The Stack from Bear's Smokehouse comes to New Haven

BEAR’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ 

IS 

COMING TO NEW HAVEN 

WITH 

"THE STACK"

 

Barbeque, Brewery and Biergarten 

Opening at District

New Haven’s Campus

Such great news for New Haven! 

Bear’s Restaurant Group, which includes Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ in Windsor, Hartford, and South Windsor, Blind Pig Pizza in Hartford and Chango Rosa in Hartford, today announced its first location on the Connecticut shoreline.  

“The Stack,” featuring Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, a brewery and Biergarten, will be opening over the coming weeks at District, the revitalized 9-acre technology and innovation campus at 470 James Street in New Haven, formerly the site of the CT Transit bus garage.  

I go by this building every morning - so I'm super excited to be one of the first to find out what will be going here!

Jamie “The Bear” McDonald, Co-Owner, Bear’s Restaurant Group notes, “New Haven has been generating so much buzz for its vibrant food scene, so it was the obvious next step for the expansion of Bear’s Restaurant Group. He continues with,  “We will be bringing all of our barbeque favorite to this new location – pulled pork, brisket, ribs and “moink balls” – with a really unique twist – our own, in-house beer brewery and Biergarten.  We are working in collaboration with Jason Sobocinski, a veteran of the New Haven food scene with Ordinary and Caseus, who is providing not only his expertise of the food scene, but also his experience in brewing (Black Hog Brewing) when we open the brewery later this year.”

The food menu at The Stack will feature the brand’s celebrated barbeque favorites, smoked in the Kansas-City style that McDonald enjoyed growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, including Baby Back Ribs, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Kielbasa, Turkey, Texas Sausage, Brisket and Burnt Ends served as a Sandwich, Entrée or Combo Plate.  

The Three-Meat Combo at The Stack in New Haven

Other favorites served with a choice of smoked meat include Paw Paw’s Poutine (hand-cut fries smothered with cheese), Bear Bowl (cornbread topped with BBQ beans) and Super Spud (baked potato topped with mac & cheese, sour cream, bacon, red onion and cheese), as well as appetizers (including Moink Balls, bacon-wrapped meatballs), salads, classic side dishes and desserts.  

Moink Balls at The Stack in New Haven

Family meals and meat by the pound will also be available, as well as a Cub Meal for younger barbeque fans.  The menu will also include items inspired by the Biergarten featuring local cheeses, sausages and breads.

  

The Wings at The Stack in New Haven

The beverage program will complement the barbeque and Biergarten concepts, offering easy-to drink beers, BBQ-infused cocktails and wines on draft.  The bar will feature a combination of local and German Lagers, Pilsners and lighter Ales in cans and on draft, and when the Brewery opens later this year, will also offer five draft lines of house beers, in addition to selling the house-brews in cans.  

The CoCo Stout at The Stack in New Haven

Creative cocktails include the Smoke Stack Manhattan (Brisket Fat-Washed Old Forester Bourbon, Smoked Sweet Vermouth, Angostura Bitters, Smoked Maraschino Cherries), Bacon Maple Old-Fashioned (Bacon Fat-Washed Pinhook Rye Whiskey, Maple Syrup, Black Walnut and Angostura Bitters), Stack Fall Sangria (Cabernet Red Wine, Apple Brandy, Citrus Vodka, Allspice, Lemon, Bubbly) and All About Our Coco Stout (Old Forester Bourbon, Stillhouse Coconut Whiskey, Black Hog Coffee Milk Stout, Licor 43, Simple Syrup).

 

The Bacon Maple Cocktail
at the Stack in New Haven

The 6,700 square feet restaurant will feature indoor seating for 200; the 6,000 square foot Biergarten, which will be partially covered and house fire pits and heaters to make it a year-round destination, will add an additional 250 seats.  

In addition, the Stack will be open seven days a week: Sunday-Wednesday (11am-9pm) and Thursday-Saturday (11am-10pm).  The restaurant also offers take-out, catering, food truck and on-site event options.

The District campus features ample free parking and ease of access from I-91, as well as the Mill River Trail.  In 2019, a kayak and paddleboard launch will also be opened for those seeking ease of access from the Mill River, and an Amphitheatre will open offering both family-friendly and adult programming, with views directly from the restaurant’s Biergarten seating.

For more information, visit www.bearsrg.com or call (203) 350-9060.

The Stack

470 James Street

New Haven, CT 06511

About The Stack:  

The Stack brings Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ to the District New Haven campus, located at 470 James Street.  The barbeque restaurant, brewery and Biergarten, opening in Fall 2018, features the award-winning cuisine of Jamie “The Bear” McDonald of Bear’s Restaurant Group.  Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, the location offers free parking and ease of access off the Mill River Trail, as well as a paddleboard/kayak launch.  For more information, visit www.bearsrg.com.  The Stack can also be found on Facebook (coming soon) and Instagram (@thestacknh).

Chefs from West Hartford’s The Cook and the Bear Receive Accolades and National Attention

The Powerhouse Duo of Chef Tyler Anderson and Pit Master Jamie McDonald are Causing a Sensation on the Restaurant Scene

Within only three months of opening West Hartford’s newest dining experience, The Cook & The Bear at Blue Back Square, already has accolades and attention streaming in for the co-owners, the staff, and, of course, the acclaimed craft barbeque food and unique beverages. 

“The Cook” Tyler Anderson, also of Millwright’s Restaurant in Simsbury, was just announced as one of the competitors on Bravo TV’s fifteenth season of Top Chef, debuting this December. Chef Anderson is no stranger to national audiences having won Chopped and competed on Beat Bobby Flay. In addition to his upcoming appearance on this high-profile show, Anderson was nominated as a semi-finalist for the third time for the prestigious James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef in the Northeast.

Not to be outdone, Jamie “The Bear” McDonald, the owner of Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, was recently named – alongside his wife, Cheryl McDonald – a Polaris Award winner by Leadership Greater Hartford. This honor was bestowed on the McDonald’s due to their advocacy for the City of Hartford, Bear’s commitment to fair wages for employees with non-tipped workers receiving $15 an hour, and for their many philanthropic endeavors. In addition, Jamie McDonald has also been selected Alumni of the Year by his alma mater, Hartford’s Trinity College. 

The Connecticut Restaurant Associationhas nominated The Cook & The Bear, which is owned in partnership with A.J. Auricchio, in the category of “Best Newcomer” for their 2017 CRA Awards. Joining in the attention are The Cook & The Bear’s Pastry Chef Kristin Eddy (nominated for “Rising Star” for her work at TC&TB and Millwright’s) and bartender Aaron Stepka (nominated for “Best Mixologist”). 

With their combined backgrounds of Jamie McDonald’s award-winning classic Kansas City BBQ and Millwright’s fine dining, The Cook & The Bear takes taste buds on a casual-food journey combining adventurous New England with a twist of southern comfort. The restaurant itself highlights the marriage of two distinct visions. The capacious bar area features a bright, New England clapboard feel reminiscent of Millwright’s 17th century home in Simsbury while the dining area takes its rich, dark brown hues from Bear’s smokehousemilieu.

Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ has two popular locations in Windsor and Hartford’s Front Street, as well as a Bear’s Express takeout location in South Windsor. Jamie “The Bear” McDonald’s take on Kansas City BBQ was deemed “Excellent” by The New York Times, was named Casual Restaurant of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association, and was voted Best BBQ and Best New Restaurant by the readers of CT NOW. Reflecting his expansive vision, McDonald opened the acclaimed Blind PigPizza in downtown Hartford in 2016 and, this summer, he debuted Chango Rosa, his fun and funky take on Latin street food at Hartford’s Union Station.

Tyler “The Cook” Anderson, a California native, has fallen in love with New England farms, aspiring to use foods within a 150 miles radius to provide fresh flavor. Chef Anderson honed his skills, learning from master chefs in Chicago at the Ritz Carlton, which achieved the highest Zagat rating and a Mobil Five-Star rank during his tenure. During his time at the Prairie Grass Café, he helped the restaurant receive the designation of one of the “50 Hottest Restaurants in the United States” from Bon Appetit. He was executive chef for Equinox in Manchester, VT and Arrabelle in Vail, CO.

At Pip’s at the Copper Beech Inn, Anderson’s spin on regional New England fare earned a five-star review in Hartford Magazine and was voted best new restaurant by Connecticut Magazine. At Millwright’s in Simsbury, he has received perfect score reviews from The New York Times, Connecticut Magazine, Hartford Magazine, and has earned four nominations for the prestigious Best Chef Northeast James Bear Award. Chef Tyler has twice (2014, 2015) been nominated for the prestigious Best Chef Northeast James Beard Award, and in 2014 was named Chef of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. Chef Anderson was the winner of the Food Network’s Chopped in 2009 and appeared on the popular Beat Bobby Flay in 2014.

Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, Noon to Midnight (kitchen open until 10 PM, 11 PM on Friday & Saturday), Sunday Noon to 10 PM (kitchen open until 9 PM) with the brunch menu available until 3 PM.  The Cook & The Bear offers happy hour specials Monday through Thursday. Reservations are not accepted, however the restaurant recommends calling in advance for a waitlist or downloading their The Cook & The Bear App to prebook your spot in line. The restaurant is located at 50 Memorial Road, Blue Back Square in West Hartford, Connecticut. 860-595-3345 and online at www.thecookandthebear.com.