Chelsea Nears

Reader Orville is a constant source of great local insight (see comments to Back!). One of his helpful comments was that the Chelsea Piers project is moving right along. As you very well may know, the 33-acre Clairol plant (1 Blachley Road) is being transformed into a crazy mega sports-centric entertainment extravaganza in a $45 million renovation. The Stamford Advocate echos Orville's sentiments and author Elizabeth Kim notes that the plans include:

- Featured sports like "skating, swimming, gymnastics, tennis, squash, and two ice rinks, one built approximately to National Hockey League standards, and another roughly Olympic-sized. Multi-purpose fields will accommodate soccer, baseball, and lacrosse players." Wow!

- There will be 20 to 24 foot tall ceilings with snazzy glass interior.

- Hours of operation will be 5:30am to midnight.

- There will be a whopping 894 parking spaces.

- An estimate 250 new jobs paying a sum total of $6 to 7 million.

In addition to extreme sportiness, the facility will also feature the Connecticut Film Center, which will take up 81,000 square feet and include two production studios.

The Zoning Board approved the plans at the end of last month, and Elizabeth Kim reports that work will begin in the spring and last somewhere between 12 and 14 months.

Stamford Winter 2011 Restaurant Week Has Arrived!

Starting TODAY, Restaurant Week is underway. I didn't do the numbers, but it seems like more restaurants than ever have signed on this time around. Here's what you can expect:

$10.11 lunch specials and $15.11 dinner specials at:
- Black Bear Saloon
- Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Cafe
- Capriccio Cafe (which is good even without the summertime patio)
- Kujaku Japanese Restaurant
- Lola's Mexican Kitchen
- Remo's Pizza Company (which makes me smile; Mon-Thurs)
- SBC Downtown Restaurant and Brewery

$15.11 lunch specials and $25.11 dinner specials at:
- Chez Jean-Pierre (Sun-Fri)
- Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant
- Quattro Pazzi (Sun-Thurs)
- Riviera Maya Mexican Restaurant Correction! They do have a website!
- Tendga Asian Bistro (which we went to Friday and had a wonderful time)

$20.11 lunch specials and $30.11 dinner specials at:
- Aria Restaurant (Sun-Fri)*
- Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar
- Capital Grille* (somehow, we've still never been)
- Columbus Park Trattoria
- Emme of Capri*
- EOS Greek Cuisine (Sun-Thurs)
- napa & co. (lunch only)
- Market Restaurant
- Mitchell's Fish Market
- Morton's Steakhouse (dinner only)
- Telluride (which makes the best whiskey sour in Stamford)

Every restaurant (except the "*"s) is participating in a program called KIDS' FANS that - according to their snazzy flier - promotes nutrition and fitness for kids. Participating restaurants will offer children 12 and under lunch for $6.95 and dinner for $9.95.

Another cool perk for restaurant week: if you take advantage of Winter Restaurant Week, you'll receive a coupon for a small popcorn at the Avon (which is worth $4.50!). Sweet!

More info is available at the Stamford SDSSD website.

(photo from xmatt, flickr.com)

Frightening Food Film Friday

Eat light on Friday night because you won't want to watch the film InGREEDients on a full stomach. It's a documentary about the stuff that's added to your food that you may not know about, and what you don't know could hurt you. The movie helps clear up mysteries about confusing food labels and explores connections between food and illness.

You can see it from 6-9pm on Friday the 25th at Audubon Greenwich (613 Riversville Rd in Greenwich).

You'll also hear from Dr. Madhu Mathur, Chair of the Obesity Task Force for Stamford Hospital. You must RSVP to the movie by calling Jeff Cordulack at 203.869.5272 x 239 or by emailing him at jcordulack@audubon.org. Tickets are $15, although discounted tickets of $12 may be available online.

The trailer of the film is not suitable for children or the faint of heart, so click at your own risk!

(photo from Katie@!, flickr.com)

Cold Weather Calisthenics

My husband and I just got back from an amazing resort wedged into the middle of nowhere. They offer a natural setting, extreme hiking, locally grown food and yoga every single day. I was happy to see that if we want to stretch our stretch back into Stamford, we have some nice options.

In particular, I was pleased to see that the Stamford Nature Center is featuring a Winter Yoga Series from now until March 21st. Hosted from 6:30 to 8pm in the main building (Bendel Mansion) on Monday nights, the yoga classes are conducted by Mary Green who trained in India. Her yoga style is called Kundalini (which sounds more like a pasta than a position), and her class is designed to "work[] the physical body so the body will work for you." That sounds pretty fabulous to me. The Center recommends bringing a mat and blanket if you have one. Each class costs a very reasonable $15 for members; $20 for non-members. To sign up, contact Mary at 203.613.2779 or marygreenyoga@gmail.com.

Want more options? Here are some other local yoga studios you may want to try:

- Shamatha Yoga (838 High Ridge Rd) - Yelp gives this one rave reviews!

- Dew Yoga (923 High Ridge Rd) - Their website has a cool hippie vibe.

- Yoga Spirit (87 Ridge Park Ave) - They offer an online coupon giving you a 5% discount on purchase of 10 classes or more.

(photo from stevendepolo, flickr.com)

Back!

Hi ya citizens! I was away for vacation escaping the the frigid temperature, and I'm back in the *what! more snow!!* zone. I'm sure a TON of awesome stuff happened in my absence, and I'm SAD that you didn't learn about it from me...but I'm back and crawling back into harsh reality. Check back soon!

Cheers to Art!

The beautiful people behind the Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery (96 Bedford) are featuring artist Robert Wilson in a solo exhibit from February 11th to March 18th.

Mr. Wilson is probably most well known as the father of Rainn Wilson (aka, Dwight Schrute on The Office), but you can learn more about him on the gallery's website or the artist's own site.

The senior Mr. Wilson's exhibit kicks off with an opening reception on Friday, February 11th from 6-9pm. They recommend that you RSVP for the reception by calling 888.861.6791 or by emailing info@flalvarezgallery.com.

(photo from Minimalist Photography, flickr.com)

Everybody Loves Runway

Stamford Downtown Special Services District is getting all fancy! They are hosting an event at Saks Fifth Avenue in the Stamford mall on Wednesday, Feb 9th from 5-7pm featuring:

- Complimentary makeovers
- A menswear fashion show
- Music by Patrick Sweeney of Scripp Music
- VIP shopping passes
- Hors d'oeuvers from napa & co.
- Sweets from La Dolce Vita Chocolate

To learn more and RSVP (which you should do ASAP!), contact Paulette Pitt at paulette_pitt@s5a.com or 203.323.3100 ext 205.

(photo from FFX © florbelas fotographix, flickr.com)

KO for an a-OK cause

Want to warm up your winter with a little friendly punch in the face? Revolution Fitness is sponsoring one of the coolest events in our area on February 25th at 6:30pm. It takes place at the Stamford Holiday Inn at 700 E. Main Street.

I blogged about its predecessor cousin last year here. This year's event is called the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, a White Collar Boxing Gala Benefiting the RF Youth Foundation, and it features professionals loosening up those white collars to blacken a few eyes and do a little good as well. Tickets cost $100, and you can learn more by contacting Ahmad Mickens at 203-550-2797 or emailing ahmad_mickens@yahoo.com.

Do You Know CT?

So maybe you know a thing or two about Stamford, but what do you know about your state? Test your knowledge with this little Connecticut quiz my very clever parents came up with:

1. The name Connecticut comes from the Mohegan word Quinnehtukqut which means:
a. Small but mighty
b. Beside the long tidal river
c. Fruitful waters

2. Connecticut's motto is Qui Transtulit Susinet which means:
a. He Who Transplanted Still Sustains
b. One Who Looks to the Stars
c. Move Forward but Maintain

3. Put these cities in order of population size with one being the largest:
a. __ Waterbury
b. __ Bridgeport
c. __ Stamford
d. __ New Haven

4. State insect is:
a. Monarch butterfly
b. Bumble bee
c. Praying mantis

5. Poet Laureate of CT is:
a. Emily Dickinson
b. John Holander
c. ee cummings

6. State Mineral is:
a. Granite
b. Jade
c. Garnet

7. State Composer is:
a. Charles Ives
b. John Philip Sousa
c. Aaron Copeland

8. Connecticut's state flower is:
a. Mountain Laurel
b. Rose
c. Chrysanthemum

9. Connecticut First - select all that are true:
a. First public art museum
b. First lollipop
c. First cotton gin
d. First FM radio station
e. First vacuum cleaner
f. First tape measure
g. First Frisbee
h. First dictionary
i. First pay telephone
j. First can opener
k. First sewing machine

10. Connecticut's State Heroine, Prudence Crandall is famous because:
a. She organized a campaign for women's voting rights
b. She established the first academy for African-American women in New England
c. She was the first woman to attend Litchfield Law School, the first law school in the US

ANSWERS:
1. b; 2. a; 3. from 1 to 4 it's Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury; 4. c; 5. b; 6. c; 7. a; 8. a; 9. all of them!; 10. b

Adventures in Food

Romantic Food:

Coalhouse Pizza is having a Valentine's Day extravaganza they are calling "Best of the Belgians" Beer Dinner. It's underway at 7pm and features words you might not be able to pronounce, but you sure will want to eat, such as:
- Terrine de Foies de Volaille
- Beer crackers made with Delirium Tremens
- Figs marinated in Rocheforte 10
- Endive & goat cheese salad with a wheat beer vinaigrette made with Allagash White
- Bratwurst & sauerkraut marinaded in fancy, fancy things
- Mussels steamed in Blanche de Chambly, served with pommes frites and a garlic mayonnaise
- Framboise Parfait: Buck's vanilla ice cream, Lindemans Framboise Lambic, fresh berries, and Godiva chocolate
- Many, many other sources of awesomeness I've forgotten to mention

For tickets, call 203-977-7700.

Healthy Food:

I don't know about you all, citizens, but I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I've dabbled in it, but I really respect people who make a real go of it. A small company out of a place not too far from here - Lenox, MA - is putting their wares on display in our backyard this weekend, and you may want to check it out.

They are called Berkshire Grain, and they're a natural and organic food company launching a new granola. They will be giving their product out at Stew Leonard's in Norwalk this Friday and Saturday.

Straight up Decadent Food:

CTbites did it more justice than I could by saying "Every now and then, an event comes along that simply needs no sales pitch. The Chocolate, Dessert & Wine Lover's 'Tasting' Evening to benefit The Shelter for the Homeless is just such a happening." That event is taking place on February 10th and CTbites has all the deets!

(photo from hill.josh, flickr.com)

Chomp!

Ok citizens, it's a new month and there's time for neither dillying nor dallying. There's a very warm and fuzzy item to get us back into community building. On Saturday, February 5th (10am-3pm) Stamford (as well as Norwalk and Westport) welcomes the Give Kids a Smile Program, which gives free dental services to kids who need it! How cool is that??

Providers/locations for the event are:
- Dr. S. Cleveland Perry (1 Bank St # 207, Stamford).
- Dr. Anna Karidas of Stamford (Ste 203, 999 Summer Street, Stamford).
- Dr. William Fessler of Day Street Community Health Center.
- Dr. Matthew Karl Olson (10 Mott Ave 3c, Norwalk).
- Dr. Sandra L. Bogdon (35 E Main St, Westport).

Services offered at the event include free cleanings, exams, sealants, fillings, fluoride treatments and dental education to children with HUSKY insurance or no dental insurance.

To schedule an appointment, contact either:
- Sarienid Guzman at 203-854-9292, ext. 7204 or guzmans@chc1.com.
- Llara Perez at 203-969-0802 ext. 2216 or perezl@chc1.com.

(photo from ThrasherDave, flickr.com)