Westport Restaurant Week 2—Tavern On Main

The second Westport restaurant we visited was handsome and historic Tavern on Main.

I have always found its bar area warm and welcoming.

But I usually wind up in the attractive dining room that faces onto the street,

with its fireplace,

its mantle,

and its photograph of the building from the 1950s.

My dining companion was my friend Martha,

who forgave my absence from the table while I photographed the neighboring room

and its fireplace

and made a new friend.

A nice assortment of bread

and some sweet whipped butter

held our appetites in check while we made our selections from Tavern on Main’s Restaurant Week menu. We also noted that the restaurant was offering $5 wines offered as part of the promotion, including an Avia Pinot Grigio, a Torrentes Sauvignon Blanc, a Crush Cabernet and Merlot Blend, and a Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir.

There were four appetizer choices—but only two of us. We didn’t get to try either the New England clam chowder or the salad of mixed greens with baked panko-and-herb-encrusted goat cheese. But we relished this delightful crab cake served with a corn cake, vegetable rémoulade and sweet potato strings.

And although we couldn’t help reflecting on the suffering of Chileans in the wake of their catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, we appreciated a traditional Chilean empanada served with a piquant pebre sauce.

I am passionate about empanadas, having tried them on three continents (so far) and having spent two years working for a chain of empanada restaurants that were located in Manhattan. I had great fun discussing empanadas with our polished Argentinean waiter, Pedro.

It was difficult to narrow four entrée choices to two. We were curious about a salmon brown rice salad, but didn’t get to try it. We also didn’t get to try pan-seared striped bass with a butternut squash risotto and asparagus. But both entrées that we did get to try were sensational! One was spectacularly soft and flavorful housemade wild mushroom ravioli with white truffle oil.

The other was an impressive and perfectly seasoned New York steak served over a Merlot wine sauce with a cheesy potato galette and superb mixed vegetables.

The dessert options weren’t listed on the Restaurant Week menu, but Tavern on Main’s housemade sweets proved to be exceptional. We didn’t get to try its crème brûlée, but we loved its molten chocolate cake in a Grand Marnier chocolate sauce served with a chocolate almond tuile.

And its carrot cake served in an orange sauce was just plain wonderful.

Credit where credit is due. Since it was a Sunday, executive chef Jose Briceno wasn’t on the premises, but I gather that this talented Chilean previously served at Thomas Henkelmann in Greenwich and Telluride Restaurant in Stamford. I did manage to get a photograph of sous chef David Limón at work.

And I managed to take this photograph of Tavern on Main’s lovely owners, Helen Zervus and Hector Maneiro.

Kudos to all for a job well done!

Tavern on Main, 146 Main Street, Westport, 203-221-7222