Pub, Tavern, Bistro, Gastropub whatever you call it, there’s nothing like a comfortable casual restaurant with ambition: cozy yet buzzing, with a great bar and on-the-ball service.  It’s even better if the food is original, delicious, and well-presented.  

Village Tavern dining roomThe Village Tavern on Main Street in Ridgefield is all this and more. Behind the colonial facade on Ridgefield’s traditional main drag you find bistro-style mosaic tile floors, a long wooden mirror-backed bar, exposed brick walls painted with old-fashioned murals, and those ever-popular vintage Edison style light bulbs. This decor touches lots of inviting bases.

Noir with the signature photographNoir on Stamford’s Summer Street is more intimate – a personal expression of owner Carrin Schechter’s career in art with stylish black glass chandeliers, framed mirrors, and a large scale Leonard Freed photograph of two men arguing in a museum that dominates the room.  A well-curated playlist of mid-century jazz sets the tone.  Part of the Summer Street restaurant enclave, Noir brings some serenity and maturity to the otherwise hip, raucous, and jammed scene up and down the street.   

Burger on a Connecticut shaped cutting board at VTGermano Minin, chef at the Village Tavern, can cook!  But before tasting anything, you’ll be wowed by the presentations.  It’s not easy to be original with a hamburger, but here, the plump, juicy burger on a brioche bun comes on a cutting board the shape of Connecticut (Greenwich is the handle) with all the condiments laid out from Stamford to Stonington: fries, mushrooms, caramelized onions, bacon, a pickle, and squiggles of catchup and mustard.

The King Napoleon layers up crab meat, and herbed, fresh Hudson Valley cheese on wafers of philo, atop a puddle of nostalgic beurre blanc sauce.  

A crisp salad “in the tin” with tomato, avocado, bacon, blue cheese and herb dressing is presented in a tin can that is lifted off at the table as the salad spreads across the plate. How’s that for pizzaz?

In the Tin salad at VTThe tin rises

Cucumber, carrot, fennel, and radish are sliced the long way for a ribbon salad that brought wows around our table for the simple yet original presentation.   

Lobster Gnocchi at VTA Maine lobster tail swam above a sea of tender, cloud-like gnocchi in a lobster sauce – “pillows of happiness”, as someone at our table said.  Shared mezzaluna ravioli stuffed with goat and cow ricotta, sauced with heirloom tomatoes and lentils almost caused an altercation over the last bite.

In the restaurant biz they say, “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.”  Here Chef Minin doesn’t need the sizzle, but gives it to us anyway. Trained in Italy and seasoned in Arizona and California, most recently at the Hostaria del Piccolo in Santa Monica, he’s a real asset to our area.

The cocktail list is divided into three eras: American Prohibition (the Bees Knees), Turn of the Century (Negroni), and Modern Day (Beautiful Fool). The tart, fresh, herbal Fool, made with Hendrick’s Gin, St. Germain, grapefruit, lime, and chamomile syrup, spawned more than a few puns about ordering it.

Duck, sauteed and confit at NoirRight after we got settled at Noir, Carrin suggested the duckling –  a sautéed breast, with a confit leg and thigh. Chef Juan Parra, formerly of Brasitas in Norwalk, prepared the duck with a nod to the classic presentation, the dish was sauced with Grand Marnier and fresh orange slices plus pomegranate seeds.  The rosy medium-rare breast contrasted delightfully with the crisp, rich thigh.

“Noir is an American restaurant with a French esthetic,” Schechter told us, “not a French restaurant.”  You’ll find a classic onion soup, escargot, and steak frites, along with a burger bourguignon, coconut curry mussels, and guacamole croquettes – a culinary melting pot.   With twice as many small plates as entrees, it’s easy and fun to explore the menu.

Sweet potato soup and duck crostini to startWe started out with a sip of silken sweet potato soup (served latte style) dusted with candied walnuts, along with a smoked duck, cranberry, and red cabbage crostini.   Roasted Brussels sprouts with applewood smoked bacon were enlivened with fresh pomegranate seeds.  Lamb lollipops were nicely seared rib chops with a tropical fruit chimichurri.  Who could resist the gorgeous croque monsieur, gooey with gruyère and smoky with country ham, served with a pickley remoulade on the side.

After the duck combo with grilled sweet potatoes and haricot vert, we managed to share a rich chocolate mousse, garnished with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Noir cockailsNoir doesn’t have space for a bar to sit at, but they do have some intriguing cocktails. The Jazzy Latin has jalapeño infused tequila with Cointreau and lime and the Piscomatico mixes Pisco (Peruvian brandy) with aged rum and cream sherry. Wow!

Both of these restaurants are built on the foundation of European cooking – Italian or French. Both use that as a starting point to reach around the world for the best flavors, most interesting textures, and original use of ingredients.  It’s the wave of the future.  Every generation wants to create something new, built on the accumulated wisdom of the past.

Whatever you call restaurants like this, they’ve moved beyond traditional pub comfort food and are challenging us with delicious new ideas.  We’re pretty excited to see what they’re doing!