Estia's Restaurant Crosses the Sound: Opening in Darien, Connecticut April 2, 2012
On Wednesday April 4th Estia's American will open its doors for Breakfast and Lunch.
In April the second incarnation of Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor will be expanding into Darien, CT in the form of Estia’s American, a charming Café that will offer Owner Colin Ambrose’s signature healthy, vibrant, freshly prepared foods. The Café will serve breakfast, lunch and a juice bar, then transform itself into an urbane restaurant and bar for dinner service.
Estia’s from-scratch approach, and local sourcing whenever possible, will remain at the forefront, paying homage to where it all began. Estia’s has always had heart, and that will be felt in this new modern, old-style neighborhood restaurant and gathering place.
Carissa Waechter brings the art of baking and A Creative Chefs
perspective to our new kitchen.
Carissa joined the Estia team in January working in the kitchen and dining room
at our "Little Kitchen" in Sag Harbor. Seen here in the red shirt doing community
service with a smile, she
jumped right in when asked to serve Estia's "Mexican Corn Soup" to raise
awareness and money for the Springs Seedlings project at a fund raiser in Amagansett.
With extensive experience in pastry kitchens across Manhattan, Carissa
has worked for several of Manhattans most celebrated chefs including
David Burke, Daniel Boloud, Eli Zabarand, and Waldy Malouf. As our newest chef
Carissa will coordinate our entire menu in Darien, "We're excited to have Carissa's
creative input on this new project", Colin said enthusiastically in a recent
interview.
Estia's American is located on the large parking lot behind the Merrill Lynch offices at 1020 Post Road in Darien, Connecticut.
Located in the newly developed brick walk section of tiny downtown Darien, Estia’s American will fill a void in the culinary landscape with its simple, clean, vibrant foods, big flavors, and genuine warmth.
Estia’s Little Kitchen has been at the forefront of the sustainable food movement for over a decade now. The practice of growing their own fruits and vegetables on the restaurant’s property and obtaining the rest of the ingredients from local farmers has never been a gimmick. It was simply how owner Colin Ambrose chose to source his food in order to maintain the high standards he set for the restaurant.
“For me it has always been a sound, responsible, and wholesome way of running my restaurant. And at the end of the day, the most important thing is that it all tastes great.” says Ambrose.
Visit estiasamerican.com Please come to our opening service on April 4th. We look forward to seeing you. Call us in Darien at (203)202-7051.
For the Love of Food Intersession -
A Video Clip produced by a group of students from Millbrook showing a few of Estia's Little Kitchen purveyors.
Ross Watts Art
at Estia's American
Our newest neighbor in Sag Harbor, Ross Watts has been collaborating
with Colin this winter on two exciting projects. The first to be introduced
is an American Flag installation designed for the dining room
in our new Darien location. The piece features 120 reclaimed books that
have been brought together by Ross to represent a creative view of our
stars and stripes.
Ross Watts creates minimal, conceptual paintings, sculptures, and installations. Through the repetition of simple activities, alterations of paper, windows, and walls at once straightforward and complex, blend into and intensify existing situations, evoking urban architecture, the office environment, the grid. Recent work, influenced by a move to the East End of Long Island, has involved a turn toward the natural world — stones carved from the pages of books and paintings made from stencils of layered fishing nets, stretching the grid into more organic forms.
Ross Watts received a BFA from The University of North Carolina and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. After 7 years in New York City, he relocated to Sag Harbor with his family. He has exhibited nationally, including a recent exhibition at The Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, NY, and is represented in numerous private collections.
Estia's Little Kitchen is Serving lunch daily noon to 3pm. Except Tuesdays.
For the Love of Food Intersession -
A Video Clip produced by a group of students from Millbrook showing a few of Estia's Little Kitchen purveyors.
27east.com - Review Posted for Estia's Little Kitchen
IrishAurora posted a review for Estia's Little Kitchen on Jan 24, 12 10:31 AM
5 Stars.
"Went here this Sunday for brunch (a little after 1) and was delighted to find that breakfast was still available! Both me and my dining buddy were thrilled with our meals (we both ordered what I think was called the Grand Ranch?) Delicous! The service was super friendly and quick! My only complaint was they were super busy and we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table but we expected this as former reviewers had mentioned how little the place is and busy. I say, good for them! I don't mind waiting when the dining experience is this good."
August 2011 - On the Tongue, Herbs for a late Summer Palate
A Fresh & Minimal Approach To Food:
Estia's Little Kitchen on Plum TV
Sag Harbor Express
A Little Kitchen's Garden Celebrates Food & Family
Posted on 29 July 2011
On most summer days at Estia’s Little Kitchen on the fringe of Sag Harbor Village,
families meander outside under apple, pear and peach trees while waiting for a table at
the celebrated café. Children wait hungrily for fresh fruit pancakes while they poke at
bright yellow zucchini blossoms, finger cherry-red stalks of Swiss chard and smell mint
nestled among a kaleidoscope of native flowers.
For chef and owner Colin Ambrose, the image evokes memories of his own children’s
earliest interactions with food, beginning at his first farm on Lorne Michael’s Amagansett
property where he created a chefs co-op for local produce. The fruits of that venture
made his first restaurant, Estia’s Coffee Shop, the kind of place where locals and visitors
alike wouldn’t bat an eyelash at waiting in line down Main Street, Amagansett for a
sample of blueberry pancakes or the signature two-hour salad, a seasonal selection of
produce plucked warm from the ground just hours before it was artfully presented on a
diner’s plate.
That coffee shop’s lease was sold years ago as Ambrose began to focus his culinary
energies on Estia’s Little Kitchen after buying the once sleepy Tony’s Coffee Shop in
1998.
Ambrose ceased farming at Michaels’ property in part because of geography but also
because of a hungry deer population. However, The Little Kitchen, as it is known to
scores of regulars, has retained the devout loyalty of Ambrose’s clientele, and this year,
Ambrose has returned to his roots, building a kitchen garden on one-third of an acre
behind his restaurant. The garden teems with fruits and vegetables that make their way
onto plates at the Little Kitchen, supplemented when needed by the produce of local
farmers like Bette Lacina and Dale Haubrich, Marilee Foster, David Falkowski, Alex
Balsam, Ian Calder-Piedmonte and longtime friend and mentor Scott Chaskey of Quail
Hill Farm in Amagansett.
“I buy from who I can, who I trust and what works for us,” said Ambrose on Monday
morning, sitting at a table outside of his restaurant. “I bought Milk Pail peaches for our
blueberry peach pancakes while I wait for my peaches to ripen. I just bought a bunch of
carrots and potatoes from Bette and Dale for South Fork succotash.”
The Little Kitchen has long supported local farmers, and while Ambrose remains
committed to the South Fork farms, he added he is pleased he is now able to bring more
of his own food into the Little Kitchen.
The kitchen garden was designed by Susan Meyer and Ambrose, and was established
this past fall making this spring and summer The Little Kitchen Garden’s first harvest.
The garden is tended to by Ambrose, but also by Jeff Negron who on many days can be
seen from the Sag Harbor-Bridgehampton Turnpike pruning the Little Kitchen’s
decade-old blueberry bushes or inspecting heads of delicate lettuce nestled under the
natural shade of a birch tree.
True to Ambrose’s lifelong culinary commitment to chemical-free, seasonal local produce
– something the restaurateur has embraced long before the practice became trendy –
the kitchen garden is fertilized by Ambrose’s own compost, turned in three concrete
compost bins at the edge of the restaurant property. Bits of eggshell can be seen poking
up from soil in the rows of basil.
Ambrose’s career began in 1991 when he bought Estia’s in Amagansett, creating a
restaurant focused on local produce, fish with a Mexican influence finding its way into
menu items. After befriending Chaskey and becoming enamored with the idea of farming
his own crops, Ambrose reached out to regular customer and artist John Alexander and
asked him if he knew of any fallow land he could use.
Enter Lorne Michaels. The Saturday Night Live creator allowed Ambrose to create a
two-acre garden on his property. A pasture for 50 years, Ambrose nearly drools when
describing the “enhanced Bridgehampton loam” that his vegetables took root in. A
regular customer, Rhett, agreed to clear the acreage for coffee and eggs at Estia for five
months and Ambrose’s first garden was born.
His partners in what would become known as The Basil Brothers Chefs Co-op included
famed chefs Charlie Palmer and Rick Moonen, along with local chefs Dennis MacNeil,
Gerry Hayden and the late Kevin Henry.
“They were all so influential in the easy days of East Hampton’s culinary development,”
said Ambrose of the latter three.
For two years, the chef’s co-op flourished, and while Ambrose still considers many of
those men his brothers, the co-op eventually dwindled and after buying The Little
Kitchen in 1998, Ambrose eventually stopped gardening on the property.
Ambrose continued to be a member of Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett, his daughters
Lyman and Mansell and wife Jessica joining him, as they did on the Michaels property, to
collect vegetables for the family dinner table.
Now with the garden in place, Ambrose said he is not only thrilled to see the property
take on a whole new aura, animals finding their way onto the property that never have
before, and families finding their children drawn to the garden, just as his own children
were when they were young.
“This is beyond a place to eat,” said Ambrose, slightly tearing. “Children wander through
the garden and I tell their parents to let them pick a green bean. That is getting me to the
next level.”
Lyman and Mansell, who formed their own company – A. Sisters Food Company — two
years ago, selling “lymanade” of various flavors, fresh pasta and pesto, have taken on
the family tradition of celebrating fresh, local food.
“We were so connected to the garden,” said Lyman on Tuesday. “It was fun to just be
there with my dad, but it also really opened our eyes up about what is right to eat.
Friends would tell me I was a picky eater, but that was because I grew up eating the
best. That sad salad they served to me at boarding school was not something I was
going to touch.”
Lyman, who is studying business and nutritional sciences at Bucknell this fall said she
was always proud of her father, but once she and Mansell started their business and
began selling their goods at local farm stands they witnessed first hand the kind of
relationships he has built with people over the last two decades.
“It has been great to see the reaction everyone has to him,” said Lyman. “To see that
side of it and how much people love that restaurant, it’s mind blowing that one man can
produce that kind of following.”
Ambrose would likely blush at those comments.
“It’s not my goal to be anything more than I am today,” he said, wrapping up the
interview. “I am that guy who will spend the next three hours getting this garden ready
for the weekend. My job is to be a good father and just do what we do here.”
Estia's Little Kitchen News Thursday May 26th, 2011
Celebrate the start of the 2011 Summer Season with Us!
Look for this ad in Plum Hamptons Magazine, coming out this week.
The A. Sisters Food Co. is now servicing 3 Farmers Markets with Fresh Pasta, Pesto from our house grown herbs, Special Mojo and Rosito Salsas and Lymanades.
Starting Friday May 27th.
- Amagansett, Wednesday @ The American Legion Post 419
-
East Hampton, Friday @ Nick & Toni's
- Sag Harbor, Saturday on Bay Street
All markets run from 9am to 1pm
A.Sisters return to EH Farmers market
East Hampton, NY—After a very successful 5th season, the East Hampton Farmers Market will launch its sixth season on Friday May 27th at 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM. A farm stand in the heart of East Hampton, the farmers’ market provides residents with a source of locally grown or produced fresh produce, spring greens, mushrooms, honey, sweets, savories, cow’s cheese, baked goods, homemade pasta, bread, flowers, pickles, seafood, seasonal fruit. Supporting the farmers’ market is supporting the local farmers, fishers, food producers and celebrating the agricultural history of the East End.
The market is held in the Nick and Toni’s parking lot at 136 North Main Street in East Hampton and will run—rain or shine—every Friday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM from May 27th through September 30th.
The East Hampton Farmers’ Market features 21 East End farmers, fishers, food growers and producers selling a wide range of products. New to the market this season will be Amagansett Sea Salt Compnay, Davis Peach Farm, Pete’s Endless Summer products and Liberty Farms Nursery from Sagaponack.
The "Two Hour Salad" is harvested from our chefs garden outside the
dining room door (photo below).
Grilled Pork Pastor Recipe
5 lb pork sirloin (sliced)
Marinade:
10 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 guajillo chilies, remove puree and cup in a spice grinder
1 tablespoon ground clove
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons achiote
2 Spanish onions, sliced
2 cups fresh pineapple sliced into small pieces
2 tablespoons salt
Mix all marinade ingredients together in a sealed container and allow to rest overnight. Arrange the pork slices in a
large plastic tray and pour the marinade over the top, mixing completely.
Rest for another 24 hours. Grill at high heat to order. Serve with the onions and pineapple from the marinade over brown rice w/ green beans.
Baja Sur inspired Mexican Dishes
Shrimp Quesadilla on corn tortilla w/ Tequila Sunrise Mojo - $12.95 Queso Fondito "La Fonda" with grilled flour tortillas - $12.95
Carne Asada Potato Rellena w/ onions, carrots and jack cheese - $14.95 Grilled Chicken San Jose over sweet corn and shitake mushrooms - $14.95 Marinated Pork "Al Pastro" with organic brown rice and asparagus - $14.95
Tecate $3. - Garanacha $5. - Torrantes $5
Offered every Thursday and Sunday night through Sunday June 26.
Serving lunch daily noon to 3pm.
Except Tuesdays.
Make Your Dinner Reservation Today!
Estia's is open 6 days a week for breakfast and lunch. Closed Tuesdays. Dinner Fridays and Saturdays.
1615 Sag Harbor Bridgehampton Turnpike
call 631.725.1045
drop me a line at colin@eatshampton.com for any inquiries
Estia's Little Kitchen News Wednesday March 2nd, 2011
Stephen Mannino: Art at Estia's Opening Thursday March 3rd
Stephen Mannino is an artist whose working studio in Sagaponack has been active for over 10 years. He is also an avid fisherman, working the beaches from Sagaponack to Montauk every fall.
To celebrate our 13th year in service we will provide a free glass of Wolffer Cuvee Sparkling Brut to all dinner guests on the weekend starting Thursday March 17th.
We are returning to our Thursday through Sunday dinner service on March 17th.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
3 cups cooked steel cut oatmeal (chill)
Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine milk and eggs in a separate bowl and whip with a whisk, then add the cold oatmeal. Bring all together in the large bowl.
Bring a griddle to heat over medium flame and then add butter or oil to the surface. Test one pancake, paying attention to the clock. Keep in mind that these pancakes require more time than your average white flour pancakes.
Add any fruit, nuts or chocolate as needed.
Make Your Dinner Reservation Today!
Estia's is open 6 days a week for breakfast and lunch. Closed Tuesdays. Dinner Fridays and Saturdays.
1615 Sag Harbor Bridgehampton Turnpike
call 631.725.1045
drop me a line at info@eatshampton.com for any inquiries
To celebrate our 13th year in service we will provide a free glass of Wolffer Cuvee Sparkling Brut to all dinner guests on the weekend starting Thursday March 17th.
