Category: Connecticut Travel

To enhance Patron’s Theater experience the Westport Country Playhouse has announced its restaurant partners for the 2011 season, playing April 26 through November 5. Playhouse subscribers will receive discounts, many up to 20%, at partner restaurants upon presenting a ticket or stub on the day of their ticketed performance.

The Playhouse’s restaurant partnership program is designed to heighten its patrons’ overall theater experience and to support local businesses.

“The Playhouse is so pleased to partner with many great restaurants here in town,” said Jenn Bond Huisking, Playhouse community relations liaison. “These partnerships make many special events on our campus possible while enhancing the total experience of attending a live theater performance at the Playhouse. We too hope our patrons are introduced to all of the amazing culinary experiences available right here in Westport.”

2011 restaurant partners, all located in Westport, are: Dressing Room: A Homegrown Restaurant; La Villa Trattoria; Manolo; Matsu Sushi; Rizzuto’s Wood-fired Kitchen and Bar; Tavern on Main; and Thali.

Dressing Room: A Homegrown Restaurant, located on the Playhouse grounds, is a collaboration of Chef Michel Nischan and the late actor/philanthropist Paul Newman. The menu reflects the seasons, pulls from Connecticut’s local resources, and consists of generational recipes that exude “home grown” flavor. 27 Powers Court, Westport, (203) 226-1114. http://www.dressingroomhomegrown.com.

La Villa Trattoria, featuring Chef Michael Sornatale, offers regional Italian cuisine including free- range and organic ingredients, innovative pasta dishes, steak and chops, fresh seafood and house-made desserts. 3 Bay Street, Westport, (203) 557-4810. http://www.lavillawestport.com

Manolo is inspired by Chef / Restaurateur Pedro Garzon’s travels throughout Spain, Portugal, France and Italy. Manolo offers tapas style dining, innovative entrees and a menu changing daily. 8 Church Lane, Westport, (203) 227-0703. http://www.cafemanolo.com

Matsu Sushi’s Chef / Sushi Master Michael Cao prepares hand-formed, pressed and rolled sushi, and seasonal sashimi along with traditional Japanese specialties as well as Sukiyaki noodles, dumplings and satays. 33 Jesup Road Westport, (203) 341-9662. http://www.matsusushi.net

Rizzuto’s Wood-fired Kitchen and Bar features Italian cuisine, including house-made pasta, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza and artisan bread, antipasti, free-range chicken, market fresh fish and top grade meat. 540 Riverside Avenue, Westport, (203) 221-1002. http://www.rizzutos.com

Tavern on Main, a New England style restaurant and gathering place, offers a globally inspired menu that is strongly influenced by the seasons. Outdoor dining on the covered patio overlooks Main Street. 146 Main Street, Westport, (203) 221-7222. http://www.tavernonmain.com

Thali Westport’s Executive Chef Prasad Chirnomula brings his brand of regional Indian cuisine with his unique tapas-style menu, offering small plates of the flavors of India. 376 Post Road East, Westport, (203) 557-4848.

Restaurant partner logos are displayed in Playhouse promotional materials, including looping lobby DVD, season playbills, subscriber handbook, pre-season patron e-blast and website with link to restaurant homepage. Additional benefits for partner restaurants are complimentary tickets.

Visit http://www.westportplayhouse.org for full restaurant descriptions, discounts and restrictions.

For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available 24/7 at http://www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse) and/or follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse); view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse) and get an insider’s peek on The Playhouse Blog (www.theplayhouseblog.org).

 

 

Western CT Blog

via Western CT Blog: Looking For Spring in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County!.

This Saturday take a tour of the Sharon Audubon Center’s Sugarhouse to see how maple syrup is produced fresh at the Audubon Center. In the sugarhouse, a favorite stop along the tour, the sweet aroma of boiling sap and syrup will fill the air as samples of fresh syrup are handed out to guests to taste. Tours go out continuously throughout the day so there is no need to pre-register. Tours are scheduled between 10:00am and 4:00pm $5.00 adults, $3.00 children.

While you are at the center, don’t miss the Raptor Aviaries. Here you will find 22 Birds of Prey (16 different species) that have been determined non-releasable, meaning that they would not be able to survive on their own in the wild. The majority of these beautiful birds are housed in large outside, predator-proof aviaries that are filled with natural vegetation and various perching options. Birds that you will see at the Audubon include: bald eagle, merlin, several types of owls, hawks and vultures, a peregrine falcon, an American Kestrel, dove and raven.

Audubon Sharon, consists of the Sharon Audubon Center and Emily Winthrop MilesWildlife Sanctuary, and is owned and operated by the National Audubon Society. The Sharon Audubon Center has over eleven miles of scenic hiking trails, and includes 1,147 acres of mixed forest, meadows, wetlands, ponds and streams.The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of the Earth’s biological diversity and humanity.

The Sharon Audubon Center strives to meet this mission through education, conservation and environmental research to encourage the responsible usage and stewardship of natural lands.The Sharon Audubon Center offers educational programs for all ages, a seasonal newsletter, nature programs, wildlife rehabilitation, research, live animal exhibits, a children’s adventure center, a nature store, and a natural history library.

The Silvermine School of Art located in New Canaan in partnership with the Aldrich Museum, will be participating in the annual community event, Draw On! On Saturday, March 26th from 9am until 6pm, the School of Art will conduct DRAW UNTIL YOU DROP!

This one day event is open to the public and provides an opportunity for continuous, intensive figure drawing with a model, or models, in sustained poses. Participants of all skill levels, ages 16 and up, will be able to work alongside Silvermine faculty, Guild Artists members and students to develop their artistic vision, sharpen skills and energize studio experience through drawing.

Using all the studios in the School of Art, participants will have the opportunity to work with female and male models in a range of different poses, from short and athletic, to extended poses, as well as portrait study. Participants who would like to work with still life set ups will also have a variety to choose from.

The fee for the day is $30 and half day is $15. Registration can be made in advance or you can register the day of the event. Tables, easels, drawing horses, drawing boards and basic drawing supplies will be available. For more information call 203-966-6668 ext. 2 or visit our website at http://www.silvermineart.org.

The Silvermine Galleries are open Wednesday through Saturday, 12p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1pm to 5 p.m. For more information, call (203) 966-9700