A Taste of Wilton has a new location this year — the Wilton Historical Society — where hundreds of attendees will “sip, swirl and savor” the best foods and drinks local restaurants and caterers have to offer.
The venue for the eighth annual foodie event on Monday, April 20, has been moved indoors because of rainy weather in past years, said Janeen Leppert, executive director of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce, which runs the event each year.
“The Taste has always been an outdoor event, but in the past few years we encountered spring showers,” she said, “which made it challenging for our food and beverage purveyors and attendees.”
Leppert said the change of location has been “well received by both exhibitors and attendees.”
“We are delighted to bring the highly anticipated annual tasting event for Wilton foodies and wine buffs to the picturesque grounds of the Wilton Historical Society,” said Leppert.
“It’s the ideal venue for local chefs, culinary personalities, sommeliers, and restaurateurs to showcase their products to discerning customers who want to sample delectable cuisine and make connections for future business.”
Attendees of last year’s event will see some familiar exhibitors like Bianco Rosso Wine Bar & Restaurant, Little Pub, and Sweet Pierre’s, as well as some new ones, including — but not limited to — Café Ruche, Heavenly Bites and Jersey Mike’s.
Café Ruche
Café Ruche, co-owned by Annie Horn and Barbara Chopin, opened its doors at 101 Old Ridgefield Road in December.
In addition to serving as a yoga studio, the “sanctuary for fitness and food” also serves European-style cuisine and beverages like prosciutto and brie sandwiches, poached salmon salads, French ham and gruyere crepes, and cabernet sauvignon.
Chopin said she and Horn are “very excited” to participate in A Taste of Wilton for the first time.
“We are eager to showcase our fabulous sweet and savory crepes and introduce our craft cocktail menu — all in virgin form, of course,” she said.
“We will be offering mini-versions of our ham and gruyere and lemon and powdered sugar crepe, as well as alcohol-free versions of our Ruche Tea-ini.”
For more information about Café Ruche, visit caferuche.com or call 203-529-6886.
Heavenly Bites
Bite-size cakes from Heavenly Bites will make an appearance at A Taste of Wilton this year.
The pastry company at 196 Danbury Road is owned by Joy Gifford and Mary O’Brien, who have been designing, baking and selling the cake bites for nearly three years.
Gifford said Heavenly Bites is looking forward to participating in A Taste of Wilton for the first time.
“The town has been so supportive of our product,” she said, “especially The Village Market, who we will be sharing a space at the event with.”
Gifford said samples of all six Heavenly Bite flavors — carrot cake, lemon drop, chocolate espresso, vanilla latte, devil’s food, and red velvet — will be offered at A Taste of Wilton for people to “taste and savor.”
“Our greatest satisfaction is watching the reaction of someone tasting our cake bites for the first time,” said Gifford. “We are looking forward to meeting new people who have never had a Heavenly Bite before.”
Heavenly Bites may be found on the shelves of five Fairfield County Whole Foods markets, as well as 16 grocery stores, including Wilton’s Village Market. They may also be purchased at the company’s online store.
For more information about Heavenly Bites, visit heavenly-bites.com or call 203-852-1514.
Jersey Mike’s
Those who haven’t had the chance to stop by Jersey Mike’s in Wilton will have the opportunity to sample its authentic sub sandwiches during this year’s Taste of Wilton.
Jersey Mike’s opened its second Connecticut location in Wilton’s Kent Center, 35 Danbury Road, last May. The shop, co-owned by Brian O’Hagan and Troy Davidson, offers cold and hot subs and wraps of fresh, made-in-house ingredients.
For more information about Jersey Mike’s, visit jerseymikes.com or call 203-803-4750.
Other exhibitors
“Each year, the Taste showcases over 20 local favorites, and we are thrilled to be adding new participants to this year’s roster,” said Leppert. “To date, our lineup includes 20 participants, and we believe we will add a few more by the end of the week.”
As of Monday, April 13, the 2015 Taste of Wilton lineup included:
- Bianco Rosso Wine Bar & Restaurant.
- Black Cat Grille
- Café Ruche
- Charter Oak Brewery
- Coffee Barn
- Greenhook Ginsmiths
- Georgetown Package Store
- Heavenly Bites
- Jersey Mike’s
- Little Pub
- Luca Ristorante Italiano
- Marly’s Bar & Bistro
- Peachwave Frozen Yogurt
- Pinocchio Pizza
- Portofino Restaurant
- Stop & Shop
- Sweet Pierre’s
- The Painted Cookie
- Village Market
- Wilton Pizza
A Taste of Wilton tickets may be purchased for $30 in advance either online at wiltonchamber.com or at one of the following Wilton locations:
- Fairfield County Bank, 190 Old Ridgefield Road
- Village Market, 108 Old Ridgefield Road
- Wilton Chamber of Commerce, 120 Old Ridgefield Road
- Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road
Tickets purchased at the door will cost $35, but members of the Wilton Historical Society may purchase tickets at any time for $25.
Leppert said the Chamber has noted an increase in advance ticket sales and expects this year’s attendance to be record-setting.
For more information about A Taste of Wilton, call 203-762-0567 or email info@wiltonchamber.com.