mimi529

As a born and bred New Yorker and frequent international business traveler, I tend to be a bit elitist about restaurants and service vs food. I have found that often restaurants that tend to have a solicitous staff don’t always live up to that with the meal. Not so with Bedford Post.

I arrived to a lovely barn like structure with perfect lighting. It was a warm night so unfortunately no fire in the large stone fireplace, but this didn’t effect the warmth of the rustic and pretty barn like room. The staff was friendly and welcoming and tended to be a bit solicitous. Further, the menu was a 4 course pre fixe at $75 per person which I felt was assumptive. I had to wait for a friend so I had a chance to observe activity. The staff seemed to work well together and were friendly to one another and attentive which was nice. The restaurant has a lovely wine menu and I tried an Italian Arneis (white) that somehow I have missed in my travels. I wasn’t disappointed. The waiter was very helpful with my decision and offered to let me taste first just in case I didn’t like it which I thought was a great gesture. I loved it and it turned out it was perfect with dinner. I was beginning to change my mind about the solicitousness of the staff and realized they were just friendly and warm.

My friend Diana arrived, we hadn’t seen each other in months so we ordered our 4 courses including dessert quickly. Our waiter told us it was important to order the mousse ahead of time because it was warm. I ordered the mousse since it was peanut butter and chocolate which for me, is a perfect combination.

My first course, a dreamy salad I was all ready to find ordinary was so delicious and filled with so many flavors working together I could have just had that for dinner….stewed baby pears with walnuts and a lovely french cheese similar to brie and greens with a subtle dressing. Absolutely to die for. This was followed by a penne type pasta and pine nuts and third was crispy chicken thighs (chicken thighs?) I tried just to see what the chef Mr. Lewis could possibly do with them.

The chicken pieces were cut from the meatiest part of the thigh, seasoned and crisped with mushrooms and sitting on a smear of squash puree. Positively surprising and delightfully delicious! You would think at this point I wouldn’t have room for another bite, but the portions were perfect so I still did not feel like I’d consumed too much….and ready for the mousse!

What arrived was a white porcelain cup with a very light chocolate mousse topped with a light, white (warmish) peanut butter gateau, kind of like warm melted ice cream. Sprinkled lightly with crushed nuts. Truly to die for. The waiter checked to see if I liked it since I’d questioned ordering dessert before the end of the meal when it wasn’t a soufflé. I was happy to tell him he was right! Also, we ordered decaf espresso and instead of a sip coming in a tiny espresso cup, a generous amount in a regular mug type cup of espresso was served. This was truly wonderful since I usually have to order two. I loved that.

All the while the dining room continued to fill up and became quite loud. This made no difference to my girlfriend and I as we were having a very animated conversation but a quiet romantic dinner for two at the height of the dinner hour would be difficult. Aside from this, I have to say, this could have been the best dinner I’ve had out in years, and that includes travels to London, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong and Monte Carlo. What I loved most was the creative subtlety of the dishes. Simple and delicious but different…it’s the only way I can describe it.

I was happy to tell the chef Mr. Lewis how much I enjoyed the dinner and particularly the salad when he was gracious enough to come out to the dining room and visit with us.

I would like to say that the door to the outside opens right into the dining room, and although they must be aware of the cold air coming in as they made sure to have someone there to close it immediately, I still had a cold draft of air hit my legs every time the door was opened. This may be a problem in January.

Other than that, it was one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had in a long time. Richard Gere (co-owner) has really outdone himself. He’s not only a gorgeous man and talented actor but now can add successful restaurateur to his long list of successes!

Dinner is in seatings at specific times so reservations are a must. Dress was everything from jeans and sweaters or jackets to dresses and heels. And I must say, worth every bit of the pre-fixe charge. My friend and I had a fabulous evening and I think everyone knows the chosen restaurant is an important component of making an evening out with friends that enjoyable.

The bar in another part of the building is supposed to open the beginning of November and my girlfriend and I have plans to go back then. I can’t wait!

Michele Slater, CT

Sunset Grill at Calf Pasture Beach Marina is a sweet, casual find.

The food is consistently good and the service is casually attentive. And you can’t beat the view. Deck service in the summer, small, cozy dining room in the winter.

The Gazpacho with crab meat is a must, the salads are simple and lovely and the fish dishes are fresh. The kitchen will adjust or cook your dish to your liking.

Thursdays they have an outdoor concert by a guitar player starting at 5PM so it gets a bit crowded.

Reservations a must if you want to pick your table.

For years I’ve been hearing about l’escale, a very upscale restaurant in Greenwich. It gets quite a crowd and I understand in the summer the outdoor terrace on the water is very well attended.

Finally, I had the opportunity to eat there for dinner on a recent Saturday evening. To say I was disappointed is an understatement.

The place is really beautiful so I suspect that’s half the draw. The bar area is really great with small settee’s and chairs as well as very comfortable bar stools. I had great expectations for a fabulous evening, however, how is one to enjoy a drink or a meal when it’s 28 degrees outside and so cold inside the restaurant you have to sit with your coat on?

The bar was so cold we had to move to the dining room where we hoped it would be warmer. It was, but only by a little.

I’ll move on to dinner, which was marginal at best. I ordered the salade verte which was fresh, but boring. The blue cheese I requested with the salad was new and not aged enough. I’ve bought better blue cheese at the supermarket.

I ordered the roasted chicken with potatoes, again, boring. The chicken was overcooked and dry, and the potatoes were tasteless. I ate only half of my dinner because it was so tasteless. My partner had the lamb and seemed like he liked it fine. He also ordered the special soup which was made of three different squashes and he said that was good as well. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing.

The deserts were lovely, I had fried banana with caramel sauce and my partner had the fresh berries. Both were good.

I went to the ladies room which was freezing…colder than the rest of the restaurant.

The dining room, although filling up, became progressively colder. My partner wanted to have a coffee and after dinner drink in the bar so we went back, but this time I brought my coat. While waiting for my partner to get my coat, I noticed the door to the front hall was open, so every time someone came in from outside, the cold air blasted in. I said to the maitre’d who was standing there that this was the reason the place was so cold. He said the door didn’t close, there was some problem with it.

I sat there in the bar wrapped in my coat and finally the bartender came over and adjusted the thermostat. We left before it was warmer.

In my opinion, I prefer to eat dinner in a comfortable temperature, not freezing and hugging myself throughout.
Between the cold and the mediocre dinner, I only gave this restaurant 2 stars, and that is for the atmosphere. Great chandeliers, but alas, you can’t eat those.