The once and future L’escale
In October 2022, I reviewed the wonderful L”™escale restaurant at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor hotel, which for a number of reasons is possibly my favorite restaurant in the region, were I ever pushed to name one, which thankfully I am not. Wasn”™t it the Bard who said comparisons are odious ”“ or odorous?
But while singing the restaurant”™s praises, I also issued a warning, namely to visit or revisit quickly, because at the time L”™escale, at least in its branded incarnation, was under threat of closure. More than a threat, closure was imminent.
Fast forward nine months and that threat has been removed. Under a new licensing agreement with Charles Mallory ”“ founder of Greenwich Hospitality Group, which also includes the Delamar Southport and the Delamar West Hartford ”“ L”™escale sails on, full steam ahead. On a recent June evening, under a cloudless cerulean summer sky, (and L”™escale”™s dramatic white terrace umbrellas), the great and the good of Fairfield and Westchester counties and doubtless many from farther afield came together to celebrate the restaurant”™s 20th birthday, tucking into towers of oysters and fresh shrimp, sipping Champagne and gently swaying ”“ after the second or third glass at any rate ”“ to the sounds of a jazz trio playing the best of Elton John and other 1970s and ’80s favorites. To be flourishing still after two decades is an achievement in any business, but especially so in the notoriously fickle world of hospitality ”“ and after a world recession and a pandemic to boot.
Two weeks after the anniversary party, I came in for lunch to see how the restaurant was faring at a regular service. There had been a gentle refresh over the winter months, which I knew about, but the antique Provençal tiles and the wonderfully whimsical, curlicued light fittings remained, I was happy to see. (Next year, the bar and terrace are due for light renovations ”“ nothing radical or severe.)
In the kitchen, there is slightly more focus on seasonal plats du jour, but chef Frederic Kieffer, who has been at the helm here since the restaurant”™s inception, is still running the show, as well as overseeing the two Artisan restaurants at Greenwich Hospitality”™s other hotels. And longtime director of operations, David Fletcher, a James Beard hospitality-award winner, continues to look after L”™escale”™s front of house, so any early fears of change for the sake of it were immediately allayed.
Can there be a more sumptuous, sensuous, sybaritic spot on a summer”™s day in all the tristate area than L”™escale”™s terrace? I honestly don”™t think so. Shown to a prized outside table, dressed in the snowiest white linen, with a view of the harbor and Long Island Sound, I was soon greeted by Fletcher, on hand to pour glasses of L”™escale Rosé Brut, one of the restaurant”™s two own-label Champagnes, dry yet absolutely luscious. (The restaurant also does a Rosé de L”™escale Côte de Provence, 2021, perfect for light summer drinking.) Even the yellow chrysanthemums that decorate the tables ”“ mums being not always the ritziest of flowers ”“ were looking good, unpretentious and full of sunny promise, while the mainly male front of house team, looking sharp in navy blue Vilebrequin polo shirts, cut a Côte d”™Azur, maritime dash.
On the daily-dated menu, charcuterie snacks and appetizers like Roquefort or smoked salmon salad, vied with entrées like lobster roll, steak à cheval or L”™escale”™s bacon burger for attention. Tough choices. And the calories “saved” in a classic chicken paillard ”“ a perennial best seller ”“ I reckoned could then be squandered on murderously rich desserts, like profiteroles with a crisp craquelin dimension or a chocolate decadence cake.
On this occasion, tuna tartare with English peas and stracciatella; homemade fettucine and clams; the restaurant”™s classic Georgette salad (romaine, avocado, chickpeas and more besides, named for Mallory”™s wife) and ricotta gnocchi arrabiata were all dishes two of us hugely enjoyed, each item drawing plaudits for its freshness and flavors, as well as immaculate presentation.
And it doesn”™t stop at lunch or dinner ”“ or even on the restaurant terrace. The Delamar hotels have just launched Luxe Packages, which offer stays, including classic car experiences (in a one-of-a-kind vintage car from Mallory”™s private collection) as well as Greenwich Harbor cruises in a rare, custom yacht. With each ”˜”experience,” guests will enjoy inspired picnic-type menus from the L”™escale kitchen.
Truth is, I love L”™escale so much, in any given period I”™d prefer to eat there just once than in an average restaurant three or even four times, because life is just too short for mediocre eateries. “I”™m a man of simple tastes,” Oscar Wilde said famously. “I am always satisfied with the best.” Wilde, incidentally, was quite the gourmand. He also rather cared for French food, apparently, so he”™d have loved L”™escale, too.
Well, said I, who wouldn”™t?
For L”™escale reservations, visit lescalerestaurant.com. For more on Luxe Packages and Experiences, visit delamar.com/delamar-experiences-greenwich.