Post Road Food Finds in Fairfield

Today marks the opening of the much anticipated Colony Grill on the Post Road in Fairfield (in the former Fairfield Stationers space). I, for one, cannot WAIT to go, as I'm still thinking about that delicious 'hot oil pie' I had in the original Stamford location a couple months ago. If you've never experienced the hot oil pie, do not let the name turn you away. The thin crust pizzas drizzled with a spicy 'hot oil' are to die for! NY Rangers captain and Olympian Chris Drury is one of the owners...so keep your eyes peeled!

I also tried Gofer Ice Cream last night, also on the Post Road (next to Fin Sushi). They have lots of hard ice cream flavors (including Cookie Monster--a neon blue ice cream with cookie dough, sure to tempt your kids and stain their insides), plus soft serve, including a fat-free, no sugar-added option called Gofer Lite, which is surprisingly creamy and tasty. The Post Road was in dire need of a kid-friendly ice cream shop ever since Baskin Robbins closed several years ago. Gofer to the rescue!

A little further down the Post Road, The Beach Cafe re-opened as The Shack Hometown Grill, which has a more streamlined, barbeque-inspired menu. Despite the great space, the Beach Cafe's menu was all over the place and never found it's niche. The Shack is a great family-friendly re-incarnation, and the bar scene is definitely hopping after-hours. I've gone a few times with my kids and everyone was happy (and they ALSO happen to have Cookie Monster ice cream on the kiddie menu---go figure).

Also soon to open are the Old Post Tavern (on the corner next to the Community Theatre), and The Greenhouse Grill (in the former Sarabande location on Unquowa Place). Unlike "Main Streets" in other towns, Fairfield is doing an excellent job of keeping lots of restaurants coming in, which makes for a much livelier downtown scene after the stores and banks have closed for the evening. Keep up the good work, Fairfield!

For more information on my Connecticut cooking classes, check out The Secret Ingredient Cooking School website, or my Season to Taste blog for everyday recipe ideas!