Harvest Supper in New Canaan

Written by Fran Sikorski
Monday, 09 June 2008 21:23

15 Elm Street, New Canaan, 203-966-5595

Serving lunch from 12 to 2:30 and dinner 5:30 to 9:30 Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday.

Reservations accepted; major credit cards; BYOB, wine and beer license pending; American and western European-inspired small plates; vegetarian choices; three- and five-course tasting menus; dietary restrictions honored; no take-out; casual, elegant dress; private functions; street and municipal parking.

Small plates: $7 to $19; Three-course tasting: $25; Five-course tasting: $50; Wine, glass: Starting at $7; Wine, bottle: Starting at $32; Dessert: $7

Restaurateurs Jack and Grace Lamb own three restaurants in Manhattan, Jewel Bako Sushi, Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar and Degustation Wine and Tasting Bar, all featuring tapas, small plates, and all within close proximity to each other.

Several months ago, they found a small space in New Canaan, fell in love with it and opened another restaurant, Harvest Supper, decorating it with plaid wallpaper, barnwood and old oil paintings. Like their other restaurants, this one features small plates. The Lambs describe the cuisine prepared at Harvest Supper by Chef Michael Campbell as New England market cuisine, or a combination of American and Western European-inspired small plates.

A native of Virginia, Michael Campbell graduated from Johnson & Wales and cooked at restaurants in Charleston, S.C., and Portland, Ore. In Portand, he worked at Wildwood under Chef Cory Schreiber and at The Heathman under Chef Philippe Boulot. Moving to Europe, Chef Campbell worked with Chef Robert Brunel at Brunel in Avignon and in Barcelona at Arrel del Born. Returning to New York, he was at Blue Hill, and spent the last two years as sous chef at the Hearth in New York City.

We ordered the chef’s lunch tasting menu and were in for multi-surprises: for instance, the delicious fried shrimp sausage with horseradish aioli and pickled sweet pepper; seared yellowfin tuna with sunchokes and ramps; Blue Point oysters with celery root aioli; and spring pea arancini, with marinated sugar snap peas and asparagus, items with a creative edge.

There was more dining pleasure to come: spinach and smoked faro salad with creamy onion and marinated cucumber; duck breast pastrami with Beluga lentils and fig vincotto; lamb crepinettt with fava and gigante beans, all elaborately prepared.

Two desserts, yogurt cheesecake with passion fruit and candied spring berry sauce, and dark chocolate tart with peanut nougat and caramel foam, provided a delightful finish. The menu changes frequently depending on what is available in New England market ingredients.

From the “field and air” are seared hanger steak, with smoked onion puree, mustard and herbs; crispy pork belly with pear-onion marmalade and Beluga lentils; slow-roasted veal breast with morel veloute and asparagus, and braised short ribs with a Barolo glaze and truffled polenta.

Everything on the little-plate menu at Harvest Supper carries out the inventive contemporary style of Chef Campbell with great flair.

Side dishes

Koo At the Lake, 29 East Pembroke Road, Danbury, featuring traditional hibachi, neo-Asian cuisine, tapas, fusion salads and entrees, sushi and sashimi, is now open seven days for lunch and dinner. Reservations, 203-739-0068. The restaurant is a sister restaurant to Koo in Ridgefield...The tasting menu at Bernard’s in Ridgefield, with or without wine pairings, is available every night. There is also a special Friday night bistro menu available. Reservations, 203-438-8282.