Who's serving some of the best and most unique breakfasts, lunches and dinners in the state? Find out on Restaurant Road Trip, featuring fun eateries in Connecticut that offer great food from interesting and amazing people. Episodes showcase locations in Fairfield County, an area often overlooked but full of culinary talent. Of course, you can expect some laughs too, as Chef Plum, co-host of Connecticut Public Radio's Seasoned, uncovers the secrets to some of the finest meals you'll experience in the state.
You'll appreciate exploring Connecticut's food scene as you join Chef Plum for his next dining adventure.
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Stream Now
Watch on CPTV Thursday, February 2 - 8pm
With food offerings described as a marriage between heaven and earth, The Corner Brunch Restaurant has perfected its gourmet brunch menu over the past 25 years. Fresh spices, quality ingredients and innovative selections -- ranging from South Indian Pulled Duck Wrapped in Bacon to Peach and Cream Stuffed French Toast -- have earned the restaurant top honors as having one of the best brunches in America. -
Stream Now
Watch on CPTV Thursday, February 2 - 8pm
An eclectic mix of food, culture and art blend beautifully together at The Art of Yum, located in the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. American classics, Latin specialties, Asian-inspired dishes, and Modern Fusion cuisine that’s backed by award-winning culinary chefs are on the menu, all within an atmosphere that’s both creative and inspiring. With mouth-watering Chef Choice Specials, including sushiritto and BKT tacos, to choose from, art on a plate never looked, or tasted, so good. -
Stream Now
Watch on CPTV Thursday, February 2 - 8pm
With more than 100 flavors to choose from on the menu, chicken wing lovers will be in a food nirvana at Dew Drop Inn. Winner of numerous awards for the best wings in Connecticut, the menu also includes burgers, steaks, wraps, bar snacks, salads, and a substantial craft beer selection. Whether it’s hot and spicy or sweet and savory, there’s something for everyone at this must-visit restaurant in Derby, Connecticut. -
Stream Thursday, February 9 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, March 23 - 8pm
Known for its original New Haven-style bagels, the popular Bagelry at Olmo is always busy, serving up a variety of freshly made specialty foods and baked goods that are definitely worth the trip. A hefty selection of breakfast and lunch items round out the menu, with combinations ranging from the popular bacon, egg and cheese bagel to the more exotic hot pastrami bagel sandwich. Plus, they’ve figured out how to keep those messy, pesky poppy seeds on their bagels...and off your lap. -
Stream Thursday, February 16 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, March 23 - 8pm
Having fun is always on the menu at Sandra's Next Generation. With a long legacy of serving up iconic soul food classics with new school twists, the restaurant is known for its famous empanadas, okra and fried chicken. Family-owned and operated for over 32 years, restaurant owners Sandra and Miguel Pittman and their four daughters offer guests a dining experience known for its outstanding food, ambience, and hospitality. -
Stream Thursday, February 23 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, March 23 - 8pm
There’s no place like Home. That’s what owner and chef Jared Schulefand wants people to feel like when they visit his restaurant. He’s created a menu full of homemade specialties and a dining atmosphere that’s warm and welcoming, with cozy furniture that’s the perfect setting to enjoy a tasty cocktail, sandwich, or full meal. Jared’s motto: Treat everyone like family. And wherever guests decide to sit, they’ll appreciate all the mouthwatering food and drink the restaurant has to offer. -
Stream Thursday, March 2 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, April 6 - 8pm
All of the locals in North Branford know about The Hidden Kitchen, and now Chef Plum shares the eatery’s secrets to being one of the most talked about restaurants in town. With a massive menu featuring unique takes on breakfast staples like eggs benedict and Monte Cristo sandwiches, co-owner and chef Dave Sulkowski draws on his experience as an engineer to put a new spin on classic breakfast and lunch dishes and to meld unique flavors and textures to create Hidden Kitchen original specials. Plus, co-owner Sandi Sulkowski, Dave’s wife, draws on her experience as a teacher to create a family-friendly environment where every customer feels like family. -
Stream Thursday, March 9 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, April 6 - 8pm
A Connecticut tradition since 1928, Blackie’s is a family-owned business known for its famous hot pepper relish, which has even been sent to the moon and back! Blackie’s is a place where generations of families come to enjoy owner Rick Flavin’s philosophy of keeping it simple...and delicious. With their own unique custom hot dogs from Martin Rosol’s Meats, this small menu establishment only offers the finest burgers, cheeseburgers, and hotdogs, all served with a side of potato chips. -
Stream Thursday, March 16 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, April 6 - 8pm
Inspired by coastal New England, Lucas Local offers a premium selection of fresh seafood (including an extensive raw oyster bar), creative cocktails and great service. It all adds up to a stellar dining experience featuring fresh family recipes and signature dishes, including the ever-popular Mussels Isabella. -
Stream Thursday, March 23 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, May 4 - 8pm
With a robust selection of its own freshly roasted coffee beans and a small but perfectly executed menu, Poppy’s Coffee and Kitchen is a popular location for yummy hot and cold drinks and unique breakfast specialties, including the BECA -- a bacon, egg, cheddar cheese, avocado, and Gochujang mayo sandwich. Situated in downtown New Haven and only a few blocks from Yale, the restaurant has made a name for itself as a stand-out recommendation for both breakfast and lunch enthusiasts. -
Stream Thursday, March 30 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, May 4 - 8pm
Pure, organic, wholesome and fresh best describes the offerings at Wild Alchemy Café. Owner Colleen Morgan takes pride in raising the health consciousness of customers with a vast array of juices and smoothies, tonics and elixirs, artisan entrees that include vegan and vegetarian salads and wraps, plus a luscious and healthy array of snacks and desserts. -
Hindsight BBQ - Waterbury, CTStream Thursday, April 6 - 12pm
Watch on CPTV Thursday, May 4 - 8pm
Opened in 2020 during the pandemic, Hindsight BBQ has earned high accolades from local residents looking for quality BBQ. Their specialty wood-smoked meats and eats include mouthwatering St. Louis-style pork ribs, juicy smoked turkey, and house-ground prime brisket burgers as well as tasty scratch-made sides such as honey butter cornbread and smashed potatoes and gravy.
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Aired: April 28, 2022
Karen Hubrich was never traditionally trained in school to be a chef. However, she is a self-proclaimed lover of great food, which led her to many great culinary jobs, before opening Gruel Britannia in 2019. Gruel Britannia is a small spot in Fairfield serving up proper English foods. For this episode, learn more about the breakfast menu available at the restaurant. -
Aired: May 5, 2022
Good Old Days offers two types of pizza. The descriptively titled “thin and crispy” pies that Matt Stanczak describes as somewhat similar in style to those available at legendary Connecticut pizza joint Colony, and square pizzas that are influenced by Detroit-style pan pizzas. The thin pies are good, and unusual for the area, but the square pies might just be Stanczak’s magnum opus. -
Aired: May 12, 2022
Global street food – the original “fast food” – along with an atmosphere featuring street graffiti – an original art form – come together under one roof to create an edgy and active cityscape. A sister eatery to that of SoNo’s anchor restaurant and gathering spot, The Spread, El Segundo takes everyone by surprise, offering a mash-up of cross-cultural cuisine and quirky ornamentation. -
Aired: May 19, 2022
Chef Dan Kardos has several restaurants in the Milford/Stratford area including Liberty Rock Tavern; Oar & Oak Creamery, an ice cream food trailer; and acclaimed Oar & Oak restaurant, which opened its doors in 2018, and is co-owned by Peter Massey. Known for his electric personality, Chef Dan describes his food as food he wants to eat. -
Aired: May 26, 2022
Owner Cody Sperry was inspired on a "guys trip" to Austin, Texas, before returning to Ridgefield and opening Hoodoo Brown BBQ. The restaurant continues to bring their signature style of outlaw barbecue to the Northeast. Hoo's Hungry? -
Aired: April 2, 2022
Matt Storch is the chef/owner of Match as well as the owner of Match Burger Lobster in Westport, Connecticut. Match Burger Lobster opened in 2017, and Chef Storch makes this fast-casual restaurant’s menu eclectic with an elevated comfort feel. It partners with local provision meats and Copps Island Oysters to serve the freshest ingredients available. -
Aired: June 9, 2022
Brewport is a craft brewery featuring delicious pizzas, salads and great desserts. Jeff Browning brings tens of thousands of pages of pre-prohibition batch sheets (recipes) from long gone Bridgeport breweries. With these and hundreds of his own recipes he can’t wait to bring history from grain to glass again in Bridgeport. -
Aired: June 16, 2022
In 2015, Stamford residents were treated to Judy’s Bar & Kitchen from larger than life Chef Judith Roll. Whether it’s shakin’ cocktails, frying chicken, smoking meats, pickling vegetables, stirring grits, shredding slaw, grilling burgers, baking pies or playing music, at Judy’s, everybody is having a great time. -
Aired: June 23, 2022
Washington Prime has the privilege of framing SoNo’s newest structure at the corner of Washington Street and Water Street. Adding to this historic and progressive waterside community, this highly anticipated Eating + Drinking Well is driven by a culinary and beverage program that is not about gimmicks -- just honesty and creativity. Here, plan to eat, drink and join in the fun. -
Aired: June 30, 2022
Nouveau Monde serves new American cuisine in a cozy and stylish atmosphere. The menu celebrates seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, incorporating inspirations from a variety of global flavors. The award-winning wine list has more than 750 by the bottle, with suggested pairings for the prix fixe menu. -
Aired: July 7, 2022
Grounds Donut House is a great spot for oversized gourmet doughnuts and coffee, plus there’s a bar. One of the star creations is the ice cream injected doughnut! The shop has a rotating menu of 12 doughnut flavors, baked off-site at a warehouse kitchen and delivered each morning to the store, where they are frosted and decorated. -
Aired: July 14, 2022
Kawa Ni is a type of Japanese drinking establishment that also serves food to accompany the drinks. It is a casual place for after-work drinking. The basics…Order a drink. Explore the menu. Ask as many questions as you want. Almost everything on the menu can be shared.
Restaurant Road Trip showcases outstanding and unique restaurants throughout Connecticut. Host Chef Plum shines a light on the food, the people and the stories — did we mention the food? — as he travels across the state. Chef Plum translates the restaurant vernacular to the viewer like no one can, leaning on his 25 years of hospitality experience and his drive to make everything approachable.
Each episode is fun, educational, inspiring and delicious — with a few laughs along the way.
Chef Plum - Host & Executive Producer
Chef Plum has over 25 years of culinary experience. He has been featured on the Food Network, ABC’s The Taste, Ehow.com, Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube, The New York Times, national commercials and many media outlets. He’s won multiple awards on the Food Network, making over 10 appearances with wins on Chopped, Guy’s Grocery Games and America’s Best Cook regional championship. Chef Plum is co-host of Seasoned on Connecticut Public Radio, and his podcast, Plumluvfoods Live, is in the top 200 in the food category on iTunes.
Dan Fish - Executive Producer & Director
Dan Fish is the executive producer and director of Restaurant Road Trip on PBS. He also owns Full Send Productions, a multimedia production company based in central Connecticut that boasts an incredible team of creatives. Over the past decade, his work has taken him around the globe.
Jeffrey Purrazzi - Producer
Chef Jeff Purrazzi is a self-taught, award-winning 25-year culinary veteran. He is an avid supporter of local food throughout the New York and Connecticut area, championing farms and local food any chance he gets. Jeff is a renowned private chef as well as co-host and producer of Plumluvfoods Live, the popular culinary industry podcast. In interviewing many big names in the culinary field, Jeff delights and informs with his witty commentary and deep culinary knowledge.
Jeff is also a producer of the popular TV series Restaurant Road Trip and serves on the judging table for the series Elite Chef. He also has been featured in national commercials. Jeff’s laid-back nature and can-do attitude always make him a favorite at festivals, including the Sun Wine and Food Fest and Cuisines of the Sun.
Jeff lives by this mantra: So long as it’s fun and delicious, I’m in!
Culinary Producer - Daniel Monroe
Camera Operator - Dan Fish
Camera Operator - Alex Cannatta
Camera Operator - John Spinnato
Audio Engineer - Glen Goettler
Editors - Dan Fish & Alex Cannatta
Visual Effects - Justin Mashuta
Production Assistant - Catherine Furman
Production Company - Full Send Productions
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