La Crémaillère is a French restaurant in Bedford whose history stretches back to 1948. Since its opening, the restaurant has changed hands twice, with the third and latest change in ownership occurring earlier this year when businessman Peter Orthwein and the family of Westchester attorney David Boies opened its doors once more.
The restaurantӪs building reflects the businessӪ long journey, sporting a rustic look untouched since 1962 and reminiscent of a French countryside. However, La Cr̩maill̬reӪs new owners have made as its executive chef Thomas Burke, an accomplished chef with aspirations of carrying on the legacy of the French restaurant while infusing it with a new spirit, one with an emphasis on approachability.
BurkeӪs portfolio includes experience in three-star Michelin-rated restaurants including Le Bernardin in New York City and The French Laundry in Yountville, California. Burke moved to Wilton, Connecticut, when he heard of the opportunity available at La Cr̩maill̬re.
“It”™s been incredible,” Burke stated. “I”™m really proud of the cuisine that we”™re putting out, and the food that we”™re making, I think, is really solid. Overall, it”™s been a really great experience so far.”
Since his arrival late last year, Burke has worked to cultivate an approachable environment, which is manifest in a number of ways. The most immediate example is the creation of a new menu and dishes, seen in the introduction early June of the Greenwich Polo Brunch menu that will run into September.
The brunch menu came about through a partnership between La Crémaillère and the nearby Greenwich Polo Club and offers clients Beausoleil oysters, an oft-requested item, as well as Jonah Crab Eggs Benedict.
Perhaps no other item is emblematic of Burke”™s guiding principles than the Polo Burger, a first for the restaurant.
“La Crémaillère has never had a burger, but we”™re trying to ”” for brunch ”” make it a little bit more fun and approachable,” Burke said of the “high-end” burger composed of Niman Ranch ground beef, triple cream cheese, crispy shallots and truffle aioli.
Burke and his team have also revived an old favorite, but with a twist. Fulfilling desires from regulars who patronized during prior ownership, the escargot dish was reintroduced to La Cr̩maill̬reӪs dinner menu.
“I kind of did my spin on what used to be the Escargot dish here,” Burke stated. “I started with trumpet pasta and parsley cream sauce, and it”™s much different than the one that was here before, but it”™s kind of paying homage to the one that we”™ve done in the past.”
Other popular items offered at La Crémaillère are Long Island duck breast, served with sauce à l”™orange and celery root puree, and sautéed Hudson Valley foie gras presented with rhubarb, strawberry coulis and brioche bread.
Patrons may peruse two wine lists, a regular list and a reserve list. The regular wine list has “bottles ranging from 60 dollars up to 500,” Burke said, adding, “when we curated the wine list, our focus was French wines. And then we do have some California, some Italian and Spanish wines. Our most popular selling wines are Bordeaux and Burgundy.”
The reserve wine list, meanwhile, features vintage wines, including California Cabernet Sauvignon wines such as 1974 Ridge Monte Bello and large format bottles like 1985 Château Mouton Rothschild, with Château Palmer bottles being popular among patrons.
Besides food and drink, Burke shared that the team at La Cr̩maill̬re plans to remodel the restaurant, which will include the installation of an outdoor dining space, by 2023. In addition, a chefӪs garden will be placed behind the restaurant this summer.
“We”™re looking to also do a couple of buyouts for some clients for Thanksgiving, some holiday parties and corporate parties for the end of the year,” Burke added. “My hope is to deliver top-level cuisine, but we”™re looking for this restaurant to be an approachable restaurant where guests can dine here frequently. We”™re trying to balance keeping the old clients happy and also encouraging new guests to come and try it.”
