One of New Haven’s more fun and off-beat restaurants is Foster’s in the up-and-coming Ninth Square neighborhood.
Chef David Foster practically defines “colorful.”
Foster’s partner is Ming Lau (right), who also owns Miso and who is shown here with my dining companion, Kamran Moody of Hamden’s Giant View Café.
And here you see our waitress, Stacey, whose service was as winning as her smile.
Lifting a description from fostersrestaurant.com, the 140-seat restaurant is a modern space in an historic building, and features a lounge,
bar,
a chef’s table
and a private dining room outfitted with modern video equipment.
Most important of all, the main dining areas are attractive, nicely lit and comfortable.
Foster’s had posted one of the more intriguing Restaurant Week menus, so I was really looking forward to trying everything. Foster calls his cooking “eccentric,” and I wouldn’t quarrel with that characterization. For the first round, Kamran ordered butternut squash ravioli, which were fried and tossed with a sage-pecan brown butter. Although I had nursed a general belief that frying ravioli is overkill, an unnecessary additional step like chicken-frying a perfectly good steak, I rather liked these crunchy ravioli with a sweet squash interior and a nice complementary sauce.
Tuna tartare with grilled avocado and limoncello dressing seemed a safer bet, and I liked this dish, too.
Foster sent us his third appetizer—crispy chipotle BBQ slab bacon—and I thought this was the best starter of all. Accompanied by a wedge of cornbread and a nice coleslaw, Foster’s pork belly slathered with a tangy barbecue sauce won by knockout.
Soon the bell sounded for the next match. Kamran’s 7-cheese manicotti proved to be a crêpe filled with an assortment of cheeses and finished with a fresh yellow tomato sauce.
My salmon fillet was grilled and dressed with sliced pears and slivered almonds in a pear brandy sauce.
The manicotti came with a roll, the salmon with a terrific carrot, zucchini and onion medley. The salmon won by a decision.
The third, and final, contest was between the desserts. Thanks to Foster’s generosity, we got to try all three listed on his Restaurant Week menu. Riffing on a PBJ sandwich, a killer rich slice of peanut butter cheesecake rested in a pool of Concord grape jelly sauce.
Even more fanciful was a s’more crème brûlée next to which a little “campfire” was lit. Topping the custard was chocolate ganache, Graham cracker crumbs and toasted marshmallow.
But an imposing (although light) Napoleon layering white chocolate, milk chocolate and orange bitter chocolate mousse with puff pastry won by TKO.
Smelling salts were administered in the form of Tequila infused with espresso beans, cinnamon sticks and brown sugar,
one of three potions brewing behind the bar.
Foster’s rapt audience seemed to have enjoyed every round.
Foster’s, 56 Orange Street, New Haven, 203-859-6666