The first impression that you get when you walk in is not Chic hip Westport, New York Style dining. You get thrown into New England laid back farm scene. The entire inside has been transformed into what you would see if you went to any local barn and cleaned it up nicely, added some tables and soft lighting. It immediately relaxes you. The dining room is a long narrow space that is filled with one 6 Person table (6 top) in the corner and the rest are two tops that can be made into 4 to 6 at a moment’s or reserved, notice. There is a high bar area in the back just before the open kitchen which will serve as a dining area as well that will allow anyone to watch Bill Taibe’s magic at work.
Now the meal that we had was not your ordinary one, only because it was designed for a second evening of test runs for the staff. Our group of four were seated and served menu’s that allowed us to pick one item from the top section and one from the bottom. We told our server to tell be we are requesting the farm version of “Okamase”, from the Japanese term which means the chef has control of our table.
We were told that all our dishes would be different to allow us to try everything. Our first dishes consisted of Fluke Crudo, which was served elegantly on a piece of slate that had olive oil drizzled over the raw fish. Duck Sausage with a fried duck egg and a corn relish was the second of what would be 5 starters. Burrata came next which was served on top of black kale which was perfect because the cheese was so fresh, it was firm and slightly wet. The kale was an excellent choice here because it stayed crunchy till the last bite. We noticed that the diver scallops wasn’t in our selection so we had made a special request for this dish and was awarded with the most perfectly sautéed Scallops swimming in a aioli like sauce that was perfectly matched. The last starter was my personal favorite. The Roasted Bone Marrow was served to us like no other bone marrow we had ever had before. Instead of the usual cylinder bone with dainty spoon that you get at other places, Bill chose to take an 8” bone and cut it in half long ways allowing the diner to remove the rich buttery marrow from its resting place. It was served with some fresh country baguettes that you would spread along with thinly sliced shallots. If that wasn’t enough, to bring it up another level, Bill added a small ramekin of parsley mustard that gave it a bite taking it from incredible to spectacular.
At this point I stepped into the back to tell Bill how wonderful everything was and how we were looking forward to the mains. I glanced at my ticket to see what to expect and noticed the Burger missing. As you might recall from Napa & Co, the burger is what many came for. It even inspired a special night that created a special just for the burger. I asked to add the burger and to have it split into 4’s so that we can each sample what would be the most ultimate burger that has ever been set to plate.
The mains consisted of the burger, which I will explain later as we enjoyed it so much, we actually ordered another one to split, Berkshire Pork Belly, Cannelloni, Duck Breast, and Chatham Codfish. The Cannelloni was a delight. Two large rolled pasta crepes enveloped the cheese that had a hint of Anise or fennel in it. It was topped with a creamy béchamel sauce. The Duck Breast has large and hearty. I’m not a real big fan of Duck but what had me won over was the addition of the figs that sweetened up each bite. The Berkshire Pork Bell y was a favorite as it was cooked so well. It wasn’t overly fatty and it wasn’t overly salty as this can sometimes be. It was done just right. The Pork sat upon a bed of Lentils that were laced with black truffles. Really a decadent dish. The Codfish was a table favorite as everyone enjoyed the bacon butter it was served with.
But the real gem of the night was the burger. It was layered atop soft bacon and covered with Vermont Cheddar. The Brioche bun that encased it absorbed all the juices that the burger had dripping from it. Now everyone has a special way they like their burger. Whether its topped with tomato, onion, pickles, specific buns and ketchup. This burger would be ruined by tampering with it with adding any form of condiment. It was impossible to put down.
There was a small but delicious selection of desserts to order from. We ordered cookies which I enjoyed the lemon cilantro glazed cookies. The Apple cake with beets was good and an interesting twist adding a sweet beet to a cake like that. The cheese plate was excellent as it offered a great selection of hard and soft cheeses also served on the slate like the appetizers were served on.
The fun bonus fact that Bill and Rachel have added to Le Farm is that they offer both sparkling and still water to serve and it’s not from a bottling source. It’s from Westport. They have a machine that triple filters the water and adds the sparkle to the water for patrons that ask for it. It’s a nice touch.
All in all, really an incredible meal and we have lots to look forward to with leFarm in the future. The best part about the restaurant is that they have no limitations to the fabulous sources of fresh local farm food they get from each and every day. I have seen the interaction that Bill and Rachel have with the farm sources that they buy from and it’s absolutely family like. They work together like they have been family for years and that alone says a lot to future of leFarm. We look forward to many great meals and memories for years to come.
You can see them online at www.lefarmwestport.com
You can see them online at www.lefarmwestport.com
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