the Sun WineFest 2011.

Jordan Caterers presented an earth-to-table style setup, designed with shiny copper cookware. Star chefs Kevin Cottle and Van Hurd served up sake-braised pork belly with sweet-and-sour lentils, truffle jicama slaw and parmesan-seasoned bread. It was the first Sun WineFest appearance as Jordan chefs for the former "Hell's Kitchen" contestants, who joined the catering company last summer.

"It's just fun. [A] lot of great restaurants that come together. This is kind of a fun time for us chefs, because we never get to see each other," Cottle said. "We're always so busy. It's a great time for camaraderie."

Hartford's Polytechnic ON20, a restaurant known for its imaginative cuisine, went with a twist on an classic ham-and-cheese sandwich. In ON20's interpretation, this meant toasted fresh-baked bread with cured Bayonne ham, Bloomsday cheese from Colchester's Cato Corner Farm, a creamy Mornay sauce, Parmesan foam and crispy pancetta bits for garnish. The miniature sandwiches were served with lighter-than-air handmade potato chips.

 

"We wanted to make something a little bit more simple, but in a gourmet fashion," said executive chef Noel Jones. ON20 also presented an irresistible flourless chocolate torte with Bailey's crème anglaise, crushed Marcona almonds and Maldon sea salt.

Esca Restaurant and Wine Bar was a new addition to the festival, serving braised short ribs, truffled shrimp gnocchi and chocolate-dipped biscotti.

"We're just really excited to be here. We're a fairly new restaurant, hoping to let people know that we're here, and to come visit us in Middletown," owner Elisa Bramato said.

Several other restaurants dished up comforting Italian food, fitting for this harsh winter. First & Last Tavern's huge arancini (fried risotto balls,) stuffed with gooey fontina and pancetta, turned heads. VIVO Trattoria made their signature penne Bolognese with mascarpone and Parmesan. Octagon at the Mystic Marriott had mini veal osso buco with grilled polenta and tomato relish.

Along with the hearty fare, there were also small glimpses of summer: Jasper White's Summer Shack and its ocean-fresh raw bar of Blue Point oysters, cherrystone clams and shrimp cocktail; SolToro's zesty shrimp ceviche with Serrano peppers and cilantro; buttery miniature lobster rolls from Cuvee; coconut shrimp by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. Sushi lovers lined up for maki rolls and sashimi by Toshi and Feng Asian Bistro.

On the specialty foods front, lines formed at the booths for Guylian Chocolates and iGourmet, where people clamored to get tastes of cranberry-flavored chevre and a wildly popular English cheddar with sweet caramelized onions.

Among the wines were plenty of spirits, and certain booths' signature cocktails gained a lot of fans. Chandon served a "bubbletini," with its sparkling rose wine, vodka, fresh strawberries and simple syrup. (File that one away for Valentine's Day in a few weeks.) 10 Cane Rum mixed up batches of refreshing mojitos, conjuring images of Caribbean vacations. A long line formed for a Grand Marnier "Smash" cocktail, made with Cordon Rouge, fresh lemon and mint leaves and served in a spherical red collector's cup.

Upstairs, beer tastings reigned supreme, with a loud, rollicking atmosphere reminiscent of fraternity parties.

Saturday was a prime day for celebrity chef sightings, with cooking demonstrations by Bobby Flay, Robert Irvine, Marcella Valladolid and Todd English. Visitors crowded the seating area to catch glimpses of their favorite Food Network personalities.

Several seminars took place during the day Saturday, including a chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon pairing with winemaker Michael Martini; a beer-and-cheese tasting with Sebago Brewing Company president Kai Adams and an Elite Cru wine event with exclusive vintages, specialty cheese and a raw bar. Flay, English, Irvine and Jasper White joined other big names for the flagship Saturday evening event, the Celebrity Chef Dine Around.

Note to Mohegan regarding the Grand Tasting: The food-token purchase system (one token=one dollar) has got to go. At that rate, you could feasibly surpass the $70 ticket price to buy tokens for just a handful of bites. (Other similar festivals charge a little more per head and include everything in the ticket price.)

The Mohegan Sun WineFest continues Sunday with the Grand Tasting event from noon to 5 p.m., featuring the 7th Annual Oyster Open at 4:15 p.m. The Bubbles and Bon Bons dessert-and-champagne gala kicks off at 6 p.m. with chocolatier Jacques Torres, Irvine and executive pastry chef Lynn Mansel. Visit sunwinefest.com for details.

(Photo credit: Nick Caito / ctnow.com)

Excellent news from the Greater Hartford Arts Council: the Taste of Hartford promotion will be extended to Jan. 30. You now have an extra week to enjoy $20.11 prix-fixe multi-course meals at 24 of Hartford's restaurants.

Visit TasteHartford.com for a full list of participating restaurants and their menus.

Click here for a gallery of participating restaurants.


Click here for a transcript of Tuesday's live chat about the Taste of Hartford event.


(Courant file photo: Michael Kodas)

He may be the scion of a legendary actor (hint: Han Solo, Indiana Jones), but Los Angeles-area chef Ben Ford is known for his stardom in the kitchen.

The executive chef and proprietor of Ford's Filling Station in Culver City, Calif., Ford celebrates his restaurant's gastropub concept with innovative comfort dishes using local ingredients.

Ford's Filling Station has earned honors from Zagat, Michelin and the Los Angeles Times since its opening in 2006. Previously, Ford cooked in some of California's most famous eateries: Chez Panisse, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Opus and Campanile.

Ford joins other big-name chefs like Bobby Flay, Todd English and Jasper White at the Sun WineFest's Celebrity Chef Dine Around event on Jan. 29.

Q: You're well-known in the Los Angeles area, but what attracts you to an East Coast festival?

A: It's an opportunity to go off and represent myself on the East Coast here and there. I'm doing whole roasted pigs [at the Celebrity Chef Dine-Around]. It's going to be quite a display. ...We're a snout-to-tail restaurant, so I thought it was a good way to represent what we do. ...This is a fun event. I wouldn't be coming back for a second year if I didn't think it was worthwhile. We've got three days' worth of different events. It's going to be a blast out there.

Q: How would you describe Ford's Filling Station to those who haven't visited?

A: We do a lot of nostalgic dishes, a lot of comfort food. But it's a very crafty restaurant. ... It's also a very playful restaurant. We're always bending and weaving, always changing the menu, having events. It's a wonderful concept and a wonderful place.

If you missed our Taste of Hartford chat, here's a transcript. See what participants have to say about their favorite restaurants and the meals they hope to enjoy this week.

And it seems as if a Taste of West Hartford event would be wildly popular...hint hint...

 

Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods host the 4th Annual Food & Wine Festival this weekend.

Over three days, the casino will feature dinners, workshops, tastings, brunches, book signing and galas with a host of celebrity chefs and experts. The lineup of famous faces includes Tom Colicchio, Joe Bastianich, David Burke, Sunny Anderson, Anne Burrell, Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Schlow and Aaron McCargo, Jr.

A host of Connecticut chefs and restaurateurs will participate in the Grand Tasting events on Saturday and Sunday, including Gianni Caruso (Bricco), Prasad Chirnomoula (Thali), Daniel Chong-Jimenez (Kensington's at the Spa at Norwich Inn), Kevin Cottle (Jordan Caterers), Kevin Long (Shrine), Rob Maffucci (Vito's), Manuel Romero (Ibiza) and Carey Savona (Heirloom at the Study at Yale.)

Ticket prices vary by event. Visit foxwoodsfoodandwine.com for more information.

New London Main Street hosts its 13th annual Fall Food Stroll Wednesday night, starting at 5:30 p.m.

The event, held in the city's Waterfront District, features cuisine from 22 downtown restaurants, vendors and caterers.

Selected restaurant dishes include chowder, seafood paella and crab bruschetta from Chaplin's, Moorish pork meatballs with a butternut squash curry sauce as prepared by Dev's on Bank, wings from Hot Rod Cafe and chicken buna from Northern Indian.

Advance buttons are $25; $30 at the event. Military and student buttons are $20 in advance; $25 at the event. More information: 860-444-2489 or newlondonmainstreet.org.

(Photo: Courtesy of New London Main Street)

The McRib is back.

This morning, McDonald's announced via its official Twitter account that its storied pork sandwich would return to locations nationwide in a few weeks.

If you stayed home to watch last night's Patriots/Dolphins game, you might be regretting your decision right about now. Your wings and beer may have been on the house.

Wood-n-Tap and TD Homer's restaurants have been advertising a Monday Night Football promotion, vowing to pick up customers' tabs if a player returns the second-half kickoff for a touchdown. After the Pats' Brandon Tate did exactly that, the restaurants' owners made good on their promise. Between the six locations, that amounted to more than $5,000 in customer checks.

"People were so excited, they were high-fiving strangers, jumping up and down, and going bananas!" said Wood-n-Tap partner Phil Barnett in an email. "We would love to give away even more next Monday night, so come down and enjoy it with us."

The Jets host the Vikings next Monday, Oct. 11, beginning at 8:30 p.m. Wood-n-Tap has locations in Hartford, Farmington, Rocky Hill, Southington and Vernon. TD Homer's is in Southington. More information: woodntap.com, tdhomers.com.

(Photo credit: Dave Moran / Special to ctnow.com)