[Stylo]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Bambino's on the west side of Danbury had fantastic pizza.

Average.

- New Haven Pizza Snob

[JViello]

Originally Posted by mkiv808

I think a lot of people eat there out of ignorance and fall to marketing.

You mean "hospitaliano" is not a real word?

I ate at Carrabas for the first time a couple months ago (Gift Card) and you know, it wasn't THAT bad. The pasta was cooked properly, the sauces were not over processed and they at least brought some actual parmesan reggiano to the table and fresh grated it. Not great, but definetly better than the Olive Dump. What really turned me off are the corporate half baked comedy comments I heard ever single waiter repeating at all the tables. "Boy I see you really hated it". I actually scared the hell out of him and said back "Actually, I'm a food critic with Zagat - you'll get my full opinion, dont' worry" with a not so happy look on my face. His face went blank for a minute until my wife started laughing.

Originally Posted by mkiv808

Average.

- New Haven Pizza Snob

x2

What turned me off with Bertuccis was their advertisments that had the guy who's "Italian" accent sounded like the count on Seasame Street.
BearTOOchis make it bettar - ah ah ah."

[Slipperman]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Bambino's on the west side of Danbury had fantastic pizza. That said, I always loved the service I got at that Bertuccis - very nice staff (this was 8 or 9 years ago, not sure how it is now).

forgot about Bambinos. another one i should have added to my list.

never liked Bertucci's either. same goes for Uno. they both had the same problem imo - they made everything fancier than it had to be. just give me pepperoni on my pizza and forget the other stuff (except the mozzarelli).

[Slipperman]

addendum to my original post..

pizza..

Danbury
Bambino's

Branford
Born in America

bagels..

Danbury
the place next to the Barnes and Noble (yellow 'Hot Bagels' sign)

[ctwhitechin]

Pizza Uno is vile. ewwww

I was born in the Bronx, grew up in Long Island the land of good pizza, there had to be 10 or so great places within 3 miles of my parents house. Now in CT only pizza I'll eat is whole foods (not bad at all) or Frank Pepe's, preferably the one in New Haven due to the age of the oven, call me crazy but it does make a difference, the one in Manchester is very good but the one in New Haven has the edge.

Modern Bakery is good for my pastry fix in Hartford.

Not a fan of Franklin Ave Grinder, took me a while to get used to that word Grinder, say hero up here they look at you funny. Bread is NG at Franklin Ave Grinder to me anyway.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by ctwhitechin

Not a fan of Franklin Ave Grinder, took me a while to get used to that word Grinder, say hero up here they look at you funny. Bread is NG at Franklin Ave Grinder to me anyway.

Well, considering CT is the birthplace of that type of sandwich, I think we can call it whatever we feel like.

Actually the term "sub" was invented here too. Both the Grinder and Sub came from the New London area via the sailors who enjoyed the "HUGE" Italian sandwiches that you had to "grind" on. The term "sub" came from the fact that these guys were on a Submarine and were craving and requesting those huge, yummy sandwiches in other ports they came to know in CT.

Many try to refute the above, but the facts and documents back it up. Just like Boston laying claim to the oldest public park. Ahhh, nope. That be Bushnell.

That's the abbreviated version.

[Stylo]

Gaetano's in Stratford has the best grinders I've experienced in CT.

[MetsNY]

Originally Posted by ctwhitechin

Pizza Uno is vile. ewwww

I was born in the Bronx, grew up in Long Island the land of good pizza, there had to be 10 or so great places within 3 miles of my parents house. Now in CT only pizza I'll eat is whole foods (not bad at all) or Frank Pepe's, preferably the one in New Haven due to the age of the oven, call me crazy but it does make a difference, the one in Manchester is very good but the one in New Haven has the edge.

Modern Bakery is good for my pastry fix in Hartford.

Not a fan of Franklin Ave Grinder, took me a while to get used to that word Grinder, say hero up here they look at you funny. Bread is NG at Franklin Ave Grinder to me anyway.

You'll eat Whole Foods Pizza but nothing else in the state of Connecticut?

Pizza in some places in Connecticut is just as good as pizza in New York. In fact, I'd bet that there is a good amont of pizza places in CT have some sort of NY roots.

People in NY will always say something tastes better in NY that anywhere else.

I'll admit, sometimes a bagel or a slice of pizza is extremely good in NY, but there are places outside of NY that have just as good of pizza or baked goods.

CT isn't the middle of Iowa ya know.

[Konig1985]

Originally Posted by lgorfain

As I said, "until last year". That's when the owner closed it and the seafooder downstairs. It's now the excellent Indian restaurant Tawa, 211 Summer St, across from Barcelona.

Thus my lament for a good NY style steakhouse in Southern FFD cty... Mortons and Capitol Grille don't qualify.

Its very hard to have a good steak place in a bedroom community of corporate workers. Think about it, if they had to eat it every so often during work, why would they wanna eat it with the family again? Its torture.

The best quality to price steak I've eaten so far is in a very small unknown restaurant in NYC called Angus McIndoe or something like that. The steak wasn't very high quality but the chef cooked it with heart and soul and did the best he could. Best quality to price steak I've eaten in CT sadly is outback.

[lgorfain]

[quote=Konig1985;18484246]Its very hard to have a good steak place in a bedroom community of corporate workers. Think about it, if they had to eat it every so often during work, why would they wanna eat it with the family again? Its torture.

]
I think it's a combination of high prices, limited menu choices, and health concerns about red meat that have hurt independent steak houses in Stamford. Steak is Old Boy and Old School, not the trendy new thing. e.g. a fixture in Stamford for decades was Bennets Steak House, which finally shuttered last year, giving way to a gourmet wood fired pizza and small plates restaurant, ala Batalia's successful Tarry Lodge in Port Chester. Sadly,foodies these days are hunting for new culinary adventures, and a sizzling bone-in Ribeye black and blue aint that. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Steak is easy to grill at home (though you'll never get the steakhouse char and juciness from a restaurants commercial 1500 degree fire.) Many people, especially the ladies, want something that they don't have the time, expertise, or ingredients to make in their own kitchens.

btw, most of the food crowd in Stamford's restaurant scene are not families. And the new Stamford no longer can be described as a bedroom community.... just check out the vibrant business the downtown restaurants do at lunch, especially at Restaurant Rows on Summer and Bedford. Happily, most of the resto's are not chains, expect those in the Mall.

As for your Outback recommendation, because I don't have a family the sole reason I would go there is for a bowl of Blue Bell icecream. Aside from Texas and Maryland where it's avaliable in supermarkets, Outback is the only place you can get this incredible ice cream, which many feel is the best commercial ic in America. I feel funny getting a table, tho, and just ordering dessert.