Wine on Nine in New Haven CT 2015

#WineOn9

Wine On 9 - 2015

New Haven’s Historic 9th Square district is certainly the downtown destination for New Haven, featuring great art, food, music, and cultural activities.

Best of all, this eclectic neighborhood provides the backdrop for First Fridays On9 in New Haven.

One of my favorite On 9 events returned this year on November 6, 2015! The Wine On Nine "wine crawl" through the Ninth Square where we had the chance to visit and meet various merchants, restaurants, and organizations in the 9th Square New Haven.

Welcome to Wine On 9

At just $15.00 a ticket, this was indeed a bargain and all who participated received a keepsake wine glass for sampling, a map of the participating merchants in the neighborhood, and some delicious wine tastings from the Wine Thief.

First Fridays On9 are open-house evenings featuring creative events that showcase the wide array of shops, restaurants, marketplaces, homes, and cultural centers in the historic 9th Square neighborhood.
I gathered up what friends I could find and off we went for our little wine crawl.

Wine On 9

We did our very best to reach every stop - but unfortunately we missed a few. But everywhere we stopped we had fun and sampled some great wines.

Wine Crawl Stops:

Baobab Tree Studios (71 Orange St. – also check-in location)  * Serving: Secco Italian Bubbles Bianco 2014

At Baobab Tree Studios
My favorite wine of the night! Sweet and bubbly this is my new party wine!

Meat & Co. (116 Crown St.) Serving: HD Riesling.


Fornarelli’s Ristorante (99 Orange St.)

Fornarelli's Ristorante
This was my first time at Fornarelli's and I'll be sure to return!

Cedarhurst Cafe ( 44 Crown St.) * Serving: Sin Nombre Navarra Crianza 2011 (Spain)

G Cafe (141 Orange St.) Serving: Serving Riff Pinot Grigio by Alois Lageder from Alto Adige, Italy and a Terres de St. Louis Rose from Provence, France

G Cafe and Bakery
The next morning I returned to their Branforrd location for a delicious breakfast!

Fletcher Cameron (91 Orange St.) * Serving: Clos de Gilroy Grenache Monterey County 2014

Fletcher Cameron Kitchen Designs
This design studio is full of contemporary cabinetry and design perfect for the urban dweller!

Neville Wisdom Design Studio (63 Orange St.) * Serving: Gine & Gine Priorat Rosat 2014

Neville Wisdon Design Studio
Always one of my favorite stops to chat with designer Neville and brand director Lauren Sprague.

Happiness Lab (756 Chapel St.) Serving: Dado Red Blend by Ca’ Momi Winery Napa (California).

Thali (4 Orange St.) Serving:  Edna Valley Vineyard Chardonnay 2013 from California.

Reynold’s Fine Art (96 Orange St.) * Serving: Tenuta Ulisse “Sogno di Ulisse” Chardonnay Malvasia 2013 101

Reynolds Fine Art
Those are my pals Gayle and Maggie!

Art Threads (118 Court St.) * Serving: DEI Rosso di Montepulciano 2013

101 Threads
A fun art studio full of eclectic pieces.

English Building Market (839 Chapel St.) * Serving: L’Effet Papillon Rouge Cotes du Rousillion Village 2014

English Building Market
Yes! Those are vintage Lilly Pulitzer slip on shoes! 

The Trinity Bar (157 Orange St.) Serving:Dachshund Riesling

The Trinity Bar
Where we returned for dinner after the crawl

Inspired Venue (82 Crown St.) * Serving: Vignerons de Buxy Bougogne Rouge Cote Chalonnaise 2013

Capture Salon (100 Crown St.) * Serving: Reunion Malbec Mendoza 2014

Artspace (50 Orange St.) * Serving: Cerro Anon Rioja Crianza 2011. Also displaying special steam roll art.

Artspace
A megawatt smile and some great wine!

EcoWorks (262 State St.) Join us for a fun wine-related craft activity reusing bottles and corks. Free and open to the public.

Fresh Yoga (49 Orange St.) Offering a free class as part of the night’s events.

I need to thank friends Gayle and Maggie for accompanying me on this fun wine crawl! And the great peeps at On Nine for continuing the wine on nine tradition!

We laughed and laughed and had so much fun, and in spite of temporarily losing my phone, (Thanks Reynolds Art for safekeeping!) and a twisted ankle and a misplaced car in a parking garage, we couldn't have had a better time...and we are looking forward to COOKIES ON NINE!!!

For more information on the On 9 events, visit their website at: http://www.on9newhaven.com/

For more pictures from the event, 

visit the Home Place facebook page HERE

and while you're there...don't forget to "like" us!

Brew On 9 - Ninth Square New Haven First Friday Events 2014

On Friday, May 2nd we attended the May First Friday Event sponsored by New Haven's Ninth Square, Brew on 9 (#BrewOn9) that featured a showcase of craft beer samples at many of the 9th Square establishments.

This was the first First Friday event that I was able to attend in 2014, having missed March's #ArtOn9 featuring local artists and art galleries in the Ninth Square, and April's #DesignOn9 which featured Connecticut designer, Neville Wisdon's Spring Fashion Show.

If you're not familiar with New Haven's 9th Square District and their First Friday events, on the First Friday of each month from March through December, the Ninth Square in New Haven holds "open to the public" events featuring merchants in the historic Ninth Square district with a theme that draws them all together.

A list of the upcoming events for 2014 appears at the end of this post.



Friday's Brew On 9 featured mostly CT and New England local breweries served at participating merchants. The event was a hopping [pun intended] success which had as much to do with Mother Nature as it did with the merchants we visited and the brew vendors who contributed! It was probably the first warm night of the spring season in Connecticut. YAY!  Temperatures were in the 60's making for comfortable weather for walking around the eclectic city streets in the 9th Square District and visiting the participating establishments.

The event planners did a great job of making this event user friendly!

First of all, if you're traveling from out of town and don't want to drive, the Ninth Square is a few city blocks from New Haven's Union Train Station. If you're driving and you're not lucky enough to score on street parking (metered) there's also a paid parking lot on the corner of Orange and George Steets ($8.00). I only wish they would ALSO partner up with On9 to offer reduced parking prices on the night of First Friday Events. (hint-hint)

Second of all, the events are affordable! While many of the events are free, some do require purchased tickets, and so far, none have been more than $20.00 per person.

Third of all, the event includes a map to the participating merchants and inside a little history on each of the craft beers that are offered.

Although we didn't stop in all 17 of the establishments that were participating we did hit quite a few! Here are some pictures highlighting the places we visited and the brews we sampled...

We started at O'Toole's Irish Pub where we sampled some Road 2 Ruin Double IPA by Two Roads Brewing. The beer was really good, but O'Toole's was REALLY busy with their usual Happy Hour so many had a wee bit of a wait.

O'Toole's Irish Pub
Featuring
Two Roads Brewing Road 2 Ruin Double IPA

Next up was the unique English Market Building - one of my favorite stores in the Ninth Square! They feature antiques and retro collectibles and on this visit I spotted a Polaroid Land Camera! Even the cowboy loved this store and the Penny Weiz Ale we sampled by Hartford Olde Burnside Brewing Company. The peeps at English Market are fun with an amazing eye for good finds. and the cowboy is still mad at me because in spite of all the beautiful girls that work there...I asked him to pose with a mannequin!  Honey, just get over it!

English Building Market
Olde Burnside Brewing Penny Weiz Ale

Next we stopped at Elm City Market who were featuring a wide array of craft beers. Highlight of the trip was meeting a local photographer who jumped right in and helped me with posing some of the beer pours! One of the great things about attending these events is the incredibly helpful and friendly people you get to meet!

Elm City Market
Shebeen Brewing
City Steam Brewery
Olde Burnside Hop't Scot Ale

Next we ambled over to the Grove to sample some of my hometown of Branford's own Thimble Island Brewery's Coffee Stout. This was my first time to the Grove and I was so impressed with the space. For those not familiar with the concept it's a shared co-op business space, artist studio, intelmedia hub, and more!  And I absolutely loved the hearty Coffee Stout!

The Grove
Thimble Island Brewery - Coffee Stout

We also visited Neville Wisdom's Design Studio aka NW Boutique who featured Back East Brewing's Porter, a dark beer that I loved because of its chocolate and caramel notes. It was also great to see both Neville and his assistant Lauren in the design studio and hear about their last two fashion events. I finally got to see Neville's Spring 2014 line in person and of course I loved what I saw! Beautiful pastel colors in classic shapes with a modern twist. Now I can't wait to go back and SHOP!!!  What's more ... I was THRILLED to see that Neville is featuring my interview of him on his inspiration wall, right alongside articles by the New Haven Register, Yale News, and other prominent publications that he is featured in! (see red arrow in picture below). Did I mention I was thrilled!??!! (Thank you Neville and Lauren!)

NW Boutique - Neville Wisdom Design Studio
Back East Brewing - Porter

We had such a great time strolling the 9th Square in New Haven and participating in the #BrewOn9 Event!

See more pictures on our faceook page HERE

And here's a list of the 2014 First Friday Events happening in the Ninth Square! 

2014 First Friday Event Schedule - Ninth Square

click on the link to learn more about the event!

03.07.14		Arts On9	Creative energy flows through the historic 9th Square as artistic enterprises converge to produce a variety of experiences.
04.04.14		Design On9	Celebrate spring with a fashion preview, an On9 signature cocktail contest, and more in the spectacular 45 Church Street space. TICKETED EVENT
05.02.14		Brew On9	Stroll the historic 9th Square while enjoying some of the area’s best craft and home brews. TICKETED EVENT
06.06.14		Create On9	PiazzaOn9 reopens for the summer season (Orange Street is closed between Center and Crown Streets). Enjoy alfresco dining while the Elm Shakespeare Company presents I Am Shakespeare. The neighborhood overflows with live music, gallery openings, and a variety of in-store promotions.
07.04.14		No event
08.01.14		Pie On9	Celebrate CitySeed’s 2nd annual event by baking or tasting pie, all for a good cause.  TICKETED EVENT
09.05.14		Noise On9	Work outs, runways, music and treats, it’s the sounds of 9th Square
10.03.14		Illuminate On9	The prelude to LAMP (light artists making place) and kick-off of Citywide Open Studios.
11.07.14		Wine On9	Stroll through 9th Square while enjoying domestic and international wines selected by The Wine Thief. TICKETED EVENT
12.05.14		Cookies On9	Winter weather can’t keep us from our sweetest event. Join us for an evening guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit as we gather sweet treats from participating merchants. TICKETED EVENT

I hope to see you at one of the upcoming First Friday On 9 Events!

Cookies on 9 in the Historic 9th Square - New Haven CT

Media Promotion

New Haven’s Historic 9th Square district is quickly becoming the downtown destination for New Haven, featuring great art, food, music, and cultural activities.

Best of all, this eclectic neighborhood provides the backdrop for First Fridays On9 in New Haven.

Photo Source: Cookies On 9 New Haven

On Friday, 12-6-13, I participated in the December "On 9" First Friday event, Cookies On 9 or #CookiesOn9, a type of "cookie crawl" through New Haven's Historic 9th Square.

What a fun event this was, in spite of the sporadic rain drizzle that night. Each attendee received a map of the participating merchants in the neighborhood, and at each stop we received a delicious cookie to fill our cookie boxes with. 

Cookies were supplied by the culinary students at Gateway Community College AND one of New Haven's newest merchants, Insomnia Cookies!

Here's a sample of some of the places I visited and the delicious cookies that were available.

I love cookies!

The great folks at Insomnia Cookies in New Haven donated many MANY cookies!
Yes - my favorite Snickadoodles were there!  YAY!

Say Hi to Robert from Arpaia Lang Fine Jewelers
with delicious brownies!!

Cookies - Cookies - and MORE Cookies please!

And the BEST THING: ==> Proceeds benefit the “Neighbors in Need” dinner hosted by Gateway Community College Foundation.

Unfortunately, the weather and my shoes did me in...and after these stops I had to call it a night!

It was great fun chatting with the merchants at all the establishments I visited. In many cases it was the first time I've been there - and I can't wait to go back and support all these local businesses!

Special thanks to the On 9 people who invited me and the bakers who provided these delicious cookies. What a great way to start the holiday!

I've enjoyed participating in these First Fridays On9 events this year! 

If you're not familiar with First Friday - they are open-house evenings that run April through December and feature creative events that showcase the wide array of shops, restaurants, marketplaces, homes, and cultural centers in the historic 9th Square neighborhood.

The On9 activities typically happen between 6:00PM and 8:00PM on the First Friday of the aforementioned months.

If you'll remember, in September we attended the #BreatheOn9 event that featured the amazing designer Neville Wisdom's Fall Fashion Show. (Read about it HERE)  Then, in October I attended the #WineOn9 event that consisted of a wine crawl through the 9th Square Historic District. (Read about it HERE).

Hope you all have a happy holiday - and I hope to see you at the next First Friday in April 2014!

For more pictures of the event, click HERE
and "like" the Home Place facebook page

Disclaimer: We were invited to attend the Cookies On 9 Event, however, the views and opinions expressed herein are our own.

Wine on 9 in the Historic 9th Square - New Haven CT

This month, on Friday, November 1st, I participated in a Wine on 9, (#WineOn9) event consisting of a "wine crawl" to various merchants, restaurants, and organizations in the 9th Square New Haven.

Poster by Thomas Drew
Source: On9NewHaven

At just $15.00 a ticket, this was indeed a bargain and all who participated received a keepsake wine glass for sampling, a map of the participating merchants in the neighborhood, and some delicious wine tastings from the Wine Thief.

New Haven’s Historic 9th Square district is quickly becoming the downtown destination for New Haven, featuring great art, food, music, and cultural activities.

Best of all, this eclectic neighborhood provides the backdrop for First Fridays On9 in New Haven.


First Fridays On9 are open-house evenings that are running through December 2013 and feature creative events showcase the wide array of shops, restaurants, marketplaces, homes, and cultural centers in the historic 9th Square neighborhood. The On9 activities typically happen between 6:00PM and 8:00PM. If you'll remember, in September we attended the #BreatheOn9 event that featured the amazing designer Neville Wisdom's Fall Fashion Show. (Read about it HERE)

Wine On Nine

I met up with friends Wendy and Greg, publishers of the online magazine Connecticut Lifestyles (http://connecticutlifestyles.com/) and together we visited a few of the participating merchants in the Orange Street / Crown Street area.

We started at one of my favorite restaurants, Bentara, where we sampled some Carmenet Pinot Noir,

Bentara - Carmenet Pinot Noir

We then moved on to our next stop at Palmieri Brasil where we sampled some Eyzaguirre Merlot.

Palmieri Brasil - Eyzaguirre Merlot

We then headed over to Neville Wisdom's Boutique where we sampled Ananto Macabeo.

Neville Wisdom's Boutique - Ananto Macabeo

Our next stop was Graffio Jewelers were we sampled my favorite of the evening, a Pfeffingen Riesling.

Graffio Jewelers - Pfeffingen Riesling

Although there were many more places to visit, as well as an informative final wine talk at the sponsoring Wine Thief, I ended my WineOn9 Tour at Thali, where Stellina di Notte Pinot Grigio was served.

Thali - Stellina di Notte Pinot Grigio

All in all it was a wonderful evening walking through the 9th Square with friends and visiting with the local merchants.

Greg and Wendy carried on and visited several other establishments, and I so regretted that I wasn't feeling well and able to keep up with them.

I'm certainly hoping that this event will be a repeat every year! I was pleasantly surprised that retail organizations, in addition to restaurants and wine purveyors, were participating. Many of the venues were also offering some light snacks to nibble on and pair with the wine, which was a great addition, and always encouraged when indulging with any alcoholic beverages.

Photo Source: Cookies On 9 New Haven

Next up for the final 2013 First Friday On9 Events will be Cookies On 9 (#CookiesOn9) being held on Friday, December 6, 2013.

Cookies will be baked by students in the culinary arts program at Gateway Community College.




Tickets are limited and are $25.00, click HERE to purchase yours!

Proceeds from tickets will benefit the “Neighbors in Need” dinner hosted by Gateway Community College Foundation.

Also happening that night will be an art exhibition sponsored by Reynolds Fine Art | 96 Orange Street | New Haven, titled Small Works, an exhibition of eclectic and diverse mediums, from metals to encaustics. And fun Christmas pictures with a zombie Santa (apparently zombies are hot this year - thank you walking dead) at Lipgloss Crisis Photography and Art. (Cost of pictures $10.00)

I hope to see you there!