Jim Barbarie’s of Danbury—A Blast From The Past
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:16:23 +0000
by Frank Cohen

Crossing Padanaram Road in Danbury about six in the evening, I was mowed down by a fast-moving vehicle.* To what do I attribute my unlikely survival? To the hard head that has enabled me to write the unpopular truth when it’s called for and the padding put onto this once-athletic body by the excessive lifestyle [...]

Ponte Vecchio Trattoria in Fairfield—A Bridge to the Real Italy
Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:15:00 +0000
by Frank Cohen

The Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, is a famous Medieval bridge that spans the River Arno. The bridge is known for having shops built upon it, as was once common. The original tenants apparently were butchers, but now the shops are filled with jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. In the Connecticut town of Fairfield, Ponte [...]

Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar Opens Grandly In Hamden
Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:19:54 +0000
by Frank Cohen

The Vision If you were designing a restaurant, what would you want it to be? It’s no accident that restaurateur Ignacio Blanco’s vision of the ideal restaurant is inseparable from mine. The restaurant would have to offer exceptional food—that’s a given. And in the case of Spanish food, the cuisine which many culinary experts feel has [...]

Hamden Is Finally Getting The Restaurants It Deserves (Includes List Of 57)
Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:28:58 +0000
by Frank Cohen

I grew up in Hamden, graduating top boy from a class of almost 800 students in 1975. However, there were six girls ahead of me. When Principal Fitch called me to his office and asked me to be a co-valedictorian with Betty Pearlin, who was first in our class, I declined, pointing out that there [...]

At Oyama, All’s Well That Ends Well In Cromwell
Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:29:39 +0000
by Frank Cohen

After three lonely years, I have brought my lovely wife and daughter back from our Philippine island. They will have no more fish and shellfish straight from our waters, no more fresh coconut milk from one of our 75 coconut palms, no more mangos and bananas that make the ones here taste like imitation flavoring. [...]