LeFarm in Westport CT.......I'm finding new favorites and enjoying older ones

I know many of you know I write more about leFarm than I do any other restaurant.  Yes, I'm friends with Bill and Rachel who own the restaurant.  I like to support my friends. But it's such good food!!!!  It's Creative, Fresh, and rather satisfying.  And I'm not alone with my thoughts.  The night I was there was a Tuesday night.  leFarm is closed Sunday and Monday.  Tuesday was jammin!!!!!!

So this Tuesday was the one night that we were able to put together with two other couples.  One were friends of ours who had moved to London last year for what we are hoping is only three years.   The others were the owner's of Marly's in Wilton (which is another great local place).  This one Tuesday night in July, yes I'm running behind in my writing, was the only night that we were able to get together.

The first thing I noticed when I came into the restaurant is that the bar in the back that separates the dining room from the kitchen is covered in Tomatoes.  I mean covered.  All sizes and colors.  Cherry, grape, beefsteak, cherokee you name it, it was there.  It was a fireworks display of color.   yellows, reds, purples, oranges and everything in between.

When we sat down and looked at the menu, I noticed that the appetizer section was a lot larger than what it used to be.  Since the 6 of us all really love to eat, we decided to share 5 different appetizers.

Here is what we got:

The first one was a new dish to Anita and I.  Battered Fish Bait.  We had to ask because we had no idea what it was.  I still don't remember what the name of the fish was, but it was a small thin fish that was battered and cooked whole.  it was so small that you literally ate the whole thing.  Bones and all.  The fish was light and mild and the batter had a lot of the crunchy flavor you like in a fried fish.  It was served pickles and nice roasted peppers.

Artisan Burrata was placed in front of us next.  A large generous portion of creamy firm cheese was served with a pesto and fresh cherry tomatoes and a slice of the olive bread.  we had to ask for more bread to accompany the dish.

The Kale and Beet salad is a dish we can't get away from.  I have become a huge fan of beets and it still remains to be one vegetable that I have never made.   I have heard that they can be boiled or more popularly roasted.  But for some reason I have steered clear of them.  I don't know why.  Besides the Portobella mushroom, the beet has to be the "meatiest" of the vegetables around.  But they are crisp and fresh tasting and oh so earthy.  I really have to get some of these in my kitchen.

As it was tomato season, the plate of tomatoes with onions and Pearl Cous-cous was a nice addition to our selection.  All I can say is that there is nothing better in the summer than fresh picked tomatoes.

The last appetizer is one that has become my personal favorite at the restaurant.  When we first tried the Octopus, we were told it was a special and Frank our server brought us out a dish to try.  Since then, I have always ordered it.  I know I have written about it before, but h the way Bill cooks it, make it so soft and uncommon than most other chewy octopus dishes I have had.  But the key to the dish is the Harissa dressing he makes.  Bill posted a picture recently on facebook showing a kitchen accident while making the dressing.  it was everywhere.  I told him I would have volunteered to clean it up.  I just needed some loaves and bread and it would be gone very quickly.

 
Our main dishes as usual didn't disappoint us.  We had some similar orders but had some nice new dishes to try.

The Bronzoni was a piece of fish that we had gotten in the past.  Bill serves this fish with an assortment of fresh summer beans and his tomato marmalade.  If you can look back on Martha Stewart shows, you'll find he makes this on one of the shows he was on.  Really bright flavors here.

Sweet breads were also ordered and they were as good as the last time I had tried them there.  Made with fresh peas, carrots and onions, the dish sits in a light mushroom broth and dotted with bacon.  Oh, I so love bacon.

We had two pasta dishes a the table.  Both of them were 1/2 orders and it was a good thing because the desserts were plentiful.  The first pasta dish was the Cavatelli.  It was served with squash and a bean pesto, then topped with thinly sliced Prosciutto.

The last dish was the one that Mike and myself had gotten.  It was a good think he ordered first and asked for the 1/2 order.  otherwise I would have made a real pig of myself.  The Buccatini Carbonara was served with onion, peas, bacon (oh joy), and topped with fresh shaved Parmesan.  Fabulous dish.

The table was a group of Dessert fanatics.  Not that many people are not but this group really loves their sweets.  We got two orders of the fresh raspberries with melted chocolate on them.  I'm not a huge fan of chocolate on fruit but this just looked so beautiful.

I can't resist Bills Corn Bread and candied Bacon.  (OK, I can see I have a problem here)

Last and newest dessert was one that had to be preordered because it takes 15 minutes to make.  Fresh fruit compote was on the bottom of a ramekin and topped with a pastry that can only be described as a cake of pancake.  I know they described it differently when I was there a month ago and I have to admit, I just don't remember.  But this dish was served with Basil ice cream.   The combination was terrific and the cake in the first ramekin was soft and moist.  It's worth the wait.

Another great meal and another great entry for me in the blog.  This place is always easy to write about.  Please go and say hello to Bill.  Tell him I sent you.

leFarm can be found in Westport and on the web at www.lefarmwestport.com

leFarm is again leFabulous

Saturday night after Thanksgiving was a special one for me this year.  I usually don't like to make a big deal over my birthday other than I want a good meal.  And a good meal was had by the hands of the teamwork at leFarm.  Rachel Golan, who is the wife of Chef Bill Taibe managed to squeeze us in for Saturday night.  Since the opening 2 months ago, the place has been very busy.

We were greeted by Rachel who told us our table would be ready in a moment, which gave us an opportunity to sneak into the back and give a hello to Chef Bill.  We were seated and offered the choice of still or sparking water both of which are filtered right in house.  We were looking at the dishes that were leaving the kitchen as we sat there trying to decide what to get.  Everything as usual looked amazing.

Anita, my wife, started out with Marinated Beets, Fuji Apples and Womanchego cheese salad.  The beets are selected from Holebrook farm in Bethel CT and were the highlight of the dish.  Both red and white-striped beets were served and they were delicious.

I on the other hand had a hard time deciding what to eat.  Since I have tried many of Chef Bill's dishes I wanted to re-live some of them as well as try something new.  So I decided to re-live the appetizer of the Roasted Bone Marrow.  As before it was a large bone cut lengthwise and roasted to soften up the marrow till its at a spreadable texture.  It was then topped off with parsley and shallots and served with Parsley Mustard. The dish is served with olive bread that you could make a meal of alone with a bit of butter.  But this bread had other plans for this evening.

For the Entree's Anita had gotten another appetizer as it struck her eye.  Soft Polenta and salted Codfish came out in a bowl with sauteed scallions and topped with freshly shaved pecorino cheese.  The dish also had a soft boiled egg mixed in which really smoothed out the texture.

When I asked my server Frank, who has been with Chef Bill from restaurants in the past, what he thought about the lambsteak, he had a good answer for me.  He said, its not something I recommend to everyone since its not a popular cut of Lamb here.  The problem that some people have with this particular cut of lamb is that there are a few large bones located throughout the steak that you have to surgically negotiate through.  Since he knew I was a bit of a foodie, I would personally have no problem with the dish.  And he was right on all accounts.  The bones were located differently than you would find on let's say a bone in Ribeye which runs along one side of the steak.  But what you get in return is more flavor in the steak due to the fact that you have more bone to meat surface.   It just needs a little extra time with the knife but when your out to a meal at Lefarm, your not in a rush.  The Lambsteak is served upon a bed of soft Polenta and speckled with roasted broccoli.  The dish is pulled together with the sofrito which is a sauce traditionally made with small diced onions and tomatoes.  If you like lamb, I highly suggest getting this dish.

Usually I stop there when I go out for a meal but when Frank listed off the desserts, one of them sounded so unique I had to try it.  I have had Chef Bill's cornbread before but not like this.  He served the cornbread with drizzled Honey and a quenelle of maple cayenne pepper ice cream and topped with Crumbled candied bacon.  WOW is what I thought and WOW is what I said after I ate the whole thing.  It was amazing.  The cornbread is great on it's own but with the ice cream and candied bacon it just made it a savory dessert that I would get anytime.  I have heard of candied bacon before but getting to try it was a real treat.  It has the extreme flavor contrasts that you get with a chocolate covered pretzel.  Extreme salt and extreme sweet.  It worked great with this dish since it accented the cornbread rather than taking it over.

Anita had just experimented with pumpkin cheesecake over the Thanksgiving holiday and it came out great.  Since it was her first foray into this type of cheesecake, she was anxious to see what others tasted like and ordered a slice this evening.  The flavor of the cheesecake was very good and it was a lighter fluffier consistency.  It was served with Maple ice cream and a nice smear of nutella.

Again, another fabulous meal at leFarm.  If you haven't tried it yet, you have to get in there.  Make sure you check them out on the web at www.lefarmwestport.com
Also Check them out on facebook where you will see specials of family style dinners.  This is where they put all the tables together and for a nominal fee you get a constant flow of food and wine mixed with people from all over.

Via Sforza Westport......A little bit of Tuscany in Fairfield County CT

I was very happy to have gotten home from my trip and had an opportunity to go to dinner with just Anita, my wife.  We decided to to go to Via Sforza in Westport CT which is located on the Westport Norwalk Border.   The outside looks like something you would see in Tuscany Italy (not that I've been there but I've seen photos) with it's round stone facade and rustic wood door.  Inside when you walk in, your greeted by the Brick oven that is roaring to cook all the pizzas that are so popular.

Since we had pizza earlier, we decided to get some of the other things on the menu.  Anita had started with the Insalate Principe which was an elegant mix of Endive, Arugula and Radicchio.  The dressing was bright and refreshing like the rest of the salad.  A great way to start a meal.

I am a big fan of seafood and love Mussels.  So I ordered the Cozze in Brodo which is Mussels with white wine sauce. The sauce had a good amount of garlic and parsley and it was excellent with the rustic country bread that the restaurant served to mop up the sauce.  I think I returned the bowl dry.

For the Entree's Anita ordered Pappardelle il Forno, which were wide broad noodles that were served with Porcini mushrooms, sausage, peas, in a light creamy tomato sauce.   When it cam out I personally thought it looked heavy but after tasting it, it had a nice balance.  The sausage had a nice bite to it which went great with the sauce.

I ordered the Pasta a la Vongole.  Which is Pasta with Clam Sauce.   Its a personal weakness for me.  I love Linguini and white clam sauce and have a hard time resisting it when I see it on the menu.  Plus I have had it there before and it's real good.   The dish comes with capallini noodles which i'm not a fan of.  I requested linguini and they had no problem with the change.  There was lots of garlic in the sauce and the clams were cooked to perfection.   A great meal indeed.

Via Sforza can be found on the Post Road in Westport on the Norwalk border.   You can get more information here as well:  www.viasforza.com

leFarm Westport, a friends and family event

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