Jeanette's Healthy Living

Where delicious and healthy come together

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • List of All Recipes (alphabetical)
    • Breakfast
    • appetizers
    • soups
    • salads
    • main courses
    • side dishes
    • dips and sauces
    • beverages
    • smoothies
    • Desserts and Cookies
  • Special Diets
    • gluten-free
    • dairy-free
    • vegetarian
    • vegan
    • Liquid/Soft Food Diet
    • Pureed Food Diet
    • Low Residue Diet
  • Cancer Cooking
  • Faith
  • Healthy Living
    • Healthy Living
    • travel
  • About
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Work With Me
    • Media Features
    • Terms & Conditions

Bailey’s Backyard Dinner Highlights

October 30, 2013 by Jeanette 6 Comments

0 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Yummly

Bailey’s Backyard offers a unique Farm to Table dining experience, refined food in a casual, warm setting.

Baileys Backyard RestaurantRecently, I was invited to sample the Market Tastings Menu at Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield, CT, a picturesque 300-year old community. Tucked away on a side street in downtown Ridgefield, Bailey’s Backyard is a hidden gem.

Re-launched as a “True American Farm To Table” restaurant earlier this year, Bailey’s Backyard expanded its original mission to not only offer refined, New American cuisine in a polished, relaxed atmosphere, but to also serve a tantalizing menu based on the freshest and finest local food sources.

Together, owner, Sal Bagliavio, and Executive Chef Forrest Pasternack, embraced their passion for fresh, seasonal, local ingredients, prepared in a manner that is honest, vibrant ad uncomplicated. Bailey’s fresh meats, and produce come from local farms that are committed to sustainable and green practices, and their fresh seafood comes from waters off Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and the Chesapeake Bay.

Chef Forrest Pasternack

Executive Chef, Forrest Pasternack, who graduated with high honors from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, has worked with many of the best modern chefs at some of New York’s finest restaurants. When you first meet Forrest, he might seem kind of shy, but start asking him about where he gets his fresh local produce, and his eyes light up. You can hear the excitement and passion in his voice, and feel the deep rooted passion he feels about all the amazing local foods he is able to source. Forrest is thinking about growing herbs in a roof top garden next year so he can use fresh herbs as soon as they’re picked.

Owner, Sal Bagliavio, who was the primary chef at Bailey’s Backyard from the day he opened the restaurant in 1999 until he hired Forrest to help him transform the restaurant to a true farm-to-table restaurant, is just as low-key a guy. However, don’t be fooled. The food at Bailey’s Backyard is no ordinary cuisine. Bailey’s Backyard seeks to elevate the freshest possible ingredients by marrying classical and modern cooking techniques, including modern molecular gastronomy.

Each dish we were presented with was not only plated beautifully, but decadently delicious. It was evident the amount of care and attention that went into preparing each and every component and layer. As each course came out, Forrest appeared by our table side to share the intimate details of each dish – highlighting the local produce used (including Spanish black radishes and heirloom varieties such as Gilfeather Turnip which tastes similar to rutabaga), and pointing out little details of each dish (the beautiful hibiscus petals in the Roasted “Ida Red” Apple Salad), leaving no doubt that every single ingredient in each dish was selected for a very precise reason.

Here are highlights from the evening:

Butternut Squash Soup (Veronica’s Garden, Ridgefield)/Toasted Pumpkin Seeds/Local Honey/Creme Fraiche
Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seed
Slow Roasted Berkshire Pork Belly/Baby Pink Shrimp/Artisanal Grits/Roasted Baby Bell Peppers (Veronica’s Garden, Ridgefield)
Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Baby Pink Shrimp and Grits
Roasted ‘Ida Red’ Apple Salad (Averill Farms, Washington Depot, CT)/Cinnamon Carrots/Belgian Endive/Black Currants/Fresh Dill/Buttermilk Dressing
Roasted "Ida Red" Apple Salad
Citrus Marinated Swordfish/Sauteed Romano Beans/Rosemary & Finnish Potato Puree (Marble Valley Farms, Kent, CT)/Saffron Mousseline
Citrus Marinated Swordfish with Sauteed Romano Beans
A special surprise from the Chef ~ Herbed Ricotta Gnocchi with White Truffle Powder on top, one of the best small bites I have ever eaten.
gnocchi with truffle powder

Balsamic Glazed Boneless Short Ribs/Spanish Black Radish/Gilfeather Turnip Puree (Coch Farms, VT)/Chick Peas/Smoked Paprika
Balsamic Glazed Short Ribs with Spanish Black Radish and Turnip Puree
Nutella Mousse/Whipped Cream (Arethusa Farms, Litchfield, CT)/Chocolate Crumble
Nutella Mousse
Pumpkin Cloud 9/Brioche “Pain Perdu”/Whipped Pumpkin Custard (Jansal Valley Farms, Westport, MA)
Pumpkin Cloud 9

Check out their Sample Brunch Menu:

Baileys Brunch Menu

and their Sample Dinner Menu:

Baileys Dinner Menu

If you’re ever in Ridgefield, be sure to stop by:

Bailey’s Backyard

Twenty-Three Bailey Avenue

Ridgefield, CT 06877

(203) 431-0796

www.BaileysBackyard.com

Note: I asked about food allergies such as gluten, and was told that since everything at Bailey’s Backyard is made fresh, they are able to accommodate food allergies.

Related Posts
Filter by
Post Page
salads Summer Recipes soups Dinner Asian low carb Instant Pot main courses air fryer back-to-school College side dishes ENTERTAINING vegetarian Pasta and Noodles csa gluten-free Clean Eating Breads
Sort by
100+ Summer Salads

100+ Summer Salad Recipes

2021-06-21 00:00:31
jeanette

0

Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup

Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup

2020-11-04 00:00:22
jeanette

0

Air Fried Spicy Chinese Eggplant

Air Fried Spicy Chinese Eggplant

2020-08-26 00:00:24
jeanette

0

Tomato Peach Salad

Tomato Peach Salad

2020-08-04 00:00:16
jeanette

0

College Move-In Checklist

2020-07-20 00:00:15
jeanette

0

75 Summer Side Dish Recipes

Healthy Summer Side Dish Recipes

2020-07-01 00:45:50
jeanette

0

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

2020-06-29 00:01:46
jeanette

0

Zucchini Tomato Summer Squash Goat Cheese Gratin - this elegant summer gratin is perfect for potlucks and entertaining

Baked Zucchini Tomato Summer Squash Goat Cheese Gratin Recipe

2020-06-15 05:00:59
jeanette

0

focaccia art before baking

Sourdough Focaccia Art

2020-04-13 01:00:47
jeanette

0

baked sourdough bread

Crusty Sourdough Bread Recipe

2020-03-27 01:00:53
jeanette

0

0 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Yummly

Filed Under: Fairfield County, Resources, Restaurant Review, whole grain Tagged With: Bailey's Backyard restaurant, Connecticut, Fairfield County restaurants, farm fresh dining, farm-to-table restaurants, Ridgefield

« Rustic Cabbage Vegetable Soup Recipe
Ghoulish “Bloody Brains” Roasted Cauliflower and Beet Hummus Recipe »

Comments

  1. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says

    October 30, 2013 at 2:32 pm

    What a fun experience and a delicious array of treats! Thanks for sharing, Jeanette!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      October 30, 2013 at 5:04 pm

      Georgia – it was fun trying a new place. I don’t eat out often, so always a treat to dine out!

      Reply
  2. Monet says

    October 30, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    What a delicious meal! Don’t you love visiting restaurants you haven’t been to before? Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      November 1, 2013 at 7:51 pm

      Monet, it was a fabulous meal, and so fun. I do love trying new restaurants!

      Reply
  3. Maria @ Pappa Don't Preach says

    October 31, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    I really enjoyed the dishes! I thought each one was unique and like you said, the details were impeccable!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      November 1, 2013 at 7:43 pm

      Maria – it was great meeting you at the dinner. I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious everything was. I love how low key the restaurant is even though they serve such fine dining.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I'm Jeanette - welcome! Step into my kitchen, where you'll find healthy dishes packed with flavor and goodness.

[Read More …]

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Get Your Free e-Book!

Weekly College Meal Planner

Good recipes come to those who subscribe!

Archives

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Copyright © 2016 Jeanette's Healthy Living · Privacy Policy
0 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Yummly