Stamford OKs a few KOs

A little detour down Summer Street tonight ushered me past what used to be the FedEx/Kinko's on Summer Street. The space has gone from paper things to swings in rings, and it's now a boxing gym!  Pretty cool!  The gym is called LA Boxing, and it seems to be the real deal.

Click on their virtual tour and you'll see their official boxing ring, treadmills, cardio machines, forest of punching bags and even a mixed martial arts cage. My colleague has taken up boxing, despite being an honest to goodness high heeled, mascaraed girly girl, and she's a true convert. I can't say I like being on either end of a swinging fist, but it does seem to be an excellent workout.

What I am an unadulterated fan of is new options and a little extra excitement in downtown Stamford, and LA Boxing ticks both those boxes.  Welcome, neighbor!

Harlan Social is Ambitious and Delicious

photo from kevin dooley, flickr.com

Well, it's been a while but I've survived food poisoning, something flu-ish, two baby ear infections (and companion pink eye) and my company being acquired - phew!  And yet Stamford continues to spin on its axis, and Harlan Social has been busy shining in its atmosphere. 

We did manage to break away for a nice dinner there a little bit ago, and I have nothing but praise. I'd been there before, but it was only drinks and nibbles, so there wasn't much to say. In my party, we had a variety of fabulous meals.

The Harlan Burger looked a little odd, floating on its English Muffin-y bread, but the proclamation was "great!" and "greasy in a good way."  Sounded like although it might kill you, you'd die happy. We scratched our head over what Parisienne Gnocchi might be, and the diner in question described it as "open faced" gnocchi. He rated it a 10 of 10 with a perfect texture. My friend who sampled the Seared Scallops said she couldn't recall ever having had as good...and that they just might be perfect. (I'm no fan of scallops, so a perfect one might be tied in a Glad bag, as far as i'm concerned...but I'll take her word for it.) The Gulf Shrimp & Grits garnered similar praise and the Garganelli Pasta was described as "well balanced."

I had the Braised Lamb, and perhaps food love was in the air, but it was incredible. It fell off the bone and into a collection of delicious French lentils seasoned with onions, almonds and dates. That description doesn't do it justice, and only eating it would.

It's not inaccurate for me to say it: I hate brussel sprouts. I remember being so sad when a very special dinner of soft shell crabs came with the veggie of the day - which I forgot to ask about.  The plate arrived decorated in all directions by those little green stink bombs.  Boo! This is all to say that the brussel sprouts at Harlan Social were delicious. I was shocked (Lord knows I didn't order them, but I tried them out of a sense of curiosity and masochism). They were miniature, and I don't know what that is supposed to do to their flavor, but it made something horrible downright delectable.

I wish it had been a little busier on a weekend evening, but the environment at Harlan Social was cozy and modern. My husband's a much harsher critic than I am, and he adored the evening. We also enjoyed the cheese plate (although the very thick accent of the waitress kept me in the dark about what the heck I was eating) and two desserts: Warm Cinnamon Donuts and the Bittersweet Chocolate Bar. They were a bit skimpy on the serving size for the donuts, but I'm glad they recognize that everything is better with chocolate dipping sauce. The Chocolate Bar could use a little more descriptive text on the menu so I know what the heck I'm eating, but whatever it was, I'll come back for more.

Vote Yes On Holiday Goodness

Stamford Downtown is merry and bright - don't forget to vote for the best hall decker at the Downtown Special Services District website.  You could win a $100 gift Capital Grille gift card!

Shop Local for the Holidays!

 photo from christmasstockimages.com, google images

Guest post by the best friend a girl could have, TK:

Looking for those last few holiday gifts?  Need a hostess gift for your neighbor’s Christmas party? Consider purchasing some gifts made and sold by local merchants.

We recently stopped by Half Full Brewery in Stamford (43 Homestead Ave) to pick up a couple of 64 ounce growlers of their inaugural brew.  This beer is not just a tasteless light beer that happens to be made down the road.  It was light and crisp, with layers of flavor.  Half Full just opened its doors in August 2012.  It is well worth a visit, for sampling or to pick up a few growlers as gifts.  They’re open every Tuesday and Friday from 4-7pm for growler fills and sampling, and every other Saturday for tours, sampling, and growler fills.

If beer isn’t your thing, try a box of chocolates.  Chocopologie, the beloved SoNo institution, officially opened its Stamford location in November. I wrote up a little sumpin' sumpin' about them just yesterday. And don't forget about their downtown chocolate predecessor who's been coating your strawberries for years, Schakolad Chocolate (172 Bedford).

If you’re looking for even more options, SoNo Marketplace (314 Wilson Avenue, South Norwalk) just opened its doors on December 1. This former factory space has been renovated to include rows of rustic stalls, occupied by local craftsman, artisans, and specialty food merchants.  You can buy everything from pickles and olive oil to jewelry and antiques.  SoNo Marketplace will also be hosting culinary demonstrations, weekend feasts, and other family activities.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Chocopologie

photo from  Kirti Poddar, flickr.com

My lovely friend JB and I hadn't caught up in approximately 3,000 years, so we set our sights on a little afternoon out at one of Stamford's newest sweet spots: Chocopologie (213 Main). I'd been to their Norwalk location a few times, and was always impressed.

In Norwalk, they had a great selection of salads and savory fare, but unsurprisingly, it was the truffles, cupcakes and acres of chocolate goodness that really made the grade. I even took a cupcake decorating class and learned how to make a frilly icing flower...so freakin Martha Stewart.

I'm still taking the 101 class at the Stamford location, but so far, it's making me smile. It's a teeny, tiny space, but it packs a lot of lovely punch. There are dramatic glass apothecary jars filled with chocolates as pretty as jewels. There are brownies and cookies galore. I was taken in by the gelato case, and helped myself to a mix of chocolate and hazelnut. Both flavors were delicious. JB snagged a small hot chocolate, which was amazing and could pretty much be cut with a knife. As she rightly said, it tastes like a liquid chocolate bar.

Just as appetizing was the decor. Classic furniture pieces with dramatic flourishes painted in white were upholstered in a unique printed burlap edged in red. There was a box full of Lincoln logs (that my son tried to eat) on a gracious coffee table and pretty candles and artwork displayed all around. Chocopologie managed to convey a wealth of style despite the pinched square footage.

We had an excellent visit (although my about-to-not-be-a-baby-anymore baby kept us on our toes!), and I would definitely come back for more.

Run, Turkey, Run!

photo from Andrea Westmoreland, flickr.com

So did you parade it up with the Lorax and friends?? Seems like that event has gotten exponentially more awesome every year. We loved the Fraggle and the dance teams. Uniondale is always the best marching band, and they didn't disappoint.

Your local Turkey Day fun is far from over.  You can run off those extra giblets at the 12th Annual Shippan Turkey Trot. You have to check out the pictures on the website to see what they've been up to for the past 12 years.  There's skippin sumos, lumbering Lincolns, kickin ketchup bottles, marathoner Mario Brothers and even a bouncing baby turkey.

Come see your neighbors all decked out in their craziest costumes running for a fantastic cause.  Donations go to Shelter for the Homeless, which provides welcoming space for up to 100 people and hot meals every night.

Join in the fun at 280 Ocean Drive East between Shippan and Fairview on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22nd at 9:30am.  The racecourse is just under 2.5 miles and you can see it here. Better be ready to run at 10am because it starts right on time!  Bring canned food or cash/checks to support the Shelter and participate in the race.

Go to the Turkey Trot website above or email tomhynes@gmail.com for more info.
Or take a look at this video I shamelessly ripped off their website:

Sandy Damage in CT

Sandy was awful, up and down the tri-state, no question. New Jersey got it the worst, that seems clear. Parts of New York are still without power, and people are suffering. Still, one thing that bothers me is that nobody seems to be talking about Connecticut.

The big media chains are focused on New Jersey and New York, but a little online searching reveals some horrible devistation in Connecticut. Apparently, Milford was devistated. At least one video I found shows a person's yard filled with boats in Rowayton. I found one NYT video about Stonington, but that one was a rarity.

I don't mean to diminish the suffering of others, but I do wish that the media would recognize that Connecticut wasn't spared, and there are people in need in our backyard too.

Most Exciting Thing Ever!

I knew Chocopologie was opening its doors soon, but I was THRILLED to learn exactly when! CT Bites says they are welcoming us with truffled open arms along with music, champagne and (shockingly) chocolate on November 11th. See CT Bites for more.