Bailey’s Backyard Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Ridgefi eld– A Locavore’s Dream
CHEF FORREST PASTERNACK T
he farm-to-table buzzword has been tossed around so much it’s almost become cliché, not to mention the fact that there are many variations on the defi nition of authentic farm-to-
table. It’s rare to fi nd a Chef that is truly committed to sourcing local, organic, non-GMO products. So, when Chef Forrest Pasternack of Bailey’s Backyard told me he makes his own ketchup, I knew im- mediately that he is the real deal. He’s developed relationships with farms from New York to Vermont and sources the fi nest, freshest items for his menu. All of the products Chef Forrest uses including fl our and soy are non-GMO!
Bailey’s Backyard opened in October 1999 in what was a
closed-down coffee shop. The mission then, as it is now, was to offer refi ned, New American cuisine in a polished casual atmosphere. But that wasn’t enough for owner Sal Bagliavio, he wanted to take it to the next level and in the Spring of 2013 evolved Bailey’s into a true farm-to-table restaurant. With seating for just 50 people, you really feel like you are a part of their family having a delicious home- cooked meal.
The mission was expanded to include a commitment to creat- ing a menu based on the freshest and fi nest local food sources: meat and poultry from Shelton, Roxbury, Bridgewater and Newtown, pro- duce from Ridgefi eld and neighboring farms, and fresh seafood from waters off Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York as well as from the Chesapeake Bay.
Sal Bagliavio was the primary chef at Bailey’s Backyard from
the day he opened the restaurant in October 1999 until he hired the restaurant’s new executive chef, Forrest Pasternack, in February 2013. Sal recalls having to personally drive to local farms to pick up produce and meats on a daily basis, but now the farms not only deliver to him, but they customize their plantings to his menu!
Born and raised in Western Connecticut, Chef Forrest and his
family would often spend their days at local farms picking vegeta- bles for the family table. Summers were spent on Cape Cod fi shing the waters of Nantucket Sound, the National Seashore as well as digging clams in Chatham, Mass. Forrest worked with many of the best modern chefs at some of New York’s fi nest restaurants, includ- ing: Zoe with Chef David Honeysett, the BLT Restaurant Group with Chef Laurent Tourendel, and Chef Jeremy Spector of Eats on Lexing- ton, Employee’s Only and The Brindle Room.
30 Natural Nutmeg - July/August 2016
It’s inspiring to see the number of farms they source from includ- ing Dancing Dog Farm which is a biodynamic and permaculture inspired farm right in Ridgefi eld – you can’t get more local than that! Forrest sources microgreens, squash, tomatoes, chard and kale from them. They use Marble Valley Farm in Kent for heirloom varietals, and an assortment of organic vegetables, including; sugar snap peas, swiss chard, kale, escarole, endive, head lettuce, beets, squash, tomatoes, arugula, mizuna, mustard greens, hot peppers, celery root, diakon, winter squash, and edible pumpkin.
I was excited to hear that they use Sugarhill Farm for grass-fed
and fi nished beef – which if you aren’t aware is different from grass- fed, grain fi nished beef. Grass fi nishing was standard until the 1950s, when grain fi nishing became the cost-effective norm. However, calo- ries and overall fat in the animals’ tissues rise during grain fi nishing whereas grass-fi nished beef is lean.
If you want variety – this is the place to go as the menu changes
9 times per year. That’s not an easy task for a chef or an owner! One look at the menu and your mouth will begin to water. Everything sounds incredible with a promise of delicious and unique fl avor pro- fi les and each dish is deliciously and lovingly prepared with a great balance of fl avors and textures.
We were presented with a delicious corn bread with citrus
brown butter – made in house of course! Next we enjoyed the Seared Diver Scallop and Lobster Ceviche with Seville Oranges, Roasted Ha- zelnuts, White Ginger, Crispy Avocado and Fennel Salad – the fl avors
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