I was meeting up with a few friends I hadn't seen in what felt like forever, so I wanted to find a…read morespot that would make the occasion special. After doing a little research, I came across The Wheel, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. I made a reservation for Sunday brunch. Finding the entrance was a little confusing at first, and parking took a minute to figure out, but I eventually learned you can park for free at the Village next door, which made things much easier. Once I arrived, I was immediately greeted and shown to the outdoor seating area. Walking through the restaurant, I was impressed by how beautiful the property is. It is incredibly spacious, sits right on the water, and even has an additional outdoor area next door where you can relax away from the restaurant. The views alone make this place worth visiting. Our server, Freddy, was fantastic. He was friendly, personable, and knowledgeable. He took the time to explain the menu, answer questions, and offer recommendations, which made the experience even better. Now onto the food. To start, we shared the Breakfast Pizza, topped with smoked bacon, crispy potatoes, roasted garlic, mozzarella, two eggs, and fresh cracked black pepper. It was a fun twist on brunch and had great flavor. We also ordered the Shrimp and Grits, made with cheddar grits, wild caught shrimp, a poached egg, and chimichurri. Rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. The Crispy Chicken Sandwich looked outstanding. Made with organic Murray's chicken, hot honey, coleslaw, and dill pickles, it came with fries and disappeared quickly. For my entrée, I ordered the Steak and Eggs, featuring grilled hanger steak, two eggs, breakfast potatoes, and chimichurri. The steak had excellent flavor, although I ordered it medium and it came out closer to well done. It was my only real issue with the meal. We also tried a couple of cocktails. The Orange Crush was refreshing and perfect for brunch, while the bourbon, Aperol, peach, Earl Grey, and lemon cocktail was smooth, balanced, and equally enjoyable. Dessert was the perfect ending. The Take 5 Sundae with peanut butter crunch, pretzels, whipped cream, vanilla bean caramel, chocolate ice cream, and hot fudge was absolutely delicious. We also had the Tres Leches, topped with strawberries and vanilla whipped cream, which was light, moist, and a great way to finish the meal. Overall, everything we ordered was delicious. Aside from the slightly confusing entrance, parking, and my overcooked steak, the entire experience was outstanding. The waterfront setting, excellent service, beautiful atmosphere, and quality food make this one of the best brunch spots in Stamford. I will definitely be back. Next time I already have my eye on the Banana Buttermilk Bread, Village Breakfast, Braised Short Rib Hash, Wheel House Burger, Margherita Pizza, Smoked Salmon Pizza, and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich for myself. For drinks, I want to try the Charred Citrus, One in a Melon, and the Orange Crush. And I definitely need to save room for the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake.

Solid first visit to The Wheel!…read more Portion sizes were excellent for sharing, as we tried a variety of starters, seafood, and sides. Favorite dish selections per voting of the table, were the brussel sprouts (~$20), calamari (~$20), and NY strip (~$50) specifically because of the tallow fried rice that laid underneath the steak! Although we enjoyed the quality and quantity of food, the service was quite slow. Our waitstaff didn't come by very often to take drink orders, refill water glasses, or follow up. It didn't seem too busy that evening, so we were a bit surprised. We stayed in the dining room on this trip, but hope to come back for a nice evening when the outside patio area is available.

This place has a cozy ambience and excellent service. There is a small, but solid, food menu too!read more

This is a hotel bar, but it has an impressive menu of creative cocktails, and a surprising range of…read moretequila, rum, and other liquor options behind the bar. As a hotel bar the ambiance isn't top grade, but this also means it won't be packed, loud, or over-crowded, so it's very much worth checking out if you're nearby and want a good drink before/after dinner or before/after seeing a movie at the nearby theaters.

We stopped by Flinders for happy hour, and it was one of those nights that reminds you why you love…read morefinding a great local spot. The atmosphere was lively and welcoming, everyone was friendly, and we even ended up making new friends. A special shout-out to Maggie, our bartender. She was warm, fun, attentive, and made the whole evening even better. And creates the BEST cocktails. The food was outstanding. The burger was cooked perfectly, the French fries were absolutely delicious, and the bao bun was fantastic. Honestly, everything we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. Great food, great service, great people, and a fun vibe. We'll definitely be back. Highly recommend!

I took a 2 hour train from Brooklyn to Connecticut for lunch and I'd absolutely do it all over…read moreagain! From the moment we walked in, the hospitality from the staff,and chef made us feel right at home. We started drinks with a Strawberry Cosmo and a Paloma Spritz. Both refreshing and dangerously strong in the best way possible. For apps we came for the Crispy Duck on Sushi Rice, and as someone who usually scared to eat duck, this completely changed my mind. The duck was unbelievably crispy, similar to crispy prosciutto, and paired perfectly with their special sauce. We also had to do the Crab Cake was another standout, especially with the house-made Green Goddess dressing. The chef even came out to explain how he prepares the sauce, which made the experience feel much more special. For the entrees, we ordered the Linguine Fra Diavolo, loaded with perfectly cooked shrimp and the perfect amount of spice, alongside the Steak & Chips finished with a truffle vinaigrette. Somehow, every single dish just kept getting better. And because we clearly hadn't eaten enough, we had to try the Bacon Mac & Cheese Balls with smoked tomato sauce. I honestly could've eaten an entire plate of those. To end our meal, the chef surprised us with his Duck Egg Brownie, and it was one of the softest, fudgiest brownies I've ever had. A 2 hour train ride sounds crazy... but Flinders Lane made it absolutely worth the trip. I can't wait to come back to try the kangaroo!

Parking: plenty of spots during the day…read more Patio nice patio area though a little cramped with tables Decor: very relaxing and inviting inside Food: tasty but found the burger on an English muffin hard to eat, appearance was nice but not functional...ended up eating the burger with a fork and knife Price: a little high but not bad for the location Side note: fantastic wine list!

Found ourselves in town visiting a friend and decided to check this place out. We needed a place…read morethat had outdoor seating and accepted dogs, and Farmhouse fit the bill. There were dozens of empty tables outside, and so we chose table that was somewhat in the sun and away from the shady corner. The hostess was weird about it tho...saying that we chose a big table and we're a small party (we were 5 humans and 2 dogs and sat at an 8-seater). Most of the tables were 4-seaters so not sure where she wanted us. Despite that off-putting interaction, Frank, the server was spectacular. He was attentive and patient. I ordered a fried chicken sandwich, and I'm not even kidding, it was probably the best chicken sandwich I ever had. The meat was super tender and the breading was crunchy. The fries were comparable to McDonald's, and I mean that as a compliment. My friend ordered the Caesar salad with grilled chicken which looked crazy good. I tasted the chicken and it was pretty well-seasoned. I'd certainly order that next time!

We had a very lovely date night here last night…read more They have a cute outdoor patio with turf and various plants and lights. Really pretty. We decided we wanted to sit there but it was full so went to hang at the bar while we waited for a table. Bar had good cocktails, a little too sweet for my taste, and cool vibe. We had the blood orange mojito, aperol spritz, and purple haze. Last one was my favorite. Then we got seated outside. The food was delicious. We had bread and olive oil to start, the corn salad with brussel sprout shavings. I wish there was a little more dressing but my husband said the amount was perfect. Next was the smash burger with truffle fries. So Yum! And the pizza, San Danielle, was a perfect combo of sweet, salty, crispy, soft with red wine to accompany it. It was a beautiful night with a full bright moon. Wow! I know what I want next time: arancini, curried mussels, verde pizza, boneless short rib.

Went on a stormy night. Used to be the old quarterdeck long ago and about the same quality…read more Underwhelming food taste for Italian restaurant.

Really enjoyed the ambiance at our team's first visit to Cka Ka Qellu. It's a well-hidden gem,…read morefilled with historical artifacts and authentic music/dishes. Definitely appreciate the staff recommendations on portion sizes, plates to share for the table, and wine pairings. We enjoyed a little bit of everything: dips/salads, traditional grilled meats, roasted vegetables. It's hard to imagine not being able to find something for any type of diet/preference. Would come back again for sure, as they have an extensive list of options to try. Great spot within walking distance of downtown Stamford hotels.

Unfortunately received discriminatory treatment due to race. When we came in, all the waiters stood…read morein the back staring. Finally one gave us a look as if to say choose a seat, whatever. Meanwhile some white diners came in, and they hurriedly ushered them smiling to a table. Didn't give us menus (but gave menus to all diners that came in after us) until I flagged someone down for them. I watched them give complimentary bread and sauce to every other table except ours. I had to interrupt one waiter to ask about it and he shrugged me off, not even stopping to look at me, and muttered he'd get it. He got us bread but not the sauce, I had to ask him if it comes with the bread he said no. Later I asked another diner if it was complimentary, he said yes. It's unbelievable, we spent more than 100$ here to be treated like beggars. I would suggest any POC stay away; we were made to feel incredibly unwelcome and uncomfortable. On the other hand, the food was barely mid. The veal was so tough it was like eating rubber. In the end we couldn't finish it because it just wasn't good. I am not even sure if perhaps on purpose they gave us expired food because afterwards my friend and I both got upset stomachs. If you must be in Stamford you should take your business elsewhere, perhaps dont support a racist establishment.

Cute spot! Gives NY brassiere vibes. Pretty decent cocktail menu and everything that was ordered…read morewas yummy (and cute!). All the food we ordered was good! My favorite food? No. But good! Service was good and everyone was very nice. Walked in around 730 on a Saturday night with no issues sitting immediately.

Originally excited by the addition of the Americano to Stamford's downtown scene and aesthetically…read moreloved the place too - but that's about all after my visit. Got there early ahead of our reservation to get drinks at the bar. I ordered a dirty vodka martini and my husband got a gin martini. They got the order wrong and gave us both dirty martinis. I was briefly excited by them asking if I wanted blue cheese olives but even those were dry since you can see them on the bar pre-skewered, sitting in a container, not in brine. We finished our drinks and then moved to a table. We were not given water when seated. Placed an order for another round of drinks then (smartly) made the decision to order a mix of apps first before our entrees. Placed an order for another round of drinks, got the gnocchi, dumplings & wings. Food hit our table before our drinks arrived and we had to ask for water. Now onto the actual food - sadly, nothing good to say about it: - Sticky Gochujang Wings: well fried wing but WAY too much vinegar in the sauce not at all a Gochujang flavor - Sweet Chili Dumplings: Panda Express sauce a cloyingly sweet. Would expect more from a place like this. Also the filling of the dumpling tasted like it had curry seasoning? Curry + sweet chili are not flavors that mix - at least not in this dish. - Gnocchi: The sauce was broken/so grainy and gritty and the gnocchi itself SO DENSE. After this bad show, it was a no-brainer that we were gonna take our night and appetites elsewhere. So disappointing. Feels like they have a lot of service issues. Staff felt new even though they've been open for a year or so now. Unless some big changes happen, I have no interest in coming back.

We came here with our family for our grandson's high school graduation dinner. Our kids and…read moregrandson live in Chappaqua. A charming and romantic setting. We had the private dining room because we were a party of 10. Very nice menu and an excellent wine list but on the pricey side. Started with crispy Calamari with a lemon caper tartar and a crispy artichoke with lemon aioli, Friese, peppers, and pecorino cheese. Both were very good. For mains. my wife ordered the scallops with mushrooms and asparagus risotto. She truly enjoyed it. I opted for the herb crusted lamb loin since I am a rack of lamb lover. It came with farro and sautéed spinach. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Others in the group raved about the pork chop. For dessert, we tried the chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache and chocolate cookie crumble. Much denser than a regular mouse, very good. Also the brown butter creme Brule. Almost as good as my mine which I got the recipe from a family friend Paul Bocuse.

We sat at the bar last Friday night. The restaurant was empty, and the bar is beautiful and this…read moreservers bartenders were very sweet and made a very good drink. We started out with the bar on salad. We sat at the bar last Friday night. The restaurant was empty, and the bar is beautiful and this servers bartenders were very sweet and made a very good drink. We started out with the bar on salad.

Egg wrap was very good. Service was friendly. Outdoor seating is a nice touch, even if you're…read morestaring at a parking lot! Prices decent for Darien! I'll be back!

The Granola Bar is an interestingly titled restaurant in the beautiful town of Darien, Connecticut…read more When I first heard the name, I thought it was a frozen yogurt kind of shop with healthy toppings like granola, fruit, etc. but it's actually a full on breakfast and lunch spot with many options, some quite hearty. While the breakfast and brunch menu items were tempting, I was in the mood for a good old fashioned burger. There's just one on the menu, with specific toppings but I just got a regular cheddar cheese one with avocado and mayo on the side. The result was delicious and just what I needed on that gorgeous day. I actually started with a cookies & cream vanilla iced latte, and believe it or not it actually wasn't overly sweet and very well balanced. I tasted a strawberry ginger lemonade that someone else ordered which was great too, actually having strawberry fruit pieces in there. The interior was nice and bright, with kind of a nautical vibe which wouldn't be out of place since this area is very close to the ocean. The service was great, so for sure check out this fun spot if you're in the area!

Made it to Washington Prime, and truly loved my dining experience. The ambiance is laid back, which…read moreI love, It has a feel of a NYC Steakhouse without being too stuffy. Great place for a semi casual date, business meeting, or solo flyer diner like myself The service was amazing through and through. I had the New York Strip, truffled mashed and horseradish sauce on the side, OMG steak cooked to perfection, rested the right amount and melted like butter. Libations, a glass of Il Bastardo, and for dessert, a slice of key lime pie with a smoked peanut butter ol fashioned. Everything just went down smooth, adequately priced (it's a stake house not applebees,) I will be back for sure.

Washington Prime has fantastic food and really good service…read more The night we visited, it wasn't busy, but we decided to sit at the bar. The service was friendly and good. The ambiance of the restaurant is relaxed and nice. We ordered an appetizer and a main dish. - The appetizer was SIZZLING, THICK-SLAB BACON with a relish of pickled dill heirloom tomatoes and Vidalia onion, topped with umami bomb steak sauce. The flavor was amazing. - The main dish was AHI TUNA STEAK seared rare, with ginger rice, napa cabbage, miso hot, mustard, and a sesame-soy reduction. This was also very good. I highly recommend Washington Prime.