bailey's backyard

it’s been a year since sal bagliavio and executivechefforrest 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 whatchefpasternack 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 executivechefof 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.

bailey’s backyard opened in 1999, the brainchild ofchefsal bagliavio, who oversaw the kitchen for fourteen years. wanting to spend more time with his family he hired executivechefforrest 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. executivechefforrest 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 weeklycheftasting 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 thecheffree 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!

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 thischefhas. it was buttery, soft, chewy earthy, creamy, tangy, cheesy … absolute umami! i sincerely hope thatchefpasternack 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.

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 newchefneeds 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 executivechefforrest 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.chefpasternack 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, executivechefat bailey’s backyard in ridgefield.  we talked about forrest’s amazing cooking a few months ago when he was executivechefat morello bistro in greenwich, but he’s moved onto greener pastures…literally...

wonderful experience. this was our third time dining at baileys backyard in ridgefield ct and i highly recommentd this restaurant. although it is a casual dining experience the service and the quality of the food was very upscale. it is a bit pricey but well worth it. thechefis very consistent. everything from the fish to the pasta or even a burger. it all was delicious. i enjoyed the crab cake appetizer and salads were made with fresh ingredients. nothing frozen about it. my boyfriend enjoyed the chicken dish. he is very picky about chicken and how it is cooked. he feels it says a lot about the restaurant. the atmosphere is friendly, warm and inviting. the hostess suggested a desert which we enjoyed, bread pudding. next time you are looking for a place to dine in ridgefield, i suggest bailey's backyard as an option.