While some called it quits following the pandemic, chef/restaurateur Tony Vespa decided that at the young age of 58 he wasn”™t ready for an early exit from the business. So when the opportunity to purchase the popular Long Ridge Tavern in North Stamford surfaced, he was all in, together with his business partner and brother-in-law, Victor Kapiti.
But the pair didn”™t want merely to replicate the success of the tavern — strategically situated in an 1875 building at the fork of Long Ridge and Old Long Ridge Roads, drawing on the Fairfield and Westchester counties market. They wanted to transform the site. The result is The Farmhouse at the Crossroads, which was designed, Vesta said, to elevate the experience from a tavern to an approachable fine dining establishment: “It”™s upscale but not to the extreme.” Now, having marked Farmhouse”™s one-year anniversary in March, Vesta is grateful for the business that has come their way solely by word of mouth. “So far, it”™s been a blessing,” he said, “and having a partner makes it much easier.”
Together, as in the past, the partners conceived and designed the restaurant, a collaboration that began years ago on Long Island and subsequently moved northward through the towns of Chappaqua and Mahopac. Since the footprint and exterior of the historic structure could not be altered, they instead opened up the frontage considerably, bringing more light into the interior spaces while also creating a large, landscaped flagstone patio in front for outdoor dining. Formerly obstructed by the slope of the land, the building now pops as you approach.
Inside, creative forces had more play. The four distinct spaces are named and styled around the classical elements ”“ fire, earth, air and water ”“ with touches as dramatic as a waterfall in, naturally, the Water Room. During an early-spring visit for Sunday brunch, the Fire Room provided a warm setting with its natural stone walls and banquettes featuring oversize wood slab tables the owners created themselves from lumber sourced in nearby Ridgefield.
The extra steps show not only in the construction but in the execution of the dining program. Creative touches abound on the menu. Take the clever Bloody Mary “flight,” a showstopper of four distinctly accented versions of the classic cocktail (or mocktail). Then there”™s a winning starter for sharing in the customizable charcuterie board, featuring homemade cheeses, assorted meats and other distinct garnishes.
As Vesta described his process, “I trained the staff to make burrata, ricotta and mozzarella. We don”™t buy ground meat; we make our burgers from brisket in-house. To make the Bolognese for the gnocchi, we do a slowly cooked brisket. It”™s an antique… method twisted with a modern touch.”
There”™s quality in the ingredients and a passion in the preparation and presentation, from the fresh large Maine mussels served in a broth of white wine, garlic, fresh herbs and citrus-infused sea salt to the prime meats, seafood and other thoughtfully composed dishes across a variety of menu categories. They all bring unexpected flavors imbued with heat, cool, citrus and spice, leading you to believe that those rooms fashioned after the elements are no mere coincidence.
The Medjool date appetizer is another standout, featuring panchetta bacon, Manchego cheese, linguiça sausage, local apple, sweet chili sauce and green onion. Altogether it”™s a taste sensation and a terrific starter ”“ no sharing necessary. A nod to vegans manifests itself in the squash blossoms filled with a plant-based ricotta and again in a dessert special in the form of a refreshing take on key lime pie.
Asked about the service challenges in dining these days, Vesta acknowledged that Farmhouse is not immune, but he said the staff is coming together slowly as a team. He and Kapiti both work at training their culinary and service teams and credit their years-long relationships with some staff members, who contribute their industry experience. “I like to be here all the time to supervise,” Vespa said. “Perfection doesn”™t exist, but you try your best.”
What to expect, he added, is not an expansion of any sort for now but a focus on fine-tuning the dining experience, continuing the live music program he began on Friday and Saturday evenings and at Sunday brunch, and remaining committed to providing good food in the comfortable spaces and, soon, on the outdoor patio. Meanwhile, he and Kapiti are tossing around some ideas, including cooking outdoors in the warmer seasons and developing the private-event business within the artful spaces they have created now that the critical first year is in the rearview mirror.
For more, call 203-329-7818 or click here. https://farmhouseatthecrossroads.com/
