Parallel Post Hosts Onyx Moonshine Pairing Dinner on Sept 4

Parallel Post is hosting an Onyx Moonshine Dinner Pairing, celebrating Onyx Moonshine, the 2014 International Craft Award winner and local craft spirit. Onyx Moonshine is also the first legal ultra-premium moonshine brand and is home based in East Hartford, Conn. 

Scheduled for Thursday, September 4 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., the Onyx Moonshine Dinner Pairings event will provide guests with a unique opportunity to savor an exclusive culinary menu accented with Onyx Moonshine flavorings including the original Onyx Moonshine, Sweet Stash, Onyx 111, Apple Honey Infusion, and Cape Cod Cranberry.  

Chef de Cuisine, Ali Goss and Executive Chef, Chris Molyneux of Parallel Post will delight guests with a speak-easy atmosphere staged by Parallel Post and Onyx Moonshine, while delighting the palate with a five-course tasting menu flavored with varieties of moonshine, and accompanied with glass samplings served by Onyx Moonshine representatives.  Event attendees will also have the opportunity to be educated on the symbolic and once outlawed liquor, while also sipping additional cocktail creations presented by Parallel Post’s resident mixologist, Greg Genias aka “Bootleg Greg.”


The menu for the event - much like Parallel Post’s weekly-changing restaurant menu – focuses on localism and follows the philosophy that natural and sustainable products, and responsible farming, are the key components in ingredient selection.  The fare will feature Onyx Moonshine-infused dishes with local farm fresh offerings such as Drunken Scallop Ceviche, Gilbertie’s Fall Harvest Salad with cape cod cranberry moonshine vinaigrette and Prohibition Canapés. 


Tickets to the Parallel Post hosted Onyx Moonshine Dinner Pairings event are limited and are only available for advance purchase at $75.00 per person (tax and 18% gratuity not included) for guests 21 & over (valid driver license must be presented upon arrival).

To RSVP for the September 4 dinner, please e-mail parallelpostevents@gmail.com. 



ABOUT ONYX MOONSHINE
Made in a small distillery in East Hartford, Connecticut, from carefully selected corn, malted grains and pure Connecticut spring water, Onyx Moonshine, the first legally marketed ultra-premium moonshine infuses age-old Yankee charm with a flavor and mixability that “shines” in the modern world.   In two brief years, Onyx has already become one of the fastest selling spirits in Connecticut and is now available in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  For more information, please visit http://www.onyxmoonshine.com. 



ABOUT PARALLEL POST
Chef Dean James Max returns to his farm-raised roots in his latest venture, Parallel Post at the Trumbull Marriott Merritt Parkway. Offering a bold and flavorful menu featuring modern American cuisine with Northeastern regional flair, Parallel Post brings an unseen level of quality and creativity to the culinary landscape of Trumbull, Connecticut. The intimate, yet casual eatery uses seasonal, local ingredients prepared with contemporary, healthy techniques. The menu is comprised of a wide array of options from snacks to small plates, large entree, and a multi-course tasting menu. Parallel Post serves breakfast Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 11:00 a.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 12:00
p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and dinner daily from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. Parallel Post is located at 180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull, Conn. For more information please visit www.ParallelPostRestaurant.com or call 203.380.6380.

SunBrewFest Returns October 4th & 5th to Mohegan Sun

The Third Annual Sun BrewFest returns on October 4th & 5th featuring microbrews, craft beers, and more!

Sun BrewFest returns to Mohegan Sun on Saturday, October 4th and Sunday, October 5th with a variety of finely crafted brews certain to please any palate. Be sure to treat yourself to a weekend of beer tasting capped off by an exclusive Sunday BrewBrunch.

Saturday Tasting Sessions
Tap into up to 200 of the best beers around during one of the two tasting sessions on Saturday, October 4th. Explore a wide variety of breweries pouring out 2 ounce samples of their favorite beers for guests to enjoy in souvenir, mini pilsner glasses. Try and find your favorite as you taste your way through Craft Beers, Microbrews, Imports, Domestics and ciders. Live music keeps the entertainment going all day long inside Mohegan Sun’s Uncas Ballroom.

BrewBrunch
The fun continues to flow on Sunday during a special BrewBrunch sponsored by Goose Island and Absolut from 11:00am to 2:00pm. The BrewBrunch features beer infused cocktails and an array of brunch items, each and every recipe containing Goose Island beer! If you’re all brewed out, don’t worry, Absolut will help you create your own signature Bloody Mary for the perfect brunch beverage.

Ticket Information:

• Tickets to the tasting sessions are $25.00 each. The first session runs from 1:00pm to 4:00pm and the second session runs from 7:00pm to 10:00pm.
• Tickets to the BrewBrunch are $60.00 each and include all food and drink.

Sun BrewFest Packages
This year Mohegan Sun is offering two special packages for Sun BrewFest.

• BrewFest Fanatic
• $40.00 per person
• Entry into an exclusive “Fantatics Hour” on Saturday from Noon to 1:00pm
• Entry into the first tasting session on Saturday

• Brew Lover’s Weekend Package
• $100.00 per person
• Entry into the first tasting session on Saturday
• Entry into the Sunday BrewBrunch

• Hotel Package:
• Take part in Sun BrewFest, plus be treated to all Mohegan Sun has to offer with this special hotel package! Packages start at $599.00 and include an overnight stay at Mohegan Sun’s luxurious hotel on Saturday, October 4th as well as two tickets to the first tating session on Saturday October 4th and two BrewBrunch tickets on Sunday October 5th.

Tickets for Sun BrewFest go on sale Friday, August 22nd at 10:00am at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and Ticketmaster. A portion of all ticket prices will go to the American Red Cross. Tickets will be required for entry to all events. All guests in attendance must be 21+.

For the most up-to-date information and a list of brewers participating in Sun BrewFest, please visit sunbrewfest.com.

About Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping destinations in the United States. Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is home to three unique casinos, a 34-story, 1,200 room luxury hotel, a world-class spa and golf course, over 75 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena. Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.

GreenwichWine+Food Festival Culinary Village Ticket Giveaway 2014

We're having a Greenwich Wine+Food Festival Culinary Village Ticket Giveaway!

Contest starts 8-20-14!

If you don't already know about this amazing festival - here's information on the ENTIRE WEEKEND OF EVENTS!

This fabulous three-day event presented by Serendipity Magazine benefits The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, and will take place September 25th - 27th, at the Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, CT.

In addition to the Culinary Village on Saturday, the festival will feature:

• An Oyster and Wine Tasting on Thursday, September 25th 
• A Gala honoring 14 Innovative Chefs - Cocktail and Tasting Event capped off by the MARSHALL TUCKER BAND on Friday, September 26th
• The Culinary Village, Cooking Demos, Bartender's Showdown and MORE on Saturday, September 27th
• Music by ALABAMA on Saturday night, 9-27-14

For the ENTIRE schedule of the Greenwich Wine+Food Festival Events: click HERE

Tickets are available for purchase online at: http://greenwichwineandfood.com/tickets/


Here's your chance to win tickets to to all the fab events on SATURDAY AFTERNOON! Just use the rafflecopter gadget below to enter, and there are also ways to earn bonus entries!

Start off by entering the mandatory rafflecopter entry and then do the optional bonus entries via twitter and facebook, and answer the following question in the comments below...

"What are you looking forward to most at the Greenwich Wine+Food Festival?  

The Wine? - The Food? - The Music? - OR -- The Celebrity Chefs?"

Hope to see you there!

Contest is open to those 21 years of age or older.
Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Besides the mandatory rafflecopter email entry, all other entries are optional. Giveaway ends 09/06/14.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


DISCLAIMER:  This contest is sponsored by Unger Publishing. Home Place is not liable for the awarding of any prizes.

Greenwich Wine+Food Honors 14 Most Innovative Chefs for 2014

GREENWICH WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES

THE 14 MOST INNOVATIVE CHEFS FOR FOURTH ANNUAL EVENT

Special Guest Geoffrey Zakarian and Jean-Georges to be

Honored at the Event

The GREENWICH 2014 WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL presented by Serendipity, a three-day event that benefits The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, has announced the local chefs that will be honored at the fourth annual event, taking place September 25-27 at the Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, CT.  The twelve chefs, two pastry chefs and chef restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten will be honored at the event’s Most Innovative Chefs Gala on Friday evening, as they create and serve up dishes of their ingenious foods.  In addition, chef restaurateur, author and television personality Geoffrey Zakarian (“Chopped,” “The Kitchen”) will be honored at the event.

In addition to Vongerichten and Zakarian, this year’s list of honorees includes:

• Devin Bozkaya, The Bedford Post Inn, Bedford, New York 
• Gustave Christman, Harvest Wine Bar and Restaurant, Greenwich, Conn. 
• Samantha Eichenberg, The Dessertist, Westchester, New York 
• Blake Farrar, The Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean-Georges, Pound Ridge, New York
• Giorgio Giacinto, Da Giorgio, New Rochelle, New York
• Anthony Goncalves, 42, White Plains, New York
• Nicholas Martschenko, South End, New Canaan, Conn.
• Chaz Mazas, Mama’s Boy Southern Table and Refuge, South Norwalk, Conn.
• Forrest Pasternack, Bailey’s Backyard, Ridgefield, Conn.
• Reuben Palma, Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse, Greenwich, Conn.
• Christian Petroni, Fortina, Armonk, New York
• Nancy Roper, TRUCK restaurant, Bedford, New York
• David Synder, Char, Greenwich, Conn.
• Adam Truelove, Napa & Co., Stamford, Conn.

Suni Unger, Founder and CEO of Unger Publishing, the publisher of Festival sponsor Serendipity Magazine says, “Our Friday night celebration honors the truly innovative chefs from both Fairfield and Westchester Counties. These fourteen local talents have created a buzz in our community by offering something unique that stands out from terrific talent in our area.  We couldn’t be more excited to also honor Geoffrey and Jean-Georges this year, as both of these culinary successes embody the meaning of innovative cuisine and presentation.”

The evening will also include a performance by Southern Country rock group The Marshall Tucker Band.

Tickets are now on sale for events throughout the entire weekend, including the Kick-Off Oysters & Wine Tasting on Thursday, the Most Innovative Chefs Gala on Friday, and the Saturday Festival including the Culinary Village and the Taste of the South on Saturday. 

Tickets are available through www.greenwichwineandfood.com or by calling 203.588.1363.  

The event’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/GreenwichFoodWineFestival, will be announcing restaurant participants, as they become available.

Visit www.greenwichwineandfood.com for more information and updates about the event schedule, participating celebrity and local chefs, musical talent and more.

GREENWICH 2014 WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL

The GREENWICH 2014 WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL is a three-day event that benefits The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, Camp is a community dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to children and their families coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other serious illnesses.  The festival is hosted by Serendipity magazine in conjunction with other event sponsors.

Parallel Post Farm to Trumbull Dinner Series at Gilbertie's Herb Farm

Last week I attended my second Farm to Table experience hosted by Parallel Post on site at Gilbertie's Herb Garden in Easton Connecticut.

Parallel Post has dubbed their Farm to Table series "Farm to Trumbull" as they always feature local members of the farming community and engage local purveyors for a majority of their ingredients – purchasing seafood from Norm Bloom & Sons in Norwalk, Conn. and Foley Fish in Boston, Mass.; meats and proteins from Ox Hollow Farm in Roxbury, Conn.; organic cheeses, milk and ice cream from The Farmer’s Cow in Lebanon, Conn.; and, of course, greens and fresh herbs, from Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens Westport, Conn. outlet.

Gilbertie's was the perfect location for this magnificent Farm to Trumbull Feast!

Gilbertie's Herb Farm, Easton CT

As soon as we arrived I knew I was in for a treat. The setting was absolutely beautiful!

We started by sampling the cheese platter and chutney platter.

And then moved on to some amazing chilled lobster salad rolls chock full with chunks of fresh lobster.

And then we moved on to the Raw Bar. That's right! The raw bar complete with cherrystones, oysters, and a cerviche (not pictured). I really tried to watch Chef Dean James Max's  trick to oyster shucking.

But, okay, I admit it. It's just plain easier to eat them after someone else has opened them!

Resident mixologist, Greg Gerias, AKA Bootleg Greg mixed up some wonderful specialty cocktails using Tito's Handmade Vodka. I sampled Greg's Pineapple Blueberry Ginger Concoction! So good with the ginger adding just a bit of spiced "heat" to the drink.

And, yes, there was wine to be had! My choice, the Tangent Sauvignon Blanc with citrusy notes.

Before moving on to dinner preparations, Chef Dean introduced Gilbertie's third generation owner and operator, Sal Gilbertie who entertained us with the history of his farm and invited attendees on a tour of his facility that has been in the family since 1901. Before we moved on to our tour, Chef Dean thanked members of his staff for their hard work in bringing this event and his vision to fruition.

The tour was amazing! We learned a bit about the current crops, and explored the hot house. WOW! This was my first time in a hot house, and the temperatures were incredibly warm and perfect for seed germination. The concentrated heat actually allows some seeds to sprout in 24 hours, and we also learned about seed conception vibration ( it's just what it sounds like) and the wholesale distribution and operations and scheduling on the farm.

When we arrived back from our tour a chilled cantelope gazpacho with a dumpling-like crabcake awaited us. So good and light and refreshing. The perfect start to our meal!

Next, a light heirloom tomato salad with mâche. Oh, how I will miss garden tomatoes when the season ends.

A yellow and red watermelon salad with feta and walnuts. A winning combination with the nutty flavors combined with the sweet watermelon and salty feta cheese.

Next we moved on to some dinner sides.

A fresh grilled peaches and organic faro. I love how the grilling brings out the flavors of fruits and have to remember to grill more fruits and vegetable at home!

A creamy chilled pasta salad tossed with zucchini, squash, and grape tomatoes. Made. With. HOMEMADE PASTA! Absolutely incredible!

Some delicious red peas mixed with sweet white corn.

Purple potatos, beets, and creme fraiche

And a delicious eggplant puree.

What better entree to have at an outdoor setting then some buttermilk fried chicken. So, so good, with a light flaky, slightly salty coating. Oh how I wanted to pick that cast iron pan up and sneak all that chicken home with me!

And of course, when grilling outside, what better to have then some swordfish. Tender. Flaky. So, so good!

After dinner we were treated to a creamy coffee ice cream (coffee from Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters!

And then some wonderful fresh berry desserts, a berry compote, a berry crumble, and a berry jello.

We had a wonderful relaxing afternoon enjoying Chef Dean, Chef Ali, Chef Chris, and all of the creative staff's hard work and hospitality. Everyone we chatted with enjoyed the food, beverages, atmosphere, but most importantly, the the sense of warm community that enveloped us all.

Our table conversation with our dining companions compared the feeling to nostalgic Sunday dinners and picnics shared with family.

What wonderful memories food can evoke. -- And isn't that what good dining is all about?

The date for the next, and last of this year's Parallel Post Farm-to-Trumbull 30-person 2014 dinner series will be in October featuring seasonal fall items.  Tickets to the Farm-to-Trumbull dinners are available for advance purchase at $75++ per person. To RSVP for the October dinner, please e-mail farmtotrumbull@gmail.com.

Make your reservations now for the final Parallel Post Farm to Trumbull 2014 series in October.

And don't forget Parallel Post for Sunday Brunch (recap HERE) or their final weeks of Thursday "All you can eat" Mussell Madness (ends September 4th)

Parallel Post Restaurant

180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull CT 06611

Phone/Reservations  203-380-6380

Located in the Trumbull Marriott - Merritt Parkway

On the Web: http://parallelpostrestaurant.com/

Like them on facebook https://www.facebook.com/ParallelPost

Follow them on twitter: https://twitter.com/ParallelPostCT

For more pictures visit the Home Place facebook page HERE.

Have you been to a farm to table event?

Did you enjoy the comradarie of communal dining?

What seasonal items were featured during your farm to table experience?

I'd love to hear about it in the comments below

Disclaimer: I was invited to the Farm to Trumbull event by members of  the Parallel Post's Management and Marketing Team, however, the views and opinions expressed herein are my own..

NIXS Hartford VIP Red Carpet Cocktail Party

What an amazing time was had by all at the Pre-Opening NIXS Hartford VIP Red Carpet Cocktail Party!

All of Hartford turned out for this fun event where we learned all about the #PlayNice philosophy, with emphasis on teamwork, community, fun, and Hartford love!

Did you know that as part of the hiring process NIXS management sent the prospective employees on a scavenger hunt in Hartford as a way of gauging their ability to work as team, demonstrate leadership skills, and work together for a common goal. What the participants or future employee "contestants" didn't know, was that a 'mole' was planted in each group who watched how the team pulled together to #PlayNice, demonstrate critical thinking, get to know one another's strengths quickly, and learn all about Hartford!

What a great employment tactic!

What a great way to learn about Hartford and the Hartford Community! And even though all the staff was on their first day the night of this event - it was evident that they had all bonded during the scavenger hunt and worked well together as a team.

I tell you... I love this place and the way they think, work, and play! And you will TOO!

RUN --  don''t walk to this fabulous addition to the Front Street District when it opens the weekend of August 16th 2014!

Here are some photos from the Red Carpet Event!

And look...even I got in on the Red Carpet excitement and posed for the paparazzi!

Above Photo Source: Jim DeMicco / Skyeline Studio Used with Permission

The party-goers got to get in on the #PlayNice fun too! Each attendee was given two tokens to vote for their favorite cocktail samples. The winners will go on the NIXS Hartford Specialy Cocktail menu!

I told you you'd love this place!!!

NIXS Hartford

40 Front Street, Hartford, CT

| 860-373-9400

info@nixshartford.com 

Web: http://www.nixshartford.com/

Like them on facebook ==> https://www.facebook.com/nixshartford

Follow them on twitter ==> https://twitter.com/NIXSHartford

Follow them on instagram ==> http://instagram.com/NIXSHartford