bailey's backyard

the new season – spring – has arrived to connecticut (considering the way this last winter was, i wonder how many people didn’t expect spring to arrive at all), and it also arrived to the new menu at the bailey’s backyard restaurant,

it’s been a year since sal bagliavio and executive chef forrest pasternack worked together tirelessly to give bailey’s backyard a new vibe, a new focus on local food, and a new soul. when we went for a pre-opening dinner back in april 2013, we were excited to see what chef pasternack was up to since he left morello bistro in greenwich, where we first met him. our experience was amazing and we came back lots of times...

when we talked with forrest pasternack (former executive chef of morello bistro in greenwich) a few weeks ago, we couldn’t help but get excited about what he and owner sal bagliavio had planned for the reopening of bailey’s backyard. a farm-to-table restaurant that would live up to its name, built from the ground, the farm, and garden up.

when sal and forrest invite you to a summer tasting menu, you say yes first and ask questions later. that would be sal bagliavio, owner of bailey’s backyard in ridgefield, and forrest pasternack, the restaurant’s executive chef. the two have been the creative force behind the restaurant’s new american menu since its reinvention just two years ago.

bailey’s backyard opened in 1999, the brainchild of chef sal bagliavio, who oversaw the kitchen for fourteen years. wanting to spend more time with his family he hired executive chef forrest pasternack in early 2013 to develop a farm-to-table menu, focused on locally produced ingredients.

bailey’s backyard, located at 23 bailey avenue in ridgefield, ct, was recently re-launched as a true american farm to table restaurant. executive chef forrest pasternack takes pride in offering fresh meats and produce from local farms that are as committed to their art of producing high grade products as he is of cooking. bailey’s stated: “we will be continually sourcing from area farms, with a commitment to sustainable and green practices, in order to fulfill our goal of being truly farm to table.” bailey’s backyard offers new american cuisine using the freshest possible ingredients marrying classical and modern cooking techniques, including modern molecular gastronomy. bailey’s has weekly chef tasting menus. they are open for lunch, tuesday through sunday, 11:30 am to 3:00 pm; dinner, tuesday to thursday, 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm, friday and saturday, 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and sunday, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm; and brunch, saturday and sunday, 11:30 am to 3:00 pm. we were invited to bailey’s backy

to say i enjoyed my meal would be an understatement. i love tastings like this because it gives me the opportunity to try dishes i wouldn’t normally order, and it gives the chef free reign to highlight the freshest ingredients. here’s some good news, bailey’s backyard is now doing this tasting each wednesday for only $35/ person! also, if you plan on seeing any shows at the ridgefield playhouse (heyyy cyndi lauper), you must stop by bailey’s backyard first!

the menu varies seasonally, with daily specials, and a weekly chef’s tasting menu – but expect a consistent variation of comfort-inspired entrees. lunch is also served with a focus on salads, sandwiches, and burgers (topped with pasternack’s homemade pickles and ketchup) and brunch is offered on sunday.

but the one dish that made me surmise this chef’s talent in one bite – was literally one bite! it was a herbed ricotta gnocchi with truffle powder … or as i like to call it “love on a spoon”. it was one orgasmic bite, and in that instant it made me realize the true level of talent this chef has. it was buttery, soft, chewy earthy, creamy, tangy, cheesy … absolute umami! i sincerely hope that chef pasternack makes it a permanent fixture on the menu – because this bite will make me think of ridgefield for a foodie destination over and over again.

as you might expect, the menu rotates season to season with what's available. they serve lunch and dinner, plus brunch on saturdays and sundays. the dinner menu is divided up into a few sections: "for the table," sides, greens, starters, mains, burgers and desserts. at lunch they also offer sandwiches and wraps. at dinner they have a 7 course tasting menu option, which is a great way to sample a cross-section of the latest and greatest items.

very spotty, kinda a hot mess. some highs, but too many lows marked our recent visit to bailey's. farm to table? the wait staff was less informed than the people at the table which isn't saying much. also no tasting menu because they "too busy" though the place was only half full. for appetizers the kale salad was very good while other dishes were so-so. the bigger problem was that i had to keep getting up to hunt down someone to serve our table. after an hour in we still had only starters with no clear reason since the place wasn't full. when we finally did get our main meals the halibut was under seasoned and cold and my wife's "chicken under a brick" was raw. other passable meals included a thick pork chop and a fish dish. we skipped dessert.

this only reinforces the principle that a new chef needs 6-12 months to get the kitchen running smoothly. clearly bailey's is still on the learning curve.

bailey’s backyard has been a thirteen year veteran of the ridgefield dining scene. owner sal bagliavio recently re-opened the beloved restaurant with a farm-to-table mission, a completely renovated space and a new and talented team in the kitchen led by executive chef forrest pasternack. why the shift? "it was time for a change," said sal bagliavio.  "anyone can go out to eat, anywhere these days, i want to offer our guest a true dining experience based on organic, local ingredients." the spring menu at the soft opening gave a promising peek at the seasonal creativity to come.

so good. we had gone for a pre-opening dinner and we loved the food, but we always hold final judgement on a restaurant until we return for a "regular" meal. well, we did just that last night with some friends. each dish we had was excellent, service was great, and there were definitely some stand outs to order. the pork belly dish with grits was just amazing, the burger was full of flavor and probably one of the freshest we've ever had, and the mixed drinks are fun and yummy. chef pasternack will be changing the menu up every 8 weeks or so, so when you visit a second time, you might see many different items to try out. it all depends on what's available at the local farms that he visits.


-----30 apr, 2013-----

grand reopening!. thursday, may 2...5 pm

elevating local ingredients.  that was the recurring theme to a recent talk we had with forrest pasternack, executive chef at bailey’s backyard in ridgefield.  we talked about forrest’s amazing cooking a few months ago when he was executive chef at morello bistro in greenwich, but he’s moved onto greener pastures…literally...

our favorite place. my wife and i discovered bailey's several years ago when i made my annual january commitment to lose a few pounds. we found that in addition to using the freshest ingredients, the salads served there were made with light and extremely flavorful dressings; and by adding chicken or shrimp, we had a perfect dieter's meal. it didn't take long for us to move over to the daily specials and regular entree menu, which is updated seasonally, and become regular visitors to this ridgefield gem. the staff could not be more friendly and the food more consistent and delicious. i don't have an exact count ,but we have easily eaten there at least 100 times. we very much enjoy the seafood risotto and love the seafood gumbo when it is available. my current favorite is the panko crusted cod served in a saffron tomato broth with asparagus. sal normally serves it over roasted potatoes; but if you are in the mood for comfort food, ask him to serve it over mashed potatoes...there's nothing better. if you are lucky when you visit, they will have brought back the warm spinach salad with blue chese and bacon dressing and be serving bread pudding for dessert. so much for new year's resolutions...