artisan restaurant

may 10, 2012 the artisanrestaurantin the delamar hotel in southport, ct is a find! when you go, walk through the tavern to the back room, as instead of wood the tables are draped in white. it’s much more elegant than the front room — and at lunch the menu is identical. we began with a mostly-crab cake (as it should be) in a swirl of delicate carrot-ginger puree, garnished with a lightly dressed salad ($15). the photo shows only half a portion, as we shared! the feathery light goat cheese gnocci in a rich lamb bolognese was topped with creamy whipped ricotta garnished with fresh mint. the over-generous half-order ($16) is more than filling enough.  although the menu mentioned wilted arugula, that was lacking … my only complaint of this otherwise fabulous dish that i recommend. my dining partner enjoy twin maine lobster rolls on brioche, served with crispy fries and refreshing cole slaw ($17). these lobster rolls were ct- (with butter) rather than maine-style (chilled with mayo). what

wonderful find. we asked a local (westport) friend to take us to a good frenchrestaurantin fairfield. he said that he had found something new locally and the artisanrestaurantis where we wound up. what a nice restaurant. we had cocktails while waiting. excellent wine by the glass. dinner was equally nice. there were four of us -- we each had something different and all enjoyed the food. the waitress was very friendly and helpful. we want to go back while up north. we are used to very high quality down south in florida (i.e., the breakers) and thisrestaurantmatched up -- not the view, who can match the ocean, but the service and the excellent food, and the wines offered. next time, margareta cocktails, for sure, and probably roasted tomato soup as a starter. what a wonderful find!

chef kieffer, the artisan himself, is a master at his craft. he skillfully transforms each dish into a work of art. maybe that is why therestaurantgot its name. you can’t help but take a moment to just look at each plate and its artful presentation.