With Richard Gere owning a restaurant, you figure people will come just hoping to get a glimpse of him. Once. What brings them back is the fabulous creative food of chef Brian Lewis.
The Farmhouse is one of three establishments at the Bedford Post, which also includes The Barn (serving breakfast and lunch) and a Bakery.
Our experience began on an off-note, as our waitress “V” opened and served warm Chateau Doisy Daene 2006 Barsac ($46). As you know, unchilled white wine taste worse than Ripple did.
“I just grabbed the bottle from the refrigerator,” V said, probably not thinking about the FIFO rule: first in, first out.
“I’ll chill it.”
Another waitperson served us crusty bread — one slice reminiscent of the hearty cornbread available in the Bronx, the other a fruit-and-nut one. As my dining partner — who’s celiac — sadly refused his offerings, the server removed her plate. I nibbled the fresh-made bread, still pining for a chilled glass of wine. Still warm.
As V asked if we were ready to order, I half-jokingly asked her whether they had any gluten-free pasta as those dishes sounded superb.
“Yes — the owners wife Carey is celiac.” (She was referring to Carey Lowell, who BTW, I loved in Law & Order.)
The night’s amuse bouche was a delicate asparagus vichyssoise topped with a sprinkling of black olive salt and citrus zest. I tried a splash of the wine again: a hint of chill, but too warm to enjoy.
While waiting for our apps, I asked the bread server whether they had gluten-free bread. A few minutes later he appeared with warm gluten-free bread sticks, so pleasing my dining companion. Now why, we wondered didn’t V offer that once we asked about the gluten-free pasta?
We split the Citrus Cured Wild King Salmon Sott’ Olio ($15) wrapped in wild ramps and an Imported Burrata Salad ($16) – a decadent fresh cheese made from mozzarella and cream topped with miner’s lettuce and lovage, sprinkled with candied walnuts and drizzled with Calabrian chili oil. And now that the wine was finally chilled (an hour after my first sip), it worked perfectly with both apps.
I indulged in the signature Soft Farm Egg Ravioli ($16) in brown butter – a rectangle of pasta filled on one side with sheep’s milk ricotta, the other with burgundy spinach and the middle with a soft farm egg. When you cut into the middle, the warm yolk oozed onto the plate becoming a delicate sauce for the rest. My dining partner was in heaven with the tender gluten-free spaghetti with sauteed octopus and san marzano tomatoes ($16).
We ended the meal by splitting a warm flourless chocolate cake topped with Tahitian vanilla gelato and drizzled with burnt orange caramel. V forgot our coffee. But did bring out homemade melt-as-you-touched creamy chocolate truffles.
The meal was perfection and worth the visit. When I return, I will for sure ask for a different waitress.
Bedford Post Inn
954 Old Post Road
(Route 121), Bedford Village
Westchester County
As the “celiac” part of this adventure, I heartily support all Bonnie has written. It was an excellent dining experience, marred only by the seemingly inexperienced waitress. I will absolutely return and look forward to trying other gluten free options.
Diane
It could not have been worse. Disorganized, dysfunctional etc. The lounge is so dark you need a seeing eye dog. Two top brand liquors were “unavailable”. Appetizers (a zucchini flower dish) were marvelous, after which everything fell off a cliff. Dinners arrived with a pork confit well done and inedible (sent back, returned as pork loin, fortunately not charged), and three others served as miniscule portions, at best luke warm, and with ice cold garnishes. Dishes were served to the wrong diners, coffee (for another table) was brought after the appetizers, even cappucinos were barely warm, and three arrived without the 4th diner’s expresso. These were sent back and then returned so piping hot as to be undrinkable (I guess that will teach us to send something back!). An extra dessert was delivered, and only when told that we did not order it did the staff volunteer that it was “complimentary.” While the staff removed the offending dishes and eventually replaced them, there was little or no reaction on their part to the continued gaffes and breaks in service.
Finally, in the parking lot, the wrong cars were brought, even though a numbered ticket was turned in! At least there is great consistency in the level of disorganization here.
STAY AWAY. IT COULD HARDLY HAVE BEEN WORSE!
Dave, so sad your experience was so horrid and that your staff (lack of) efficiency mirrored my visit.. Training should be high on their priority list…
Wondering if you spoke to the manager before you left… and what that reaction was..
[…] can bring out the best or the worst in glass of wine. I had experienced the “worst” at The Bedford Post Farmhouse when my waitress V served warm white wine. The alcohol tends to predominate in warm wine, not the […]
Had my wedding there Sept 2010…
The ceremony was beautiful, the food was fantastic as expected, but the SERVICE WAS ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS.
I was appalled to see photos and learn from my husband that the bar at the reflection pool was opened at 5:30pm rather than as arranged in my contract for 6:30pm-7:30pm. This was not discussed, and not was I agreed to in my contract. I am confident that IF I had contracted for an open bar, your staff would be vigilant in NOT opening the bar until the contracted time of 6:30pm. People were drinking AT my religious ceremony, which to me is clearly distasteful.
-My cocktail hour ran until well over 8:30pm, when in fact I contracted for it to end at 7:30pm. They kept telling me they “were not ready” for us….why is this? And why was my event planner, who was meant to deal with me directly, serving plates to guests and hauling around serving items when she was meant to handle the many issues that arose and deflect these issues from me? (THE POLICE ARRIVING, THE LACK OF WATER ON TABLES, the lack of wait staff taking ANY drink orders). If you are understaffed, that is not my issue, it’s yours. What does it cost you to bring in a few more additional wait staff?
-Upon my parents and groomsman/maid of honor toast, there was NO CHAMPAGNE to toast with. THERE WAS NOT even WATER on the table.
-I had arranged with staff to have a properly tallied bar tab. I clearly expressed to the event planner that I did not want to be handed a $5000 bill at the end of the night for the bar tab, when in fact, that is exactly what happened.
– It was abundantly clear that your property was severely understaffed and unable to properly execute this size and scope of an event such as a wedding. Why did I pay a 21% service fee?? In a meeting with RUSSELL (CO-OWNER WITH RICHARD GERE) he said a recent groom expressed “Even if the food was bad, service was shit, it would still be worth having my wedding here because of the beauty of the property…” I thought this to be a hypothetical at the time, clearly it is not a hypothetical. The service was abysmal. I tend to disagree with that groom. Yes I had a beautiful wedding, but NONE in part to the horrible service we were given. And NO the scenery and food to not erase that.
I deliberated greatly in writing this as I was not sure if it was worth the aggravation and time of having to rehash the awful service experience we had at the Bedford Post. Additionally, I am sure that owner RUSSELL (and RICHARD GERE) would not care at all about my sentiments based on the fact that they made NO attempt at reparations in the past even in light of my horrible experience with the Bedford Post over the past 9 months of planning this wedding.
They can talk all they want about the upcoming accolades they are going to receive. It is easy for them to rest on their laurels or the “celebrity” influence they have behind them. If that is enough for you than the Bedford Post was obviously not the best choice for us in a wedding venue.
We were looking for a venue with good food, stellar service and a place we could come back to year after year for anniversaries and holidays. I honestly cannot stomach the thought of continuing to be a patron at a facility that puts no worth in personal connections.
BEWARE!!! GO TO BLUE HILL AT STONE BARN.