Sales on Sunday!

A little less than a year ago, we gave you the lowdown on the 20% hike in CT state alcohol tax, and we ended the post by raving like lunatics about the fact that Connecticut was one of two states left in the Union that didn’t allow Sunday liquor sales.

http://foodplusbeer.blogspot.com/2011/06/your-guide-to-20-alcohol-tax-increase.html

Well, it worked. Governor Dannel Malloy, having read our blog post, was so moved and enlightened that he immediately began pressing the state for change. The result was this past Sunday – the first ever Sunday for CT State liquor sales.

You’re welcome, Connecticut. 

Ryan's first Sunday six-pack. It tasted like liberty.

Cheers,

Ryan

DeCicco's Ardsley

For a beer dork, crossing the border from Connecticut to New York is akin to hopping over the Berlin wall and landing in Allied West Germany. A mere 15 minutes from the Nutmeg State, New York’s beer distribution list includes several amazing breweries you won’t find anywhere in CT. Like Founders. Green Flash. Sixpoint. Anderson Valley. You catch my drift. Lots of good stuff.

In addition, Westchester county is littered with places to get a growler filled – the only place I can think of in Fairfield county is the eternally disappointing SBC. So, when I heard about DeCicco’s, from my next-door neighbor and fellow beer-thusiast, I felt compelled to check it out.

 DeCicco's is Italian for "Yummy Happy Beer Place."

First things first - DeCicco’s is not a liquor store. It’s actually a family-owned, slightly high-end grocery store in the vein of Whole Foods. (At least that’s the impression I got while I was sprinting towards the beer section). However, I hadn’t driven to Ardsley, NY for kale.

The DeCicco’s beer selection, in terms of number of options, is on par with some of the better liquor stores in the Fairfield County area. The difference is the inclusion of the excellent breweries I listed earlier, and the 10-tap growler station.

Did I mention there's cheese at the growler station? There's cheese at the growler station.

On this day, I filled a growler with Troeg’s Nugget Nectar, grabbed a bottle of my beloved Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, and snagged a 4-pack of Founders Imperial Stout. None of which, mind you, can be purchased in Stamford. Not a bad haul for a 30 minute drive.

My only complaint would be the fact that my girlfriend’s mom’s maiden name is DeCicco, and yet I didn’t get a family discount. Very disappointing. Other than that – the store kicks ass, and you should check it out.

Cheers,

Ryan

Fat Cat Pie Co

Norwalk, CT
http://www.fatcatpie.com/ = the worst website ever. Seriously.

As we all know, and as the Stamford Pizza Tour folks constantly remind us, Stamford is saturated with pizza places. There’s a slice for every occasion – Colony when I crave that salty, greasy, deliciousness, Coalhouse when I want to enjoy my pizza with an amazing beer, Remo’s for that classic, fresh, saucy feel, and of course that place around the corner that delivers for those times when I can’t seem to pry myself off the couch. With all of these amazing choices, and many more, why would I leave Stamford for a piece of pizza? Fat Cat Pie Co in Norwalk is one reason.

I like thin crust pies. Fat Cat’s crust is about is thin as it gets. Thin Lizzy would endorse it. In fact, they probably give you the least amount of substance possible for a 13” pizza. You’d be disappointed if you tried to share a pizza with someone, as you’ll have no trouble putting one back on your own. Although small, the crackery crust gives the pies a nice snappy crunch, and just enough support for a thin layer of sauce, and a light sprinkling of cheese and toppings. It’s a minimalistic pie, and it’s not exactly a bargain.

With all of that said, you might be wondering why I just told you to venture outside the nest to try it. Because Fat Cat’s different. It feels more like a wine bar than a pizza place. It’s a dimly lit open room with exposed brick walls and a chill vibe. They have a decent selection of wine and usually a few unexpected craft beers on tap, accompanied by a decent bottle menu. Unlike most pizza places, it’s unlikely that you’ll see Fat Cat overrun with children and families. The ingredients are fresh, all organic, and they serve tasty salads, cheese, fresh baked local breads and delicious coffee. So go ahead, give it a try when you’re looking for something a little different than your old standbys.

They give you variety of Penzey's spices to top your pizza

Here’s our recommendations:

Nona Massini’s sliced meatballs – real, tasty, meatballs. Not just a clump of ground beef.
Seasonal spicy peppers – these fresh peppers add a lot of zing to your pie. Moderate heat.
Breakfast pizza – Local eggs and cheese on a buttered pizza crust.

-Kyle

Station Eats

Station Eats | Menu
Stamford, CT

Somewhere between McDonald’s and Mackenzie’s; between Burger King and Burger Bar, exists a space. Let’s call it the High End Burger Shack. (HEBS). The HEBS business model has been exploding in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why.

Say you want a nice, juicy burger. (In other words, say you’re me, at any given time). You don’t want to do the whole sit-down dinner thing with a wait staff, and a hostess, and tipping – I mean, it’s just a damn burger. But at the same time, you don’t want one of the synthetic sodium grenades you’d get at a fast food place. 

So, what’s the solution? Five Guys. Shake Shack. In-N-Out Burger (I will have it someday, dammit!). The solution is the HEBS. The wonderful little grey area between eat-in and take-out. The perfect beefquilibrium.

I love the HEBS. It’s my kind of place. So when I found out that Station Eats had opened in downtown Stamford, and had already received ringing endorsements from our comrades at OmNomCT, I just had to check it out.

High-end FoodPlusBeer photography strikes again.

The interior looks, well, like a HEBS. It’s stylishly designed, with the menu written on the wall in huge letters, so you can read it clearly, regardless of how drunk you are. The order process works more like Subway or Chipotle than Five Guys – you tell ‘em how much meat & cheese you want up front, and then walk your cooked burger through the topping station. It’s a perfect opportunity for impulsivity (OOH! I want jalapeños, too!)

I ordered a double cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, oni…wait, you don’t care what I got on my burger, do you? It’s okay, I wouldn’t care what you got on yours either. The point is, they’re made to order and you can get whatever you want. Same with the fries – you can get them with cheese, chili, Station Eats signature sauce, whatever your clogged little heart desires.

Hamburgers! The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast.

I also ordered the U-Turn, one of Station Eats’ “Hi-Octane” shakes for grown-ups. Chocolate ice cream, Oreo chunks, and bourbon - it’s like breakfast at Charlie Sheen’s house.

The burger was everything I could have expected – juicy, fresh, and tender…due in no small part to the fact that their meat is organic, and grass-fed, and locally sourced, and all that good stuff. The fries were perfectly hot, crispy and potato-ey. The shake had just the right amount of bourbon where its presence was felt, but it didn’t overpower the chocolate.

It was a perfect HEBS experience. Oh, yeah - did I mention that we were sitting on one of the picnic tables on their ROOFTOP DECK? Burgers and fresh air – what a combo. Just imagine what this place is going to look like on Alive at Five nights this summer.

It’s a good time to be a burger junkie. Long live Station Eats. Long live the HEBS.

Cheers,

Ryan

Coalhouse Victory Bacon Beer Dinner

At FPB, we love bacon. We love beer. We love dinner. So it’s no surprise that we would love a bacon beer dinner.

That’s exactly what we were treated to Monday night at Coalhouse Pizza (our review) - five delicious courses featuring everyone’s favorite cut of piggy. Five hoppy delights from the excellent Victory Brewing Company out of Downington, PA. The pairings, meticulously crafted by our blogger buddies over at OmNomCT, were a wonderful work of bacony, beery art.

In a normal review, this would be the part where I’d go through each of the recipes and each of the beers. However, on a night where we ate like Timothy McVeigh minutes before his execution, I think I’ll spare you the details. Instead, I’ll run through some quick highlights.

-The bacon blues salad gave new life to the phrase “beauty in simplicity.” It was also paired with Victory Headwaters Pale Ale, which kicks all kinds of ass.

-The Hawaiian Pizza with thick-cut bacon and habañero (Did I have to google “Spanish ‘N’ and copy and paste it just now? You bet) peppers was surprisingly delicious and balanced, and would probably be added to the menu permanently if Gerard could think of a Hawaiian blues song. (Dick Dale – Misirlou?).

-The Victory Storm King Stout Butterbeer was a really inventive, different, and delicious way to incorporate the beer into the dinner. Kudos to OmNom (and Harry Potter) for thinking outside the box on this one.

-Kyle spilled water all over Kristien from OmNom. I feel it’s my duty as a ball-buster to mention this in the post.

All in all, it was a fabulous night and one my arteries will never forget.

Cheers,
Ryan

P.S. - For nostalgia's sake, check out our writeup of the Oskar Blues beer dinner, which took place nearly a year ago to the day.

Oskar Blues Beer Dinner